Almost a boiler test, and a first visit for a new member.

A quick Railway update, followed by a hydraulic test at the club and a first visit for a new member with his loco.

[@StanFerris]

Thanks, Tom. Home railway looks like a great start!

[@mrmrst9020]

Hi Tom your garden railway is going to be brilliant lots of room there to have a nice run lovely manor looks well built not long now until the spring soon be getting out in my garden as you will hoping to put a couple of points in my garden 👍🏻

[@brunotaylor4048]

Hi Tom. As a child In 1960 l lived just around the corner from Mote Park. Sunday walks would be past the Maidstone Club track. I was told it was a railway but couldn't understand how. I never saw a train on it. Now a member at Bristol with a Boxhill, Princess Marina and soon to be finished Collett 0-6-0 behind me. Maybe see you at IMLEC in July.

[@TomsWorkshop42]

Yes I’ll be at IMLEC unless something drastic changes. I look forward to meeting you and having a chat.

[@Massi8046]

Brilliant

[@69woodburner]

Don't get me started on test certificates. I have one for the Virginia I'm pictured with, where she is described as a Vaginia! Lord knows what the boiler tester was thinking about.

[@TomsWorkshop42]

Haha! That’s something to think about. Lol.

[@elliotfuller4783]

Hi Tom, I’m assuming you must live in Hoo? Judging by your name idea for the railway, another miniature steam fan here. Just outside of hoo with two 3” traction engines.

[@TomsWorkshop42]

Not too far away, but yes, on the Hoo peninsula, used to be in High Halstow.

[@WhiskeyGulf71]

Hi Tom, Will here from Crawley Model Engineers. I was hoping to get on the next boiler tester’s seminar but it’s booked up now. I did see however that FMES is asking for locations for the next seminar to be held, is that something Maidstone could do or want to do ?

[@TomsWorkshop42]

Well, we did host the seminar about 3 or 4 years ago I think so all of our current testers have been on the seminar. I would have thought that it would have been better to be hosted somewhere a bit further away to be a bit more accessible to some of those who may not be able to get to Kent. I would consider us hosting again in a few years if they were in need.

[@WhiskeyGulf71]

@@TomsWorkshop42 the booked up one is in Rochdale but i’ve no idea when or where the next one will be, i’ve dropped Peter a line.

[@WhiskeyGulf71]

@@TomsWorkshop42 i don’t suppose i could come & see you to get a better insight as the guide book seems a bit vague. I feel pretty confident but i wouldn’t mind some more insight.

[@TomsWorkshop42]

Of course you can. Just a thought, have you considered hosting a seminar at Crawley?

[@WhiskeyGulf71]

@@TomsWorkshop42 we just don’t have a space Tom.

[@bernardrobinson6488]

All most a certificate is not good enough the club that issued the certificate needs to rectify the certificate or a new test carried out 8:26

[@TomsWorkshop42]

This is why I thought it’s something worth including, to try to show some what should be done without naming and shaming.

[@julias-shed]

Have the certificates got too complicated?

[@gavinwhitelaw86]

Yes. WAY too complicated. We are not dealing with full size boilers but ones with a large safety factor built in. It needs to be simpler and COULD be - and STILL be safe.

[@TomsWorkshop42]

They do look complicated, but there’s really not that much to them, the thing that makes them complicated is that one certificate template is used for three different purposes, which is easier than having three different books of certificates.

[@TomsWorkshop42]

I think this is more a question of is the test too complicated…?