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Olney Model Railway Club History

2000

During the latter part of the year, work commenced on the redecoration and refurbishment of the Club rooms, major repairs to the staircase and the provision of a small kitchen and lounge area on the ground floor. An attempted break in at the Clubroom was thwarted by the 5 lever security lock, which had been purchased and fitted after the previous burglary in 1999. Construction commenced on a new, as yet un-named, N Gauge layout and Ravenswood Junction remained in-situ to enable Club members to run their OO Gauge stock. Neustadt was dismantled and negotiations commenced to sell the layout to a Club Member, Julian Sharman. The refurbishment and upgrade of Ashey was completed and the layout was renamed Olney (Weston Road). The layout was exhibited at the OMRC Exhibition in June and also at the Stewartby Show in October. The third OMRC Exhibition was held, for the final time, at the United Reformed Church on 17 June and although visitor numbers were slightly down on the previous year, a very modest profit of £35.59 resulted. Layouts exhibited were:

  • Diseaux (Z) - Danny Davis

  • George Town Marine (HO) - Nobby & George Clarke

  • Glen Fiddich (O) - Ralph Nuttall

  • Mill Ridge (OO) - John Polley

  • Woodcroft (EM) - David Smith

  • Erichsburg (Z) - Brian & Rosemary Humphries

  • High Street (OO) - Stuart Dunkley

  • Olney Weston Road (OO) - Olney MRC

​​It was decided to hold regular, monthly Management Committee Meetings to ensure that the Club ran smoothly during the repair and refurbishment of the accommodation.

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2001​

Work continued on the redecoration and refurbishment of the Club rooms, major repairs to the staircase and the provision of a small kitchen and lounge area on the ground floor. The new N Gauge layout was named Eagles View and Neustadt was sold to Julian Sharman. Work commenced on the refurbishment of Ravenswood Junction. Olney (Weston Road) was exhibited at Bletchley, Lavendon, Northampton, Desborough and also at our own Exhibition in September. The fourth OMRC Exhibition was held in the Concert Room of the Olney Working Mens Club (OWMC) on 01 September and proved to be a very successful day with a resulting profit of £195.35. Layouts exhibited were:

  • New Chrisdale (N) - Bruce Garwood

  • Falworth (OO) - George Woodcock

  • Fenny Stratford (N) - Bruce Garwood

  • Seaton (OO) - Corby & District MRC

  • Porthladd Fechan (OO9) - David Lowe

  • Olney - Southsea (O) - Greg Pettit

  • Ogle Street Loco (OO) - Kettering MRC

  • Olney - Weston Road (OO) - Olney MRC

  • Olney - Midland Road (N) - Mick Gibson

  • Green Ridge Docks (Z) - Graham Jones

​In October, the Secretary of the OWMC wrote to advise us that their Committee intended applying for planning permission to redevelop and sell or rent out our accommodation with a view to raising much needed funds. We immediately began a search for alternative accommodation. At the AGM it was agreed that we would sell Olney (Weston Road) and use the income to design and build a new OO finescale layout, featuring a continuous run with a mainline theme.
 

2002

Peter Revitt accepted our invitation to become President of the Club. The redecoration and refurbishment of the Club rooms continued until we reached the stage where we felt that further work would be pointless if we were going to be required to vacate the building at short notice. We continued to search, without success, for alternative accommodation, whilst we waited for the OWMC to decide on the future of the building.
Olney (Weston Road) was exhibited at Bletchley, Amersham & Chorleywood and Lavendon and then sold to a member of the public following the Stamford Exhibition. Construction of Eagles View was completed and the layout made its debut at our own Exhibition in September and was then taken to Banbury in October. The refurbishment and upgrade of Ravenswood Junction continued, albeit slowly. The fifth OMRC Exhibition was held in the Concert Room of the Olney Working Mens Club (OWMC) on 07 September and proved to be a very successful day with a resulting profit of £176.55. Layouts exhibited were:

  • Dounray (OO) - Ian Fellows

  • Hawkhurst (N) - Mark Haynes

  • Hampton End (G) - Dale Gillard

  • Cadeverton (3MM) - John & Gwyn Williams

  • Willingly (3MM) - David Edsall

  • Porthladd Fechan (009) - David Lowe

  • Strachan (OO) - Les Williams

  • Sands (N) - Chris Avis

  • Eagles View (N) - Olney MRC

​2003

The year turned out to be fairly quiet as we anxiously waited for the OWMC to make a decision on the future of our accommodation. Meanwhile, we continued to search, without success, for an alternative home. Eagles View was exhibited at Lavendon in April and it was subsequently decided to construct an additional scenic board to extend the layout further. The refurbishment and upgrade of Ravenswood Junction continued, albeit slowly. Contrary to what had been decided at the 2002 AGM, work commenced on the construction of a portable 8ft x 2ft OO fine scale layout, which was named Eastwood Yard. The sixth OMRC Exhibition was held in the Concert Room of the Olney Working Mens Club (OWMC) on 06 September and proved to be a very successful day with a resulting profit of £294.29.Layouts exhibited were:

  • Stonebrigg (N) - Peter Johnson

  • Branston on the Brain (O) - Mick Dale

  • GWR Helston (3MM) - Keith Gowen

  • Hohnsteineburg (Z) - Graham Jones

  • Maesog (009) - Charles Insley

  • Kirkbridge (OO) - Les Williams

  • Ketton Castle (N) - Kettering MRC

  • Eagles View (N) - Olney MRC

2004

Nothing further was heard from the OWMC regarding our accommodation and, in the absence of any news, good or bad, we decided to call off our search for alternative premises. An extended Eagles View was again exhibited at Lavendon in April, but it was decided at the AGM to withdraw it from the Exhibition circuit due to its delicate nature. Construction of Eastwood Yard was completed and plans were put in place to exhibit the layout for the first time at our 2005 event. The refurbishment and upgrade of Ravenswood Junction continued. The possibility of a continuous-run, multi-gauge test track facility was discussed and agreed in principal at the AGM. It was agreed that we would approach Market Deeping MRC with a view to a visit to look at their test track facility. Sadly, long-standing Member, Peter Fuller, passed away in July following a short illness. The seventh OMRC Exhibition was held in the Concert Room of the Olney Working Mens Club (OWMC) on 04 September and although visitor numbers were significantly down on the 2003 total, proved to be a financially successful day with a resulting profit of £165.82. Layouts exhibited were:

  • Stagsden (O) - Tim Amos

  • 15th Street Yard (N) - Chris Avis

  • Ronald Road Siding (OO) - Chris Avis

  • Wolverton Works (O) - Colin French

  • Boarstall (O) - Ian Fellows

  • Hogwarts Castle (OO) - Keith Johnson

  • Standen Watchit (Z) - Graham Jones

  • Melford (OO) - Anthony and Michael Carless

  • Eagles View (N) - Olney MRC

​​2005

The accommodation situation remained unresolved. The OWMC held a meeting with all interested parties to discuss the possibility of putting forward plans for redevelopment of the whole site, subject to attracting substantial funding for what would be a long term project.
Eagles View remained in-situ to enable Club Members to run their N Gauge stock.
The refurbishment and upgrade of Ravenswood Junction was finally completed and the layout was re-sited in the Clubroom to give more space for the Members. Finishing touches were made to Eastwood Yard and the layout appeared in public for the first time at our September Exhibition.

Following a visit by some Members to Market Deeping MRC, an EGM has held in October and a decision was taken to build a multi-gauge (O, OO and N) continuous-run test track facility.

The eighth OMRC Exhibition was held in the Concert Room of the Olney Working Mens Club (OWMC) on 03 September and proved to be a financially successful day with a resulting profit of £174.14. Layouts exhibited were:​

  • Mill Street Goods (O) - Luton MRC

  • The Lane (N) - Peter Johnston

  • Ledsham Street Yard (O) - Colin French

  • Woodcroft (EM) - John Andrews

  • Nuffin (N) - Richard Insley

  • Rowell Sidings (OO) - Peter Dines

  • Red Rocks Railroad (On30) - Martin Swannell

  • Petton (3mm) - Mark Haynes

  • Eastwood Yard (OO) - Olney MRC​

Author: Malcolm Haynes - October 2014

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