About Us

An Introduction to the Club

The Chelmsford & District Model Railway Club has been established for over 40 years and is one of the leading clubs in Essex. Over the years the club has met in a variety of locations (from a carpet shop to a member’s garage!) but it has been in its present premises since 2014 and these have been described as some of the best club facilities visitors have seen.

At present we have about 80 members ranging from 11 years old up to over 90 and new members of all ages* are always welcome. (*Minimum age for membership is 8 years).

 

Opening Times

Meetings take place every Monday and Wednesday evening from ~6.30pm until ~9.30pm excluding bank holidays.

To facilitate ‘working’ members we now also open on the first Saturday of each month from ~9.00am until 1.00pm.

For other opening times by appointment please contact us for details.

 

Membership

Our membership fees are as follows:

• Adult Joining Fee - £10
• Adult Membership (Age 18+) - £70 per annum
• Junior Joining Fee - £5
• Junior Membership (Age 8-17) - £25 per annum

(NOTE: we require that Junior members be accompanied by a parent or other responsible adult when attending the club at all times. If the responsible adult does not wish to take part in club ‘activities’ then they do not need to become a member).

 

Premises

Our excellent club rooms are located near central Chelmsford and have free parking including disabled spaces. Disabled access to the club is also provided.
The club rooms feature several of our layouts set up for operation or under construction. These showcase many aspects of our hobby and cover the following:

• O gauge (with digital control)
• O16.5 Narrow Gauge
• OO gauge (with both traditional analogue and also digital control)
• OO9 narrow gauge (with analogue control)
• N gauge (with analogue control)

The permanent layouts allow members to work on them and also to run their own rolling stock. At any one time they may be demonstrating everything from Victorian steam to modern diesel and electric trains from British and overseas railways.

 

So Why Join a Club?

Some people want to follow their model railway hobby alone in their own home and that’s fine. However, for many people the hobby can be greatly enhanced by joining with others who have a similar interest. Even though many of our members have their own layouts at home, coming to the club gives them the opportunity to discuss details and new techniques or find answers or help with issues they may be having.

There are so many aspects to the hobby that it is difficult to master them all. However, in the club you will meet members who have been involved for years with modelling and railways and there is a wealth of knowledge which members are happy to share. The club premises and layouts give members the opportunity to operate trains and assist in building layouts which they may not be able to do at home.

So, whether you are a beginner or a long-standing railway modeller being part of a club like ours is sure to be a really positive experience. You can always give it a try by contacting us to arrange a visit.