Club name: Crawley Model Railway Society
Representative name: Paul Sharp
How can people get in touch:
- Phone number: 07597870001
- Email address: cmrs.secretary@hotmail.co.uk
- Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/crawleymodelrailway
Give us a little bit of background on your club:
In 1958, one of the original members put and an advertisement in Model Railway News looking to set up a club and 6 people got together – these were members of the MRC, and all lived locally. Our club has grown as more people have discovered a passion for modelling, and we have been welcoming new members ever since.
Our club was started as a get together of common interests and once they all got together it saved the commute. Our founders also had a broad knowledge and experience base in the hobby as they came from various backgrounds. The club currently has 5 complete layouts 2 DCC and 3 DC of which the OO gauge can be run as DCC or as a hybrid.
What moment are you most proud of?
In the early days we were one of the first clubs to develop modular layouts and exhibit them at Central Hall and also the first (as far we are aware) to use cooper clad sleepers on scratch-built track.
What do you love most about the community you have built?
Interests vary and we have a number of skills that we are seeking to extend across the membership. The members are always willing to help each other when asked.
Tell us about your current projects at the club:
We are in the process of finishing (if a layout is ever finished) an HO European layout built to FREEMO standards. We are also redesigning a modern image OO gauge (DCC) layout using whatever we can from an existing layout. A group is also starting to design a new O gauge layout (DC) to replace our existing O gauge.
What do you usually do during club meetings?
We have conducted workshops in the past, with subjects including basic DCC, soldering, 3D printing (this was filmed and has been put on our Facebook page).
Newcomers can expect a welcoming and social group with diverse interests. We talk about the hobby, drink tea (as is usual in clubs) and we are working on two layouts currently under development.
How can people donate to your club?
The donations that we are generally offered are following the passing of a modeller.
How can newcomers join your club?
We have a website which is in the process of being updated and a Facebook presence and we receive introductions from these. We are also preparing for an open day/mini exhibition in the new year.
