25th July 2010

As usual we'll be at the Great Dorset Steam Fair this year, and have out usual stand inside the NTET Marquee.

This year we're doing things a little different.
Unfortunately, there will be no duckling run to place apprentices on engines, although there will be TWO cavalcades this year. One on Wednesday and another as usual on Thursday. They start approximately 5pm both days. If you'd like to take part, please bring along your membership card and try to wear the correct clothing for being on a steam engine, so don't forget to pack your overalls!!

If any of our older apprentices are interested in learning about things such as working a sawbench, threshing or road making, please let us know, and we might be able to place you in one of the working areas to gain some experience.

We are currently talking with Dorset about another new initiative, but all the pieces of the puzzle aren't quite in place yet. Watch this space and we'll put any news here on the website.
Don’t forget to have a go at the competitions and we'll look forward to receiving them at Dorset.

29th March 2010

If you live near Leeds, you may be interested in the Toy Steam Engine Rally ad the Armley Mills Industrial Museum!
Take along your Mamod! And if you go, take some photos or write us an article about the day!!

Applications are invited for the SAC Technical Achievement award. Areas of achievement may include: engineering work on full size engines, model engineering or any other appropriate steam related subject (bearing in mind that we are essentially a road steam organisation).
The purpose is to encourage young people to develop hands-on experience generally within typical engineering skills. This can be using various machines such as lathes and mills as well as handwork.
Nominations to be entered by a sponsor for whom they have been working or have been under the instruction of, or apprentices may enter themselves.
Applications to be received by August 15th should consist of a brief description on one side of A4 paper with 3 or 4 photographs and/or sketches. See address inside your latest copy of Raising Steam.
The judging committee will then contact the nominator or apprentice by either phone or in person to discuss the application. From these discussions, suitable candidates will be chosen, and final and fully detailed submissions will be invited to be with the Chairman by September 15th.
Judging will be completed by mid October with the announcement of the winner by end of October. The award will be presented at the NTET AGM. Judges will be from members of the SAC Committee plus invited persons from an area appropriate to the subject entered.
Please note that due to the all round experience we are looking for it is unlikely the award will be awarded to an apprentice under 15. Though as we know there is always an exception to the rule, so please don’t hesitate to either enter or contact the Chair for guidance.

This award is to recognise an Apprentice who has shown all round enthusiasm in their involvement with Road Steam.
This may be hands-on experience with an engine or helping to maintain or restore an engine. Consideration should be given to how well they have learnt and respected the necessary skills needed in the operation of an engine.
There is no particular type of submission we are looking for other than that you feel the Apprentice has made an effort, has learned from what ever activity they are doing and has shown the ability to ‘stay the course’.
We would expect that the Apprentice has been working with one engine or group for at least 3 or 4 years.
Submissions should consist of a brief description on one side of A4 paper of what they have been doing and why you think the Apprentice deserves the award, perhaps with 3 or 4 photographs and/or sketches if you feel it will better illustrate the case.
Entries to be with the SAC Chairman by mid September, see address inside your latest copy of Raising Steam or Steaming. Judging will be completed by mid October, with the announcement of the winner to be made at the NTET AGM where the award will be presented.

21st Nov 2009

Congratulations to Robert Bet for winning the Apprentice of the Year award for 2009.

The award was also presented at the NTET's AGM in Coventry on the 21st November.

9th Nov 2009

The Steam Apprentice Club attended the Great Dorset Steam Fair with our usual stand in the NTET tent.

We ran our usual Photo, Art, Colouring and Model competitions, and received many outstanding entries.

The competition entries from Dorset 2009 have been scanned and are now in the photo gallery.

Click HERE to see them.

It is with great pleasure I can announce the mariage of our President, John Durling, to our Editor, Nanette Sanders. The ceremony took place on the 20th June at the Craythorne Golf Course near Burton On Trent. On behalf of the rest of the SAC committee I would like to wish the Durlings all the best for their future life together.

The picture to the right shows The Durlings, Our Chairman, Vice Chairwoman and their families

The SAC committee have been discussing the possibility of bringing Raising Steam into the 21st century by sending you and electronic copy vie e-mail instead of in the post! Right now its just an idea, but we've set up a vote to see how you, our members, feel. Please click HERE and give us your vote.

Several members and some apprentices attanded the NTET's AGM in Shaftesbury, Dorset on Saturday 15th November. The AGM was held in Dorset to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the Great Dorset Steam Fair. Several Topics were discussed including the Certificate of Competence and putting apprentices out on engines at Dorset. Two trophies were also awarded. A new trophy has been introduced to recognise an individual or organisation who have helped the SAC significantly over the last year. It was presented to Martin Oliver who runs the Great Dorset Steam Fair. The Second trophy, for Apprentice of the Year, was awarded to Emily Drury for her outstanding work on several engines in the midlands area.

Well done to everyone who entered, we had many entries and it was hard to choose the best ones.

Here are the winners:

	1st Place	2nd Place	3rd Place
Free Art	D March	Jacqs Scourfield	-
Junior Photo	Robin Marshman	Robert Hand	Harry Garrod
Senior Photo	Scott Burchfield	Lauren Burchfield	-
Model	Matthew Slimming	-	-

There has recently been an article on the website Traction Talk regarding when you can drive an engine on your own, insurance and competency. Below is clarification on these matters. The information has been provided by the N.T.E.T. insurance officer and the Competency scheme administrator and is correct as of 28th April 2008.

SAC driving days though a SAC club private event, insurance is still required.

Most, if not all insurance companies that cover 'steam driven road vehicles' only allow SAC members to drive/steer an engine when accompanied by a person over 21 who has the appropriate driving licence i.e. Full car driving licence for a car for a traction engine or a G licence for a roller.

Regarding the competency test an apprentice needs to be 17 to take the test. The reason for asking for a minimum licence requirement of a provisional is to show that a) they are over 17 and b) have started to gain that illusive quality of 'road sense'.

There is currently only one insurance company that specifies an SAC apprentice can drive a traction engine unaccompanied and that is Footman James. In being allowed to do so the policy has certain criteria which have to be met. I replicate the article from Steaming written by the NTET insurance officer.

Footman James Insurance for mature Steam Apprentices

As the numbers of mature SAC members grow, it is very frustrating for them not to be able to drive an engine unaccompanied at an Authorised rally, where the only limiting factor is their age. Once these members have a car licence and have already proven themselves to be competent, it seems very unfair to prevent them from enjoying their hard work just because they are not yet 21 years old. It is for this reason we have been recommending that Footman James should open discussions with their underwriters to provide insurance cover for these mature SAC members. Naturally the underwriters fought shy of taking on more risk for young drivers, but when it was explained how the SAC and NTET ran its driving courses in addition to the new competency test they understood how those risks were managed and therefore minimised. We are now pleased to be able to announce that Footman James are able to provide insurance cover for SAC members to drive Footman James insured engines on the rally field unaccompanied providing they meet all of the following requirements;

• Hold a full class B driving licence (car licence).
• Hold an NTET certificate of competency.
• Be over 19 years of age.
• The event is NTET Authorised.
• The engine is insured with Footman James
• The Rally Organiser has given permission to drive at their event.

I have been asked to bring to your attention that Walker Midgley insures any driver of any age, whether on the rally field or not. However for Authorised events the rules as previously stated still apply, but includes Walker Midgley insured engines. In taking out a policy with any insurer you must satisfy yourself that it gives the cover you require in the situations you intend to operate the engine.

Even so as at all events the organiser has the final say on what or what not can happen at their event. This also applies to our S.A.C. driving days.

I will now make some general comments about the article I was at the S.A.C. driving day referred to in the article from the briefing at the beginning to when the final engine was put to bed. Just about everyone knew I was there including the writer of the article. At no time was I approached by the writer expressing her concerns which I find disappointing as I feel I am an approachable sort of guy. Regarding the writers concern about an explanation ‘how all this fits together’ As we all know in this hobby, and life in general it doesn’t follow that one thing logically dove tails into another, the scenario’s of SAC apprentices where and when they can drive, and under what ‘authority’ or insurance is no exception, we just have to live with it. Regarding the competency test and how it applies to S.A.C. apprentices it is not ‘a silly little paper that means nothing’. It is the end result of you, the apprentices hard work over the years, working on different engines, and recording what you have done in your log book. It tells engine owners you the apprentice is up to the task when you are allowed to go on their engines. You can put the certificate in their Record of Achievement book for future employers to see which will indicate to them that you are competent in handling such machines which also carries with it responsibility. On the comment that the SAC ‘between about 17 and 21 we get abandoned and discouraged to drive’. The S.A.C. provides and arranges many activities for the whole age range of the club as well as the driving days. All are welcome to participate and we do not discourage anyone from doing anything within the bounds of doing it legally and keeping them safe of course. We regularly ask you the members ‘what can we do for you’ as we feel it is a two way thing with not just the committee having sole exclusivity to ideas.

Kevin Munn (SAC Chairman)