HILLINGDON RAILWAY MODELLERS 2019 OPEN DAYS -- SATURDAY 24th AUGUST

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

Welcome again, it's time for the fourth Open Day of this year at Hillingdon Railway Modellers, these regular events are very popular and the next one will be held on Saturday 24th August 2019.

While I have not been able to attend here for a little while this is a good opportunity to get myself over there and give a few of my Dads O Gauge models a bit of a run out since I've no room for a layout at home and I don't want them to live in boxes forever. I aim to hopefully get there for the afternoon with a few items in my bag to try out and also update a few pictures too. It's always a popular day and doors open to the public at 10:00am.

Click picture for YT video of test track

Address 

Yiewsley Baptist Church74 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. 

Club Events For 2019

Date	Description
24 August	Test Track Open Day
12/13 October 2019	Test Track Open Day
19 October	Grindley Brook - Great Electric Train Show
14 December	Test Track Open Day

Owing to rental costs of the hall there is a cover charge of £5 but there will be two extensive O Gauge and OO Gauge Test Tracks available and have recently added a three track N Gauge circuit too (Pic Below) all up and running so if you have anything you wish to see get a good run do please come along.

N GAUGE TEST TRACK 

There are always plenty of refreshments available, Tea, Coffee and cold drinks for the youngster, in addition the freshly made bacon rolls are highly recommended. (just don't scoff them all before I get there!!)  It should be stressed that these ARE NOT exhibitions, so please 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. Here's a short clip of one of the earlier open days YouTube LINK

Below and Left you can see a busy picture of their 8 road yard in O Gauge it's a very extensive track and will give your models a very good run. A few photo's taken from the previous open days are below, if you read back to some of the earlier postings in this blog I have tried to show the variety of excellent models on show, these guys are truly experts in their craft I only wish I had some of their talents and skills.

People will bring a wide variety of stock to run, nearly all are kit built though and the skills / detail is truly incredible.

Everyone will get their turn to run on each of the test tracks I  promise but it is popular and a queue system will usually operate.

I hope that these pictures give a good indication of the size of the O Gauge test track, you can give your models a really good work out here. This formation can also transform into an exhibition layout called Grindley Brook a scenic section replaces the long straight down the back.

This layout was shown at the Warley show at the NEC Birmingham in November 2017 and will have recently been making an appearance at the Wigan Show in October 2018 so well done to all concerned getting this large layout out there to be enjoyed by people far and wide.

Grindley Brook will next be putting in an appearance at the Great Electric Train Show, over the weekend 12th and 13th October 2019. 

GRINDLEY BROOK O GAUGE

Grindley Brook Station

A few more pictures from some of the previous Open Days, though they mostly focus on the O Gauge track there are also Test Tracks available for OO and N Gauge too. There are many society members on hand who are both extremely friendly and knowledgeable too so if you have any problems with modelling or questions they will be more than happy to try and help i am sure. 

Couple of Dads models (right) , Jersey and Caen simple looking Class B4 0-4-0 engines but plenty of detail and most of all I really like them both. There's a wide variety to be seen on these Open Days. 

THE BUSY OO GAUGE TEST TRACK

LONDON UNDERGROUND STOCK MAKE A WELCOME APPEARANCE

N GAUGE TEST TRACK 

BRIGHTON BELLE IN "N". SOON TO REAPPEAR ON MAINLINE TOO 

HOW TO GET THERE:
If you are Travelling by Car

Check here for Parking Options.

Nearest Railway Stations :

West Drayton [0.34 miles]

BISHOP'S STORTFORD RAILWAY SOCIETY EXHIBITION 17th AUGUST 2019

Saturday 17th August 2019

ADDRESS:
Birchwood High School Sports Hall, Parsonage Lane, Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire 
CM23 5BD

OPENING TIMES:  
10.30am - 4.30pm

ADMISSION:  
Adults £5.00  Concessions £5.00  
Children £2.00  Family £10.00  

About the BSRS - Bishop’s Stortford Railway Society was formed in 1969 and draws in members from the town and surrounding area - some coming from as far as Enfield. We meet at The Old Booking Office, Bishop’s Stortford Railway station.  There are 2 room; the smaller holds the club’s static 4 track OO gauge layout which is currently being remodelled while the larger doubles as a committee / meeting room for the Thursday talks and the general clubroom.

Tuesdays - 8.00 pm to 10.30 pm is the modelling night with regular attendees covering N, O and OO gauges.  Sometimes a discussion night but generally some modelling for members own layouts is done and problems resolved.  Parent members sometimes attend with their children to run trains on the permanent OO gauge layout. A friendly informal evening.

2019 EXHIBITION DETAILS

Our sixth year at this enhanced venue. 16+ layouts in main gauges including some vintage from mostly local clubs and ourselves; 7+ trade stands covering new and second hand stock, and modelling materials, 5 society stands and a number of club stands featuring other transport activities our members pursue. Manhattan Grill catering outside plus ride-on engineers track (small additional charge). 2 mins from M11 Junc 8; large free car parks at front and rear (follow signs please).

Layouts attending (Gauge);

Abbey Street S (Above)  -- BR(E) late 1950’s early 60’s, East Anglia, Urban setting.  Much like Colchester St Botolph’s / Colchester Town station, Abbey Street is a small station nearer to a town centre than the main station and linked to it by a shuttle service. The yard only handles goods, but coal empties from the coal yard further out of town have to come here to run round.

Ballyconnell Road 3mm -- (left). Around 1866 the Irish North Western Railway Company nearly extended the already completed Bundoran line into the important town and port which is Sligo. minerals known as bayrites had been found locally and the route neatly filled a gap in the railway map of Ireland. It formed a far flung outpost of the Great Northern Railway of Ireland since that company's formation in 1876 by merger of the INWR with other local railways. Now it is 1955 and a few tourists and remnants of the mining industry are barely justifying the continued operation of this otherwise local route. All this in 3mm/1ft (1:101.6) scale on 15.75mm gauge to portray the Irish broad gauge of 5 ft 3in. Even though the track gauge may look similar it is not OO! The layout is 7ft 3in. in diameter with storage roads to the rear.

Bascogne HO European model railway.

Beckton N -- (right) Modern image N Gauge layout under the wires a regular on the exhibition circuit and based upon West Coast Mainline operations in the 1989 - 1992 period, is set fictionally somewhere between Penrith and Carlisle. 

Buntingford N - (left) is set in the late 1960s, with modellers' licence allowing the branch to linger beyond its actual post-Beeching closure date on the presumption of an upturn in commuter traffic and the prospect of additional freight traffic from the Sainsbury's distribution centre that was opened at Buntingford at around that time. A tremendously well built and detailed layout. 

Dawes Lane N -- Multi level modern image layout in N.

East Dunnet -- This O-16.5 layout (originally called Rosie Cider Farm) was a small working diorama of a small farm that produces cider the owner uses trains to move the cider and other goods around and it was all contained within a 30in X 20in baseboard. A new 'extension' saw the small hamlet and station of 'East Dunnet' appear and this increased the size to 60 X 30in. The Rosie Cider Farm main building has now had its working clock added, at last. The side buildings to this main building are new as the old ones did not have the clearance that has now been adopted throughout the complete new build. There is now a 'Wood Yard' with a couple of sidings at the opposite end to the small village of 'East Dunnet'.

Essex Belt Lines HO USA -- (above) 

The HO modular layout will feature the modules for Peveral, OH and Peach Meadows, amongst others and will be running a range of prototypical trains representing the USA transition period between steam and diesel operation.  Peveral, OH -- The location is roughly Midwest Ohio, and portrays a small town in the 1950’s with a diner, and medium industry. Railroad facilities include a station (or depot) an interlocking tower, water tower, a small passing loop and a lay by track.  Peach Meadows -- mainline specification module, incorporating a corner and straight element. The module was known as Peach Bottom, after a real place in Pannsylvania, following the changes it was felt the module no longer represented the real location and the name was changed.

Hope HO Us 

Jusabit MPD O 

Docklands O - believe this is the Croydon Model Railway Society layout.

Phoenix Junction HO Us 

Round Tuit OO 

Townsend N -- (N, 1960) Inspired by Dawlish and Teignmouth this GW mainly operated by GW traction and BR stock. Also to be seen are green era diesel traction and DMU's. SR stock is seen also on "diversionary and training route learned" moves which adds further interest.

Nearest Railway Stations:

Bishops Stortford [0.98 miles]
Stansted Mountfitchet [1.97 miles]
Stansted Airport [3.45 miles]
Elsenham [3.66 miles]

MAP

TINKERS PARK -- MODEL RAILWAYS PLUS 2019

Saturday 3rd August 2019 - Sunday 4th August 2019

Tinkers Park
Main Road, Hadlow Down
East Sussex TN22 4HS

OPENING TIMES:  SAT and SUN 10am - 5pm
ADMISSION:  Adults £7.00   Children £2.00   Concessions £7.00 

The Tinkers Park Annual model railway exhibition and narrow gauge railway gala is an extremely popular event for children and adults alike. We always aim for that little bit extra, with traction engine trailer rides, music in the Organ Museum and a bus “special” on the Sunday the event really has earned the “plus” in the title! The entrance fee includes rides on steam/diesel hauled passenger trains on Great Bush Narrow Gauge railway; mini passenger carrying railway and traction engine trailer rides.

Model Railways plus is now in its eleventh year. The layouts will be exhibited in two halls providing over 11,000 square feet of space with easy access. Our aim is to provide a friendly, interesting show for all. In addition to the model railway layouts the show includes a 2' passenger-carrying railway, 7.1/4" gauge miniature railway (both featuring live steam) and full size traction engines. There is also a fair organ museum on site We will operate a vintage bus service connecting to Buxted railway and Uckfield bus stations. 

On the Sunday only, we are delighted to welcome our local bus enthusiasts, who will be organising free rides to local town on their classic buses. Light refreshments and real ale will be available. Any profits from the show will go to the Claude Jessett Trust and go towards restoration of the Collection and the Tinkers Park site's facilities.

Tinkers Park is situated on the A272 to the east of Hadlow Down village in East Sussex.

List of Layouts Attending:
Aldingbourne Central 
 - 00 Scale 16.5mm Gauge. Have-A-Go fun for young and old! 
Newchapel Junction & Branch Line (left).
Finescale O Gauge, the layout recreates the operation of a busy railway in its heyday with frequent arrivals and departures from the main station. The locomotives in use vary from large mainline express passenger types to humble tank engines of both SR and GWR origin. Engines from trains arriving at the main station proceed to the loco yard to be turned before either going on shed and being replaced by a fresh engine or returning to their trains for the next outbound movement. A large 5-road goods yard enables continuous shunting and re-marshalling of freight trains.
The Brick - Finescale OO Gauge 
Ashington - OO Scale 26.5mm Gauge

Trenance Downs - 4mm Trenance Downs (right) is a branch line community sited near Trethowal in Cornwall. The model represents a small country station on a branchline set in varying periods from BR Blue through to the current day. There are still active workings to the China Clay dries, as well as typical branchline commuter trains working their way along the line. As well as the local China Clay movements there is infrequent stone and mineral traffic from the nearby Quarry. Motive power varies depending on era set, and can range from Class 52 Westerns, Class 25's through to the current EWS (DB Schenker) stranglehold of Class 37's & 66's. To compliment the freight workings there is of course a is a mixture of DMU's (1st Generation through to Class 158's).
Dufftown & Craigellachie Brickworks - OO9 Dufftown and Craigellachie Brickwork's depicts a fictional narrow gauge whisky railway on Speyside in North East Scotland. The layout comprises Dufftown station, the adjoining distillery (served by its own sidings), and the brickwork's at Craigellachie. Rolling stock is a mixture of club and members’ stock, much of it in the fictional Glen Fiddich Railway livery of blue and red.
Parracombe & Lyn Valley - 4mm Scale OO9 Gauge 
Holmill - 4mm
Murrell Park - N Gauge 
Four Oaks - OO Gauge 
Silldean Model Railway Company - N Gauge 
Gasworks Basin - OO Gauge Finescale 

Cato Pass - OO/HO Gauge -- If Steam Punk did Model Railways then Cato Pass is it. A sci-fi railway now complete has a rocket as a centre-piece, and is a futuristic underground missile silo/launch bay based on Enceladus, a moon of Saturn. It has Space Marines trying to invade the layout which these days is populated by a Steampunk Platoon.
Gouttierès
College Halt
Priorsfield - OO Gauge (right) Station & Engine Shed - A two platform station with run-rounds for locomotive release. The workshop at the front of the board is a left-over from a much earlier time and still employs overhead line shafting to drive the machine tools. Barn & Cattle and Loading Docks - These facilities are common for branch stations and can handle almost any type of goods traffic. The barn is squeezed by a siding and must have represented a significant fire risk in steam days. Goods Shed, Level Crossing, Signal Box & Mill The crossing is of a less familiar layout with the gates swinging to an unusual position. The private siding to the Mill provides additional traffic. Locks & Viaduct - The single-line viaduct across the river valley crosses both the river and canal with two locks arranged as a staircase linking the two.
Pity Me - N Gauge
Brixham Bay - N Gauge
Elsware - OO9

Nearest Railway Stations:
Buxted [2.6 miles]
Crowborough [3.49 miles]
Uckfield [4.52 miles]
Eridge [6.47 miles]

MAP

DELTIC RAILTOUR -- HARROGATE AND HUMBER RAILTOUR -- 3rd AUGUST 2019

This excursion was originally due to run on 11 May was re-dated to 3 August as D9009 Alycidon was undergoing repairs and was not going to be available on 11 May. However, although we had been led to believe by the Deltic Preservation Society (DPS) that D9009 ‘Alycidon’ would be repaired in time to haul to our train on Saturday, 3 August, we learnt (in late April) from them that this will not be the case and therefore we are cancelling the excursion on this date. It is hoped that The Harrogate & Humber Deltic Reprise will now eventually run in 2020.

For two decades the 3300hp 100mph Deltic diesels were the mainstay of the fastest and heaviest trains on the routes from London Kings Cross to York and Leeds, taking in Harrogate and Cleethorpes amongst other places. Our train travels over a variety of those routes, and some where the appearance of a Deltic would have turned heads.

D9009 Alycidon heads the train from the start, via Derby and Sheffield to York, then via Harrogate, Leeds and on to Doncaster. Then it is main line to ‘The Cross’ (Kings Cross), for an afternoon break of about 2 hours, before the return north. At Newark we turn east to Cleethorpes, for a short stop. A Class 68 will then haul the train to a reversal at Ulceby, with D9009 resuming command for the return journey through Doncaster and Sheffield to Derby and Willington.

Named at Doncaster Works on July 21st 1961 before introduction to traffic, D9009 maintained the ‘racehorse’ tradition of the LNER by commemorating the winner of the 1949 Ascot Gold Cup. Based at Finsbury Park in North London, Alycidon was one of eight ‘racehorse’ Deltics stabled there. In May 1981, she moved to York after the closure of Finsbury Park and was one of four Deltics prepared to work a series of farewell railtours during their final six months of operation. Her final outing in BR service was on January 2nd 1982 as standby locomotive for the ‘Deltic Scotsman Farewell’.

Joining Stations	Depart	Return
Willington	0610	2300
Derby	0625	2245
Chesterfield	0650	2220
Sheffield	0710	2200
Doncaster	0735	2130
York	0810	---
Leeds	0930	---
Doncaster*	1010	---
Cleethorpes	---	1945