Model Railway Club - stories/history

[jtaylor]

See below - request for info from a student someone at CH, would be great to help them out - post any replies/info, and I'll pass on to the school via the school office (current pupils aren't allowed to post on the forum, due to school policy.)

Hi!

Re. the CH Model Railway Club. We're now based in the Museum (which has recently been refurbished and is well worth a visit!) and run a OO gauge layout with stock from a previous iteration ('80s/'90s?) as well as an N gauge layout representing CH Station in the '60s - before Beeching wrecked it - which is on permanent display in one of the new Museum exhibits.

On to the point though - we know various bits of information about the history of the Club, but it's a bit like a jigsaw with lots of missing pieces at the moment. So, if anyone has any information/stories about former iterations of the MRC, please do share them!

Many thanks in advance.

Julian

[Otter]

I remember in the mid-90s it was in a little garage between the Scout Hut and the CDT building, behind the Dining Hall. It was run by Revd Chris Robinson (husband of Elspeth Robinson of Food & Nut fame).

I remember the layout was inspired by Box Hill in the Downs - a few circuits around the outside and then going quite steep in the middle. No idea about the technical specs I'm afraid, I was just in it to play with the trains.

[AStaverton]

I was at CH in the 50s (1950s!) and a member of the Railway Club for a short time. Its layout was housed in a small building next to the then Lord Wakefield Scout Hut. The master in charge was Mr Ronald CROSLAND, senior physics master. My most striking memory (from about 1950) was a Club visit to the Horsham Shunting Yard and being on the footplate of a shunting steam engine while it was in motion. My hand was on the regulator (speed control) while it was moving. I cannot say that I actually drove it, for the driver also had his hand on it.

Do please tell the Forum readers what the Club's current activities are? S Staverton