This afternoon I visited the Cambridge Model Engineering Society. The Society has a very well equiped site with 7¼in, 5in and 3½in tracks. From April to October they open to the public on the second Sunday of each month. Located on the south west edge of the city it’s a delightful location: surrounded by playing fields and trees, with a grassy field for picnics and shade provided by old apple trees

To enter the site you can cross the level crossing or go over the footbridge. I opted for the footbridge.

From the footbridge you get a great view of the loco unloading and steam up facilities.

The Society were running a range of 7¼in gauge locos, including ‘Lizzie Padfield’ a rather handsome replica of Norfolk Hero from the Wells and Walsingham Light Railway. Yes, your eyes are not deceiving you, this is a 7¼in gauge 2-6-0 + 0-6-2 Garratt.

This loco is, I believe, a model of a Metropolitan Railway electric locomotive, one of the British Thompson Houston locos with a cab at both ends. The prototypes were introduced in 1907.

A very simple, but rather delightful, Stafford loco built by Station Road Steam.

A replica of the quarry Hunslet Lilla. The exhaust note of this little loco was just splendid.

I went for a train ride, hauled by Lilla. The track layout was more complex that I’d expected and includes two loops. It’s a nice run through the woods…

… over the level crossing and under the footbridge…

… past another loco unloading / steam up area and back to the station.

In the middle of the site the Society has newly refurbished 32mm and 45mm tracks. A radio controlled, live steam 32mm gauge Taliesin was hauling a North Wales Narrow Gauge themed train.

There was a very nice radio controlled 45mm gauge class 66 loco running too.

The Society sell tea, coffee and homemade cakes. If you are in the area why not pop by to sit under the apple trees, scoff some cake and watch the trains go by.