January 2020 -

Newsletter January 2020

2nd May 202213th January 2020 by jean

The Chairman's Dribble

Newsletter January 2020

Well, hello everyone. We are not far away from the new year. Looking back over the past year, I do not think we have any thing to complain about, things have run pretty smoothly and jobs at the track have been completed in plenty of time, so let’s hope the same happens in the coming new year and we can make 2020 a good year. So, I hope everyone had a good Christmas. I wish you all a very Happy New year.

Dave M.

The Secretary's Report

2020! Where has the last 20 years gone?

Well first of all, I do not have a lot to report. Halloween run, even on two days, we could not make it happen because of the weather. No one wants to go to Alexander Palace, so this is off, from BDSME’s point of view. We have the dinner on the 12th to look forward to, otherwise it is pretty quite.

We have the crossing to complete and a couple of things to do on the pond and BDSME site will have been transformed into, what I hope you will all consider to be a Model Railway and Traction Engine site that you are proud to represent. February will be the start of the fifth year of the “vision”, so hope to see you all doing “ Your thing or things” in the future .
I hope you all had a super Christmas and I wish you all the very best in 2020.
Let us all go forward and make our track a site which people will come and say “ Wow” that is some railway track.

The Boating Pond

This project is nearly finished; you can see in the bottom picture why the wire netting was put round the pond, this really has stopped most of the leaves from ending up in the water. We have fitted two gates at the bottom end, these just need to be finished and painted with the posts being creosoted and this then should be a pleasure to sail or steam your boats on in the future.

Newsletter Sept 2019

2nd May 202212th January 2020 by jean

The Chairman's Dribble.

Hello everyone to the September 2019 Mardle. Well this has been a busy year with many things going on. There has been improvements to the track, much work being carried out by our members on Monday’s and Wednesday’s and our resident gardener Geoff B giving us some nice plants to look at , as we ride round.

November the 6th is the AGM of the BDSME, so this is when election officers and committee members takes place, so if you want to take on any of these posts, please come to the meeting and put your name forward. We will be pleased to see you.

The nights are drawing in, don’t forget we have our Halloween run on the 26th October, and you never know what will turn up on the day.

Well , that’s all I have for this Mardle, see you all soon, Dave M. Chairman.

The Secretary's Report.

Another BDSME year nearly at an end, time really does seem to fly these days, The AGM in November. Subs are due at the AGM please.

We have Saturday October 26th our Halloween run to come, I think this will be a fish & chip supper, so we can all have some fun running into the dark.

There is the Midlands Model Engineering show at Fosse Way to come, 17th to the 20th October 2019. Still a couple of seats available.

We are still working at the track, Monday’s Wednesday’s and play on Saturday’s so if you feel like helping please come done, or if you just want to talk, we are there. We will be doing the crossing after the Halloween run, so during that time the track will be closed for all the way round , so if you need to run it will have to be forward and then back, or back and then forward.

Just a bit of light banter

Scientists at Farnborough built a gun , specifically to launch dead chickens at the wind-shields of airliners travelling at maximum speed.
The idea was to simulate “bird strikes” where birds hit the aircraft at speed, to test the strength of the windshields.
British Railway engineers heard about this “GUN” and were eager to test it on the wind-shields of their new high speed trains, which were also susceptible to “ bird strikes”.
Arrangement’s were made, and a gun was sent to British Rail Engineers. When the gun was fired the chicken shot out of the barrel, it smashed the shatterproof windshield, blast-ed through the control console, snapped the engineer’s back-rest in two. Horrified, they sent Farnborough the results of the experiment and begged their scientists for sugges-tions. Farnborough responded by suggesting that they should try again, BUT, this time the chicken should be defrosted first……………
My Boss yelled at me the other day,” You’ve got to be the worst train driver in history. How many trains did you derail last year. I said” Can’t say for sure it’s so hard to keep track…….
Got a couple of railway buffers going cheap. It was an end of line sale…………
Went to a Railway fancy dress party, everyone was wearing platforms………….
Enough.

Field Report

The track is in pretty fine fettle; the new 7 1/4” pits have proved their worth during the Weeting Rally. So too is the new improved Engine lift that is an absolute triumph. Well done guys, a super job.

We have added a new signal box thanks to Norman H. Following a red light problem, we have added a sounder so it is now safe and after leaving the station you are warned that the light on the gantry could by red by a sounder fitted to the signal box. Thanks Mick H and Paul B and Geoff E.

The pond just has to have the seasonal wire netting put around it and this should make sure we do not end up with tons of leaves in the pond when the trees decide to drop their leaves; this is on going.

The crossing is being decided on and at present we are looking at various ways of making the crossing safe for loco-motives to drive over whilst making sure that if any thing needs to cross the rails, they will not move. As soon as we have had the “Halloween Run” in October we will be on with this.

The “Ladies Lounge” is complete and is there as a quite place to sit or just have a chat; again time will tell what this becomes, but at present it is a quite place for the boiler testers to complete the numerous forms that need their concentration on after a boiler test.

Paul B and Mike H are rewiring the tea room and fitting LED tubes, so watch this space, you soon will not recognise the place.

Geoff B continues to tend the flowers and these this year have been wonderful. Well done Geoff.

The grass is regularly cut and all in all the whole place has become a “ place to behold” well done to the loyal work force, we still continue to work Mondays, Wednesday and play Saturdays so if you are at a loose end any one of these day, there is tea and sometimes food. So, perhaps, we will see you soon.

Below are some pictures of the lean-to storage shed. It will be the same length as the container with double doors.

This project has come a long way in four years. Well done everyone! What an achievement!

From this...

…To this

Family Running Day September 7th 2019

11th April 202212th January 2020 by jean

Saturdays Family Running Day on September 7th was well attended and there was some interesting boats on the water and equally a nice range of Locomotives, with several Traction Engines. “Little Barford” was running too! Everything went well – the Marque was up in “The shake of a lambs tail”, the BBQ was absolutely “Stonking” with some very tasty burgers; sausages; bacon and onions – thank you all for a wonderful donation to the food.

This was our 25th Anniversary of the inauguration of the track at Weeting and it went well. Thank you also for the super, super cakes, I had one slice of the chocolate cake and went back for another and there was none left, so that was testament to either every one was staving or it was all very nice. We even had music, and a raffle, thanks to two of our charming ladies who charmed the money from you, all orange tickets and lots of prizes so again thank you, thank you, thank you.

Mike and Janet T – very nice Traction Engine.

Ralph R “Marham Monster” and train with Geoff B.

Ralph R making some waves.

Norman H “Edward Thomas” in steam with Andy G “Skylark”.

Geoff B with his Brother’s 08. Is there no limit to this man’s talent?

“Perhaps it needs more GARLIC?”

Just look at the spread! The food was great. Thanks Mike S.

Father and Son having a great time stirring up water. What a difference.

The Weeting Rally 2019

11th April 202212th January 2020 by jean

The Weeting Rally 2019. Wow! what can one say? We had been talking about it for several months and then bang and it was there, done! Everything was ready for Weeting; the week before was hectic getting the Marquees up for the Models, getting the posts in and the bunting up; would we get it done for Friday, yes of course. The field started to fill up by Thursday with several members arriving and setting up their tents, mobile homes, caravans and by Thursday night the field was full and everything was ready, most of the models in and the alarm system all wired up, ready to wake the dead if someone thought this would be easy to steal.

In the catalogue it shows 122 models, with names and I am sure there was many more, be-cause the forms had to be in by April, and I am sure I heard there was about 70 traction engines. 19 of which were in the 6” scale, half size, wow again.

Friday we were all ready for the children to start early, as normal, but it was somewhat slow this year, there was not the usual numbers, but we were able to keep the queues very short with the engines preforming immaculately, Dave M new Hunslet Loco 4” scale this could pull a few trucks and passengers, Andy G “Sweet William “Skylark” did not faulter this was 7 1/4” scale, and Rob E 7 1/4” O&K Feldbahn “EIGIAU” engine, also we had Nor-man A, Battery “Warship” went round effortless, well done to them all for keeping the pas-sengers happy and this showed in their thanks’ and kind words.

Saturday very much the same but very much busier, the queues longer but the trains had many more passengers and this day was a good day even though the weather forecaster’s rather ban jacked the day with their, it is likely to Rain when it didn’t. We had the normal tea party at 5o’clock and the ladies and gents all did a very fine job, and it again bought everyone together for a good old chinwag. Well done Ladies and Gents.

Sunday, was I think probably a record in the number of rides given, this was deemed by the forecasters the best day so more people arrived and more rides given. Another engine running I think on Sunday was Sam H 7 1/4”scale narrow gauge “Jessie” model. Well done.

Our food for the weekend was provided by “Starling Enterprises” the chef ran a couple of BBQs and food was available for the workers on the station and many drivers had to learn to multi task.

So, a very big thank you to all the people, both ladies and gents who did all the work in making The Weeting Rally, the 51st Rally to be remembered . Thank you ALL very much.

Thank you also to the members who helped take the ring down, and put every thing away ready for the next time, The weather was kind, the passenger’s great, the food super. The tea and coffee always on tap, the members memorable, the engines faultless, so follow that.

Some pictures from the rally showing the diversity of our modellers.