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About this blog

Layout progress, club developments and general stuff

Entries in this blog

Work Day

Today we were able to have the whole hall for a few hours; full details on the Friedrichstrasse thread. Here are, however, few pictures of today's activities...     Next week the club will be represented by Kanjiyama at the Gaugemaster Open Weekend, next Saturday and Sunday.

Claude_Dreyfus

Claude_Dreyfus

Busy Times

Well, work on Friedrichstrasse has been progressing well, as can be followed in the layout thread; however there have been some other activities going on as well...   As part of our 50th anniversary celebrations, the club contacted a number of local primary schools offering a donation of some (new) books about railways; sow the seeds now and you never know, in 15 or so years time we - or some other club - may get a new member as a direct result! So far we have had one response, which was posit

Claude_Dreyfus

Claude_Dreyfus

Model Trains in Petersfield

Our club held an open day last Sunday in Petersfield, as part of our 50th anniversary. We provided some of our usual suspects; which does give a good indication of the wide variety of interests covered by the club. Below are a few pictures:   Ehrwald - German DCC N Gauge   Hawkhurst - SR/BR(S)   Kanjiyama - Japanese N Gauge   Module board - UK N Gauge   South River Terminal - US DCC H0   The Wipers, Fish-hook and Menin Railway - WW1 Sn2   Demonstration Table - all sor

Claude_Dreyfus

Claude_Dreyfus

Tracklaying

Since the last report, work has progressed on Fredrichstrasse. Now we have the first circuit of track laid out.   The station area will be a four-track line, reducing to double-track on the side boards leading into the fiddle yard. The first track to be laid is the outer line; track 1. There will be a platform between this and track 2; likewise between track 3 and 4. In addition, there will be two S-Bahn lines forming the innermost tracks.   Jumping the gun a little perhaps, but a hasty r

Claude_Dreyfus

Claude_Dreyfus

Tempus Fugit

Did the Classical poet Virgil know of the trials and tribulations of railway modelling when he composed the poem Georgics and wrote the following passage?   Sed fugit interea, fugit irreparabile tempus, singula dum capti circumvectamur amore   Which translates to...   But meanwhile it flees: time flees irretrievably, while we wander around, prisoners of our love of detail   Which can loosely be translated into layman's terms as, whilst you fiddle around with the little details you sudden

Claude_Dreyfus

Claude_Dreyfus

2013 Club Open Day

Well, we managed our forth club open day on Sunday, and yet again were able to muster up a decent range of layouts, some nice cakes and plenty of conversation. A quick guide to what was on show is below...   Ehrwald (N Gauge) - Mr Chairman's very attractive alpine layout based on a real location.   Warehouse District (H0) - still under construction, but subject to some progress below. There were all sorts of sound-fitted orange and black locomotives shuttling to and fro on here.   The

Claude_Dreyfus

Claude_Dreyfus

RM Article

This month's Railway Modeller has an interesting opinion piece from our club secretary in the “Comment - Observations and opinions on railway modelling” slot. Referred to in his article, his Lumpy Barmcake and Salted Cracker railway amply demonstrates that a model can be a complete flight of fantasy and still demonstrate some impressive modelling and transferable modelling techniques.   It does, above all, emphasise that modelling should be fun. Sure, people want to see models that are high-qu

Claude_Dreyfus

Claude_Dreyfus

'Working' Day

On Sunday last we had another of our occasional work days, whereupon the main body of the hall where the club is based is taken over for about six hours. This extended club session enables us to carry out some more involved work, as well as set a number of layouts up and have a play. This time, we had the boards for Fredrichstrasse set up, with Yamanouchi Oshika, Warehouse District and a member's private layout all being worked on in some way.   Fredrichstrasse had the basic plan drawn onto th

Claude_Dreyfus

Claude_Dreyfus

Friedrichstrasse - It's Getting Tangible!

Friedrichstrasse   We have finally taken delivery of all the boards for Friedrichstrasse (note the spelling has now changed!) Now was the task to drill the bolt holes whilst seeing how the boards fit together.   Overall view of the boards set up   The scenic area is quite a bit lower than the fiddleyard boards. This is because the entire length of the visible track will be carried on a viaduct above the town. It will present us with a lot of challenges, but who ever said this layout bu

Claude_Dreyfus

Claude_Dreyfus

The Track Gang move in

Friday night, and the track gang move in to start work on the modular fiddle yard for the H0/00 layout. The last few weeks have been taken up with careful measuring and positioning, to ensure the track is as straight as possible.   To make life easier, the two outer boards of the four board yard were put together, along with the end boards linking the fiddle yard with the scenic section(s). As the outer boards will contain the point work, the middle two just consisting of straight track sectio

Claude_Dreyfus

Claude_Dreyfus

A New Challenge and an Old Faithful

A couple of weeks ago we did our community thing, and Yamanouchi Oshika made the arduous journey of about 10 feet to the main hall for the local village fayre. Not the most glamorous of gigs, but something which keeps us in the local spotlight. Some brave souls were even willing to give some of the local sprogs a chance to play trains!   Setting this layout up has become a relatively easy task...taking about 20 minutes from start to having something running. I could not make the actual day, bu

Claude_Dreyfus

Claude_Dreyfus

Post Show and Storage Developments

It has been some time since our last update...but it is time, since there have been updates!   Firstly, a couple of weeks ago saw Yamanouchi Oshika go to the Crawley MRS show in Horsham. This has always been a good show, and we were very pleased yo have been invited. Very well organised and a big thank you to the Crawley club. I am glad to say that the layout worked very well and seemed to be popular...   A small group from the club behind the layout...looking like a third-rate Kraftwerk!

Claude_Dreyfus

Claude_Dreyfus

Midhurst Show and Anniversary Plans

As mentioned on the Midhurst Exhibition thread, the club made its annual visit to our local show...this time providing 6 of the layouts. This was intended to give an idea of the wide range of interests within the club, although this year the layouts were all individual member's models, as opposed to club offerings.   First up was Erhwald, an N gauge DCC layout built by the club's chairman, Ben. Designed specifically to fit in the back of his estate car, it demonstrates some fine scenic modelli

Claude_Dreyfus

Claude_Dreyfus

Work Day

A couple of weeks time marks the annual Midhurst show, and the club's regular attendance. This year, we are providing no fewer than six layouts in one shape or form. Of that group, four congregated at Milland village hall for a club working day; which gives us the opportunity to carry out some more substantial work that may otherwise not be possible. Notable absentee was 009Matt's Lumpy Barmcake and Salted Cracker Railway, which had a weekend out at the Alton show.   Some layouts, such as Erhw

Claude_Dreyfus

Claude_Dreyfus

Weekend Away

A few months ago, it was suggested by one of the club members that a few of us might like to have a weekend away at one of the big continental shows. There are a number to choose form, however it was decided that the Cologne show at the end of November might be a good choice...interesting city, busy station, decent show, and a good few model shops as well!   To start with, we spent an hour or so around Cologne station and the bridge. This is a fascinating place, with a large variety of trains.

Claude_Dreyfus

Claude_Dreyfus

Club Open Day 2012

Well, another open day has been and gone, and it was a pretty successful day. As with our previous two ventures, the 'not an exhibition' format worked well, with a more informal atmosphere to the day, as well as giving the opportunity for some work to be carried out on some of the layouts.   Sadly the planned GWR 00 shunting layout could not attend, but was ably deputised by a small 009 model.   Here are a few pictures showing what was happening.   An overall view showing the basic board

Claude_Dreyfus

Claude_Dreyfus

Strange Goings on in Deepest Sussex

On my 18 mile trek over the to club last night, I was getting pretty obvious that the nights are drawing in. A month or so ago it was daylight, now I need my full beam for the various dips and hollows that cover to route to the middle of nowhere. What it also means is that those deadlines that seemed so distant are coming closer. Work is no progressing to get the various projects - both club and personal - in a suitable state for the club open day at the end of October; 28th October...put it in

Claude_Dreyfus

Claude_Dreyfus

New Projects - At Last!

Things have been a little quiet at the club for a while as decisions are taken on where to go next. Restrictions over storage and the type of layout the club wishes to embark on resulted in a number of proposals being suggested. In the event, an initial phase of smaller layouts will be considered, with something a little more ambitious in the longer-term.   There are currently two new club projects now under way; Warehouse Yard and Petworth Town, plus a member's layout with club participation

Claude_Dreyfus

Claude_Dreyfus

Working Day

As with so many smaller clubs nowadays, we no longer have a permanent club room, which means that layouts need to be set up and packed away during an evening. Have a couple of fairly large layouts, this means that time is taken up with this, thereby reducing the amount of time we have to play model.   Part of our way to deal with this are occasional working days, where a couple of layouts are set up, and we have a day to work on the scenery, or check electrics, or just to run things. Today was

Claude_Dreyfus

Claude_Dreyfus

Catch Up and Open Day

It has been nearly three months since our last update, and since then the club has had two significant events.   Firstly, we attended the Gaugemaster open weekend at the beginning of September with Yamanouchi Oshika. Following some minor gremlins to begin with, the layout operated well, and on the whole it was an enjoyable weekend. Those scenic changes planned were more or less completed, which certainly has made the layout more visually interesting...   The ramp providing access to the ya

Claude_Dreyfus

Claude_Dreyfus

Another Count-Down

This week we are on the final stretch before Yamanouchi Oshika's next outing. The layout has been the centre of much activity, as testament to this rather unusual view showing work taking place on the layout!     And indeed, progress there has been. First up is the area behind the motorway flyover. As mentioned previously, this area was an unsatisfactory piece of black hardboard, used to display flyers and the like. This has now gone...replaced by landscape.   This landscape is intended t

Claude_Dreyfus

Claude_Dreyfus

Finally an Update!

It has been an astonishing four months since we last had an update on the exploits of a small model railway club on the Sussex, Hampshire and Surrey border... My excuse, partly not a lot of activity over the first couple of months, then no computer, and finally not having got round to it! Still, time for a quick recap.   When last we spoke, the club had undergone a number of major changes. Firstly we relocated from our home for six years - Tony's garage - to the committee room of the local vil

Claude_Dreyfus

Claude_Dreyfus

A New Chapter

It has been quite a while since a post has been made on this blog, for a number of reasons. Firstly, there has not been a great deal of work on the layouts since Yamanouchi Oshika attended Abingdon, and secondly because there has been a great deal of change within the club.   Whilst not wishing to bore everyone with internal procedure, the upshot is that Weyford-on-Sea is no longer a club layout, and now belongs to one of our members. Relations are good, and I am sure that a couple of update p

Claude_Dreyfus

Claude_Dreyfus

Midhurst Show

Well, yet another Midhurst show has passed, and Weyford came through its latest test very well. One or two minor issues were quickly sorted, after which we settled down to some serious running. It was clear that much work had gone on during the week to get it up to some suitable standard; although it is still very much a work in progress...   A few pictures (in no particular order) of the day from Weyford's point of view...     Next up; Abingdon with Yama

Claude_Dreyfus

Claude_Dreyfus

Showtime!

It has been a little while since we had an update on the club's goings on...and a lot of goings on there have been!   To start with, Yamanouchi Oshika featured in the March edition of Continental Modeller. We managed to get a good article out of it; as well as a decent number of good quality photographs; taken by the son of one of our club members. Lots of lovely publicity, which always helps a club like ours.   Following up on this, we have two shows coming up over the next couple of week

Claude_Dreyfus

Claude_Dreyfus

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