The Epsom & Ewell Model Railway Club was one of many created in the late 1940’s and early 1950’s. In 1951 a letter was circulated to several like-minded souls in the area inviting them to a meeting to discuss the formation of a model railway club. As a result, the Epsom & Ewell MRC held its first formal meeting in 1952.
The first home of the club was Pit House in Cheam Road, Ewell. This venue, as well as all subsequent premises, have been hired and shared with other users. Our club has never had a permanent home. Perhaps the lack of redundant commercial space within the Borough and the high price of housing have always been factors that rule against finding an affordable permanent home.
Th first layout was a coarse scale O gauge end to end layout called Ebbisham. The club also built a large OO layout called Nonsuch which was based upon the practices of the Southern Railway and the Southern Region of British Railways. Off this layout came a branch to a Great Western railway terminus called Ruxley. It must be noted that it has been a long-standing tradition of the club to name its layouts, wherever possible, using place names from within the Borough. Narrow gauge was also supported with a OO9 layout called Storrington.
In the early 1960’s the club moved and hired a church hall in the grounds of St Francis Church, Ruxley Lane in Ewell. The club has maintained an association with the Church ever since, i.e. some 60 years. For many years the club used the original church hall that stood at the rear of the site. In 2007 the hall had to be given up for redevelopment and the club moved to the Methodist Church further down Ruxley Lane for the next six years. We returned to the St Francis site in 2013 with completion of the new Ruxley church and its integral hall.
Without permanent premises all club layouts have had to be stored with lids for overall protection. The club has been fortunate to have dedicated storage facilities for its layouts and equipment. For many years this was in a kit-built garage in the grounds, but today it is a purpose-built structure immediately adjacent to the hall. Given the necessity for lidded layouts, which do not fade or get dusty, it has been a feature of the club that there has not been a significant turnover of layouts. For instance, the Ruxley Branch, commenced in the 1950’s, is still going strong today, albeit with a significant extension to form a second through station called Woodcote.
Over the years there has been several large layouts. A fine scale O gauge layout that started as a GWR through station based upon Adderbury on the Thame Branch. At an early stage it was the subject of a makeover to become Horton Regis on the Dorset coast, a London & South Western Railway terminus inspired by Plymouth Friary. In the 1980’s the club ran a OO tail chaser called West Hill inspired by the track layout at Surbiton. It was successful at exhibitions and as a running track on Monday nights. Fine scale has not been ignored with a scale model of Wadhurst Station on the former South Eastern Railway between Tonbridge and Hastings. This is built to 18.83mm gauge and P4 track standards-the storage sidings point work is an exceptional essay in track building. Another large layout was a OO scheme based on Shirebrook, Notts in the ‘blue’ period of British Rail.
The current register of layouts includes Ruxley/Woodcote (OO); Wadhurst (P4); Hinksey Yard (N); and Colehouses (OO). Under construction is a 2mm scale model of Lewes as it looked in 1886 and Much Waiting, a 009 minimum space layout.
The club, since 1958 has arranged exhibitions within the Borough. The first took place at the Odeon Cinema in the High Street (now the site of T K Max). Over the years occasional exhibitions were held in the Baths Hall in East Street; a couple at in the Epsom Playhouse; and two more at Horton hospital. Since 1995 the club has organised an annual exhibition at NESCOT in Ewell. ‘The Epsom Show at NESCOT’ has become a firm fixture and a well-respected exhibition in the South of England.
For the future, the Club is established at Ruxley Church Hall, it is building new layouts, and has encouraged new younger members. The club has been active for nearly 70 years and looks forward to the next 70.