First your committee wish you and your family a very belated Happy New Year.
This Train Orders should have been a priority in January but as with most good intentions these days it was delayed due to a number of unforeseen circumstances. It was not due this time to the Chairman being away on holiday as someone has suggested!
Our last 2007 meeting in December saw a reasonable turnout of members despite other attractions, namely model train shows around the South Lancashire area. However, a short meeting was convened and a number of issues brought to members attention –
It was agreed that the N scale layout located in the Heritage Centre (HC) Exhibition Hall (EH) will be taken down and stored, as unfortunately only a very small number of members are able to come along and actively use this layout.
ML advised us the Centre was reorganising the EH displays and the extra space occupied by the N scale layout could be best used for new displays. This layout can and will be available for use at Special Meets and other exhibitions held on site. It has since been agreed that Trevor Austin will build 2 new N scale module boards which can be erected and dismantled in the clubroom on meet days. It is also hoped to have a switching module, for those more interested in this aspect that can be linked to the 2 new modules.
Terry Wynne (TGW) explained that the HO layout located in the EH is to be upgraded. As this layout is part of the HC exhibits it was agreed the current curved ends should be replaced with scenic boards. The end nearest the corner of the room is to be used to re-create some features of the real track plan at Crewe, Virginia with turntable, half roundhouse and back shops. This will also allow us to have some display space for member’s locomotives not used on train running.
I am sure most of you know, but for those who do not, The Norfolk & Western Railroad Company built Crewe, Virginia as a Division point, however, they also built the town itself and it was named after Crewe here in the UK. So we have a very close similarity between the two towns and it was felt that a feature showing Crewe, Va. on the layout as well as a wall-mounted display of information received from their Railroad Museum would be an attraction for visitors to the HC. Jim Barry agreed to lead this project and would welcome assistance from other members. Please talk to Jim at the next meeting with any ideas you may have, or offers of help.
A proposal to host another Themed Meet was approved and this time the theme would be “Railroads of N.E. USA”. A request for volunteers did not result in a rush to offer help but we are sure there are some who would come forward in the next couple of months. The date of the event is to be the October meeting but it is still to be agreed if a Saturday or Sunday is best to attract visitors. As you know our Canadian Themed Meet was held on a Sunday and whilst 300 people came through the door we may attract more if it was held on a Saturday. A Steering Group is required to move this forward to discuss, invite layouts, traders, arrange displays, clinics, and other activities they see suitable to the theme of the day. Come-on guys participation in activities such as this count towards Achievement Programme credits. It cannot fall to the same few people to organise every event, others must play their part and share the workload.
Formal advice of the 2008 AGM was made and this will form part of the April Meeting at Crewe. The AGM will include a report from the Chairman, Treasurer and from Mike Lenz on The Heritage Centre activities and news. Items for inclusion on the AGM Agenda should be sent to the Secretary by 31st March. Further to this announcement was the advance notice to members that 3 committee positions would become vacant on 31st March. When the committee was formed in 2006 it was agreed that each year 3 committee positions would be put to the vote as this would give members the chance to influence decision making through a change to the committee structure.
Written nominations (with the nominated persons agreement) should be sent or handed to the Secretary (ML) before the 31st March. I have to advise that Mike Lenz, Secretary, has decided not to seek re-election due to his workload as HC Manager along with other commitments. Mike has done a splendid job as Secretary and his enthusiasm for this group will still be as strong as ever.
However, I do urge members to consider asking Mike to see if he is prepared to sit in on committee meetings as required, so maintaining the direct link to the Trustees and other HC activities through his position as Manager.
TGW, Chairman, is also due to stand down, however, Terry is willing to serve on the committee again, if elected. Geoff Meek is the third committee member who is due to stand down.
Mike Sheridan (Treasurer), Michael Coates (Publicity), Les Herriot, Trevor Austin and Gordon Nelhams will still serve for 2008.
Now to the new HO scale layout. Discussion by members resulted in unanimous agreement that the layout is to be fully DCC. As DCC had also been mooted for inclusion on the old HO scale layout in the EH, some members raised their concerns over the possibilities of that layout being wired solely for DCC. This was discussed in detail and it was agreed that on the old HO layout DC running would be maintained even if in the future it was decided to include a DCC option for use on nominated days.
Mike Bolton then gave a brief résumé on what he thought should be best practice in wiring the new layout. As many members are not fully conversant with the intricacies of DCC it was agreed that a steering group should be formed to make the important decisions on what and how the wiring would be dealt with. Mike Bolton (MB), Mike Sheridan (MS) and ML were accepted as our experts and they were charged with meeting and agreeing a plan and products needed to take this layout forward. Unfortunately ML had to pull out of this group and so both Mike’s met and submitted their proposals at the January Meet at Crewe. It is hoped both will project this part of the layout to fruition.
Subsequent to their proposals some conflict of opinion has arisen over how the Peco point motors are to be affixed. On one hand there is the thought that motors should be directly secured to the Peco points via the fold-over tabs and a rectangular hole cut into the baseboard to drop the point and motor into position with wiring in place. The other thought is that a rectangular hole should be cut into the Styrofoam under the baseboard before a Peco mounting plate is secured to the underside of the baseboard. The point motor would then be fastened to the mounting plate with the supplied fixings.
This is an ongoing concern and any experienced input is welcomed.
Finances for the purchase of DCC equipment is secured following the very successful Canadian Themed Meet and it just remains for the order to be placed.
Back-scene buildings for the layout were discussed. A proposal from one member suggested that if any member wishes to build one of the model buildings then they give a donation of £10 which can be used to finance the remaining buildings for location on the ‘street running’ part of the layout. This was heartily agreed by all.
It is hoped to start track laying as soon as the outstanding issues are resolved and as ML has stated before he will be at the HC now on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Members are welcome to come along on these days between 9am and 3pm. Wednesdays however we see as the most popular day for work to be done on the layout and it is also likely that members can work into the evening on that day if sufficient numbers can advise either ML or TGW a few days in advance of the day. Perhaps a roster can be agreed to organise things on a proper footing.
Terry Wynne, Chairman
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