At our June meeting, Probus members were treated to an impressive display of models showing us the almost incredible attention to detail that marks the hobbies of Jim Sands. From model railways, farm tractors, stationary and marine engines on the one hand, to grandfather clocks and theatre organs on the other, it appeared that nothing in the way of demanding, fine detail work could faze this retired engineer.

Helen Black thanks Jim and Roger Sands for their truly eye-opening and absorbing presentation.

Jim has always been a builder, whether a house, furniture, boats, working steam engines and locomotives or theatre organs, no challenge is passed up, no opportunity missed to demonstrate his almost incredible abilities.

An ex-RCAF Radar Officer, Jim served his engineering apprenticeship with GE, and following his retirement, started building his first operating model - that of the 1875 Baldwin steam locomotive. It took three and a half years to complete and operates on steam, functioning exactly as the original. As with his other models, it can also be made to work on compressed air to demonstrate its action - fascinating to the boyhood instincts of male Probus members.

The Baldwin was followed by the “Cardan 4-4-0”, and later the “Royal Hudson” a Canadian Pacific Trans-Canada locomotive which is Jim's favourite. Between the locomotive models, Jim, assisted by his son Roger, showed us his George White Farm Tractor, a marine engine as used in ships, and a stationary engine based on the principles of those used in the old 19th century knitting mills in Britain. Virtually all the pieces of the various models, even the tiny nuts and bolts, are made by hand in Jim's home workshop where he is equipped with different kinds of lathes, mills and mandrels, drill presses and grinders. Some castings are obtained outside, but have to be machined and finished to very fine tolerances in the shop.

But models are only part of the story. Jim also has rebuilt theatre organs, both bellows operated and electronic. He is also an acknowledged expert on the intricacies of the mechanics of sound, and awed us with his in-depth understanding of how musical instruments work. Helen Black thanked Jim and Roger Sands for their truly eye-opening and absorbing presentation.

In 1957, Keith emigrated to Canada. He worked in northern Ontario on the Trans Canada Pipe Line, and in Ottawa for Computing Devices of Canada, before joining Laurentian Concentrates Ltd. for ten years as Chief Chemist and later Plant Manager of their fire fighting foam manufacturing plant in Thurso, Quebec.

In 1980, Keith moved to West Chester, Pa. as Plant Manager at National Foam Systems. His twenty-year stay in the United States included many overseas assignments, including a lengthy tenure as Chairman of an International Standards Organization Working Group in his field of expertise.

Visit our main website: www.probusperth.ca

After the resolution of that vote, dues will be payable at the meeting – cheques only, please – or by mail (address on page 1). Please note that if dues are not paid by the November meeting, members will be deemed to have resigned.

The Nominating Committee has proposed the following slate of candidates for positions on the 2007-2008 Management Team:

President: Helen Black
Vice President: Jim Sands
Past President: Keith Brown
Treasurer: Don McNaughton
Secretary: Chris McGuire-Sherwin
Program: Ian Doig and Glen Pettinger
Special Events: Denise Mullins
Membership: Rod Woolham
Newsletter: Jeanne Nugent
Webmaster: Colin Stephenson

Did you know...

In Shakespeare's time, mattresses were secured on bed frames by ropes. When you pulled on the ropes the mattress tightened, making the bed firmer to sleep on. Hence the phrase... "goodnight, sleep tight.”