All excavation work required to construct the ground level track extension has been completed. We are indebted to Mark Avill for providing us with a JCB and driver free of charge to carry out all of this excavation work. Approximately 120 tons of clay was removed from the excavation to provide a cutting in which the track base will be constructed. This created one huge problem in how do we get rid of the clay, unfortunately the only answer was that we had to pay a quite considerable amount for it to be removed from site. Materials for shuttering and sleepers has been obtained and sleepers cut to length ready for treatment. Rails and fishplates have been delivered to site ready for making up into panels. Sole plates and rail clips have been obtained and build up of rail panels has commenced. Drawings for the two points needed to connect the outer loop to the inner loop have been completed.
Over the weekend of the 11th to 13th December we were invited by Sheffield City Council to run in the Botanical Gardens during their Christmas Festival of Lights. This turned out to be a very successful three days, with full loads being carried on all three days continuously from 4:30 pm to 8:30 pm. The number of passengers carried was unknown as rides were given free, Sheffield City Council having bought us in. As a rough guess we must have carried around 2000 over the three nights.
Thanks must go to Sheffield City Council for the help they gave us in providing boards for the track to sit on and for the provision of a marquee, which was very welcome on a cold evening. The display of lights and animated features adjacent to the track, helped to provide a marvellous setting. The only downside was the lack of adequate parking facilities.
Public Sunday running has ceased until its scheduled restart on Easter Sunday 2010. The track, train and operators was hired out on one occasion in August for a birthday party, this being a great success and hopefully lead to more birthday events in 2010. The following is a breakdown of the number of passengers carried in Rosehill Park in 2009.
April - 566 ( 524 Sundays, 42 Wednesdays ) May - 297 ( 277 Sundays, 20 Wednesdays ) June - 238 ( all on Sundays ) July - 249 ( 216 Sundays, 33 Wednesdays ) August - 1080 ( 808 Sundays, 272 Wednesdays ) Sept - 307 ( all on Sundays ) Oct - 123 ( all on Sundays )
Note: The figure for August included a Farmers Market, and in addition to the above 2270 passengers were carried over the weekend of the Rotherham Show.
The "Rotherham Show" was held in Rosehill Park on the 12th and 13th September. This proved to be a very busy weekend for us with 2270 passengers carried over the two days.Thanks are due to the many members who turned out to make the weekend a success.
A video of "Green Dragon" and "Victoria Rose" passing through the station can be viewed by Clicking Here
A grant for £3470 has been received from the South Yorkshire Community Foundation Grass Roots Fund toenable us to provide all the materials, to construct the concrete basefor the track, manufacture the track itself and to finish off thelandscaping of the site. Funding for the specially adapted carriage toallow wheelchairs to be carried has still to be applied for.
A very successful day was had a Weston Park in Sheffield on the 31st May 2009 when 925 passengers were carried, a record for a one day event with the portable track. The gloriously sunny day was a big help and the Wren performed admirably considering the virtual non stop running with full loads.
Another successful day was held at Graves Park in Sheffield on the 28th June 2009 when 725 passengers were carried. This beat the previous best at Graves Park by just 13 passengers. It was the first outing for the refurbished Elsecar coaches, with much appreciation to Arthur Hague for all the hard work and dedication he put into the refurbishment.
Several other outside events have been held this year with one very busy period of 4 consecutive events in July. Passengers carried at these events were: Graves Park 725 Tankersley 146 Warmsworth 374 Friends of Richmond Park 236 Mexborough 142 In the case of Tankersley, Friends of Richmond Park and Mexborough the organisers made up the shortfall in takings to meet the guaranteed amount.
Track has been laid as far as the proposed position of the turntable. The position of the turntable has been established and provisional drawings have been prepared. As the cost is coming out too high further assessment is required. A trial run on the new section of track with a loaded train hauled by the petrol hydraulic loco has been completed successfully. The second hand container has been delivered and installed. Painting of Number 3 container has been completed. The engine shed will be the next container to be painted,
The new driving car for the petrol hydraulic loco is complete and has been put into service. This now removes the problem previously experienced when the original driving car was required for the Wren at outside events. The second driving car, this time for the Wren, has been put into abeyance as there are more pressing jobs that need to be carried out.
