Category: Latest News

To round off our 50th Anniversary year, we have produced a 40 page full-colour magazine covering our celebration at Statfold on 16th and 17th September. We had far too many photographs to squeeze in to the regular News, so we hope that this special magazine will bring back many happy memories for those who were there and give a flavour of what happened to those who sadly couldn’t make it. Particular thanks are due to the photographers who submitted the photographs and to Stuart Taylor, our News Editor, for bringing it all together. All photos in this Statfold Celebration magazine are Copyright of the named photographer and may be saved for personal use only. They may not be republished elsewhere without the written permission of the Copyright holder.

There are two ways of obtaining a copy. The first is simply to click this link Statfold 50th Anniversary Image Collection which will enable you to download a PDF copy of the magazine, with a preview displayed below. If you would like a hardcopy then in the New Year, there will be a limited number available to members from the online shop for £4.50 including UK post and packing (see below for ordering information).

Statfold 50th Celebration

If you would like to order a printed copy of the publication please follow the link below to the shop where you will be able to back-order a copy for only £4.50 inc P&P to be delivered in January. You will need to be logged in using your website username and password to purchase.

Statfold Celebration Pictures (hard copy)

Thanks to everyone who has been part of our 50th Anniversary celebrations. It has been a year to remember!

It is with great sadness that I have to tell you that Garry Whiting died on Tuesday, 5th December. While not unexpected, it still comes as a shock that the end for him has come. Just last month he was still answering queries on the early years of 009 modelling, this time for a piece in Railway Modeller. His knowledge of 009 modelling was, I believe, unsurpassed and that was backed up with much understanding of the real thing. He shared this knowledge freely and lightly, always encouraging others and looking forward to their future work.

In recent years he has been the Society Archivist, but before that he also filled other posts, not least being Chairman from 1977 to 1984 and 2000 to 2002. I am very happy that, despite his illness, he was able to attend and take a full part in our 50th Anniversary celebrations at Statfold in September. As one of the then three surviving founder members, he was a great link to our early days.

He leaves a big hole in the 009 world and his knowledge and character are truly irreplaceable.

Rest In Peace, Garry, so many will miss you. A fuller obituary will appear in the News in due course.

Julian Evison
Chairman

As the final event to celebrate our 50th Anniversary, the Warley Model Railway Club very kindly agreed to dedicate a part of the hall space at the Warley National show at the NEC for us to give a flavour of the wide range of subjects and scales that we cover. Ten layouts represented us, to which we added demonstrations, items from the Heritage Collection and the Publicity Stand, forming a ‘009 Village’.

The whole event could not have gone any better from the Society’s point of view. We were able to show the range of what we do and create a positive community inside the village which hopefully resulted in visitors to the exhibition feeling engaged and welcome. Certainly, we signed up nearly 20 new members and got lots of positive comments, for example, “I felt the 009 stuff was a good representation of the scale – usually I just have a quick look at the 009 but today I found myself amongst them for about 2 hours and was chatting to many exhibitors in that scale.”

For the record the layouts (009 unless otherwise mentioned) taking part in the ‘village’ were:
Garreg Wen (Matt Kean)
Kaninchenbau (H0e) (Iain Morrison)
Bont (John Wooden)
Green End (David Gander)
Mannin Middle (OOn3) (Peter Cullen)
Clyre Valley (Tim Couling)
Annascaul (OOn3) (Paul Titmuss)
Castle Caerienion (Martyn Harrison)
Fort Whiting (Charlie Insley)
Angst Lesspork (Hugh Norwood.)

There is a nicely shot video of the Warley show which features the layouts: Warley Video Unfortunately the gauges for Annascaul and Mannin Middle were wrongly listed and the large, well presented, modular layout from the Dartmoor Modular Group was somehow ascribed to the Society. It (and Bron Hebog) were close by, but separate.

In addition the demonstrators from the West Midland group were:
Julien Webb did some etched loco construction
David Churchill was adapting a Fourdees ‘Furbero’ kit.
Charlie Forbes was building some railcar trailers from bus kits
Paul Atkin was working on an etched kit to fit onto a Kato chassis.

Thanks to everybody who took part, layout owners/operators, demonstrators, those manning the Publicity stand, but most of all thanks to the visitors who came along and made it all worthwhile. Particular thanks are due to Julien Webb, our Heritage Officer, who did all the organisation for our presence – a substantial effort, over many months.

To mark the end of our 50th Anniversary celebrations, Hiroshi Kato has sponsored a modelling competition, with the winner to be be announced at our AGM in April 2024. The competition is open to 009 Society Members only.

To enable as many people as possible to take part, the judgement of the entries will take place based on the submission of photographs, a maximum of three per entry, sent to me at chairman@009society.com or to my home address on the inside cover of the News. Closing date is 10th April 2024.

The competition is to build a model using as its basis the Kato/Peco ‘Small England’ 0-4-0 chassis, available from retailers. The objective is to scratchbuild or kitbash a model to make something of your own, whether based on a prototype or freelance. There are two categories 1) 3D printed models to your own design and 2) models made by any other method (which can incorporate 3D printed detailing parts if desired). Please note, only one entry per category per member is permitted.

The judging panel will be Hiroshi Kato, Andrew Burnham and me. Prizes will be one of the Hayai-Go ‘rocket’ vehicles made by Kato for special occasions for the winner and runner up in each category, plus a £50 voucher to be spent at the Society Shop for the winner in each category. Our thanks to Aki at Kato for the charming poster which advertises the competition.

Julian Evison

On the Sunday of our show we had Lawrie from Lawrie’s Mechanical Marvels shoot a video of the exhibition as a permanent memory showing the absolute best in 3.5-4mm scale narrow gauge model railways.

When you watch the video please give it a thumbs up, and maybe also subscribe Lawrie. He publishes some excellent videos, though this has to be his best one, however some may say that the Society is slightly biased with this view 😊

Were you lucky enough to win one of the superb prizes in the raffle on Saturday? Here is the list of the winners with your name against what you have won.

If you haven’t yet claimed your prize, please email our Treasurer and claim it from him.

The Exhibition Guide is now available through the following links.

Either click on this link to download straight to your device:  009 Society 50th Anniversary Exhibition Guide

Or scan this QR code with your portable device camera to download and open the guide:

If the placeholder image of the flyer still appears then refreshing the screen on your device browser will update the file to the lastest available version.

The guide is formatted for A4 printing at home (printed copies will not be available at the event) and is 26 pages long. The floor plan is on the final page.

Following requests, we have arranged for a free bus service to run from Tamworth to Statfold on 16th and 17th September in connection with our 50th Anniversary Exhibition. The timetable and stops are shown below.

Unfortunately the layouts North Rokeby and Wheal Kist are no longer able to attend. Prescot Aggregates is also unable to attend.

However, I am very pleased to say that Creag Dhubh Summit by Ted Polet and Yurze Ore Mine by Lucien Eijdems will both now be joining us.

Regrettably we also have to report a couple of late withdrawals, Abberley and Malvern Light Railway due to illness. We wish the members concerned a swift recovery.

September 2023 marks the 50th Anniversary of the founding of The 009 Society. To celebrate we are holding an event at the Statfold Barn Narrow Gauge Railway and Museum in Staffordshire on 16th and 17th September 2023. The heart of the event will be a large exhibition of more than 50 layouts in our family of scales along with trade support. There will also be full size engines in steam giving rides.

Dates: Saturday 16th September (members only) and Sunday 17th September (open to the public)

Times: Saturday 10.00 to 17.00, Sunday 10.00 to 16.00

Location: Statfold Barn Railway, Ashby Road, Tamworth, Staffordshire, B79 0BU, but, if using a SatNav, Statfold say not to use the postcode, instead typing in ‘Statfold Country Park’.

Costs: Members tickets valid for whole weekend: £10. Public tickets for Sunday only: £14 (adult), £11.50 (65+), Child £6, Family (2+2) £37.50 when pre-booked.

Where to buy tickets: Members: from the online shop on this site. Public: Statfold Barn Railway website

Layouts booked to appear:

Avin-A-Lyin 009
Bruckless 00n3
Castle Caereinion 009
Cattsbrook 009
Cefn Bryn Carreg 009
Cherry Tree Halt 009
Clyre Valley 009
Coleford 009
Dartmoor Modular 009
De Niggende Saligheyd HOe
Garreg Wen 009
Gilderdale Mine 009
Ilfracombe East 009
Kaninchenbau HOe
Kurseong 009
Lesobeng 009
Llandecwyn 009
Loctern Quay / Slugworth & Co 009
Royston Wharf 009
Ryedown Lane 009
Sandy Shores 009
Shipmeadow 009
Sud Harz HOm
Tan Y Bwlch 009
Tan-yr-Allt / Dwffyr Uchaf 009
Tan-y-Llyn 009
Turtle Bay 009
Ulvaryd Strand HOe
Yr Ellen 009
Ostrovia HOe
Bottle Kiln Lane HOe
Launceston 009

Raven’s Ravine 009
Llandyrau 009
Whimsy 009
Smallbridge Junction 009
St Margaret’s Grange 009
Woodford 009
Aberglaslyn * 009
Newton/Goathorn 009
Ashbury Wharf 009
Glendale 009
Cénac’s Sidings * 009
Brandgeight 009
Llan Lechid † 009
Little Himalayan Railway 009
Tyn-Goch/Jennings Fm. Crossing 009
Long Sibford † 009
Bron † 009

Creag Dhubh Summit  009

Yurze Ore Mine HO

Tren Bach * 009

Layouts marked with * will only be appearing on Saturday. Layouts marked with † will only be appearing on Sunday.

Trade Support:

009 Society Sales
Dundas Models
Worsley Works
N Drive Productions
Peco

Kato
L&B Resin Kits
Westcliff Works
John Sutton Books

Bachmann
White Rose Modelworks
CM3 Models

Organisations:

009 Society Publicity & Heritage Collection
Corris Railway
Ffestiniog Railway
Lynton & Barnstaple
Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Society