Letter & Photos from Callum Christie
NWMES Member from Ireland
Hi all my names callum Christie and I’m nearly 19
and yes we had a wonderful time visiting your society running my great grandfather’s loco which he started to build around 1939/1943 and we hope to come and run and help out at the society at some point in July .
Anyway yes on to the question yous asked there’s only 2 model engineers society’s in Ireland/Northern Ireland the nearest one is called Dublin Society Model Experimental Engineers and the second one is in Northern Ireland called Drumawhey Junction Railway but the Dublin club is closer but we don’t go there as much anymore as me and my dad aren’t as well off as all the regular members as alot of them are retired older man who have a group among themselves and they don’t really talk to me or my dad .
They also don’t get many young new members I’m guessing its because the way the regular older guys treat some of the younger members also but they treat my dad like he’s stupid when we run our locos like belittling him about things even though he’s a trained blacksmith and boilersmith as he trained in Inchicore Railway works in Dublin but anyway he’s well capable of doing things he’s currently building a 5 inch gauge Duchess of Hamilton which he’s currently building the boiler for but anyway even though the Dublin club is 45 minutes away from us because they treat us bad we tend not to go there as much so we joined our new club Drumawhey Junction Railway in Northern Ireland last February.
It’s like heaven compared to the Dublin club as in the Northern club there so nice and caring and they actually want to help and teach me and other younger guys new things so its a wonderful Club, the club is that great compared to the Dublin club that we travel 3 hours and 14 minutes from our house just so we don’t have to go to the Dublin club that’s how great the Northern guys at the club are .
But yes there’s only 2 model Engineering societies in Ireland and I personally find there’s not enough youngsters in the societies personally the Dublin one only has 2 youngsters but my opinion is because with the Dublin Society is because the older regular members don’t want to teach the younger generation how things are done and they just think it’s about what there doing and leave them to it but with the Drumawhey Club there’s a few young members just in there case they don’t have any new young members possibly because of where their located at the very top of the country but mainly I think model Engineering in Ireland isn’t to strong as there’s atleast 200 members in total combined between the Northern Ireland Society and the Dublin Society it seems in Ireland there’s not to many people who have or want to learn Model Engineering as a hobby but I’m not too worried I’m just glad we have the Northern Ireland club and we have great fun up there but anyway before I go here’s our current builds and our loco collection.
My dad’s 5 inch Duchess of Hamilton which he Is building he’s currently up to the boiler hoping to have that running before winter – Dads 3 1/2 Derby 4F – My 3 1/2 inch LBSC Helian Lassie – My Great Grandfather’s 3 1/2 inch gauge Mgwr No.50 .
We also have 3 other locos which we are building but also there are more locos approximately 3 more locos which my great grandfather built which I’m currently trying to get off my grand aunt Margaret who lives in Dublin so I hope to get them someday but anyway that’s all I have to say thank yous all so much and me and my dad hope to see yous all hopefully in July
Best Wishes
Callum Christie
Click on pictures to enlarge:
