Chris M

So far as I am aware there has always been a Warley club stand at the NEC show where Warley club members would speak enthusiastically about the club and encourage people to join. Being a member of Warley club was, and still is, a prerequisite to being a member of the exhibition management team. That seems quite reasonable. I don’t think we should be too concerned about things. After 30 years at the top Warley club decided to call it a day on their NEC and exhibition. I fully expect the place will be taken by another, probably lesser, exhibition. Warley club continues. I would say it is highly likely that there will be another set of Warley exhibitions on a smaller scale in the years to come. Meanwhile the club is doing other things. The free open days are always nice and the next one is on February 18th. New next month is the start of our free hands on training sessions at the club rooms. We have 20 non members keenly signed up and ready for this to happen. So plenty happening and plenty being done for the hobby. Let’s be happy, one change in direction from one club doesn’t mean we are all doomed.

That's a shame, it is a nice little shop. Although I live in the Midlands I often go to South Devon and like to pop in. I shall miss this shop more than I will miss Hattons.

The Model World Live show is a general model show but it does look as though it will be strong on model railways. They plan to have around 35 layouts I think. As I have said previously bringing layouts to an exhibition is very very expensive. Warley had 90 layouts, 55 more than Model World Live. I’m sure Warley could have had a much lower entrance price if it had less than half the number of layouts. Model World Live is a business exhibition put on by paid professionals with the backing of a reasonably sized publishing company behind it. It will have support from many model traders and I expect that Airfix displays and war dioramas are significantly cheaper to bring to an exhibition than model railways. Model World Live will also benefit from many pages of free, very professional, editorial coverage in all the relevant magazines within the publishing group. That makes it very different to the Warley club show and a very different business model. Warley club fully supports Model World Live and will have a presence there. Personally, I am looking forward to being at Model World Live and hope it is a success.

Without going into details you are absolutely right. The aim was to make a relatively small profit compared to the turnover and this was always achieved. The small percentage profit compared to turnover always left us quite vulnerable to outside events turning things sour. We were very lucky that we never had snow over our November weekend. In 2021, with Covid still causing problems, Warley held a local show at our clubrooms on the usual weekend of the NEC show. Guess what - it snowed! I made it to the show but it was a bit hairy on the roads in the morning. Being a little show at our clubrooms with virtually no costs the snow didn't matter to us. We were lucky not to have had an NEC show that year. The train strike had an interesting effect in 2022. There can be absolutely no doubt that a lot of enthusiasts couldn't make it with no trains running and ticket sales were lost due to this. The Saturday was the quietest I have ever seen it. There was a bonus however. Our publicity team managed to get the local TV news programme to come along and we got a slot in the local evening news programme. This was basically along the lines of there aren't any big trains running but there are plenty of little ones at the NEC. Following this the Sunday in 2022 was probably the busiest Sunday I have ever seen and there were plenty of families. The club has tried to get TV coverage every year but 2022 was the only time we succeeded. A TV advert has always been out of the question due to cost. Radio advertising in the earlier days, and even a radio programme about our show on the local BBC station didn't really have a noticeable effect on visitor numbers.

Well done to all. Best wishes for the success of both exhibitions.

Now here's a conundrum. Warley was the most expensive model railway exhibition but also the cheapest, it all depends how you measure it. The ticket price was the highest but at the same time, because of the 90 odd layouts on show it was also the cheapest per layout. It might well have been the cheapest per trade exhibitor too. I always used to get annoyed when people said it was too expensive because it was great value for money. Unless anyone can find better I reckon the Stafford show now provides the best value for money. Last year I saw a number of folk moaning about Stafford being too expensive at £15 for adults and free for accompanied children. I reckon that's great value for a whole day's live entertainment with 50 working layouts. We should all be really enthusiastic and spread the word to others about what good value model railway exhibitions are.

These are my personal thoughts based on 30 years being close to the running of the Warley NEC show. This is entirely from me and not from the club. The end of the Warley show does not mean that most shows have a problem. Warley was special and different. During it's time in hall 5 there were always 90 layouts or more and about 120 trade stands at Warley show. That was the ratio Warley were happy with as the ethos was always to create a spectacular exhibition. Bringing 90 layouts from across the country (and usually a few from overseas) to an exhibition is very, very expensive and Warley club accepted that because of what the show was about. It was about being a great show and not about making as much profit as possible. That was always important to the management team. The show did however always make a return for Warley club which the club was happy with. The Warley show could possibly have been watered down to maybe 30-40 layouts and moved to a smaller hall but it then would not have been the "Warley NEC" as everyone knew it. Such a policy might well have turned into a slow, lingering death. It is interesting to note that the business run shows tend to have around 30 layouts and fill the rest of the space with trade stands. I'm not criticising the organisers of these shows because business has to make as good a profit as it can in order to stay in business. The two largest shows run by clubs tend to have around 50 layouts which sort of illustrates the difference between a club show and a commercial show. Long may shows of all types and sizes continue!

That has set me wondering. Paul Jones was the Warley NEC exhibition manager from 1993 to 2019. He is an exceptional person and the exhibition would not have succeeded without his presence. Even the 2022 and 2023 exhibitions would have struggled to happen without Paul’s significant input. Paul was always a “down to earth” manager and at 19:00 on the Sunday of the show he would be there folding curtains with the rest of the club. He really was the main man who made it all happen mainly through his dedication and patience. All of this was of course done without any financial reward. Maybe some of us at Warley club should nominate Paul for an honour? Wonder if there is any chance? I think he deserves something.

It was just one of those things. Back in the early 1990s the hobby felt in the doldrums and Paul Jones of Warley club wanted to put on a showcase exhibition to help improve our hobby. It just happened that, at that time, Warley club had a group of members with the right skills and knowledge to go for a show at the NEC. I looked after the trade for the first shows. Back then I had to send letters to model railway businesses asking them to join us - there was none of this new fangled email nonsense! That shows how things have changed over the years of the Warley NEC show. None of us involved had any knowledge or experience of putting on a big exhibition, all we had done up until then was a good show at the local drill hall. The first show was a huge risk and it would have been very bad for the club if it had gone wrong. In the end it became far more successful and bigger than any of us expected. As this show was put on by a club the ethos was to put on a great show rather than maximise profit. Yes the show did make a profit every year, including 2023, but the profit margin was always thin, probably far too thin for a proper business to accept. I am very proud of that ethos and it is one reason I kept giving up my free time to work on the show for so many years. Warley club is in a good position and will continue very happily without an NEC exhibition. Interestingly, I have heard it said that the club might be better for this cancellation as the NEC exhibition was maybe "the tail wagging the dog".

I am sure a number of Warley club members will offer their help over the weekend of the Stafford show. Always a great show and it is a pleasure to be part of it.

As a member of Warley club I would like to stress that Warley Club is strong and in a very good position with plenty of things planned - as can be seen in another post I started earlier. As someone who has been part of the exhibition management team from the beginning some 30 years ago I can say that the Warley NEC exhibition has been successful beyond our wildest dreams. I am happy that a bunch of amateurs achieved so much for so long. So part sad that it has come to an end but part happy that things went so well for so long.

I guess a third item than can be announced is a new 009 layout project. This will be 12ft by 3ft (yes we still work in old money) on three boards. It is planned to fit into one or 2 cars so it can be easily and cheaply transported to exhibitions. I think I can say the project has officially started this week as the timber for the baseboards has arrived. Marking up will start next Tuesday. I'm pleased to say that we have a nice little crew who will be working on this project but iIf anyone is interested in getting involved they are welcome to come along on a Tuesday afternoon/evening or come to the above mentioned open day and have a chat.

Also please note that our first open day of the year will be on Sunday 18th February 11:00 to 16:00. Entry is free as usual and of course everyone is welcome, especially families. . We think it is important to offer free events in these difficult times. Everyone is welcome to come along, see our many layouts, and have a chat about anything related to model railways. Warley club members love to do things to encourage the development of our wonderful hobby. Warley club is pleased to be able to offer these two events and further events later in the year.

Before Christmas I mentioned the free build a model railway training sessions at the Warley clubrooms. We have 11 people booked in for the first of these sessions on Saturday 3rd February at the Warley clubrooms in Oldbury. That's a nice number for our first session but we reckon we could host a few more. The club has some timber and some track available so course members have materials available to build a simple, probably plank type layout. The great thing about these sessions is that they will be completely free. Warley club is doing this in order to help people get started. There will be further training sessions in March and April. If this works out well we plan to continue throughout the year. If you are interested you can book you place at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/warley-model-railway-club-free-training-sessions-tickets-755709977887?aff=ebdssbdestsearch&keep_tld=1

Steve was editor until past standard retirement age. He did a great job as editor and I’m sure he is enjoying a well earned chance to do some modelling.

Coming along nicely. I look forward to watching further progression.

As just an ordinary non volunteering member of the SVR I was surprised by the problems mentioned above. In my experience the good folk at Kidderminster do try to ensure everyone who wants to get on a departing train does so before it departs. I have often seen the staff check with people in the station area and hold the train, just for a short moment, while stragglers jump on. Being a single line, when one train gets held up, everything gets held up - I've often said they should double the line! When travelling on any heritage line you have to be prepared for late running. You are on a pleasure trip and not desperate to get to an important meeting - just enjoy it and don't worry about the time. The catering on the SVR can be held back by a shortage of volunteers. That's the fault of non volunteering members like me rather than the SVR itself. There is always catering available somewhere along the line though. Sounds like the F-UnitMad caught the SVR on a bad day and I'm sorry to hear that. Maybe try again in the summer. I would expect most things to be better but don't expect the trains to keep bang on time. One volunteer who shall remain nameless (as I don't know his name) said of the previous general manger who is now the boss of the St Michaels mount estate - "it will sink with her in charge". Gus understands the heritage railway business and, so far as I can see, is doing a great job. Well done sir.

And there is a G scale kit - https://www.rail-roadmodels.co.uk/ivor-the-engine

I started a shelf layout last year but didn't make as much progress as I hoped. 2024 will almost certainly see it finished.

A 9 car unit for around £270? It would be rude not to buy one! I know it would be impossible for some but I do wish other manufacturers would publish a production schedule like Kato do. https://www.katomodels.com/schedule

I find Audi drivers are more arrogant than BMW drivers. This is a generalisation, I'm sure there are a few nice people who own Audis.

If an item does not derail then the back to backs are fine and don't need to be messed with. In my experience if an item of stock derails on a Peco point which is properly laid (i.e. flat) then the most common reason is a wheelset that isn't seated correctly. A less common cause is an incorrect back to back. If the errant item is a coach then first check all the wheels are correctly seated. If they are then check the back to backs and fix the one which is out - it will only ever be one which is out of kilter with the other three. On wagons again check the wheels are correctly seated and then check the back to backs of the errant wagon wheels against a similar wagon of the same make. Again just one wheelset should be out. Resetting the back to backs of wheels that are running without derail problems will only cause a lot of work followed by a lot more grief.

Nice to see Sir Daniel on duty, looks good. It makes a nice change to all the banger blue and is very smart. I was tempted to get one of these for my 1980s set and very nearly ordered one this morning but I resisted. Instead I’ve ordered some filthy JIAs to provide a current day clay service to Stoke. Next job is to order a Revolution 66 in DB red.

I am inclined to agree that N is at it's best when running long trains through open countryside. My next layout, which will be for my own entertainment at home will feature shunting. This layout is very much under construction but this video shows a system test of the shunting. The shunting all worked without hands but obviously needs to be done a little slower when running properly. Like I say this was just a system test to prove it would be ok before working on the scenery. I'm using Gaugemaster electro magnets with staples drilled into the shanks of some of the wagon couplings. I like this solution because it is cheap and simple - rather like me! Bringing in a goods trains, shunting the wagons into the right place and then re-assembling a goods train from the yard into a formation of fitted wagons to the front and non fitted to the rear is satisfyingly hard work. I think I shall enjoy doing this when the layout is finished.

In my experience of five N gauge layouts mostly using Peco code 55 but also some Peco code 80 is that Peco track is very reliable and does not cause derailments. These layouts include crossings as seen in the video posted earlier and single and double slips. In my experience, if the track is laid well there is absolutely no problem with derails. In over 30 exhibitions running N gauge layouts all day for two days I can honestly say I have never had a problem with Peco points, crossings or slips causing derails. Sometimes Peco points don't naturally lie flat and have to be pinned down to make them flat. I would never use foam underlay as this, INMHO, prevents laying the track correctly and doesn't look all that good anyway. I do recommend avoiding R1 curves and set track points as these items do not mix will with large steam locos. They also look really wrong on a layout. Yes they are great space savers but they can be a cause of running problems. Wagon bounce over the frogs can be an issue but I would say it was an aesthetic one rather than a cause of derails. Because Peco points are designed to be universal some bounce with modern 4 wheel stock will inevitably happen. I expect that building British Finescale points would overcome the bounce issue but also restrict the stock that you can use. The same bounce problem is evident in 00 as well. Because I tend to run quite long trains on scenic layouts any wagon bounce goes largely unnoticed. You can see the wagons on this train bouncing over the frog as it leaves the platform line but the wagons never come off the track. Also, when just watching rather than filming, the bounce isn't all that noticeable and doesn't "jar". Well it doesn't for me anyway. Yes I could do with fitting new wheels to some of those wagons as they wobble on ordinary track. Again though, it doesn't really show up when you watch the whole train passing by. The only item that does bounce (but never derail) and looks wrong is my Dapol Skipper unit. There again the real ones gave quite a rough ride.