CIO 1163610 ## Trustees Annual Report 2022-2023 Lowdham Railway Heritage ## Aims **To preserve and restore for the benefit of the public the historic Victorian signal box once operational at Lowdham Station in Nottinghamshire, together with the equipment contained therein, and to provide the public with access to the signal box and other relevant exhibits in order to provide demonstrations of railway signalling history and practice designed to educate and inform the public.** ## Progress in the Year from Sept 2022 to Sept 2023 Last year we focussed on three projects: on-going restoration work, acquisition of computer equipment and electronic components for the simulator to bring the box to life, and we rebuilt the heavy-duty stock fence that once formed an edge of the former cattle dock. We also completed the re-locking of the lever frame, so that it now works as originally designed in 1896. During this year, the block shelf was rewired with provision for the Pi-based computer board that will drive the block instruments, bells and indicators. We have been given two relays by David Morris. One has been fitted as a track circuit relay with a wagon on a short length of OO track. This operates the electric lock on signal 12. The other relay is used to drive a starter release lock enabled by a Line Clear on the block. We will imagine that this had been piecemeal upgraded on the LH end of the lever frame but not the right. Although this is unlikely, it provides an opportunity to talk about the progress in railway safety, showing the ‘before and after’. In reality, Lowdham was very late in receiving Line Clear locks – well into the 1970s, and definitely not fitted in the 1950s, which we portray. David has modified some original Midland Railway components to manufacture two replica MR electric locks. The long-term loan of a Midland Railway **gate wheel** has been agreed with the Museum of Making in Derby. It has been moved and installed. We also have enough pulley wheels and vertical cranks to complete the downrods from the frame to ground level. We have obtained some parts for a telegraph pole, and these will be fitted near the upstairs door. We have already mocked up the telegraph wires coming in from the pole. We are actively pursuing the possibility of licensing the old dock siding from NR/EMR. The year finished with Heritage Open Days, which were very successful last year. Our normal visitors are either local, or have a railway connection. HODs bring in people from further afield who have an interest in heritage of any variety. This year, we interspersed the open days with a ‘signalling gala’ with an intensive Monday morning timetable from 1954, made more interesting by the late running of a key train! We would like to express thanks to people who have given objects to us, in particular a quantity of nonMidland block instruments and lamps sold for around £900, and a number of cast iron signs and wagon plates, and which we expect to sell for round £500 in the coming year. We would like to acknowledge the support we have received from the public, and from the railway community. It has been a real pleasure to welcome visitors to the box, and to bring so much to life. A special joy is when former railwaymen or signalmen visit. The date of the year end has been moved back from 17[th] Sept to 1[st] October to allow the Gift Aid claim for Heritage Open Days to be included in the year. Lowdham Railway Heritage Annual Report 2022-2023.docx ## Future projects / progress since year end There is a lot of work to do on the **simulator project** . Eventually we will need to upgrade the graphics card in the simulator PC, likely to cost £400-500. Since the year end, we have replaced the **weatherboarding** on the lower back face of the box with proper boards with an overlap. The old boards were available cheaply, and more importantly, quickly, to make the box weatherproof but unfortunately, have since shrunk, leaving gaps. Network Rail have agreed to supervise the installation of the telegraph pole free-of-charge, and Andrew Goodman of RSS (the contractors who originally moved the box, have also agreed to help, FOC. We would like to replace the plastic **gutters and downpipes** with cast iron. ## Finance In future years, we expect our running costs to be around £1,000, most of which is insurance, and our income to be mostly visitor donations, with some additional expenditure on paint, maintenance, and minor improvements. In the year, we spend around £300 on an intruder alarm, £300 on restoration parts, and £300 on new brass number plates for the levers. As of December 2023, we have £700 on the bank, £500 of signs, and the cladding paid for. ## Approved by the trustees David Moore, Chair of Trustees 5 Feb 2024 Lowdham Railway Heritage Annual Report 2022-2023.docx ## **Accounts for Lowdham Railway Heritage, 2022-2023** Lowdham Railway Heritage was incorporated on 17 Sept 2015. |**Income**||| |---|---|---| |Gift Aid Donations|1,660.00|| |Small Donations|1,213.29|| |Nochex Donation|38.59|| |Tax reclaim|761.00|| |Sale of signs etc|130.00|| |**Total income**||**3,802.88**| |**Expenditure**||| |Restoration|821.81|| |Simulator parts|269.65|| |Vintage parts|997.28|| |Running costs|835.52|| |**Total Expenditure**||**2,924.26**| |||| |**Surplus for the year**||**878.62**| |**Balance Sheet**||| |Bank at start of year|1,260.01|| |Nochex at start of year|0.42|| |**Start of year funds (17/9/22)**||**1,260.43**| |Surplus for the year||878.62| |Bank at end of year|2,119.83|| |Nochex at end of year|19.22|| |**End of year funds (1/10/23)**|**2,139.05**|**2,139.05**| |**Current Assets**||| |**Total Assets**||**0.00**| |**Current Liabilities**||| |**Total Liabilities**||**0.00**| |**Cash + Assets - Liabilities**||**2,139.05**|