Another weekend and another model railway event. I stumbled on the Sileby show by accident a few years ago when I was idling my way through the show diary in the "Hornby Magazine". My first visit was very enjoyable and I have returned every year since, always enjoying my visits.

Last year I was a little bit critical of the show due to the lack of 00 gauge steam layouts and the concentration of more modern based layouts. There can be no such complaints this time around. This year's event had a much better mix of eras and gauges and the quality of layouts on display were of very high quality. Whoever was in charge of booking the layouts for this year's show deserves a huge pat on the back. To get so many outstanding models in one moderately sized show is some achievement.

As a 00 gauge steam modeller these layouts are always the ones that interest me the most. "Forest Green" was a definite highlight for me. A through station, set in a cutting scene with a town back drop made up of many resin low relief buildings. Many of these featured lighting. I have assembled quite a collection of such buildings ahead of my next project and to see them used very well, as here, it has certainly inspired my new project even more.

A further large 00 gauge layout was "Glenmore Parva" which featured a large terminus station, a goods yard, engine shed and turntable. There was so much operational interest built into this model. Sadly operation was not something that was happening here. On the three occasions I viewed this layout it seemed to suffer from many incidents of loco stallings, derailments and trains being wrongly routed. As someone who, whilst exhibiting a layout, has made many mistakes I can appreciate the frustration for operators. This is a nice model, but on this occasion the enjoyment was spoilt by the many errors. Perhaps I was just unlucky to appear at the wrong times.

Another steam era model in this scale, Ashbrook Dale, also suffered some inconsistent running - so much so that I saw the operators attacking it with a soldering iron at one point in the morning. I hope that they got it fixed as this is a fine LMS era model.

Without doubt Clive Baker's EM gauge "Rolleston on Dove" stole the steam era award. I have seen this model on many occasions. It is an accurate depiction of the station and Clive has gone to great lengths to research the model to get things right. It is a fine model and ran faultlessly throughout.

There were a couple of fine N gauge steam offerings too. Hawthorn Dene was a wonderful model based around the old colliery of the same name. This, like Rolleston on Dove, had been accurately researched and the operators seemed to know their stuff. Pendlebury Parva was the hosting club's own layout. This featured plenty of passing trains and a rather unique depiction of the Hogwarts Express, complete with flying Ford Anglia which was quite clever and definitely pleased the younger viewers.

Without doubt the model that most appealed to younger visitors was the 09 model of Ditchford Treacle Mine. Described as a light-hearted model, it certainly had plenty of amusing cameo scenes to appeal to the younger audience. On this subject it was very nice to see some operators willing to encourage younger modellers. One operator on the N gauge, modern image layout, Westbrook invited a couple of young boys around to the back of the layout to see how it works. The excitement on the youngsters face was clear for all to see and this young man may well inspired to develop their own layout.

Another layout that welcomed children around to the operating side was the 00 gauge diesel shunting layout "Evington St John". This small, East Anglian based, shunting layout crammed a lot of detail into a small space. It featured a novel variation on the loco cassette fiddle yard system with upturned Hornby plastic platform pieces glued together with track attached. Always nice to see new ideas. Also nice to see the operator allowing a young man to operate the layout independently.

Other highlights included the N gauge modern image layout "Loch Tat". This has been around many local shows in recent years. With the track curving around the back of a wonderfully modelled Scottish loch it always brings back memories of my honeymoon in the Highlands.

Up N Back was a superb 009 model of a preserved narrow gauge line, the river bridge was a wonderful model.

To be fair there was not a poor model in the show and this was supported by a good range of trade. The club's second hand sales stand is one of the most extensive I have seen whilst there is a good choice of new and second hand models and scenic items on other stands. The catering was as nice and as reasonably priced as last week's Allestree show.

So congratulations to the organisers for a very enjoyable show.

The light hearted awards:

Best layout: A tough choice but I will choose Forest Green as it was the most inspiring for me. But it just pips Rolleston on Dove.

Best model: Not a model as such - but the unique use of old Hornby platforms as loco cassettes on Evington St John. Alternatively the Hogwarts Express with flying Ford Anglia on Pendlebury Parva.

Best scenics: The loch scene on Loch Tat.