2024/25 Reports and Accounts for The GCR 567 Locomotive Group, 6, Nowell Close, Radcliffe-on-Trent, Nottingham NG12 1FE
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GCR 567 Loco Group
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## **Aim and Purpose**
The GCR 567 Locomotive Group aims to create a working MS&LR / GCR class 2 locomotive (number 567) to be based on the preserved Great Central Railways located in Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire.
## **Objectives and Activities**
The GCR 567 Locomotive Group objectives as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation are:
- (a) To create a working MS&LR / GCR class 2 locomotive (number 567) to be based on the preserved Great Central Railways located in Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire.
- (b) To use the project as an interpretive and educational asset. To explain the engineering and construction of a Victorian steam locomotive,
- (c) To operate the steam locomotive as a working historical exhibit to allow the general public to experience the unique sights, sounds and smells of Victorian / Edwardian train travel.
To support the above objectives, the group will interpret existing data and reference material to establish drawings and technical data that can be used for the manufacture of the locomotive and its components. Procure materials and organise the manufacture of locomotive components and assemble them into an operational locomotive. The group will raise funds to enable these activities and also assemble a supporter base to support the project in financial and volunteer support.
## **Achievements and Performance**
On this 14[th] anniversary of the project, the group moved forward strongly with all the four driving wheels cast, the tender overhaul started and a trial assembled bogie truck visible at the supporter day. Expenditure of £68,231, income of £29,943 delivered a very strong year of progress enabled further by a planned reduction in reserves from £97,224 to £58,936.
The driving wheels were cast in two formats, starting with the trailing wheels in December, the pattern then adapted and the driven leading driving wheels cast in late January 2025. The Trefoil Steel Company doing an excellent job with Mag particle and X-Ray passed they were delivered to our storage location at Lilbourne, Northamptonshire for the next processing.
The group continued two use last year’s available workshops in South Yorkshire at Crofton and south of Sheffield and were able to add Loughborough Locomotive Shed at GCR plc after the donor tender was moved from GCRN Ruddington to GCR Quorn in February 2025, then shunted to Loughborough later that day. A combination of paid work and volunteer working are deployed at all sites. The Lilbourne site was further strengthened to handle small ferrous parts with the addition of a
grounded wooden carriage from GCRN Ruddington that has been converted to three storage sheds, with all modifications reversible. Capability was also added with £1,500 of riveting equipment secured that can be sold on after project use plus a container purchased for use at the Crofton site. Many motion parts are also completed.
Promotion of the project progressed with the GC Autumn Gala, GC Winter Gala, GC Spring Steam Gala and the CTL Seal Open Day (A celebration of new build locomotives held at the Hengist and B17 build base). These in addition to the October Supporter Day for the GCR 567 Locomotive project that featured a trial build of the bogie assembly, trailered in by General Manager Mike Fairburn.
## **Locomotive Build**
The project utilised five sites during this reporting period.
The Crofton workshops, located close to Wakefield in South Yorkshire were used significantly. This was the previous location for Ian Howitt’s business, whilst closed for new business., the project was able to secure some of his old workforce to work on the site that we contributed to via a monthly rent. The first output was the bogie truck. With sideplates, horn-guides and tie rods all completed. The workforce then moved onto completing the motion components, with slipper blocks and slide bars all completed. Sadly, the site owner Ian Howitt passed in summer 2025 and that site is being prepared for sale. We thank Ian for all his support over the years and are working with his estate to ensure a controlled exit ahead of sale. The container purchased by the project will assist with this.
The Workshop X site located south of Sheffield was utilised primarily for the machining of the first half of the donor cylinder block, Enterprise Locomotives adapting this item for use on 567.
The Lilbourne site continued to be utilised for storage of the locomotive frames and two bogie wheelsets. They were joined by the four cast driving wheels after they were cast by the Trefoil Steel foundry of Sheffield. These now await the funds to convert them into wheelsets, the leading axle due to be a made-up crank axle. The capability of this site was added to with the addition of a grounded 1905 GC wooden carriage in three sections that was converted to three parts storage sheds. As the yard is secure this allowed all ferrous parts to be stored at one location. Four truck loads of hard core were funded for the yard to create effective base for the sheds and forklift access. The arrangement is judged equivalent in cost to container storage with side benefit of retaining a GC historic vehicle for potential future restoration. A reminder this location is provided free of charge to the project until at least 2030 and has CCTV, two gates to access and residents with dogs living in the adjacent farmhouse and in the yard itself.
The next main site used by the project was the GCR plc Loughborough workshops. The tender moved from GCRN Asher Lane sidings in February 2025. A small delay until May whilst the Heritage Rail Association surveyed the sludge carrier conversion it had become. Then dismantling progressed ahead of restoration, with £20,000 is set aside for the tender restoration with the GCR Shed Team. At the end of the reporting period the tank was part dismantled by local volunteer effort with no site rental charges presented or due, which was very welcome.
The fifth site remains GCR Ruddington with a reducing number of components for the motion and the horn guides stored, all now collated into one area ready for removal and completion when the time comes.
Multiple items were progressed with Enterprise Locomotives as main contractor. The driving wheel pattern was completed in August 2024 by General Patterns of Castleford, this then being modified in late December 2024 for the different counterweight arrangement of the driving wheels. At £14.500
including VAT, sponsorship towards this of £9,500 by one generous supporter was very welcome. The pattern was then moved to the Trefoil Steel Company Ltd of Sheffield and after trials in October the first two wheels were cast in December 2024 with the last two cast in early February 2025 after the pattern being modified for the larger counterbalance weight. All wheels being delivered in January and February 2025 to Lilbourne after a thick coat of red primer being applied. Quite a month as suddenly 567 had all its wheels.
The next main item progressed was the tender. This being a Great Central design, purchased in 2010 and stored since that time at Asher Lane sidings on the GCRN. After 15 years of open storage this was finally dragged on 30-January 2025 from the brambles of Asher Lane by Pete Bridon Transport. There was a minor concern as to whether the 26 tonnes of tender would roll along the temporary track onto the low loader. These fears proved unfounded and delivery was quickly made to Quorn Station where the tender was assessed and then shunted the two miles to Loughborough Shed Yard where, in unrestored condition made an interesting sight parked next to the NRM Tender from the O4/8K. The tender, in its sludge carrier form, was then fully surveyed by the Heritage Rail Association in late February and its full history established by late April. A local volunteer came forward and progressed the careful dismantling of the tank, salvaging as many original elements as possible. We were pleased to see the tender has been reduced to running board height by the end of the reporting period, with surplus steel weighed in for future offset against contacted labour. The good news is the tender frames and axle boxes seem in good shape, a new front dragbox and tender tank, needed, beyond this, all other major elements seem very repairable.
The bogie sideplates were progressed with contacted labour at the Crofton site, being finished along with the horn guides and the tie rods. These were all assembled and were trailered in to feature at the Supporter Day in October 2024, the first large assembly since the main frames were assembled. The Crofton site then moved onto finishing major motion parts with slipper blocks fully machined followed by slide bars, two significant parts of motion being completed.
An opportunity emerged to acquire two vacuum cylinders from the North Norfolk Railway; these were generously gifted to the project. With free collection from one of our facebook page members and validated at Crofton as easy to overhaul, another free set of parts for the locomotive that otherwise would have been sourced from India at £3,000. The parts count continues to increase.
In summary, excellent progress made to secure all the wheels for the locomotive, start the overhaul of the tender plus the completion and acquisition of more important parts. A very good year for progressing the locomotive build
## **Fund Raising**
With now over 200 active supporters, donations continued strongly with a combination of supporter and component sponsorship. Collectively they have raised £246,02 and we finished with a very strong £58,936 of reserves available for locomotive expenditure, this even after a planned spend of a record £68,231 during the reporting period. The group continues to be in a very healthy financial position providing significant options to progress.
The group attended the GCR Winter Gala and held a successful supporter day event in October 2025. This was followed by the GCR Winter Gala in January and then the GCR Spring Gala in March 2025. The group also attended the New Build Hengist and B17 Open Day at CTL Seal Sheffield in April, a growing new build event. The website continues to be maintained by the Chairman Andrew Horrocks-Taylor, who also generated 12 articles in the GCR publications “MainLine” and “Driving Wheels”.
We look forward to using the progress we plan over the next 12 months to again accelerate the project. Our main marketing giveaway the 500 sets of “Legendary Locomotive” Top Trump packs featuring GCR 567 went down well with our 200 existing supporters as a thank you, and we continue to burn down the 300 additional packs used as an incentivise other to join. This incentive being recovered after two months of donation. This has raised the profile of the MSLR/GCR class 2’s and specifically No.567.
The management team have done an excellent job in keeping the funding levels high, this supporting the elevated expenditure.
The group raised £29,943, once again increasing significantly from the £17,128 raised in the last financial period (2023/24).
The main approach to administering the collection of funds is unchanged, with all standing orders being set up with the David Clarke Railway Trust and then collected in a reserved fund for The GCR 567 Group. The funds being available to the 567 group on request for defined purposes, either in the form of cheques to key suppliers or via the group's own current account. The DCRT has claimed gift aid on applicable donations on behalf of the group and these amounts have been added to the reserved fund.
We thank the DCRT for their support in administering our numerous direct debits and securing the associated gift aid. It is acknowledged that the association with the DCRT, the main fund-raising organisation for the Great Central Railway, provides confidence and security for many of our supporters.
We have also now registered with Just Giving, that allows us to take on-line donations and take cashless digital donations via QR codes at events or via our new version leaflets. We also had several supporters launching birthday fundraisers that are then contributed towards the project. On-line donations were £717 during this period, deposited from Just Giving into the projects main current account, a great start and allowed less draw down from the DCRT reserved account.
## **Resources to staff the Project**
The committee for this reporting period are listed below:
Andrew Horrocks-Taylor: Chairman and acting Treasurer [Trustee] Simon Burton: Programme Manager [Trustee] Owen O’Conner: Trustee
Mike Fairburn: General Manager / Chief Engineer [Volunteer]
The group is actively recruiting for additional committee / trustees to move the project forward.
Design & Technical File approach has taken a focussed approach. We have design schemes prepared by the now retired Barry Nurcombe for all the locomotive. To generate manufacturing drawing specific components have their own individual approaches. For example, the Driving Wheel schemes were made into 3D models by Workshop X based volunteer David Smith working with General Manager and Chief Engineer Mike Fairburn using spoke geometry from several proven sources including GWR locomotives in service. These were then adapted into 3D models by pattern manufacturer General Patterns and used to drive the cutting path of the digital router used to cut the pattern. The cast Driving wheels then followed the pattern geometry, adjusted for shrinkage of course.
The Group’s manufacturing team moved to mostly contracted manufacturing work during the reported period. The driving wheels having the pattern contracted to General Patterns of Castleford, with driving wheels casting contracted to Trefoil Steel Co. Ltd of Sheffield. Crofton based contractor Nigel Facer, completed the bogie side plates, horn guides, slipper blocks and slide bars, keeping busy during the reporting period. Mike Fairburn and Andrew Horrocks-Taylor were on the hunt for more donor parts; the Vacuum Cylinders being secured free of charge from the North Norfolk Railway. The move to mostly contracted work being a direction we continued with, whilst welcoming volunteer effort where practical, notably David Mathews who progressed professionally the dismantling of the tender. With thanks also to Nick Hargreaves at the Lilbourne site who continues to support the storage of locomotive parts at that location.
## **Data Protection**
The group is fully compliant with the Data Protection Act 2017 and in May 2017, a privacy notice is issued to all supporters.
## **Financial Review**
Total receipts were £29,943, all from unrestricted funds, £16,166 donated via standing order payments and component sponsorship to the DCRT account in a fund reserved for the GCR 567 Locomotive Group and £16,166 from annual cheque donations and casual cash or cheque donations including £270 from component sponsorship and a one-off donation for the driving wheel pattern of £9,400. This helping to elevate an increase in income to over £10,000. The year’s expenditure took a very significant increase with an actual spend achieved of £68,231. This driving a planned reduction in cash funds from £97,224 to £58,936. This project remains in a strong funding position for the next financial period despite the spend on driving wheel castings alone being £50,748 (pattern plus casting). The continued strong support from all our regular supporters is driving most of the project’s income and is greatly appreciated.
There only major financial commitment to carry forward at the end of the reporting period is a pledge to fund the tender overhaul to an amount of £20,000. This is supported within the cash amounts on hand of £58,936. The progression of the Driving Wheels to wheelsets is estimated at a further £60,000 and a driving wheel fund is being set up for these items with specific sponsor
packages. The boiler funding will be addressed in the next reporting period, this being the last major item to fund for the locomotive, currently estimated at £160,000.
## **Reserves Policy**
The group has very limited overheads in operation. Postage and administration required £700 additional funds. The group will ensure that £1,000 is retained in the current account at any time in reserves to allow the group to function. The group shall also retain funds to cover any procurement commitments; this year we have the tender overhaul kick off amount pledged to the Great Central Railway Shed at £20,000 and have reserves significantly greater than this amount available at the end of the reporting period.
## **Volunteers and Supporters**
We would like to thank all the volunteers who run and support the group allowing progress to be made towards our goals. Special thanks go to the design team, procurement and manufacturing team lead by Mike Fairburn. We also thank Andrew Horrocks-Taylor, Mike Fairburn, Simon Burton and Owen O’Conner for their organisation of the project and support in the issuing of the procurement packages and review of project strategy and the assessment of risk factors. Finally, special thanks to Dawn Bullock for looking after our supporter base and doing the essential administration for the group. We thank new volunteer David Mathews for his work on the Tender, Nick Hargreaves for organising our main stores at Lilbourne and Jason Woodward for the free of charge transportation of several parts.
Our supporters continue to exceed all our expectations with their generous funding. Major components continue to be visible at our supporter days with the Bogie assembly trailered in for display at GCR Quorn in October 2025, with regular newsletters and posts on the website and social media. The plans were reinforced at the supporter day, the locomotive itself and the direction of the project continued to be admired. Sponsorship packages continue to be developed with strong support by Dawn and Alan Bullock.
Support incentives remain in place; the first 200 supporters have secured their free seat on the first passenger train to be hauled by No.567. All supporters are also entered into a free quarterly draw for a footplate experience at the GCR, either on an existing GCR service locomotive or later when No.567 is constructed. All the management group have voluntarily removed themselves from the draw. Due to the lack of operation of services at Ruddington during this reporting period, these benefits are deferred. Additional supporter benefits are being added, notable a free to existing and
future supporters “Top Trump: Legendary Locomotive pack that should appeal to a younger generation, whether children or grandchildren. They are also collectors’ items that have a market value greater than cost, should they not be consumed, we also have a unique to GCR 567 Card, a Jersey Lilley that should further incentivise signing up as a supporter.
## **Structure, governance and management**
a written constitution that was updated in 2015 when it became a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO).
The Charity Commission standard form for Receipts and payments accounts is utilised its integral check formulas.
The Group is officially known as: The GCR 567 Locomotive Group
Registration Number 1160243
## **Administrative Information**
The Group's prime point of contact is via the e-mail address: GCR567loco@yahoo.co.uk
Website URL: www.gcr567loco.co.uk
The group is also very active on facebook and to a lesser extent: Instagram, Tik Tok, “X” (formally known as twitter), search for “GCR567LOCO”
The group has four main locations and several sub-sites.
The Official Address of the group remains at the Chairman’s latest personal address, 20 minutes from the GCRN, 30 minutes from the GCR at Quorn
6, Nowell Close Radcliffe-on-Trent Nottingham NG12 1FE
The Chairman Andrew Horrocks-Taylor is also the main press and publicity contact. Mob: 07376 318510
The Group's Main Administration Address is as follows:
The GCR 567 Locomotive Group c/o Mrs Dawn Bullock 19, Hartridge Walk, Allesley Park, Coventy CV5 9LF
All postal correspondence should be sent to the above address unless notified otherwise.
The Group's Build Address is now split across multiple sites in South Yorkshire (Crofton near Wakefield and Workshop X south of Sheffield) and Great Central Railway, Loughborough for the reporting period. Large Storage is also at Lilbourne, near Rugby. Deliveries should not be made without the express prior agreement of a member of the management team. We are keeping these sites confidential for security reasons.
GCR 567 Locomotive Group
1160243
cowom
Recei
ts and
ments accounts
31107125
CC16a
For the period
from
01108124
To
Section A Receipts and payments
Unre8trécted
funds
Restrlcted
Endowment
funds
funds
to th• n•ar•st £ to th• noarnst £ to th• n•K•st £ to th• nw•st £
Total funds
Last year
to th• n•arnst £
A1 Recei
ts
Direc1 DcnatK)ns - cash. cheques etc
Supporter DonatK)ns to CUT1 accou
12.250
12,250
231
304
Supporter Don8tK)ns to DCRT 567 acc(xmt
Gfft Ald llectl for DCRT Accwnt
comp(ent Sponscthlp
On L Dorkltk
16,166
16,166
16,404
270
717
270
717
150
Sub total (Gross income for
AR)
17.128
set and Investment sa
see table .
es,
Sub total
Total receipts
29,943
17,128
A3Pa
ents
2,687
2,553
Markebng Support
Admn & Post&Je
Facility Hire & contr111KmS
ErxJineenrvJ
320
700
1181
320
1181
459
61.098
3,360
572
61.098
3,360
1.176
2.796
27
TransportatK)n
Bank (knrges
Sub total
68.231
9,949
A4 Asset and Investment
Connectin
C1nder Bkx
Rods
Sub total
Total payments
Net of receipts/(payments)
A5 Transfers between funds
A6 Cash funds last year end
Cash funds this year end
38,288
38,288
7,179
97,224
CCXX R1 account8 (SS)
Section B Statement of assets and liabllitles at the end of the period
Unrestricted
funds
to n•ar•st £
Restricted
funds
to nearest £
Endowment
funds
to n•ar•st £
Categorios
Detalls
B1 Cash funds
3,781
AdrThn float
114
DCRT fund reserved fcff GCR 567
55,041
Total cash funds
58,936
c(MJrt(s))
Unrestricted
funds
Restrlcted
funds
to noarnst £
Endowment
funds
to nearest £
Detalls
GCR Tendw (scrap value)
B2 Other monetary assets
4,370
Inder Block (su8p value)
2,000
Connectlng Rods (scrap value)
800
LoccYTK)tsv8 Frames (sL¥ap value)
4.370
Capstan Latho (Mafket Value)
750
Bogie Whe8lsets (Scrap Value)
6,000
C(xty Spares (Market Value)
2,925
Fund to whlch
asset belon
Current value
tlonal
Detciils
Cost (optlonal)
Fund to whlch
asset belon
Current value
tional
Detalls
Nil
Cost (optlonal)
B4 Assets retained for the
charity's own use
Fund to which
Ilablll
relates
Amount due
tlonal
When due
tlonal
Details
B5 Liabilities
Signed by one or two trustees on
behalf of all the trustees
Date of
roval
Signature
Print Name
Andrew Horrocks-Ta
io/s
io/g/2
Tndepdo¢ C&&¥
.T(JglQA
CCXX R2 accounts (SS)
1(YQ92026
CHARITY COMMISSION
FOR ENGLAND AND WALES
Independent examiner's report on the
accounts
Section A
Independent Examiner's Report
Report to the trustees
Lharity IName
The GCR 567 Locomotive Group
On accounts for the year
ended
31-Aug-2025
Charity no
(if any)
1160243
Set out on pages
1to2
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above
charity (Ihe Trust") for the year ended
Responsibilities and
basis of report
As the charity's trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the
accounts in accordan with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011
('the Act.).
I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out
under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I
have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission
under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
Independent I have completed my examination. I confim that no material matters have
examinerfs statement come to my attention in connection with the examination which gives me
cause to believe that in, any material respect:
the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130
of the Charities Act; or
the accounts did not accord with the accounting records; or
the accounts did not comply with the applicable requirements
concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities
(Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement
that the accounts give a 'true and fair, view which is not a matter
considered as part of an independent examination.
I have no concems and have come across no other matters in connection
with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in
order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Signed:
Date:
Name:
Joshua Wright
Relevant professional
qualification(s) or body
(if any):
Not Applicable
Address:
7, Nowell Close
Radcliffe-on-Trent
Nottingham NG12 1FE
IER
Oct 2018
Section B
Disclosure
Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight material matters of concern
(see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts: directions and
guidance for examiners).
Give here brief details of
any items that the
examiner wishes to
disclose.
The reduction in reserves from £97,224 at the start of the reporting period to
£58,936 at the end of the reporting period is stated in the trustees report as
planned and is confinned as aligned with the charity goals.
The group's prime charitable objective is to build a MSLR/GCR Class 2
Victorian Steam Locomotive. The main expenditure was in the casting of the
four large driving wheels; these are confirmed as essential components
required to build the locomotive.
The minimum reserves declared required to run the charity are present in the
reserves retained, plus any specific supplier commitments as detailed in the
trustee report.
The trustee report states that The David Clarke Railway Trust administers
Direct Debits, claims gift aid and holds these funds for The GCR 567
Locomotive Group in a reserve account. The fvnds are drawn down to the GCR
567 Locomotive Group's current account on request and with the presentation
of eviden of charitable purpose, such as an invoice.
It is confinned that these funds are induded in the GCR 567 Locomotive Group
account totals and clearly identified.
IER
Oct 2018