These are notes originally issued to members after each meeting (edited for public view), both as a record of activities; an update for those members who couldn’t make it and planning what we want to do next time.
Friday 4th October & Workday Sunday 6th October
Nick and David P sent apologies
Otherwise 10 present including unexpectedly John who had to keep checking the signal to see he was still contactable by his wife for a race to QA
Friedrichstrasse
John and I marked out layout of viaduct position and location of bridges onto the ply top
Bob worked on electrics for fiddle yard
Workday-Sunday
Hall was opened up half hour early at 09-30 and we left at 3-30
David C, David P, Bob, Nick, Chris, Ben and your scribe present. Sorry Matt didn’t make his pop in.
Worked well with car wash arrangements –they sold us cakes and several car washes including my car which now reveals it’s silver not Verdi-green!
Y-O
David P and Nick worked on sorting out track problems mainly behind scenes –one more point to be changed before trip to Wycrail
Warehouse District
Bob fitted Peco point motors to replace previously removed servo system
I will wire up in coming week!
F/Strasse
Good detailed discussion on various layout/ treatment issues.
Position of several bridges altered to ease tramway radii. Tramway route marked on. We will have several dummy junctions to give illusion of part of much larger system.
On the main line and S- Bahn, there will be no points on the viaduct section- all will be on fiddle yard
Some discussion on road layout- tramway bridge will be modelled as “under construction”. Tram stops identified
Bob showed one fiddle yard points control board (there will be two) which will be let into baseboard top.
Other
David C brought along several parts of his layout to show us- thanks David
Thanks to David P and Bob for making tea/coffee at various times
Open Day
Ben brought those who weren’t there on Friday up to speed on food offer for members.
There was discussion on hall layout for Open Day.
Entrance table will be at 90 degrees to front door with second-hand table wrapped round
Hawkhurst will be in centre of hall with station end facing entrance.
F/Strasse will be displayed in committee room with display board explaining concept-Doors will be fully opened
Y-O at rear. RH side will be from entrance Matt’s WW1, Fire Exit , David C layout, Warehouse, French HO layout
And on LH side Ben’s German N layout in front of nursery cloakroom, Kitchen Hatch, door to committee room then Nicks Japanese Branch line terminus
I will draw up layout based on this.
Thank you to all for making workday a very enjoyable day.
Next Friday (11th October)
Bob will be on hols; John will hopefully be a father= best wishes from us all. Chris will be absent
Work on F/ Strasse – fully position point templates on side fiddle yards
Discussions on design of first two viaduct boxes
General
Please check your PA tested items to see whether you have any items that aren’t yours, but have ended up in your box, bag, whatever. I have already found a glue gun that is Matts.
Bob is missing an A/C plug in transformer associated with Warehouse .
Friday 11th October
Apologies from Chris. Bob. Nick and John(assumed- no news received)
(9 present)
Friedrichstrasse
“Front boards” erected-mainly discussion around overall canopies kits obtained from Winco at good price against that quoted by Gaugemaster. More to be ordered
There was talk post meeting about a workday on the layout- dates please
David P brought along remaining samples of Electric Avenue tram track
Midhurst exhibition on 5th January 2014?
Discussion re latest info obtained from Mike Boyce about possible last exhibition in the Grange as new centre not completing until mid-February.
Mike has contacted Matt, Andrew and Eric re this.
We have agreed to send two small layouts to exhibition IF it comes off.
Matt’s WW1 S scale on 9mm track and Warehouse District as they only require one car each.
Matt will confirm to Mike.
(The Grange website when looked at Sunday had partially crashed)
General
Draft of Open Day programme shown
Just for the record, because you might not have noticed, we have 14* who receive this missive –the latest being Tony G- welcome.
(* I’m saying receive it- I wouldn’t wish to hazard a guess on readership!)
Next Friday (18th)
Ben will be absent, but there is to be no slacking on F-Strasse!
Bob on hols
General discussion on Open Day arrangements
Forthcoming
Hall Trustees AGM on Thursday 24th October
Friday 18th October
Lowish attendance -9 but arrival spread through the evening, so more social than work orientated. Apologies from Ben and David P- he had “man flu”
News received via Tony G that John now has a baby daughter – but no further info.
Nick had an unexpected business trip to Germany- near Stuttgart during the week and had lots of railway pictures to show.
I returned catalogues to Tony G
Matt showed rather nifty kit of a London General Omnibus double decker as fitted out for work at the front
The 2013 PAT record sheets are in the cupboard
Wycrail (2nd November)
Discussion
It looks like we will have 5 in the team. Nick, Bob, David C, myself and a friend of Nick who has agreed to pitch in for his first exhibition. (He will come along to the Open Day to get introduced)
David C will be travelling with me. Timings to be confirmed
Nick has subsequent to our conversations advised the organisers of our earlier timings of arrival. He has also ascertained that we are located a few yards or so from the unloading point with no steps!.
Bob and my car will be loaded during the meeting on Friday 1st November
The delivery “team” drivers Bob, Nick and myself will meet up at a nearby MacDonald’s (by junction 4 of the M40) at approx. 7-30 and then go in convoy to the venue.
When we pack up, the layout sections will go in Bob and my car-stock in Nicks.
Bob and I cannot return layout to cupboard on Saturday evening due to the local Firework display, so we will leave layout sections in our cars overnight. We will then meet up on Sunday morning(time to be agreed) to off load and put away in cupboard.
Midhurst- January 5th 2014-Update
Matt has advised organisers re two members layouts and he will circulate forms. Andrew confirmed that he and Eric won’t be taking a layout.
Mike Boyce has indicated that they would cooperate on anything special for the club’s 50th birthday at the show.
Next Friday (25th October)
Things to do
Price up items for S/H table- if you have any items for sale by the club on a commission basis please bring them along on Friday so that they can be logged and priced- please don’t leave it until Sunday!
Run through timings and arrangements for Sunday.
I shall pick up the keys at 07-30 or just before and open up the hall. Any are welcome from then on! We have to be out by 5pm. The public opening hours are 10-30 until 3-30pm. I shall have a sketch of the hall layout for fine tuning
If members are wanting to bring along small items on Friday (to reduce the amount they want to bring on Sunday) for use at the exhibition , they can be locked in the cupboard from Friday to Sunday
Nick may not be present
Other items/ reminders
Hall AGM Thursday 24th
Friday cheque signing for PAT work. Station kits
Set date for AGM (only about 9 weeks)
Arrange date for committee meeting
Friday 25th October
Nearly full house 12 present- John B returned- somewhat bleary eyed. Baby daughter called Charlotte- 10 days late and just over 9lbs
Bob back after Italian trip – by road!
Friedrichstrasse
All had a more detailed look at overall canopy kit. Also Faller details of brick or steel viaduct kits which would suit our requirements
Other
John B brought along his “freelance” Portsmouth Belle electric set in overall blue, constructed of Pullman cars with electric emu cabs- looked good
Matt brought along models from his WW1 layout including General bus- now with wheels and a couple of armoured Simplex units which used a Kato tram chassis as power source
Matt mentioned contact from Haslemere Educational Museum regarding possible diorama of Liphook station. To be followed up to ascertain more info.
I reported on Japanese Railway lecture at Japanese Society meeting at Petersfield on Thursday evening. Ben reported on hall trustees AGM meeting on same evening.
Open Day-Sunday 27th October
General run through on arrangements.
I had checked hall dimensions prior to meeting and after laying out all items looks quite tight in a couple of places. Might need “tweeking” on the day
Ben ran through food offer for members and public and numbers confirmed. Bread is being picked up from community shop on Sunday morning (Post meeting note- shop opens at 9am on Sunday)
Hall will be open at 7-30am, Open to general public at 10-30 We close at 3-30 to public and need to be out of hall by 5pm
John will be bringing his H0 layout
Work will be under way on Warehouse District during show. (not again!)
Post meeting note- car parking-after off-loading, park behind bollards to leave maximum room in car park for visitors.
Forthcoming activities
Next meeting (1st November)
Loading up Y-O for trip to Wycrail on Saturday 2nd November
Review of Open Day
Wycrail (2nd November)
Timings to be confirmed
3rd November (Sunday)
Off load Y-O into store cupboard (time to be confirmed)
Sunday 27th October (Open Day)
Many thanks to you all for giving up your valuable Sunday for our annual open day- as usual I thought it was a very enjoyable day playing and talking trains and I’m pretty sure you feel the same!.
Particular thanks to the ladies in the kitchen, Sharon and family and Pip for keeping us and our visitors well fed during the day; to all the contributions of biscuit and cakes from wives and not forgetting Jan and Andy on the door.
Well done to David C for successfully exhibiting for the first time and to John B for making it to the show with his layout.
Initial figures indicate we covered costs and made a small profit, helped mainly by the catering and second-hand table. Full figures at the next meeting.
“Bad” news is that numbers were down, probably due to the long, very heavy rainstorm directly after lunch, as we were busy up to lunchtime.
We will have two potential new members visiting us next Friday, one as a direct result of the show and one who was to attend the Building a Model Railway Course.
Also on Friday I shall be booking two extra hours in the committee room, commencing 5-30, for work on Y-O.- mainly on installing a replacement for a mechanical failure on one point and some tweeking of the wiring. David and Nicks colleague, had a pretty torrid time keeping Y-O running- well done, but Y-O is starting to show its age. We need an agreed level of expenditure to ensure we can keep it exhibitable until F/Strasse comes fully “on line” in 2015