Page 14 - September October 2000

BLACK DIAMONDS
Next Meets: 14 Oct/26 Nov/9 Dec (Divn. Meet) New venue – Kegworth Village Hall
Barrie Foster Tel. 01332 812259
CALDER NORTHERN
Regular meets: 8 Oct/11 Nov/16 Dec
at Bardsley Hall, Wharf Road, Altrincham.
Geoff Meek Tel. 0161 926 8339
CENTRAL DIVISION MIDWEST Sub-Division... John Parker Tel. 01527 542245
CYDER BELT
3rd Sunday Claverton Village Hall
Derek Frow Tel. 01225 832934
Bring & Buy available, contact Bob as below: Also Open House at Derek’s 1st Wed from 8pm. AVON VALLEY Sub-Division... Avon/Somerset/Wiltshire. Contact Bob Taylor on 0117 983 6036 before 9.30pm.
THREE COUNTIES Sub-Division... Hereford/Gloucester/Worcester.
Contact Rod Welch on 01452 830952
EASTERN
Meets: 8 April/Late Summer Meet 19 Aug
Mike Arnold Tel: 01702 584081 THAMESIDE Sub-Division... Essex/Suffolk South.
Contact Mike Arnold on 01702 584081 GRAND UNION Sub-Division... Herts/Cambs South
Contact John Baggaley on 01442 873914 FEN TIGERS Sub-Division... Norfolk/Cambs North/Suffolk North
Contact Mike Browning on 01366 388624
LONDON
Rai Fenton Tel. 0181 524 1645
NORTH EAST
AMERICAN RAILROADERS Ken Dickson Tel. 01670 590905
NORTH EAST (VIKING DIVISION)
Paul Atkinson Tel. 01423 864762
NORTHERN IRELAND
Informal get togethers on the 3rd Tuesday of each month, anyone interested please phone... Desmond Browne Tel. 023 9029 8866 NEW
RED DRAGON (WALES) DIVN.
Meets at Conservative Club, Cadoxton, Barry.
Next Meets: 9 September/11 November
Norman Carey Tel. 029 2056 4505
SOUTH-EASTERN DIVN.
Meets last Friday of the month at Montefiore Hall, Three Bridges. Open Day 13 May Peter Wilson Tel. 01892 750122
SW&N (SWANS)
Stanwell, Windsor & Northolt - for anyone within reach of Western M25
Charles Hendy Tel. 01895 637043
WESTERN UNION (SOUTH WEST)
Meets at Hill Top Community Centre, Tamer- ton, near Plymouth.
Plymouth Meets: 16 Sept/18 Nov
Exeter Meets: Call for details
Richard Smith Tel. 01208 76147
SOUTHERN (D&H - DORSET/HANTS)
Meets at Limelights, Leroyed Road, Canford Heath, Poole, Dorset. Next Meet:
Russ Cook Tel. 01202 679263
THAMES VALLEY
High Wycombe & District Club American section meets fortnightly on Mondays. Dave Fryer Tel. 01494 439755
WHITE HORSE
Ted Smale Tel. 01865 730455
John Hey’s column, aimed at providing members with useful contact information and keeping everyone in touch with what’s going on around the Region.
Region Publicity Officer...
JOHN HEY, 69 Stonebridge Drive, EAST LEAKE, Leicestershire LE12 6JW.
Tel/Fax 01509 852803
E-mail: Jheytrains@aol.com
On the right is a list of contacts and regular meeting dates - all are subject to change without notice, so please call the appropriate number to confirm.
Will all Division leaders please keep me informed of forthcoming meets so that ROUNDHOUSE can publicise them.
Out and about with NMRA (BR)
RAINHILL 2000
Geoff Meek
Despite being the hottest Sunday so far this year, and also Fathers’ Day (a good excuse to buy yourself a present) and the middle of the holiday season, the event went
very well indeed.
Numbers were down on last year but even so the event paid its way and contributed to Region funds, so everyone was happy.
Once again, a good collection of layouts included Calder Northern’s modular HO and N scales. At present the N scale group are working on a new concept for the Region convention in October so they once again showed the existing modules by Gary Abrams and Colin Raw. The HO modules were the work of Dave Gunn, Peter Makin, with another three under construction for the convention by Eric White, Mike Gray and Brian Neville called Pittsford Mills. They look as tough they will be worth the wait. Some scenery is complete but much still requires to be done. Both layouts ran well throughout the day and were host to many and varied consists.
Alan Rodgers had his well known Calder flats Hon3 layout...
...depicting a typical railroad town in Colorado, that has seen better days. The buildings are worthy of note - all of them scratchbuilt by Alan. The mine at the right hand end of the layout is a real beauty. I’m sure these will figure highly in Alan’s achievement programme, as indeed they should
“Modesto” in HO is another
winner by Bill Gates...
...this was its first public showing. Bill told me it wasn’t finished but I didn’t expect to see such superb detail. Bill certainly burned the midnight oil getting it ready for Rainhill. The switching moves possible really made you think. It never ceases to amaze me how often you can find yourself with the loco at the wrong end (always listen to the operator!) Once again, presentation was superb.
“Madison Iowa” was another brilliant conception by the one and only Roger Nicholls...
...again very simple trackwork but plenty to keep you enthralled. All the items featured are easily available from the trade. Roger is always happy to answer questions and I’ll bet there were plenty on the day. This layout also features excellent presentation to the public.
CONVENTION NEWS
Northampton 2001
Nobby Clarke is in charge of acquiring layouts for the 2001 Convention in the Northampton Moat House Hotel, and would like to hear from anybody who would like to exhibit.
Contact him on 01604-414694, or Steve Quick on 0116-2128186
Black Diamonds Special
Christmas Division Meet
This meet will take place in a new venue – the Humphrey Perkins School at Bar- row upon Soar, near Loughborough, Leics. on Saturday 9th December 2000.
It will be your chance to buy that extra special christmas present for yourself (or a friend!), or just to play trains.
Full details will follow in the next issue of Roundhouse.
And also Black Diamonds...
John Hey is no longer the contact for the Black Diamond Division - all enquiries should now be directed to Barrie Foster on 01332 812259.
Northern Ireland
Please note that Des Browne has a new telephone number - 023 9029 8866.
OBITUARY
(Sent in by Charles Adcock)
Tom Pick MMR of Kingston Ontario, died on 10th June 2000. Tom emigrated to Canada from Lincolnshire after WW2, and was a life member of the NMRA.
He had many friends in the British Region and his extensive CN-based layout, the ‘Lincoln & Ontario’, was always popular with visitors.
He leaves a widow, Dorothy.
14 ROUNDHOUSE