2023 Members’ Day and AGM

AGM

The business of the AGM was conducted briskly, with 55 members in the room and 19 online.  The following changes to the board were approved:

• James Milne takes over as Chairman
• Richard Morris was elected as Secretary, after a year as a co-opted trustee
• Andy Davies was re-elected for a further three years.

Following the meeting, David Cross was co-opted as a new trustee and will be up for member election in 2024.

Railways of Schleswig-Holstein

Steve Ollive presented the modern scene in northern Germany, particularly around Syllt, Lübeck, Puttgarten and Hamburg.  The diversity of for-hire operators, liveries, complex numbering schemes, and multi-country operation etc were remarkable.  Steve recommended Hamburg-Harburg as the place to watch trains because all traffic for the busy port is routed through this station.

The Ise Valley Railway

Professor Francis Terry built an extraordinary garden railway at his home in Northamptonshire from 1994.  The land was a quarter of a mile long - the railway nearly a mile - with the line used for garden maintenance as much as for fun.  An eclectic mix of steam, petrol, and battery powered-traction was developed, often using fork-lift trucks as source material.  The line was lifted in 2020 and the house sold, but is expected to return as a visitor attraction at the Trolleybus Museum at Sandtoft, Doncaster.