FROM STEAM RAILWAY NEWS No. 10

ISSUED APRIL 1969

Boys of the Transport Section of the Mountaineering & Touring Club of Wallasey began work in September on the model of the I.M.R. which was promised at the 1968 Annual General Meeting.  Our first aim was to complete the Douglas Station section of the model so that trains may be run in and out of the platforms from a "fiddleyard" down the line.  Completion of this section will enable it to be available for display at exhibitions, etc., at an early date.  We do not, however, anticipate the complete model - seventy feet long - will be ready until 1970.

When Douglas Station is operational, groups of boys will begin work on each of the stations and sections along the line so that the model will progress at an even rate.  When completed, trains will run direct from Douglas to Peel and return whilst others will branch of at St. John's for Ramsey, disappearing behind the hills to the north into the "fiddleyard".

At Peel we shall have a real (12" to the foot!) water in the harbour and floating Viking shops, the Castle, gasworks, etc! - and talking of gasworks - we hope to import some genuine I.M.R. ballast for use on the model to give an authentic atmosphere!  Another innovation will be real working clocks in all railway clock towers to remind spectators that it is time they visited the Isle of Man and its famous railway!

The model is in what is known as "OOn3", being built to a scale of 4mm to the foot.  Track is mainly hand built using sleepers cut from 1mm ply, these being cemented down to cork ballast.  The rails are soldered to staples set in the sleepers.  The correct gauge - 12mm. - is maintained during soldering by a roller gauge.  Some points are hand made, others are "Gem".,  We are using "Gem" I.M.R. loco. kits for most of the motive power but also intend to build a scale model of Caledonia.  Buildings are of weed, hardboard ply and card.

We send our sincerest thanks to Chairman Peter Craine for his vital help to us photographing (most excellently) all essential details at Douglas Station and right along the line to Peel.  Also our thanks for engine parts and two coaches.  Further thanks to Michael Farr for engine parts and drawings of buildings at St. John's and to the Association for thirty feet of track, points, rolling stock and an engine.

(Congratulations to Mr. Foster and the boys for their splendid effort.  The model was featured in a recent issue of the "I.o.M. Times" with a photograph of the partially completed Douglas Stations, showing realistic buildings, Ed.)