West Country Area Group Report May 2019

The former West Country Group has evolved into two new groups, one based in South Hams, Devon and another based further north and east, whose members have now decided to call it the Scale Seven Somerset Group (“SSSoG”). 

The SSSoG demonstration track (a 21ft x 17ft elongated oval) is permanently up at the MMRG clubroom and available for use (DC and DCC) by all S7 members at SSSoG meetings. We are contemplating extending it. 

There’s no SSSoG meeting in October because we’re hosting the SSSoG National Meeting on October 12th at the Mark Village Hall, Mark, Somerset TA9 4NY. We are very grateful for trade support from Laurie Griffin Miniatures, the S7 Stores and Masterpiece Models (with our esteemed chairman). Also present will be S & D Models. We’re still looking for other traders. 

Peter Drost has kindly agreed to bring Tanat Valley III. We are hoping to persuade other layouts to come. If you’ve got a S7 layout and would be willing to bring it, please email Andrew Campbell (Turn on Javascript!). The demonstration track will be up and running at Mark. Bits of Jericho Road may also be there, space and more interesting exhibits permitting. 

Gordon Ashton has kindly agreed to give a 45-minute talk about using Templot to draw track-building templates. 

Our light-hearted competition will run again, to encourage everyone to bring something along for us all to admire and - if it’s standard gauge rolling stock - to run on the demonstration track. Everyone attending gets one secret (paper) vote for any model someone else has brought along. The winning entry wins its owner a £25 voucher to be spent with whichever of the supporting traders s/he chooses. The model can be of anything: locomotive, rolling stock, track work, signal, building, scenery or anything else intended to appear on a railway model. The only rule is that it has to be built to S7 standards - if they apply. Whatever model you bring can be voted for. 

Doors open at 10 a.m. and close at 4.00 p.m. There’s plenty of free parking on-site. Entry is free. A one-off £5 will get you unlimited tea, coffee and biscuits throughout the day, plus home-made cake at teatime. A light lunch will be will be available - details and prices to follow. It would be appreciated if - nearer the time - you could let Andrew Campbell know if you intend to come, but it’s not essential. 

Andrew Campbell