All a bit low-res unfortunately, but I have included this photo for two reasons. First, the subject is highly unusual, showing an unidentified Castle-hauled express passing Copper Pit Halt, Morriston, on a diversion from the main line into Swansea High Street [no date given] and, secondly, because Copper Pit Halt featured in our web-site write-up of our 2021 private-owner wagon commission, ‘Copper Pit Collieries’. The loco appears to be a Landore one, given the silvered buffers.
Internet, and used with thanks. Originator unknown.
COMMENT
Much news this month, including interesting recent library accessions, a reminder about the club’s annual dinner, expressions of interest being sought for two important club committee posts, the imminent Bronwydd show, a layout for sale, a note about our own show later this year and much, much more. Some excellent photographs too from our recent visit to the West Somerset Railway.
Whilst this newsletter has a circulation list in excess of 180, please feel free to forward it to any individuals or organisations that you know who may also be interested, or provide me with their contact details
THE LIBRARY
Ian Davies of Llanelli has very kindly donated a large collection of high quality books to our library. Bob Cotton has been busy sorting them out onto the shelves and the wide collection includes a large number of the Turton books on Private Owner Wagons [perhaps 85% of those issued so far] and the Jenkinson/Essery books on LMS coaching stock [4 volumes], LMS locomotives [4 volumes] and LMS freight stock. It’s good to be able to extend the library beyond the GWR as the LMS had a strong foothold in south Wales and particularly Swansea, and anyone modelling this region could legitimately run LMS stock alongside the Great Western. Ian also donated a large collection of the Model Railway Journal magazines, absolutely one of the better modelling publications.
Feel free to browse when you are in although we have decided that the books mentioned above are of such value that they are for reference only and not general loan. They may be found in the glass-fronted book case rather than on the shelves. We are hugely grateful to Ian for his generosity.
Finally, another plea for the return of some books which have been taken on very long loan, including the large standard work on Great Western Goods Wagons. Name and shame may follow!
THE 2024 WEST WALES RAILWAY MODELLERS EXHIBITION
This is being held on Saturday the 1st June at Bronwydd Village Hall, Bronwydd Arms SA33 6BE, between 10.00am and 4.00pm.
Admission prices: adults £5, juniors £4, under-10s free. Family ticket (2+2) £12.
The club has taken a number of tables there to sell stock, including our 2024 wagon commission, and increase our footprint more widely. There will be traders and, importantly, exhibitors attending, so come and join us for the day and help wave the flag.
THE WEST SOMERSET RAILWAY TRIP
WSR 9351 GWR Mogul – Gwion Rhys Davies
Inspite of nearly abandoning a couple of members at the Easton-in-Gordano services on the M5 [!], this recent club outing was hugely successful and enjoyed by all. The weather held out – more or less – and the variety of stock running throughout the day was memorable. A long day, certainly, but well worth the effort. The model railway exhibits were also extremely impressive, particularly the huge model of Bath Green Park Station with its etched canopy and associated infrastructure – worth another visit for that alone I felt.
Rob Pendry and Gwion Davies photographed much of what was on display and their excellent images may be found here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/144047023@N04/albums/72177720317180291
https://www.flickr.com/photos/195568599@N06/albums/72177720317181615
Well worth a look for those who receive the newsletter on-line. On my laptop, the links work best if cut-and-pasted into a browser.
Remember that the next planned outing is to The Severn Valley Railway for their Hydraulic Gala in October. Details are on the notice board.
THE CLUB’S ANNUAL DINNER
Not to be confused with the recent curry night, our Annual Dinner takes place at Norton House on the 7th June [7.00pm for 7.30pm]. Any who have signed up for this event but have yet to choose their menu choice must do so by this coming Thursday at the latest. Any queries, please speak to John Allnutt directly. The menu is on the club notice board. Thanks.
WANTED
Should any member have a Planet Industrials OO Kerr Stuart ‘Victory’ Tank that is surplus to their requirements, and is for sale, could you please let Tony Richards know. One is required for some plastic surgery! Any livery would do.
THE CLUB’S ANNUAL DAPOL WAGON COMMISSION – SOME ‘BACK NUMBERS’
Previous editions are always in strong demand judging by the e-mail requests that we regularly receive but they rarely come back on to the market and, when they do, judging by eBay prices, the cost can be astronomical. We recently purchased a stock collection which contained a number of our old wagons [in N] however and wanted to offer them to members and newsletter recipients first. The five left are ‘Tirdonkin’ [black], ‘Gwendraeth’, ‘Thomas T Pascoe’, ‘Copper Pit Collieries’ and ‘Swansea and District Railway Men’s Direct Coal Association’. These are available at £20 each and please contact either myself or Gwion Davies if you are interested. First come, first served obviously.
HAVERFORDWEST MODEL RAILWAY CLUB
I wasn’t aware of its existence until recently. The club meets every Friday at 19:15 in the pink building at the bottom of the Castle Lake car park, Haverfordwest SA61 2DA. If you find yourself down west for a long weekend, and would like to visit [non members are welcome], I’d suggest contacting them through their Facebook page below [paste it into your browser] for further details. Their club is now on our newsletter mailing list.
The WSR’s badly-behaved 0-6-2 6695, captured by Gwion Rhys Davies at our recent outing. It was not working at its best and caused a number of delays. Nicely turned out though….
COMMITTEE ROLES
Although the next AGM is quite some way off, thought given to succession-planning for the Committee is important to avoid a last minute panic and there is going to be at least one retirement at the end of the current year.
After quite a number of years in post Ted Hylton will be standing down as Treasurer and that post will fall vacant. The club also needs a Membership Secretary quite badly now, and that new position will need to be filled.
Should any member feel that they could be interested in one of other of these positions, please contact Martin Evans, Chair, directly for further information.
IT’S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN – VOLUNTEERS SOUGHT TO HELP WITH THE 2024 SHOW……
Show planning is very well advanced and all exhibitors and traders have been identified. Details of these will shortly be uploaded on our website’s Show section. We need to identify volunteers from within the membership now to help with all of the practical issues that arise over the event. The show cannot be managed without your assistance and we really do need your help.
As an attachment to the e-mail sending the newsletter is a copy of the draft thinking around volunteers tasks and numbers to give you all an idea of what is required. It is draft only at this stage, and may be amended, but it covers most of the ground. Further, with sufficient volunteers involved, the workload will not be onerous.
Please give some thought to helping with the show during the event and contact Paul Dally to indicate your preparedness to be involved. Don’t allocate yourself a role at this stage, just let Paul know if you can be available. Many, many thanks in advance.
AND FINALLY
I don’t usually allow use of the newsletter for personal sales but have been contacted by someone who is trying to dispose of her late husband’s layout. Based on Llandybie, and modelled quite accurately, it occupies a loft and would need to be dismantled for moving. It looks to be transportable however and includes long, separate and already dismantled sections to enable running beyond the modelled station area.
The owner has advised ‘..there are 7 boards in all, plus 5 shelf boards and a large fiddle yard. The main board with is 16 inches wide by 8feet 6inches. The second board with the turn table, water tower etc is about 2 by 10 feet. The fiddle yard is 10 by 6 and a half feet. All of the track is Scaleway Type J flexible track…’.
If any reader is interested in purchasing all or part of this layout, please let me know so that I can put you in touch with the owner. I have more photographs.
That’s your lot this month!
Best wishes
Tony