For Sale: Roundhouse 'Russell' 2-6-2 tank for 'O' gauge based on the 2 foot narrow gauge Welsh Highland Railway. Gas fired model with walschaerts valve gear. Model almost new and steamed only on several occasions. Sale due to model unable to negotiate owner's tight curves on track! £1100 ONO. Contact the Webmaster for further details.

22/06/08 ~ B&DMES Members visit Bournemouth MES

Usually every year a few club members go off to visit Bournemouth MES with their locos. This year Mike Lowe took 'Jersey Lil' and Neil and Daren Davis took down their Manor on the Sunday. John Croaker took his 3.5" Schools class loco down on the Saturday.

Bournemouth boasts a super track which has been well laid on proper bull head steel rails with the correct cant on the bends which permits high speed running with little rolling resistance. A pleasure to drive on. The club members were friendly with a good spread of food, drinks and cake on hand.

Everybody who went had an excellent day, and look forward to next year!

	Jersey Lil is seen here sporting the 'Pines Express' headboard not long after joining the 3.5", 5" and 7.25" gauge raised track.
	The same loco is seen here being driven by John Hutson down the long straight out of the station.
	Daren Davis is seen entering the station with his Manor class #7801 'Anthony Manor' on the 'Cumbrian Coast Express' with John as his passenger.
	A fairly successful panned shot of Jersey Lil down the straight out of the station, which is a fairly steep downhill gradient.
	Mikes Lowe is seen here as a passenger with his brother, Michael (rather confusingly!), at the regulator passing the station distant.
	Again, a shot of #7801 at speed down the long straight which dips in the middle, requiring the loco to power up the other side to the curve seen in the distance.
	Mike is seen here rounding the curve at the furthest point from the station.
	With Daren at the regulator and Neil as passenger the Manor works up the steepest pull on the track back round to the station.

06/04/08 ~ Freightliner Class 66 Club Loco Finished at Last!

After a year of hard work from a small team of society members the new club loco, purchased from Maxitrak last year, completed its first successful circuit of the track. Also, well done to Terry and Andrew Hobbs for the construction of the sliding table to bring the loco on and off the main running lines, seen to the left of the picture. Photograph: Malcolm Duckett

06/04/08 ~ April Public Running

	Perhaps 'start as we mean to go on' is not a good expression after today's weather! Heavy snow fall at about 7am left 4" of snow on the site and roads making it difficult to venture out. The decision was taken by the few members who did turn up that the day was not going to be a success and left the site early. This shot shows the snow fall on the steaming bays and platform area.
	The steep bank out of the station is bad enough with heavy loaded trains on a dry day. Perhaps a snow plough would be needed!
	The final shot of the site shows the back straight where the sleepers and rails can only just be seen. The scene looks like mid winter with all the snowfall on the trees.

23/03/08 ~ Easter Sunday Members' Running Day
(Thanks to Bianca Andrews for her photographs)

	The number of Society members that turned up for the Easter Sunday run was low, possibly because of the date and the cold, miserable weather experienced all weekend! However, four members agreed to run, the weather was kind for the five hours of afternoon running with warm spring sunshine in contrast to the grey morning beforehand. Fred Cooper is seen here running through the station with his Juliet.
	Simon Hutson also had his Rob Roy up again, running all afternoon.
	Stephen Newell had his Juliet with four newly made headlamps - making it the Royal train!
	Finally, Adam Lancaster had brought his 3.5" Garth Hall up for its second run since purchase. He had a good four hours running, the loco performing well with plenty of white feathers to spare all afternoon.
	A black and white shot of the queue for the water tower!
	Adam in disguise...
	Even with four 3.5" locos on the track there was a very casual yet orderly running order, as shown here with Stephen, Fred and Simon in the foreground.
	All four locos, with their safetys blowing, took a quick rest mid afternoon in the sunshine. Photograph: Stephen Newell
	Near the end of the afternoon a grey cloud descended on the site bringing lots of snowy hail which soon disappeared as quickly as it arrived. This shot of Adam and Garth Hall looks more like a mid-winter scene when compared to the earlier shots! With everyone coming off around 18:00 the site was vacated at about 18:30 just as it started to rain! A good day was had by all.

17/02/08 ~ February Members' Running Day

	The turnout for the first club running of the year was very good. The weather was pleasant and some new locos arrived for a run. First on the track was Ian Shanks and his Simplex, 'Sprinx.'
	Meanwhile, a large loco arrived in the form of a Merchant Navy class #35004 'Cunard White Star' for its second run up the club. John Croaker gets his hands dirty lighting it up and starts shovelling to fill the very large firebox up!
	It could almost be real!
	This photo shows the very large and spacious cab, but also shows the size of the firehole door and the shovel! Like full size, the model has a 'healthy' appetite for coal but has an excellent boiler on the frames with plenty of steam and power available when needed. The model is even fitted with vacuum brakes.
	So beautifully cleaned it could be the next down Atlantic Coast Express!
	Last on the track were Simon Hutson and his newly acquired Rob Roy. Having just come out fresh from overhaul, the new paint job shines well in the sunshine. Apparently Simon was up until the early hours adding the finishing touches - you could smell the fresh paint!
	With a fire reluctantly lit inside it, Simon and father John survey the new paint job as it warms up. Unfortunately, the paint on the smokebox started cracking when things started to get really hot.
	The loco is seen here on the back straight shortly before coming off for the day. Simon was pleased with the performance and the 'working loco' finish, saying he wasn't going to clean it for a few runs to make it look like a real freight engine!

27/01/08 ~ New Year, New Look!

As you will have noticed the site has undergone another change, since it was felt the old site of nearly three years was beginning to get tired. I hope you like the new look! If you have any comments or suggestions please do let me know!

27/12/07 ~ Christmas Run

	This year it was decided to have two running days as they are often poorly attended due to people back at work immediately after the Christmas break. The first day was on Thursday 27th December and the second on New Years Day (Tuesday) of which I attended only the first and hence only report for the Thursday. Fred Cooper flies down the back straight after coming on the track Photo: Ben Brown
	The day was typically festive; overcast but mild and remained so all day. As usual the day was very quiet with only three society members present and two visitors, one of the two bringing a loco. Usual Christmas regulars included Fred Cooper and Stephen Newell their Juliet's and Roger with a 3.5" 'Vera'. Chris Street and Ben Brown also came along for the day. Stephen's Juliet, still fresh from overhaul, is seen here in the station shortly after coming on.
	Meanwhile, Roger was preparing his newly acquired Vera on the steaming bays, but was having difficulties with leaking glands on the water gauge. However, this was soon rectified and he lit up with no problems.
	Ben Brown is a friend of Fred Cooper and is also a Juliet owner. His loco is in the process of a complete overhaul, having not run since the 1970's. Interestingly, it was also the first steam loco Fred drove when he was seven years old (hence the choice for his own loco)! When Ben wasn't taking photographs he was driving other people's locos, as seen here on the back straight behind Stephen's Juliet refreshing his memory in preparation for a few months time...!
	A quick pause - coal and watering... Photo: Ben Brown
	By now, Roger was in full steam and ready to join us. He soon added a passenger trolley for ballast and passenger hauling when Fred's family came down for a ride.
	Stephen's seen here on the back straight with lots of white feathers going so fast it's a blur! Photo: Ben Brown
	An interesting camera-over-the-side shot of the train in motion almost free wheeling down the hill, with a half glass of water and the needle on the red line!
	As the day progressed Fred and Stephen did some double heading, seen here coming out of the tunnel. The engines then took over Roger's passenger trolley when he came off, hauling Chris and Ben round until both engines left the track about 4pm. Photo: Ben Brown
	A shot of the ash in the smokebox of Fred's Juliet after the day's 3 hour run. It had piled up against the door to the level of the top of the blast pipe! However, it was a different story for Stephen's smokebox which was almost empty; but then there's a stainless steel arch in the firebox! A good day was had by all and it was agreed that a club Juliet day should be arranged; there are at least 7 in the society!

B&DMES Officers Details

*From 1st March 2008

Project Leaders

In order to avoid duplication and conflicting work by members, the following members have been given the following projects to look after. Please offer your services to a project leader if you wish to help the club by providing your services - no pay but tea and biscuits! The list seems to change regularly at present. If there are any jobs which want doing see a committee member.

If you would like to volunteer for any of the vacant leaders/offer assistance please make yourself known to a committee member.

All photographs shown, unless acknowledged, are taken by the webmaster. No Copies or reproductions should be made without prior permission from the appropriate author. Contact the webmaster for further details.