History of the Ilford & West Essex Model Railway Club

Sunday 07 September 2008 

The Past

The Ilford & West Essex Model Railway Club was formed in 1930 and is the third oldest model railway club in the UK - only The Model Railway Club and the Wimbledon Model Railway Club have a longer history.

It all began, back in 1930, when a gentleman by the name of Ronnie Riddle (front right) advertised for like minded railway modellers to attend a meeting in Ilford. The response was encouraging and the seeds of the Ilford & District Model Railway Club were sown. In February 1935, the West Essex Model Railway club (formed three years earlier) and the Ilford & District were amalgamated to form Ilford & West Essex Model Railway Club. Ronnie Riddle was the club's founding Secretary and became Life President, enabling his later years to be the most enjoyable as the club continued to grow in strength. After the war the club established its headquarters in Hearne Road, Romford. Then in the mid-1950's a site was found adjacent to Chadwell Heath Railway Station, which to this day provides the club with its headquarters.

The first incarnation of the club house back in the mid-1950's was two Nissen huts with an LNER E4 cab as an entrance. Then in 1966 a pre-cast concrete building replaced the Nissen huts.

The club exhibition in those days was a four-day affair held at Ilford Town Hall, with nearly 10,000 enthusiasts attending at its peak. Unfortunately, as the number of clubs and events has grown it has not been possible to repeat these numbers.

In recent years, club members under the guidance of Len Dewell extended the club house to include a fully-fitted kitchen and tea-bar, toilets and our very own library.

The Present

In 2005 we celebrated club's 75th Anniversary with the 50th Annual Exhibition.

We moved the exhibition to a new, more conveniently situated local venue in 2005 (St Edwards School, Romford), which is already now re-booked the 2006 and 2007 Exhibitions, marking what we hope is the beginning of a new era for the club.

We also, in 2005, launched this new-look web site at www.iwemrc.org.uk in an effort to modernise the club and reach a wider audience of enthusiasts and potential members.