Proceedings 2002/2003 - IRSE

YORK SECTION 137
a first for the UK, mainline network (for regular
services). Of the technical visits to various installations,
of particular interest were the special signal
regulation controls applied to level crossings to
distinguish between heavy rail non-stopping trains
and the light rail stopping trains.
Cableform Ltd of Sowerby Bridge were visited on
Wednesday 9th October who are well known
manufacturers of railway signalling transformers and
rectifiers. The ten members were guided round the
factory where a great variety of manufacturing
processes were taking place. These included
production of electrical contactors, windings,
stamps, counters, heating elements and light
fittings. The company philosophy is to produce as
much as possible in-house which means that plastic
pellets, copper plate and cardboard come in through
one door and a fully tested and working light fitting
in a customer specified box goes out through the
other!
The IRSE wishes to thank all those individuals and
organisations whose efforts went into making the
visits such a success.
Tony Kornas
Visits Secretary
TREASURER’S REPORT
To enable easy access to our bank account and
banking facilities we opened a Treasurer’s type
account with the HSBC Bank with the proposal to
eventually close our Yorkshire Bank account.
We started 2002 with what appeared to be an
extremely healthy bank balance, unfortunately
however, over £3,600 had been paid into our
account in error. Therefore, in early January that
money was transferred to the Main Body. This left
your Committee with cash-flow worries mainly due
to the delays within our sponsors accounting
systems. Our fears were greatly eased when a
£1,000 grant application from the Main Body was
approved. Eventually we received all the 2001/2002
sponsorship money plus, due to changes in our
invoicing system, we also received all but one of the
sponsorship money for the 2002/2003 winter
session.
Regarding our expenditure, the cost of room hire,
the entertainment following each lecture and our
grant to support the joint IMechE meeting all
increased. A small saving was made, however, in our
stationery and postage costs. This is, of course, due
to the number of members who we can email the
details of our forthcoming events/meetings.
As you can see, due to the increase in numbers
attending, we made a healthy profit on our Dinner
Dance. It appears to get more popular each year.
I am extremely grateful to all our sponsors
because without their help we would not be able to
hold our meetings in the excellent venue at the
National Railway Museum. I would like to point out,
however, that it is the same sponsors that are
coming up trumps each year, namely Jarvis,
Westinghouse, Motts, Corus and Halcrow along with
either WS Atkins, Thales or Jacobs, so many thanks
to each of them but it is a pity that there appears to
be a reluctance by the other S&T contractors to
come forward and offer their help and assistance.
My thanks also go to the other members of the
York Section Committee for their patience and
understanding and lastly to Ernie Thomson who yet
again audited our accounts and thankfully this year
found zero errors in my adding up. Rod Price
Treasurer
2003 DINNER DANCE
The 2003 Dinner Dance was again held in the
Viking Moat House Hotel in York. 200 members, their
partners and guests attended the event. The
numbers this year were limited due to space in the
Regatta Suite and the desire to return to round
tables. The guests of honour were the Senior Vice-
President, Colin Porter and his wife, Claire.
Following the publication of a certain part of Colin’s
anatomy in the March 2003 IRSE News, he treated
the members and guests present to another
showing whilst he outlined the IRSE programme for
the coming year and proposing a toast to the York
Section. Not wishing to be outdone the Chairman,
Denis Bowlby, responded by doing likewise, much to
the amusement and possibly puzzlement of those
present. Fortunately these events took place after
the meal so no one was put off their food and
luckily chicken legs were not on the menu. The
Committee again provided pre-dinner drinks, in the
Ridings Suite, as this was popular last year. The
tombola again proved very popular with every ticket
being sold, and consequently all prizes handed out
(with the exception of one returned prize which was
deemed by the recipient to be surplus to requirements).
The disco this year played a varied selection
of music, with Jimmy Shand’s Scottish dance tunes
going down very well. Our thanks go to Rod Price for
successfully organising the event.
John Maw FIRSE