Although kindly organised by KEG (thanks to Simon Mortimer), nearly all the participants were Society members. The rain had just about cleared north under low cloud and, with a blustery chilling wind, 14 participants gathered in front of the Reading MES clubhouse in Prospect Park on the outskirts of Reading. The group was greeted and briefed by Peter Harrison, the Club Secretary. Indeed, it was a most welcoming speech pointing out the tea making facilities and asking us to do whatever our mission here entailed within reason and safety! When Peter enquired where the attendees had come from answers like Preston, Carlisle and Bristol left him staggered. 'Have come here just to visit us?'... was the gist of his reply, although for one prominent member it was 15 minutes from home on foot!

Reading Model Engineers Society, split level photo stop! The Class 50 and 58 are both 5" gauge; however, the riding vehicles are of different gauges.
[© Simon Mortimer 2015]

Operations on this members' day had barely commenced, so teas and chat were the order of the day but soon a 5" gauge class 58 battery electric locomotive was deployed on the 440yd ground level line hauling a 7¼" gauge coach. So began what would become a complete traversal of the ground level lines involving the full circuit, both station and depot access loops and both spurs into the depot in both instances crossing the turntable. With the reinstated (in 2012) and modified platform loop, a missing point blade meant the train had to back up over the frog to within an inch of the rails end, complemented by another reversal to the buffers on the short spur off the loop.

'Cyril Kimber', the original 7¼" gauge loco, at Reading MES begins to draw off the turntable back onto the connecting spur.
[© Simon Mortimer 2015]

Participants also enjoyed trips on the 2½"/3½"/5" elevated line signalled with colour lights plated 'RR' for 'Reading Raised' as opposed to those on the 'RG' 'Reading Ground' on the 7¼" line; clearly Thames Valley Signalling Centre had not reached here just yet! Some locos on the elevated line were very small 3½" gauge examples, and seemed to work furiously and require frequent watering and steam raising to make a circuit hauling up to three adults including the driver! (Can you count that 3½" line if the coaches travel on the 5" rails?). After running the locos everywhere they practically could go (including with the original 7¼" loco here, 'Cyril Kimber'), there delicate hand propelling over all available roads off the turntable. There were frequent shouts of 'flaps up' and 'flaps down' (more like a flying circus!) referring to the locking plates at the turntable each end of the turntable; hardly a track panel was not covered. After 2½ hours participants bade farewell. Peter mentioned that they might extend the circuit in two to three years, so pencil it in for 2018/19!