Open day for train lovers

The Cape Society of Model and Experimental Engineers vice-chair Andre van Breda takes the children for a ride at last year's open day.

The Cape Town Society of Model and Experimental Engineers (CTSMEE) will hold an open day on Saturday November 18 at their clubhouse on the corner of Erin, Duke and Campground roads in Rondebosch, from 9am to 4pm.

The aim of the event is to share the hobby of model building with visitors who will be able to interact with the club’s members and ask questions.

The club has a fully equipped workshop with lathes, shapers and milling machines.

The chairman, Ken Linderman, is a qualified machinist and a fitter and turner who is always willing to teach new members the trade.

At the open day, there will be rides for children on the 5 inch gauge live steam engine, costing R5 each.

The rides will be from 9am to noon and 1.30pm to 3.30pm.

The breaks allows for maintenance of the locomotives.

Operational layouts will include the O Gauge, HO Gauge and N Gauge in the clubhouse; the Gauge 1 Garden railway at the back of the clubhouse; and the N Gauge Modular section together with a Z Gauge layout in the main hall.

The club’s surplus magazines and books will be on display and sold at bargain prices.

Mike Arkly will be selling model railway equipment and structures and refreshments will be on sale.

For the younger generation there will be a display from the company Young Engineer for those who want learn about engineering at an early age.

For anyone interested in joining the club, application forms will be available.

Entry to the open day is R10 for adults and R5 for pupils.

Children under the age of five enter free.

The club is situated in Croquet Lane behind the Rondebosch Croquet Club.

* For more information about the Cape Town Society of Model and Experimental Engineers, call Ken Lindeman on 071 384 1344 or Andre van Breda on 082 378 2437.