Membership & Legacies
Membership of the Trust is open to anyone who would like to have an involvement with this unique example of Britain’s steam heritage. Whether you might wish to be “hands on” – working with the support crew, involving yourself with the sales team etc. – or simply wish to be an “armchair” supporter, there will be a warm welcome for you within the Trust. The various ways that you can help the Trust are explained in the attached document: Donations & Legacy explanation
The Duke's Long-Term Financial Future
“How do you make a small fortune with a steam locomotive?
Start with a larger one!!”
Steve Davis MBE, Chairman – A1 Steam Locomotive Trust.
Its tempting to think that now The Duke’s overhaul is complete he is now earning his keep. The reality is very different.
A significant sum of money was spent by Locomotive Services Limited (LSL) to put the finishing touches to his overhaul and provide The Duke with an incredible painted finish to fully prepare the him for working on the mainline. The Trust must now repay LSL for this work and they have very generously agreed for us to repay this sum through a reduction in the future hire fees. So not as much income coming in as expected.
Additionally, the Trust now need to find as many ways as we can to raise significant sums of money in readiness for his future maintenance and overhauls. Currently our income from his hiring plus membership are our only sources of income, and together fall far short (see box opposite) of the total needed to keep The Duke on the mainline.
The Trust needs the continued support of our current members and those we attract through a forthcoming recruitment drive. The Trust’s fundraising efforts will go towards covering the £30,000 cost of his paint job. The Trust Management Committee are exploring many new fundraising initiatives to provide additional income.
The cost of keeping The Duke on the mainline for us and future generations to enjoy involves a steady inflow of funds at a much higher level than we currently have. We are well aware that supporting The Duke is a discretionary spend and that times for many are tough. We have together, completed phase one of our quest, he is back working on the mainline, now we need to harness the incredible family spirit within the Trust to ensure phase two, that of having sufficient funds to maintain and eventually overhaul The Duke, is equally successful.
Thank you for your past and future support.
Non-voting associate membership of the Trust is available by selecting one of the following membership levels, each level has a different monthly cost. Our preferred method of payment is by bank standing order – please complete the Membership Application Form, post it to us and we’ll do the rest. If you wish to sign up immediately with your debit or credit card, then click on one of the buttons below.
Silver
Gold
Platinum
Diamond
We have a unique locomotive, The Duke. We therefore ensure that everything we do is also unique. The following illustrates this philosophy.
- All the Trust ask of family members is that their monthly contributions are what they can afford, starting at £10. They are all treated equally. The Trust understand that the disposable income of some of our loyal family members is limited. The Trust have members who are now able to pay significantly more, and they are happy with being treated equally because that is the type of family, they want to be part of.
- The Duke currently carries the British Railways logo on his tender to faithfully reproduce his ‘as-built’ appearance. The Duke may carry the Trust logo at a future date in recognition of the support the Trust membership has made.
- The Trust refer to The Duke as HIM, in his BR days he had a wife, sadly now deceased 46225 Duchess of Gloucester.
- The Trust have unique The Duke clothing which carries The Duke logo, so our family members are clearly identified. They can stand alongside their Duke and be identified as members of the same family.
- The Trust’s support crew members wear The Duke overalls which carry The Duke logo, plus their names.
- The Trust issues regular family newsletters to keep everyone abreast of any developments and running dates.