HORSHAM MODEL RAILWAY CLUB -- EXHIBITION SATURDAY 25th APRIL

Event Location  - St Leonard's Church Hall, Cambridge Road, Horsham, West Sussex RH13 5ED

OPENING TIMES:  10am - 4pm

ADMISSION:  Adults £3.50    Children £2.00  Family £9.00  

The Club is planning to expand its April exhibition by utilising more of the St Leonard's Church building than in previous years. This will allow us to have 15 layouts and more traders. It is anticipated that over half the layouts will be from other local model railway groups, supported by trade stalls, members' layouts and a number of Club displays.

The 'have a go' layout from the October 2014 will be retained because it was very popular with the children. As usual, new and second-hand model railway items and accessories will be on sale. Refreshments including rolls, home-made cakes, tea and coffee will also be available throughout the day.

Below is a list of confirmed layouts that will be at the exhibition:

Carfax Junction (OO + N)	Battledown (N)
Puerto Paseo (On30)	Little Telsleigh (OO)
Hurstwood (OO)	Sub Wealden Gypsum Company (3mm FS)
Small 'N' Working (N)	Hornby Dublo 3-rail (OO)
Iceni Cement (OO)	Dawes Creek (N)
Brighthampton (N)	Brown & Stickwell Treacle Works (OO9)

You can view details of previous open days on the clubs website here;
http://www.horshammrc.org.uk/opendays.html

BLUEBELL RAILWAY DIESEL GALA 18-19 APRIL 2015

BLUEBELL RAILWAY ANNOUNCE THEIR UPCOMING TOUR AND DIESEL GALA 18-19 APRIL 2015

Preserved Deltic pair D9009 & 55019 are to visit Bluebell Railway as part of this years Diesel Gala.

The Bluebell Railway and the Deltic Preservation Society are pleased to announce the visit of D9009 ‘ALYCIDON’ and 55019 ‘ROYAL HIGHLAND FUSILIER’ for the Bluebell Railway Diesel Gala on the 18th and 19th April 2015. 

This will be the first time two Deltics have visited the Sussex heritage railway with both locos arriving via the Bluebell’s mainline connection at East Grinstead. 

A two train service will be in operation each day with the locos switching diagrams on the Sunday.

It's good to see that a wider approach is being taken by this heritage railway who have in the past run a Steam Only policy albeit unofficially, recent work on the line including the completion of the link to East Grinstead and a connection with Network Rail has seen the use of modern traffic and some heritage Diesel traffic too including the loan of a DMU in use during last year on loan from Ecclesbourne Valley Railway while the line from Sheffield Park to Horstead Keynes was closed during some engineering work. 

While this is a Gala event and not a change of policy it's great to have the chance to be able to visit and see / hear a pair of Deltics roar up Freshfield bank.

Bluebell heritage railway -- http://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/

Deltic Preservation society -- http://thedps.co.uk/

HILLINGDON RAILWAY MODELLERS OPEN DAY -- SATURDAY 11th APRIL 2015

http://www.hillingdonrailwaymodellers.co.uk/

Looking forward to another open day at Hillingdon Railway Modellers next Saturday 11th April. 

Now I am no longer working I have plenty of free time so will pack a bag to take a few trains for a run but will need to leave early as it's always a busy day and doors open to the public at 10:00am. 

Owing to rental costs of the hall there is a cover charge of £4 but there will be two extensive O Gauge and OO Gauge Test Tracks up and running so if you have anything you wish to see get a good run do please come along; 


Yiewsley Baptist Church
74 Colham Avenue
West Drayton
UB7 8HF


* the entrance is at the side of the church down a path and the doors at the end should be open, don't try and enter the main doors of the church. 

There will be refreshments available, the bacon rolls are strongly recommended. 

It should be stressed that these ARE NOT exhibitions, so bring your own locos and rolling stock to run. At busy times we may have to introduce time slots so that everyone can get a chance to operate their stock.

BBC MODEL RAILWAY CLUB MOTSPUR PARK

Was passing through Motspur Park the other day, and couldn't believe the sorry state of the old BBC Sports Club (from what you could see through the locked gates).

Now my interest in this site goes back as long as I can remember, as a child I was taken here with my father on many occasions which would include the annual BBC Summer events, and the excellent bonfire and fireworks party held early November. 

Additionally we had access on summer weekends to run the BBC Model Railway club layouts and also build and run the 5" gauge live steam which was originally on temporary track running parallel to the Main Line railway on the far side of the sports ground. 

The pictures below show the extensive grounds that the BBC Club had especially when you compare to the Middlesex sports ground on the opposite side of the road which is now home to Fulham F.C. as their training grounds. 

The poor state of the BBC Sports ground is clear to see from above. 

The old 5 inch live steam used to run parallel to the railway line opposite to the location of the gas towers, until it's relocation behind tennis courts.

Later on this moved to a shed near the entrance and car park and along with other railway club members a brand new line was created .

The above picture gives a more close up view of the main Club House and car park with Tennis courts running out parallel to the gardens. Between the tennis courts and the housing runs the 5" Gauge Live Steam railway, which I helped build (well I stood and watched the adults anyway). 

You can clearly make out the loop at the end which allowed a reasonable return run for visitors on open days, the trains running from a Station Area in the car park and the model railways were in a purpose built shed. I can't recall when our last visit was before the BBC Club was closed nor is there any information about what became of the layouts and stock.

All of this site is in serious need of maintenance, I understand from local reports that the Club House was damaged by fire.

I wish I could gain access in to just see what is left (if anything) of the site, if anyone has the ear of the owners / site manager let us know.

It would be wonderful to see this site used rather than left to rot, housing is required, and remodel the playing fields into a country park sort of effect ... or the obvious solution is to build a school given the apparent lack of school space and sports options for youngsters in the Greater London region. 

Rebuilding the railway would a beautiful "feature" too. ;O)