About Us

The Model Engineer of 15th May 1901 contains a letter indicating that there was a Leeds "branch of the Society of Model Engineers" already in existence at that date and that they had twenty members. Our present Club can be traced back to 1935 from a page of the first minute book that has been framed and is on display in the Club House.  Presently nothing is known of the activity in the period between these dates but no doubt our members, given time, will find other useful references.

Originally the Club met at the works of one of the founder members, Mr Francis Cook of Kidacre Street, in the centre of Leeds. Some meetings were held on Sunday mornings (possibly due to the blackout regulations) when tuition was given in silver soldering etc. A portable track was in use during the war years giving children rides at fetes and in particular “Holiday at Home week” each year as it was not practical to go to the seaside during the war—so Leeds (and other towns) brought the seaside to the town.

After the war a permanent track was built in Temple Newsam Park (south east Leeds) but, when houses were built in an adjacent field, it was regularly vandalised; the final blow came when a large tree fell across the track. At this time some of our members were employed at the local power stations and the CEGB agreed that we might re-site the track at Eggborough Power Station.

Before this happened the Power Station held a public open day and, in addition to our portable track, we had full size traction engines, a fairground etc; this was to be our first event at Eggborough.

With much “blood, sweat and tears” the permanent track was moved from Temple Newsam to Eggborough and opened, just twenty years ago, in May 1982 by the then Station Manager Mr Melvin Wright.

Since then the track has been developed by adding the station loop, pneumatic traversers, a tunnel, a simple signalling system and, recently the hydraulic unloading table. Our Club buildings are continually expanding to accommodate storage space (or too much junk). We have a workshop with a 6.5 in Colchester Student 1800 lathe, a Bridgeport mill, power hacksaw, Shaper, guillotine, folder, gas and electric welding gear plus the usual workshop tools. Membership now stands about 70 but in the early eighties, when the track was moved, we had about 60 members and the work was carried out by perhaps a dozen; of these only 2 or 3 are still members.

Membership of LSMEE

Although the main interest within the membership is the building and running of railway locomotives, the Society provides for, and encourages, all aspects of the hobby. Informal meetings are held weekly on Wednesday evenings throughout the year in the Clubhouse, but during the winter months, normally on the first and third Wednesday, we enjoy a programme of talks and other formal activities usually in the pleasant surroundings of the Power Station Sports and Social Club.

The second Sunday in the month is reserved for our normal track running days, these commence in March and continue through to October with additional steaming days on Midsummer day, Bonfire Night and Boxing Day.

If you are interested in the hobby why not pay us a visit either on a Wednesday evening or a Sunday running day. You will find a friendly welcome and will not be under any obligation to join the Society. The current subscription is £29, which comprises £14 Club Membership and £15 membership of the Power Station Sports and Social Club. Both subscriptions are due in January of each year and provide members with Southern Federation Insurance, full use of the track and Club House, boiler testing and use of the Power Station Sports and Social Club facilities.

Contact Us

Contact for details is via the web master Colin Abrey (leeds.smee@virgin.net)