Hello,
Important News – Change of Meeting date
Will you please note that our next meeting planned for 17th November has been changed to that of Saturday 10th November. The reason for this change is that the Signal Display Room in North Junction Signal Box has had a long term booking and will mean that members will not be able to access our clubroom without using the outside path and enter the clubroom via the fire door near the large picture window, With the weather going much colder this would impact on the room retaining any heat and it has therefore, been decided to move the date forward one week to avoid this other booking. Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause you.
Further to the message above, on the 10th and 11th November the Heritage Centre is open to the public for the visit of the latest steam locomotive being built. This loco a LMS “Patriot class” which is going on display in the exhibition hall; the frames along with the boiler and cab are being put together to show what the loco will look like once final construction is complete. A tender will also be in arriving before that weekend. The loco will eventually be named “The Unknown Warrior” I understand a service could be held on the Sunday at 11am to observe the usual silence and prayers commemorating the end of the First World War 100 years ago although there will certainly be a service in the town square just beyond the New Life Centre.
It would be much appreciated if a couple of members would come along to operate on the Sunday the 11th so those members of public who are attending the site can visit all the Centre’s attractions.
The Heritage Centre is also going to open its doors for a few hours on the three weekends leading up to Christmas and we have been asked if we could supply some cover for our layout during those weekends. Sunday the 16th December is of course our Christmas meeting with the usual raffle and mince pies etc. I have said that we require the corridor to be unavailable to the public on that date due to reasons of our raffle prizes being on display in the Signal Display Room along with our festivities in the clubroom.
It is understood the weekend opening hours are likely to be 10am to 2.30 or 3pm. Volunteers to operate at these Christmas weekends would gain ‘ Brownie points’ and their offer would be much appreciated. This is also a good time to remind and request members to consider donating raffle prizes, hopefully with the same generosity you have shown in previous years. Thank you very much.
Your committee has recently been debating what changes could be made to our train control system following some suggestions from members who are finding difficulty in ‘ducking under’ the layout and also having to walk from one end to the other of the layout to throw switches. Alan Wyatt has kindly been searching options and it looks like the best option is to change to a wireless control system. We would of course dispose of the NCE system to help offset the cost of the new system but current funds will allow us to proceed once a tender exercise has been completed. The benefits of the change can mean that members controlling a train can walk around the layout with their train without having to unplug the throttle which is a source of continual breaking of connections. All other options such as consisting, will be available from a new system similar to the current NCE equipment. Other options being looked at include merging the track switch panels together on each side to reduce the amount of walking from end to end.
Following our last meeting when Mick Moignard gave us an excellent presentation Tony Gath has received some additional information from Mick regarding speakers and micro connectors and so on. – I will send this information to Len Ford and ask him to load this to our website so it is available for all to read.
There are still some items left of the Stuart Wood collection such as foam underlay, plus some Preiser figures and other small items. Do have a look at the next meeting and make an offer for items you wish to purchase.
Paul Mitchell has kindly offered to take up the role of Rota organiser. We will hand him details at the next meeting and if members can advise Paul of any dates next year that they will be unavailable then please do so as soon as you are able and ideally before he draws up the rota.
Thank you Paul, your offer is much appreciated.
Terry Wynne,
Secretary
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