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So once again I’m back...
In lieu of Toto being caught up with his commitments to work, I personally know that he is up to his eyeballs in it.
May 2021 be a great year for him. But please Toto, don’t go away for too long, I’m unsure if I can write as well as you !
Well here we are, almost at the end of 2020 and what a year it has been…!
No, I won’t mention Cov… but what I will mention is what this cursed virus has done to our hobby. In hindsight, being locked up has actually worked in favour for our modelling, keeping us inside at the modelling bench. In fact, large retailers have possibly never been in the predicament of running out of stock on their shelves ! I do hope for all of us and the wider community, that the dreaded virus will have a cure sooner than later...
Modelling has been on the increase in 2020 and you can see that on our pages. Overall, it has been good to have a little more time to model and I’m sure you would agree to that, even if you couldn’t get out and about to pick up those modelling supplies.
Personally for me, I had little time over the past 6 - 9 months due to work commitments, but now due to an employment change, I can resume and chase my modelling like I used to !
Anyhow, lets put that to bed and enjoy the Christmas and New Year celebrations with a view of change for 2021. Fingers crossed 2021 will be a better year than what we have had to endure this year.
This last month has been great for Platform 1 MRC. Membership is still on the increase which is pretty awesome. I’d like to welcome the new members on board and may you enjoy the forum and the characters we have, as camaraderie and a sense of friendship is always a breath of fresh air. I look forward to reading about your modelling experiences.
One thing that will go missing from our pages is ‘Gormo’s Shed’. Gormo has hung up the helmet on his quite informative videos but will continue with his ‘Great Chesterford Junction Model Railway’ channel on youtube.
Thank you for all you have done for the forum, which includes attracting new members to the forum due to subscribers/followers you have generated over the years. I’m sure I am speaking for everyone here, so once again, thank you Gormo.
Another great achievement was made recently on the forum. On the 5th December five years ago, a small group led by Toto started Platform 1 MRC.
A HUGE congratulations goes out to Toto for starting the forum and a pat on the back to his gang of Moderators around the globe for putting up with Toto’s antics !
Platform 1 MRC started with just five like minded modellers, three chaps from the UK and two from Oz. With Toto at the helm, Paul_l (Toto’s trusty sidekick), Mattc6911 (now retired from duties), Gormo and myself (moral support !), we have grown the forum from this original group of modellers to 861 members, from all over the globe. Mind you, we did not do this alone…
As the forum grew, we incorporated a few more Moderators to help keep watch over the forum. This included Ron, Ianvolvo46, Jakesdad13, Kimbo and SMR Chris. We kept on growing our membership and with that we engaged a few more Moderators in the last two years. These last few to join our team are York Paul and Rob Pulham.
Without this group of individuals, Platform 1 MRC wouldn’t be where we are today. I wish to thank you all for the great work you have done over the years, keeping this place safe and clean for all members.
Thank you.
I will also thank all the members who contribute to the forum, even if it is just a ‘thumbs up’. Your support keeps the doors open and keeps the threads rolling, making it interesting for any outsider looking in.
Thank you.
Our Sponsors have become a major player on the forum too. Without you guys, Connoissuer Models, Elllis Clark Trains, Scalscenes, Town Street, Gladiator Model Kits, Clark Rail Works and Minerva Models, we would just be another forum and I thank you for your contributions of prizes for our competitions.
Thank you.
Happy Anniversary Platform 1 MRC.
Now for some other news ....
SPONSORS UPDATE
Wow, with the year it has been for our Sponsors...
Connoisseur Models has announced on their page that they have had to stop taking orders until March next year. Jim McGeown wrote “I now have such a volume of back orders that it will require all my production & sales capacity to fulfil before March 2021. I feel it would be unfair to customers to continue taking mail orders that I could not complete in a reasonable time.
So with a heavy heart, I think its best to call a halt, concentrate on restocking & fulfilling backorders, then reopen, with hopefully, normal service in March 2021.
I am still able to provide help, advice & after sales service.”
Now that is being honest to us modellers, well done Jim. I do hope you get on top of this dilemma.
Gladiator Models too are experiencing significant delays in acquisition of parts to complete kits. Stock levels are lower than usual and we still have many items on back order…
Again, great to read that our sponsors are letting the modelling community know how difficult things have been, courtesy of Covid 19… It also shows that we modellers are hungry for new kits and detailing items.
On the other hand..,
Scalescenes has produced a new kit, R008a Station Platform with Shelter and Lamp Hut. This is perfect for the modeller wanting to build a small branch line incorporating a small halt ! This is available in OO and N gauge.
Clark Rail Works has been going from strength to strength, increasing their stock of all models of varying scales, OO, HO, HOm, G, N, T. Coming soon to their site will be Hoe and EM. Take a look at their comprehensive range of Accurascale models, these models are a game changer !
Ellis Clark Trains will be opening a new showroom in Skipton soon. I’m sure the O gauge modellers here will be keen to see the new premises. Not only do ECT provide for the British O gauge modeller, they do stock a range of American O, Continental O, Scale 7, Gauge 1, 16mm and Gauge 3 models !
Minerva Models are moving along with their model of the V4 GW Mink van. Once complete, they will start on the V12. Last month they took delivery of a decorated sample of their Class 14 Teddy Bear.
PARTICULAR THREADS OF INTEREST
- James76 has been offering his great little layouts one after the other. The latest being his ‘Tropical Pizza’ !
- Gormo has been busy building his Bell Code Block Instruments.
- Jim Freight has continued with his excellent cement sidings build.
- Rob Pulham has been busy with his O gauge Gladiator J6.
- Graham K has been busy building his little layout ‘Bodgeford’.
I would add more topics of note, but hey I’d run out of space in the Station Master’s Editorial !
COMPETITIONS
Competition wise, we have recently ended our ‘Scalescenes Kit Bash Competition’. The winner being, um, myself…!
I’d like to thank Toto and John Wiffen for the competition and I’ll soon be making a purchase or two from Scalescenes !
Only a few members had entered the competition, but time was a contributing factor for some entries not being completed by the closing date. Paul_l has mentioned in his thread that he will continue the build of his entry so he can use the model on an alteration to his layout ‘Victoria Road’.
It would have been great to have more competitors, but that is just the nature of the times we live in currently. Time, possibly being the biggest factor as we try and normalise our lives, considering the year we all have been put through.
Remember folks, if you have an idea for a competition, we would love to hear about it. You can PM your ideas to any Moderator. We will endeavour to make all competitions feasible to our members.
A NOTE TO END ON…
I would like to wish each and everyone of you, your families and friends a very merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year.
I would also like you to reflect on the year you have had and think about what changes it has made to your lives, good, bad or indifferent and what you have done to make life a little easier. Just remember, you can’t change yesterday, but you can put plans forward to change tomorrow.
Last, but not least, thank you for taking part in Platform 1 MRC. I am looking forward to reading about all your future modelling plans, whether it be a new layout, layout alterations, kit builds, kit bashes and/or hints and tips.
So please, stay safe, keep safe and carry on modelling.
Cheers, Gary.
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