West of Scotland 4mm Group

[Allan Goodwillie]

The West of Scotland 4mm Group meet twice per month normally on the second Tuesday at 7.30 under Glasgow Central Station where we share clubrooms with the Clydeside MRC. The other day is dependent on the membership but looks like alternating between the 4th Sunday/ Monday and takes the form of a teach - in covering different modelling techniques.

This winter the focus is on building locomotives - starting with simple straightforward techniques to get a good running chassis and will go on to other aspects of locomotive construction. The first of these meetings will be on Monday the 26th Oct 09 at my house in Livingston. 7.00 for 7.30 pm. Anyone living in the West of Scotland and interested in Scalefour whether working in the Scale or gauge or just contemplating is invited to come along. (Please Email for directions if you would like to come).

The Group , although one of the very first to be set up to develop P4/S4 in the early days, has undergone much change in recent years and most of the membership is relatively new, thus the teach - in to encourage the new recruits. We have an exhibition layout and encourage the members to construct layouts at home and are open to what can be learned from other gauges and scales ( some members also work in "0" and "S7" and "00" ). So if you would like to join an outward looking group of real enthusiasts who appreciate and want to strive for quality then please consider coming along, you will be made most welcome.

[Allan Goodwillie]

This is our update for the winter season 2010-2011.

This winter it is intended that the members who have been taking part in the loco building sessions over the last season, will all finish their locomotives over the next couple of months, if they have not already completed them. Allan Goodwillie has been asked to continue the loco building meetings to cover body building using scratch building techniques. This will be covered on the Fourum as this progresses, the first of these evenings will probably be in late November. So, if you have been following the series on the Fourum then why not come along - it will be comprehensive but not outside the scope of the beginner. It will not need any fancy equipment , just a few simple tools. Some help will be given for any turnings etc. you may need, if you are a member of our group - we are all very friendly, so if you live in the West Central Scottish area then consider joining us.

The locomotives being constructed at the moment, should be completed in time for the grand opening of the main line layout being built in the clubrooms. The layout was originally built by Mike Gilgannon as his home layout, but, sadly, was not completed before he died. It has required some modification for fitting into the club room and a new fiddle yard is being built during the Glasgow club nights. We are all looking forward to operating main line trains - probably some time in Feb/Mar. From then until the summer we will concentrate on scenic matters and, like the locomotive building course, the layout will act as a teach in to develop everyone's skills and also to give encouragement to the new modelers within the group.

John Stocks has taken on the job of work organizer and has done a magnificent job so far in building a new storage yard for the traveling layout which is now refurbished by the membership and is ready for display. The storage yard should be complete by the end of November, it takes the form of a turntable/traverser.

Chris Coles (Secretary/ Treasurer) was asked at the AGM to contact the AMRSS and apply to re-join the Association after a number of years absence and we are looking forward to helping the Scalefour Society with the traveling stand at the Glasgow Show in 2011 and taking Calderside the following year to the exhibition. Now the layout is complete we are looking to exhibit it at various shows over the next two years.

In November we are going to Richard Chown's to operate his Castle Rackrent system as an arranged outing, with other outings planned over the winter season. The Christmas Quiz and operating evening will take place at Chairman Allan Goodwillie's house in December. Dubbieside and Grayrigg will be operating that evening. The quiz last year was won by David Porter so he will be setting the quiz this year.

We have gained a few new members and progress on all of our projects has been good. It has been great seeing people within the group taking things on and confidence within the less experienced members of the group building. We are all looking forward to this next season where personal projects will be completed and group activities take on new forms.

If you have considered joining us then why not give us a try, we are mainly S4 modelers, but not exclusively so, a number of our members model in more than one gauge. This is similar to the East of Scotland 4mm group with whom we have good connections.

Allan Goodwillie