Crewe Model Railway club 00 gauge layout circa 1970s

[Blobrick]

Its a bit of a long shot, l am hoping someone might be able to help

 

As a young teen back in the early 70s, l joined the Crewe Model Engineering Society. At that time the club rooms were in, l think, the High Town part of Crewe. The club had embarked on building a large 00 gauge layout based on LNWR practice, using Peco code 100 track work.  

I seem to remember that the layout was that large that is spanned two rooms. This layout formed the centre piece of the clubs annual exhibition which was held in the towns Library each autumn. Within a year or so the club relocated to new premise s at the top of Mill street. This allowed the layout to stand complete in one room.  The layout was never referred to by name, l don't think it ever was given one whilst l was a member. I left the club around the end of 1976 when my family moved away. Even allowing for my impressionable age, the layout was large, l seem to recall someone once saying in was just under a scale mile for one orbit of the main line.

I am trying to find any information that l can on this layout. I suspect after 40+ years it is no longer in existence, but if anyone remembers it or has photos, diagrams etc l d love to hear them.

 

Hopefully

 

Bob C

Edited November 15, 2020 by Blobrick

[TerryD1471]

Hello Bob

 

I have seen this layout a few times back in the day. It was based on Rugeley Trent Valley and it has appeared in the model press back in the 70s, the MRC if I remember correctly. I was very impressed by it and the last time I saw it, it had been moved to Crewe, where I believe it was on permanent show at the Heritage Centre(?)

 

Terry D

[Joseph_Pestell]

I remember a Rugeley TV LNW layout featuring in MRC (early 70s). But I think that it belonged to a school MRC.

[Fat Controller]

9 minutes ago, Joseph_Pestell said:

I remember a Rugeley TV LNW layout featuring in MRC (early 70s). But I think that it belonged to a school MRC.

I think it was a Stafford school (Stafford Grammar?) During the Easter holidays in 1972, I was on a BR-sponsored course at the Webb Orphanage, Crewe with one of the people involved with it.

I recollect it being of a very high standard (and a pleasant change from 'Variations on a Theme of Ashburton..)

[TerryD1471]

I've just found my copy of the MRC for Jan 77 (how sad is that!?) and, yes, it is Crewe Grammar School Railway Society's model of Rugeley featured on the cover. There's a 7 page article inside, profusely illustrated with photos by Brian Monaghan. I can only assume this must be one and the same layout you are referring to.

I will endeavout to scan the pages of the article and reproduce them here as long as copyright is not a problem.

 

Terry D

[08221]

5 minutes ago, TerryD1471 said:

I've just found my copy of the MRC for Jan 77 (how sad is that!?) and, yes, it is Crewe Grammar School Railway Society's model of Rugeley featured on the cover. There's a 7 page article inside, profusely illustrated with photos by Brian Monaghan. I can only assume this must be one and the same layout you are referring to.

I will endeavout to scan the pages of the article and reproduce them here as long as copyright is not a problem.

 

Terry D

 

Being a Rugeley resident, I'd like to see photos of that layout if possible please.

 

Thanks, stay safe, well and happy.

Edited November 23, 2020 by 08221
Spilling

[TerryD1471]

Yur tiz

 

Rugeley TV article.pdf

 

It seems to have loaded in its entirety, but will it open?

Apologies that some of the pages are upside down, but that's the only way i could scan them.

In terms of its length, the article quotes 36 ft, which made a very impressive model and, by my calculation, more than scale mile for a circuit.

Terry D

Edited November 23, 2020 by TerryD1471
extra info

[Blobrick]

1 hour ago, Fat Controller said:

I think it was a Stafford school (Stafford Grammar?) During the Easter holidays in 1972, I was on a BR-sponsored course at the Webb Orphanage, Crewe with one of the people involved with it.

I recollect it being of a very high standard (and a pleasant change from 'Variations on a Theme of Ashburton..)

Yes you are quite correct, there was a 4mm scale layout based on Rugeley. It was owned by the Crewe Grammar school on Ruskin Road in Crewe. I remember seeing it in the Model Railway Constructor in the mid 70s l think. Unfortunately  this is not the layout I was talking about in my original post.

[Joseph_Pestell]

I had forgotten just how impressive it was.

[TerryD1471]

4 hours ago, Blobrick said:

Yes you are quite correct, there was a 4mm scale layout based on Rugeley. It was owned by the Crewe Grammar school on Ruskin Road in Crewe. I remember seeing it in the Model Railway Constructor in the mid 70s l think. Unfortunately  this is not the layout I was talking about in my original post.

I can't help wondering which layout it is that you are thinking about. It seems very odd that there should be another large LNW layout built by another society in Crewe at about the same time?

[Blobrick]

23 minutes ago, TerryD1471 said:

I can't help wondering which layout it is that you are thinking about. It seems very odd that there should be another large LNW layout built by another society in Crewe at about the same time?

The layout in question belonged to the Crewe Model Engineering club. The Club also had a steam track for 5 1/2 and 7 inch gauge live steam at Wistaston Green, l remember seeing the sections of bar being bent to shape in the club rooms prior to being taken to site. I  remember being told that he layout was based on LNWR practice, with a twin track main line with a large station at one end  which had Up and Down through lines with platforms either side. Two bay platforms on one side and Goods avoiding lines on the other. The station area also had a mileage yard which was linked via the Goods lines to the large Goods yard and MPD at the rear of he layout. During my time at the club it never progressed to the scenery stage, only ever being code 100 rail on cork underlay. I think l can remember the basic track plan, l ll have a go at drawing it out and see if it jogs anyones memory?

 

Bob C

[dick rowland]

I'll try to 'flip' these relevant pages and repost them.

 

Rugeley_TV_article (1) rework orientation page 3.pdf Rugeley_TV_article_(1)_rework_orientation_page_5.pdf Rugeley_TV_article_(1)_rework_orientation_page_7.pdf

Edited November 24, 2020 by dick rowland
Unsatisfactory photo uploads

[TerryD1471]

10 hours ago, Blobrick said:

The layout in question belonged to the Crewe Model Engineering club. The Club also had a steam track for 5 1/2 and 7 inch gauge live steam at Wistaston Green, l remember seeing the sections of bar being bent to shape in the club rooms prior to being taken to site. I  remember being told that he layout was based on LNWR practice, with a twin track main line with a large station at one end  which had Up and Down through lines with platforms either side. Two bay platforms on one side and Goods avoiding lines on the other. The station area also had a mileage yard which was linked via the Goods lines to the large Goods yard and MPD at the rear of he layout. During my time at the club it never progressed to the scenery stage, only ever being code 100 rail on cork underlay. I think l can remember the basic track plan, l ll have a go at drawing it out and see if it jogs anyones memory?

 

Bob C

Thanks Bob, I must admit I'd never heard of it, despite being just down the road in Wolverhampton at the time. I wonder if anyone else knows of it?

[TerryD1471]

1 hour ago, dick rowland said:

I'll try to 'flip' these relevant pages and repost them.

 

Rugeley_TV_article (1) rework orientation page 3.pdf 1.84 MB · 4 downloads Rugeley_TV_article_(1)_rework_orientation_page_5.pdf 2.05 MB · 4 downloads Rugeley_TV_article_(1)_rework_orientation_page_7.pdf 2.45 MB · 4 downloads

Thanks Dick, I'm glad your technical expertise is better than mine!

 

T

[Blobrick]

1 hour ago, TerryD1471 said:

Thanks Bob, I must admit I'd never heard of it, despite being just down the road in Wolverhampton at the time. I wonder if anyone else knows of it?

 

Hi Terry

 

About 15 years ago l did manage to contact an old Crewe club member. He told me that the layout was still in existence at that point, he did have a few photos of it , but we lost contact, and l was unable to re establish contact with him, so hence why l ve tried  this shot in the dark lol

[kevinlms]

On 15/11/2020 at 21:20, Blobrick said:

Its a bit of a long shot, l am hoping someone might be able to help

 

As a young teen back in the early 70s, l joined the Crewe Model Engineering Society. At that time the club rooms were in, l think, the High Town part of Crewe. The club had embarked on building a large 00 gauge layout based on LNWR practice, using Peco code 100 track work.  

I seem to remember that the layout was that large that is spanned two rooms. This layout formed the centre piece of the clubs annual exhibition which was held in the towns Library each autumn. Within a year or so the club relocated to new premise s at the top of Mill street. This allowed the layout to stand complete in one room.  The layout was never referred to by name, l don't think it ever was given one whilst l was a member. I left the club around the end of 1976 when my family moved away. Even allowing for my impressionable age, the layout was large, l seem to recall someone once saying in was just under a scale mile for one orbit of the main line.

I am trying to find any information that l can on this layout. I suspect after 40+ years it is no longer in existence, but if anyone remembers it or has photos, diagrams etc l d love to hear them.

 

Hopefully

 

Bob C

There is a preview colour photo in MRC for 1976 November. While the page itself is uncaptioned, there is an entry stating what it is in the contents page.

 

This photo refers to the Grammar School layout, sorry for suggesting it was a reply to your question.

Edited December 12, 2021 by kevinlms
Clarification

[Nick Holliday]

The UK Model Shops directory has this entry, which might prove a lead - it does have a large OO gauge layout, and in another MRC directory is called "

Crewe Model Railway & Engineering Society"

:

Someone mentioned a live steam engineering society at Willaston, which seems to be this one: http://southcheshiremes.com/ and appears to be a completely different organisation.

[Penlan]

Seeing the pictures, I now realise I still have that magazine too - That makes 2 of us TerryD1471
I certainly remember the layout at Exhibitions. Chatted to the group on origins of the stock etc.,
A quarter mile is 17' 4" in 4mm, so probably a good scale mile all the way round.

[Colton Parish]

I am replying to question about the Crewe School Layout of Rugeley Trent Valley Station.

 

You may recall the teacher who was involved with it was Maths Teacher Mr Brian Metcalfe .

Sadly Brian passed away peacefully on the 13th  February 2023 at Leighton Hospital in Crewe aged 86 years.

 

The layout still exits with Brian who has left it to the LNWR Society and they have no means of storing it. However a friend of one of the society members who owns the former Railway buildings at Rugeley Trent Valley Station and has kindly offered to store it for the society. In the future it is hoped that the layout it can be displayed in Colton Village Hall over a weekend for people to visit. But at present it is in the very early stages of planning such an event.

 

Rugeley Trent Valley Station is in Colton Parish with the River Trent being the boundary between Colton and Rugeley 

 

Another claim to fame for Rugeley Trent Valley Station is it is the only station which a reigning monarch has arrived and departed from the station.           

 

 

  

[kevinlms]

7 hours ago, Colton Parish said:

I am replying to question about the Crewe School Layout of Rugeley Trent Valley Station.

 

You may recall the teacher who was involved with it was Maths Teacher Mr Brian Metcalfe .

Sadly Brian passed away peacefully on the 13th  February 2023 at Leighton Hospital in Crewe aged 86 years.

 

The layout still exits with Brian who has left it to the LNWR Society and they have no means of storing it. However a friend of one of the society members who owns the former Railway buildings at Rugeley Trent Valley Station and has kindly offered to store it for the society. In the future it is hoped that the layout it can be displayed in Colton Village Hall over a weekend for people to visit. But at present it is in the very early stages of planning such an event.

 

Rugeley Trent Valley Station is in Colton Parish with the River Trent being the boundary between Colton and Rugeley 

 

Another claim to fame for Rugeley Trent Valley Station is it is the only station which a reigning monarch has arrived and departed from the station.           

 

 

  

Fantastic news that this layout is still in existance and owned by the LNWR Society and hopefully one day able to be viewed.

Less good is the demise of Brian, RIP.

[Benjamin Brady]

Brains LNWR stock was excellent, he displayed it once at one of the shows we had a Crewe, an excellent display of locos from the Premier Line in it's home town. 

 

I'd like to see the layout at some point also. 

 

Cheers 

 

Ben