Meet the team.


Andy: 

Andy started the group and produced the basic design for the layout.  Andy sorted out a lot of the wiring (he is the only one to understand how the cross-over works) and did the planking for the loco turntable.

Andy has produced several small locos and the fleet of flat-cars - the "coffee-stirrer specials".

Andy is a member of the Kidderminster Model Railway club where he is working on their o-16.5 layout.  He is also interested in O9 (O scale 15" gauge) and is working on a modular layout in his spare time.

Allen:

Allen is our mechanical genius; he got the loco turntable working with the help of some Meccano and is currently implementing version 3 of the turnout control system, using servo motors.  Allen is an expert at brass etching and has produced a range of useful items for the layout, including the immaculate control panel and much of the hardware for the loco turntable.

Allen loves the quirky vehicles; all of his locos are heavily weathered and modified. Have a look at the photos of the locos; if it has a corrugated iron roof if must be one of Allen's!

Allen has recently started "Minimum Gauge Models" which sells beautifully produced etched kits for Sandy River coaches and boxcars, together with a set of loco and rolling stock bodies for 09 gauge.

Ken:

Ken is the most experienced railway modeller in the group and made most of the track-work by hand.

Until recently he had two layout in his loft. One was an HO loft-layout using U.S. standard gauge stock and he is busy converting it to link up with the other, a British OO layout.

Ken's experience has been really useful to the group. He suggested and supplied the Dexion framework for supporting the layout whilst the track-laying and wiring was underway, which made working above and below the boards so easy. 


Dave:

Dave is the newest member of the group, but he has thrown himself into the work with a will. It was great to see him under the layout, hacking more holes in to fit the lifting magnets!

Dave is building an On30 layout of his own; watch out for more details. 

Peter:

Peter's main contribution has been with the wood-working, particularly for the fiddle-yards.  The first, using cassettes, was tried out at the Trent Valley group exhibition in 2010.  In the light of that experience he made the mark 2 fiddle-yard, which has a 5 foot long, 5 track turntable. We hope that the mark 3 version will have a deck which does not warp!

Peter is lucky enough to have a room which is long enough to take the full layout (but only just!), so the group meet at his house. 

Arline:

Arline is Peter's wife and an honorary member of the group.  She hosts the group meetings, provides catering support and is very patient about losing a room for weeks at a time to the layout (Peter never seems to tidy it away quickly after the meetings).

Recently Arline was spotted at a model railway exhibition buying a 009 loco and eight coaches.  Could it be that she has caught the bug?