Newport Model Railway Society 2024 Open Day

[NewportRod]

Newport Model Railway Society will be holding our 2024 Open Day on Sunday 10th November at our clubrooms at the Shaftesbury Centre. Traders are still being finalised but we'll have 8 layouts featured, both completed and under construction to show the varied interests of our members. It's a good opportunity to chat with fellow modellers, share a few experiences, and see what our club has to offer! There is free on-street parking around the centre which is also approx. 15 minute walk from Newport Railway Station, ~20 minute walk from Newport Bus Station

Updates will be posted as we get nearer the date and a link is provided below to our website where further details on the club can be found. Please note that as it will be Remembrance Sunday the 2 minute silence will be observed at 11 o'clock.

https://newportmrs.wales
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[NewportRod]

Just an update on some of the layouts due to appear at the Open Day, first is the clubs 0FS layout Frecclesham. This depicts a South Eastern-inspired branchline terminus around the late-50s/early-60s period. However for the Open Day there may be some Western Region interlopers making an appearance.



Our next layout is Llanastr, Rod Hall's half-a-layout. Built to S4 standards it depicts a small terminus of the Brecon and Merthyr Railway just after the turn of the twentieth century.



Roundhouse is a 2mm micro-layout based around a mix of Southern Pacific and Santa Fe stock and has no switches (points!) at all.

 

[NewportRod]

With preparations continuing we have further updates on layouts, stalls, traders, and demos.

First up is Bishops Castle, terminus of the Bishops Castle Railway, modelled in 00 towards the end of the lines life. Primarily home-based, the Open Day provides a nice opportunity to see what our members have been working on away from our usual club nights.



Likewise we have two work-in-progress layouts attending, both from our younger members. Below is Shaftesbury Road, a branchline terminus layout that is also modelled in 00 and based on 1930s GWR practice.



The other work-in-progress is Pos Siyntio, an 0-16.5/NG7 shunting layout in the Cameo Style depicting the cramped terminus of a preserved narrow-gauge slate railway somewhere in North Wales. Representing the 7mm Narrow Gauge Group, this layout will be accompanied by a stand for the society providing guides and information to anyone interested in switching to narrower lines.



Besides layouts we have a number of representatives of societies (including demonstrations) plus small and local traders attending the show:

Taff Vale Models - 7mm and 4mm kits of locos and rolling stock with a pre-grouping focus.

Penbits - sprung diesel bogie kits in 4mm scale.

Andrew Smith (eBay 3D printolutions) - 3D printed models and kits, plus some 2mmFS pieces.

Fred Lewis/Welsh Wizard - 7mm loco display and demonstrating.

ScaleFour Society - NAGNAG area group and Society representatives.

EM Gauge Society - Society Representatives including demonstrations of fettling and fixing stock to improve running reliability, and also soldering demos for if you're interested in learning how to tackle this process.


We also plan to have a table set-up near the entrance which will have a collection of magazines/books free to a good home (donations welcome).

We look forward to seeing you at our Open Day on Sunday 10th November between 10:30-16:30 (free entry). And who knows, maybe you'll end up joining us! 2025 promises to be a year of quite a few projects being undertaken by the club!