2009 - A celebration of our Centenary (Last page update 15 June 2010)
We made it to our "100 not out weekend" - now begins the "On to 200... !" era
The Society reached this historic milestone on 11th December 2009. During the year it was marked by several commemorative articles in the monthly magazines, a Centenary Booklet, and several memorable events for both the public and members. This page has now been converted from a news of coming events page into a lasting review of our year which commences here.
Re-issue of the Centenary Stamp cover
The Centenary postal cover artwork was redrafted by John Wigston, the railway artist, and is available via Buckingham Covers. See the Related Promotions page for more details. The Centenary stamps sheet/presentation pack has now sold out and is therefore no longer available. (Section updated 11th March 2010)
2009 - Diary of a celebratory year - The Society's Centenary events
14 Mar, Kidderminster Railway Museum, Premier Society Centenary Talk;
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The first event in this memorable year was the forum covering 100 years of development on the West Coast Mainline and where the current franchise holders see future development. Speakers included: Edward Talbot (SLS), leading LNWR historian on 'The Premier Line in 1909', and additional leading speakers from the present-day railway industry: Tony Roche, SLS Vice-President, consultant, former BR Board member and leader of the HST design team; Gary Hambling, Fleet Manager, Virgin trains; and Neil Harwood, Engineering Director, Alstom trains UK on 'The West Coast Main Line today and tomorrow'. Photo by John New. Ted Talbot discussing the LNWR with an appropriate ex-LNWR preserved sign in the background. |
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Locomotive naming at NRM Shildon on 30th March 2009
The Stephenson Locomotive Society are pleased to announce that to celebrate the Society’s Centenary Freightliner named Class 66 locomotive No 66 957 in honour of the Society at a ceremony held at Locomotion, Shildon on 30th March. Nameplate made by Newton Replicas
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From left to right the people are - Photo by J New and copyright J New/SLS Additional photos of the event are available in the Yahoo Members Only group. . |
4mm scale etched nameplates - Class 66 No 66 957
A run of etched replica nameplates in 4mm scale (1:76) is being released to the public by the well known railway modelling suppliers - Fox transfers. These will make a good commemorative souvenir of the Centenary in their own right and, of course, can also be used by members wishing to update the Bachmann 4mm model of the class 66 to be "our" engine. Please contact Fox transfers direct.
11th - 13th April (Easter) - York Model Railway Show
We attended this event as an "out and about" event. On the stand was a range of photographs from John New's own collection together with material from the Library covering 100 years of York's railway history. Photographs are in the Yahoo Members Only group.
25th - 26th April - Our "100 not out!" weekend (AKA The AGM - Members only)
This was organised for our centenary year by the London and Southern Area. With the Society's early roots deeply enmeshed in the LB&SC Railway and the preservation of locomotive Gladstone a "Brighton line" theme was adopted for the 2009 AGM held on Sat 25th April 2009. The AGM weekend is centred around the Bluebell Railway with the meeting itself at Sheffield Park Station.
Centenary booklet launched in May and now available on general sale
A Centenary Celebration 1909 - 2009
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To celebrate our Centenary a new booklet looking back over our 100 year history has been published. ( May 2009). |
£4.00 inclusive of P&P. |
The above publication is available from Brian Dotson, Glenrowan, 5 Pentrosfa Crescent, Llandridod Wells, Powys, LD1 5NW. - See publications page for additional SLS published material.
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Midlands Centre celebrated the Centenary on 30th May 2009
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The Centenary celebrations continue. Midlands Centre members celebrated the centenary on 30th May with a buffet lunch at the Kidderminster Rly Museum followed by a trip over the Severn Valley Railway. The train carried the traditional SLS Special headboard. Locomotive is 0-6-0PT No 7714. Photo by John New. Click image for larger version. Additional photographs are in the Yahoo Members Only group. . NB - Photo taken from non-public area with permission and under SVR staff member supervision |
14th November - 'Special Centenary train'
The operator, Vintage trains, ran a tour around the Midlands with two pannier tanks(No's 9600 & 9466) visiting the Ironbridge branch plus Kidderminster. From Kidderminster a loco change saw two Severn Valley locomotives (Prarie No 4566 and pannier 5764) take the train to Bridgmorth and back to Bewdley where the original pair of panniers took over for the return run over Network Rail. Our Chairman (Brian Lewis) has collated this list of You Tube links covering the run which you might find interesting - those who were on the trip and
those who were not.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSLWtv16_lc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8l4x8xCmFiQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G94bia4J7hg
Pity about the lack of a headboard which was only added for the run back from
Kidderminster to Birmingham - in the dark! Steam Railway magazine (Issue no 370) also covered the Special including some photographs and a performance log of part of the return run.
'Special Centenary train' - 14th November |
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Photo as used on the Front Cover of Journal No 861. The ‘SLS Special’ with panniers 9600, sporting the original SLS headboard, and 9466, both impatiently blowing off steam as they wait for the signal at Kidderminster to rejoin the rail network for the return to Tyseley Warwick Road up the steeply graded Old Hill route, 14 November 2009. Photo - Brian Dotson |
| Link to larger version of picture shown above | |
The actual centenary weekend
10/ 11/ 12 December - or the " 100 Not out weekend" - York The celebrations began on Thursday 10th December with the opening of the NRM's tribute to the SLS. The three locomotives below, all associated with the SLS were grouped together. We rounded off our year of celebration with a mix of public and members only events. The members side of the weekend in York began on the Friday with a small exhibition of artifacts representing our Centenary, a dinner in the National Railway Museum and concluded on the Saturday with a talk by the acclaimed artist David Shepherd and a tour behind the scenes of the new "Search" section of the NRM. The exhibition rolled over into 2010 so we also started our second century in appropriate style at the National Railway Museum in York; home of two locomotives associated with the SLS (Gladstone & Stephenson). Our locomotive Orion was displayed during the exhibition until 5th January and then returned to Shildon. The full programme of events, in time line order was: - Thursday 10th Dec '09 to Tuesday 5th January. SLS Centenary tribute exhibition at the NRM York during normal opening hours. (Pdf copy of press release about the event here. |
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Friday 11th Dec '09 1) Members/invited guests only - Centenary Dinner & exhibition - National Railway Museum. |
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The temporary exhibition mounted for members and guests high-lighting the achievements of the Society over the last 100 years. |
A view of the bust of George Stephenson in the NRM together with the dinner tables set out prior to the dinner attendees arriving, |
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2) Presentation of the LNWR's Premier Award to the SLS In the preamble to the dinner the SLS were presented with the LNWR's Premier Award in honour of the SLS's restoration to full working order of Orion. |
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3) Re-issue of the Centenary Stamp cover As the 11th December was our actual Centenary the new Centenary postal cover artwork had been redrafted by John Wigston, the railway artist, and a copy was on display in the exhibition. See the Related Promotions page for more details. The Centenary stamps sheet/presentation pack has now sold out and is therefore no longer available.
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Saturday 12th Dec' 09 1) Centenary Lecture (Public event) The weekend continued with a coffee reception on the NRM balcony as members and guests gathered to hear the noted railway artist and wildlife preservation activist David Shepherd present the Centenary Lecture. In David's inimitable style we heard of his involvement in stream locomotive preservation in both the UK and Africa together with his involvement in wildlife conservation.
2) Behind the scenes guided tour of the NRM. Our weekend concluded after lunch with a talk by the NRM's Ed Bartholomew (Senior Curator Conservation & Collections Management) about the NRM and forthcoming developments. He then showed us several examples of the photographs held by the NRM and led a tour behind the scenes of "Search". Photographs of the weekend Additional photographs of the weekend are available to Members of the SLS in the Members Only Yahoo Group. |
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