Our News

There is not much news this month, and we have written this a week early due to being away from a WiFi or other internet connection for a few days!

The only modelling activity during August followed the acquisition of a new B1c carriage, which needed ‘putting right’, hence a good price! Fixing the weight into place without the proper locating tags was not very difficult, but whilst we had the model open, we decided to make and fit a missing interior wall (the model was designed with the wall missing).

Behind the Scenes

Mini-Series around the FLMJ; I: Special Reports and Open Event Posters

From time to time, we produced special reports about specific subjects. After the FLMJ closed, a thorough investigation was conducted into various topics that would be relevant with any new layout, and it seemed prudent to publish these reports. (Ironically, the last report pre-closure, was the FLMJ’s “2020 vision” and how we would complete the construction of the railway (all the way to Fjällnäs) by 2020. Much to even our own surprise, we were on track on time, and it looked like being successful; but the need to move on (and away) became too apparent!) These new topics consider the trackage system that we ought to use for the new railway, the catenary, the signalling, and even the train formations. Once a start can be made on a new railway, we will consider publishing these reports, here!

In a way, our special reports can include the many articles that we have posted on the website. The layout is different, of course, but they all serve the same purpose, even if the printed ones are somewhat time-bound. They are about the promotion of this hobby and our activities, especially. And as a repository of researched material, we often find ourselves looking back over our work to refresh our memories with ongoing research!

As a rather unusual asset to the Park where it was located, the Railway attracted a lot of attention, and keeping the neighbours informed seemed important, and was certainly appreciated. For this reason, a template was created for the production of small A4 posters to promote upcoming open events. Officially, the Railway was only ever open to invited guests, (remember, it was on a private residential park,) but the neighbours were encouraged to consider themselves invited. And from them, we gained some of our longer standing members. Once in the garden, there would be information posters about the various aspects of the railway, rather similar to information boards at museums. It was, after all, the recreation of something in miniature, not a toy train set! The Railway operated to a timetable (with copious extra trains during open events), and the published timetable would be on display as well as the working one, which included goods and light loco movements, etc. In the final years, the graphic timetable was also available upon request! These posters even became collectable, and extra copies had to be made as souvenirs for guests who wished to have them. Therefore, layout and the whole presentation was as carefully thought out as with any of the journals or other publicity. And to this end, we created a corporate image, a sense of consistency, which looked so much nicer than randomly produced articles.

Next month: University of the Third Age