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We are a small club established 39 years ago in 1982.
We display model layouts at exhibitions around the north of England, also venturing into Scotland.
Our collective skills including model and layout building, electronics, joinery, metal work, artwork for back scenes etc. the installation of DCC components, photography and the history of local and national railways.
We have 14 exhibition layouts available in N, H0, 00 and 0 gauges, one of which is a semi permanent depiction of Shildon station and yard that is exhibited at The Locomotion in Shildon
The October 2019 Club Exhibition at Locomotion was our 35th. annual show, and that was the last one prior to the ongoing pandemic with covid19 and its many variants.
At the beginning of that year we were able to gain permanent stewardship of a building that would allow us to have more than one meeting a week and also give us the space to erect a number of layouts in finished and WIP form for all the members to have their input with what needed doing.
The building had been in very poor condition and had been the continual target for vandals and thieves (all electrical cable, conduit and pipe work had been completely stripped over the years) During the past 23 months we have had members of the team and professional trades people give their time and expertise to do the repairs and adjustments necessary to make the club building habitable and safe again. The installation of toilet facilities and electrical feeds to all parts of the building have been 99% completed.
Along with that the roof has been repaired to a useable degree and we are in the process of having a roofer come to complete the small items that need doing. With new front access doors and also new double fire escape doors to the rear with wheelchair access being installed within the next month we will be very nearly at a point of holding an open day to allow locals and interested parties to see how this forgotten and ruined building has been given new life and will be the centre for SMRC to enjoy and take care of for years to come.
We know there is always work to do, but we also know that this gives Shildon Model Railway Club a home.
On a personal note, I would like to thank those individuals that have put in hundreds of hours of their time to get us where we need to be, in particular Robert Arrand who by his own admission has seen more of the club house in the past 2 years than he has of his own family.
There are so many members that unfortunately due to commitments or health issues have been unable to come to see their club house grow, and I just wanted to thank them also for keeping the faith in what we are doing, to ensure that this longstanding club continues for many years to come.
Rob Sowerby
Club Chairman
