After much discussion with the Waipa District Council, we are
pleased to announce that we have found a new home in Cambridge and
have reformed as the "Cambridge-Rotorua Live Steamers Inc.".
Background
For a number of years the Te Amorangi Museum Trust (our former
home in Rotorua) have tried to find ways to raise money to keep the
complex a going concern. A Consultant was brought in to help two
years back with a formula for setting up ways to do this. It was
established that the focus of the complex was in fact the railway
which may help the museum for income. The club offered to lease the
track and rolling stock to the Trust for the three Sundays per month
we did not run. The club set up an operational manual together with
a Health and Safety manual and spent one month getting this project
off the ground. After the first month the Trust stated that they
could not find the personal to run the railway.
The Trust then changed tack and implemented a $5 fee for all
adults entering the grounds. The club informed the Trust that around
75% of people coming through the gates were families coming to let
their kids ride the trains and not view the Museum. Our takings went
down and we decided to change our run day from Sunday to Saturday to
try and generate our income back to what it used to be. This worked
and after several months income came back to a reasonable level for
the club to survive nicely. The Museum Trust then offered the club a
number of alternatives to operate in conjunction with their plans.
However we could not agree and advised the museum that we would
terminate our lease from December of 2010.
However the club heard that Romonan and Dennis Collins had made
contact with the Waipa District Council with a view to installing a
track on Council land. A number of options were offered and
Leamington Domain was chosen. A meeting took place on site to
discuss how this was to be done. A letter was submitted for Council
approval and this is to go before the next Council meeting in June.
All looks good.
Most of the Rotorua club assets have been given to a newly formed
Incorporated Society that will administer this project.
Enough steel has been purchased to make up about 650 metres of
7.25" track. 5 new sets of points have been made up by Paul Newton.
It is envisaged that the new track will be laid into a concrete
foundation as per the Tauranga track, using their mould, thus
reducing long term maintenance. If enough interest is shown for a 5"
track, consideration for installing this may be done at a later
date.
The Site
The Leamington Domain is set in about 7 acres of land with a
number of community organizations set up on this site, including
bowling, croquet, roller skating, netball, and cricket clubs, plus a
children's play area only a few minutes from the town centre of
Cambridge. The track will be installed on the perimeter of the
complex. The club has been offered the partial use of a 19th century
bandstand building to be used as a station and the possible use of a
block building for a security shed.
Running days
The track is not currently in operation pending construction of our
new track.
Club meetings
Meetings of the club are held at the Oxford Royal Hotel in Tirau on
the first Thursday of the month starting at 7:00 pm. This Hotel is
situated on the right hand side of the main road going south towards
Rotorua. New members are more than welcome with the emphasis not
only on model engineering but social activities for all, including
partners.
More information
Please feel free to contact us
for more information. |
