S.T.E.A.M. were honoured to be invited to Steward the 1997 IMLEC competition at Pembrey Country park last year. The competition turned out to be very exciting right to the end. The Pembrey track is a difficult one, with some severe gradients both up and down. Their passenger cars are also quite heavy, placing a lot of load on the locmotive before any passenger climbed aboard. Congratulations to Len Steel of the Staines society, who won the Rose Bowl prize after the wettest run of the weekend and an efficiency of 1.8%.
Last year saw a new type of meeting organised. The Summer Solstice Rally. Basically, a Christmas Party for a bunch of Railway Nutters. It was held near Bridgnorth and the Severn Rally Railway on the weetest weekend of the year. It was certainly interesting extricating the Caravans from the mud to head for home.
As the dark days of winter withdraw, the membership are busy boiler making, fitting up vacuum ejectors, fitting steel tyres and any number of other jobs ready for the running season which starts at Pembrey Park for their Spring Rally on the 4th -5th April 1998.
Membership of S.T.E.A.M. is by invitation only. Though of course we have to have some idea whether you'd accept the invitation :-)
Here is a list of rallies that S.T.E.A.M. members will be attending in 1998
Pembrey Spring Rally
4th and 5th April
Urmston May Day Steam
2nd-4th May
Cardiff Anniversary Rally
24th May
Cardiff Summer Rally
6th and 7th June
Welsh Effiency contest Pembrey
13th and 14th June
London to Brighton Cycle Ride
21st June