A 4mm scale 3D print of Stephenson’s Rocket from a 3D scan of the locomotive at the Science Museum. Produced using 22 high resolution LIDAR scans and over 2,500 detailed photographs taken in May 2018. Printed and painted by Gwion Rhys Davies. See the 3D scan here.
COMMENT
A short, early newsletter this month, but I wanted to get one out quickly because of the imminence of our limited reopening and also the large stock sale which follows shortly after. Thanks, too, to those of you who replied to my request for your preferred days of attendance.
Regrettably, I have also to advise that at the time of writing, the lift is out of order and awaiting an engineer’s visit. I have tried to get further information on this but have not been able to. It cannot be assumed that the lift will be repaired for our reopening. This should not affect the stock-sale though as this will take place on the ground floor in the main hall.
THE PLAN FOR REOPENING
There is a lot to be done before the club can be truly open for business, but we do have a roadmap [to use that popular cliché] which will eventually enable us to get there. First of all, as long as there is no change in Welsh Government regulations, we will reopen during the week beginning the 31st May, on the Wednesday and Thursday of that week [the 2nd. & 3rd. June] at the normal times. We shall remain open on each of those days for the immediate future. Clearly however, it is not quite as simple as that and the following notes explain how this will happen and what needs to take place first:
During the weekend prior to reopening, the club will receive a thorough clean, with particular attention being given to the club room, door handles and the signing-in book and toilet areas. Arrangements have been made already to ensure that this takes place.
Whilst I know that this all sounds terribly proscriptive, all members attending must:
Use the antiseptic hand wash gel provided at the ground-floor entrance to FOYD and continue to use it when necessary [eg after using the ‘facilities’]
Take care to always sign in and out of the club at the signing-in point on the 3rd. floor
Provide and wear their own face masks at all times – no mask, no entry
Be sensible when it comes to social distancing and sensitive to other members’ feeling about safe personal space [regardless as to whether or not you have received your vaccinations]
Not leave tea or coffee mugs for others to wash up for you – do them yourself!
A final point concerns returning to working on or using the layouts. All, with the exception of Box, are very dusty and dead flies abound! Clearly, all with need careful and gentle cleaning before anything can be done to / on them. I am not going to prepare a rota for these duties but am asking those who have the lead for the layouts or builds to take responsibility for convening a cleaning team to enable further work to take place. I have provided soft bristle brushes and a portable vacuum cleaner for this to take place. Please not delay this work as there is a possibility of a club open day a little later in the summer. In most cases, an evening’s work should see it done.
At the same time that this newsletter is published, all who replied to the request for attendance day preferences will receive a copy of the rota by separate e-mail.
THE STOCK SALE
The date first: Saturday the 5th. June between 10am and noon. The sale will take place in the ground-floor main hall.
As usual, we will have a very large amount of OO rolling stock and other items to tempt your wallets and the card machine will be available for purchases of £25 and over. Please ensure that you bring and wear a mask if you intend attending and respect other peoples’ personal space. Also, we cannot supply bags for purchases!
The sale includes:
A very large collection [70+] of Swansea area [and other south Wales] private owner coal wagons, a great many being limited editions and 99.9% in mint, boxed condition
A large number of Bachmann goods stock, some mint, some factory weathered and some previous owner weathered. There are also similar Hornby wagons.
A number of Bachmann Toads in good boxed condition. There are also some Oxford four and six-wheel Toads.
Over 70 steam engines in various conditions, but many are excellent.
Two large rakes of boxed Bachmann Mk One coaches, one in maroon, the other in blood and custard. There are also a number of good Bachmann Collet coaches.
Boxed, good Hornby coaches including a B Set, four Dean [longer] Clerestories, Collett coaches [the older variety] and an Autocoach. There are also a number of unboxed Centenary coaches for sale.
A large amount of owner painted and weathered LNER coaching stock – both older Hornby Gresley Teaks and Triang Clerestories.
Huge amounts of track, including a vast box full of useful set track [inc. points, crossovers, etc] for sale as one lot and many bundles of Bachmann long straights.
And for those who build kits – surely there must be someone out there ? – a number of loco body kits, a good few Slaters, Parkside and Cambrian wagon kits and an extremely interesting selection of GWR coach kits, including a large collection of MAJ model kits, some PC models kits, some BSL kits and others. These coach kits, many with full coloured printed sides, are not difficult to make and are for sale at considerably less that eBay prices. There are also four good kit-built coaches and some etched brass coach kits.
These are just highlights. There’s a lot more to see and everything is priced to sell. Don’t miss it!
A great way to celebrate reopening!
Don’t forget to send me your photos of your recent modelling for the July edition, too.
Best wishes all.