“Please read the notices before you leave the shed.”
Traders, have you released any new products this autumn and Christmas that you’d like people to know more about?
SMT Editor Greg has the place for you: “The Goods Shed” pages in 16mm Today. Email smt.editor@16mm.org.uk by Friday 10th January.
Greg Moir, 16mm Today Editor
The service and cremation will take place at the West Road Crematorium in Newcastle (NE5 2JL) on Wednesday 11th December 2024 at 11:00am.
There will be refreshments afterwards at the Benwell Hill Cricket Club (NE15 7EU) from 11.45am to 1.45pm. The venue is directly opposite the Crematorium. All are very welcome to join us to remember Geoff’s life and our friendships with him.
The service will not be a sad one so please don’t worry about wearing dark clothing. He died peacefully and suddenly at home and remained active right up to the last minute of his life.
He expressed a wish that any donations in his memory should go the the 75 Appeal of the Talyllyn Railway Preservation Society and a collection box will be available at the Crematorium. Flowers will only be a spray on the coffin.
A formal notice of these arrangements will appear in the Newcastle Evening Chronicle in the next few days.
If there are any queries, please contact Chris Lumsdon on 0191 266 5796.
Alan Regan, on behalf of the Association of 16mm Narrow Gauge Modellers
The Yorkshire Group of 16mm Narrow Gauge Modellers is pleased to announce that we have a fantastic new website, see yorkshire.16mm.org.uk. Completely refreshed, brighter and packed with the favourite features from the old site and exciting new ones with much more to come. Please take a look and let us know what you think!
Tony Wright, Yorkshire 16mm Group Chairman
The Yorkshire Group website has been designed to showcase all the fantastic content our members create. From our regular photos, through modelling guides to our garden railways, it’s all on there. In fact during the process of making this new site, we’ve reminded ourselves just how much content we have. While there’s lots of new content on the site, great effort has been put into migrating content and making it easier to find on the new site.
Being a very large group, we also have a large collection of garden railways. Or to look at it another way, a large collection of ideas for your own line, or new builders in our hobby. You can find information on the gauge, height, gradient and much more.
You can also find content in an interesting way, by clicking on a member’s name or a location. There you’ll find all photos, modelling and events from that member or location.
So have a look around, see what you find!
Rob Holmes & Andy Cooper, Yorkshire 16mm Group Webmasters
It’s that time of year when the last vestiges of Summer are fading, the Autumn Equinox has passed and thoughts are turning to Model of the Year 2025.
Given the very wet Summer some builders may already have been busy in workshops preparing for the 2025 show.
The aim of MOTY is to encourage members to develop and improve their modelling skills, by competing against their peers and displaying their work at the National Garden Railway Show. It is also an opportunity to display part built models or work in progress, as well as a good chance to view other Modellers work and techniques used and maybe get you to think, “I Could Do That!”
There has been a change to MOTY organiser, Rick Turnock is standing down and taking over as Show Director having done a brilliant job for five years and I have taken up the mantle.
I would like to thank Rick for a very detailed handover pack and will endeavour to carry on the excellent work, I would also like to thank Richard Huss for carrying on assisting with MOTY.
The success of pre booking for the 2024 show means moving forward that no entries will be accepted on the day for the 2025 show. Please ensure entries are submitted, either online or by post, before the deadline which will be announced in due course.
No Entries Will be Accepted on the Day of the Show.
This is very important so it will be repeated.
Please bear in mind there have been no changes from 2024 but several changes to the MOTY classes have taken place in prior years, these are profiled in Bulletin – so read them carefully as it may influence which class you decide to enter.
This is particularly important if you receive remuneration from your modelling; all entrants must declare in this regard, with any arbitration being decided by the MOTY Head Judge, whose decision will be binding.
This means only the Allcomers Loco class is open to professional modellers, the primary reason is to enable rank-and-file members to compete amongst their peers and, equally, for members with sufficient skill that they can be remunerated for their work to compete amongst their peers.
I look forward to the 2025 National Show and please remember.
No Entries Will be Accepted on the Day of the Show.
Regards and Stay Safe
Mark Rennie, MOTY Organiser
Full details of how to enter MOTY 2025, and the entry forms will be in the February 2025 issue of Bulletin.
No Entries Will be Accepted on the Day of the Show.
1: AL – The Allcomers Locomotive Trophy
Any locomotive, with no restriction on professional builders. This is typically those who have won other major classes in the past. Judged against a very high quality yardstick, models are expected to be of the highest standard.
2: JW – Jack Wheldon Memorial Trophy
Steam locomotives not eligible for Class 3. The spirit of this class is that they are scratch built locos. Heavily modified locos based on a commercial loco are permissible, but this will be taken into account in the marking. Winners of this class will, in future years, have to enter the Allcomers class.
3: RH – Roundhouse Trophy
Models incorporating a significant amount of ‘Roundhouse’ parts – any two of frames, boiler, cylinders, valve gear or superstructure.
4: BU – Butterley Trophy
All non-steam powered locomotives not eligible for classes 1,2,&3 above; e.g. battery powered internal combustion, steam outline, fireless, overhead electric, compressed air,
5: LS – Lineside Trophy
Buildings, bridges, trackwork, motor vehicles, railway structures such as bridges or gantries, including buildings that might be found near a railway.
6: PA – Passenger & Rolling Stock Shield
Passenger carrying vehicles, goods and service vehicles –non-powered. Limit of 12 axles if your entry has more than one vehicle.
7: DIP – “Gordon Diplock” Trophy
Imaginative railway models of any type. The more fantastic, ingenious or eccentric, the better.
8: JU – Junior Cup
Any model built by a member up to 18. Models will also be entered in the appropriate class above.
9: PJ – Peter Jones Trophy
Awarded for originality, ingenuity or imagination in the construction of a model, with particular reference to the methods, techniques and materials used. Models will also be entered in the appropriate class above.
10: NT – Newcomers Trophy
For this year, entry will be restricted to those who have never previously entered MOTY. Any locomotive type, rolling stock, goods or passenger, or any railway related scenic model (similar to the Lineside Trophy) may be entered.
11: GM – Geoff Munday Trophy
Awarded to any member who does not paint, line or weather models for remuneration. All types of model are eligible for entry, be they scratch-built, commercial off-the-shelf, rolling stock or lineside infrastructure. Judges will look for exceptional painting, lining or weathering that enhances the model and elevates it above its peers. Members may enter the same model in another class, but the entry in this class will be judged on painting, lining or weathering alone.
12: ML – Modular Layout Cup
Awarded for the best module or group of modules in the Modular Layout. Key criteria include appearance and realism, adherence to the modular layout standards. Working features are desirable, but by no means required, if the module is built and finished to a high standard.
13: Loan Section
Non-competitive Things you are in process of building, models that are interesting, but that you don’t feel like competing with; also if you want to get a taste for exhibiting, or to display unusual or innovative production processes you are working on. Inspire and help other modellers!
No Entries Will be Accepted on the Day of the Show.
Some members have found it difficult to participate in the annual Grand Draw held at our National Garden Railway Show, because they’re unable to attend in person and find it difficult to pay for the tickets supplied with February 2025 SMT as their bank account doesn’t offer a cheque facility. To make the draw more accessible to these and potentially other members, we’re taking a leaf out of the UK National Lottery’s book and providing the ability to pay for Grand Draw tickets by Direct Debit.
You may ask, if we can accept payment by credit or debit card at the show, why we can’t do the same over the phone or online? UK gambling law does not permit use of a credit card for payments “by remote means”, which means online, over the phone or by email or text message. The systems available to us cannot, from its number, reliably differentiate between a credit and a debit card, so we cannot accept remote payments by this means either. Sadly, this makes it very difficult for members overseas to participate in the draw, unless payment is sent by money order in UK Pounds Sterling, which we know is costly. Being a non-UK resident doesn’t prevent participation in the draw, so if you’re attending the show, you can buy tickets at Association Hub in UK Pounds Sterling or by credit card. These restrictions are applied by UK gambling law, not by the Association.
More details are in this November’s issue of SMT. I hope that this makes the 2025 Grand Draw more accessible to more members.
Alan Regan, 2025 National Show Director
The November mailing of ‘16mm Today’ and ‘Bulletin’ is occurring today, earlier than planned. It will start arriving at UK addresses from tomorrow and to countries overseas during next week.
To coincide with this, the new editions of ‘16mm Today’ and ‘Bulletin’ will be available on our Members Site from 09:00 GMT on Friday 8th November.
Thanks again to all that have contributed to this mailing, including the guys at Warners Midlands who we able to bring the mailing forward.
Tom Rowland, Membership Secretary
The November mailing of ‘16mm Today’ and ‘Bulletin’ is scheduled for collection by Royal Mail from Warners Midlands in Bourne later this week. The entire mailing to UK and overseas members will be collected at the same time. Mailing to UK members is First Class. There are no significant mail delays at the time of writing. Information for the UK can be found here.
Mailing to overseas members is by Air Mail. There are no general delays expected to non-UK mailings, however Royal Mail have advised that deliveries to certain countries may encounter delays. Further information regarding mailing to addresses outside the UK can be found here.
The new editions of ‘16mm Today’ and ‘Bulletin’ will be available on our Members Site from 09:00 GMT on Saturday 9th November. If you haven’t received an invitation to activate your account on the site, or can’t find it, please email members.site@16mm.org.uk providing your surname, membership number and post code and we’ll send an invitation as soon as we can.
A huge thanks goes to former ‘16mm Today’ editor Gareth Jones, who very kindly offered to produce this edition of ‘16mm Today’ for the Association. Thanks also to ‘Bulletin’ editors Jonathan Mead & Harry Jones. Thanks to them for getting their magazines out on time. Also many thanks to the members who have contributed articles and reports. Your input is both welcome and valuable to the editors in being able to present interesting publications. I hope you enjoy reading what I’m sure will again be interesting and quality magazines.
Tom Rowland, Membership Secretary
On behalf of Mick’s family, can I thank everyone who has commented on the 16mm Facebook, and/or emailed me directly, regarding Mick’s passing. It has been a shock to us all.
Whilst grieving over our friend and colleague, we’ve also had the unfortunate task of casting our minds forward to the next edition of 16mm Today (SMT) and coming up with a solution.
I am pleased to announce that Gareth Jones, the former editor of SMT, has very kindly agreed to be a guest editor for the November issue. He will also be liaising with our new SMT editor in waiting, Gregory Moir, who will be taking over from the February edition going forward. We are very grateful to Gareth for agreeing to help out like this and we welcome a smooth handover to Gregory for the first issue next year.
Alan Finch, Chairman
It is my sad duty to announce that our SMT Editor, Mick Blowfield, passed away last Friday 30th August. Our thoughts and prayers are with his widow Cath and his family at this difficult time.
Further announcements will be made in due course.
Alan Finch, Chairman
The August mailing of SMT and Bulletin is scheduled for collection by Royal Mail from Warners Midlands in Bourne later this week. The entire mailing to UK and overseas members will be collected at the same time. Mailing to UK members is First Class. There are no significant mail delays at the time of writing. Information for the UK can be found here.
Mailing to overseas members is by Air Mail. There are no general delays expected to non-UK mailings, however Royal Mail have advised that deliveries to certain countries may encounter delays. Further information regarding mailing to addresses outside the UK can be found here.
SMT and Bulletin will be available on our Members Site from 09:00 BST on Saturday 10th August. If you haven’t received an invitation to activate your account on the site, or can’t find it, please email members.site@16mm.org.uk providing your surname, membership number and post code and we’ll send an invitation as soon as we can.
Huge thanks go to the editors of the magazines, Mick Blowfield for SMT and Jonathan Mead & Harry Jones for Bulletin. Thanks to them for getting their magazines out on time. Also many thanks to the members who have contributed articles and reports. Your input is both welcome and valuable to the editors in being able to present interesting publications. I hope you enjoy reading what I’m sure will again be interesting and quality magazines.
Tom Rowland, Membership Secretary