Canvey Railway and Model Engineering Club. (CRAMEC)Canvey Island Model Engineering Club - home page
Welcome to the engineering side of the Canvey Railway and Model Engineering Club. The club was initially set up in the 1970s, at which time we did not have a railway. However, as many of our members were building locomotives it made sense to construct a small piece of track. Over the years this small piece of track has grown to over a mile in length. We have a raised track that has both 5 inch gauge, and 3 1/2 inch gauge rails, and a ground level track which has 7 1/4 inch gauge and 5 inch gauge rails. On the ground level track we have signalling and points that are pneumatically powered, all of which is controlled from the signal box. We have members-only running days when members can operate their engines without the public present; and if they don't have an engine, the club has a few electric locomotives that members can use after receiving suitable training. The members have a comfortable club house with kitchen and disabled toilet facilities. Although we are primarily a model engineering club, looking after this infrastructure takes some considerable maintaining. As we cannot maintain the railway on a Sunday, when we are open to the public, Wednesday is our maintenance day; from 10 am to 3pm you can find us on site, trimming the bushes and maintaining the grounds, buildings and infrastructure. Additionally, there is usually a new project underway. The club’s members, have many different talents and skills between them and, on occasions throughout the year, at our Friday club meetings, individual members will give talks about their particular interest and skills or partake in our ‘Seen on the Table’ evenings. This event is where members can bring along items they have been working on and discuss their progress. In the last couple of months, we've had many different items on the table. Carvings, wood turnings and hot air engines are just some of the other items that turn up on a ‘Seen on the table’ evening.
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