News Page (updated 05/12/22)
Current 'Call Attention' Status
Members in the e-comms. group received the link to the winter edition of the quarterly club magazine 'Call Attention' on 5th December. Other members will receive theirs from Hon. Sec. over the subsequent week or two.
Preparation of the spring edition will start in February and should be with members on the e-group list in early to mid-March. Members with anything to publish should send it to the editor (e-mail address in current edition) by Monday 13th February.
Recent Outing
The group took a display including the new 'Ballan Road' layout to the Big Model & Hobby Show at Aintree Racecourse on Saturday 6th August. (See pictures below, taken during construction and at the show. © Dave Forshaw )
The oval 'test track' went, too, to allow for both DC and DCC visiting locos to be 'exercised'.
e-Comms Group and Monthly Zoom Chats
All but one member with e-mail addresses have now signed up to our free e-mail distribution service so as to avoid missing out on future editions of Call Attention and other information. An online archive of past editions has been created, to which members of the e-comms group now have access. Other information about the club is circulated on the e-Comms group system between editions of Call Attention.
Members of the e-comms group have also been meeting on Zoom for video chats on the first Monday of each month at 8pm. A variety of topics has been discussed, including looking at overseas railways, pictures and videos of Pendon museum, a variety of O-gauge layouts, rolling stock construction in progress, a video from MERG looking at Layout Control Buses & servos, 'slides' of the Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways, an investigation into novel methods used in light-weight baseboard construction, garden and outdoor model & miniature railways, novel techniques for creating model structures and a variety of useful 'explainer' videos on various topics. A 'catch-up' service has been created for members who missed the meetings and the links to recordings of the sessions have been made available to members via the e-comms group.
The system seems to be working well and enabled members to keep in touch with each other while the clubrooms were closed during Covid lockdowns. It's also proving possible for non-local members to be involved when they might not normally be able to do so and a regular group of members is settling in to use the system each month. There was unanimous support to continue the monthly Zoom meetings after the clubrooms re-opened, post-Covid.
Weatherley Junction & St Monica's Quay
The station buildings for St.Monica's are now in place and the scenics are progressing well at Weatherley.
See photos on Dunball Extension page.
Hawthorne Park Loco Depot
The colour light signals and buffer stops are starting to come on-line.