Chairman’s Chatter

Congratulations to the winners of the various trophies presented at this year’s dinner. We do have a huge variety of skills available in the club and I know we are all willing to share them when we can.

 I was sorry to receive Peter Bidgood’s resignation from the club. Another good modeller who has built a super layout at home which I hope he will continue to enjoy.

 00 Gauge Matters

General running evenings

Detection of track shorts etc.

Work has been completed on the track sections to ensure that, in case of occasional shorts, the other tracks in the scenic and fiddle yard would continue to be “alive”.

Scenic work

Work is underway to modify the parts of area of the foundry. This includes some modifications including:

·    No additional length to be added to the sidings, but the green area beyond the foundry platform would be ‘industrialised’

·    A narrower replacement reclaim platform to be built between the headshunt and the middle siding (involving the removal of the heap of refuse) and freeing up more space for the laying out area.

·    The middle siding takes the Sturgeon wagon (full of returned chaired sleepers) that feed the reclaim gang, a facility was not included before.

·    The reclaim team fills medfit wagons or 5 plank wagons up with scrap chairs, which are then shunted to the middle siding for storage until called to the foundry (more shunting). It is appreciated that the headshunt will not be useable to its full length, but there would normally not be a need for more than the shunter plus 3 or 4 wagons (as per now).

·    The building of the pattern shop, and its placement on the Totton end of the foundry platform will entail scrapping the stacks of new build chairs etc. and re-building them on the rough ground where the visiting management team/ rows of drums are currently sitting.

·    Before any of the above, the board gaps will be fixed, and groundwork include blending texture/ colour of all the currently mismatching areas on Board DO (e.g., reclaim platform/laying out area/disparate lumps of land between the sidings and the main line will be completed. 

Shunting the yard may consist of the following (plus anything else around):

· Full & empty scrap chair wagons to and from the reclaim platform/middle storage siding/ foundry siding, plus any incoming wagons of scrap (as per prototype photos).

· Coke/Ash/Lime supplies into & out of the foundry siding (to & from the trip train).

·  Some limited shunting of new sleepers into & out of the small siding backing onto the timber store

· Movement of full/ empty scrap sleepers to/from the trip train (5-plankers, Lings, Tunny wagons, etc)

· Full & empty wagons of sleepers to & from the quay to the boring/adzing machine shed (5-plankers, Lings, Tunny wagons, etc.)

· Supply of new rail on the “Salmon”, to the Machine Shop (& swapping with an empty?)

· Odd swap of fuel/ creosote wagons between the pressure vessel building and the trip train (tankers)

· Moving/parking future engineers train (including the salmon wagon with cranes on.)

· There will be no need to move any coupling/ uncoupling magnets.

Appearance at Fareham 5/6^th.October

Final confirmation has been received for Redbridge to participate at the October Model Railway Exhibition.

EM gauge matters

 Checking of stock etc is the priority before the layout goes to Horsham in April.

0 Gauge matters

Having connected up the fiddle yard we are tracing a wiring problem that should be fixed soon. Running in both modes will then take place.

Other Business.

The final arrangements are being made for our lunch in Swanage and will be sent to the 21 who are going.