Manchester Model Club Centennary

[David Holman]

The latest Model Railway Journal celebrates the above, with a fascinating insight into some of its many achievements.

 Former members include some real legends of our hobby including Alex Jackson (of auto couplings fame) and Sid Stubbs. Both men were pioneers of 4mm scale in the immediate post war years when you had to make everything - including even wheels and motors! Indeed Alex Jackson worked with 24 volts, after using no less than 110 volts in his Gauge 1 garden railway.

 Chee Tor, the pioneering 2mm FS layout also features, along with a host of other stuff. Well worth getting a copy if this sort of thing interests you.

[west_clare_wanderer]

On 19/5/2025 at 4:13 PM, David Holman said:

Chee Tor, the pioneering 2mm FS layout also features, along with a host of other stuff. Well worth getting a copy if this sort of thing interests you.

 

Thanks for the tip off Dave. I seldom come across MRJ, so I'll have to actively seek it out. Photos of Chee Tor still amaze me today. It's still at the pinnacle of everything 2mm scale modelling can be. 

[commerlad]

  @David Holman Is there anything on the old IOM modular  layout that they did in the early 60's?

[Rob R]

 

4 hours ago, west_clare_wanderer said:

 

Thanks for the tip off Dave. I seldom come across MRJ, so I'll have to actively seek it out. Photos of Chee Tor still amaze me today. It's still at the pinnacle of everything 2mm scale modelling can be. 

It was fun to research and build as well.

Good times but a long time ago

[Mayner]

24 minutes ago, Rob R said:

 

It was fun to research and build as well.

Good times but a long time ago

Interestingly an early 1970s Railway Modeler article on layout by junior members of the Macclesfield Club opened my eyes to the potential of N gauge for main-line modelling in a scenic setting. The Macclesfield layout featured a quarry in served by a secondary 'trans-Pennine' line in a mountainous setting between two tunnel mouths, earlier the Modeler had featured a double track continuous line layout which featured a small station and a scenic section between two tunnel mouths on a 13'X2'6" baseboards made from two flush doors.

Myself and another MRSI junior member developed the concept as teenagers in the mid 70s to a small station (& junction with a single track branch)set in the Pennines based on the "On from Holmfirth' layout plan/ concept published in the Modeler or Model Railways during the same era, using two surplus doors as baseboards. My scenic work was not great but at least attempted to model the moorlands above track level. 

Whatever about the ,imitations of our scenic modelling the double track continuous main line operated reliably and was a good showcase for what could be achieved running long main-line trains in a scenic setting within a relatively compact space. Unfortunately at the time there was little interest in N in the Club, 2mm finescale likely to be almost unheard of and the N gauge layout ceased to be used after a number of exhibition outings. 

 

[David Holman]

Spoke with someone at Railex yesterday who actually has some of Sid Stubbs and Alex Jackson's models. What a privilege that must be.

 Nothing about the Isle of Man layout in MRJ though.