Oldham Goup

[Hugh Norwood]

Oldham Group meeting 9th July, 2025 cont/d.

There will be a Zoom meeting on August 13th (confirmed) starting at 8.00pm. Joining details will be circulated nearer the time.
Hopefully another get together in the church hall can be organised for the early autumn.

s.p.t. 14-7-25


Postscript:
I have been to visit Stuart's widow Jacqueline with a view to helping her to moving on some of Stuart's stock and accessories.

Some items may be of interest to group members – 009 stock, ratio & Will's stuff, scenics, etc. Some of his H0e stock may also be of interest – Liliput, Roco and Bemo. Most will probably end up going to the Society for the sales stand.

I will get a guide price for the locos from Society sales and notify all in this group.

Stuart's layout 'Martini' (featured in the 009 News a few years ago) is available to a good home – photos below. It is still in excellent condition and as Stuart served an apprenticeship of carpenter the workmanship is top notch. A donation to Kershaw's Hospice will probably be welcomed. Let me know if you may be interested.

Paul
{Paul is not on the forum, but if you send me a message I shall forward it to him - Hugh}

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[Hugh Norwood]

Oldham & NW Groups meeting 13th August, 2025.

Alan, Bob, Charlie, Hugh, Ian, Peter & Paul attended the meeting, held on Zoom.

Tony and Stuart had given their apologies.

Alan described how he made the chassis for his next project, the Ballymena and Larne Beyer Peacock 0-6-0 tank locomotive Number 6. He also showed a list of all the components he used and explained how many of these were no longer available due to the closure of the manufacturers. He is currently trying to source alternative suppliers particularly a replacement for Markits driving wheels.

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Bob showed pictures of the construction of a Fives-Lille locomotive (dating from 1875) of a type that ran on the line north from Porto to Povoa in Portugal.  He had removed various DCC-ready parts from the latest type of Grafar Class 08 chassis, and added outside cylinders.  The body was built from nickel-silver and brass, and two alternative cabs can be fitted, to give variety.  The model is 1:100 scale, meaning that 9mm gauge is spot-on for the line's original 3ft gauge (it was later converted to metre-gauge, and carried steam services into the 1970s).

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[Hugh Norwood]

Oldham & NW Groups meeting 13th August, 2025 cont/d.

Charlie showed us some pictures of his most recent project, a Penrhyn Double Fairlie This is based on a proposal by James Spooner to turn the Penrhyn Quarry Tramway into a fully-fledged public railway in the 1870s, and his proposals included both double and single Fairlies. The loco model is an adapted Bachmann 'Merddin Emrys', with the cab modified to have a higher and wider profile, the Penrhyn not having quite the tight clearances that the FR did. The coach with it is a Peco L&B all-3rd, cut down by one compartment.

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[Hugh Norwood]

Oldham & NW Groups meeting 13th August, 2025 cont/d.

Hugh used the PECO 15' N gauge wagon chassis with former TT tank wagons to create 4 new tankers – 2 for each user - for trains on Angst-Lesspork. New end supports were required with stays. The transfers were specially made for the tankers. At some point ladders may be fitted to complete the models.

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[Hugh Norwood]

Oldham & NW Groups meeting 13th August, 2025 cont/d.

Ian is continuing with the construction of his Scalescenes Canal Wharf box file diorama. This had made good progress since we had last seen the model.

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[Hugh Norwood]

Oldham & NW Groups meeting 13th August, 2025 cont/d.

Paul updated the group on various projects that had taken place since the previous Zoom meeting (Feb '25). These included the drawn-out construction of the Model Scene 1926 Thornycroft lorry; cab crew for the CVR No 4; altering a level crossing gate at Clogher and progressing the build of Clogher station (which is now nearing completion).

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There won't be a meeting in September, the next meeting will be in
Greenfield Methodist Church hall on Saturday 4th October (1.30pm – 4.00pm 'ish).

I hope to have various kits (Ratio, Wills and maybe others) and scenic materials from our former member Stuart's estate. This will be sold on a 'donation' basis, the monies collected will be presented to Dr Kershaws Hospice which is based in Oldham.

Following this there will be a meeting in Grasscroft on 12th November (starting at 8.00pm).
It is likely that the December meeting will be held on Zoom.

s.p.t. 20-8-25

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FR replica curly roof van No 1, 15th May, 2025 at Tan-y-Bwlch Station.

[Hugh Norwood]

Oldham Group meeting 4th October, 2025.

Alan G., Andrew, David E., David H., Ian, Nye, Tony, Peter, Philip, Rob M. and Paul attended the meeting held at Greenfield Methodist Church. We were pleased to welcome Frank to his first meeting.
There were apologies from Alan C., Alistair, Bob, Hugh, and Mark.

Andrew brought along one of Garry Whiting's loco's which had been slightly modified to run with stock including two renovated carriages from the OO9 sales table and a completed OO9 society kit of the Aussi open.

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My thanks to Andrew for sending the photo; I missed the opportunity at the meeting ... and the back drop is much better.

[Hugh Norwood]

Oldham Group meeting 4th October, 2025 cont/d.

David E came with a small flat pack resin kit, originally from the USA, for a centre cab diesel loco. This had been bought from the sales stand at the recent 009 Society Rainhill MRE. He intends to adapt it for a bogie motor unit he already has in stock.

David H brought along MEW Island (6,5mm gauge) where a 3D printed diesel loco and wagon ran happily around the track for the meeting. Along with this were N and 009 gauge loco's based on the 2-6-4T 'Jeeps' run by the NCC which hauled the spoil trains in Northern Ireland in the late '60's/early 70's. There were also examples of the spoil wagons in both scales.

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David had the latest print of the West Clare Walker railcars for Alan G.; a forthcoming project for Alan.

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The West Clare Railway railcar body – they were based on those running on the County Donegal Railway, hence the similarity.

[Hugh Norwood]

Oldham Group meeting 4th October, 2025 cont/d.


David had also regauged an inexpensive Chinese produced chassis to 12mm gauge. It was quite responsive to the controller (i.e. not slow to start running). The next task is to add outside cranks and coupling rods.

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This should make a useful chassis for those running 12mm gauge stock.




Ian showed his under-development DCC 'test track' with the locos and points operated from his phone. His next step is to link the signals with the routes chosen for the locos.

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The steam loco whizzing around the track (it wasn't going that fast) and caught on camera is a 'Skylark' 3D print from Fourdees.

[Hugh Norwood]

Oldham Group meeting 4th October, 2025 cont/d.

Nye brought his 0-9 layout Townshend Gardens to the meeting and ran a couple of locos with their stock. This is an interesting micro layout that is in a drawer type box and easy to carry around and exhibit.

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Tony brought Matthew & Son with stock. You may recognise the loco from the article 'Peter Piper Picked a Peck of Picked Peckett's' from the item in the September 009 News – it is the tram version of the MEW Peckett which runs on a Kato Chassis. The oil tankers were adapted by Tony from old Triang TT tankers.

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[Hugh Norwood]

Oldham Group meeting 4th October, 2025 cont/d.

Philip brought along a BEMO metre gauge "Crocodile" which he had repaired for someone he knew. This was given a thorough test on the Clogher board, including the negotiation of PECO points to test that all worked well. He also ran on the test track a Vale of Rheidol Railway tank loco – Philip had acquired and upgraded this and it had been the focus of discussion in a previous Zoom meeting.

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Paul had brought the central board of Clogher down. The completed station building was in place along with the almost completed Clogher 1st class coach, a brass kit from Branchlines.
This board also doubled as an 00n3 test track.

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There were two tables of kits and scenics, along with another table of railway books and magazines that had belonged to Stuart, a good friend and member of the group.

The 'donation sale' raised £295 for Dr Kershaw's Hospice; they gave much appreciated assistance to Stuart and family during the latter days of his illness, and his widow Jacqueline is a very committed volunteer at the hospice.

A big thank you to everyone who gave so generously.


The next meeting will be held in Grasscroft on Wednesday 12th November, starting at 8.00pm.

Zoom meetings have been requested for Wednesdays 10th December, 14th January and 11th February.

s.p.t. 16-10-25

[Frank Thornton]

Thoroughly enjoyed my first visit to the Oldham group meeting at the Greenfield Methodist Church.It was nice to meet up with very knowledgeable,like minded people who enjoy OO9.

[Hugh Norwood]

Oldham group meeting 12th November, 2025.

The meeting was attended by Alan, Bob, Charlie, Frank, Peter, Tony and Paul.

Apologies were received from Andrew, David E., David H., Hugh and Philip.

Alan brought along his latest completed locomotive, a model of the Ballymena and Larne Railway Beyer Peacock 0-6-0 tank engine No 6.

He also brought along many of the components he has acquired to start work on a future project, a Black Hawthorn 0-6-2T LLSR locomotive. He explained how he thought the gearbox drive could be on the centre axle, so the half cab's back plate did not obstruct the flywheel fitted to the motor.

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Photo courtesy Alan



Bob had almost completed his model of the PPF Fives Lille 0-6-0T (Fr 0-3-0T) in 3mm scale for use on his St-Trojan layout. We were all very impressed with the detail found on the loco (see group notes for June '25 for photos of the loco during construction). It runs on an adapted Farish 08 chassis, and very smoothly so. Just some coal and crew to add now.

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[Hugh Norwood]

Oldham group meeting 12th November, 2025 cont/d.

Charlie brought along locos and stock from his latest project 'Bangor; Penrhyn Railway'. Two Bachman Fairlies had been modified to represent the larger loading gauge the railway would have had should it have been extended and become a public carrier (there were no overbridges).

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There were also Victorian style coaches from Teamimmersion.com and a shortened PECO L&B coach, all finished in an attractive livery of Vallejo black-purple and Tamika white.

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[Hugh Norwood]

Oldham group meeting 12th November, 2025 cont/d.



There was also a Westcliffe Works 0-4-0T running on a Percy chassis, another loco destined for the Bangor, Penrhyn layout.

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Tony showed us an Atkinson Walker style loco from Narrow Minded Railworks that runs on a Kato chassis.
This had been painted and was in the process of being lined out with acrylic lining pens. The work was not yet completed and some touching will be completed when time (and a steady hand) allow. This prompted some conversation on loco lining and what group members were and were not able to do (Paul: I don't even try ...).

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Paul had focused on conpleting some started coach kits and Co Donegal Coach 30 (Worsley Works) was nearly complete and waiting for the seats to be installed (CDR railcar seats from Ducket Models).

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My thanks to Peter who was given the commission on the evening of providing photographs of the models we discussed (it helped as he was sat by straight track!).

The last remnants of Stuart's model railway 'extras' were distributed and subsequently at least one additional donation to Dr Kershaw's Hospice has been made (not a requirement, but gratefully acknowledged) bringing the total to £345.00.