0 The Barn N-ooz - Jan 2012

 
Happy New Year to you all, I hope Santa brought you what you wanted, other than the usual socks etc, it would nice to see some of the new locos at the barn some night soon.
Let’s hope 2012 is as or even more successful than last year. I have to say the buzzword for this year is “commitment”. We need more members to commit to coming to the shows this year. It was agreed at the last committee meeting that the minimum requirement for any show is 4, if we don’t get 4 names on the away team list for this years forth coming shows, then will not be attending, and this could have a knock on effect for invitations to future exhibitions and shows. If you put your name down to come to a show only death, a note from the doctor or your wife knocking on the chairman’s door will be accepted as an excuse for dropping out. So be warned, if you can’t make it to any of the shows. We also want helpers to load and unload the layout before departure and on return. So its back to that buzzword again, “COMMIT” to help the MMRG go forward.

If anyone is remotely interest in trips or visits during 2012, for example Boness, then let me know, or if you fancy a day out riding the rails & doing some railway photography, just let me know, so time and dates can be arranged.
If you are interested in visits, etc, then let me know either by phone or email

Looking back – Now at January 1986 and the launch of the “New Club Badge”

Followed by a small report from last meeting, where provided a pot-pourri of local films, followed by a demo of fitting a Peco point motor to a N gauge layout. Forth coming events on the 8th Jan a Mr Chandlers railway quiz, 12 Jan Official opening of new club rooms at Duffus, then club meetings at Duffus on the 15th, 22nd, 29th and 5th Feb, then a meeting on the 12th Feb at the Railway Club Elgin. March 1986, visit to Glasgow Model Railway Exihibition plus shopping trip, cost £5 per person. (Ed - gone are the days).

Dave Jackson has finally found confirmation of which layout attended Model Rail in 1990, it was 'Roonan Roon', one of Harry Moyes creations.
Out of interest, here is a list of all layouts that have attended Model Rail, except for 2009 when we only did stewarding – 1990 Roonan Roon, 1991 Bear Butte, 1992 Invermoray, 1993 Invermoray, 1994 Sheriffston. 1995 Sheriffston, 1996 Invermoray, 1997, Invermoray, 1998 Newtontoll, 2000 Sheriffston, 2001 Invermoray, 2002 Puttock End, 2003 Glenbarrie, 2004 Glenbarrie, 2005 Craigellachie, 2006 Drumslochtock Summit, 2007 Craiellachie, 2008 Drumslochtock, 2009 Stewarding, 2010 King street, 2011 Craigellachie, 2012 Sheriffston

Exhibition Reports from 2011
Dundee - The club took the N gauge layout “King Street” to the Dundee MRC show on Oct 15/16. The away team consisted of Dave, Rob, Dusty, Bill and Ian, who once again kindly supplied his N gauge locomotives and rolling stock. After checking into the Strathdon Guest House, the gang of five headed out to the “Dil Se” Indian restaurant for the customary Indian meal.
The locomotives ran well for the two days of the exhibition and even thought there was the occasional derailment in the tunnel, no major problems occurred. The award for the “crash of the weekend” was awarded to Ian even though he was not operating a controller at the time. Ian decided to go under the layout with one of his locomotives that was not running well, to look for a suitable power supply to test the locomotive. While Ian was under the table, the HST, which Dave had just brought to a stop in the fiddle yard suddenly took off at a great rate of knots and hammered into the retaining wall at the end of the fiddle yard. If the wall had not been there, the HST would have continued into the goods fiddle yard where Rob had a “56” ready to depart with a 21 wagon coal train.
Bill in the meantime could only watch helplessly as a “158” raced out control from platform six and collided in the tunnel with another “158” that he was bringing into the station. Ian strongly denied that he was to blame and that he had “done nothing” but once we brought him out from under the layout, everything returned to normal, so the finger of blame was firmly pointed at him.
An unexpected surprise in the final hour on the Sunday was the award of the “Eric Wallace Trophy” for the best N gauge layout in the show. Eric was a long time member of the Dundee Model Railway club and he had been a keen N gauge modellers. This was the first year that the awarded had been given. His widow presented the trophy to the club.
Aberdeen - Two weeks later on Oct 29/30, the club took Craigellachie to the Aberdeen MRC show that was held in the main sports hall at RGU Sports centre. This was an excellent venue for a model railway exhibition, even if the access to unload and load the layouts was a bit restrictive. Dave, Rob, Ian, and Dusty ran the layout on the Saturday and Bill and Bob joined them on the Sunday. It really makes a difference when we have more members assisting at shows. It gives everyone more time to walk around and look at the other layouts and the trader stalls.
No major crashes were reported and the layout was trouble free for the two days. On the Sunday afternoon the club was presented with its second trophy in a fortnight. Craigellachie won the trophy for the “Best Layout at the Show”. Cassia Ogilvie presented the trophy to Ian. Cassia attends St. Margaret’s School for Girls in Aberdeen, and it was Cassia who had designed the front cover for the programme for this year’s show in Aberdeen.  When asked when she had picked “Craigellachie”, she said it was because it reminded her of the countryside where she lived when she was younger. After presenting the trophy to Ian, Cassia was handed one of the controllers and she had a great time operating the trains coming from the “Keith direction” and would probably have stayed with us until the end of the show if her father had not come and told her that it was time to go home.
So two successful shows in October and a trophy awarded at each one.  The club must be doing the right things.  Well-done guys.  Reports by Bill Stevens.
Elgin Model Fair – I have to say the weather was a little kinder to Elgin Model Railway Club at the November show, the previous year had been a bit of a white out and it was rumoured that on the Saturday morn, the number of visitors thro the door far exceeded the whole of the 2010 show in the 2 days it ran. The MMRG took Craigellachie to Elgin and again was well received. This was new member John Whittaker’s first show and was, as usual thrown in at the deep end controlling the fiddle yard after a little tuition from Dave Jackson. The show was attended by the usual crew and was packed away in near record time.
Group layouts up date – Eddie’s layout has been dismantled and his rolling stock will shortly be up for sale to MMRG members, what’s not sold will go to GNOS and our sales table. Funds raised will be going to Eddie’s family. Sheriffston is still being worked on for this years shows and should be ready in time for Glasgow. The Thomas layout has been attacked by mice and will need repairing for GNOS 2012 in March.

That’s all for now. Keep chuffing & stay on the tracks, till next time. Neil

Dates for your diary: - (See web Events page for more details)
24th – 26th Feb 2012 Glasgow Model Rail Scotland 2012
17th & 18th Mar 2012 GNOS, TA Centre Elgin
23rd & 24th June Perth MR exhibition
28th & 29th July Cupar MR Exihbition