June 8th 2016 – Wednesday at Badlesmere – Ross Shimmon – writing & photos
We are well settled into our new home. It doesn’t take the more able-bodied members to take the Edington Boards from their shelves and onto the trestles. It’s a treat to be able to erect the whole layout and have space to walk around it. The main task was a ‘dress rehearsal’ for the Chatham Show at Gillingham on Sat/Sun 11/12 Jun. Two freight trains were run, plus two passenger trains and a railbus. There were a couple of engineering possessions interrupting proceedings and David W assiduously cleaned tracks in between services. John B took charge of one fiddle yard, while Ross and Roger alternated on the other. John P and Roger took turns on the station section. At times Chris acted as the admiring crowd. While all this was going on Paul and David Ho worked on the new ’roundy-roundy’ boards and trestle. Luckily for our ears they did all this outside.
The following engines were spotted: ex-LSWR O2 & G6 and, inevitably these days, several Terriers. Two did not manage a run: SR Q1 and C. John P continues in his role as club caterer, providing tea and coffee at suitable intervals. However, we do miss the convivial lunches at the round table outside the barn.
June 4th 2016 – Saturday session at Badlesmere – Rob M
As zero hour approached, the diners tumbled out of the Red Lion and Paul’s red car drew up across the green for him to open up for the others. Once inside, trestles were got out, tables found for test tracks and chairs arranged. John P, who’d found a carved throne to sit on (!), installed Edington’s chimneys, despite nobody ever having noticed that the station was chimney less. It took a whole posse of us to check that they were vertical and at the correct height. David 2 quietly fettled the layout’s electrics. Some good old baseboards, to be a test track, with clips to join them were aligned by Roger’s crew; as from outside came the sound of Paul machining ply for the new curves. Rather like picking oakum, a small group checked over old track, removing foam and wires. So when the Hall’s Chairman dropped in we were all busy. With mugs of tea under our belts, we turned to running on Edington, where an Ivatt 2-6-2tank proved reluctant and a 4-4-0 shed its bogie. Meanwhile Terriers began to appear with freight stock and diesels gathered on the back roads.
May 2016 –
Work on the layout was in full swing on Wednesday 11th. Titivating ‘Edington’ were a full complement of three Davids, plus John P, Paul and Chris. They were taking a lunch break when I swanned in, but it was soon “all hands” to lift sections as uncoupling magnets were positioned, foliage improved and detail added. The sections were joined for trials with a couple of locos later in the afternoon as we took a mug of tea and Paul set out curved templates to check for size. Then it was sections stowed into the racks and a sweep of the hall before we left at four. The exhibition layout should be in fine fettle for when it appears at the Chatham (Gillingham) Show. [photo by Ross S.]
Meeting pattern: Please let us known which meeting days and times would best suit you. It looks likely that three meetings a month is our preferred option, but do you want two Saturdays and a Wednesday or vice versa. We could also vary start and finish times a little from those we’ve begun with. Do say, then we can try to adjust to suit most people and establish an easily remembered pattern.
Website: If you have photos or notes about meetings that you wouldn’t mind me mangling to go on the website do send them to me. They also help with pieces for The Guild News.
EKOGG clothing: Should you want to be smart at exhibitions, do then put in an order for a polo or sweat shirt. They cost £17.25 and £18.75 respectively. [Your name can be added to polo shirts for a small additional charge.] Chest sizes in inches: XS 34/36 – S 36/38 – M 38/40 – L 40/42 – XL 42/44 – XXL 44/46 – 3XL 46/48 – 4XL 48/50 – 5XL 50/52 – 6XL 52/54 ] Phone or email me after checking your measurements.
Moving Day: We moved into our new base on Wednesday 4th May. Gloriously sunny and with the path freshly ballasted John P and I were ready when the van came; David G, Chris and Paul having loaded the layout earlier. Jim soon joined us as “Edington” was slotted onto Paul’s racking. John organised a brew-up, then it was off to collect more of our kit, before a well deserved lunch. RM
Saturday April 30th – EKOGG visit to the Thanet Group’s Open Day RM
When I found Kearns Hall by St Thomas’ Church in Birchington, I was greeted with waves from the EKOGG contingent at the stage end of the hall. John P was looking after the coal yard’s shunting, John B was managing the Guild Stand (while Roger nipped out to grab some sandwiches), Chris was at the quadruple test track, with Jim and Colin S keeping an eye on Geoff’s diorama and sales stall. Trains circled: third and coarse rail on the high level with fine scale below. The two pairs of lines are stepped from the front, the lower level piercing the upper so that all are visible. British models and SNCF were on the lower, but the upper had various USA models: Cab-forward on a long freight, SF War Bonnets, a PRR electric, with a ‘propeller powered’ 1930’s DRG railcar making an appearance. Coffee and tea were plentifully available as we chatted. At the end we watched with interest as four people swiftly dismantled the tracks. (Having such deep sides, what with the two levels sharing each section must make for a stiff box girder.) A pleasant ‘get together’ running session, but a little disappointing that so few had heard of it.
Saturday April 16th 2016 – Final full meeting at the Barn
Although it was intended to keep running sessions going until early summer, events are pushing on. Paul has approved the shelving in our new Badlesmere venue so we intend to move in during the next fortnight, and our old tracks were dismantled. Now members are deciding what form a new test circuit will take; most likely universal peco track. In the midst of this we have to erect and test our exhibition layout, ready for shows in the next month. It was all a bit sad moving out of the Barn, but we looked to the future over mugs of tea. [New storage photo by Paul W. More photos in the gallery.]
Saturday April 9th 2016 – Faversham meeting
We were lucky to be privy to a new venture at the Tenterden Railway Museum when Bob Clifford visited us. He shewed us prototypes for several information displays. These started with slide showing “Goods Lading Bills” with him pointing out details of cargo and routes, before moving on to “Tickets” and finally “Colonel Stephens’ Rail Motors”. Members raised points as we went along, then commented on the suitability of the presentations for a general audience. We thanked Bob for this insight into the wealth of information held there, which we hope to see more of. The meeting continued, after refreshments, with discussion on the move to Badlesmere and films provide by David G.
Saturday 19 March – At the barn. Roger H
The group split itself into mix-and-match groups. Some helped Roger finish the final packing of the sales items into a neat pile while others finished separating the Nailbourne timbers and boards into stacks of re-usable bits and rubbish. Then all the “useful” stuff that we had stored under Cavedale was attacked. All of the scenic material, previously kept in little boxes here and there, was gathered into one large (but still liftable!) box; similarly, the electrical bits. While this was going on others attacked Cavedale itself saving what track, accessories and electrical stuff could be saved, binning the rest. With all the timber neatly stacked we became aware of just how big our barn space is! During all this activity our true purpose was not forgotten and Maurice and Roger both ran trains and Chris kept the kettles (no, not another train….) coming to keep us in tea and coffee.
March 12th – Faversham Town meeting
John Plumpton gave an enjoyable and informative talk on ‘Cardboard Building Construction’ before leading the resulting discussions. Fourteen of us were at this town meeting, several having lunched at The Vaults beforehand. John showed us various examples of building techniques as well as some finished examples. He’d asked members about the models they’d brought along, so we heard about others’ methods too. After tea, and chance to see what was on Roger’s ‘Bring & Buy’, we caught up on the search for a layout home. Badlesmere should be our new base after installing racks for the layout. We may change the pattern of meetings to have two Wednesday and one Saturday session a month, making it easier to cope with family commitments. Watch this space for dates and details.
March 5th – Layout meeting
Running on the circuits will continue while we sort through the all the useful things we have accumulated, in fact it did with Jim’s saddle tank, a flock of little diesels from Colin and John B’s ballast train. It had been sleeting in North Kent and was decidedly wet around our base. When I squelched in members had removed the buildings from the termini. Luckily Alastair appeared to reconnect the electrics so we were soon huddled around steaming mugs at lunch. Preparing for our move, in a few months, we began to group boxes of gear. We turned to the problem of making workspace so as to be able to make supports or a base for a future project and decided to dismantle Nailbourne, first removing the storage from beneath it. All a bit sad seeing the enjoyment we’d had working on it, and in my case coming up with the design. Hopefully EMUs, steam and diesel trains will emerge from its iconic tunnel in a future incarnation.
February 26th/27th – Tenterden: The Ashford Model Railway Show
Over the weekend ten of us were helping display our exhibition layout; from setting up on Friday, when Chris Nuttall joined to load the van and take it to Tenterden, to packing-up and transporting it back to its base on Sunday. Six operators were in action on Saturday, with David Hopkins managing to get a couple of shots between managing the yard. You can spot John B, David G, Maurice and Roger in control. On Sunday there were four of us. (More photos are in gallery section of the website.)
! The Group is looking for a new venue for its test track.
If you know of anywhere within reach of Faversham do contact us. 30′ by 15′ or there abouts.
