From the 1930s, a magnificent railway poster painted by Charles Pears ROI. Pears was a hugely successful and collected painter and illustrator and a prolific poster artist for the railway companies. He was also an official war artist in both World Wars.

COMMENT

With the club slowly getting back to normal and members attending on Sunday evenings, Wednesdays and Thursdays, it feels time to reach out to those of you who have yet to make a final decision about when to come back. We’d love to see you all again, particularly those who have been involved in building those layouts which have lain fallow and dusty for over a year now. As long as there is no return to ‘lock-down’ conditions, it is no longer necessary to book a day or time to attend. Currently, Wednesdays are [pleasantly] quiet, so why not pitch up to see what’s going on?

And to try to reinvigorate things, we are planning a Christmas modelling competition, an end-of-year dinner, beginning to think about our next wagon commission, a stock sale in October and lots more besides: read on……

THOSE NEW ROOMS ON THE FIRST FLOOR

Quite a few of you will now have seen the suite of rooms that the club has taken over on the first floor. The redecoration is now nearly complete, with just some small remedial work still required. Whilst Nick Kerslake was commissioned to undertake most of the work – and to a high standard, too – special thanks must go to members Mal Rowe and John Allnutt for their work installing new lighting and electrical sockets. Once all work has been completed, the clock tower room will be emptied of its stock and the contents transferred to the new secure store room. The recently donated layout [temporarily called ‘Pennard Halt’] will also be re-erected in the largest of the three rooms, although that operation is unlikely to commence for 4-6 weeks or so whilst electrical work and re-erection of ‘Box’ takes place. Then, it’s all go!

STOCK SALE

This has been mentioned a couple of times recently and I can now advise that it is scheduled to take place on Saturday the 16th. October 2021. The start time will be notified in due course, but it’s likely to be 10am and the venue will probably be the first floor chapel room, as before.

The sale involves the usual eclectic mix of stock and materials, all priced to sell, and for once includes an interesting lot of N gauge equipment alongside lots of materials for building layouts. Track is always a popular item also and the sale includes some huge low-price boxes of used track, a sort-of lucky dip that, and much of the contents perfectly usable. There’s a full dealer’s box of unused Peco flexible track as well. Try buying one of those right now!

And for those few who are interested in more-collectable items, a pair of Hornby-Dublo / Wrenn Castles, both realistically priced. Anybody want a complete Triang-Hornby Grand Suspension Bridge? We’ve got one of those, too [and it’s cheap!]. Finally, lots of OO boxed road vehicles at tooth-fairy prices!

Be there, or you’ll kick yourselves……

SECURITY

This has become a bit of a bone of contention and through no great fault of our own either. However, please – please – ensure that when you enter the building, you always lock the inner downstairs door [the one closest to FOYD’s signing-in desk] after you. If other building users ask you to leave it open, please politely refuse. There have been recent problems with unauthorised individuals entering the building but a number of other user groups involve vulnerable young people and adults and their continued occupation requires this level of vigilance.

It was alleged that we were the main culprits for this poor level of security although I know from two recent instances that members of one of the groups complaining about this were responsible themselves. The only way to deal with this is to have an absolute rule. If any member does not have a front door key, please see Ted Hylton as soon as you are able. Thanks all.

And in a similar vein, could I please ask that all who attend SRMG, on whatever floor, make a point of signing in and out [with times] in our book every time they visit. Many currently do not. We are arranging for the signing-in book to be transferred to the ground floor entrance to make this more convenient. This 30 second task is extremely important for the fire marshals to know who is in the building in case of emergency. It also helps us to monitor attendance. Thanks all, again.

OUR NEXT WAGON COMMISSION

Once again, Noel Blows has asked me to offer an opportunity for the membership to suggest examples for our next wagon commission. One or two have already been proposed but there’s still time for further offers. Remember though, the commission needs to be a Swansea-area coal trader / coal mine example and, preferably, one which comes with a note as to where an illustration may be found. Please e-mail your suggestions to Noel or myself.

To encourage you all, the successful candidate will receive a free model of their suggestion in either OO or N gauges.

YOUR MODELING EXPLOITS

Once again, members have been busy and I’m delighted to be able to showcase their work.

First, from Ian Stevenson, some photographs of his latest builds. Shown opposite is his 009 loco ‘Emily’, based on an 0-4-0 chassis, modified to become an 0-4-2 chassis with a scratch-built trailing pony truck.

And below, a Cornish trawler unloading fresh mackerel at his N gauge layout, ‘Ludgvan Quay’. The trawler is, believe it or not, a card kit from Scalescenes.

And from Gwion Davies, some unusual and rarely modelled GWR wagons, all 3-D printed by himself in resin. Impressive stuff, too. In the picture below, on the left, a linoleum wagon, one of only two built by the GWR. The rounded ends are to support tarpaulins. In the centre, an ‘Aero’ air-screw wagon. On the right, a ‘Totem A’ heavy plate / castings wagon [these ancient heavy wagons ran on repurposed Victorian coach bogies]. The quality of the printing on the ‘Aero’ in particular is very fine.

Next, with an article on our website showing you exactly how to construct it, an unusual GWR four wheel, four compartment centre Brake Third coach to Diagram T20.

Constructed by slicing and splicing three scrap Ratio coaches, it is shown against club layout ‘Downton Road’.

Ten of these were built in 1882 and this one, the last in service, soldiered on until 1935.

The full write up can be found here.

Finally, from Simon Durrer, more radio-controlled nonsense! His huge Sherman tank, to be part of a 1/16th. scale railway diorama. As this one has not been fitted with the 18pdr. ‘Firefly’ gun, I guess it wouldn’t have lasted long in action!

If any of you have models you’d like to see showcased in the newsletter, just e-mail me your photographs with a brief description.

A CHRISTMAS MODELLING COMPETITION

The annual modelling competition was always well supported but the pandemic put paid to it for a couple of years. Simon Durrer is organising one for Christmas however and it’ll be judged on the 16th. December. This time it’s theme based: you’ll have to construct a railway-themed diorama on a canvas board just 12 inches by 10 inches in size. We’ll supply the boards to interested parties.

Simon says ‘…any materials or kits can be used, in any scale, so let your imagination fly!...’. He will sort out details and entry forms, etc. this week [by Wednesday]. If you have any queries, contact him directly at the club or just e-mail him.

THE CLUB CHRISTMAS DO 2021 [OR, MAYBE, EARLY NEW YEAR 2022]

Again, the pandemic got in the way of our last two planned events, one for 2021 is being actively considered however and, dependant on there being no further lock-downs, it should go ahead. Once again, it will be free for members [as long as their subs are being paid from October this year onwards] and only half-price for their partners. Another good reason for absent members to return to the fold! Further details in due course.

THE LIBRARY – AN UPDATE

First, many thanks to member Bob Cotton for his work in continuing to tidy and put in good order our large selection of railway texts. All members are welcome to use the library but please ensure that you return books to the location from which they were taken. If you cannot remember where the book came from before your loan, please place it in the large box under the shelves for it to be replaced in due course. This will make life so much easier for Bob!

We have also been advised by Gwydyr Upholstery that they are about to commence installing benches along the walls in the library and reupholstering a number of chairs for placing in there. This work should be completed by mid-October and make the room so much more comfortable to use.

FINALLY

Many thanks to member Steve Rodwell and his wife, Alison, for undertaking the recent large PAT testing exercise across the club. As a result of this huge exercise, a number of electrical appliances failed and so must be considered unusable until they have either been repaired or replaced. These failures include the Emco lathe in the workshop, the powerpack for the soldering iron in the modelling room and the Downton Road extension transformer. Please, under no circumstances, be tempted to remove ‘failed’ labels.