News

Latest News for club members

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Thanks go to Ian for setting up and managing the Forum,

The WDMES club stand at the Midlands Model Engineering Exhibition showed the wide range of members interests.

9th January 2018. At last we are able to move into our new workshop. We have started to move in heavy equipment. Thanks go to David Wilson Homes, South Staffordshire District Council and to Baggeridge Country Park staff.

First public passenger train exits the new tunnel.

28th May 2017. The first public passenger trains ran through the tunnel and around the extended track.

Taliesin pulls a train load of happy passengers.

Sir Christopher hauls a passenger train into the tunnel.

21st May was a club steam up and track testing day. Click this link for a video of a trip around the extended circuit.

On 18th May our Thursday group were busy checking, maintaining and improving the rolling stock ready for the next public running day. They also ran a test train around the circuit. Click this link for a video clip of the train emerging from the tunnel.

First Train around the completed circuit passes through the tunnel.

The Met Office promised rain all day on Tuesday 16th May but thankfully it stayed fine enough for us to complete the extended circuit. The route from the station now heads for the tunnel, follows the new track inside the lower loop, crosses a new diamond before passing the signal box to join the top loop. Following the station bypass line takes you along the old route to the lower loop returning across the other new diamond by the tunnel. The track needs bedding in and final tweaking before public running over the Bank Holiday weekend.

Click here for a video clip of the train running through the tunnel.

On Tuesday 9th May track was laid through the tunnel.

Filling four barrows with ballast. We worked fast today (Tuesday 9th May)

The working party on Sunday 7th May saw the south tunnel portal finished and the track approaching. A safety fence was erected above the tunnel .

Our new workshop is almost ready for us to move in. April 2017

Early November 2016 - the roof of the new workshop will soon be finished

Roof trusses have been lifted into place

Walls getting close to full height

The steel framework for the workshop.

Hooray, we now have a mess room again.

Concrete has been poured for the foundations for the new building

We took our portable track to Himley Park and to Bantock Park in during June and July. At Bantock Park "Discover Engineering Family Day" we also put on an exhibition which attracted a lot of interest as well as giving rides to the kids. Click on the picture below for more photos from Bantock Park.

At Bantock Park "Discover Engineering Famiiy Day. Click the picture for more photos.

Himley Under 5's Day

Himley Vintage Transport Event

The workshop has gone. The bank behind the new building is being graded.

Demolition underway

New Workshop
The area around the old building has been cleared and flattened and demolition of the old workshop is underway. The contractors, McAuliffe's, have fenced off the site including the parking area. For the time being, access to the track is by the gate from the lower public car park.

By mid April Tony had the wooden formwork in place and has started laying bricks for the first tunnel portal.

In February we have planted a new hedge between the railway and the horse path using native hedgerow plants, hazel, hawthorn, sloe, spindle etc.

Charlie has made an excellent job of the diamond crossing which will take the extension across the existing track into the tunnel.

The loan of a small digger and tipper truck enabled a small working party to shift a lot of muck over the last weekend in January. The bank near the signal box has been cut down to make room for the trackbed and a start has been made on the cutting for the new parallel section of mainline round to the station.

The spoil is being used to build up the banks on the exit from the tunnel. At the first Tuesday in February we moved around 1500 donated bricks with more to fetch the following week. These will form the tunnel entrance arches

January 2016 - Progress is being made with the hydraulic unloading platform and with the changes to the station platform and fence. Some 40 yards of track has been relayed during the winter between the main gate and the station throat.

The club programme and running days for 2016 have been updated.

Our portable track has been in action twice in the run up to Christmas 2015. Our first outing was to Stourbridge town centre as part of the festivities around switching on the Christmas lights.

A week later trains returned to the old Tettenhall Station, now the Cupcake Lane café.Our track was laid alongside the old station platform.

Autumn 2015. Tony has completed the brickwork for the new hydraulic loading lifting platform. The base was welded together by John earlier this year.

The base has now been bedded in concrete.

No concrete is complete without a few paw marks.

Izzy at work.

The dwarf wall and fence we erected in 2014 is being extended. This will tidy up the edge of our site and make room for a viewing area for people to watch the trains go by.

Autumn 2015. With the running season over until the New Year steam up we are renovating the track between the signal box and the station loop point. The track has been lifted and moved to one side. A lot of the old ballast is being removed, a land drain will be laid under fresh ballast. Many sleepers are rotting and will be replaced as the track is re-laid.

Our third BBQ this year was arranged at short notice for Halloween. The weather was superb and the food was good. We had steam operating on both the raised and ground level tracks.

See our new Facebook page for Baggeridge Miniature Railway www.facebook.com/BaggeridgeMiniatureRailway

We took our portable 7 1/4" gauge track to the Shrewsbury Steam Rally and gave many rides to visitors and exhibitors who seemed undaunted despite the drizzle on Sunday 30th August and the mud and rain on Bank Holiday Monday. See our Facebook page for more pictures.

Our Barbeque on July 25th was a success. The weather dried up in time for a pleasant steamy afternoon.

We took the portable track to the Wolverhampton and Black Country Show which was held this year (2015) at the racecourse.

You can find a short video clip of the City Mayor enjoying a ride here:- https://www.facebook.com/300478026631398/videos/vb.300478026631398/1047982415214285/?type=2&theater

Spoil from the bank adjacent to the loading ramp is being used for fill to cover the new tunnel. This will make space for a hydraulic lift.

Work is under way on the extension including the tunnel walls and roof.

Video clip of laying the concrete floor of the new tunnel.

Pictures from the latest progress on the extension to our track at Baggeridge.

Our stand at the 2014 Midlands Model Engineering Exhibition had "Grandfather's Workshop" as the theme. Chris brought a treadle lathe and got a lot of exercise whilst producing steel and brass swarf.

See some pictures of the stand.

Our plans for extending the track at Baggeridge have been passed by South Staffs Council. Work on the first phase of the extension is well underway. The photo shows the site of the tunnel, marked out ready for digging.
McAuliffe Group started digging on 29th September 2014.

See photos of progress and a short video clip.

Over the August 2014 Bank Holiday weekend we took our portable 7 1/4" ground level track to the annual Shrewsbury Steam Rally at Onslow Park. We were kept busy carrying people along a double track line laid near the Arena.

Friends and families joined us for a fun filled afternoon at our Annual Barbeque on 9th August 2014

Over the weekend of 12th and 13th July 2014 we set up and operated a double track line in West Park for the Wolverhampton and Black Country Show.