West Midlands Group reports month by month.

[JulienW]

On the suggestion of a number of group members and with the permission of the report's reporter Angela Baker we have decided to publish the West Midlands Group reports on the forum.  Please note that these will be the full reports I receive from Angela (and not the edited for length version I send off for inclusion in 009 News.

The 009 Society
West Midlands Area Group
Report of Area Group Meeting at 7.30pm on Monday 13th May 2019
Angela Baker, Model Reporter

After a day of glorious Spring sunshine, twenty-two showed up for our May area group meeting, so presumably one or two didn't get back from the beach in time. We were pleased to welcome new member Hugh Freeman to our monthly modelfest.
The main attraction, as usual, was Peter Hardy's test track - busier than New Street station. First to run was one of Peter's own creations - his 0-4-4-0 Garratt scratch-build. Still in the metal, but now there's a lot more of it, with the full complement of four sets of motion - in mesmerising motion! If you weren't there you missed it.  Hugh Freeman ran his Meridian brass etch Crochat WW1 armoured locotracteur in grey livery on Kato chassis, a Gallic brute with a certain 'je ne sais quoi'. Sharing curiosity-of-the-month billing was Dewi Phillip's Zwillinge twin 0-6-0+0-6-0 tank loco in German South West African red livery. Dewi also ran his Bagnall 0-4-0IST 'William', built by our own 'William' King. Returning for more running-in mileage was Ben Powell's Peckett 0-4-2ST, now named 'Golem', accompanied by a second version still in the metal'n'plasticard plus cast boiler fittings awaiting only the deliverance of a chassis. Also re-visiting were Will King's Saltford Models 0-6-0T 'Trojan' and Langley WD Hunslet 4-6-0T on Minitrix Standard-class chassis, hauling (in turn) his three-truck-two-tree-trunk bogie bolster and a brace of Parkside brass Glyn Valley 4-wheel coaches. Will also ran his Bagnall-wing-tank-style freelance 0-4-0T on Saltford Models chassis. Jim Hart ran his RT Models De Winton, built by Will King (again) and Langley L&B Manning Wardle (built by you-know-who) with rake of three Peco L&B coaches, stretching their bogies whilst awaiting completion of Jim's 'Parracombe Halt' layout. Richard Johnson gave his Fourdees 0-6-4T 'Beddgelert' (built by Fourdees) a much-needed running-in turn.
Mike Wall has our micro-layout-in-a-sewing-box department all sewn up. Making a repeat appearance was 'Saturday Nite at the Duckpond', now with added ducks plus the sexiest weeping willow tree at the meeting, from the Model Tree Shop. The scheduled diesel service was cancelled due to a failed locomotive and, prototypically, there was no bus alternative. You got your ducks all in a row though Mike.
On Tim Williams' tablet this month were reference photos of his recent visit to Maenofferen slate mine at Blaenau Ffestiniog, complete with incline-disappearing-down-hole-in-mountain plus winding gear etc, seemingly preserved from dereliction thanks to its subterranean situation. Ffascinatingly ffabulous. This latest layout inspiration must ffight its' way from the bottom of Tim's lengthy to-do list. That's enough effing for one night.
Available for browsing in the book department, courtesy of Angela Baker, were copies of 'Twenty First Century Narrow Gauge' by James Waite, a coffee-table photo album with extended captions, and 'Talyllyn Revived' by Alan Holmes (acquired free with Talyllyn membership at the recent Sutton Coldfield show). Recommended paperback reading: 'Small Island by Little Train: A Narrow-Gauge Adventure' by Chris Arnot. Ideal for that long-haul bank holiday flight to the Durango & Silverton.
Teas and coffees were dispensed by Peter Hardy and Paul Atkin, with Hugh Freeman and Tim Williams on washing up duty. Thank you gentlemen.
We meet at Moorfield Hall, Hartshill Road, Shard End, Birmingham, B34 6QX from 7.30 to 9.30pm on the second Monday of every month. There is a nominal charge of £3.00 to cover the costs of hall hire and refreshments. Our next meetings will be held on 10th June, 8th July and 12th August 2019. If you have any queries please contact Julien Webb at julienwebb@westmidlands009.co.uk .

<edit by JulienW to reinstate full report>

[Hobby]

Good idea, Julien, Stan has to have some competition! ;)

[JulienW]

Just to mention that the group's next meeting will take place on Monday 10th June...

[JulienW]

And here is Angela's report from that meeting!

The 009 Society
West Midlands Area Group
Report of Area Group Meeting at 7.30pm on Monday 10th June 2019
Angela Baker, Model Reporter

On a remarkably miserable evening weather-wise, twenty-one remarkably cheerful folk populated our June area group meeting - fractionally down on numbers but we were pleased to welcome Nicholas Wheatley of M5/M50 area group renown.
Business was brisk. Hugh Freeman showed us his delightful fledgling French terminus-secondaire layout with the working title of 'Le Pending'. Being built for the current 009 Society challenge, it uses the specified Norfolk Heath Works boards overall 750 x 280mm or thereabouts. With obligatory on-board sector plate fiddle yard, the layout will be a setting for Hugh's French WW1 WD stock (of which we had a sneak preview last month) and features exquisite hand-built track with mini-turntable at platform end, hand-cranked for sector plate function only, plus unique swivelling-water-standpipe point-control. Magnifique.
Peter Hardy's test track was running his handsome scratch-built 0-4-4-0 Garratt K1, now finished in matt black livery and sporting brass hand-railing. We've enjoyed watching it materialise every step of the way. Peter disclosed that some fettling of pivot positions had been needed to stop the beast from performing wheelies (not desirable on a Snowdonia mountainside). In dramatic dimensional diversity, Tim Williams ran his ultra-compact Brian Madge Ruston, still in the brass. (How can two such dissimilar locomotives evolve on the same planet?) Peter also showed his scratch-built side-tank loco in grey livery on Liliput U-class 0-6-2 chassis. Paul Atkin ran his Ruston-style freelance diesel kit (BR 03?) on Farish 08 chassis in 'faded BR blue' livery, smoothly finished using Tamiya acrylics. Freight vehicles included Andrew Bizley's 3D kit bogie bolster with generator load plus two of his Decauville hopper wagons.   
Steve Mann brought along an assembly of brand-spanking-new baseboards, constructed with (much) assistance from Geoff Harper. Comprehensive carpentry chaps. Chippendale quality and rock-solid with 9mm ply boards on traditional 2x1 softwood framing and three-legged trestle supports with nifty mating-gate-hinge bracing (you had to be there to get it). Tops already primed for action and softwood sealed with the help of their good friend Matt Varnish. Forming a U-shape 6ft x 5ft overall and allegedly intended to accommodate 'Goodmannton MkII', the arrangement looks suspiciously like a bar counter at present.
Andrew Bizley showed elements of the 'Morston Quay' section of his North Norfolk Coast Narrow Gauge Railway layout (seen previously in this parish) including a well-preserved Superquick card farmhouse of 1964 vintage, Barleycorn Designs cottage kits and a windmill kit - all with an East Anglian architectural flavour - plus two stock boxes of rolling stock appertaining thereto.
There was one snippet of prototype-related news: Tim Williams let it be known that he had recently been elected as vice-chairman of the Bala Lake Railway Society. Quite right too, a worthy appointment to a worthy cause.
There was no book department this month, but Richard Johnson brought along a goodly supply of Welshpool & Llanfair literature for the browsing thereof plus a small stack of his G&H stacking stock boxes fully-stocked with his W&L (and other) stock for inspection.
Will King and Julien Webb attended admirably to bespoke tea'n'coffee production, whilst Peter Hardy and Paul Atkin subsequently coped equally admirably with washing up duty. Most admirable though, by some distance, was Hugh Freeman's generous catering contribution - chocolate and lemon drizzle cakes home-baked by Mrs Freeman. Tasty. Hugh cautioned that it wouldn't happen every week but we'll settle for once a month. Our grateful thanks to all.
We meet at Moorfield Hall, Hartshill Road, Shard End, Birmingham, B34 6QX from 7.30 to 9.30pm on the second Monday of every month. There is a nominal charge of £3.00 to cover the costs of hall hire and refreshments. Our next meetings will be held on 8th July, 12th August and 9th September 2019.  If you have any queries please contact Julien Webb at julienwebb@westmidlands009.co.uk .

<edited to reinstate the report, JulienW 13/11/2019

[JulienW]

Just to let you all know that I've just uploaded (to my Flickr account) some photos taken at the June group meeting, and as a bonus(!) there are also some photos from the May meeting.

May's photos are here

And June's are here.

[warbs]

Thanks Julian.
I think the monthly reports are an excellent initiative, made even better by the photos.

[MickT]

Thanks Julien, some excellent models and great to "share" in what is going on in the West Mids Group. Nice to see that Geoff Harper is able to participate again.

Mick

[Jeff Schumaker]

The photos give an added dimension to the meetings, particularly for those of us living across the pond. Thanks, Julien.

Jeff S.

[JulienW]

Just to mention that the next West Mids Group meeting takes place on July 8th at Moorfield Hall, Hartshill Road, Shard End, Birmingham, B34 6QX from 7.30 to 9.30pm.

Also the group is heavily involved in the SING (Stratford upon Avon Industrial and Narrow Gauge) Show taking place on the 3rd of August - more details here (this forum's diary page) and here (UK Model Shops directory event page)

[JulienW]

Just a reminder that the Group's next meeting is tomorrow evening...

[JulienW]

A little later than i planned (my fault!) but here is Angela's full report...

The 009 Society
West Midlands Area Group
Report of Area Group Meeting at 7.30pm on Monday 8th July 2019
Angela Baker, Model Reporter

Our average monthly attendance of twenty-four maintained our average by jointly attending our July area group meeting, albeit not necessarily the same twenty-four. But there was the usual above-average narrow gauge modelling, it has to be said.
Speaking of which, Hugh Freeman treated us to a repeat showing of his French HOe terminus layout, on which there was considerable progress, including track ballast, fencing, grass and other scenic sundries. Concealing the sector plate and fiddle road was a small forest of trees which will surely solve the global carbon emissions crisis. Representing the prototypical prolonged French lunch in the platform road was a Minitrains Joffre with a brace of Eggerbahn coaches which Hugh had Frenchified with short-wheelbase Peco 4-wheel wagon chassis. Tres nifty mon ami.
Peter Hardy's test track enjoyed a night of quiet quality. Will King ran his still-metal rarely-modelled 1880s era 'Prince' with half cab, being a Worsley Works kit on a Brian Madge chassis. Ben Powell gave a repeat run of his Tyneside Models 3D Kerr Stuart Sirdar 0-4-0T christened 'Vines', now with Minitrains chassis, hauling Mike Bizley's 3D kit bogie bolster with generator load, also seen last month whilst still in the ownership of Andrew Bizley (prior to Fathers' Day). In the ready-to-run division, Angela Baker readily ran the new Tillig MEG HOe 4-wheel railcar (that's Mittelbadische Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft to you and me) in handsome MEG blue-n-white livery.
Julien Webb brought along his test track/wannabe plank layout 'Xavier's Creek', still embryonic but now with track modifications involving swapping a Y point for a LH turnout allowing a straight exit to accommodate outboard cassettes, the latter being economically formed from plastic u-shaped 12mm pipe boxing. Geoff Harper enjoyed running Julien's 'Victoria', a super-size former HOn3 (10.5mm gauge) 2-8-0+tender Baldwin sugar plantation loco by Model Diecasting converted to 9mm gauge. We've seen it before but it still draws a crowd.
Mike Wall offered a repeat showing of 'Saturday Nite at the Duckpond', his micro-layout-in-a-sewing-box. This time, by relying on steam power, there was a scheduled service - Mike's Minitrains Bagnall Wing Tank hauling a short freight of Society kit wagons: two opens and a flat. The ducks were unmoved (but then they're only models).
Richard Johnson offered a track template demo (unofficially sponsored by Tracksetta) using 9'', 12'', 15'', 21'' and 30'' templates on a yard length of crazy track to create a series of reverse curves evocative of the curves on Golfa bank climbing out of Welshpool. Richard also showed a consist of recently acquired 009 rolling stock including two Bredgar & Wormshill coaches by Invicta, two Bredgar & Wormshill open wagons by Peco and a Peco van in Royal Mail livery by AGR all headed by Bachmann USA's 'Rheneas' and posing on an 18'' length of scenic track. The question of whether this consist might successfully negotiate the aforementioned reverse curves was not explored.
Representing HOm, John Davies presented his 3-foot-square French metre-gauge layout 'Aix en Pains' featuring scratch-built structures of real buildings including a genuine wine-barrel water tower and running a fleet of scratch-built locos on Triang TT chassis hauling a mixed consist.
Andi Nethercoat seemed to spend the entire evening pondering the best disposition of stands for his forthcoming Stratford-upon-Avon Industrial & Narrow Gauge Model Railway Show on Saturday 3rd August 2019 at the Methodist Church, Old Town, Stratford-upon-Avon, CV37 6BG - 20 layouts, 7 traders (including Squires) plus The 009 Society, all in aid of Brain Tumour Support. We're sure it'll be alright on the nite Andi (after it's all over, that is).
The identity of the sponsor(s) of this month's book department went unidentified but the three volumes enjoying much browsing were vaguely identified as relating to Feldbahn locos and Eastern European narrow gauge lines.
Will King and Hugh Freeman, plus Peter Hardy on tea-towel, earn our thanks for their kitchen exploits.
We meet at Moorfield Hall, Hartshill Road, Shard End, Birmingham, B34 6QX from 7.30 to 9.30pm on the second Monday of every month. There is a nominal charge of £3.00 to cover the costs of hall hire and refreshments. Our next meetings will be held on 12th August, 9th September and 14th October 2019. If you have any queries please contact Julien Webb at julienwebb@westmidlands009.co.uk .

<report reinstated 13/11/19>

[JulienW]

Just finished uploading them to Flickr.

Linky thing

[The Sales Team]

Is the Stratford show SING or STRING? - just wondering...

Anyway, just a note to remind your august Group that the Society Sales team are indeed hoping to be there (just in case there is any doubt, as the 'members sales attending' logo does not appear in the Diary entry in the News).

The Sales Team.

[JulienW]

It's SING,as I think that I'd prefer peoples off key singing to being strung up! ;D

Thanks for the reminder (I recently had confirmation from Lee Bryant too) but I noticed that the "sales stand is here" logo doesn't appear to have been on any of the diary entries in the latest 009 News where the sales team will be (like Pewsey) - problem with the formatting somewhere?

[The Sales Team]

Okay, SING it is (though I have a feeling STRING has appeared elsewhere).

It is not the first time the logo has been absent but I'm sure the Hon. Ed. is a busy man and little things like that are easily overlooked. But no worries as the show (albeit under yet a different name!) clearly appears in Lee's piece opposite the diary.

The Sales Team.