DSMEE 2025 News

Station Front

(posted 03/06/2025)

The new design of our renovated station meant that we were left with reduced space between the waiting area and the avenue. Since the level of the platform is noticeably higher than that of the park avenue, we initially utilised a makeshift concrete ramp to get passengers up to the platform level. This was unsightly and did not meet safety or accessibility requirements. Fortunately, DLR park services graciously helped with the construction of a new common area in front of the station. This area has always been very important to the station; it is where parents and families meet and mingle, and where they can watch their kids from. Having be neat and safe was always a priority for us. The new area is now fully accessible and a much needed improvement over what we once had.

The society would also like to remind parents that only children are permitted in the queue area for the trains. Adults and parents should remain in the gravelled area. The only exceptions to this are for parents of children who require extra help riding trains, such as those with additional needs.

First Running Day

(posted 03/05/2025)

Today was the first running day for our 2025 season. The day was a definite success. We carried 328 passengers right the way through from 2:00 to 4:30. We kicked off the season in steam with our 5" gauge B1 "Springbok" steam locomotive.

Station Gates

(posted 29/03/2025)

The new gates for our station have been finished. Since our station had been finished in early 2024, our new station was separated from the avenue by only two construction barriers. This was not great for security and gave the impression that the station was still unfinished. We look forward to opening these gates to new and returning passengers on My 3rd (weather permitting).

Gantry Functional

(posted 23/02/2025)

The gantry - which allows us to easily transport locomotives from our raised-track storage shed to the raised track - is functionally complete. Shown below is the first trial run of the system. The gantry is lifting the notoriously heavy Carriage No. 1.

Note the new castors on the underside of the running boards, installed recently by a member.

Winter Programme

(posted 11/01/2025)

On Saturday the 11th of January, junior member Callum Christie gave a wonderfully informative talk on a small fleet of locomotives that his family have been working on for about four generations. While working as a foreman in Broadstone (The terminus station of the Midland Great Western Railway), Callum's great-grandfather constructed multiple model locomotives. The models were thought to have been lost to the history books, but Callum and his father have managed to restore two of the locomotives, a 2½" gauge 0-6-0 spirits-fired locomotive and a 3½" 0-6-0 tender engine, cleverly called a class 50 and which holds the - probable - title of 'last locomotive built at Broadstone'. Callum has written an article about the locomotive's history in Model Engineer magazine, and the Class 50 can now usually be seen scarpering around the raised track here in Marlay.