Today was our Annual Modelling Competition which attracted many fine models made by EKOGG members.
After a prolonged and considered viewing session voting slips were handed out and we got down to the serious business of voting for our favourite models.
Once the slips were in and counted it fell to me to announce the winners.
First place in the Locomotive category went to Mike Perry with his carefully researched crane loco complete with photographs of the prototype. This model will operate on Mike’s creosote works layout shunting low wagons into the creosoting cylinders. Because of the nature of the work this loco operated with two sets of buffers (higher and lower) to facilitate shunting of the low wagons.
Other notable models on display were John M’s Midland Spinner, Dave B’s Drury railcar and Paul H’s motor car power unit.
In the Coaches category, Dave B’s Southern Railway 4-wheel coach was voted in first place closely followed by Fred’s two BR (ex LMS) coaches. However, Fred triumphed in the Freight category with his GWR 6-wheel milk tanker. This, Fred explained, was a kit he had bought on E-Bay for £40 and which had proved quite difficult to build with its many tiny components.
The final category in the competition was the Buildings and Scenic section.
This was the most keenly contested of all with only a vote or two separating the top three entries. Dave B’s beautiful model of Easton Station on the Purbeck Line just pipped Tim’s large warehouse and John P’s signal box both of the last two having been built for our new Queen Charlotte Dock layout.
Although not in the competition, both Roger and Fred both displayed items they were working on for Queen Charlotte Dock. Roger’s station building for the upper level was particularly admired as were Fred’s suggested infill’s for the viaduct arches.
John M had also brought along two loco’s he had acquired. One was an ancient Southern Railway tank that we hope to see charging round the circuit at our oldest models meeting on Saturday 18 November and the other an exquisitely built loco acquired from a jeweller who had started building it but never finished it. John hopes to finish the build to the same high standard and we look forward to seeing it when it is done.
We finished off the meeting by discussing the forthcoming exhibitions at Maidstone and Longfield and decided to decline the offer to attend the exhibition at Ashford in April as we will be unable to provide a full operating team on the relevant date. Chris
2023 Modelling Competition Results (23 entries in total):
Locomotive Category:
1st – Mike Perry
(Manning Wardle Crane 0-4-0T)
Coaching stock Category:
1st – Dave Boorman
(Southern Purbeck Railway 4-wheel coach)
Freight stock Category:
1st – Fred Clouter
(6-wheel milk tanker)
Scenics Category:
1st – Dave Boorman
Easton Station
Other models are shown in the Gallery entry for this competition.
Also from the competition: I am handling second hand book sales for the Somerset & Dorset Railway Trust (do ask if you are looking for anything, I have 1,000+ books here!).
I was leafing through Casserley’s book on joint lines, and ran across details of Easton station, Dave B’s winning entry. In fact, Easton is on Portland (not in the Purbecks) and was opened in 1902 as part of the Weymouth and Portland Joint and the Easton and Church Hope Railways. Although run by the GWR and LSWR jointly, only the LSWR operated the trains. Passenger services ceased in 1952.
Thank you, Dave for drawing our attention to this fascinating little railway! Incidentally, the company also owned the
Weymouth Harbour Tramway (never worked by the LSWR). David Gr
