Wigan Model Railway Exhibition

[54Strat]

Well done Wigan. Just got back from here and I must say it's probably the best shows of the year that I've attended.

 

Paul

[Michael Delamar]

great day, all layouts where superb,my favourite i think was Burntisland.

 

and i got a nice weathered patriot Rhyl from grimy times

[Isambard Kingdom Brunel]

What can I say................Brilliant............A good days entertainment for only £10.

 

Thanks to George Nutter for his help with creating scenery by recycling and Ken Ball for his advice using watercolour pencils when painting plasticard buildings.

 

Met Andy to say hello, but, he was a busy man so didn't get to chat.

 

Thanks to WFRM, maybe as a local I should throw my hat in the ring and join them

[Coach bogie]

Top show. Wish I could have attended both days. And photographed 60039/96 on coal trains at warrington en route as well. Certainly in my top five shows of all time. Roll on June for the next one.

 

Mike Wiltshire

[49395]

Excellent show, the first time I've been to Wigan, I'd happily go again.

 

Lots of great layouts and traders (spent too much as usual)

 

A bit of a shame Exactoscale weren't there though.

 

All in all thoroughly enjoyed it, well done to everyone involved.

 

Mike

[flyingsignalman]

We went today and really enjoyed the show.

Here's a few pics (other, better quality, pics are no doubt available)

Rae Bridge 009.

 

Carreg Lwyd Wharf 0-16.5.

 

Gardiner Junction N.

 

Foston Mills 0.

 

East Lynn & Nunstanton S.

 

Annascaul 00n3

 

Langholm N.

 

Pempoul NG 1:50

 

Guisborough in preservation 00.

[Eaton]

The idea I had for posting reviews actually at the show over the weekend just didn't work out, not I might add due to a lack of enthusiasm but simply a lack of time. I will make good my promise and post tomorrow.

I can report that it was one of the easier show to put on and by 7.30 this evening the hall was clear, due in no small part to the band of willing helpers. You know who you are and we are most grateful, simply put without you we couldn't manage.

Our intitial fears regarding incorporating the guidebook into an increased door price proved to be unfounded as the visitor number exceeded our estimate, and it was very pleasing to see lots of children in the halls brought in by presumably local visitors. So the free child admission seemed to work.

The group would obviously like to thank all those layout owners and operators, traders and demonstrators who gave up their time to be with us at Wigan. We are well aware that many travelled considerable distances in weather, although not snowy, was none the less not very pleasent. Thank you one and all!!

 

The award for 'Best Layout' and the £50 Prize as voted for by the exhibitors was won by Crumley & Little Wickhill, with East Lynn & Nunstanton and Pempoul taking the other podium places.

[Worsdell forever]

A very good show and well worth the trek through the rain over the pennines.

 

A few of my highlights of the show.

 

Eaton Gomery.

 

Millwall Goods & Arnold Lane.

 

 

Foston Mills.

 

 

 

[Worsdell forever]

Some more.

 

East Lynn.

 

 

 

Pempoul.

 

 

 

 

Burntisland.

 

 

 

[Mike J]

This was certainly one of the best shows that we have attended. The trade was fantastic and the standard of modelling on the layouts was brilliant. We have never been better looked after. Hotel first class and food excellent. Exhibition pack was very thorough! Didn't meet "Eaton" until shut down, but managed to offer our thanks for a great show. Well done Wigan FRM....outstanding!

[beast66606]

I got home safe and sound a couple of hours ago, despite the A14 pretending to be a canal for most of it's length.

 

Jill and I had a superb weekend - for those who missed us, we were the ones manning the second till, taking lots of your money off you , a bit scary when we worked out how much money we had actually taken through the till.

 

The usual good Xmas dinner on Saturday and a few beers, but how times have changed, I remember the 03:00 finishes but by 23:30, Jill and I where the only ones left in the bar (from our lot), and we are the oldest !

 

The layouts were an excellent selection of scales, periods and areas but for me the best layout was Striven, a nice chat with the current owners at breakfast this morning, sadly I didn't get time to take them up on their kind offer to come and have a go, but I managed some photos which I will upload tomorrow (if they are of a publishable quality) and I will write a short explanation as to why it ticks my boxes.

 

Thanks to our friends in "the other" WFRM, a great show, roll on June.

[bcnPete]

any pics?

 

Can I just say a quick thank you to all those who posted some photographs - from the images above, it looks like it was an excellent show...

[Andy Y]

So; the last time that Wigan show will hold its traditional pre-Christmas slot before it's move to a warmer slot in June; I'm sure the change will be beneficial in many ways particularly for those having to travel a good distance but I'm actually sorry to see this date go as it came to mark the end of a show year for many and end on a high.

 

This year has been as good as ever in terms of the quality of layouts. Some may have noted that there was a 'modern image' deficiency but it certainly wan't wholly absent with some layouts in transition and some bang up to date modelling within the demos. I'm of the school that doesn't care about eras or geography and just like to see quality, that was certainly here in bucketfuls.

 

I understand attendances held up well, even though I tend to go to such events on a Sunday where possible to benefit from a quieter atmosphere. I was struck by how many RMweb members there were as visitors to the show; certainly more than I saw at Warley! The show guide was excellent and I'll use some snippets to help illustrate some of the layouts in this report.

 

I arranged to get access early on the Sunday so I could get some snaps without getting in the way of visitors to bring some snaps back. I've chosen to feature Trevor Nunn's 'East Lynn and Nunstanton' not just because I like it nor the fact I've never really been able to get close-up to it before given its popularity but because it's nice to go a bit 'old school' in an age where most modellers can get everything they need off the shelf.

 

Choosing to model in S means doing anything and everything the hard way but the beauty is, when tackled by such an accomplished modeller, a consistency in standards and appearance that is often lacking on many layouts. Running qualities and operational interest that are exemplary, structural modelling that gives a real sense of time and place and a plausible environment come together to produce a current classic. It feels like a layout which people will come to mention in reverent tones in a future time in the same way as those legendary modellers and layouts in years past.

 

(all images are clickable for hi-res versions)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fortunately I had time to grab some other shots too.

 

Eaton Gomery (our own Eaton and the Wigan Finescale Railway Modellers)

 

 

 

 

Pempoul (Maggie and Gordon Gravett) - as beautiful as ever

 

 

 

 

Purgatory Peak (Shaun Horrocks and Macclesfield MRG) - a massively impressive environment!

 

 

 

 

 

Kepier Colliery (John Cook)

 

I hadn't seen this before and I do have a weakness for colliery layouts so I couldn't not take time to snap it and talk to John whose personal childhood memories are brought to life in this depiction of the Hetton Colliery Railway system.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So; another year over and the Wigan team don't have the luxury of a 12 month gap until the next show as it all happens again on 16 & 17 June. I'm certainly looking forward to it and seeing St. Merryn there! Surely no-one could have left the show not knowing next year's dates as it was advertised within the free show guide and every other opportunity including using the stewarding team as mobile blue billboards including the Wirral Finescale Modellers who do much to support the event.

 

 

Merlin46 and GerryB man the Scalefour stand suitably attired.

[peterl]

Excellent Show and thanks to WFRM for inviting the 'Bomber' and for the Exhibitors for voting it Best in Show.

Good trip back East and I arrived back in deepest North Lincolnshire by 10.00pm

Hopefully see many RMwebbers on the circuit next year.

Peter

[Stewart]

Dear Wigan,

Big thanks to all the organisers and exhibitors at this weekends show. I travelled down with three friends from just south of Glasgow and the 400 mile round trip on Saturday was well worth it. A great show, some fabulous modelling on display and friendly organisers and exhibitors.

 

Those layouts I had identified, as ones to seek out prior to the show didn’t disappoint: -

-

Crulmley & Little Wickhill

(009) is the first time I have had a chance to see any part of the Roth Valley Tramway in the flesh having followed it in RM over the years. Not only is the modelling superb the overall design and presentation was excellent. It was well worth the queuing to get a turn at each of the unique vantage points. Loved it.

 

-

Pempoul

(EM/ 1:50) similarly didn’t disappoint more than living up to the published images. The whole setting of the railway within the landscape was beautifully modelled. I came back more than once and often the trains were incidental to the modelling as I found something else to marvel at.

 

-

Hospital Gates

(O) interesting to see the step up in scale for the Walker Marine crew. Having followed this on RMweb it was great to see it in the flesh. Again the subject matter, overall design and presentation made this one worth returning to for repeated viewings.

 

Of those whose names were perhaps less familiar to me I particularly enjoyed: -

 

-

Eaton Gomery

(OO) I recalled seeing this in RM and this was something of a delight. Again in addition to the beautifully modelled trains the structures modelling was simply outstanding. There was much to marvel at along the 44’ length of this layout.

 

-

Iron Street Mills

(EM) yes there can be no excuse for not having space for a 4mm model trainset! A beautiful EM urban industrial essay in less than 5’ x 1’4”! I like small well-designed micro layouts and this ticked all my boxes. My 4mm star of the show!

 

-

Oldham King Street Parcels

(O) my unexpected (not being a 7mm modeller) overall star of the show. A fictional North Manchester parcels depot with bitsa-station. Something of an O- gauge micro in real terms. I loved the overall design and presentation of this with the high level trains in the urban setting. Best of all at one point they were depicting a 1967/68 period with blue and green pre-TOPS diesels together with a well-worn 8f and a WD with parcels stock in a mixture of maroon and blue – not a period you see modelled that often and it was simply stunning.

 

In addition Oldham really put on a show – the diesels had sound (somehow much more convincing in 7mm) and some had smoke units. The noise of the Class 40 whistling away with clag coming out the vents as it departed was simply thrilling. The DMU’s shuttling back and forth through the station also had sound and smoke – lovely. If that wasn’t enough the steamers clanked whistled and smoked!

Beautifully conceived, well presented, thoroughly enjoyable.

 

 

A cracking day out topped off with a tasty pub tea at the Cross Keys in Tebay to break up the return journey.

 

Thanks again to all – the sunglasses are already looked out for a return visit in June!

 

 

Regards,

 

Stewart Glendinning

[Adrian]

The layouts were an excellent selection of scales, periods and areas but for me the best layout was Striven

Striven was very good - the trackwork and lineside furniture were spot on for me, flowing lines, nicely detailed and the running qualities to match. It was good to see that the same care had been taken with the track in the fiddleyard!

 

Pempoul (Maggie and Gordon Gravett) - as beautiful as ever

Was that the layout, operators or both!

[Savoyard]

I went on both days enjoyed the show, half the time is spent talking and I also ended up spending more than expected, the new Zimo N gauge sound decoders combined with the new even smaller cube speakers from Digitrains were just too tempting to try in my N gauge stock!

 

I also got a chance to play with the Lenz version of TouchCab on Oldham King Steet Parcels, it is a cracking layout, I took some pictures which I will post later.

 

I even managed to get a pie, admittedly a mince pie, but a pie none the less!

 

Well done Wigan, I look forward to next June.

 

Peter

[PLD]

Thoroughly agree with all the above comments about the high standard of the show, well worth the admission when compared to other shows in the same price bracket such as Warley and the Warners shows.

 

Just a couple of hopefully constructive criticisms:

Every layout was a good one, but the one thing lacking for me was the surprise package - something new not seen before. Yes it is impressive to be able to fill a hall that size with established 'headline' layouts (and all really were worth seeing again), but I'm sure it is worth the risk to include something new and unseen, potentially the star layout of the next year or two and be able to say 'you say it here first'.

 

Did anyone else find the arrangement of the Show guide a little awkward? With the layout descriptions unnumbered and in alphabetical order rather than stand number order, it meant you needed to flick backwards and forwards to find the description of what you were looking at as you went around the halls (not helped by several stands not displaying a name or number). I can see there is a sort of logic to it, but it's a different logic to that followed by every other show...

 

Paul

[Savoyard]

Some pictures of Oldham King Street Parcels, an operators eye view.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Peter

[ozzyo]

Did anyone else find the arrangement of the Show guide a little awkward? With the layout descriptions unnumbered and in alphabetical order rather than stand number order, it meant you needed to flick backwards and forwards to find the description of what you were looking at as you went around the halls (not helped by several stands not displaying a name or number). I can see there is a sort of logic to it, but it's a different logic to that followed by every other show...

Paul

 

Hello all,

 

I think that I can agree with what Paul's saying about stands / layouts not all displaying the number so that you could see them. Maybe something like a signpost at the corners of the cross isles with 123 -456 on them with an arrow pointing so that you could tell what is down there, and at the other end 456-123.

 

It's only a small point, but maybe worth thinking about.

 

A good show all the same.

 

OzzyO.

[Eaton]

Thoroughly agree with all the above comments about the high standard of the show, well worth the admission when compared to other shows in the same price bracket such as Warley and the Warners shows.

 

Just a couple of hopefully constructive criticisms:

Every layout was a good one, but the one thing lacking for me was the surprise package - something new not seen before. Yes it is impressive to be able to fill a hall that size with established 'headline' layouts (and all really were worth seeing again), but I'm sure it is worth the risk to include something new and unseen, potentially the star layout of the next year or two and be able to say 'you say it here first'.

 

Did anyone else find the arrangement of the Show guide a little awkward? With the layout descriptions unnumbered and in alphabetical order rather than stand number order, it meant you needed to flick backwards and forwards to find the description of what you were looking at as you went around the halls (not helped by several stands not displaying a name or number). I can see there is a sort of logic to it, but it's a different logic to that followed by every other show...

 

Paul

The reason for the guidebook being organised in this way is simply because the Floor Plans are the last thing to go into the guidebook and if I waited to complile and edit the guide until those where available then there would be little time for our printer to do his job. Its just the way it has to be, sorry you were disappointed.

 

We are always looking for that 'star new unseen layout' but so is every other Exhibition Manager so in most cases, unless you hear on the grapevine it is a matter of pure chance that you get it first. Last year we manged to get 'Calderwood', the year before we managed to persuade 'Bath Green Park' to travel north. We always have our ears to the ground of that you can be sure.

 

I have just been reminded that 'Seagone' a new layout from the Stafford Railway Circle' will be with us in June 2012.

[Steven B]

An excelent show (as ever) and no snow!

 

There's plenty of space to move around (except when folk stop for a chat in the middle of a busy isle) and the layouts were great. There were a few I'd not seen before and many I enjoyed seeing again. I'd have stopped much longer if I'd been feeling healthier!

 

My only negative comment: personally I'd have rather saved a pound or two and done without the exhibition guide.

 

Happy modelling.

 

Steven B.

[Eaton]

Following on from Andy's review:

 

During the February of 2009 the team and I took my layout Eaton Gomery to the Stafford Exhibition and it was whilst there that I had my first opportunity to see Pempoul. I can vividly remember the impression it made on us. We had heard on the Model Railway Grapevine that there was a new Gordon and Maggie Gravett layout on the curcuit, and that it was something special, so the chance to see it over a full weekend was egarly awaited. On first viewing it we were mightily impressed, here was modelmaking taken to another level. We were somewhat taken aback when our layout was voted 'Best Visiting Layout', and whilst being very appreciative of the people who viewed it so, we had great difficulty understanding how this award had not gone to Pempoul.

 

We have discussed this perplexing question many time since and it does seem that Pempoul does polarise opinion. Some feel that it isn't a model railway but more a scenic diorama, that there isn't enough railway operation or simply not enough trains. I fail to understand how this can be so. You need to approach Pempoul with a completely open mind, rid yourself of any preconception of what is or is not a model railway and just appreciate what is before you.

 

What you see is an evocation of a slice of rural Brittany so true and finely observed by a master model maker that it verges on the unbelievable. However unbelievable is exactly the wrong word, because it is so believable. There is an architectural term, Genius Loci, which means 'the spirt of the place', and this is the intangible quality that Pempoul captures. This is no easy task because there is no prescribed route to its achievement. It is not the accumulation of detail, although that is part of it, it is not the demonstration of the skill of a virtuoso model making team, although without that it would be unachievable, but it is the keeness of observation. It is the seeing of the minutia of insignificant detail, the fallen leaves under the tree, the gentle ripples on the water, the textures of the brickwork and the subtle blending of the colours that make this layout such a tour de force. It is also the restrained use in every aspect of the model which is so impressive. It is not over detailed, it is not visually 'busy' in the sense that your eye is drawn all over the place. Rather it is a 'quiet scene' into which you must allow yourself to be drawn. You must be patient and allow yourself to visually absorb the whole before your eye will notice the small keenly observed detail to which this 'artist', as that is what he is, wishes to bring to our attention. This process would be shattered if train upon train thundered past your field of vision, it is simply not that sort of layout. Rather trains that do pass are an extension of the scenery, seen with the same observational eye and presented to you as movement to further re-enforce the reality of the modelled scene.

 

I suspect that the choice of scale and locality was a deliberate strategy to remove the viewer from his comfort zone. No easily recognisable ready to run items, no familar railway companies and therefore nothing to which you can easily relate, apart from the model making. Pempoul is one of those layouts that demands that you spend time in front of it, it requires of the viewer the same observational intensity that has been displayed by its builders. If you lean on the barrier and give it five minutes of casual looking, then you have missed the whole point of this marvellous layout.

 

P.S.

I was trying to work out what it was about the cars that made then look so right. Then I read in one of the information folders that all the vehicles had of course been scratchbuilt, but that the body colour had been T Cut to both flatten it and remove the overly bright shine but also to give them that ever so slightly bleached faded look. Is that not observationally brilliant.

[PLD]

The reason for the guidebook being organised in this way is simply because the Floor Plans are the last thing to go into the guidebook and if I waited to complile and edit the guide until those where available then there would be little time for our printer to do his job. Its just the way it has to be, sorry you were disappointed.

Thanks, for the explanation Peter. I wasn't at all 'disapointed' with the guide - much better in terms of content and reproduction than some 'budget' efforts, just seemed odd that it was arranged differently to every other show, so that makes me more appreciative of the extra effort their guide editors must go to to get the descriptions in order.

 

Also being a less inituitive arrangement than others use seems a little at odds with your comment (which I do agree with) justifying incuding the guide in the admission price...

we are on something of a crusade here. We see them as very important to the visitors enjoyment and appreciation of what they are looking at.

[Eaton]

An excelent show (as ever) and no snow! There's plenty of space to move around (except when folk stop for a chat in the middle of a busy isle) and the layouts were great. There were a few I'd not seen before and many I enjoyed seeing again. I'd have stopped much longer if I'd been feeling healthier! My only negative comment: personally I'd have rather saved a pound or two and done without the exhibition guide. Happy modelling. Steven B. An excelent show (as ever) and no snow! There's plenty of space to move around (except when folk stop for a chat in the middle of a busy isle) and the layouts were great. There were a few I'd not seen before and many I enjoyed seeing again. I'd have stopped much longer if I'd been feeling healthier! My only negative comment: personally I'd have rather saved a pound or two and done without the exhibition guide. Happy modelling. Steven B.

 

Iam sorry but there was never any question that you would save a pound or two, the question was do we put the price up to £10 or give a guidebook or not. We thought it better to include the Guidebook.