News and Events Archive

Photos taken at the New Inn, Dyserth on December 18th for the 2007 Christmas get together.  Club member of the year award was presented to Jim Corfield for his sterling work on the new downstairs floor at the clubhouse.

Our 2007 show was held on December 8th and our chosen charity this year was the 'Rhuddlan Borough Talking Newspaper for the Blind'.  Despite appalling weather it was another successful event.  Many thanks to all the club members for their hard work and to the general public for their support.

Club member Martin Wild exhibited his gauge 1 layout Oakland 3rd Street Yard at the Warley Exhibition at the N.E.C in November 2007.  Martins layout is somewhere in the centre of the photo!

Seven members of the club went on a ramble through the quarry on 16th July 2007.  Although the weather was dull a good time was had by all.  Further details on Dinorwic slate quarry can be read  here.

Looking up Nant Peris towards Snowdon

Llanberis and Llyn Peris

On July 28th 2007 our club president Alan Cliff,  author of the Jack the Station Cat children's books, and his son Nigel from Wrexham, who illustrates the Jack books, were invited to a book signing at the National Railway Museum York.  The footplate of "Mallard" the world's fastest steam locomotive, preserved at the museum, was specially opened up.   Alan and Nigel, whose drawing of "Mallard" appears in "Jack and the Lost Kittens," were photographed by the museum's official photographer "driving," and leaning out of the cab window. This was a dream come true for Alan as he had long wanted to go on the footplate of "Mallard" since he first saw the loco at King's Cross station in 1946.   Alan presented a complete set of Jack books to the NRM Librarian Karen Baker as well as signing over 60 books for visiting children.

Alan in book signing mode

Alan on the footplate of Mallard with illustrator Nigel Cliff.

Alan handing over his back catalogue of Jack the Station Cat books to the NRM.

On June the 4th 2007 eight club members went on the circular tour of North Wales by rail.  An excellent day was enjoyed by all.  Our route was Prestatyn - Llandudno Junction - Blaenau Ffestiniog - Porthmadog - Machynllech - Shrewsbury - Chester - Prestatyn, over 230 miles.  Further details of the tour can be found on this website.

Our route is shown in black on the map above

Merddin Emrys at Blaenau Ffestiniog on the Ffestiniog Railway

Crossing another service at Harlech

The team chill out in Shrewsbury

Congratulation to our friends at the Rhyl Miniature Railway on the opening of their new station,
a Gala Day train is seen here on May 26th 2007.

and very nice it looks too!

and a new floor needs new paint.

nearly finished!

Back in the mists of time it was decided that the downstairs modelling area needed a new concrete floor as the existing stone floor had all the characteristics of a ploughed field!  It was decided to do the job in three parts, phase 1 went to plan but matters were then held in abeyance until recently.  Following a major exersise in April/May 2007 the remaining sections were completed.  The concreting crew were ably led by construction foreman "Handyman Jim" and matters proceeded to plan.  The momentous efforts are recorded below for posterity.

Jim gets ready to lay section 3

Answers on a postcard is you know what Mike Williams is up to!

A final bit of tamping by Phil Shaw

To celebrate 30 years of industrious railway modelling, the club held its Anniversary Dinner in the New Inn, Dyserth on the 24th of April 2007.  Following an excellent meal, vice chairman Phil Shaw thanked the members for their support and glasses were raised in honour of absent friends, which sadly included our indisposed Chairman Tony Williams.  We now look forward to the next 30 years.  Below are a few photos taken on the night

Our Christmas 2006 exhibition was held in support of the Glan Clwyd Hospital family support group for children with diabetes.  The cheque for £550 is seen being presented by exhibition organiser Martyn Wild at the hospital on January the 17th 2007.  The amount raised by the one day exhibition is our highest yet and thanks must go to Martyn and all the club members who helped to make the exhibition such a success.

Pictures at an exhibition - 2006

A few photos taken at our Christmas exhibition, held in Prestatyn on the 9th of December, congratulations to all involved for another successful show.

Fully kitted out our brave group prepare to descend

On the 16th of November 2006 some of the more intrepid members visited the Ty Gwyn copper mine in Llandudno as guests of the Great Orme Exploration Society.   The mine entrance is actually right in the centre of the town near the pier.  The whole visit was a revelation and many thanks go to GOES for their hospitality.

After the visit and with the mud to prove it!

Club member's Phil Griffiths and Arthur Airey operate a G scale outdoor layout.  As they are next door neighbours the layout serves both gardens.  Club members visited on the 23rd of August 2006 to view progress:

A couple of views from this year's event - held on the evening of July 18th in glorious summer's weather.

Our 4th annual charity model railway show, held in Prestatyn in December 2005, was in support of the Rhyl lifeboat.  The event again raised over £400 and this brings our total donations to various local charities to over £1,600.  Again the show was very well supported with visitors from as far afield as Newcastle, Caernarfon and the English midlands.  The atmosphere at the show was as usual happy and good natured - with many asking how soon the next one would be!

A big thankyou is due to all the exhibitors - without whom there would'nt be a show .  Our local sponsors were Gibsons bakery, Kwiksave and Iceland stores to whom we express our thanks.  The show was organised by Martin Wild who managed to assemble the impressive total of 17 exhibitors and traders.  On a club note the exhibiton featured the public debut of the New Pandora and Geirionydd Tramway which, predictably, performed without a fault.

The presentation to the RNLBI was on January the 22nd 2006 at their Rhyl station.  below are a selection of photos taken on the day.

A number of members visited the Warley Show in Birmingham in 2005 where
Chris Wild's Kansas Grain layout was exhibited

A number of members visited Mike Dunnings excellent 'O' gauge modern image Talacre layout on November 20th 2005.

An impressive line-up on the fuelling point at Llandudno Junction.

The final evening walk of the season was along the trackbed of the
Holywell Junction to Holywell Town branch.  A group of eager participants
are seen here contemplating the 1 in 27 ascent up the valley!

With rain in the air the group ponder if this is such a good idea?

Cwm Eigiau is a long upland valley above Dolgarrog, which is in the Conwy Valley.
A good turnout of members assembled for the trip on August 11th to view the
remains of the Cedryn Tramway, which closed in 1889, and the
breach in the dam at Llyn Eigiau.

The gap in the wall in the background is where the Llyn Eigiau dam gave way on 2nd November 1925.  This lead to the flooding of Dolgarrog with the loss of 16 lives.  The breach was never repaired, instead the water in the lake is now diverted to Llyn Cowlyd in an adjacent valley to prevent such a tragedy happening again.

Looking up the lonely valley with Llyn Eigiau on the right
and Cedryn Quarry on the left hand hillside.

It has become a club tradition that members meet up at the chairmans house during the summer to enjoy an evening of fun, food and garden railways.  This years event was held on the 5th July and ended with a 21st birthday present, a mountain bike,  being presented to one of the club's keenest young members.  Many thanks to Tony and his wife for another wonderful evenings entertainment.

As a number of our members are modelling this obscure industrial light railway, it was felt that a site visit to check on its authenticity was required!  Accordingly 10 members met up for what proved to be a delightful amble amidst some wonderful scenery.

A well earned rest by the Pandora Lead Mine ore dressing area.

Proof, if any were needed, that there was once a tramway here!

O.K. who's got the torch?

The Klondyke Lead Mine buildings.

In May 2005 a number of club members visited the old quarry workings above Penmaenmawr and Llanfairfechan.

The intrepid group are seen here admiring the panoramic view of Conwy Bay.

The group make acquaintance with "Penmaen"
- an 1878 built 3 foot gauge De Winton.

One of the disused incline drumhouses.

The picture above shows club members presenting a cheque for £400 to our local hospital, Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, in February 2005.  The money is to be used by the  Special Care Baby Unit.  The £400 was raised at the club's 2004 Christmas Model Railway Exhibition in Prestatyn.