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Can you believe we are already 30 months into a 120 month project? It’s been quite a journey so far, having to deal with issues typically faced by voluntary organisations. We have had to learn and learn quickly how to manage a project like P22. We have been through the pain and panic, as well as the excitement of taking our information stand to galas and meeting people; the people we depend on to provide the initial income and skills needed to build a locomotive.
Project 22 is making very good progress. As you may know, we have an engine, number 220, which is safe and sound at “The Cab Yard” – the home of Project 22. We have a small but steady income stream, which includes the very popular books, ‘A Pictorial Salute to the Class 22’ and its follow-up, ‘The Second Pictorial Salute to the Class 22’. Any guesses on the name for the next one?
In 2016 we launched our ‘Donate & Invest’ option, and have seen many people become monthly contributors to P22, providing important income towards the build cost. All investors become shareholders in Nelly (our pet name for D6358 – it rolls off the tongue better when you are mentioning her so many times in emails and meetings. Don’t worry – there won’t be a name plate made!)
2017 is going to be a year of calling to arms and mobilising our members and followers to become more instrumental in taking P22 forward. There are many developments in the pipeline for the project. What we are doing is vast in concept and requires a lot of planning and consideration. This is a first, a new build diesel locomotive, and we fully understand the importance of demonstrating progress, because we have been asked many times when will we start the build? The answer is still the same, we can’t start or consider building anything until we make significant progress with the planning and design module of the project. Work on this is continuing daily – it’s a long and detailed process. This is where we need to attract support, in order to bring the planning stage to a point where we can actually cast some aluminium. We would estimate that we are 10% into this process and we will need to be at least 60% complete before we can make anything.
So now we need to look at momentum. During the past 30 months we have learned much about the Class 22 locomotive, and attracted many contributors. The information and knowledge bank is bursting at the seams. We are collecting data and small amounts of memorabilia, with the view to making this information available for those interested. We want Project 22 to become ‘all things class 22 related’. Our Journal “Lister” is developing nicely and is going to evolve further in 2017.
2017 promises to be the year for Project 22, where we plan on taking some substantial steps forward. Not only progressing with the build plan, but also lateral growth: expanding the scope of the project so we are better prepared to meet the challenges ahead of us. We are looking forward to welcoming investors, members and our followers to take an active role. “Just wait for the call – it’s coming!”
There will be much more news to share, so please look out for “Lister” – the journal of the Project Class 22 Society
Our Journal named after D6320 Lister, as unofficially named at Gloucester Horton Road. Our aim is to produce to issue a year all numbered after Class 22s. Lets see what number we are on when we finish D6358.
Includes:
Another great weekend of meeting people and discussing Project 22. These shows are rewarding on many levels, we have a nice community spirit, meeting friend and making new friends.
Our aim is to let folk know what we are doing and above all reroute volunteers to help with the project. We are also looking for information relating to Class 22 locomotives, finding people to share photos, stories and memories. We always come up trumps and take home good contacts.
Our sales effort is always rewarding with the merchandise and our books making selling well. This weekend we turned in £1500 which we were very pleased about. We made some excellent contacts and manged to gain commitments from a number of free basic member’s relating to pictures and stories for Lister.
We have a good team of stand volunteers, including, Bob Hunter with his excellent Gauge 1 Class 22 models and Steve Bolton helping out as well.
These shows are hard work and take a lot of commitment from the committee to ensure it works well so well, Doug, Tim, Stacie, David and myself.
Thanks to all that attended and made us feel like our efforts will be worth while, with out you there will be no 22!
Lets look forward to anther good show in June at the West Somerset Railway.
We have now been accepted as a corporate member of the Heritage Railway Association. For a fee of £66.00 per year we gain access to a support and advice organisation.
The Association has a number of specialist advisers who can adviser members on many subjects. To see a list of the advisers that we have currently please go to our Officers and Advisers page. Contact can be made directly with the adviser.
Officers and Advisers page
The value to Project 22 is the guidance available to help us gain charitable Status, which will then position us to apply for a large number of available grants.
The West Somerset Diesel Gala was a big weekend for Project 22. We displayed our new information stand for the first time. We had so much interest from people and were able to provide so much more information than ever before. Their’s was a 3 day event and we had a prime spot on Minehead Station with good visibility on the trains arriving/departing. It was so nice to be around working Hydraulic Locomotives.
The weekend was also important as we held our AGM on the Saturday, not the best planning, but it worked.
We made contact with some very interesting people and did very well with the fund raising.
We were very pleased to be invited to the DEPG annual barbeque and have the opportunity to take a beer and a burger while sitting around a Western. We made many contacts and discussed our Project with some very interesting and knowledgeable people.
It was also an opportunity for Doug to get his nose inside a Hymek and a Western engine room and for us to take a closer look at some of the more standard fittings, one example being the Hymek seats which seem very similar to the Class 22.
There was a rumour going round that we had purchased an engine for the Class 22 newbuild; well we are more than happy to now put this to rest.
We did indeed purchase the engine on the 11th August 2015 and have become the owners of Engine No.220 currently at Bury, this will shortly move to our yard in South Wales.
For more in depth information please see the attached news bulletin:
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