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Modellers from Kent, Sussex, Surrey and South of the Thames

SECAG modular meet 2016


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How do you see the British outline modular concept moving forward in the UK?

 

What it needs is someone else to step forward and organise a meet, in another part of the country that is accessible to others, although one or two of us from 'down south' may choose to attend.  As you say, we can't do this alone.

 

What's needed is a suitable sized/priced venue, a date, and participants.

 

The admin of these small type meetings is relatively straightforward, particularly when you have more room than modules so a few inches here and there makes little difference.  I am more than happy to share my experience and our paperwork with anyone tempted (probably better by PM rather than clogging up threads) although it's clear that my/our way is not the only way, neither is it necessarily the best way.  But it's a start.

 

 

Is this really what it feels like to model in P4?

 

I'd have said P4 is probably easier as it's more established.

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I suppose we are, after all, just a minority interest group at the moment (and perhaps a sub group within our minority based on our geographic location) and it'll take a while before it becomes as accepted mainstream as, say, the continental or American modular group.

Don't lend yourself to the illusion of being able to make modular modelling mainstream. I know of no set of standards, no country all over the world that has modular modelling as a mainstream. Not even Fremo.

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Don't lend yourself to the illusion of being able to make modular modelling mainstream. I know of no set of standards, no country all over the world that has modular modelling as a mainstream. Not even Fremo.

 

I don't expect our "standard" to ever become mainstream - it'll always be a niche, like every other layout style. But it would be nice to have more than 8 of us who work to the standard :)

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  • 2 months later...

Hello all

 

I now have an idea of my roster pattern for next year and the following Saturdays are available for me to organise a meeting - based on the "middle of the year" of last year:

 

21 May

11 June

1 July

 

Other dates could be made available if none of the above are any good - and of course we still have the question of the hall rebuild to get over meaning I can't book anything yet but what are people's thoughts on the above please.

 

Many thanks

 

'Nut

 

(on a positive note, next year's Warley is a rest day and I can get to Birmingham International on my staff pass for free...)

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Great, that's two of us then :)  Still no progress on "RTS", kinda lost interest since the junction got damaged but I know it won't take much to get it up and running.  Unfortunately the new job is taking too much of my time and energy at the moment to get much of anything done modelwise but at least my sound fitted Thumper arrived last week so that'll be a nice thing to give a thrash on a modular layout.

 

I think I need to look at van hire next time, a Fiesta just isn't really practical for layout transport (although my OO-9 layout will fit fine, I'm sure).

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I have the chippy at my model club building the boards, hes really good but i told him to take his time as the knee has slowed my modelling this year however its all better now and i can get on again!

 

I can see a Fiesta being a problem, even my Focus was pushing it a bit. I have a Skoda Estate now. I will look forward to seeing the sound fitted Thumper. I tried to get the misses to buy me one but she was having none of it. What version did you get?

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The NSE one, to fit in with my general modelling interests.  I've made a point of every module all being either period-free or specific to my 1980s/1990s interests so that they can all be used together to make a complete layout in due course so it's theoretically exhibitable on its own (if anyone wants my dreadful modelling, of course...)

 

There's a van hire company in town which for a special weekend rate of £90 will get me a short wheelbase transit or a Mercedes Citano for £70.  Certainly doable for exhibitions, will have to see how things go as far as a modular meet goes as it could get expensive unless I can share the costs with someone nearby who also has a small car.

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  • 8 months later...
A dedicated Modular MRC has been formed based in SE London with easy access from North Kent and Surrey with premises and working on the same TimHorn baseboard.   I felt that having a uniform base and wiring system each to the same club standard will help this part of the hobby become more accessible to more people, basically this is the baseboard, this is the track you should use, these are the connectors and here are your track datum points, now go and build what you want and come every two weeks and lets join them together over a pint. 

 

The group is called SELKENT Model Railway Club and I have put a little start up money into it for advertising and getting some initial club boards with will act as the mother board for others to work from.  The idea is that each module can be taken home in the boot of the car, some can be stored at the venue and some of the proceeds of a recent model railway show I run is going on a big steel shed at the back of the theatre venue (very secure) to house modules and tooling.

 

Membership will be £20 per annum plus the cost of the module board you will be working on, which of course you own.  We have a dedicated van, kitted out to carry 12 modules max to exhibitions, which is one of the main remits of the club, the second is to allow members to be part of a big layout and still live in a 1 bed flat and have a layout to work on at home and at the club.

 

Please pass the word around to anyone you know into like you is interested in Modular group layouts.

 

Here is the website, first meeting Tues 9th Aug

 

www.selkentmodelrailwayclub.weebly.com

 

Harry

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Unfortunately I'm a great many miles away Harry otherwise I would be very tempted to join you. May I wish you all the best with the Modular group and admirable that you've put your own start up money into this, well done !

 

Grahame

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By reason of geography, I also won't be joining, but hope that the club idea takes off.  It is however perhaps a pity that the 00 standard that you propose (12" wide boards) is not necessarily compatible with those in the SECAG area who have already built modules to the BritMod-00 standard.  Tim Horn makes BritMod-00 sized baseboards (or at least that is what is laser marked on the boards I purchased from him), so it might be worth considering this standard for 00. Ultimately the success will be dependent on getting a 'critical mass' of people working to the same standard (both within your club, in the wider SECAG area and of course nationally).

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Have to agree with Dungrange that it is a pity that you are proposing a standard that is incompatible with BritMod-00. Although unable to make meetings every fortnight if they BritMod-00 standards were being used I would be very interested in getting involved.

 

Gary

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Just to confirm that I haven't, and won't be, arranging another SECAG modular meet for the foreseeable future due to work commitments and potential uncertainty about moving to a different area within the next 12 months - but we'll worry about that when it happens.

 

I'd agree with the others above that using BritMOD/Dave/whatever we called it as a standard would be good as at least those of us who already have functional modules could get involved, but at the end of the day, just like we did, you define the standard you want to work with and go from there.

 

As well as BritMOD/Dave/whatever, Freemo and Fremo also have more established standards which are most definitely workable in modular format. Certainly when we decided to 'go alone' with the whole of the UK there was a certain amount of resistance in some quarters about 'reinventing the wheel' and before you actually get started I'd urge you to give your standards some consideration - I don't think you've actually listed what the standards are about track spacing, trackbed to floor height, track positioning, wiring (DC/DCC?), inter-board connections etc?  These need to be 'locked down' before the first board ever gets considered for construction.

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Great idea Harry but I have to echo the other sentiments. Don't do your own thing as regards to standards. Either pick the "Dave" or go with the NMRA Freemo ones. No point in reinventing the wheel so to speak. 12" wide boards for OO in my opinion are just too narrow to do anything worthwhile apart from plain countryside. My current Freemo module is 16' by 2' but can be clamped to any standard NMRA Freemo module of 18" or 20" or any older standard 24" end module.

 

Just for reference, many of the different NMRA groups across the UK all have their own standards. For the most part they are now busy making adaptors so that they can all be inter-connected. Best guess is that if all the Freemo modules and compatible others got together we'd need a space the size of the NEC to run the thing.

 

I'd be interested in coming along, but you scheduled your first meeting for the same day as the Great British Beer Festival's trade session. I doubt I'll be in top condition after spending 6 hours drinking with brewers and publicans. :O Since we physically live rather close to each other perhaps a chat over a pint at the Turnpike may be in order. Let me know.

 

 

NMRA spec Freemo module:

 

16' by 2' nominal with a 45 degree branch and junction. The scale lengths on the image are to allow run masters to enter the sidings into JMRI for managing switch lists and dispatching. For example the team track is 170' scale and therefore can handle no more than 3x50' box cars. That information will prevent JMRI from dispatching 4 cars to that spur.

 

post-2818-0-65608200-1468493567_thumb.jpg

 

 

 

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