About the Trust

The group behind this campaign to save 19B have known each other for many years through involvement with both the late Adrian Shooter (who owned 19B for the last 20 years) and the Ffestiniog Railway. Three of them were behind the successful project to fund and build the replica single Fairlie “Taliesin”, which blazed a trail for many similar projects including the LNER A1 Pacific “Tornado”.

 

To do this, we have formed the Darjeeling Tank Locomotive Trust. Please note, too, that the team is not fixed – this is the current team and we will add more people with the right skills as the DTLT evolves.

 

Darjeeling Tank Locomotive Trust

The ultimate owner and operator of 19B is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), which is the modern structure for such bodies. It is called The Darjeeling Tank Locomotive Trust (DTLT) and the charity number is 1204461.

Two chief ‘objects’ (which are the charitable purposes of an organisation) have been put forward:

 

1. Education through the ownership and operation of narrow-gauge equipment (this covers the preservation of 19B)

2. Development of personal and engineering skills through 1) above (something we have always done at The Beeches and will continue as Adrian began)

 

Darjeeling Tank Locomotive Ltd

While the DTLT was applying for Charitable status we had a temporary second body, a Company Limited by Guarantee (CLG) called Darjeeling Tank Locomotive Ltd (DTLL). A CLG is a non-profit organisation (it has no shareholders) and DTLL looks after everything until the DTLT is in a position to take over the running of 19B, at which point the assets will be transferred and DTLL closed down.

 

The two bodies will be governed by the same team of Directors (for DTLL) and Trustees (for DTLT):

 

Jeremy Davey - Chairman

Jeremy has 40 years of experience on narrow-gauge railways including the R&ER and FfWHR, and for the last 20 years has supported Adrian Shooter at the Beeches Light Railway, 19B’s home. With Adrian’s ill-health in recent years, Jeremy has taken on the leadership of the team there. However, just 40 years on the footplate and 20 years knowing Adrian makes Jeremy the latecomer in this team.

 

In the week he leads teams of technology experts for Microsoft, and at weekends as a commissioned officer in the Army reserves.

 

Andy Savage, MBE - Fundraising

Andy has well over 50 years experience on the narrow-gauge including being a Director of various parts of the FfR for many years, culminating in being Deputy Chairman of the Festiniog Railway Company. His career was in railway civil engineering and culminated in the role of deputy head of the Rail Accident Investigation Board.

 

He brings significant charity governance experience to the team, having chaired two charities including the National Railway Heritage Awards. He has also been the Executive Director of the Rail Heritage Trust for the last 13 years and is now their Chair.

 

Andy was awarded an MBE for his services to railway heritage in the 2021 New Year’s honours list.

 

Gordon Rushton – Publicity

Gordon is well known in narrow gauge circles having been manager of the Ffestiniog Railway as well as having a long career in railway management on the mainline. Along with Andy and Fuzz he was part of the team that conceived, funded and built Taliesin.

 

Peter “Fuzz” Jordan – Treasurer

Fuzz (no-one other than his mother calls him Peter) is a Chartered Accountant by profession and in DHR circles is well-known for his work running Darjeeling Tours as well as being a long-standing and well-known Director of the DHRS. He has also been Chair of the Ffestiniog Railway Society and a Trustee of the F&WHR Trust.