Falconwood Miniature Railway Public Running 2020

Welling and District Model Engineering Society public running
Welling and District Model Engineering Society public running

For probably the last time on their Falconwood site,  Welling and District Model Engineering Society   have just announced their programme of public running dates for 2020. Their web site gives the details:

We look forward to welcoming you back in 2020 for another summer of nostalgia, riding behind our steam and electric locomotives. Due our possible relocation, the dates after 28 June may be subject to change or cancellation – notice will be published on the website and at the Falconwood site.
The railway and clubhouse will be open from 2:00-5:00pm. Train rides will be available for children and adults(!), with the last ticket issued at 4:30pm. Refreshments are available in the clubhouse.
Due to a reduction in car parking space, there is no parking on site on Public Running Days except for those with Blue Badges.
Sunday April 5th 19th
Sunday May 3rd 17th 31st
Sunday June 14th 28th
The following dates are subject to change or cancellation:
Sunday July 12th 26th
Sunday August 9th 23rd
Sunday September 6th 20th
Sunday October 4th (last running)
Santa Special 2020
As you may be aware, we are moving from our current site. If we are able to hold our Santa Special day, it will be on Sunday 13th December, with tickets on sale on 20th September and 4th October. Please consult this website or our notices at our Falconwood site for the latest news.
Open Day 2020
The date of our open day for visiting clubs will be published when it is finalised.

It now seems certain that the club will be moving to Hall Place in Bexley: Planning permission for a number of changes to Hall Place gardens was granted last November, and only listed building consent is now needed. The plan is to charge members of the public to go into the gardens once the changes are made.

Planning permission was requested by Bexley Council for the following:

• A new model railway and ancillary features for the Welling and District Model Engineering Society (sidings, station, ticket office, signal box, level crossing, carriage shed, miniature track and fencing);
• A new clubhouse for the Welling and District Model Engineering Society, (to be located in the nursery yard area)
• A new children’s play area
• A new bridge across the River Cray to enhance accessibility
• New window on west side of Visitor Centre/Pavilion Café
• Canopy/covered seating area on east side of Visitor Centre/Café
• New gates and fencing to secure separation between paid and unpaid areas
• Signage/banners/wayfinding features
• A human sundial
• New wooden gate in the boundary fence for vehicular access

Funding of £619,000 has been secured for the changes, though this doesn’t include the cost of relocating the railway.

As shown in the plan above, the WDMES railway track would be on the South bank of the River Cray, on the other side of the river from the formal gardens area where Butterfly Jungles Experience and All About Owls are located. A new children’s play area will be constructed next to it.

Visitors who are not Bexley residents will have to pay £4.00 for access to the gardens, with senior citizens paying £3.00 and those aged between 5 and 16 £2.00. Bexley residents will pay half these amounts. Entrance to the areas where the owls and the butterflies are will continue to be free.

It is planned for the railway to run every Sunday between April and October plus occasional extra seasonal runs. As well as the track the WDMES area would include a carriage shed, station canopy, water tower and coal store, signal box and a ticket office.

Welling and District Model Engineering Society public running
Welling and District Model Engineering Society public running

Before heading down to Falconwood it’s worth checking the Welling and District Model Engineering Society web site for any updates or late cancellations. As WDMES said the dates from July onwards are particularly likely to change.

Details of how to get to the WDMES site, plus a sound recording and video of the miniature railway in action can be seen in previous posts about the model railway.

Welling and District Model Engineering Society public running
Welling and District Model Engineering Society public running

Falconwood Miniature Railway Public Running 2019

Welling and District Model Engineering Society public running
Welling and District Model Engineering Society public running

Despite being asked to move from their Falconwood site,  Welling and District Model Engineering Society  have just announced their programme of public running dates for 2019, as their web site says:

We look forward to welcoming you back in 2019 for another summer of nostalgia, riding behind our steam and electric locomotives. The dates and timings have now been confirmed.
The railway and clubhouse will be open from 2:00-5:00pm. Train rides will be available for children and adults(!), with the last ticket issued at 4:30pm. Refreshments are available in the clubhouse.
Due to a reduction in car parking space, there is no parking on site on Public Running Days except for those with Blue Badges.
Sunday April 7th 21st
Sunday May 5th 19th
Sunday June 2nd 16th 30th
Sunday July 14th 28th
Sunday August 11th 25th
Sunday September 8th 22nd
Sunday October 6th (last running)

The club say that they don’t have a firm date when they will need to be off the site. Although they expect to be able to hold the 2019 public running days and parties, they can’t at the moment plan to hold their Santa Special in December.

The club’s web site has no new news about where they might be moving to, but Bexley Council say that Hall Place is a possible home for the railway.

Before heading down to Falconwood it’s worth checking the Welling and District Model Engineering Society web site for any updates or late cancellations.

Details of how to get to the WDMES site, plus a sound recording and video of the miniature railway in action can be seen in previous posts about the model railway.

For this year’s dates see http://e-shootershill.co.uk/tag/model-railway/

Welling and District Model Engineering Society public running
Welling and District Model Engineering Society public running

Welling and District Model Engineering Society public running
Welling and District Model Engineering Society public running

Falconwood Miniature Railway Public Running 2018

Welling and District Model Engineering Society public running
Welling and District Model Engineering Society public running

Welling and District Model Engineering Society  have just announced their programme of public running dates and other events for 2018, as their web site says:

We look forward to welcoming you back in 2018 for another summer of nostalgia, riding behind our steam and electric locomotives. The dates and timings have now been confirmed.
The railway and clubhouse will be open from 2:00-5:00pm. Train rides will be available for children and adults(!), with the last ticket issued at 4:30pm. Refreshments are available in the clubhouse.
Due to a reduction in car parking space, there is no parking on site on Public Running Days except for those with Blue Badges.
    Sunday April 8th 22nd
    Sunday May 6th 20th
    Sunday June 3rd 17th
   Sunday July 1st 15th 29th
    Sunday August 12th 26th
    Sunday September 9th 23rd
    Sunday October 7th (last running)

Santa Special 2018
Tickets for the 2018 Santa Special, to be held on Sunday December 16th, will be on sale at the last two Public Running Events, September 23rd and October 7th. Prices are yet to be determined. Please note we can only accept payment in cash. Tickets are prices are to be confirmed, with a maximum of 4 tickets per family, Admission to the Santa Special is by ticket ONLY.
The maximum age of children will be 8 years, and each ticket allows one adult to travel with the child. Please note that no parking will be allowed on site on the day of the Santa Special.
Open Day 2018
We will be holding an open day for visiting clubs on Saturday 6th October.

Before heading down to Falconwood it’s worth checking the Welling and District Model Engineering Society web site for any updates or late cancellations.

Details of how to get to the WDMES site, plus a sound recording and video of the miniature railway in action can be seen in previous posts about the model railway.

For this year’s dates see http://e-shootershill.co.uk/tag/model-railway/

Welling and District Model Engineering Society public running
Welling and District Model Engineering Society public running

Welling and District Model Engineering Society public running
Welling and District Model Engineering Society public running

Welling and District Model Engineering Society public running
Welling and District Model Engineering Society public running

Falconwood Miniature Railway Public Running 2017

Welling and District Model Engineering Society public running
Welling and District Model Engineering Society public running

Welling and District Model Engineering Society  have just announced their programme of public running dates and other events for 2017, as their web site says:

Public Running Dates 2017
We look forward to welcoming you back in 2017 for another summer of nostalgia, riding behind our steam and electric locomotives. The dates and timings have now been confirmed.
The railway and clubhouse will be open from 2:00-5:00pm. Train rides will be available for children and adults(!), with the last ticket issued at 4:30pm. Refreshments are available in the clubhouse.
Sunday April 9th 23rd
Sunday May 7th 21st
Sunday June 4th 18th
Sunday July 2nd 16th 30th
Sunday August 13th 27th
Sunday September 10th 24th
Sunday October 8th (last running)

Santa Special 2017
Tickets for the 2017 Santa Special, to be held on Sunday December 10th, will be on sale at the last two Public Running Events, September 24th and October 8th. Ticket prices are to be confirmed, with a maximum of 4 tickets per family, Admission to the Santa Special is by ticket ONLY.
The maximum age of children will be 8 years, and each ticket allows one adult to travel with the child. Please note that no parking  will be allowed on site on the day of the Santa Special.

Open Day 2017
We will be holding an open day for visiting clubs on 7 October.

Before heading down to Falconwood it’s worth checking the Welling and District Model Engineering Society web site for any updates or late cancellations.

Details of how to get to the WDMES site, plus a sound recording and video of the miniature railway in action can be seen in previous posts about the model railway. The location of the site is shown in the Google Earth snippet below. It’s hidden behind the Electricity Station on Rochester Way, sandwiched between Falconwood Field and the railway line. Entrance is from Rochester Way.

It’s great that WDMES have been able to keep going on their local site.

For this year’s dates see http://e-shootershill.co.uk/tag/model-railway/

WDMES is located South of Falconwood Field and North of the railway line behind the electricity sub-station. Entrance is from Rochester Way
WDMES is located South of Falconwood Field and North of the railway line behind the electricity sub-station. Entrance is from Rochester Way

Welling and District Model Engineering Society public running
Welling and District Model Engineering Society public running

Falconwood Miniature Railway Public Running 2016

Welling and District Model Engineering Society public running
Welling and District Model Engineering Society public running

Welling and District Model Engineering Society  have just announced their programme of public running dates and other events for 2016, as their web site says:

We look forward to welcoming you back in 2016 for another summer of nostalgia, riding behind our steam and electric locomotives. The dates and timings have now been confirmed.
The railway and clubhouse will be open from 2:00-5:00pm. Train rides will be available for children and adults(!), with the last ticket issued at 4:30pm. Refreshments are available in the clubhouse.
Sunday April 10th 24th
Sunday May 8th 22nd
Sunday June 5th 19th
Sunday July 3rd 17th 31st
Sunday August 14th 28th
Sunday September 11th 25th
Sunday October 9th (last running)

Portable Track Events 2016
We will be running Portable Track events at Hayes Fair on Saturday 11th June and Chelsfield Village Fete on Saturday 9th July.
Santa Special 2016

The Santa special is planned for Sunday 11th December 2016, subject to WDMES remaining on the site. Tickets will be sold on 25th September and 9th October, and will be limited to 4 tickets per person.

Before heading down to Falconwood it’s worth checking the Welling and District Model Engineering Society web site for any updates or late cancellations.

Details of how to get to the WDMES site, plus a sound recording and video of the miniature railway in action can be seen in previous posts about the model railway.

It’s great that the society are still hanging on to their home at the electricity station site near Falconwood railway station, despite uncertainty about the site’s future. Long may they continue.

For this year’s dates see http://e-shootershill.co.uk/tag/model-railway/

Welling and District Model Engineering Society public running
Welling and District Model Engineering Society public running

Welling and District Model Engineering Society public running
Welling and District Model Engineering Society public running

Falconwood Miniature Railway Public Running 2015

 Welling and District Model Engineering Society public running

Welling and District Model Engineering Society public running

I’m glad to see that Welling and District Model Engineering Society are still at their home at the electricity station site near Falconwood railway station, despite uncertainty about the site’s future. They have just announced their programme of public running dates for 2015, as their web site says:

We look forward to welcoming you back in 2015 for another summer of nostalgia, riding behind our steam and electric locomotives. The dates and timings have now been confirmed. The railway and clubhouse will be open from 2:00-5:00pm. Train rides will be available for children and adults(!), with the last ticket issued at 4:30pm. Refreshments are available in the clubhouse.
Sunday April 12th 26th
Sunday May 10th 24th
Sunday June 7th 21st
Sunday July 5th 19th
Sunday August 2nd 16th 30th
Sunday September 13th 27th
Sunday October 11th (last running)

Before heading down to Falconwood it’s worth checking the Welling and District Model Engineering Society web site for any updates or late cancellations.

The popular Santa Special will run on 13th December if WDMES are still on the site. Santa Special tickets will be available at the 27th September and 11th October openings. There is a maximum of 4 tickets per person.

Details of how to get to the WDMES site, plus a sound recording and video of the miniature railway in action can be seen in previous posts about the model railway.

For this year’s dates see http://e-shootershill.co.uk/tag/model-railway/

 Welling and District Model Engineering Society public running

Welling and District Model Engineering Society public running

Falconwood Miniature Railway Public Running 2014

Welling and District Model Engineering Society public running
Welling and District Model Engineering Society public running

Welling and District Model Engineering Society seem to be hanging on to their home at the electricity station site near Falconwood railway station, despite uncertainty about the site’s future. They have just announced their programme of public running dates for 2014, as their web site says:

We look forward to welcoming you back in 2014 for another summer of nostalgia, riding behind our steam and electric locomotives. The dates and timings have now been confirmed. The railway and clubhouse will be open from 2:00-5:00pm. Train rides will be available for children and adults(!), with the last ticket issued at 4:30pm. Refreshments are available in the clubhouse.
Sunday April 13th 27th
Sunday May 11th 25th
Sunday June 8th
Sunday July 6th 20th
Sunday August 3rd 17th 31st
Sunday September 14th 28th
Sunday October 12th (last running)

Check the Welling and District Model Engineering Society web site for any updates or late cancellations.

The popular Santa Special will run on 14th December if WDMES are still on the site. Santa Special tickets will be available at the 28th September and 12th October openings.

Details of how to get to the WDMES site, plus a sound recording and video of the miniature railway in action can be seen in previous posts about the model railway.

For this year’s dates see http://e-shootershill.co.uk/tag/model-railway/

Welling and District Model Engineering Society public running
Welling and District Model Engineering Society public running

Welling and District Model Engineering Society public running
Welling and District Model Engineering Society public running

 

 

Falconwood Miniature Railway Public Running 2013

Welling and District Model Engineering Society public running
Welling and District Model Engineering Society public running

Welling and District Model Engineering Society are still unsure of EDF’s plans for the future of their site at the electricity station site near Falconwood railway station, but hope that they can stay put for a while longer. They have just announced their programme of public running dates for 2013, as their web site says:

We look forward to welcoming you back in 2013 for another summer of nostalgia, riding behind our steam and electric locomotives. The dates and timings have now been confirmed.
The railway and clubhouse will be open from 2:00-5:00pm. Train rides will be available for children and adults(!), with the last ticket issued at 4:30pm. Refreshments are available in the clubhouse.

Sunday April 21st
Sunday May 5th 19th
Sunday June 2nd 16th 30th
Sunday July 14th 28th
Sunday August 11th 25th
Sunday September 8th 22nd
Sunday October 6th (last running)

I’ll add the dates to the e-shootershill events calendar on the right.

If you’ve never been for a ride on the WDMES model trains, check out my predecessor’s sound recording and video of the miniature railway in action. The entrance to the WDMES site is at the left hand end of the electricity station building on Rochester Way – the entrance is shown in the photo below. There are more photos on the e-shootershill Flickr site.

Entrance to Welling and District Model Engineering Society
Entrance to Welling and District Model Engineering Society

Model Train at Welling and District Model Engineering Society
Model Train at Welling and District Model Engineering Society

Crossness Public Steaming Days 2013

Decorative Ironwork in the Octagon at the Crossness Pumping Station
Decorative Ironwork in the Octagon at the Crossness Pumping Station

I notice that the episode of Michael Portillo’s Great British Railway Journeys,  London Victoria to Abbey Wood, on BBC 2 tonight (Wednesday) includes a sequence about the “Victorian cathedral of ironwork” that is Crossness Pumping Station. As I’ve mentioned before, seeing this amazing example of Victorian engineering fully steamed up and in action is an awe-inspiring sight and well worth a visit on one of their public steaming days.

However there will be fewer opportunities to see it in action this year because the volunteers of the Crossness Engines Trust are starting work on a number of improvements to the site funded by a Heritage Lottery Fund grant: there are pictures of the volunteers in action on their Facebook page. The Trust have announced just 5 public steaming days for 2013. As they say on their website:

… despite the ongoing building works, the Trust has decided that there will several public steaming days during 2013. The dates currently agreed are as follows:
Sunday April 21st  – Local History Fair (in association with Bexley Civic Society)
Sunday June 23rd – Model Engineering
Sunday July 28th – Transport
Sunday September 1st – Local History
Sunday October 13th – Local History

Admission will be from 10.30am until 4.00pm and the admission charge will be £5.00.
No booking is required. People under 16: free.
It is recommended that visitors wear flat shoes. Please note that the Trust can only accept payment in cash or by cheque.
There will be no mini-bus service in operation from/to Abbey Wood BR station.

To whet your appetite here’s a brief video sequence of the massive steam engines in action from my visit on London Open House day a couple of years ago:

Local Enthusiasms

English Bull Terriers Diamond Jubilee fancy dress parade in Eltham Park South
English Bull Terriers Diamond Jubilee fancy dress parade in Eltham Park South Doggie Fun Day

From books to Bull Terriers, via  ukuleles, steam trains and a dipping pond: an eclectic set of personal passions were on public display last weekend on or around Shooters Hill.

The weekend started on Friday with the official opening of the Eaglesfield Park Lilly Pond. Madeleine from the Friends of Eaglesfield Park wrote describing the event:

On Friday 15th June Friends of Eaglesfield Park wanted to share and celebrate with our local community that the once lost and forgotten pond has been restored into a wonderful wildlife pond with a dipping platform that hopefully will now become a focal point for visitors to the park. To Commemorate the opening The Mayor of the Royal Borough of Greenwich officially “cut the tape” and opened the gate to the dipping platform. We certainly won’t forget which year the restored pond was opened – 2012 (we became the Royal Borough of Greenwich, The London Olympics and The Royal Diamond Jubilee!). The day will also hold a further significance for several children who tried out our pond dipping platform. They received a unique certificate to commemorate they were part of the opening ceremony and among the first people (children or adult !) to use the pond dipping platform.

Opening the Eaglesfield Lilly Pond
Opening the Eaglesfield Lilly Pond

Although our large marquees would have provided shelter, we were indeed lucky to have good (well reasonable) weather and our planned celebrations opened in true carnival spirit with the children of Plumcroft and Christ Church primary schools in vibrant costume and displaying their considerable drumming and dancing talents. We would like to thank TARU Arts, a local Woolwich based community Arts Project, for the great job they have done working with the local schools in the lead up to this event and in organising the festivities. Of course we would also very much like to thank the Staff and children from Plumcroft and Christ Church Schools for taking part with such enthusiasm.
Throughout the day TARU provided drumming and hat making workshop opportunities and face painting for the children. Add to this a vibrant Brazilian Jazz Band and Zumba dancing and the aroma of delicious spicy food provided by Guarida Community Cafe, we indeed enjoyed a festive celebration. Who needs sunshine anyway!
The wildlife pond area looks wonderful and we would like to say thank you to the “diggers and gardeners” for their time and enthusiasm (and tools!) for helping to create the wildlife meadow surrounding the pond. The pond is already attracting tadpoles, small frogs, water skaters, leech, newts and, as yet, unidentified “bugs” and visits from two mallard ducks. The wildlife flower seeds have been sown, but it is next year that we can expect a colourful display.

Following the enthusiastic drumming and dancing on Friday, a different enthusiasm was on display early on Saturday morning in the bibliophilic queue at the Church of the Ascension in Blackheath for the Amnesty Blackheath & Greenwich Book Sale. The technique adopted by the most sadly enthusiastic is to grab an old cardboard box and quickly fill it with as many books from your favourite sections as you can and then to sit at the altar end and  sort through them to decide what you really want. My more modest selection included Jon Snow’s “Shooting History”, which I was really pleased to discover later at home  had been autographed by the author. I’m looking forward to seeing Jon in conversation with some of the Elders at the Barbican next week.

Later at the Eaglesfield Park Neighbourhood Watch  2012 Annual Community Fete there were opportunities to join in a very wide range of local enthusiasms, such as sporting (Shooters Hill Lawn Tennis Club, Shooters Hill Golf Club, Woolwich and Plumstead Bowling Club), Conservation (Woodlands Farm, Shrewsbury and Eaglesfield Park Friends‘ Groups, pond dipping) and historical (Shooters Hill Local History Group, Severndroog Castle Preservation Society) together with a strong contingent from the Metropolitan Police. Entertainment was provided by The Fleas Ukulele band. Unfortunately I had to leave when the bagpiper started.

Bull Terrier in fancy dress
Bull Terrier in fancy dress

A gentle walk across Oxleas Meadows and through Shepardleas Wood took me to Eltham Park South, where the Doggie Fun Day was in full swing. The highlight was the Bull Terriers Diamond Jubilee  fancy dress parade and competition. I felt slightly sorry for the indignity suffered by the dogs in their imaginative costumes ….  such as a jousting horse, lots of England football fans and a Sherlock Holmes complete with waxed jacket and deerstalker hat. Sherlock suffered added indignity when the compere announced that he had come as a tramp. The well-deserved winners of the competition, and the Jane McInnes Trophy cup, were a pair of English Bull Terriers dressed up as pearly king and queen. There was a special commendation for a bull terrier who entered as a very convincing chihuahua (in fact I think it was an actual  chihuahua pretending to be a bull terrier pretending to be a chihuahua).  The competition included Bull Terriers rescued by Absolute Bull Terrier Rescue.

Finally, Sunday was one of Welling and District Model Engineering Society’s  public running dates. The WDMES is a group of enthusiasts for model steam trains, many of them former engineers who build the model trains themselves, fabricating the precision-engineered components necessary for the steam engines. On the public running day engines of varying sizes are put through their paces, but the main attraction is to ride on one of the trains on the 1268 feet 3.5″ and 5″ gauge raised steel track.

Welling and District Model Engineering Society  public running
Welling and District Model Engineering Society public running

What a very varied set of enthusiasms and enthusiasts!  There are more photographs on the e-Shootershill Flickr site.