Here you will find the most recent reports which have featured in the O Gauge Guild Gazette's 'Guild News' section. Each report is reproduced here in full. For space reasons, the Guild News often finds it necessary to shorten the reports that are submitted. Photographs from those reports will not be found here. Some of them may be found in the Photogallery. The reports are submitted to the Gazette about six weeks before they appear on the website, i.e. they don't appear on this website until the Gazette has been published.
Preston Gauge Group(POGGIES)
Guild News Letter Q4 2022
Preston O Gauge Group Report Fourth Quarter 2022
It has been a quarter dominated by the very sudden death of longstanding member Dave Brooks of JPL Models. The fact that he died at our clubrooms made his loss an even greater shock to all of us. Plans are in hand to remember him with a trophy in our annual modelling competition, which will reappear in 2023 following its protracted Covid break. A longer tribute to him should appear in the Gazette.
Mention of Covid reminds us that we have only been opening to non-members since the end of March but there has been a steady increase in the number of visitors, to the point where the November meet broke our attendance record and led to a very full clubroom, a sure sign that the hobby continues to thrive and modellers continue to produce excellent models. Extra pies had to be sent for to cater for the demand!
Sunday Open Days have also recommenced and will normally run from October to May inclusive. As ever, check our website at www.prestonogauge.org.uk for dates and times.
As the accompanying photograph shows, thanks to Bill Hamlin we also held an American Open Day in November where Marsh Lane depot was taken over by a mass of highly colourful motive power.
‘O’ Gauge continues to delight, entertain and absorb modellers of all ages at Preston. Our youngest members are in their 20s and our oldest refuse to divulge their ages! Visitors are always made very welcome at our Open Days.
Jeff Nicholls
It has been a quarter of steady consolidation for the Preston Group as work progresses at a steady pace on the new MPD (and no, I still don’t know the name) and on integrating Brewery Lane into its new position so that it blends seamlessly with the main layout ‘Hawskbridge’. Some work has been done to the club premises recently: a new toilet has been installed complete with dire warnings as to what must not go down it...Now we have a loo which doesn’t take half an hour to refill ! As usual, there have been several Open Days this quarter, the June one was particularly well attended with the clubroom becoming quite full during the afternoon with a run on the pies. The July one was partially held up by the failure of both inside circuits, fortunately, one of our visitors was able to fix it! The Sunday Open Days have taken their usual summer break but will have returned by the time this appears in print. As is probably the case with most groups in the last few years, ready-to-run models are making more and more appearances, both at Open Days and on Club Nights. The new Minerva Pannier tank has been spotted several times over, Dapol 08s are ten-a-penny and Heljan diesels can sometimes take over. Besides locos there have been several viewings of ‘B’ Sets and of Autocoaches. Our club chairman has invested in an impressive rake of MTH LMS coaches in blood and custard. Being heavier than they look they are more of a challenge for one’s loco than might first appear. And GWR Dave has acquired a beautiful rake of Hawksworth coaches in the same colour scheme. With the imminent arrival of a Jinty, it seems inevitable that we will have to follow up our successful ‘Gronkfest’ with ‘Pannierfest’ and ‘Jintyfest’ before too long. Several of us much teased Great Western fans will no doubt arrange a ‘Big Prairiefest’ too. However, our group possesses many talented loco and rolling stock builders and plenty of the products of their skills are to be seen. Equally, the trials and tribulations of getting locos running can be exasperating and several club members, who no doubt wish to remain anonymous, have been seen tearing their hair out over a couple of Duchesses and a Turbomotive. And a DJH 03 is having the same effect on me.... With Telford having been and gone, there have been appearances by members’ acquisitions, most notably Bill’s LMS Garratt, and whilst on the subject of Bill, he did one Monday night produce and run a Union Pacific Big Boy. Now that’s what you call a loco! There is plenty to look forward to in the next quarter. If you haven’t visited before, and each Open Day we seem to see at least one new face, you (and your stock) will be made very welcome. Dates and address can be found in Diary Dates or on our website.and a slight change in direction of rolling stock, The eleven coach rake of blood and custard were on the down fast with locos like 10000/10001 double headed and a Duchess, Britannia and Merchant Navy all enjoying the challenge. Again there were several diesels on the Tanks as well as a Mickey (Black Five). On Sunday November 13th, Don Chadwick brought some foreign bogie tanks which several diesels hauled on the down slow. As usual, there was the rake of maroon MK1s hauled by a variety of steam and a maroon WesterThe Xmas season was celebrated in a lower key than in previous years because of potential problems with falling decorations setting off the alarms. (How do we know?...) The annual club Xmas meal took place at a new-to-us venue of the Butlers Arms, Pleasington. A good time was had by all. Which just about sums up Preston 2015! Plenty to look forward to next year too, the Open Day dates are up on the website and will appear in the Guild News.
n diesel on the up fast. There was also plenty of activity on the other main lines some small engines like a GWR 14XX doing some hard work.’ Thanks, Norman.
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