Society History

The Buxton Model Engineering Society was formed on June 24th 1946 by Messrs R. Hattersley, E. Morton, W. Randell, H. Townley, W. Dixon and L. Hobday.

The first society met in Collinson's Café and several other venues including the Sherwood Foresters meeting room on Bath Road, then moving for many years to the Railway Hotel until refurbishment forced a move to the Methodist Church in Buxton.

In 1976, the society built a miniature railway at the Dinting Railway Centre, Glossop. This ran for many years giving rides to the public until the closure of the railway centre in 1990. The miniature railway was dismantled and stored but unfortunately a suitable location was not found and the railway was eventually sold on.

The society became well known for its biannual exhibitions which started in 1947, held for many years over the Easter weekend at the Pavillion Gardens, with visitors coming from all over the country. Sadly the exhibition has not been held for many years due to increasing red tape and running costs.

An exhibition was held at Thomas More RC School in 1996 to mark the Golden Jubilee of the society.

In 1999, the society was invited by the New Mills & District Railway Modellers to join their exhibition with a display of the society's work. This annual exhibition is held at Chapel-en-le-Frith High School in late February.

In 2004, the society was invited to display their work at Quarry Bank Mill in Styal. Members put on a display of models inside the mill with traction engines in steam outside the courtyard.

In recent years, the members have enjoyed trips to the Midlands Model Engineering Exhibition, originally held at the Royal Showground at Stoneleigh, Warwickshire, then at Donnington Park where members entered their exhibits and gained several awards, and subsequently moved back to the Warwickshire Exhibition Centre. Other trips have included the Harrogate Model Engineering Exhibition and the National Railway Museum in York.