|
|
|
HUB partnership
Over the past year Bowes Railway has entered into a HUB partnership with Tyne & Wear Museums to develop and promote the work of George Stephenson. This is in association with the North Tyneside Stephenson Museum which is concentrating on Stephenson the Locomotive designer while Bowes Railway is focusing on Stephenson the Railway architect and system designer. Bowes has also continued its co-operation with the larger regional museums such as Beamish, and Locomotion at Shildon.
Beamish
During the past year the Railway has taken in work from Beamish. This work included the manufacture of a wooden drop arm for the Beamish Gin Pit, a fire basket for the Gin Pit and preparation work for Beamish's new wooden wagonway. Some of this work at Beamish was funded by grants which, by placing work orders with Bowes, meant that two museums benefit from the same funding. Beamish were keen to place this work with Bowes to utilize the Railway's original workshops operated with traditional skills.
 |
 |
The Gin Pit firebasket under construction in the Springwell Blacksmith's Shop
In February 2006 the Railway's steam locomotive ‘WST' was transported to Beamish for the Beamish Easter Weekend. This allowed Bowes to have a presence at Beamish during one of their busiest weekends, promoting our site and allowing Beamish to have live steam at Rowley Station for the first time in many years. Bowes volunteers manned the locomotive and gave shunting demonstrations within the station area, providing unique photographic opportunities.
Shildon
For the Shildon 1st Anniversary Weekend in September 2005 Bowes Railway took its 1'6" gauge Clayton Battery locomotive and passenger carrying truck, which was operated on a short section of demonstration track.
The media
The Railway continues to provide facilities to BBC Newcastle for the training of their reporters and cameramen. This always results in us getting copies of the film shot on site.
On-Site Employment Training Schemes
The YMCA schemes continue on site mainly carrying out sleeper replacement work and trackside environmental work.
We also had the benefit of the ‘In to Work' scheme which has helped tremendously with rendering, plaster and painting work on various buildings around the site.
The Gateshead based ‘Action for Employment' (A4E) have started placing mature trainees with us and these are supervised by our site employees Alan Milburn and John Young.
During the past twelve months the Railway to has continued to give hands-on railway experience to staff from larger museums and to this end hosted a group from Beamish during the autumn of 2005.
In early 2006 the Railway entered into an agreement with the Rolls Royce North East Training Centre in Newcastle to host groups of their apprentices and instructors within our Engineering Shop. This is to give apprentices a grasp of how technology has progressed and to put the CNC machines that they train on in to perspective.
Education
As part of our HUB Partnership with Tyne and Wear Museums, Lindsey Smith, Assistant Learning Officer for Tyne and Wear Museums based at the Stephenson Museum is identifying ways in which Stephenson Railway Museum and Bowes Railway can work together from a learning and educational perspective. She is preparing a baseline assessment of resources at both venues and a range of recommendations for developing future programmes. This work is being funded from the HUB Opportunities Fund. A Good Practice grant of £3,500 from NEMLAC will enable some of the recommendations to be implemented as pilot projects and the results evaluated.
 |
This page last updated 3rd July 2006 |