Chairman's Chatter Home

August 08

In the last 3 months we have been to Twyford Waterworks where the weather could have been kinder. However some useful modeling and PR was achieved. Thanks to those who sat for several hours in a cold and windy tent representing the club.

OO gauge Matters 

Rich has re-engineered the contacts on the point motors at the 'front' of the layout so that the feathers on his signals respond correctly to the road as set (when they are not at 'danger' of course).

Peter's Great Bridge is progressing through the application of 'blue' brickwork to the main structure and the new buttresses.

Track-work repairs have restored full running capability but there has been a worrying discovery that another Peco point has suffered an electrical failure in its internal (factory) electrical connections that look after the electrical integrity of the frog assembly. This possible trend will be addressed during the planned re-wiring later this year.

EM gauge Matters 

The baseboards for the new exhibition layout have been covered with cork underlay, and Mick has built the points. Work is about to start on laying track and arranging for the points to be motorised.

O gauge Matters 

The new “enigma” (the logic box that converts lever pulls into train movement), has now received its levers and the mechanical interlocking has been completed. Work now starts to dismantle the Itchen Bottom baseboards and rewire them to the umbilical cords that have been prepared in advance. Frank asks that those who have received his “epistle”, please check it and report obvious errors to him soon so that he can produce the finished version.

Other Business 

Believe it or not, Christmas is getting closer. We need a volunteer to host the party and as you will see I have suggested a date in the diary. The date can be changed to suit the host, the priority being a venue please. 

Next year we celebrate our 50^th anniversary as a club. The actual date is 15^th July. Suggestions to date for a celebration include holding a Dinner at a suitable local hotel instead of the Summer Party and for members to visit a preserved railway as we have done before. In view of our special connection with Loughborough and the Great Central, a day out there is favourite. However, please give all these suggestions some thought as we need to plan ahead and make a decision at the AGM in October.