June 2013 Newsletter
June 2013 Newsletter
Issue 147
This was one of our informal quarterly meetings where our members showed off their latest Meccano creations.
At around 2:00pm we had a short committee meeting, followed by the Model Tour in which members were invited to give a short talk about their models — in particular their entries for the Secretary’s Challenge!
Report written by Alan Wenbourne
The Medway Festival of Steam and Transport took place at the Historic Dockyard Chatham on 31st March and 1st April 2013.
This year we were on the ground floor of № 5 covered slip, giving us the advantage of being able to drive in and up to our tables for unloading. Also, the Modelling Zone was combined with the Trader Village and Caterers, which would increase the visitor throughput. Three members opted out due to the cold weather as the slip is open-ended and can be draughty.
Fortunately it was dry this year but, unfortunately, colder! I set up on Saturday, making two trips to fill five tables; the other five crew members arrived on Sunday morning when, after some re-arranging, we occupied twelve tables with all round access.
An overview of our stand at the festival
Tim Surtell posted SELMEC banners across the tables and at the slip entrance and there was plenty of club literature available, so we were well promoted.
Visitors kept coming all day Sunday; Monday was a bit slow in the morning but picked up well after lunch. Reportedly about 7000 visitors attended over the two days.
A caricature of Alan Wenbourne drawn at the festival
Highlights
Tim Surtell’s buzz-wire game proved to be an electrifying experience for many visitors, some surviving the tortuous task without penalty!
A boy attempts the Lightning Leap buzz-wire game
Chris Fry’s Konkoly Meccanograph fascinated children and adults alike.
Chris Fry’s models
Allen Berman’s amazing robotics drew enquiring comments and much interest.
A family watches Alan Berman demonstrate his robot
Douglas Windibank’s suitcase revealed an ‘Aladdin’s Cave’ of modern models.
Douglas Windibank shows off some of his models
Andrew Couzens’ medium sized vehicle and train line-up attracted much attention.
Andrew Couzens’ models
My London Eye and Rolling Bridge were given another outing with rewarding interest.
A couple admire Alan Wenbourne’s model of the London Eye
I spy with my bionic eye… Alan Wenbourne’s Rolling Bridge!
I think the team thought the effort and suffering were worthwhile, especially as we had the freedom to visit the dockyard facilities and explore the other events and exhibits.
However, next year’s attendance may be subject to the weather! (We must be due for a nice Easter — maybe when global warming kicks in?)
You can see more photos from the festival in our Facebook album.
Report written by Peter Clay
The 30th annual Vintage Hornby Train Show, organised by Adrian Ashford, was held at the Methodist Church Hall, Welling on 4th May 2013.
At Adrian’s request, empty table space on the stage at this event was filled by a display of Meccano models by various SELMEC members.
I arrived at about 9:15am just before Douglas Windibank to find Adrian had the stage set up with tables, cloths, power and Meccano showcards, with his own models set out. By opening time (10:30am) all five of us had our displays ready.
Douglas Windibank’s display
Douglas Windibank brought a Renault Formula 1 racing car, a Florida Everglades one man hovercraft, a Red Arrows jet plane, a radar scanner, a Steeltec Harley Davidson motorcycle, two sports cars from the Turbo series, a WW1 Sopwith Camel fighter plane, and two 0 gauge railway wagons.
Adrian Ashford’s roundabout, tractor and tug
Doug’s display (brought on public transport!) featured many models in eye catching yellow, making an excellent contrast with Adrian Ashford whose models were in red and green comprising a display windmill which ran all day from batteries, a carousel ‘galloper’ roundabout also running throughout, twinkling with lights, a tractor powered by a № 1 clockwork motor with hay rake, a motorcycle and sidecar, powered by ‘Magic’ motor, and a superb tug boat to Adrian’s own design which would scale in with the 10 set cargo liner.
Brian Elvidge’s crane and marine engine, with Chris Warrell’s Hunslet locomotive in the foreground
Chris Warrell showed a Hunslet narrow gauge 0–6–0 saddletank locomotive running on Hornby track, a ‘Meccaneau’ Perrier water bottle — vintage (the bottle, not the water!), a pushbike with spoked wheels, a Bugatti racer in blue/gold, a 0 gauge railway service crane; a drum kit, and a small robot from a tin.
Brian Elvidge displayed an electric hammerhead crane, a twin cylinder marine engine, and an Army Multikit mobile gun on tracked transporter.
Peter Clay’s Meccanograph
My models were a ‘Super Universal Design Maker’ Meccanograph, a small Xtreme set car, a tricycle delivery cart, and an O gauge railway crane truck (which was coupled to Chris’s loco).
So much for the exhibits — how did the day go? There were plenty of visitors on stage to see, and enjoy, our models. One may think this type of show would attract mainly model railway enthusiasts but there were plenty of parents, children and grandparents — one of the latter someone I knew at work some years ago!
Brian Elvidge demonstrates his crane
SELMEC visitors included George Foard, John Cowdery, Jim Arthur, Tim Surtell, Clive Baldwin and David Whitmore, not forgetting Cathy Warrell who at one stage took Chris’s place as engine driver! All visitors obviously enjoyed our display and we were kept busy answering various questions as well as running our models. My Meccanograph got a good running-in and the same could be said for everyone’s working models. In my mother’s words, “a good time was had by all”. Posters for our October exhibition were on all the tables.
I do not have door figures but I gather attendance was up on last year. The final accolade must go to Adrian who organised the entire show which ran smoothly throughout the day. He would like a SELMEC presence next year as well — I can recommend going and exhibiting, if there is room.
One of the Hornby train layouts in action
You can see more photos from the show in our Facebook album.