New Year’s Day, and time to reflect on 2023.

Starting with ESNG itself, we have, I think, had a steady year.  We’ve had enough members attending meetings to run trains at all but a couple of meetings.  And just occasionally, numbers have got into double figures.  I guess that we are really a small group of friends who run trains together – but there is nothing wrong with that.

We did manage a club open day, and a club exhibition, both held at our church hall clubroom.  Both were a moderate success, but both could have been better.  We ran trains, met some old friends, and thoroughly entertained some small children (who on the whole were impeccably behaved.)

Four club members returned to Stuttgart, and despite Brexit, took a good display of modules with us.  I think we all had a good week – quite hard work, but a really sociable time.

And we had a day trip to the KESR to view (by train) the plaque remembering our old friend Miles.

Modelling, it’s been a mixed year.  I’ve started a few projects, and not completed them (yet.)  I did manage to improve the legs and wiring for my N-club modules, and this proved worthwhile when they all went together easily at Stuttgart.  I built a new ‘joker’ module for the show, that included a large fossil.  And I was diverted by plastic kits, making several including this lovely DH Hornet.  And we have continued to have ESNG working parties through the first half of the year,

What’s on the schedule for 2024?  I have too many projects set up or started.  I think it’s time to finish a few of them.  Perhaps I need to build some of those rolling stock kits sitting in boxes, rather than start a new layout?  However, another N-club or N-mod module is an attractive proposition…..

Finally, a modest comment about this blog.  The blog had 48,153 views in 2023, the most ever.  Either the quality of posts have improved, or Ron has been on more holidays!!!