nonort
Part of the e-furniture
If all the worlds a Stage someone's nicked the Horses
Posts: 277 
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Post by nonort on Nov 24, 2015 9:46:26 GMT
Hi out there does the lack of postings on this section mean that Clubs hibernate during the winter in the UK. I know our southern hemisphere friends are whooping it up with barbecues. Surely something must be happening. Post your Clubs meetings etc. here to show that the hobby is not dead and buried under a pile of Autumn leaves?
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Post by ejparrott on Nov 24, 2015 11:52:30 GMT
We've got a season of winter talks under way, one more public running on Sunday December 20th, there's no other running unless mad nutters want to though! Ongoing maintenance, plus building new carriage shed, a prototype new carriage, and I'm still trying to sort out the new workshop.
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Post by steamcoal on Nov 25, 2015 6:18:50 GMT
Down here our winters are in some respects better days to steam up than summer. Resaon is that the days can be calm, blue sky and there is no fireban.
Unless ones lives or has lived the Northern Hemisphere I guess we do not comprehend the winter gloom, blizzzard winds or the odd Atlantic storm which certainly puts a damper on proceedings. I must say though that the steamy atmosphere, fallen leaves and hot drinks is certainly something to look forward to. Again pick your day and make the most of it.
My other post about how often your loco gets run is partly orientated to this threads theme. Beside the club facilities upkeep there seems to be a disproportionate amount of running. Club days may be once a month but what goes on between these scheduled events, 11 or so meetings a year give or take a winter storm or two but are the tracks in use every weekend? Surely amongst the population there are bound to be hardy types that will brave even inclement conditions for the sake of a good steam-up.
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Post by ejparrott on Nov 25, 2015 9:25:33 GMT
At Rugby we used in days gone past to steam up on Boxing Day, and then we used to let the New Year in. Used to get the locals coming and asking for lumps of coal!
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Post by Deleted on Nov 25, 2015 10:18:14 GMT
My club is active during winter, lot's of work done on the track with working parties over the weekend, in fact I doubt if there's many days if any when there isn't someone at the club either working or playing trains. Plus we have the HQ with lot's of activities throughout the winter and in fact throughout the year as we have the model railway layouts etc.
Pete
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smallbrother
Elder Statesman
Errors aplenty, progress slow, but progress nonetheless!
Posts: 2,269
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Post by smallbrother on Nov 26, 2015 8:57:35 GMT
We had a splendid presentation about the design and build of a 7.25 Koppel last night.
Tomorrow and Saturday are work sessions in prep. for the Christmas events.
If the weather is decent, we may get a run on the first Sat of December, the first Sat of each month being club running day, but I suspect it will be all hands to the pump getting the Christmas events sorted!
Pete.
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Tony K
Elder Statesman
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Post by Tony K on Nov 26, 2015 10:23:54 GMT
We had a splendid presentation about the design and build of a 7.25 Koppel last night. Tomorrow and Saturday are work sessions in prep. for the Christmas events. If the weather is decent, we may get a run on the first Sat of December, the first Sat of each month being club running day, but I suspect it will be all hands to the pump getting the Christmas events sorted! Pete. Pete, assume this is Newport. The Christmas events look very ambitious - are you Father Christmas or in charge of the soup and rolls? I have attended one or two of these at full scale railways but not at model engineer level. Tell us about it - how does it go? Money-spinner or just good fun - or both? |
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smallbrother
Elder Statesman
Errors aplenty, progress slow, but progress nonetheless!
Posts: 2,269
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Post by smallbrother on Nov 26, 2015 10:57:49 GMT
We had a splendid presentation about the design and build of a 7.25 Koppel last night. Tomorrow and Saturday are work sessions in prep. for the Christmas events. If the weather is decent, we may get a run on the first Sat of December, the first Sat of each month being club running day, but I suspect it will be all hands to the pump getting the Christmas events sorted! Pete. Pete, assume this is Newport. The Christmas events look very ambitious - are you Father Christmas or in charge of the soup and rolls? I have attended one or two of these at full scale railways but not at model engineer level. Tell us about it - how does it go? Money-spinner or just good fun - or both? It is the first such venture for Newport club so a very big step into the unknown. Judging by the success of the inaugural public day in the Summer, there is undoubtedly a potential for Christmas to be great fun and to put some cash in the coffers. I don't live close enough to be massively involved so very much a fringe player I'm afraid. I am also still struggling with my damaged leg from October last year. My knee has settled but the ankle is giving me trouble. In addition, because I am favouring the leg, I am getting back pain and the opposite hip is complaining too. I am committed to walking our Springer Spaniel so I am fairly worn out after taking him out. It is incredibly frustrating as I have been a bit of a fitness fanatic and gym monkey for the last 30 - 40 years. Hobbling around like an old cripple at the moment! Anyone got a violin handy? Pete. |
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dscott
Elder Statesman
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Post by dscott on Nov 28, 2015 0:29:45 GMT
We have joined the Wednesday gang at Reading! That is my wife Lily and me, well it gets us out of the house
and we get to meet other like minded soles with many house jobs abandoned!!!
We are adding two toilets which will add to the relief at open days and other events. Concrete bashing and digging holes
went on for weeks but now all the drains are in.
Leaf season has been tackled and the bunkers are full so they can slowly rot down!!
Next on the books is getting on with the track extension which should inspire me to complete something to run on it!!
Hibernate not.
David.
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Post by GeorgeRay on Nov 29, 2015 20:47:15 GMT
Like most c;ubs I suspect we at Andover continue to meet through the winter. Wednesday evenings normally a get together evening, this year for the first time since moving to our new home we are having a series of monthly talks. Sundays are spent working on the extension to both our ground level and raised tracks. Today work has continued on the tunnel for the raised track extension, although the weather has not been entirely conducive to working in the clay as can be seen. Hopefull next weekend will see the reaining tunnel wall sections go in and then the brickwork for the portal can be started.  |
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kingsteam9
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Post by kingsteam9 on Nov 30, 2015 9:53:01 GMT
So some go underground for winter? Good to see the Treasurer getting his hands dirty:-)
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Post by GeorgeRay on Nov 30, 2015 10:48:08 GMT
Yes he was measurer in chief for getting the shuttering level and will he be chief brickie for the tunnel portal as well. You need to come and see us and be amazed at what can be achieved with one small digger, We had to go underground to get the ground level extension phase 5 over the raised track. :-)
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Post by Rex Hanman on Nov 30, 2015 13:17:11 GMT
Roger isn't small!!  |
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kingsteam9
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Post by kingsteam9 on Nov 30, 2015 13:23:20 GMT
I'm always amazed at what ADMES gets up to! All the best with it - I might carry out an inspection visit when it's finished.
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Post by GeorgeRay on Nov 30, 2015 17:40:24 GMT
Don't hold your breath for the finish. There is so much area I am sure the Chairmn will have designs for more extensions to the ground level track. The raised should be finished before the Rob Roy day and Efficiency competition next year though.
:-)
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dscott
Elder Statesman
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Post by dscott on Dec 2, 2015 1:59:56 GMT
It was lovely to walk round both tracks on our last visit! On a previous one The Rob Roy day I got to drive round!!
That hill out of the station can catch you out!!!
David and Lily.
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Post by houstonceng on Dec 2, 2015 10:23:14 GMT
At Welling and District, we hold meetings every Thursday night Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. There's the Zimmer-frame Brigade on Wednesday afternoons for Tea, Tattle and Tidying up. A few newer members have started a Tuesday Club so the they can learn to drive a steam loco without too many old hands looking on, and we have our Sunday morning Workparties e ache week. We certainly don't hibernate - but we have been known to go home a bit early when the weather is cold or the rain is coming down in stair-rods.
Each year, we sell circa 450 Santa Special tickets to Society members and the public over the last two Public a Running days in September and October. We take the list to our friendly Tow R Us manager ai Bromley and she picks out suitable presents for each age (0 to 8 years) for boys and girls. We try to buy for about £14:99 for tickets sold at £15 each, so our Santa Special is known for good value for money and often oversubscribed. Sometimes we get BOGOF or 3-4-2 offers and the savings pay for the paper and sticky tape. We're wrapping the last of the presents this afternoon in a member's garage.
On the day before the Santa Special, we build an extension Grotto on the end of the tunnel and Manumatic sliding doors on the entrance. The whole is covered with black plastic sheeting and decorated with fairy lights. We decorate the station as well. On the Sunday of the Santa Special, we start at about 7:30 with final preparations, filling the grotto with presents and making sure everything is OK for Santa to arrive at 11 am with his elves and Reindeer. The children arrive from then and we have a steady stream until 3pm or the last child riding. Each child rides with one adult, so we have approximately 900 rides to give in 4 hours. They ride around from the station to the Grotto where Santa has a quick word, makes sure every child gets a present matching their ticket and then they ride back to the Station. Wo betide anyone who tries to take that present from them, and some are so big they need 3 sheets of wrapping paper and are nearly as big as the child.
Refreshments are available for the punters and the lads get a meat pie, soup and tea/ coffees throughout the day.
If we make a small profit - great. If we make a loss - equally great. It's a thank-you to all who support us each year - either as members or visitors. It's so well known now that we don't advertise it and the Mayor of Greenwich comes along to ride the first train and cut the tape. Good publicity for him
At 3 pm ish we dismantle the Grotto, and on the following Wednesday, we de-nail and check it for faults befor it is stored until next year.
Then we have a Boxing Day Steam-up with work parties from then on until the start of the Party Bookings in February and Public Running from April to October.
So NO. We don't hibernate. Far from it.
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