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22830trains.txt
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There follows a personal account of the first days of a new member "Al". He was welcomed as a temporary member for the 2023 Festival and joined fully for 2023. He is British and lives in the UK but looks forward to his time spent with our friendly club CMCF. You can become a member too, see . Here are his recollections:
Some months back in 2022 my friend Ray asked me to join him at a Model Steam Engine Festival. This is described as a relaxed weekend playing with model steam trains. I was enthusiastic. I enjoy engineering projects.
The invitation grew to being allowed to be with the organisers and becoming a day member of CMCF. The responsibility grew to helping set up, take down and marshall all the weekend. I was promised 4 days of fun extending into parties in the evening. Just the ticket for my retired status!!
Well it was just the ticket with endless camaraderie, coffee, beer, refreshments and entertainment. Below are just some of the photographs I took (or was given), over this exciting but so full weekend.
No. 1 A team photo of all the helpers, friends and teachers that made this such a special day.
No.2 My friend Ray with his ‘Tug’ steam engine and his premier class carriage. We were asked for champagne and caviar but we managed a bottle of water that survived several laps on the grey table.
No. 3 The magnificent electric …….. with conducteur ……… in charge. This engine ran all of both days with a regular passenger list of over 19 people.
No. 1
No. 3 ……..
No. 4 Some of the many trains.
No 5 A busy station
No. 6 The turntable.
No 7 The trip to the mine exhibition
No. 8 Some model trains from the hall exhibition.
No 4. Some of the many different trains, and many different people who enjoy working model trains from steam to electric, one even petrol driven, and an armoured train got keep us all in order!!
No 5 shows a busy station with 3 platforms and a high speed rail link that we had to protect from the other passengers. Almost 2,500 people rode these trains.
No 6 is the central turntable where 5 inch gauge trains and 7.5 inch gauge trains were prepared for their time on the lines. You can see the lines here are built for both train gauges.
No 7 is part of the other exhibitions on this site. This is a diesel train that takes people to see the mock-up of a mine at the edge of the Festival site. Full size trains are in the background. There is a surprising show of postal trains over the years on this site. Nearer the main road is the restoration of a pacific class locomotive that carried the UK Queen Mother with french dignitaries.
No 8 are some of the trains on exhibition in the hall along with enormously detailed track layouts of various scale sizes. On the top floor was a sale of equipment that supported all this work.
Alongside all this is a beer tent, a chip van and ice cream and dessert sales. What more could you need for a lovely day out.
I am incredibly impressed by the exhibits put together by this band of volunteers. An exhausting few days for the organisers and volunteers. My ‘friend’ Ray is still my friend even after trying to exhaust me by physical labour here. But a very special event that I will see again next year at the 28th Festival of Vapeur. Al Thompson now a full member of CMCF.