Taunton Model Engineers

17/05/2026

Less than a week to go!
Ever thought about joining our miniature railway family — learning new skills, making new friends, or getting hands‑on with real projects? Now’s your chance.

This Thursday, 21st May, we’re opening the gates for a full behind‑the‑scenes day at the club. From 9:30 am for 10am start we’ll kick off with a cuppa, introductions, and a tour… then you’re welcome to dive in helping out with some of the team.

Current projects include:
• Tunnel build preparations
• Pedestrian bridge build
• Track building & laying
• Rolling stock care
• Grass cutting, fencing… oh and essential tea drinking😉

Stay for the whole day (we usually wrap up at around 4pm) or if you can't make the start drop in whenever you can. Bring lunch, bring curiosity, bring yourself.

Comment below or email [email protected] for details.

26/04/2026

26/04/2026

Ever thought of joining us as a member? Learning new skills? Making new friends and volunteering with all aspects of a miniature railway? Here’s your chance to give it a try, there's something for everyone!

On Thursday 21st May we’d love to see you for a day learning more about the behind-the-scenes workings of the club. So, the actual building of the railway and social side that goes into making the club what it is!

Kicking off from 10am with introductions over a cuppa and a tour of the site, you’ll then be welcome to get stuck in with us. some of the projects around the site at the moment include preparations for our tunnel, building a pedestrian bridge, track building and laying as well as the maintenance of the existing site… looking after rolling stock, grass gutting, fencing and tea drinking😉

You’ll be welcome to stay all day if you wish, typically we finish at 4pm so bring lunch and snacks! If you can't make 10am, pop along during the day and say hi!

Comment here or contact [email protected] for more information.

05/04/2026

Hello & Happy Easter!

After what felt like three months of nonstop rain, we’re finally enjoying some brighter weather — and we’ve wasted no time getting stuck into the phase 2, the railway extension at our West Buckland site. This is a huge step forward for the club and will make a real difference for our members and visitors.

The photos show the new track sections already built and waiting for their concrete piers. We’ve also readied the next full-size sleepers being used as out raised track bed, ready for concrete pouring. Excavations for the tunnel are getting closer and laying drainage for this is underway… Yes, we will be building a tunnel, a major piece of the phase 2 infrastructure marked by white posts in the photo!

Something new for 2026…
On Thursday 21st May, we’re opening our doors from 9:30am for a “Come and Meet Us” day.

Thursdays are our regular working party days, and with the railway extension being such a major project, we’re looking to welcome new members who’d like to get involved. It doesn’t matter what skills you have — if you’re willing to lend a hand, there’s a place for you here. We’d love to show you what we do, work alongside you, and share the fun of building something rather special together.
And yes… tea and coffee are always on!

If you’ve ever thought about joining us, now’s the perfect time, we’d love to hear from you if you’re interested.

Kind regards,
Taunton Model Engineers
www.TauntonME.org.uk

22/02/2026

Hello again.

It seems to have not stopped raining since our last update. Still life continues at the club despite the weather.

The pictures are proof of this. We are currently renovating a suite of coaches so those that wish to travel First Class may do so. In addition, we continue to fence the areas so that even our youngest visitors can watch from the side of the track in safety.

The main event if we can say that, is that we are continuing our track building efforts. So as soon as the weather improves (it's got to soon!) we’ll be able to lay the track sections onto the full size concrete sleepers (2nd hand from Network Rail) that we’ve been putting into place as our track support. Plans for the tunnel are also progress well!

We’ll also soon be starting work on the building of a footbridge to ease getting from the carpark to the station area.
We are also planning to have some days where we will invite anyone to 'Come and Meet Us' to see what we do during club days working on the site and get involved. Keep an eye out for this.

You can track our progress as usual by following us on www.tauntonme.org.uk and clicking on the West Buckland heading and with a few clicks to the latest pictures. We welcome anyone that wishes to join us, we’re a very active and friendly club!

12/01/2026

Taunton Model Engineers wish everyone a Very Happy New year and we all hope you had a highly enjoyable Christmas.

We are now in the New Year with lots due to happen at the Railway at West Buckland.

Sadly December was as you know extremely wet and we managed to lay 9 sleepers in our efforts to extend the 5" raised track however work is now continuing albeit still rather muddy under foot!.

Keep an eye on the website (https://tauntonme.org.uk/) for dates. We will be holding more open days this year.

We are also introducing a range of First Class Pullman coaches which we hope you will enjoy when we meet again.

There are some great things being planned for this year and we hope we will see you all again on our various Open Days.

The picture is where our new tunnel will be located and also the mud we're working in laying the section of track leading to it. When finished it will be around 32m long and curved so when you enter it you will not see the exit!

Kind regards
Taunton Model Engineers.

24/12/2025

Taunton Model Engineers wish all our friends and followers a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year.

The club has had a hugely enjoyable and successful 2025, with great progress towards more regular running and club meetings at our West Buckland site. We’ve some great things lined up for 2026, and the events calendar is beginning to look rather full already. A few photos attached from our summer opening and more recent work having begun phase 2 of the trackwork with the start of the inner loop of raised track.

If you wish to track our progress, then please take a look at the club website www.tauntonme.org.uk Follow the heading for West Buckland, scroll down and you will see information and pictures showing what we are getting up to!

We do plan updates now on a monthly basis. Better still if you want to help then please come and see us or email us.
We are at the West Buckland site regularly; Thursdays during the day and most Sunday mornings other than those when we run the track in Vivary Park.

Many thanks for your continued support and we look forward to seeing you in the New Year.

19/10/2025

Sorry to say running trains in Vivary park is cancelled due to damp weather

20/07/2025

Trains sadly cancelled in Vivary this afternoon with the unpredictable weather. Back again on 17th August.

20/10/2024

Another rather damp day so unfortunately trains won’t be running at Vivary park this afternoon.