Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71 Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 ...I got there at 10.30 this morning and took around 5mins to get into the hall...therefore 30mins after opening time would appear to work well, as Andy suggests. Dave Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheshire001 Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 We've been today. A good show. However I would urge anyone considering going by car tomorrow to put a few pieces of old carpet in the boot to aid traction as the car park is composed of slippery mud. I had a couple of pieces ready but before I could deploy them a chap appeared with a rubber mat and gave me a push. (Many thanks if you're reading this!) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold TheSignalEngineer Posted February 1, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 1, 2014 Very good show, pity about the state of the grass as said above. I backed onto the grass so my driving wheels were only about a foot from tarmac and I got off OK. ...I got there at 10.30 this morning and took around 5mins to get into the hall...therefore 30mins after opening time would appear to work well, as Andy suggests. Dave I arrived at lunch time today and although the halls were busy i walked straight in. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveyg Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 was a good exhibition this year, I could see the layouts for a change. Got what I needed from the traders and had friendly discussions with a couple of layout operators Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PMP99 Posted February 1, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 1, 2014 A very good show this year with good layouts and trade. I got there about 1.30 and had to drive around quite a bit of the site to find a place to park. There seemed to be an antiques fair on as well, don't know if that's there Sunday as well. As others have said much of the grass parking was very 'soft' and care is needed where you go! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coombe Barton Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 There seemed to be an antiques fair on as well, don't know if that's there Sunday as well. It is. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicktuk159 Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 A random sample of the many photos I've taken so far this weekend Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium southern42 Posted February 1, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 1, 2014 Agree. A very good show and the proof of the pudding is in the eating So here's some proof. Black Country Blues The Gresley Beat Annan Road St Stephen's Road No problems with parking - we went by train and Stafford Railway Circle Shuttle Bus. [The snow had gone by the time we had got home but it was still cold.] Another great show. Thanks to all exhibitors, traders, caterers and organisers. Polly & Ray Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold teaky Posted February 1, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 1, 2014 Made the trip this morning with no.2 son in tow. A really enjoyable exhibition with a high standard of modelling. ELTEL - Congratulations to the SRC. Well done! Parking is fine as long as you keep your driven wheels on or near the tarmac. There seemed to be plenty of space, even if some had a short walk. Andy Y - Nice to meet you. I'm a 1930's LNER fan so inevitably Gresley Beat stole the show, but I was particularly impressed by Black Country Blues, Oldshaw, Alston, Drewry Lane, Ingleton Sidings and Portskerra. Pencilled in the diary for next year. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kickstart Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 Hi Went today. Got up there just after lunch so no major queue to get in. Stayed until about half four when the crowds had died down and you could get to see the layouts. Plenty of good layouts. Wanted to see Gresley Beat, having missing it at Warley due to the crowds. Was half expecting to have to tow people out of the car park, but nobody seemed to have any real problems. All the best Keith Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Patriot87003 Posted February 2, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 2, 2014 I went to the show yesterday and enjoyed it - high quality layouts that were well positioned and easily viewable, really good trade support (as my now empty wallet can testify!). One minor concern was the couple of 'code blue' announcements over the tannoy .... One tip for anyone going today is to leave your driving wheels on the tarmac if possible. I parked just onto the grass, the guy next to me did the same and we both returned and attempted to move at the same time .. and we both went nowhere fast! I helped push him out the mud, then when he helped me I picked up a puncture as my front left tyre drove over the kerb. I was able to make it to the Kwik-fit in Stafford ..... so my most expensive purchase from the Stafford show was a new tyre! But don't let the mud put anyone off today ... it's a really good show and I'll be back next year! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 2ManySpams Posted February 2, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 2, 2014 Lots of references to the thick mud and getting stuck. I have to say that it was very obviously wet, boggy and muddy. It was therefore very surprising to see people still driving on to the grass, driven wheels first, at speed and parking a long way off the tarmac. It really should be obvious in such conditions that keeping the driven wheels just on the tarmac is a good idea. I did this and had no problem driving off but looking at the deep wheel track trenches elsewhere it seems others had problems. I do think praise some be given to the Stafford club for having a 4x4 on standby to address a problem they have no control over. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisf Posted February 2, 2014 Share Posted February 2, 2014 When I arrived yesterday the parking steward told me to leave my front wheels on the road. I did so, ensuring that they were still attached to the car Getting there: 2h30m from Bedford including one petrol stop, what passes for breakfast at Watford Gap and three lots of 50 mph due to buckets and spades with little workforce presence. Homeward: 2h30m via Uttoxeter including very heavy rain on the A50 and another petrol stop. Since you ask, I prefer to pay less for petrol than the going rate in Bedford. A good show indeed. Dense crowds fronted both BCB and Gresley Beat and rightly so. On GB Tom 2750, attired in LNER wartime black, gave two of his Pacifics an outing and enjoyed himself operating. The soldering iron was out early on but whatever caused the fault was rectified quickly. It's a compelling layout but I do wish that its creator had found a way of making the right-angled bends less prominent! One solution to this could be the approach adopted on Annan Road, a fine mpd girded by a continuous gentle curve. On BCB there were some SPADs, which as we know used to be a hanging offence second in seriousness only to knocking over a pint. Apart from that it seemed to behave itself and I'm sure it will be mighty fine at Doncaster next weekend. Some other layouts caught my eye. Oldshaw looked very West Midlands to me yet its owner thinks it is set in the West Country! Portskerra portrays the Highland in 1915 and has captured a similar bleakness to that so successfully evoked by Portchullin. Trevanna Dries must be the most compact portrayal of china clay yet devised and would lose much of its charm if made larger. On Tinsley South I spotted a hybrid dmu, so typical of the blue period but seldom portrayed. Skimbleshanks Mill, presented by Alison Barker, is so Rowland Emmett! Plenty of trade stands tempted. I aggravated my shelving crisis by acquiring four more books, all pre-owned. The there was networking, oh all right gossip, including a long chat with Mike Stationmaster about the Valley Lines. There were - pause for effect - RMwebbers wearing name badges! I was supposed to meet my cousin. Perhaps he is there today. Chris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold 87004 Posted February 2, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 2, 2014 Really enjoyed the show. It got a little packed yesterday morning, but still got to see Gresley Beat, which I never managed at the NEC! Here are some photos on Flickr for those not able to be there. I'll get round to labelling them in a bit, promise! :-) May go back this afternoon... http://www.flickr.com/photos/trickymundo2009/sets/72157640417101585 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted February 2, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 2, 2014 Very enjoyable show and well worth getting up at 07.00 (in order to arrive at 11.00) - Cross Country trains ran well in both directions although the tea was more plentiful, and very welcome, southbound. Show organisation was very impressive apart from something sold under the description 'pastie' which, while edible, very clearly was not a pastie; but the tea was not bad at all and better than many shows offer. Excellent collection of layouts although strangely I've come across quite a few of them in our end of the country - but still a delight, as ever, to see Portskerra.. BCB looks superb now it's 'complete' although it clearly needs a proper code of operator hand signals (or some sort of fancy comms system) plus some tail lamps and side lamps but the signalling was most impressive even if the Drivers occasionally ignored it. Unlike Chris I only managed to buy one book but although it was new it was slightly reduce in price and I did obtain some C&L sleepers in readiness for a near future offering from 'that man in Scotland'. Incidentally this was the first north of Birmingham (or similar latitude) show I have attended for some time but it must rank as one of the best - easy to get to thanks to the shuttle bus, well organised entry/paypoints, good selection of layouts in a very good venue (apart from the superheat in the third hall), and a pleasant crowd of people to be amongst. Well done Eltel &co BTW notwithstanding meeting a few members of this august body it was concerning that only ChrisF and I were daring enough to identify ourselves by label (or were we just showing off ) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Phil Parker Posted February 2, 2014 Administrators Share Posted February 2, 2014 Excellent show. Arrived as it opened on the bus and visited the cafe beside the queue while I waited for this to go in a bit. Very good tea and a paddling pool sized custard tart was so much nicer than standing in the cold. I'll pop a proper report on my blog next weekend. In the meantime, some photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/45131642@N00/sets/72157640421499874/ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicktuk159 Posted February 2, 2014 Share Posted February 2, 2014 "Trevanna Dries must be the most compact portrayal of china clay yet devised and would lose much of its charm if made larger." Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hammy Posted February 2, 2014 Share Posted February 2, 2014 Another great show gents nice to talk to people and a bonus the car got off the car park Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold 87004 Posted February 2, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 2, 2014 A couple of videos from the show. Black Country Blues: Gresley Beat: Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisf Posted February 2, 2014 Share Posted February 2, 2014 BTW notwithstanding meeting a few members of this august body it was concerning that only ChrisF and I were daring enough to identify ourselves by label (or were we just showing off ) Torr Giffard was wearing a badge too! I neglected to mention that it was a pleasure to meet him. Chris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted February 2, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 2, 2014 Torr Giffard was wearing a badge too! I neglected to mention that it was a pleasure to meet him. Chris Oh dear - missed him, pity. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnb Posted February 2, 2014 Share Posted February 2, 2014 A really excellent show. Travelled from Herts using London Midland for the princely sum of £13.50 return for a two hour trip over the best part of 100miles!! On time both ways. The wallet survived nearly intact, was tempted though with an LMS 10000, but where would I run it?? A show that I really enjoyed, BCB was brilliant, that's not to put down any of the others, they were ALL very good. Very well done the Stafford club. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Long Line Posted February 2, 2014 Share Posted February 2, 2014 An excellent day out and well worth the money, some very nice layouts this year and a cracking N Gauge line up. Got a bit stuffy early afternoon, probably due to the good turnout.. which was well deserved.. Mark Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdw7300 Posted February 2, 2014 Share Posted February 2, 2014 Cracking day out at a well organised show. Great selection of layouts some of which I've followed on here for a while. BCB is truely astonishing in the flesh. Well done Eltel and the rest of the team. Cheers Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold big jim Posted February 2, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 2, 2014 enjoyed it as usual, very nearly turned back when i saw the quagmire (giggidy!) that was the carpark but found a space that didn't take much wheelspinning to get away from!! first time i've seen BCB in its finished form and it looks stunning, hard to believe how quick it progressed from foam and wood at the rmweb day in stafford to what i saw today, had a chat with a few fellow members, mick (newbryford), andy Y as well as seeing a few ex work colleges, acquaintances etc for once my wallet was actually relieved of a few quid, some C+L track for the diorama i'm building and 5 MEA wagons from the club sales stand (wish i'd gone back for the other 3 they had now though) in all a good day but i may have got myself 3 points and a £60 fine on the A500 in stoke for being 8mph over the limit! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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