A magnificent shot of a ‘Castle’ class HST set winding its way from Canton’s Brickyard Sidings to Cardiff Central on a late February 2020 Cardiff-Taunton run.
The foreshortening created by the telephoto lens adds considerable drama, highlighting the mass of point-work and the tangle of overhead electrics.
Photograph courtesy of Phil Lindsey and used with permission.
Comment
It is, perhaps, inevitable that concerns about the current coronavirus outbreak have been aired within the club and a number of members have asked what arrangements the club is making to safeguard its membership.
As all will be aware, the situation changes on a day-by-day basis but, for the time being, the club’s stance is as follows:
we are aware that the current situation is causing understandable anxiety and the club will follow all advice re. unnecessary gatherings as it is updated nationally. This will be issued to all members by e-mail / letter.
common sense should prevail also. If you feel unwell or develop flu-like symptoms, do not attend and stay at home if you are able.
if you are unfortunate enough to have to be tested for the virus, do not visit the club, or circulate more widely, until you have been given an ‘all clear’. This might sound obvious, unfortunately this common-sense approach has not been followed in at least one UK case however.
and please, please, follow all advice with regard to washing your hands!
Further information / advice will follow as it is issued.
Some more stock sale news
The very recent sale of donated die-cast models, and the sale of Jim Law’s N gauge collection, benefitted the club substantially, with nearly £3000 being raised for our funds. Some of this will help fund the transformation of the club’s library [with a furniture upgrade in hand] and also cover a lot of the recent decorating work undertaken at the ‘Box’ end of the club. Thank you all who bought at these events.
A really big ‘thank you’ to Jim Law also, who very generously donated a third of the proceeds of his N gauge sale to the club.
We have a further sale in the pipeline too: a general railway stock sale is scheduled for Thursday March the 26th. All of the stock for this sale has now been tested and it is going to be an absolute corker! Included in the sale are:
Rakes of boxed, unused Hornby GWR and BR Hawksworth, ‘blood-and-custard’ Maunsell and Bachmann GWR Collett coaches
Rakes of Triang-Hornby maroon Mk One coaches, and Hornby ‘Railroad’-type Gresley Teaks and Pullmans
50+ boxed and virtually unused freight wagons of various types [open trucks and closed vans]
25+ boxed and almost unused [mostly DCC fitted] Hornby and Bachmann locomotives, including at least one Hall, County, Grange, Castle, Earl and a Star
A mixed bag of boxed and running other locomotives, including an LMS Royal Scot, an LMS Jubilee, a GWR County, a couple of Castles [one Wrenn], a GWR Mogul and two LNER tender locos.
……..and a great deal more besides. There may also be some N gauge late arrivals, too.
The sale will be held in the old chapel [Floor One] and starts at 7.15pm. It is open to both members and non-members and so please feel free to bring friends and acquaintances with you if they are interested. All are welcome.
The 2020 wagon commissions
The 2020 commissions have at last arrived but are selling fast. The David Jones edition is already sold out and the weathered Swansea and District O gauge wagons are now unavailable also. Good stocks remain of all of the non-weathered Swansea and District wagons however, although 80 have already been reserved across the gauges. So don’t delay as our commissions always sell out. Purchase of our own commissions should include cash with orders and they will be available from the date of the 2020 show. Last month’s newsletters gave details for purchasing: if in doubt, speak to Noel Blows.
The photos below give a taster of what has been produced:
The David Jones wagon was a collaborative venture with the West Wales Gauge O Guild, the first undertaken for another club. If there is sufficient interest, a further wagon [David Jones No5 Llandyssul] may follow next year. Expressions of interest to Noel Blows please.
The profits from this sale go to SRMG but, as stated, the run is now sold-out.
The club’s 2020 show commission in all three gauges.
Permanent Way Gang
A rare and extremely interesting photograph acquired recently by Ted Hylton, showing a pre-war permanent way gang renewing trackwork. The photographer is unknown and no date or location are given. However, the locomotive at the top right, although out of focus, appears to be an ex-LNWR ‘Cauliflower’ class, which would place this shot somewhere within the LMS area, perhaps near Crewe. Whether this was a publicity shot, or just taken by the photographer for his own interest, is also unknown.
However, the LMS commissioned Stanhope Forbes RA to paint a number of pictures which could be used to publicise the railway, of which the image [1924] below left was just one. Forbes used photographs to help him prepare his commissions as well as sketching on site..
The lookout man [on the right] was one of the photographs Hope used and apart from the shortened coat, it is essentially the same man as in the poster.
The club auditor
A quick note to wish David Williams well and a speedy recovery following his recent knee operation. We hope to see you far more sprightly and hobbling around less frequently from now on!
The AGM
A reminder that the club’s Annual General Meeting will take place on Thursday the 12th. March at 7.15pm. The agenda will be sent out with this newsletter. Please make every effort to attend: the AGM is never a long meeting but it is an important one.
The minutes for last year’s AGM were circulated 12 months ago. For those members receiving the newsletter electronically, they will be re-circulated by e-mail, shortly.
The 2020 modelling competition
A quick reminder that the date for the 2020 competition has been moved back to the 9th. April. Simon Durrer has placed entry forms in the club and remember, cash prizes!!! You have just a month to complete your builds.
Finally, the locking up rota to the end of April
Best wishes all!
Tony
On the 29th. June 1962, Black Five No. 45298 simmers in Swansea Victoria station, the old LNWR terminus, having arrived just after 4pm, and 28 stops later, on the noon train from Shrewsbury.
Photo: Ben Brooksbank [Creative Commons] and used with thanks.