A magnificent image from Swansea’s past and so much is still recognisable. Kitson tank 47003 crossing the South Dock swing-bridge in September 1963. Photo by John Wiltshire and posted with permission from John Brabham.

COMMENT

August is traditionally a flat month for the newsletter as so many are away on holiday, but this August’s edition is different and contains news of two significant club developments, both of which will help us to develop further. It’s been good, too, to see members drifting back on Wednesdays and Thursdays: the numbers are slowly picking up again [with a couple of new members attending as well, and welcome!]. Work has recommenced on ‘Box’ also and sees a complete rewiring taking place. There have been mutterings, too, about the need for a stock-sale but this, and those developments referred to above, are covered in more detail below. So read on!

THE ANNUAL SHOW

To answer a couple of questions raised by members recently, unfortunately we will not be holding our annual show this year. Quite apart from having lost our venue [Margam Orangery], organising an event so late in the year would be well-nigh impossible and, in any case, uncertainty still surrounds the situation with regard to the Covid issue. Next year however, we hope to be back on line with a show held during late September [possibly the third weekend of the month] and at a different venue [possibly Pentrehafod School] as the Orangery is fully committed for weddings throughout the year. This is simply an update to answer queries and all will be confirmed in due course.

NEW ROOMS FOR THE CLUB

Even though our existing premises are quite roomy, space is always at a premium as layout builds are demanding in terms of acreage and they seem to create masses of clutter also. Consequently, further development would be impossible without some expansion. Having to rely on the clock tower room for stock-sale storage is also become wholly untenable as it is poorly lit, for your elderly Committee members [!] it is difficult to access, a potential fire hazard and fills up far too quickly anyway. All of this led Noel Blows and I to consider other space within FOYD and, after discussions with FOYD management and with subsequent approval given by the SRMG Committee, we have taken over use of three rooms within the first floor flat: the large living room, the kitchen and the adjoining small bathroom. The kitchen and bathroom have been completely stripped out, with the bathroom space being converted into a fully shelved store room for stock-sale items and the kitchen area left vacant for discussion over future use. The large room has been redecorated, properly lit and carpeted and will be used to display a recently donated layout, of which more below. The rooms are lockable.

FOYD has generously agreed a 12-month rent holiday for these additional premises on condition that SRMG funds the works to convert them entirely and also relocates the toilet facility elsewhere within the building. These works, undertaken by Nick Kerslake, are ongoing. Importantly, we have also been able to agree a notice period with FOYD: each is required to give the other six months’ notice of any request to quit / intention of quitting. This is the first time that we have been able to agree a such safeguard and it is welcome.

Finally, FOYD has also agreed to replace the skylight windows on our top floor at their expense, having secured a grant to cover the works. This is unlikely to take place in the immediate future however.

The total cost to ourselves of refurbishing / altering these new rooms will be substantial, but around 90% of it will be covered by the late John Rogers’ bequest which we held back until a suitable project could be found for it.

So, all in all, a significant development.

A MAJOR DONATION TO THE CLUB

A couple of weeks back I received a phone call – completely out of the blue – from a retired Swansea businessman who asked whether the club would like to accept his ‘OO’ DCC layout as a donation. A brief discussion followed which suggested that this was almost too good to be true and I accepted immediately, in principle, over the phone. Noel Blows and I visited him a week later to view the layout and accepted the incredibly generous offer on the spot. It is large [a footprint of around 13ft x 17ft], fully detailed scenically, runs on Kato track with Kato DCC control equipment and cost in excess of £15000 to create. All of the rolling stock is included and the locos are fitted with sound. Some photos and a video of it are shown below…….

Although the layout was built into a cabin, a team comprising myself, Gwion Davies, Mal Rowe, John Allnutt and Ted Hylton dismantled it over a day-and-a-half and delivered it to the club. It now resides in many sections and boxes in the largest of the first floor flat rooms, awaiting reassembly. This will not happen immediately as the club’s two exhibition layouts [Downton Road and Box] need completion but, hopefully, work will commence on the donated layout in about two or three months.

It goes without saying that had we not been able to acquire the additional premises we would have been in something of a bind as we had accepted the layout before we had anywhere to put it! As an offer, it was just too good to refuse however, as I’m sure you will all agree.

STOCK SALE

We have now taken in three collections of stock to test, sort and price for the next sale. The lots comprise and N gauge collection [mentioned last month], a smaller OO collection and a

large amount of modelling materials ideal for those who are building layouts. There is also a fair amount of track included in the sale. Some may also be interested in a pair of Hornby Dublo / Wrenn two-rail Castle class locos. There is so much to do sorting through these lots it is still too early to give a date for the sale, but I am anticipating something being held during the last week of September or first week of October.

AND FINALLY…….

Even though we cannot host a show this year, some are still taking place. Ted Hylton kindly supplied the following details of imminent events for those who might be interested:

12 Sept – a show at St Athan Aviation [near Llantwit Major]
25 Sept – Bala Lake Railway
1/2/3 Oct – Taunton MRG at Bishops Lydiard Station
23 Oct – Carmarthen Modellers
30/31 Oct – Cheltenham show
13 Nov – Westbury O Gauge Show
20/21 Nov – Thornbury MRS show

Details for the above can probably be found on line or in The Railway Modeller. There are other shows being held also but, unfortunately, I do not have their details. If you intend attending any of the above, do check for cancellations before travelling.

Best wishes all

Tony