Getting Involved.

Achieving the goal of recreating a County will progress only as quickly as the cash-flow and labour force allows. To date progress has been good, but we cannot become complacent, because considerable amounts of funding will be needed for future work - notably the reconstruction of the boiler. In addition, many thousands of man-hours remain to be in-put. Both are vital to the success of the Project. So how can you help?

You may help towards the re-creation of a County 10xx 4-6-0 by completing a Bankers Order to provide a regular income and/or making a donation and sending it to Richard Croucher, the Chairman. Alternatively, offers of help as a voluntary nature either on the administration or the engineering side, would be gratefully accepted too, as indicated below.

Click on here to down load/print off a Bankers Order/donation form

(Cannot read this form? Click here to download Acrobat Reader)

Anyone who contributes £1000 or more, either in one amount or by regular payment, will become a member of the County Partnership. County Partners will receive:

• Opportunity to drive No.1014 at Didcot under supervision
• Name to be recorded on a plaque
• Priority booking on the inaugural run with No.1014.
  

A fruitful source of resource provision to date has been sponsorship; e.g. the spokes for the driving wheels were funded in this way. If you/your organisation are interested in sponsoring any component, large or small, for the County the Project Co-ordinator would be pleased to hear from you.

The Project has also benefited from the proceeds of the bi-annual G.W.S. raffles. The Summer Draw 2010, targeted the raising money to complete the three driving wheel sets. As ever, it proved fruitful and helped the Project move forward and contributing greatly to their completion and delivery in October 2011.

Thanks to all who supported the raffle.

17/07/2010 - Richard Croucher and LaDonna McDonald making the raffle draw. Donna is the mother of the late Iain McDonald, who has now joined the County Set and is discovering why Iain enjoyed working as part of this team.

If you can assist in any way please contact

Richard Croucher, Appeal Co-ordinator, County 1014 Project,

Great Western Society, Didcot Railway Centre, Didcot, Oxfordshire, OX11 7NJ, England.
Tel +44 (0) 1235 817200 or e-mail info@didcotrailwaycentre.org.uk

So how can you help?

Firstly, we need to enhance the technical capability of our workforce to take this ambitious project forward. The skills currently sought are welders, fitters and another machinist. The competencies for being a fitter are many and various, there is no template and the team management will assess you. If you understand the use of tools, have good dexterity and a working knowledge of cars, ships/boats or other mechanical equipment such as generators, pumps or cranes you could be a locomotive fitter. To be a welder you must be competent in your skill and a machinist needs to be able to operate traditional machine tools, without CNC. But, you must commit to the project, you must be prepared to obey certain simple rules, particularly in the area of Health and Safety, and you must be comfortable working as a team player. We are looking for attendance at Didcot every other Saturday – more often at various times in the project. However, we do acknowledge the need for holidays and the other essential events of life!

Secondly, we are looking for both material and financial assistance. If you wish to contribute financially or have parts or other material such as drawings that you believe may assist the project, please contact our Chairman, Richard Croucher, at Didcot Railway Centre, the webmaster through our website or the 1014 Project Manager, Mike Cooper. On the other hand, you might just wish to drop some money into our chimney.

Contacting Us

If you believe you can help us, please get in touch with Richard Croucher via Didcot Railway Centre (01235 817200) or contact Mike Cooper, the Project Manager, on michaelc402@aol.com or 07778 049988 or use the web-link http://www.gwcountyproject.org.uk (click Getting Involved or Contact Webmaster). You can also come and talk to us on most Saturdays. Alternatively, complete the tear-off below and either give it to a member of the GWS staff or send it to Richard Croucher or Mike Cooper at the 1014 Project, Didcot Railway Centre, DIDCOT, Oxon, OX11 7NJ .

Working days for the next year will be the following Saturdays, starting at 09.00:

2012

• January 14, 28.
• February 11, 25.
• March 10, 24.
• April 7, 21.
• May 5, 19.
• June 2, 16, 30.
• July 14, 28.
• August 11, 25. (Workweek dates to be confirmed later).
• September 8, 22.
• October 6, 20.
• November 3, 17.
• December 1, 15, 29.

2013

• January 12,26.

On most 'non-working' Saturdays there is likely to be some presence.
There will also be some work weekends for special projects - these dates are to be advised and will mainly involve specialist teams assembled for the tasks by the Project Manager.
Dates are harmonised with the 4079 Project.

Simply present and introduce yourself at the north east end of the Workshop at Didcot Railway Centre.

Contact details are provided, so that any other project team who might also wish to avail themselves of their services can do so.

Publicity is vital in progressing a project such as this. If you are a member of a club, or business organisation and would like to know more about the project before committing yourself we offer two alternatives:

1) We have a PowerPoint Presentation of about 20 minutes duration which may be borrowed from the webmaster.

2) Terry McCarthy has produced a longer presentation:

Lasting up to 2 hours, this presentation looks at the Project, History of the Counties and an up to date report on progress made. A fee is charged for the presentation, all of which is donated to the Project's funds. Reasonable traveling expenses are also requested.

To book, contact Terry through the site webmaster.

County Project,
Great Western Society,
Didcot Railway Centre,
Didcot,
Oxfordshire.
Tel: +44 (0)1235 817200
E-mail: drc@didcotrailwaycentre.org.uk

Registered Charity No. 272616.