Model Railway Clubs

This list shows locations, contact details, meeting times & etc. of various model railway Clubs worldwide that have layouts based on the Southern Railway (of England), its predecessors or successors.

Club	Club Nights	Contact
Alton Model Railway Group	Meetings are held every Tuesday evening in 8th Alton Scout Group headquarters in Anstey Park, Alton, Hampshire from 8 p.m.	Website can be found at www.altonmrg.co.uk
Currently the Group has sections involved in the construction and exhibiting of layouts in British 'OO' and 'O' gauges and American 'HO' gauge. More details of these can be found by accessing the individual section pages. In addition Group members are involved in 'G', 'HO' Continental and '4mm' 'finescale'. 'OO' gauge layout of 'Alton' currently under construction.
Basingstoke & North Hants Model Railway Society	Club nights are Monday (2mm and 0), Wednesday (steam era 00) and Thursday (modern image 00) from about 8:00 to 10.30/11:00	Our web site can be found at www.hants.org.uk/bnhmrs
Basingstoke & North Hants MRS has exclusive use of just over 1000 square feet of space in Kempshot Park, Basingstoke, enabling permanent availability of four layouts (2mm Finescale, two finescale 00 and 0). There are a number of members' current exhibition layouts (70K-Coley Park and Brunswick in 2mm, Edward Road Sidings in 00 and "Dave's Shunting Puzzle" in 0) with 2mm (Bognor Regis) and Finescale OO (SE28) exhibition layouts under construction. Although not owned by the Club, some members have specialist tools that can be made available for members use, such as airbrush & compressor, spraybooth, lathe, pillar drill, temperature controlled soldering irons etc. An active Club with a range of skills, all layouts are Southern!
Beckenham and West Wickham Model Railway Club	We meet on Monday and Thursday Evenings 8pm - 10pm at Anerley Town Hall, London SE 20.	Our web site can be found at come.to/bwwmrc/
The Club has a large number of layouts from 'O' to 'N' and regularly participates in exhibitions. The Club hosts two exhibitions per year - One in March at Anerley Town Hall and One in October at Langley Park Boys School, Eden Park. Our 'Otterford' layout purports to be a London and South Western station somewhere in the West Country.
Brighton Model Railway Club	We meet every Tuesday (except Bank Holidays and the Tuesday between Christmas and New Year) from 1930 to 2200 at London Road Railway Station, Shaftesbury Place (off Ditchling Rise) in Brighton	Website at www.brightonmrc.freeserve.co.uk
Whilst we have Club layouts generally in 00 gauge the members have a wide variety of interests ranging from London Brighton and South Coast Railway in 0 gauge through to the Denver and Rio Grande in N gauge and everything in between! Exhibition held in November each year.
Carshalton & Sutton Model Railway Club	Meets Sutton Mondays 7pm 'til late	Website at www.carshalton-sutton-mrc.co.uk e-mail c-s-mrc@zetnet.co.uk
Layouts in P4 (BR new), '00'(new SR/BR 3rd Rail), 3mm (SR new) and 'N'(SR/BR). A new '0' SR/BR is planned. Members needed in all Sections. Exhibition held at Leatherhead Leisure Centre each year, last weekend in February.
East Grinstead Model Railway Club.	The Club room is in the basement of East Court in East Grinstead and Club nights are Mondays and Thursdays from 7.30 to 10.00pm. Visitors and prospective members are always welcome with tea and biscuits served around 9.00pm.	Website at: www.egmodelrail.co.uk
We have layouts in diferent scales and gauges. Our 'Eastbridge MPD' and 'Five Ash Down' exhibition layouts are both 'Southern' prototype. We hold an exhibition in April
East Surrey 'N' Gauge Group (of the N Gauge Society)	Meets fortnightly in Redhill, first Thursday and third Wednesday	Secretary:- Derek Atfield, 7 Ifold Road, REDHILL RH1 6EG. Tel:01737 760707
N Gauge only, but covers Continental and UK railways. Big Modular system based on NMod system. Has some Southern modules. One member has Bournemouth standalone model. Currently building Scale model of REIGATE in early BR period.
Epsom & Ewell MRC	Meetings: Weekly: Every Monday evening (except Bank Holidays) from 7.45pm to 10.45pm. Monthly: One Thursday evening each month from September - April (inclusive) an invited Guest Speaker presents an illustrated talk on a subject of prototypical or model railway interest. The meeting commences at 8pm. Next Exhibition: 23rd/24th March 2002 at the North East Surrey College of Technology (NESCOT), Reigate Road, Ewell, Surrey (see website for further information)	Website: www.trainweb.org/eemrc Contact: Eric Penn eric.penn@btinternet.com
Layouts: Horton Regis - LSWR (1905) / 7mm (finescale), Ruxley - GWR (1930's) / 4mm 'OO', Shirebrook - BR (1980's modern image) / 4mm 'OO' & Wadhurst - SR (1946/7) / 4mm 'P4'
Erith Model Railway Society	The Club meets every Wednesday evening in the basement of Norvic House, Larner Road, Erith between 7.30pm and 9.30pm (ish). We are fortunate to have permanent Club rooms which are available 7 days a week for members to use. New members both young and old are most welcome although we suggest that you ring one of the members first so that we can arrange a proper welcome. Contact details can be found on our website.	Website: www.erithmrs.ukmodelshops.co.uk
The Club has active N, OO and HO groups and a newly re-formed O gauge section. There are a number of Southern layouts including West Foxley (OO 1950s/1960s), Wormington (OO Modern Image) and Hawley Downs (N Somerset and Dorset). With a wide range of interests within the Club, most members' needs can be accommodated.
Fareham & District Model Railway Club	Meet in Fareham (which is deep south and not to be confused with Farnham - which frequently happens). General Club evening is a Thursday from around 2000 on but also meet other nights of the week	Website: www.hants.org.uk/fadmrc e-mail: fadmrc@hantsweb.org.uk
The Club OO layout is called Soberton, a depiction of a Meon Valley Railway station had the line survived and flourished as was originally expected. This layout also forms the basis for the Doublo Gauge Association's modular standard. Members of the Southern Railway webring.
Farnham & District MRC	Meetings: Wednesday 7.30 - 10.30 Plus some Fridays	Website at: www.farnhammrc.org.uk e-mail: FarnhamMRC@BTInternet.com
3 Exhibition layouts permanently available: Basingstoke - N gauge - Prototype model of BR (S) mainline. See Railway Modeller Oct/Nov 1998, Model Rail October 2000 and BRM 'Classic Layouts' Spring 2001 Brensham - 00 gauge under construction. Freelance, based on S&D / Southern. Pilot Bridge - 0 gauge - Freelance GWR See Railway Modeller October 2001 Other facilities: Portable Live Steam Track, Airbrush, compressor and spray booth, Temperature controlled soldering irons, Lathe, pillar drill Annual Exhibition: Connaught Leisure Centre, Aldershot. 20/25 Layouts, 20/25 Traders, Demonstrations and Live Steam. 2nd full weekend in October (since 1975) 12th/13th Oct 2002, 11th/12th Oct 2003
Hampton Court Model Railway Society	Meeting in the Hunt Hall at Tolworth Recreation Centre, Red Lion Road on Sunday nights between 8pm and 10.30pm.	Web site: www.metropolitanrailway.co.uk/hcmrs.htm
We have four Club layouts in 00, EM and 009, although our members interests are more wide ranging. Nether Farligh is our steam age OO layout based on a location on the S&D, our Modern Image OO layout is Central, our EM layout is Millbridge Street and our 009 narrow gauge layout is Muckle Flugga. Exhibition - Tolworth Showtrain www.metropolitanrailway.co.uk/showtrain.htm in November.
High Wycombe and District MRS	Wednesday evenings UK modellers, Monday evenings US modelling although in reality both nights are mixed	Web site: www.www.hwdmrs.org.uk
Currently the Group has sections involved in the construction and exhibiting of layouts in British 'N', '00' and '0' gauges and American 'N' 'H0' gauge. Although no layouts are specifically Southern the 'OO' layout Hinton Parva (see November 2003 Railway Modeller) set in the 1950s features a Southern/Western Cross Country route meeting Midland/Eastern Mainline (Great Central come Oxford type scenario) Many of the buildings, having been scratch built by Graham 'Muz', are based on Southern prototypes or flavour. Also the '0' gauge layout Blandford St Mary has regularly witnessed the odd Southern interloper! New members, especially Southern ones, are most welcome. The club moved into new permanent club rooms near the centre of High Wycombe in 2003.
Hull Miniature Railway Society	We meet every Thursday in the Walton Street Leisure Centre, near West Park, Hull from about 7.30pm. Plus a small number of members meet on a Monday for the serious construction of the layouts.	Web site: myweb.tiscali.co.uk/hullmrs/ Secretary: pleadley@lineone.net
Currently club layouts range from 'N' gauge through to 'O' gauge via 'OO', 'EM' and P4, including a narrow gauge interest. Amongst them are two Southern layouts - CHESSINGTON (CHALK LANE), a 20ft x 16ft 'EM ' gauge Southern Electric (third rail) surburban layout based on the Leatherhead loop line in 1968 and MIDDLESEA a 27ft x 2ft 'OO' BR Southern Region layout based on the Hampshire Coast about 1962. Our exhibition us usually held during November.
Ilkeston Woodside Model Railway Club	Meeting at the Heanor Miners Welfare, Ilkeston Road, Heanor, Derbyshire (own Club room on premises) each Tuesday and Thursday from 8pm to 11pm. New members of all abilities always welcome	Peter Abbott (Secretary) Tel: 01773 712648 after 7pm) email - markpearson@bushinternet.com
Our layout is called Cedar Park and is an OO scale Southern shed, with a main line junction, set in the south west of London and has featured in the BRM magazine twice (Sept 1999 and June 2000, with another article to follow) with lots of interesting motive power such as Leader, 11001 Bulleid shunter, 20001,02,03 and 10201,02,03 - plus others! Exhibition details - our first one was held 23 Feburary 2003 at Trowell Parish Hall, near Ilkeston. A one day event which we hope will become an annual one.
New Forest Model Railway Society	Meetings are every Tuesday evening at Brockenhurst Village Hall from 7 until 10pm.	Contact: secretary@nfmrs.co.uk Club web site: www.nfmrs.co.uk
The NFMRS is a medium sized club with a membership of around 40. The Club owns and operates five separate layouts, covering various regions and timescales, in N, OO and O. There is an exhibition every May and an open day during November/December.
Orpington & District Model Railway Society	Opening Nights are Wednesdays and Fridays from 20:00 'til 23:00.	John Arkell (Chairman) john.arkell@meadowrd.demon.co.uk
Founded in 1951 the Club has layouts in the following scales/gauges: O, O16.5, EM, OO, HO, and N. One member has two foot gauge in his paddock with a Simplex (working) and a Barclay steam engine (being rebuilt). The Club usually has an open day there each year. There is a permanent Clubhouse, built ny the Club, with layout room and library / tea-room (most important). Southern Interest. The EM layout is Admiralty Exchange Sidings most recently exhibited at the Fairfield Halls autumn 2001. Many of the members actively model Southern or its constituents/sucessors and several of the Society members are active at the Bluebell and KESR. Usually holds an exhibition in late June or early July
Poole and District Model Railway Society	The P&DMRS was established in 1956 (August 31st) as the Bournemouth Model Railway Society. The society moved into its first clubroom in 1957 at the old Bournemouth West Station waiting room. In 1962 the club left Bournemouth West, as it was due for demolition, and moved to its present clubroom in Sterte Road, Poole, an ex-railway building. A change of name saw the Poole & District Model Railway Society established. Regular society meeting nights are Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays, from 7:45pm onwards.	Contact: Chairman on 01202 690873 Club web site: www.spanglefish.com/pooleanddistrictmodelrailwaysociety
Consisting of members steeped in Southern history, there is a large Southern-flavoured layout in development which will fit onto N-Track modules at each end to enable the use of the club's large N-Track switching yard thereby allowing the running of full scale-length trains. The clubroom has a semi permanent OO layout which is being progressively developed with the current focus being on platforms and buildings, with a grand curved viaduct carrying the mainline from the station towards two seperate tunnels. All our other layouts are portable and are stored away at members homes giving us plenty of room to operate and work on a varied selection of layouts. There are new OO and N gauge exhibition layouts in the making, with several baseboards built, lots of track laying and wiring going on with other sectional and stand alone layout projects in various stages of planning, construction and development. Annual exhibition each November.
Uckfield Model Railway Society	Uckfield Model Railway Club is fortunate to have exclusive use of premises within the town centre of Uckfield. Although groups within the Club meet on particular nights at different times of the year it is usual to find work being carried out on Monday and Thursday evenings by members of all interests.	Club Secretary Steve Rowley, e-mail: steverow@uckfieldmrc.co.uk Club web site: www.uckfieldmrc.co.uk.
Catering for Railway Modellers in 2mm, 4mm & 7mm scales, and Model Engineers in 5 inch & 7¼ inch gauges the Club has 'Southern' layouts in 'P4' and 'O'gauges. Exhibition in October.

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This page was last updated 12 July 2010