Sheffield Model Railway Enthusiasts

[kinggeorgev]

Does any member of this forum remember the Sheffield Model Railway Enthusiasts Club of the 1960s? I was a member then, and enjoyed the company of some great people, including Mr. Burdette, Des Welch, and others whose names I would probably recognize if I came across them.

I am trying to restart my interest in building a layout and have started putting together a collection of 00 steam, diesel and electric locomotives, and some rolling stock.

[Leonr2z]

Hi

I was a member of SMRE in the 70's and the names youmentioned are very familiar to me! I was lucky enought to live across the road from Des Welch and spent many happy hours operating on the W.I.R. I also remember Eric Burdett and that magnificent handlebar moustache!

My interest in model railways is somewhat dormant at the moment (largely due to lack of space), however I am in the final stages of emigrating to the USA (about 8 weeks time) from Jersey in the Channel Islands, and space for a layout over there will be no problem!

Cheers

[John H-T]

Welcome to the Forum Leonr2z. Look forward to news of your layout when you build it and your other posts.

Best wishes,

John H-T.

[Roypurser]

Hello All. I was also a member in the late Sixty's and Seventy's and recall the members mentioned, also I remember Charlie Foster and Melvin (treasurer). There was a 'John' and his son. When I joined, the club was at Carver Street, upstairs in a decrepit building. They then moved to an old steel firm's offices off Attercliffe Road.
Even more memorable were the Exhibitions in the City Hall, down all those dreadful stairs carting great sections of layouts!
I have once visited their current club rooms, but I don't get up there very often in the week now.

[merryhampton]

I too remember some of the people involved. It was so many years ago though, and shortly after joining I discovered girls, so, unfortunately, my railway interests suffered for some years. I remember the SMRE had moved to clubrooms just off Barnsley Road. I still have my club badge though. Now retired, I am toying with the idea of a GWR branch, Terminus to Fiddle Yard, along the lines of the one described in this months "RM".

[Leonr2z]

Hi Everyone,

Well we made it to the USA (Provo, Utah to be precise) and have bought a nice house. There is enough space (about 14' x 8' for main body of layout with scope for an offshoot branch) at the back of the garage for a nice N Gauge layout and I have decided to do somewhere in Yorkshire where the LMS & LNER meet covering the 15 years from 1948 to 1963 (although it may get narrowed down) which allows me to run most of the things which I am interested in!

Have been busy on e-bay and current rolling stock is 12 locos (all steam with exception of an 08 Shunter), 28 coaches mixed LMS, LNER and BR - pre Blue Grey) and some 70 wagons.

Now all I have to do is come up with a track plan and build it! Think I'll keep it simple and start with the branch at first into a fiddle yard!

Have checked out the model shops here and they are very pricey, so will be buying most of my stock and track either via e-bay or Rails of Sheffield ( oh and a few loco's from Union Mills) as it is far cheaper to import.

Will post on progress from time to time.

Cheers

[qwerty]

As a student I was a member of Sheffield Model Railway Enthusiasts (SMRE) in the later 1960's to early 1970's and went to help at the exhibitions for a few years afterwards. I too went on occasion to operate Des's WIR.

The clubrooms were in Carver Street and my first exhibition (and maybe second) was in the Cutlers Hall and then they moved to the lower floor of the City Hall. They still meet at a church though I've only been once and that was around 15 years ago and there was no-one there I knew.

Sheffield Midland was the main layout with Raymond Jackson (who had a heart condition and died some years later) and Peter Heath in charge. Raymond had a GWR layout with David someone or other which they took to the exhibitions.

Other people I remember were Bill (surname eludes me) as Chairman, Melvin Stafford as Treasurer, Charlie Foster (who I saw at an exhibition about 15 years ago). Eric Burdett I now remember from the description. There was another Eric surname Slater. I also recall David Smith and Garth P, possibly in their 20's at the time.

Those nearer my own age/younger at the time were Andrew Gray (who died of a barin tumour sometime in the 1970's aged around 19 or 20 - the club had a trophy in his memory) and his mates Steve and Paul, Philip Vickers (who I kept in touch with until he too died) Paul Antcliff (who was working for the railways when I met him in the 1980s), Philip Stanley (who I believe also worked for the railways at Doncaster) and his mate David, Charles Ballin (who I see from time to time now in Luton) and his mate Martin (possibly in the Newcastle area?), Nigel Lemons who operated Green Midland with myself on Green Junction on many an occasion, and many more who I can't put a name to or recall at this moment.

There about 120 members at the time I joined but I think the paperwork I kept from those days were lost when I moved house. They did "publish" a guide to the Sheffield Midland some years later and I think I have a copy somewhere - pity it got scrapped (possibly bar a few buildings from the station). Happy days!

[John H-T]

Welcome to the Forum Qwerty and many thanks for your very full account of your memories of "Sheffield Model Railway Enthusiasts."

Look forward to further posts from you.

Best wishes,

John H-T.

[Matt_and_Cat]

This is my first post here - I was a member of the SMRE when doing a PhD at Sheffield in the late 90's, but then moved away. I still go back every year to help at the annual exhibition: http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/Sheffi...ion.6189522.jp and I made a mistake in talking a bit too openly: http://www.sheffieldtelegraph.co.uk:...rails_1_802018

The exhibitions took a few years' holiday after a large loss one or two years in succession before I was heavily involved, but they've now moved to a school (Birkdale), which was better for parking and access.

I don't recognise many of the names here, but John and his son I believe would have been John Darwent who sadly passed away some years ago; Melvin is still the treasurer; and Charlie always staffed the SMRE display stand, but I think he has been very ill, and may no longer be with us.

I was looking at the forum because Harvey wants me to extend his N Gauge layout, so am looking for a suitable LMS terminus station to base something on...

[John H-T]

Welcome to the Forum Matt_and_Cat Look forward to more news of the N gauge/LMS project. How big a terminus do you want?

Best wishes,

John H-T.