MEMBERS WANT THE 229 CLUB TO KEEP GOING

Duchess of Hamilton’s support group is to remain in existence. The announcement follows a meeting on June 3, at which “it was clear that members wished that the club should continue even though a return to steam of [No.] 6229 is at best a distant prospect,” chairman Rob Tibbits told Steam Railway. “However, it was felt that in view of the current situation, a reduction in the minimum subscription for membership was appropriate. This will now be £60 per annum instead of the previous £120, but several members have already indicated that they will maintain their subscription at a higher level or at the original figure. “The money in club funds remains ring-fenced for Duchess of Hamilton and will contribute towards its conservation, as well as being available for projects such as improved display material and building up an archive of its history.” The national collection Stanier ‘Pacific’, re-streamlined using funds from the 229 Club and a Steam Railway reader appeal, and unveiled in 2009, is currently on display in the National Railway Museum’s Great Hall.