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The Association has taken Public Liability insurance, with a limit of
indemnity of £5 million for any one incident, on behalf of members in the
This page gives an overview of the cover provided. Full details of the cover can be found in this sample (PDF 144Kb) copy of the insurance certificate.
Keith Dyer is the director who is responsible for organising our Public Liability insurance. Keith can be contacted on technical.matters@16mm.org.uk if you have any questions or if you would like a printed copy of the certificate of insurance, for example to show to an event organiser.
Members and organisers of events or exhibitions should note that the Association's insurance provides Public Liability insurance only. Members and event organisers who require additional cover (such as All Risks cover for models and home workshop cover) may wish to obtain a quotation from the Association's insurance brokers:
Walker Midgley Insurance Brokers Limited
Yorkshire Bank Chambers
Fargate
S1 2HD
Tel: 0114 250 2770 - contact Mr Tony Wood
The guidelines used by the Association of 16mm Narrow Gauge Modellers, for the testing of steam boilers is based on the "Exmination & Testing of miniature steam boilers - (Revised Edition 2008)". Fundamentally this code states that small boilers with a capacity of not more than 3 bar-litres are exempted from the requirements of the code. For reference a standard Roundhouse Argyll has a bar-litre capacity of 0.766, i.e. well inside the limit required by the code. However it is recommended that small boilers be fitted with a safety valve and a pressure gauge and that these are tested every 12 months in order to ensure correct operation at the correct release pressure. The boiler and the pipework installation should also be checked at the same time.
Where any injury or damage is caused by a member’s boiler, resulting in a claim under the Associations insurance policy the member needs to show that the boiler was in compliance with the guidelines of the code.
The 3 bar-litre limit is defined as the internal volume of the boiler (in
litres) multiplied by the working pressure (in bar)
Where 1 bar = 14.5038
lb/in² and 1 litre = 1.76 pints.
It should also be noted that the 3 bar-litre is the guideline which is required by the Associations insurance policy - other insurance policies may differ (especially for some exhibitions). If you are in any doubt, contact your local boiler tester via area.groups@16mm.org.uk who can advise and carry out a boiler test on your behalf. Alternatively you may contact Keith at technical.matters@16mm.org.uk
If your boiler is above the 3 bar-litre limit then a hydraulic test to one and one half times the working pressure (1.5x) is required and this will be valid for 4 years from the date of the test. A steam test is also a mandatory and required at intervals not exceeding 14month.
It should be noted that a test certificate is invalid if the test equipment does not have a valid calibration record.
New professionally made boilers fitted to a locomotive or as part of a kit should be provided with a valid boiler certificate. It should be noted however that the boiler certificate generally only covers the hydraulic test and not a steam test. It is strongly recommended that a steam test is carried out if your model falls below the 3 bar/litre rule. For “Homemade” boilers a hydraulic test at should be carried out at twice working pressure by one of the associations boiler testers followed by a steam test.
Currently there are no laid down rules for the testing of gas tanks, although generally locomotive manufactures provide a test certificate with a new model.
Where a gas tank has been constructed at home then either contact Keith or your local boiler tester to discuss the test requirement.
