Hello

Just a quick update seen as I haven’t updated the website for awhile.

• I have recently had to removed the guest book due to 11,500 spams being sent but not published due to restrictions. If you would like to get in contact in future then please use to the email address provide (Eagle1711@hotmail.com).

Rawtenstall –

• Rawtenstall is still progressing well with track work being laid up to the 5th section board. This has been halted due to the need to clear the layout in the 6th section board.
• Most of the trackwork has also been ballasted and the yard where the big warehouse is has had metcalfes cobbled sheets of card laid down.
• The large mill is now also fully complete and has been tried in position.
• Wiring for 75% of the layout has been completed with just recent sections to do.
• 

Ramsbottom –

Not much to report I’m afraid apart from that it seems to be running well but probably will need a few bits of maintenance so will have to compose a list next time I am down.

Dan

Hello All,

When we have been planning a new layout we have always tried to gather photographs, maps, plans and drawings which usually result in us asking on forums to which one person Chris Littleworth always comes to our rescue with signal box diagrams and track layouts. So in return we would to advertise his new book.

Signal Boxes on Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Lines: North and West of Manchester Part Two which will  include Many more diagrams, plus details of all the signal boxes in the area and many photographs, will be included; the book is to be published by the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Society.

This will be well worth a read and im sure we owe Chris a few pints so will be purchasing a copy or two.

Ramsbottom Model Railway Club

01/05/2014

Members Present: – Keith Cragg, Peter Hankinson, Dan Jones and Alex King.

Firstly it’s been awhile since we had any updates with regards to the website, layouts, members etc so here goes.

Member news

Adrian Hall paid us a visit last week. Adrian doesn’t really get the time to visit us much as he lives in Spain so when he does it’s always nice to see an old friend.

Layout News

Ramsbottom – No news to report.

Unnamed Layout – Rawtenstall

• So it has been decided that the new layout will be Rawtenstall. The layout will be an end to end layout starting at the level crossing on Bury Road (Rawtenstall East) and finish after the level crossing on New Hall Hey Road (Rawtenstall West).
• The new layout will have features such as Goods Warehouse, Level Crossings, Cattle Docks, a Pedestrian Underpass, Coal Yard and the River Irwell.
• Keith has laid a sheet of cork down and has made a start with track laying. He has started on the station and run around loops.
• Point motor holes have been cut in the cork and base boards.
• Power supply wires have been made and soldered onto sections of track.
• All point motors have had longer wires to make the job of wiring them up under the layout a bit easier.
• A start on research has begun for suitable photographs, maps and drawings have begun to help us complete this layout. These have come from various websites, Google street view, books etc and give some great views, maps, plans and previous unseen photographs.
• Alan has decided to donate some of his buildings from his own personal layout that he has decided to shorten. These include a 2 road engine shed, a through station with a model of Ramsbottom station footbridge and Tottington Station, factory, houses and other small buildings.
• Alan has made a start on the large goods shed that sits behind the station. He has cut out one side using a sheet of balsa wood then lined with brick paper.
• Dan has made a start on the station signal box. All four sides and the roof sections have been cut. These have been scoured to show planking.

Dimensions

• Section 1 -54inch x 36inch
• Section 2 – 24inch x 36inch
• Section 3 – 40inch x 36inch
• Section 4 – 25inch x 36inch 
• Section 5 – 40inch by 24inch

Each section is made up of a frame work of soft wood which is generally 2inch x 3inch which has a cross frame with 1inch x 2ich. Only section 1 is slight different being made up of frame 1inch by 3inch soft wood due to being a later addition.

Other News

• The website has had a facelift with a different theme and colour scheme. Every section has been looked at with new information added where possible. New sections have been added including events and members. More details can be found at www.ramsbottommrc.org.uk.
• Two weeks ago an old member Chris Hill payed us a visit. Chris was an original member from 1978-1984. He also was involved in a few open days in the early years.
• Our new neighbors have also been into the club house lately to see our layouts and gave us there blessing to carry on supplying the water.
• Some of the old articles of the club when we have been in the local press have been laminated to help protect them for years to come and others to enjoy.

Ramsbottom Model Railway Club

06/03/2013

Members Present: – Keith Cragg, Alan Garside, Dan Jones and Alex King.

Firstly it’s been awhile since we had any updates with regards to the website, layouts, members etc so here goes.

Member news

• Matthew Milburn has decided to call it a day with our club due to work, family and other commitments. Matthew was a quiet lad who always had a good eye for scenery and buildings. He will be sadly missed and the door will be always being open if he decides to return.
• We were sorry to learn of the news that our first chairman Harry Dennis passed away recently after suffering from dementia. It was Harry’s idea back in 1978 to put together the club with others although in his later years he wasn’t able to attend as much as he would of linked due to poor health, he will be missed and remembered by all.

Layout News

Ramsbottom – Not really much to report except that we put all tools down over two weeks to run the program. It highlighted a few errors in the track work, program diagrams but all in all was a success and enjoyed by all. We hope to do this more often. The layout on the whole could do with a good clean up and the tracks giving a good scrub.

Bacup Shed –  A couple of weeks ago it was decided that we should possibly head in a different direction with Bacup Shed. This was due to many factors such as damp, mdf base board, continuous problems with the peco turntable (whole other story) and continous faults with trackwork and wiring. It was decided that the layout couldn’t really offer much in terms of interest. So with great regret it has now been stripped and a new layout will take its place but we have no name yet. Scrapped 27-02-14.

Unnamed Layout – So the fun begins all over again. The new layout will be a countryside layout similar to a GWR branch line…..but LMS/BR region with DCC and hopefully sound. It will be an end to end layout with a fiddle yard at one end. We are hoping to have a small/medium sized station, cattle dock, goods shed, small engine shed and sidings but with lots of scenery and plenty to do. We realized that Bacup shed would only give you so much to do due to it only being a shed. This way you can have 2/3 coach trains, wagons, tankers, box vans, light engine movements and more happening even at once due to it being dcc. The reason for LMS/BR region is so that way we can use existing stock between Ramsbottom and the new layout. Just have to remember to remove or add the chips first. We also did look at some real life locations such as Ewood Bridge, Summerseat and Holcombe Brook but decided to go free lance.

• The four sections were stripped down for part recovery which included wiring, track, points, point motors, pits, turntable, components and ballast. Most of this will be reusable and with other bits probably go for sale.
• MDF top boards were removed and donated to a person who has a wood burner.
• Frame work has been repaired, made stronger in places using L shaped brackets with bigger stronger wooden legs
• 2x large chip board sections that Keith brought down when we were originally doing Bacup have been put on top of the frame work to see above measurements etc. Although a little warped these will be brought into place once screwed down. When Roger was alive he had brought down some old kitchen units and work tops well some of these are still around and will be used as baseboards for the new layout. These have been brought out of store to see about sizes.
• The current thickness ranges from 2cm down to 1 ½cm so there will be some packing to do to get a continuous level.
• Alan has been evicted from his table in the corner due to extending this layout into the corner. Alan has now found a new home on the table next to it which was originally a computer desk. The table in the corner is one of these where it extends and has been in the extended position well now it’s been reduced and pushed right into the corner to give more room and a solid base to mount the extension on.
• Alan has had to move all his materials and equipment from the corner. These will be mounted to the wall and he has said he will have a good sort out to reduce the clutter.
• A damp proof course membrane will be fitted to run the length of the wall where the layout will be. This will prevent the damp from touching the layout.

Other News

• Our neighbors at No3 are in the process of moving house so we thought it would only be right to get them a little going away presents to show our appreciation for the help and support they have shown us over the last few years (after all they do supply us with water). A bottle of wine and a £10 gift card for next were the order of the day.
• A new dehumidifier has been ordered from Amazon due to the other playing up from time to time. This will hopefully be here within 3-5 working days so by this time next week we will have it. This will allow us when we get time to have a look at ours and maybe have two working one day. This should help the building get a little dryer. The dehumidifier also has a tube which we can place into the sink for continuous running so no need to empty anymore.
• The website will be getting a general make over with a new template, decluttered and reworked once my current work on www.burystandard4group.org.uk has been completed which should be too long now.
• We are also looking into the possibility of getting rid of our gas heaters with the replacements of either electric heaters or storage heaters. We will need to investigate and do our homework first. This is due to the rising cost of gas over the last 3 years. This has risen from £83 for 6 bottles to £87 just for 3 bottles!! If anyone has had any storage heaters fitted with then we would like you to get in touch with regards to costing, suppliers etc.

Harry Dennis

I received a phone call last night around 7.30pm from Roger who is Harrys son to inform me and the club of Harrys passing earlier that morning.

Harry was one who first came up with the idea of forming a club without him maybe we would never of existed. He was our first chairman who seemed to dedicate a large of his time to club and its aims.

In the later years of his life he couldnt attend as much as he would of liked due to his wife having dementia and needing full time care but when he did he would come down, run the layout and let us know of any faults.

Harry was a local postman serving the local town of Ramsbottom which led him to work with our chairman Alan Gartside and the late Roger Wilson.

Rest In Peace Harry, you will be missed by all of us from the club.

Dan