| Chairman’s Weekly Message 22nd April 2025
Hello all.
Many thanks to our treasurer Dave for doing the weekly report last week, while I was away for a few days.
A big well done to Roland and his team at the York Show, who represented our club to a high standard with his ‘Yorkshire Pennines’ layout. I think we had more advertising around his layout for our show than the York show had for theirs!!!
After we suffered one or two cancellations for our Pickering show, it's now looking much better. Roland spoke to other exhibitors at York, and I think we now have the extra layouts needed for the show.
Some members have been at the club today clearing up and checking our layouts in readiness for Saturday's Open Day.
Tomorrow we just need a final push with the cleaning and we’ll be all ready. Linda and Madge have volunteered to look after the catering and I’ll speak with you all tomorrow about staffing the layouts.
We need to assemble ‘Low Fell’ in the upper workshop and ‘Possil Halt’ in the lower workshop. ‘Durham Street’ and ‘Napier Road’ are already up and running and I’m just waiting to see if Jim needs any help with his Marklin layout.
‘Grosmont’ will need to be moved back a little giving us more space for our visitors.
Whilst we’ll be opening officially at 11am on Saturday, we’ll be at the club from 9-30am in order to get things up and running for the arrival of our guests.
I’ve had a call from Mike Page who at the moment isn’t feeling to good, so he won’t be with us for the rest of this week. Hopefully, it won’t be long before he’s back. I’m sure you’ll all join me in wishing him a speedy recovery.
Opening tomorrow will be along the lines of previous meetings.
Many thanks Ian
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Weekly update (14th April 2025)
Dear members
In Ian’s absence, I have been asked to write this week's communication.
Your committee held a meeting in the clubroom last Wednesday, The committee were pleased to welcome Mike Jones and David Hurd who both accepted the open invitation, sent to all members to attend.
The draft committee meeting minutes are now on the website. (click here)
Some important dates for your diaries-
Wednesday 23rd April - there will be a meeting beginning at 3pm to discuss our forthcoming May exhibition.
On the same day we will also need to prepare the clubroom for it's open day on Saturday 26th April. This will involve a general clean and setting up of layouts. So, the more of us who can attend the easier it will be.
We also need as many members as possible to attend the open day to help run layouts, greet visitors and organise refreshments.
Week commencing the 28th April begins the tasks of putting out roadside signs and delivering flyers and posters in and around Scarborough, its shops, outlying villages, caravan parks, tourist attractions etc to promote our exhibition.
I cannot emphasise enough the importance of these tasks, although roadside signs are carefully managed for safety reasons, all of us can go out and deliver the flyers/posters.
It is this marketing campaign that brings in the paying public which in turn delivers a healthy surplus for the clubs survival.
Further dates for you to consider are the 5/6th July, as the club has received an invitation from the Scarborough Spa to take part in its celebration of the Cliff Railways 150th anniversary. More information to follow...
Also, subject to confirmation, we have been invited to exhibit at the NYMR steam gala. It’s a five day event including setting up, Dates are 24th to the 28th September. Although preparations for this are in their infancy it’s helpful for us to know member's availability.
Usual arrangements around this Wednesday's club opening times apply.
Thank you
David Pywell
SDRM Treasurer
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Chairman’s weekly report and committee report 8th April 2025
Hello all,
This report is my normal weekly report but will also be my report for the committee meeting which takes place tomorrow at 11am at the club. As mentioned previously, club members are welcome to attend the meeting should they wish.
Since our last committee meeting much work has been undertaken at the club especially with our layouts. Napier Road has been out and about at shows where it has been well received. This has resulted in invites to other shows. I think at my last count we now have six invites covering this year and into next. As co-ordinator for the layout, I have pushed forward in getting club members involved with the running of the layout and attending shows. If you would like to help with the running of the layout, please have a word with me and I’ll explain what’s involved.
The new 00 layout ‘Grosmont’ now has track laid, again thanks to members who have volunteered their time in getting the layout to where it is now.
Roland and I have spent much time in organising the 2025 Scarborough and Pickering shows, where at the moment everything’s in place for Scarborough. Pickering on the other hand has been causing us a few problems. Unfortunately we have some of our exhibitors cancel due to various reasons. With this in mind, we have been in contact with previous exhibitors to see if they have other layouts that could attend, and we are currently awaiting further information.
April 26th will see our special open day at the club, where hopefully specially invited guests from other clubs will join us to see what we do and also view our layouts that will be assembled in the clubrooms. We will be putting on refreshments and I would ask that if you are able to help, be it running the layouts, or helping with the catering, it would be greatly appreciated.
My fellow committee members will be putting forward their own reports, so please don’t worry if some things are mentioned more than once!
The York show will be with us in the next couple of weeks and I’m sure you’ll join me in wishing Roland all the best when he’s there with ‘Yorkshire Pennines’.
Jim has had further contact from NYCC regarding the Spa cliff lift 150 year celebrations on the weekend of 5/6th July. He will bring us up to date with the information received on Wednesday.
If you’re attending the committee meeting tomorrow it starts at 11am and will be followed by our normal club day. As we will be at the club from 11am, it will stay open after the committee meeting for those who attend. If you are coming later, the usual start will be 2pm with closing as usual after 6pm.
Many thanks Ian
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An invitation from our Secretary (2nd April 2025)
Dear All,
Just a note to let you know that there will be an SDRM Committee Meeting next Wednesday morning (9th April) at 11.00 in the clubroom. The meeting will cover a number of topics but mainly the forthcoming “Open Day” and the May exhibition in Scarborough. If there are any issues which you consider should be discussed then please let me know as soon as possible so that I can prepare the Agenda.
It has been suggested on a number of occasions that members should be invited to attend Committee meetings in order to view how the Committee operates, and this offer is extended once again to anyone who wishes to attend. The Committee wishes to urge members to do so particularly as there are two vacant positions on the Committee. If you think that you might wish to attend please let me know so that we can arrange sufficient seating!
Jim Howie
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Chairman’s weekly message 1st April 2025
Hello all,
Great to see members working on our ‘Grosmont’ layout last week and it looks as though we’re nearly there with all the track laying. I ordered some more bus wire, as we only had one of the colours we need for wiring all the droppers. I’m pleased to say this has now arrived so we should be able to start work on wiring shortly. I’m looking at ordering some 1.5mm plywood for the platform tops and will be asking our treasurer if we are allowed buy some!
We will need to look at which layouts are going to be in use when we hold our open day on the 26th April. I will have a word with all the co-ordinators to see if we can get all into a good working order within the clubrooms. As well as layouts, we need to finish off clearing and tiding both clubrooms to help make room for them. In other words, we need a spring clean!
Tomorrow, we will open as usual at 2pm. If you are going to attend in the evening, please phone or send me a text before 6pm, so arrangements can be made for the clubroom to stay open. My phone number is 07966 230271If no texts arrive, we will see who is still at the club and close to suit around 7-30pm.
Many thanks Ian
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Chairman’s Weekly Message 25th March 2025
Hello all,
Last weekend saw some of our members out at model railway and railway events. Roland was at Driffield attending the Wolds Railway model railway show with ‘Arncliffe’, his grandson’s ‘00’ layout, and was assisted by Mike Jones and John Yard. Dave Pywell is at Pickering with his trade stand attending the NYMR special event which has A4 loco ‘Sir Nigel Gresley’ as special guest for a week or so. Dave is attending for the whole visit.
Roland and I were at the club yesterday going over all the visiting layouts in order to set up insurance for the Scarborough show, which is fast approaching. We have also been at the club today with members who are involved with the building of our new ‘Grosmont’ layout, where we are now close to having all the track in position in readiness for wiring. The additional new dates for the Scarborough Show roadside signs are now in stock, so hopefully tomorrow we should be able to fix them in place.
Tomorrow, we will open as usual at 2pm. If you are going to attend in the evening, please phone or send me a text before 6pm, so arrangements can be made for the clubroom to stay open. My phone number is 07966 230271If no texts arrive, we will see who is still at the club and close to suit around 7-30pm.
Many thanks Ian
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Chairman’s Weekly Message 18th March 2025
Hello all,
Work continues with track laying on the club’s new layout ‘Grosmont’. Could those of you working on the layout please bring a few tools with you this week! We need to finally decide on the fiddle yard/traverser arrangements.
I hope to be working on Napier Road, moving that buffer stop back a bit to enable the double-headed locos to fit in the siding.
Roland will be bringing the new dates for the roadside signs. As some of these will be in use this coming weekend, we need to get the signs updated this Wednesday.
Don’t forget our Open day (26th April). We’ll need to ensure we’ve tidied the Clubrooms before we greet our guests.
Work will soon start on promoting our Spring Show. We’ll need to put out the roadside signs and distribute fliers to holiday parks and tourist attractions. We’ll chat about this on Wednesday. For both of these activities, we’ll need plenty of help…
Tomorrow, we will open as usual at 2pm. If you are going to attend in the evening, please phone or send me a text before 6pm, so arrangements can be made for the clubroom to stay open. My phone number is 07966 230271
If no texts arrive, we will see who is still at the club and close to suit around 7-30pm.
Many thanks Ian
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Chairman’s Weekly Message 11th March 2025
Hello all,
Last week saw a start with track laying on the clubs new layout ‘Grosmont’. It was great to see a good group of members all keen to help with the build. After many years of building layouts, from home ones to show ones, and working with ‘N’ , ‘00’ and ‘0’ gauge, I’m finding this new Bullhead rail the most difficult I’ve worked with. The track is very fine and extremely flexible and as such is very hard to work on. We will be working on the layout tomorrow, where hopefully we’ll be able to move forward after completing the most difficult part of the track, the point and double slip fixing.
We still have a bit of tidying to complete but that shouldn’t take too long.
All the Scarborough show signs are now out of the loft and Roland will, by the time you read this message, have ordered the new dates that need putting on the them.
Our secretary Jim has had an email from North Yorkshire County Council with information about a special event covering 150 years of the Spa cliff lift. We will discuss ideas of how we may be able help with this tomorrow at the club, where your ideas will be most welcome.
Tomorrow, we will open as usual at 2pm. If you are going to attend in the evening, please phone or send me a text before 6pm so arrangements can be made for the clubroom to stay open. My phone number is 07966 230271. If no texts arrive, we will see who is still at the club and close to suit around 7-30pm. Many thanks Ian
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Chairman’s weekly report 4th March 2025
Hello all,
Last week saw both our ‘O’ gauge layouts up and running. With help from members, we connected up all the electrics on Durham Street and switched it on. It’s well over a year since the layout has been in use and amazingly it ran perfectly straight away, we didn’t even have to clean the track!
On Monday, Roland and I were at the club to meet the new firm that’s taken over from Regal Security, who have looked after our fire alarm system. We did need a couple of things updating, which has been sorted with everything now in full working order. Certification to follow in due course...
I’ve been reminded by Roland that we need to get all our Scarborough show signs out of the loft in readiness for changing the dates that we have to do every year. Once we have them down, we can see how many new dates and sizes will be needed. Hopefully we can do this tomorrow and it should only take a few minutes.
We will, in the near future, be arranging a Scarborough Show meeting at the club to go over all our plans for the May weekend. It has been suggested that the meeting takes place in the afternoon instead of the evening. I personally agree with this as most members are in the club during the afternoon. I’ll give you plenty of notice to when we’re having the meeting.
On Wednesday, we will open as usual at 2pm. If you are going to attend in the evening, please phone or send me a text before 6pm so arrangements can be made for the clubroom to stay open. My phone number is 07966 230271. If no texts arrive, we will see who is still at the club and close to suit up to 7-30pm.
Many thanks Ian
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Chairman's weekly update 25th Feb 2025
Hello all,
Thanks to all who helped to sort and move the various bits and pieces in the lower clubroom last week whilst I was away. I think we are gradually getting there with sorting things into some sort of order. We’ve still got a little more to sort and hopefully this will be done in the next couple of weeks.
I was at the club on Friday morning with David Hurd and a friend who is interested in joining the club. While together, the three of us managed to assemble ‘Napier Road’, which is now in useable condition.
On Wednesday I hope to make further progress with assembling ‘Durham Street’ and would welcome help in doing this. It’s just connecting up the wiring and placing the buildings in place after which the layout should be in working order.
The main reason for having ‘Durham Street’ working is so we can put it up for sale. In line with our club rules (see below) the committee are therefore offering it for sale to you the members first.
LAYOUTS
11/8. When a layout, rolling stock, or pieces of equipment, have been deemed by the committee to have outlived its useful life to the Club, they may be offered for sale, in the first instance, to Club members and then to persons outside the Club, at a price agreed by the Committee. If no immediate buyer is found, the items may be sold by auction.
If anyone is interested in purchasing the layout please have a word with me. If it is not sold to a club member we will offer it for sale publicly.
The main reason for arranging an open day in April is it may attract an offer for the layout from another club.
Tomorrow, we will open as usual at 2pm. I understand that some members work and can’t attend in the afternoon so, if you are going to attend in the evening, please phone or send me a text before 6pm so arrangements can be made for the clubroom to stay open. My phone number is 07966 230271
If no texts arrive we will see who is still at the club and close to suit up to 7-30pm
Many thanks Ian
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Chairman's weekly update 18th Feb 2025
Hello all,
As I’ll be away for a few days next week, I won’t be at the club on Wednesday. (OK that’s enough cheering) So, I’m doing my weekly message a bit earlier.
Many thanks to all who helped last week with the club clear up, we seem to be getting there with the club tidy. John and I were in the club on Thursday clearing the cupboard in the lower clubroom. All that was in the cupboard is now near the test track and will need sorting. Anyone with any idea’s on what we do with it all please speak to John. We’ve managed to allocate a cupboard upstairs for all the electrical things we hold and I think quite a few items downstairs could be re-located in this cupboard.
Durham Street has been assembled and Napier Road is now in the upper clubroom and will be assembled when I get back to the club.
Roland, John and I were at the club on Friday morning going over the plans for our Scarborough show. We now have a floor plan for all the layouts and traders attending. We will, in the near future be holding a working party meeting for the show so, if you would like to help, please come along - you’ll be most welcome.
Once we get sorted out with all our layouts, it’s planned we’ll be having an open day in the hope we can find someone who may be interested in purchasing our Durham Street layout. I’m looking at Saturday 26th April for this in the hope we can get members of the ‘O’ gauge and Cleveland Model Railway clubs to visit us.
We will open as usual at 2pm. I understand that some members work and can’t attend in the afternoon so if you are going to attend in the evening, please could you call or send a text before 6pm so arrangements can be made for the clubroom to stay open. As John will be in charge of closing the club this week please let him know if you’re going to attend his phone number is 07802 557751
If no calls or texts arrive we will see who is still at the club and close to suit up to 7-30pm. Many thanks Ian
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Chairman's weekly update 11th Feb 2025
Hello all,
Good time had by all at Doncaster last weekend. Very busy on Saturday, with Sunday being a little quieter. Napier Road ran well all weekend with only one slight problem with a dry joint, which we will repair when layout is assembled at the club. We had a good turnout of members, especially Saturday where all that turned up helped with the running of the layout. Many thanks to those and to the team of John, Karl and George who did a sterling job all weekend. The layout was back in the club by 7pm Sunday.
Yesterday our workshop manager, John, and I spent a couple of hours going through one of the loft storage areas. We found quite a lot of stuff which needs to be taken to the tip. We have been down to the club this morning and taken most of it away in John’s van. We have also taken all the reels of wire from in the lower clubroom upstairs with the intention of putting it all in one of the cupboards. There is still much to do so your help would be appreciated.
Tomorrow we will open as usual at 2pm. I understand that some members work and can’t attend in the afternoon, so if you are going to attend in the evening, please could you send me a text before 6pm so arrangements can be made for the clubroom to stay open. My phone number is 07966 230271
If no texts arrive, we will see who is still at the club and close to suit up to 7-30pm Many thanks Ian
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Chairman’s Weekly Message 4th February 2025
Hello all,
Many thanks to Dave for doing a weekly report last week. I’m sure we all found your report on our finances very informative. It’s good that, with the accounts package you’ve set up for the club, you’re able to instantly access most things to do with our finances as and when needed.
We’ve now packed our Napier Road layout in readiness for our trip to Doncaster this weekend with only a couple of things to sort before leaving on Friday. Some help would be appreciated tomorrow in getting the trolley out from above the stairs, as it will be needed for the weekend.
Roland is travelling down for the day on Saturday and still has room for anyone who would like to go to the show. Chris Blackstone is hoping to go on Sunday and has also offered to take anyone who would like to go. Please let us know tomorrow at the club if you’re interested.
It is hoped we can make a start on the top floor tomorrow sorting things out and clearing up in order to assemble our Durham Street layout. Napier Road will also be moved upstairs after the Doncaster show. Chris Hobbs has informed John and I that he will be taking his TT 120 layout to his home tomorrow. At the moment he’s really busy at work and hasn’t the time to complete it. Hopefully once he gets a bit of time it will be completed and we’ll see it at one of our shows.
We will open as usual at 2pm tomorrow. I understand that some members work and can’t attend in the afternoon so if you are going to attend in the evening, please could you send me a text before 6pm so arrangements can be made for the clubroom to stay open. My phone number is 07966 230271
If no texts arrive we will see who is still at the club and close to suit up to 7-30pm. Many thanks Ian
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This week’s communication comes from your Treasurer - 28 Jan 2025
Dear members,
As it’s the beginning of the year, I thought it would be useful to share with all of you the club’s projected income/expenditure for 2025, which was discussed at our recent committee meeting. I won’t publish sensitive figures on here, but I will discuss them with you all on Wednesday.
Our largest outgoings are the costs of running the clubroom and the administration of the club. There are also costs for constructing club layouts to take into consideration, which have been budgeted for.
Our only assured income is from subscriptions (13% of projected income), bank interest, TMC sponsorship and, of course, the surplus made from our two annual shows which is the largest income for the club (80% of projected income), and the reason why it survives, and why subscriptions are only a £1 per week. The possibility of extra income comes only from an invite to attend a NYMR gala or the sale of club assets, a redundant layout for example. Although neither are guaranteed.
We do enjoy a healthy current account balance and a business savings account. That savings account is the club’s safety net, in case our clubroom rent increases or we have to relocate.
It also allows for any unforeseen circumstances, for example having to cancel a show at short notice. This happened to the Kilmarnock model railway show at the weekend. It was cancelled on the Friday morning due to the storm force winds, something that was unforeseen and out of their control, but will have a big impact on their club finances.
Our income/expenditure are pretty much like for like. However, a surplus may be made if we do sell a club asset or are invited to exhibit at a NYMR gala.
See you Wednesday. Thanks. David
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Chairman’s Weekly Message 21st January 2025
Hello all,
Many thanks to the members who helped sort out the two donated layouts last Wednesday. John, our workshop manager, has now disposed of what was left taking the scrap items to the tip. The few remaining bits and pieces have been handed over to Dave Pywell, who has offered to try and sell them for us at some of the train fairs he attends.
It was good to see members having a go at running our ‘0’ gauge layout, Napier Road, last week, getting experience with our Digitrax system. Hopefully, you’ll be able to help run the layout at one of the shows we’ll be attending this year.
We’ve had an invite to attend the Driffield model railway show on Saturday 22nd March. This is a charity event for the Wensleydale Railway so we get no expenses for attending. Roland has agreed to take Arncliffe (his grandson’s ‘00’ layout) and has asked if anyone would like to go with him to run it. I understand that Dave will be there with his trade stand, so it will be good for us as we can advertise our forthcoming home shows. I will speak with you all tomorrow and bring you up to date with this show.
We have an electrician coming in to the club on Monday 27th January to undertake PAT testing of electrical items in the club. If anyone has anything they want testing, please have a word with me tomorrow, and I’ll give you more information.
Tomorrow, we will open as usual at 2pm. I understand that some members work and can’t attend in the afternoon so if you are going to attend in the evening, please could you send me a text before 6pm so arrangements can be made for the clubroom to stay open. My phone number is 07966 230271 If no texts arrive, we will see who is still at the club and close to suit up to 7-30pm.
Many thanks Ian
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Chairman’s Weekly Message 14th January 2025
Hello all,
The committee held their first meeting of the New Year last Wednesday, and the minutes of the meeting will be available for you to read shortly on our website.
Our new workshop manager John Bayes will be asking for help over the next couple of weeks or so. We need to have a good tidy up on both floors of the club so we can work more easily on our club layouts. As you will have seen two layouts have been donated to the club and once checked over anything not required will be taken to the tip. We also need to have a clear-out of the loft areas which are full of things that may or may not be needed anymore.
Tomorrow we’ll be checking over ‘Napier Road’ to see we have everything needed for our trip to Doncaster over the weekend of 8/9th February. Once sorted, the layout will be packed in readiness for the weekend. If anyone is thinking of coming to the show please let me know and I’ll try and get some spare passes for you. Last time we were there, they gave me about half a dozen which will save you the entry cost.
Tomorrow, we will open as usual at 2pm. I understand that some members work and can’t attend in the afternoon, so if you are going to attend in the evening, please could you send me a text before 6pm so arrangements can be made for the clubroom to stay open. My phone number is 07966 230271 If no texts arrive we will see who is still at the club and close to suit up to 7-30pm.
Many thanks Ian
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Chairman’s Weekly Message 6th January 2025
Hello all,
I hope you all had a good Christmas and New Year and you got all the presents you wanted from Father Christmas!!!
Wednesday morning we will be holding our first committee meeting of the new committee.
The club will be open as usual from 2pm but due to the weather conditions at the moment we will be closing at 4-30pm to allow members to get home safely.
Our post-Christmas special evening will therefore be cancelled for the time being and once the weather improves we will re-arrange a new date.
Our treasurer has asked me to mention that the York Toy and Train fair will be taking place this Saturday at the Sports Arena, University of York Sports Centre, Heslington, York, YO10 5NA.
February 8/9th will see two of our layouts at the Doncaster model railway exhibition. In the past, we have seen a really good turnout of members for this show. I will be asking if any of you are thinking about travelling down, and if you are, I will try and get extra passes for you, which will save you having to pay to get in.
That’s it for now, hope to see you Wednesday. Ian
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