TEAMYAKIMA

In fact, the MTC (brass) QJ's will only be able to use 2 roads as it is impossible to lift most of the small radius points and replace them with mediums.

One popular feature at TDMRC is the Multi-Gauge-Running-Track (MGRT). There are five circuits and by clever construction we have managed to fit in 14 different gauges onto those five circuits. The 14 gauges include OO/HO, TT, EM, N, Z, O (2 rail and 3 rail), G......... and even S ! At the recent Open Day it was very popular, as you can see.... In this photo Leslie Bevis-Smith is running one of his 'S' gauge locos - and that's Leslie pointing to it! How many clubs have 'S' gauge running facilities???

It's not quite that bad .... There are 18 FY roads, but of the QJ's will only use 5 of these.

I don't know about anyone else who's reading my blog, but I'm getting bored with tenements. So I decided to go back to tracklaying. Trouble is that my MTC QJ's won't go around 24 inch radius ... and all my FY points are 24 inch radius! One of the strange/unique features of PECO points is that all their crossing angles are the same no matter what their 'radius' is. So, for example, you can make a crossover with a 24 inch and a 36 inch radius (or even a 60 inch) and they will line up perfectly. Like wise in the scenario of my FY I can replace a short radius point (24 inch) with a medium radius (36 inch) and the angles will all line up. Here is one of my MTC QJ's about to enter the 'new' medium radius points.... you can see the new hole for the point motor showing how much longer the new point is. And it (just) goes around .... it's not the wheelbase, the problem is the relationship between the tender and the 'curtain' at the back of the cab.

At TDMRC's recent Open Day, the new wagon gets a quick 'once over' from the Northwick group ..... nice job!

Well, there's more to being a member of a club than just building layouts! Photo # 1........TDMRC's annual summer BBQ was a great success this year .... as you can see! Photo #2 ...... After the great success of the recent Addison Road Open Day, the Club committee discuss increasing the AR group's budget .... whilst cooking burgers! But, returning to the Open Day ... did YOU attend? If so, we would love some feedback please ... especially if it's positive!

The TDMRC BBQ was a great success! AS you can see ... The Club Hon.Treasurer, Chairman and Hon.Sec hold a committee meeting whilst cooking burgers!

Just to explain 'WHY' the elephant was on the platform ... Bertram Mills Circus had a 'winter season' at Olympia from 1920-1966 and the prototype photo is a publicity stunt to announce the arrival of the circus in 1956. In case you missed my edited post above, the exquisite model was scratchbuilt by Carole Bevis-Smith of the MRC(Keen House) as a 'thank you' for the illustrated talk we gave at the MRC some time back. A really BIG thank you to Carole!

Here is that tenement 95% finished (except for some lighting) ... buildings not in final positions, just set up on the layout approx. as they will be finally .. .

Some time back someone showed us a photo of an elephant on Addison Road station ... we we had to have a model of that! View image | gettyimages.com This fantastic little cameo was not made by any of our members but the wife of the Leslie Bevis-Smith chairman of the MRC (Keen House). Leslie's wife, Carole, is an accomplished modeller ... as you can see ....note the individual spokes on the pram!

Have just received some photos from last Saturday's Open Day ... Firstly an overall view .. Fund raising with donated s/h models We asked visitors to bring down stock to run .... and someone brought down the smallest loco to ever run on our multi-gauge-running-track ...

I've been asked by the 'BBQ man' to say that could anyone thinking of coming down on Friday and eating please let us know in advance so that we can have some idea how many we are catering for .... thanks. You can send him an email at chairman.tdmrc@gmail.com

Hello Bill Are you thinking of joining us ... our group has active members in Sussex and another in Woking and another in Boston, Mass, USA ...... so SE London is nothing! All kind of membership options if you just want to support the project from afar .....

Our Open Day last Saturday was VERY successful ..... I am (I regret) a bit of an imposter as I don't model 7mm, I don't model British and I don't even live anywhere near Twickenham! But, I did very much enjoy the Open Day and took several nice photos ... then left my camera behind! So more photos will be posted when I go back to club next week to collect it. In the meantime here is a nice photo that was sent to me by Peter .... And here is one of the Russell Road terrace ...... we'll need many more of these! Note each one has different curtains etc! Lastly, if you are tempted to join TDMRC and join the Addison Road group then please note that the clubrooms are closed for refurbishment all through August, but we are holding a special meeting this Friday with a BBQ and the multi-gauge-running-track up so do come along and see us THIS FRIDAY........ otherwise we're back in business first Friday in September.

Hello again Yes, following our VERY successful Open Day TDMRC has attracted one new potential member who is very keen on D&E ... we will continue to try to attract more and get a layout started.....please contact us if YOU want to be involved. If you want to speak to us about D&E modelling in TDMRC then please send me a PM or contact us via our website..... www.tdmrc.org.uk

Hello again Jim The team want to say thanks for this info ... we are definitely going to deal with this issue ... watch this space! Paul

TDMRC held a VERY successful Open Day on July 25th ... did YOU come? Comments/feedback welcome. If you came along (or even if you didn't) the Club is holding a summer BBQ this Friday July 31st to mark AUGUST CLOSE DOWN and as a way of welcoming prospective members to see a more typical club night with just a little extra incentive to come along. The Club is closed in August to allow the scouts to refurbish the hall (our clubrooms)- so why not come along this Friday (partners welcome!) to enjoy the BBQ and BRING STOCK to run on our Multi-Gauge-Running-Track - all gauges from Z-G!

Hello Jim Nice to hear from you after all these years. Thanks for your comments .... I have passed them on to the team ..... Paul

To be honest I can't remember what I achieved at the CMRA event ...... I know I did achieve things but can't remember exactly what! Any way, here is building #10, both sides, front and back ... one weathered one yet to be weathered... the yellow is masking tape over windows that may have interiors and I want to keep the glazing clear

The Open Day is just over 48 hours away ... will we be ready in time? Here is the latest batch of houses for Russell Road ..... I don't like to be critical but I think they lack detail and IMHO the colour is all wrong! See you Saturday?

I regret that I haven't ( and won't be) read all 212 pages of this thread, but the future health of the hobby is of great interest to me. I regret that all I see around me leads me to believe that the hobby will gradually shrink and products will gradually disappear as there will be no customers to buy them. I am not saying that the hobby will disappear entirely but that it will shrink and shrink and shrink.# My reasons ..... 1. Optimists make great play of the fact that there are talented youngsters in our hobby - of course there are. But numerically they are insignificant compared with the situation in the 1960'/70's. 2. Our hobby has been bolstered in the main by returnees - GREAT! But to be a returnee implies that you were in the hobby as a child/teenager. As the number of children in the hobby started to die off in the 1980's onwards there will gradually be less and less returnees as the years go by. My view (I think shared by Tony) is make the best of it! It's great NOW because there are loads of guys out there with relatively speaking loads of money to spend on their hobby. Optimist or pessimist? Who is right? I hope I'm wrong, but let's agree to meet in a pub in 20 years time and see who was right then .............. that is if any of us are still alive?

Hello Tony I was one of those (not THE one you understand) ........... with reference to your reference to the J15 and the Stephen Poole kit you once built ... if you hurry you might still be able to buy one of those kits (partially built) as there is one on ebay today with a starting price of £54.99 ... no bids at present Paul

Video team now formed and will be in action at the Open Day ... keep watching!

In the run up to our Open Day on July 25th the Club has been out and about promoting this event ............ Here Club Chairman, Steve Waterfield, is seen talking to an interested party at the CMRA Modellers Day in front of OR&P an FN3 layout jointly owned by three TDMRC members .....

Here is building #9 of 13 as of 8am Friday A new style ..... I will be talking/demoing at the CMRA event tomorrow here in Watford .... how much progress will be made? Say hello if you also attend