Scaleforum I have known

[wally]

Anyone else notice that the wagon in front of Helen is derailed? No, thought not.

What wagon?

Wally

[Tim V]

OK, back to the layouts, here is Fegg Hayes in 1989.

fegg1.jpg

Fegg2.jpg

[Brian Pearce]

Re the 1979 photos. In #1 it is Ken York to the right of Bob Essary's head and again in #3 it is him again at the back in the same jacket, tie and handkerchief. That was his standard exhibition outfit and typical stance. In #2 Bryan Popkin is to the left of Steve Stratton.
Phillip has forgotten that Jane and Jo were always at those shows, Jane with me on Membership and Jo running the Tea Trolley, usually at a profit!

[grovenor-2685]

Not Scaleforum, but the picture of PAM getting his award reminded me
Here are a couple of pics of Mr Millard some years earlier.

talylleyn-4.jpg

talylleyn-2.jpg

And just to be even handed, myself on the same day in 1954.

talylleyn-1.jpg

Regards
Keith

[Tim V]

I think you mean Talyllyn, Keith (I'm a member and volunteer).

First picture at Pendre crossing, second and third at Abergynolwyn.

[Paul Willis]

I think you mean Talyllyn, Keith (I'm a member and volunteer).

First picture at Pendre crossing, second and third at Abergynolwyn.

In a small world syndrome, it was only this morning that we were discussing the Talyllyn Railway on one of the motorbike forums that I'm a longstanding member of.

Well, we were actually discussing where the TR kept their stock of young blonde, slightly smutty female stokers. We always seem to get one as the fireman when we have our annual private charter train (and barbecue at Abergynolwyn...) each summer

Flymo

[Philip Hall]

Philip has forgotten that Jane and Jo were always at those shows, Jane with me on Membership and Jo running the Tea Trolley, usually at a profit!

Would I ever forget, Brian? The 'only female' comment came from Martyn, via me...

Philip

[Tim V]

I think you mean Talyllyn, Keith (I'm a member and volunteer).

First picture at Pendre crossing, second and third at Abergynolwyn.

In a small world syndrome, it was only this morning that we were discussing the Talyllyn Railway on one of the motorbike forums that I'm a longstanding member of.

Well, we were actually discussing where the TR kept their stock of young blonde, slightly smutty female stokers. We always seem to get one as the fireman when we have our annual private charter train (and barbecue at Abergynolwyn...) each summer

Flymo

That is because the Talyllyn has avery active youth section, something other preserved lines could learn from

[Jo Palmer]

Phillip has forgotten that Jane and Jo were always at those shows, Jane with me on Membership and Jo running the Tea Trolley, usually at a profit!

Back in the day when Beth Evans was running the Society Stores we used to pop round to Clive and Beth's house quite often - it was noted that when Beth, Mum and I were in the room together that was the entire female membership of the Society at the time (circa 1985) all in one room, the male contingent never managed to achieve that!

And I'm glad to hear that you hadn't forgotten my existence at Scaleforum Philip, I would have been upset if you had! Ken York used to say that at the time the only part of the show making a profit was the tea trolley - happy days and lots of good memories.

[Steve Carter]

Arrrrr, I remember the tea trolley well!!

As we read in the last issue of Scalefour News, Scaleforum unfortunately made a loss overall last year and prompted our Chairman to state “losses at Scaleforum have not been unusual in its history, and can certainly be justified if we all enjoy ourselves”.

Given Jo’s recollection that Ken York used to say that at the time the only part of the show making a profit was the tea trolley perhaps the “hard working Terry” should consider bring it back?

One lump or two?

[Bulwell Hall]

Hi

What a nostalgia trip! How could we ever forget Jo and the tea trolley - always a highlight of Scalefourum for traders and exhibitors alike. And now that Brian has pointed out that Ken York is in the 1979 photos I can see him standing right at the very back. By a coincidence I drove past the old Commonwealth Institute last week and from a glance - I was driving after all - it looks to be boarded up. Great days and many good memories!

Gerry

[Paul Townsend]

entire female membership of the Society at the time (circa 1985) all in one room, the male contingent never managed to achieve that!

Someone must have made an inaugural meeting c. 1980?
I bet they were all in one room and probably all chaps?

My first experience of S4 Socy members' privileges was being refused sales by Peter Elsee at the Bristol Exhibition c. 1982
Tea came a little later!

[grovenor-2685]

My first experience of S4 Socy members' privileges was being refused sales by Peter Elsee at the Bristol Exhibition c. 1982

probably a bit earlier, PE quit in April 1982.
Keith

[Tim V]

Ah Studiolith, there are some tales....

At the 1978 (I think) Bristol show was a girl called Anne (with an "e") on the Studiolith stand. She gave all sorts of stories about how the bits were made. Apparently the sleepers were made on a manual machine and.....

Well I won't bore you with the details.

Suffice to say, that she was asked out by one of my mates

[dcockling]

Someone must have made an inaugural meeting c. 1980?
I bet they were all in one room and probably all chaps?

My first experience of S4 Socy members' privileges was being refused sales by Peter Elsee at the Bristol Exhibition c. 1982
Tea came a little later!

Hi Paul,

The inaugural meeting of the Scalefour Society took place on the 14th February 1976.

I wasn't there, I didn't join until May 1978, but from what I can deduce from the records in my care, and from conversations with those that were there, 95 people were present, membership numbers began with Bob Essery (Chairman) as 1001, Ken York (General Secretary) 1002, Clive Evans (Treasurer) 1003 and Lawrence Rowe (Membership Secretary) 1004. Numbers 1005-1010 were then taken (in alphabetical order) by the remaining members of the inauguaral committee, Messrs Emmerson, Hammond, McCarthy, Newton, Peascod and Popkin. Then finally numbers 1011-1095 were taken (also in alphabetical order) by all the other members present (except that some appear to not be in alphabetical order). 39 of those 95 are presently members, 11 have died whilst members, but of the other 45, other than their names, I have no idea.

On that day clearly all of the Society's members were present in one place, and so far as I'm aware (I don't have the first names of everyone present) Jane Pearce was the only female. Beth Evans appears to have been the next female to join (in 1977).

As for the P4 Society and their embargo against Scalefour Society members, finally the remainder of the P4 Society amalgamated with the Scalefour Society in August 1987; with the 146 remaining P4 members, being given numbers in the Scalefour Society in a bloc from 4001-4146 (at that time Scalefour Society numbers had only reached 3842).

Paul, you joined the Scalefour Society in April 1978: in fact 383 of us joined that year, making it the largest annual intake in the Society's history.

All the Best
Danny

[Brian Pearce]

Jane was the only lady there at the inaugural meeting and yes the long line to sign up didn't quite keep in alphabetical order!

[dcockling]

Jane was the only lady there at the inaugural meeting

And what a wonderful lady she is!

Happy New Year Jane and Brian, hope to see you both in the coming months.

All the Best
Danny

[Terry Bendall]

Given Jo’s recollection that Ken York used to say that at the time the only part of the show making a profit was the tea trolley perhaps the “hard working Terry” should consider bring it back?

Is that an offer to run it?

Apparently the sleepers were made on a manual machine and.....

And those sold by the stores still are, using the device developed by the late Joe Brook Smith.

Terry Bendall
(With a large amount of sleeper offcuts needing to be swept up)

[Rod Cameron]

Going further back (though not as far as Keith!) from the archive I have what I think may be the earliest 'published' photos of identified persons. These were in the otherwise typewritten-on-pink-paper Newsletter 23 of the Protofour Society of November 1973, predating the first issue of 'Prototype' by a few months.

Here we have some scenes of Heckmondwike under construction at the NLG, and helpfully they are captioned (in the style of the time, which I will reproduce in full!).

P1110070.JPG

Looking from the goods yard towards the station we see Bob Essery working on the yard roads. Our track gaffer, Mike Goodall, is making some fine adjustment befitting only his skills. John Popkin, an occasional visitor to the shed, seems so fascinated with the model building that he has not even noticed the train running wrong road. (Mike Goodall identified here does seem to me to be the same person as the one on the left of #1 on page one of this thread, as I had previously been advised).

P1110071.JPG

Bob still working on the yard attempting to teach John and Ken (York) the finer arts of Essery track laying. Ah! We catch P4 Peascod loafing in the background dreaming about a 12-coach rake of something or other.

P1110072.JPG

This picture is of special value to collectors as it shows a three-quarter front view of an Essery in steam.

P1110073.JPG

Now here's a rare sight - Peascod with a soldering iron amongst the general debris. No worry though for he doesn't know how to turn it on. Anyone got a Plastikard iron for him.

Also in this issue were some photos of the West Scotland Group's 'Dalmellington' which I can put up if you want. I'll see if 'Prototype' yields any more of interest/entertainment!

[Paul Townsend]

The inaugural meeting of the Scalefour Society took place on the 14th February 1976.

said Danny.

My other best memory of those years was Ken York calling a Bristol meeting of interested modellers in P4....a dozen or so in mid 1970s.
He got the Bristol Area Group of P4 Society going at that meeting which has led to many layouts....initially Kingswear which I have just discovered is still alive and well; I still have nightmares remembering that its first erection for public showing had unballasted track and someone who must remain nameless suggested ballasting that night with public due next am!!! Grit in TOUs was the least of the disasters.....it did run eventually at that show but with a lot of trauma and curses on the way
Treacle Mines and Highbridge are my other favourites from those days and now Clutton and several other notables from current S4 BAG

[martin goodall]

="dcockling
The inaugural meeting of the Scalefour Society took place on the 14th February 1976.

95 people were present, membership numbers began with Bob Essery (Chairman) as 1001, Ken York (General Secretary) 1002, Clive Evans (Treasurer) 1003 and Lawrence Rowe (Membership Secretary) 1004. Numbers 1005-1010 were then taken (in alphabetical order) by the remaining members of the inauguaral committee, Messrs Emmerson, Hammond, McCarthy, Newton, Peascod and Popkin. Then finally numbers 1011-1095 were taken (also in alphabetical order) by all the other members present (except that some appear to not be in alphabetical order). 39 of those 95 are presently members, 11 have died whilst members, but of the other 45, other than their names, I have no idea.

I had always assumed that the numbers were allotted according to our place in the queue to sign up at the end of the meeting. My membership number is 1044, so I had assumed I was 44th in the queue, but whatever method Lawrence Rowe (who was our first membership secretary) adopted those low numbers show that WE WERE THERE. They were indeed happy days, with a real sense of beig at the cuting edge of the hobby.

However, as I have observed in a previous thread on this forum, I have no idea how we all got away with absenting ourselves from our wives and girlfirends on Valentine's Day! Some of us would have got home in time to take our loved ones out to dinner that evening, but those from further afield must have been AWOL for the whole day. Talk about living dangerously - perhaps it's not so surprising that so few of us have survived to tell the tale.

[allanferguson]

Then finally numbers 1011-1095 were taken (also in alphabetical order) by all the other members present (except that some appear to not be in alphabetical order). 39 of those 95 are presently members,

All the Best
Danny

I am intrigued! My membership number is 1057, and I certainly wasn't at that meeting, tho' I did join pretty near the beginning. I do remember writing to Ken York to express my concern about the split between the two groups and receiving a very helpful response from him.

Looking at my records I see I have newsletter No 1 dated January 1976; so my name must have been amongst those enrolled on 14th February; are there special medals for founder members?

It's certainly been a worthwhile 35 years. It's also remarkable how many names from those early days are still familiar!

Happy Birthday to the Society next month!

Allan F

[allanferguson]

[I am intrigued! My membership number is 1057, and I certainly wasn't at that meeting

Mea Culpa! My S4 Soc card was stuck to my HMRS card, and I read the wrong number. So I'm really number 1198, as Danny has, very courteously, pointed out. Apologies for making false claims.

Allan F

[Bulwell Hall]

Good morning!

Excellent photos of Heckmondwyke under construction - the captions should be read with a 'Pathe News' accent though!

Has anyone got more early photos - I'm enjoying this nostalgia trip. Unfortunately I have none at all.

Gerry

[martin goodall]

The photos of Heckmondwike ([not HeckmondwYke, please ) under construction pre-date the formation of the S4 Society. They were taken in 1973 or 1974 in Ken York's shed in North Harrow, at a time when the notorious North London Group was an area group of the Protofour Society.

I was not there on the occasion when these particular photos were taken, but after joining the P4 Society and the NLG early in 1974, I was a regular weekly visitor to Ken's shed, and made some very minor contributions to the construction of the layout (mostly hidden beneath the scenery, thank goodness, except for my laying one siding in the goods yard, after which the whole goods yard was ripped up and laid the other way round, because Bob Essery had advised us that the original arrangement was unprototypical).

By the time Heckmondwike made its first exhibition appearance as a finished layout in Easter Week 1976, at the MRC show at Central Hall, the NLG was an area group of the recently formed Scalefour Society and the layout was shown under the new society's banner - a very helpful bit of marketing and publicity.

The NLG had in fact declared 'UDI' after October 1975, and resolved to become an entirely independent group. I was the draftsman of the new rules drawn up for the group, which clearly stated that the NLG was not to be affiliated to any other organisation, despite the fact that the NLG's rebellious members played a large part in the formation of the S4 Society. That is still the position today (unless the group has more recently changed its rules, but I assume not), so that the NLG's very close and friendly association with the S4 Society as an 'area group' is entirely informal and unofficial.