Shed Notices

The work preparatory to launching this new membership benefit is complete.  We have upgraded our Web infrastructure, loaded over 100 text searchable digital copies of SMT and other publications, populated the site with current membership lists, added the current Public Liability Insurance Certificate, and tested the site and its functionality as thoroughly as we can.  So it’s time for the rest of the membership to have a go.

Rather than ask members individually to register with the site (and need individually approving, which would introduce delays), we will email current members for whom we have an email address, inviting them to access the site.  All that recipients of the email will need to do is click the link in the message, and set a password.  Then you’ll be good to go.  The one thing we can’t confirm, until large numbers of members are using the site each day, is whether the additional capacity which we’ve bought and implemented is sufficient for the extra traffic.  So we’ll invite members to join several hundred at a time, to make sure that we can stay on top of any early life issues.

We’ll update this Shed Notice to advise the range of members invited, e.g. members with surnames beginning B and C have been invited to join on <date>.  If you haven’t received an email, but the latest Shed Notice suggests you should have, then check your spam folder or consider whether you’ve provided us with your current email address.  If you haven’t, the change needs to be notified to Warners (email to 16mmNGM@warnersgroup.co.uk) before we can do anything.

We think that the site is easy to use, but we’ve set up a dedicated email address to which members can flag up any issues.  This will be advised in the invitation to join.  A number of the Board and Officers will monitor this address, but we’re not a help desk so please don’t expect an immediate response.

This is a major new step for the Association and hundreds of hours have gone into its development.  None of this would be possible without the flair, ingenuity and sheer hard work of our IT Officer Richard Huss.  I think that what he’s created stands favourable comparison with any other volunteer resourced body and probably many commercial organisation.  You’ll be able to make your own judgement soon.

Alan Regan, Chairman & Membership Secretary

Progress update

We are very pleased to announce the winners of the Association 2019 Christmas Quiz, set by Laurence Smith:

Well done to all of you. We would like to take the opportunity to thank Chris Bird of Summerlands Chuffers for kindly donating two of his ‘Chuffers’ as prizes again this year. You can view the complete range of Chuffers at www.summerlands-chuffer.co.uk.

The answers to the quiz have also been published.

Richard Huss, IT Officer

In my Chairman’s Column in November 2019 SMT, I described the changes that were planned to the SMT Back Issue Service.

I’m pleased to advise that the range of SMT Back Issues available on-line from Warners has been expanded and now covers from issue 114, November 2005, to issue 173, November 2019.  Please click this link to view and order available copies.

Space for Back Issues at Warners is limited and demand for earlier issues is expected to be low, so those from issue 24, June 1983, to issue 113, August 2005, are available direct from the Association.  There are some issues for which we no longer have stock, so please email back-issues@16mm.org.uk to confirm availability and price.

The Back Numbers page on this web site has been updated with similar instructions.

Alan Regan, Chairman and Membership Secretary

It’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for, which means that the festive season has truly arrived: the Association Christmas Quiz! We’re delighted that Laurence Smith has set the quiz once more this year.

The quiz can be found at https://www.16mm.org.uk/christmas-quiz/ and is open to both members and non-members of the Association. Even if you only know one or two answers you stand a chance of winning 16mm Association membership for 2020

The following prizes will be awarded:

• Entry with the most correct answers: A Summerlands Chuffer for your locomotive and a year’s Association membership
• 2nd place: A Summerlands Chuffer
• Randomly selected entry: A year’s Association membership

Many thanks to Chris Bird of Summerlands Chuffers for kindly donating two of his ‘Chuffers’ as prizes again this year.

Entries must be submitted by midnight on December 31st 2019.

Richard Huss, IT Officer

In the course of preparing digital copies of SMT for our planned Members Only web site, we’ve realised that loco drawings which appeared in previous issues of SMT might usefully be included in the Resources section of this site.  Plans of Keith Bucklitch’s ‘Isibutu’ and Keith Dyer’s ‘Victory’ have been added to the Resources section.  Further drawings will be added as the originals become available.  The drawings as they appeared in the printed issues of SMT were often presented over two pages.  In the digital issues we’re presenting these on a single, landscape oriented page.  We think that this will be easier and hopefully more enjoyable to read but insofar as this makes them difficult to use for building purposes, we’re making the original drawings available as well.

Work on the Members Only site is progressing well.  We have 115 copies of SMT, Bulletin or Special Issues loaded and are now in the process of upgrading our web infrastructure to support the additional traffic which the site will generate.  Once this is complete, current members for whom we have a valid email address will be invited in groups to access the site, meaning that access will be offered over a number of days.  We’ll make a further announcement on Shed Notices when this starts, which at this stage we expect will be in January 2020.

Alan Regan, Chairman and Membership Secretary
Richard Huss, IT Officer

Warners Midlands have confirmed that the November mailing of SMT and Bulletin will be collected today by Royal Mail from Bourne in Lincolnshire.  Mailing to UK addresses is first class and to members overseas is by Air Mail.  Though the entire mailing is collected at the same time, most packages will start arriving at UK addresses on Saturday whilst others will follow on Monday or Tuesday next week.  Those to overseas members will arrive somewhat later.

We are again using the bulk printed address carrier sheets.  The eight-digit number prefixed with a E, above your name and postal address, is your Subscription Number on Warners Group Publications systems.  You use this to log on to our Subscription Management System to view and manage your address, phone number and publication preferences.  For more details please see my Membership Column in November’s Bulletin.

Alan Regan, Chairman and Membership Secretary

It is with great sadness that I have to advise members that Brian Dominic died peacefully in hospital this morning after a short battle with an infection which tragically proved untreatable.

Brian had been a member of the Association for most of its 42 years and was an active director at the time of his death, having served on the Board at various times and in various capacities down the years.  His passion was for budget narrow gauge modelling, which was the topic he chose to write about in his recent guest contribution to the Chairman’s Column in August SMT.  He had started creating an affordable train kit for the prize draw at the 2020 National Garden Railway Show, which the Board will see through to completion.

Our thoughts are with Brian’s wife Susan and his two sons.  Subject to the family’s permission, we will publish details of his funeral arrangements when available.

An obituary will appear in November SMT and I invite members who knew him to send me their memories so that they may be included.

Brian was an irrepressible, ebullient character who will be missed by everyone who knew him.

Alan Regan – Chairman & Membership Secretary, on behalf of the Board of Directors

Alan Butcher of the North East Norfolk Area Group asks us to communicate that “Aylsham Minor” will not be running at the Bure Valley Railway this weekend (5th/6th October 2019). The Aylsham Model Railway Exhibition is taking place as advertised on Saturday 5^th October.

Dave Gordon, Bulletin Editor

“Model of the Month” and “Photo of the Week” are among the most popular sections of the Association web site – a great way for potential members to see what we are about, and for us to share what we have been up to recently.

But we’re short of material for both sections just now.

Do you have a model you’d like to write about for a “Model of the Month” article – doesn’t need to be long? Locos, carriages, buildings, structures and trackwork: whatever it is, do get in touch at webmaster@16mm.org.uk

Or, do you have a photo you’d like to send in for “Photo of the Week” – maybe of a recent steam-up event you attended, maybe a scene on your own railway, or a model you’ve built? If so, again please get in touch at webmaster@16mm.org.uk

Richard Huss – IT Officer

Please be aware that there was an editorial error in the latest edition of GardenRail magazine – the Yorkshire Garden Railway Show is of course on SATURDAY 28th September, and not Sunday.

It is a one day show and at Elsecar Heritage Centre this year. Details can be found in the Events section of this web site.

Rod Nipper, Publicity Officer