Club History
Founded in 1955, Celebrated 50th anniversary in 2005.
The origins of Coventry Model Railway Club lie in the history of the much older Coventry Model Engineering Society, Which had existed before World War 2, and catered mainly for live steam modellers, with a circuit track in the memorial park, which disappeared about 1970.
There was interest in smaller scale modelling to and in about 1953, a small group of model railway enthusiasts, as opposed to model engineers began meeting up to discuss the possibility of starting a club in Coventry. Among them were: - Ron Ellis, Ernie Parker (Father of Ken Parker-Kenline Model Products and Wagon Kits), Nigel Lester, Dennis Bates, Ken Blackham and Bill Podmore.
The early meetings were actually held not far from the current clubroom, in a room hired out at the since-demolished Centre Ballroom on the Holyhead Road, Coundon. The Centre Ballroom used to hire out small rooms to many societies as not many places where available to host them in the recovery to the WW2. After some discussion, a motion was made to find a new home for the club.
In about 1955 the idea became reality and the early heroes managed to rent a hay loft, above a stable at the rear of No. 20, Central Avenue, in Stoke Park. The landlord Mr. Noel showed absolutely zero interest in railways at the time.
The Layout was built on a slotted angle iron legs (called Handy-Angle) and supplied at a VERY favourable prive by Ron Ellis, who happened to work for John Hall Tools, Located just behind Trinity Street, who by a happy coincidence, were the local stockists. From this Came Wynford Stokes, and it was then featured in the July 1959 edition of the Railway Modeller.
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