Warley National Model Railway Exhibition 2015

[Chris116]

I had a very nice day at the NEC yesterday for my first visit to the Warley National Model Railway Exhibition.

 

The way layouts of the same scale were next to each other was something that I thought worked well. It was however very easy to miss something due to the number of us enjoying the day. A number of stands were very crowded at different times during the day. I made a point of going to those with smaller crowds and by the end of the day had seen even the most popular layouts when the crowd was not a problem. The walkways seemed to be wide enough to deal with the crowds and when things were crowded I worked on the principle of heading for the least crowded walkway which worked well.

 

The sales stands had a wide range of prices and it was up to the buyer to make sure they got the deal they wanted, but that is true in shops and on the web all the time. The items which I bought were as cheap or cheaper than I would have got elsewhere so I am happy with that side of the show.

 

It was nice to talk to Andy York, Simon Kohler, Chris Leigh, Ben Jones and numerous others around the hall. The operators of layouts went out of their way to chat to people which was very good to see. I have already put the date for my visit next year.

[Edge]

Thanks to Edge for his photos of news announcements and for Crewlisle. Love this layout showing what can be achieved in a relatively small space. Only seen it in a magazine though, would love to study it for real

My pleasure - it was fun being a roving reporter. Maybe BRM can give me a job (*SUBTLE HINT*)

 

And I agree, Crewlisle is a brilliant demonstration of how to get a railway into a small area without it looking like just an oval of track

[melmerby]

I thought it was busier today than it has been for the last few Sundays.

Yesterday was manic at times (as usual) with the usual bunfight on certain stands (Bachmann returns especially)

 

One layout I thought was pretty good was the French shunting layout "Villefranche-La-Chapelle".

IMHO the detailing was excellent.

It also won the Continental Cup.

 

Did anyone notice (well you couldn't really miss it!) the very large "square" roundy, Project 45C - The Pits, and the fact that it was, as far as I could see, entirey set-track!

 

The large USA layout (RS vTower etc.) with it's long container trains from end to end was mighty impressive.

 

One that disappointed me was "Whitchurch Town"

Lovely layout, lovely rolling stock, but both Saturday and Sunday it seemed to be plagued with problems.

There was frequent stalling of locos, derailments and operator errors, maybe I was just unlucky when I visited each day.

 

Keith

[southern42]

Enjoyed Warley, yesterday, especially meeting up with RMwebbers and other acquaintances; picked up bits and pieces on our (separate!) wishlists, and saw most of the layouts and displays we hoped to see.

 

Some pics from the day.   I normally like to have a theme for these.  This time, I decided to base it on what people were saying about Warley and settled on Crowded.  So "lots of," then!

 

Windows, wagons, and new laid grass on Pwllheli (Arriva Trains Wales)

 

 

Windows and arches on Santa Barbara

 

Containers on Warren Lane

 

Track in a small space on Crewlisle

 

Shared road space on Appledoor

 

Presflos on Horfield - I learnt how to weather cement wagons at Warley,

so simply magic to see a long rake of them.

 

02s on the Kernow stand

 

Photos on the 86 259 anniversary display

 

Humour on the larger guages display

 

Lots of hard work...

 

and beverage!

 

And this is just a small taste of what was on offer.

 

Thanks to all for putting on a great show.

[melmerby]

I didn't take many photos this year.

 

Here is what I took

4 of Villefranche

 

The Viaduct:

 

General view:

 

The Church:

 

Cruel close up of a shop front showing the detail:

 

Project 45C

Loco Shed:

 

With it's stud of locos:

 

I videoed a few others.

 

Keith

 

 

 

 

[sb67]

Thanks Edge for the photo's of Crew-isle, looks good I hope to see it sometime.

Hope you enjoyed yourself and didn't spend too much! ;-)

[stephennicholson]

One of my favourites was Depot Val-Rikard (set in the Ardennes). The modeller had an interesting technique using foamboard (with card removed from one side) into which he scribed all the detail. Note the double deck turntable.

[pete_mcfarlane]

....the stupid (people in the queue to buy a warley show ticket but wanting one for the motorcycle show (despite notices and stewards directing people to the various ticket offices and queues).

 

 

That would explain this exchange then.....

 

Me (shaven headed, wearing black leather jacket, and t-shirt for obscure Norwegian black metal band): One please

 

Man in kiosk: This is for the model railway show.

 

Me: I know. 

[Willie Whizz]

Annual visit today didn't seem that busy plenty of room to view the layouts and get at trade stands was it just me but I felt that the show was not quite so vibrant as previous year,layouts pretty good but no  real wow factor this time.The USA layouts were excellent and the Irish section was most interesting with working trams and buses an added attraction but apart from them I was not overly exited maybe its an age thing but I am seriously undecided on another visit shame as I was at the first show and have only missed four or five shows.Putting on this show is a fantastic bit of work and the Warley club are to be congratulated on their past efforts.Just thought Burntisland excellent and thanks to the chap in the top hat for all info especially on how to pronounce the name.

 

Concur.  With a few exceptions I was somewhat "underwhelmed" by the operating side of Warley this year, with nothing much among the layouts that inspired me to want to linger more than a few minutes at best, and certainly no 'showstopper'.

 

Personally I was particularly disappointed with Horfield, which I had rather supposed to be intended as a WR 'trainspotting'-like experience akin to the ER's Stoke Summit or Gamston Bank with a parade of successive accurate train formations.  I stood by the layout for several minutes on three separate occasions, and each time saw just one train movement, while earnest-looking operators stood frowning at something or other invisible behind the backscenes.  The standard of scenic modelling was high, but on this type of layout with long stretches of nothing much but straight line through largely empty countryside, unless something is coming through every minute or so in one direction or the other, it is easy to get bored waiting.  Maybe I was just unlucky; and yes, I know the 'real thing' was often like that, but in 'concept' terms if a layout like this isn't entertaining then it's nothing that special.

[sammyboy]

Got home a couple of hours ago after another Warley show experience. (Been 2 years in a row now!) Some great layouts seen.

 

As a previous post said it was a really good idea for the organisers to have all the layouts in themed areas around the hall for each particular modelling scale together so that you can see all the layouts in one block then move onto the next.

 

Attended one of the talks about DCC as I want to convert soon, but the lecturer seemed to waffle on about his own layout and not get to the point about the benefits of having DCC.

 

Shame about the sheer expense of the day, like the £12 charge for car parking (I'm sure it has gone up from last year!) and food purchases, but we cannot do anything to change that.

 

I decided to save money by bringing my own drinks, crisps & chocolate snacks from home hidden in coat pockets, but we still decided to pay out for a sit down meal at lunch soon after we arrived at the NEC.

 

Just to say that putting on a show of this size is a truly fantastic piece of work by the people at the Warley Club and all their sponsors. I'll be coming again next year for sure!

 

Sam  

[Dagworth]

That would explain this exchange then.....

 

Me (shaven headed, wearing black leather jacket, and t-shirt for obscure Norwegian black metal band): One please

 

Man in kiosk: This is for the model railway show.

 

Me: I know. 

I got similar from the twit on the Benelux railway society stand after having been walking around the show for more than an hour., This goon decided to try to tell me several times that I was in the wrong show. Despite telling him that I was most definitely in the right show and that I AM NOT A BIKER just because I wear a leather jacket he persisted. 

 

If you judge me on my appearance alone I will judge you on your words alone. You sir are an IDIOT and while it may be a joke to you to me it is bloody offensive and uncalled for

 

Andi

[Legend]

Again, thanks for the photos and news. Like the look of Project 45C

[37407]

Travelled up early this morning to arrive at the NEC just after opening for those who didn't book in advance. Tip - for those moaning about car parking prices, park at Birmingham International car park for £6 all day on weekends. I've also found it easier to get to and from the M42 from the station car park with less queues.

 

Show crowds were manageable, it seemed aisles were wider this year. Crowd seemed to peak about 11:30am then most seemed to sit down for lunch of one form or another at 12:30pm so it became easier to get around again.

 

My tactic on arrival is to scout out the trade stalls first noting where to return to, then view the layouts, go back to the trade stalls mentally noted earlier to make purchases then one last view of layouts I particularly liked before heading home. This backfired a bit this year with several retailers selling out of my prospective purchases when I returned to do the deed this year although no doubt my wallet and better half appreciated this tactical error.

 

There were three layouts that caught my eye and required a return visit. Worlds End is just utterly superb, operationally very simple but wow the scenery is just breathtakingly well modelled, I could have watched trains pass by all day. Pwllheli has bags of potential as its still a work in progress, some fabulous structures exceptionally well modelled and prototypical operation although it needs an Arriva 158 and a dutch 31 plus reggie rail mk2's to be truly prototypical ;-) Finally glad to have caught up with Warren Lane before its retired, beautifully modelled.

 

As others have noted there were a few layouts which I was surprised got an invite but they didn't get much of my attention as the above three deserved second visits.

[Froxfield2012]

A big thank you to the folks from Warley who manage to put on this extravaganza each year.  Sunday morning seemed pretty relaxed to me and it was easy wandering around and seeing those things I had noted beforehand as being of interest.  There were plenty of specialist/small traders who provided a lot of food for thought for the future.  Just because they didn't sell me anything today, doesn't mean I won't be visiting their websites in due course!

 

And a special prize to the Warley Club stand for the best bit of plywood I have ever seen come out of B&Q.

[trisonic]

Andi, I'm always being typecast since 1966......

 

Best Pete.

[big jim]

looking at the flickr album on the previous page i spotted these (some more pics if you scroll left and right

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/fwc439h/23297617521/in/album-72157661645550591/

 

says they were on the phoenix paints stand, dont look particularly good but just wondered who or what they were? (and yes i know they are 140/141 units)

[Crantock]

Went today and it was a good show.  However, the poor light is a strain on the eyes. I feel there are more products being launched/pushed/promoted these days reflecting the diversity of manufacturers.  I think this is to be encouraged.

 

The standout layout, though I have seen it before was Burntisland.  That was proven by the crowds.

 

There were some layouts with too many locos or too many tracks for my liking and not enough scenery. 

 

I have seen Horfield before and yes there were big gaps between trains but.... To stand at the station end and see a dark blob come around the corner on the far track.  With my eyesight and the lighting being unable to make out what it was, light engine? no a train and then very slowly a train come and come and come until a WD2-8-0 with an enormous train of coal empties proceeds without stopping at a prototypical 20 MPH or so.  And then you realise there is a banker which drops off (DCC!).   Superb.

Good show.

[Dagworth]

the poor light is a strain on the eyes. 

I noticed that a fair few layouts using LED lighting looked incredibly blue under the hall lights. 

 

Andi

[melmerby]

I noticed that a fair few layouts using LED lighting looked incredibly blue under the hall lights. 

 

Andi

I took a short video on "Connaught Road" (I think) and it was like bright moonlight, all cold blue and glaring.

Wrong choice of LEDs on there chaps!

Other LED lit layouts werre not so cold.

 

Keith

[bcnPete]

My first time at Warley visited with my youngest son today - overwhelmed by the shear size of the venue

 

Primarily went to see Warren Lane but there was lots of other good stuff on show as well as having a good chat with some familiar faces.

 

Wasn't intending to buy anything in particular but ending up leaving with a 2mm TMC split headcode 37 and a DCC starter system

 

Really enjoyed seeing this S7 layout too...

 

 

 

 

and of course the superb Warren Lane (Thanks to Alan and Maggie for letting my son operate the front sidings for a stint)

 

 

 

Overall, had an enjoyable few hours there and it was definitely worth the 2hr drive each way in less than perfect weather.

 

Many thanks to the organisers

 

Pete

[Michael Delamar]

Nice day, some shots from me

[rab]

I'm sure other unfortunates like me who were unable to attend will want to thank all who have contributed comments and pictures to this thread over the weekend to at least give us a flavour of what we missed. Hopefully next year I'll get there!

[Kickstart]

Despite telling him that I was most definitely in the right show and that I AM NOT A BIKER just because I wear a leather jacket he persisted.

Might have just meant you had found a good way to avoid the £12 parking charging!

 

Having gone to Warley by bike a few years ago, it made the journey home interesting when the box of one of my purchases was rather bigger than I expect.

 

Katy

[enginelane]

Earlsheaton and Troutons enjoyed the experience of exhibiting and the comments received by the visitors

[The Dorset Wanderer]

I had a run past the Heljan stand but didn't see any OO9?

There was