2007-2008 Information & Membership Details

 

WARLEY MODEL RAILWAY CLUB is always ready to welcome new members.  If you would like to find out more about the club, its membership and its benefits these notes should help.  You will, of course, want to visit the club and to avoid a wasted journey it is recommended that you contact someone first.  OO & N groups normally meet on Tuesdays, and O & EM groups usually meet on Wednesdays.  There is also a Friday group, and also a junior club, meeting on alternate Friday evenings.  There are a few evenings when the clubroom is not open, or when formal members meetings are taking place.

 

 

Background

The club has been active in the model railway hobby since its formation more than 40 years ago.  The club’s, and members layouts have been to exhibitions throughout the country, and many friendships have grown and been enjoyed throughout.  This has helped to strengthen the hobby, and make model railways what they are today.

 

What does the club offer?

Joining us has lots of benefits.  As well as being able to be part of probably the best model railway exhibition in the country, there’s the education, the chance to learn new modelling skills or develop existing ones, there’s the social life, and of course the layouts!

 

Expert members

Being in the club has the advantage that there’s always an ‘expert’ in your favourite subject, be it GWR steam, painting Virgin coaches, building Welsh narrow gauge layouts and so on.  Tap into the huge amount of knowledge that these experts have.  We’re all there to help each other.

 

Social life

The club organises social events from time to time, and these are great opportunities to meet those members that don’t make it to the clubroom every week.

 

Layouts under construction

At the moment there are several layouts being built, and these offer a good chance to get ‘stuck in-to’ a project, and make your mark.  You might even help shape the way the final layout looks!

 

Scales & gauges

We have members interested in all the main scales: 0, EM, 00, N, 009 and so on.  We also have members interested in some of the not so popular scales.  We even have our ever-popular ‘Thomas the Tank’ layout, which is always a great hit at shows and exhibitions.

 

Library

There is an extensive library of books, magazines DVD’s and videos, and these are available free of charge to members.  As well as interesting browsing, it means that members can get modelling inspiration and then accurately research their next project.

  

Screwlink

SCREWLINK is the name given to our newsletter.  This is issued several times a year and provides details of events in which the club is involved.  It contains exhibition updates, notice of meetings, and other matters of interest to club members. 

 

Club evenings

The main club evenings are Tuesdays (00 and N) and Wednesdays (0 and EM).  There is also a weekly Friday group, and an alternate Friday evening junior club.  Club evenings generally run from about 19:00 to 22:00.  Committee meetings and general meetings are usually held on a Tuesday or Wednesday.  Members are told about these as necessary. 

 

Exhibition

The main focal point of the club is the annual exhibition at the NEC each autumn.  As a member you will have an opportunity to get involved in the set up, the operation, and the dismantling of the country’s premier model railway show.  The clubs wholly owned limited company-WARLEY MRC EXHIBITIONS LIMITED runs the exhibition.

 

The club also organises an annual symposium and attends various other shows and open days.  The symposium is designed to encourage members and others interested to improve their own modelling standards.

 

Membership

There are several types of membership available and these are designed to suit all needs:

Full	Full membership is available to all.  Full membership costs £52 a year and you will enjoy the full range of benefits on offer.
Student	11-16 year olds qualify for student membership and this is £26 per year.  Students should be accompanied by a responsible adult whilst at the club.  (Parent/guardian might like to consider joining too)
Associate	Membership is available for those who do not live locally.  The price of associate membership is £10 annually.  There are no voting rights with associate membership and is suited for those who want to be kept in touch with the club activities
Out of Town	Out of Town membership is available for people who live more than 50 miles away.  This grade of membership contains voting rights and the right to stand on the committee, and is ideal for active members who can’t visit the club regularly.  The cost of out of town membership is half of the full/student/retired rate
Retired	Retired members are also welcome.  This is £26 per year

·         All rates due for revision in March 2008

 

 

Wife’s/girlfriends/partners

Bring her along too! There are a million and one things that our better halves can do (and do better than us!) especially at show times.  Without the help of many of the wives, girlfriends and partners to organise ticket sales, look after the children, sell programmes, direct the public, etc, the show would never get off the ground. 

 

Visit the club room

We would like to invite you to visit our Oldbury Club Room and facilities on virtually any club evening  (the only time that we can not accommodate visitors is on formal meeting nights, so you might like to phone first).  Our address is 1F, Pearsall Drive, Oldbury, West Midlands, B69 2RA.

 

Visit us on the web

Our website is www.warley-mrc.org.uk.  There’s a whole host of information on the pages as well as links to other related sites.  If you need directions to the club, go to www.streetmap.co.uk, enter the postcode (B69 2RA) and that will guide you to us.

 

Further Information

Hopefully this will tell you all you need to know, but if you would like further information please e-mail the membership secretary: Chris Wright: members@warley-mrc.org.uk or text/leave a message on 0794 107 2061.