Final Preview Pictures of Items for Auction this Saturday
By Robin Schoolar • Published on Thursday 5 February 2026, 4:24pm
Below are the last two pictures of Auction Lots which have been provided in advance.
Although it's now too late to send more pictures, lots can still be accepted on the day (Sat 7th Feb) between 11am and 1pm.
Looking forward to seeing a good turn out of members at Liphook, and non-members welcome as well.
For details of the auction, refer to emails previously sent with the full rules, or you can find them here ... https://runnymedemeccanoguild.org.uk/news
Set 9 (blue/yellow/zinc) in wooden box with many extra parts
Vertical Steam Engine built by the late Mike Dennis
Meccano Auction & Runnymede Guild Meeting Sat 7th Feb 2026
By Robin Schoolar • Published on Monday 2 February 2026, 5:35pm
Apologies for another reminder about RMG auction and meeting this Saturday 7th February, but I've added five more pictures of lots that are now expected.
If anyone wishes to send more pictures of tempting lots, there's still time! I shall share them, so long as you get them to me by lunchtime on Thursday (eg by replying to his email)
I've also made sure that both the models built by Terry Bullingham are visible this time (one was messed up in the previous email), and tried to improve some phrasing that wasn't clear first time around
So far there are only a few pre-arranged lots (seven pictured below), so we are relying on members to bring plenty of attractive Meccano items to sell in the auction.
Please note practicalities of this auction as follows
- Auction cashier (Robin Schoolar) can only accept lots between 11am and 1pm.
- Payment in cash preferred, cheques accepted. Electronic payment will not be possible. (There is a cash dispenser across the car park outside Sainsburys)
- To keep the auction manageable, there is limit of three lots per member for lots which are not notified in advance.
- We'd like to encourage members to provide photographs of lots to be sent out in advance, if you provide one photograph of each lot by lunchtime Thu 5th Feb, we will accept four lots from you.
- Note that lots where all proceeds go to RMG funds will not be counted towards the above limits.
- At RMG Auctioneer's discretion, the above limits may be relaxed, but this decision will only be made after 1pm
- RMG auctioneer will be encouraging brisk bidding. Anyone who is slow deciding to bid, or who doesn't call out their bid loudly and clearly, is at risk of missing out.
- Sellers may set a reserve price, but the 10% fee for this must be paid in exact cash to the Auction Cashier when the lot is accepted for auction. If lot doesn't sell, fee will be retained for RMG funds. If lots sells, seller will be refunded the fee and receive the proceeds with the usual 10% commission deducted. So a reserve of £50 would need £5 initial fee. If this lot sells for £70, seller will have the £5 refunded plus receive £63 (ie 90% of proceeds), leaving the usual £7 commission for RMG funds.
- Before any lots can be removed at end of auction, buyers must pay their dues to the Auction Cashier. Cash preferred, but cheques can be accepted.
- Before sellers visit the Auction Cashier for their proceeds, they should wait until the majority of buyers have paid their dues. (This reduces likelihood of a cash flow crisis)
Timetable for the Day
10:30 Doors open for setting up tables, mains leads and table covers. Extra hands welcome for set up. Please do NOT bring in models or auction lots until all tables have been set up and covered.
11:00 Auction lots and models may be brought in
13:00 No further auction lots can be accepted (unless deadline is extended, entirely at discretion of RMG Auctioneer)
14:15 Business meeting followed immediately by Auction
Extra hands always appreciated with putting away and tidying
17:00 Hall must be cleared, everyone should be on their way, and hall to be locked
Six Drawer Cabinet
Clock Kit 1
Marks & Spencer Classic Red & Green Set 0530
Medium Red/Green Set 7
Mission the Universe Space Xplorer Set
Auction of two models built by the late Terry Bullingham
Sadly Terry Bullingham passed away a few months ago. Terry and his superb models will be much missed, all the more so because Terry did not let the complete loss of his sight stop him from building models to the highest possible standards and accuracy.
His widow Maria has decided on RMG Auction as the best way to pass two of Terry's models to appreciative new owners.
Terry's Railway Steam Crane
Terry's 0-6-0 Tank Locomotive
Autumn 2025 magazines are now in the post
By Robin Schoolar • Published on Tuesday 25 November 2025, 5:30pm
I am delighted to announce that I have just finished mailing out copies of the Autumn 2025 magazine (the first in the fresh 2025-26 membership year) to all paid up members.
For this Magazine, the approach to buying postage has changed slightly again, mainly to make things a bit quicker and simpler for myself. Again it would be helpful and informative if members could kindly let me know when their magazine arrives (eg by replying to this email).
If you believe you are a paid up UK member, and your magazine still hasn't arrived by 6th December, please let me know (eg by replying to this email). Please provide your postal address as an important cross check when I'm trying to put things right.
For paid up overseas members, I'd advise allowing another week, maybe even a little longer for those beyond Europe.
Anyone receiving the Autumn 2025 Magazine can take its arrival as confirmation that they are paid up for the fresh (2025-26) membership year, which means you are also due to receive Spring 2026 and Summer 2026 magazines before renewals will be upon us once more.
The half dozen who have not yet renewed will find that rather than receiving the magazine, their slim envelope will contain a friendly reminder, setting out the ways to renew membership, illustrating what they are missing.
Details of how to renew can also be found here:
https://runnymedemeccanoguild.org.uk/shop/sections/membership/products/runnymede-meccano-guild-annual-membership
Of course, anyone receiving this message who is not already a member, would be most welcome to use the above link to join and receive magazines on a regular basis.
If you're unsure whether or not you are fully paid up for the fresh 2025-26 membership year, simply check with me by replying to this email.
Keep making the most of your Meccano
Regards Robin Schoolar
(Treasurer and Membership Secretary, Runnymede Meccano Guild)
Renewals Reminder and Reflections from Liphook
By Robin Schoolar • Published on Saturday 18 October 2025, 5:00pm
Thanks to all who helped make the RMG meeting at Liphook a couple of weeks ago so enjoyable, especially those who assisted with set-up and tear-down.
Plus a special thank-you to Maria Plicio for again co-ordinating refreshments.
Thanks to everyone who has already renewed membership, either in person at Liphook or by sending payment.
For the couple of dozen who have yet to renew, please note that the next three magazines will be sent ONLY to paid up members.
Anyone unsure whether you have renewed should check with me (eg by replying to this email).
Renewal by cheque costs £35(UK) / £45(Europe) / £50(Rest of World)
Cheques payable to "Runnymede Meccano Guild" should be sent to
Robin Schoolar
11 Cranleigh Road
London SW19 3LX
To renew by card or by PayPal, visit RMG website here ... https://rmguild.org.uk/shop/sections/membership
(Note that website automatically adds an extra £1, to help with processing fees)
For renewal (avoiding the £1 mark-up) by electronic (BACS) transfer direct to RMG bank account - UK currency only - let me know (eg by replying to this email) and I'll provide account details
Finally if anyone promised editor Craig something for the next magazine, the sooner material reaches him, the more quickly the magazine can be produced
Help urgently needed this Saturday and Bill Roberts Memorial Trophy
By Robin Schoolar • Published on Wednesday 1 October 2025, 5:01pm
Given that this Saturday's RMG meeting at Liphook is also the AGM, the committee will be even busier than usual. So more than ever, RMG needs a volunteer to write the model report, or better still, two or three pals to divide up the room, each writing about their portion. Please consider this seriously. If nobody volunteers, the next magazine's Liphook resort will be both dull and brief, and the magazine may end up with fewer than the usual 60 pages.
While on the subject of volunteers, the AGM means RMG officers are due to be voted in. Although an acting committee is currently in place, if anyone else would like to volunteer for one of the roles, it would be great to have some alternatives once we reach the vote, so anyone would be welcome to volunteer and be nominated on the day.
If anyone has ideas that may extend beyond what RMG currently does, please volunteer and the committee would welcome you aboard as an additional member.
The acting committee, who are willing to continue (if they have to) are ...
Editor: Craig Longhurst
Publications Officer: Pete Wood
Treasurer: Robin Schoolar
Membership Secretary: Robin Schoolar
Nick Rodgers will continue as President, because that role remains his indefinitely, unless he (or fate) decides differently.
As usual the October meeting will also include the award of the Bill Roberts Memorial Trophy, decided from a vote by paid up members present on the day. Collect your voting slip from Robin, who may also encourage you to be sure you have renewed your membership. (£35 in cash or by cheque)
Liphook Sat 4 Oct: Still Space for More Railway Themed Offerings
By Robin Schoolar • Published on Tuesday 30 September 2025, 5:00pm
As advised in earlier mass email, as bonus feature to complement Runnymede AGM at Liphook this Saturday, Murray Russell is co-ordinating a Grand Railway Extravaganza.
One of the island table blocks will be set aside for Murray's large oval of Gauge OO track (20x8 feet), where anyone can bring their own trains and run them, taking turns with Murray's own Transcontinental Streamliner.
There is still space to spare on this island block, an ideal opportunity for others to bring Gauge O, Gauge 1 or G-Scale track, plus trains to run on them.
If you have anything suitable, please try to let us know beforehand (eg by replying to this email), so we can plan how best to accommodate everybody.
Track of other gauges doesn't necessarily have to be a large oval ... whatever track you can offer, we'll find a way to use it advantageously.
Meccano models and historical displays are as welcome as ever, but there may be slightly less table space for them. However with a bit of give and take, we'll find space everyone bringing something to show.
However anyone whose display needs more than one table, should reply to this message giving details so we can do our best to fit you in.
Summer 2025 magazines are now in the post
By Robin Schoolar • Published on Saturday 20 September 2025, 5:00pm
This message is primarily intended to advise paid up RMG members that I have just finished mailing out all copies of the Summer 2025 magazine, the last one in the current (2024-25) membership year.
For this Magazine, I've used a different approach to buying postage, which I hope will work at least as well as the old way. However this time around, it would help me judge how well postal systems are working if members could kindly let me know when their magazine arrives (eg by replying to this email).
If you believe you are a paid up UK member, and your magazine still hasn't arrived by 29th September, please let me know (eg by replying to this email), preferably including your postal address in the message. For overseas members, I'd advise allowing another week (ie until 6th October).
Anyone receiving the Summer 2025 Magazine can take its arrival as confirmation that they are paid up for the current (2024-25) membership year ... but it also means we hope they will want to renew for the coming year!
The Autumn 2025 magazine will be sent only to those who renew for the coming 2025-26 membership year. Included with each Magazine that is now in the post, is a Renewal Reminder sheet detailing all the ways to pay. If you are planning to attend the next Liphook meeting on October 4th, the simplest and friendliest way to renew is to pay in cash or by cheque at the meeting.
Note that rising costs and dwindling reserves made it necessary to increase cost of RMG Membership (eg for the UK from £30 to £35 per year). Anyone who has set up a Standing Order (or other regular payment) must remember to adjust its amount.
Another way to renew (or join as a new member) is via the RMG website: https://runnymedemeccanoguild.org.uk/shop/sections/membership/products/runnymede-meccano-guild-annual-membership
Website prices are £1 higher than other ways of renewing / joining, reflecting fees levied for handling Credit Card or PayPal payments.
This email is sent to everyone who is subscribed for updates from the RMG website, regardless of whether they have paid their annual membership. (I don't have a reliable way to restrict messages to those who have paid, while excluding those who haven't.) So quite a lot of those seeing this email won't have paid and shouldn't be expecting a magazine.
If you're unsure whether or not you paid for 2024-25 (or you're thinking of joining), just check with me by replying to this email.
Keep enjoying your Meccano
Regards Robin Schoolar
(Treasurer and Membership Secretary, Runnymede Meccano Guild)
RMG Grand Railway Extravaganza - Liphook 4 Oct 2025
By Murray Russell • Published on Tuesday 9 September 2025, 5:00pm
In addition to our usual activities, at our October meeting we will be staging a special model railway event.
Murray Russell has offered to set up a large oval of OO gauge track spanning ten tables and will be running his very long vintage Tri-ang Transcontinental Streamliner for the interest and amusement of the members.
Furthermore, Martin Clark will bring his tramway system (built by the late Michael Edwards) and set it up alongside the oval at its full length of 18 feet. This will be the first time the three tramcars and their ingenious control system have been demonstrated at an RMG meeting.
Murray will also bring his other rolling stock, and invites anyone who wants, to have a go at driving it themselves. Younger members in particular can try their hand at making up a goods train in the sidings.
If any other members also have a train set, they will be more than welcome to bring it along if they want to show it off and see it running on a really long circuit.
Also, we expect there will be space on the tables to set up more track, and invite members to bring theirs along too. Especially if you happen to have O gauge, 1 Gauge or third rail track and models, which we will be delighted to see. More especially if they are built in Meccano!
Technical Information
Murray's OO gauge oval will be 20 feet long by 8 feet wide, with a total circuit of 52 feet, and includes a passing loop and sidings. Track is Peco Streamline fine scale with insulated points. Any modern locos should run on it, but older models with chunky wheels might have trouble due to the deeper flanges running over the sleepers and lifting the treads off the rails, so losing contact. We will try it and see.
Power supply is 12v DC, and the controller can drive three locos coupled together. Only one train can run at a time, while another waits in the loop. This makes changeovers more interesting.
If your loco is DCC, you will have to bring your own controller as well. The same if you bring your own track.
Offers to bring additional railway items or queries should be emailed to Robin Schoolar (for example by simply replying to this email), and they'll be relayed to Murray so he can co-ordinate
Outcome of the RMG Subscription Vote
By Robin Schoolar • Published on Wednesday 11 June 2025, 5:00pm
Like all emails sent via the Runnymede Guild website, this email goes to everyone who has used their email address to subscribe to the website, regardless of whether or not they are a paid up member.
If you don't currently pay for membership, this message is probably of minimal interest (unless anyone is tempted by our magnificent magazine and decide it's time to pay to join).
It's important to be aware that the current subscription year includes the Summer 2025 Magazine (which may be ready to post in a couple of months), so paid up members do NOT need to renew at this time - they are already entitled to receive their 2025 Summer Magazine once it has been printed.
Expect an announcement (via RMG website, like this one) once the Guild is ready to accept subscriptions for the 2025-26 membership year.
This is most likely to appear early September.
Paying subscriptions by cash of cheque at the AGM (on October 4th) remains most acceptable, as always.
The Decision!
Members present agreed that there was enough information already provided to go directly to a show of hands.
Nobody voted at the meeting for reducing activities to two meetings and two magazines per year in order to keep subscriptions down.
All votes cast at the meeting were for a £35 UK subscription to sustain three meetings and three magazines per year.
For the record, we also received over a dozen preferences ahead of the meeting, and with a single exception these similarly favoured the subscription increase.
The committee appreciates this as a vote of general satisfaction with how RMG is being run.
Our sole dissenter, who admitted his age made it unlikely he could still undertake the lengthy journey to meetings, was decent enough to add that he would not be unhappy if the consensus favoured subscription increase.
The meeting also agreed to introduction of a Junior membership category, costing £25, which will be available where the named member is under 18, but must be paid in person at an RMG meeting.
Whether or not membership is Junior, everyone in the named member's family remains welcome to attend meetings.
There was agreement that RMG committee should try to introduce an "electronic" membership category, where members will be able to download each magazine instead of receiving a printed copy.
As its primary purpose is to avoid the ever increasing postage costs for sending magazines overseas, cost of "electronic" membership is likely to be the same as UK membership with a printed magazine.
Assuming we are able to introduce "electronic" membership, price of overseas membership for a printed magazine will rise by £10 to £45 Europe / £50 Rest of World.
We apologise for the size of this increase, but it is unavoidable due to the extraordinarily steep rise in postage costs beyond UK over recent years.
In event (we hope unlikely) that we cannot arrange "electronic" membership in time for the new membership year, we'll aim to keep price rise for overseas members to £5 (which would imply overseas members paying a little below their "fair" share).
Regardless of membership type, paying via the website will continue to have a mark-up of £1, reflecting roughly the slice of each payment taken by PayPal for processing.
There will still be no markup for payment by cash, cheque, or electronic transfer in UK currency direct to the Guild's bank account, as such payments incur no extra overheads.
The committee is most interested in queries or reactions from this decision (or in connection with anything else), which can be made by simply replying to this email.
Runnymede Shield is awarded during RMG Summer Meeting
By Robin Schoolar • Published on Thursday 5 June 2025, 5:59pm
Apologies for yet another email from me (but at least this one is brief).
I had forgotten (and may not be the only one) that the Runnymede Shield is to be awarded at our meeting this Saturday, based on voting by all members present for what they consider the best model.
Collect your voting slip when you sign the attendance sheet.
So all the more reason to bring your finest and most appealing model.
PS I'm also pleased to say that Ted Muggridge has positively confirmed he does plan to attend as a dealer