Warley National Model Railway Exhibition 25th/26th November 2017

[Oliver Rails]

Our first Warley experience is over! A big thank you to everyone who stopped to say hello and pick up a bargain....or two! It was lovely to meet a lot of our existing customers and tons of new ones.

 

We all had a fantastic time and look forward to seeing you again in the future.

 

From all the Rails team

[Crantock]

Bit of a sea of negativity and a tide of consumerism here.

 

It was good.  I went today and it was more enjoyable and less crowded than before.  The lighting has improved.  looking through the guide if today was Saturday I would return and give more attention to some exhibits. There was a lot that was good. I suspect i was not the only one to end the day looking at Shap.

 

Negatives are all down to the NEC - toilet and escalator maintenance.

[Hugh Flynn]

Hi

Well back from a full weekend visiting the show ,great to meet up with some good friends.

A lot of nice layouts and some great trade.

Ok so I bought a Dapol jinty brand new £155 only because my friend bought a peckett with sound ,I feel a layout coming on?

Bought the new Scottish early diesel book and the Clayton book plus 2 Kernow new white weathered clay hoppers.

 

Hugh 

[Enterprisingwestern]

I may well have been standing next to you whilst you were quizzing Juli. This was the main reason for my being at Warley , a Modelu scan.

W17-03 Philip Bancroft.PNG

 

Just what we need, a Big Issue seller.

Weerz yer dog?

 

Mike.

[pete_mcfarlane]

I’ve been 3d scanned and whilst I am now virtual, 

For some reason I'm now thinking of the film 'Tron'......

[melmerby]

Just what we need, a Big Issue seller.

Weerz yer dog?

 

Mike.

The guy who used to sell the Issue near to the Wetherspoons Bar in Paradise Forum (now long gone) in Birmingham used to have a fancy selling stall complete with dog kennel!

 

http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/585447

 

keith

Edited November 26, 2017 by melmerby

[adb968008]

So i’m Safely back in reality, after my weekend away to my hobby bubble.

 

I’ve had a fantastic time this weekend, and in the future a weekend it will be again.

Yesterday was about shopping and future models, today was about exhibits.

I’ve seen some fantastic layouts today, i’m really impressed with the variety Warley brings, O gauge, The superb gas powered models 1960’s on Stanley Midland,

German,

 

Dutch layouts, not least Mostyn with the worlds biggest fiddle yard !!!,

 

Shap 1967...

 

I’ve had a really good time (I think my post count on the forum reflects this).

 

It’s been good to make several new acquainted, including Crewlilse and I having a debate in front of Paul Isles for and against plastic pantographsand later stealing Little Dan (Derails) away from his friends to show him why the new 8f is a good one...

Really good to meet Mr Isles today,

I think my timing was impeccable, I arrived to find Paul at the class 87’s, just another another gentleman arrived.

Turns out it was Crewlilse of this parish :-)

He asked about the lack of metal pantographs on the 87, and having seen his remarkable layout I can understand why he wants them.

But I, with a “train set”, no catenary and happy experience of plastic felt it wasn’t necessary.

Crewlilse and I set about a debate between us, to which Paul needn’t even have spoken

;-)

In the middle of this another guy asked about sound for the class 800... to which I thought the model as is probably makes more noise than the real thing.

I think if you leave a Hornby you should become a high court judge.

An hour or so later, having seen the 8F, yesterday, and placed an order with Derails last night, called little Dan, finding he was in the hall, I separated him from his friends and took him to see the aforementioned 8f and promptly accosted poor Paul again, this time asking about Mk1 buffet cars !

Really good to meet, astonished to think you measured up the H in 3 hours !!! for the model.

It was a pleasure to meet Crewlilse, Little Dan and Paul today.

Seen several new faces, and several old faces, not to mention being able to reacquaint with some retailers with whom my late father (eric hyde from Gaugemaster) used to work with.

 

I’ve spent way too much this weekend, whilst tomorrow it’s back to work (i’m Leeds tonight before I get home to london tomorrow), I have to return to normal and think about IT, whilst driving home with over a dozen locos in the boot of my car tomorrow.

 

Thanks to the manufacturers for supporting this event, they work hard to bring us the models we want, each one has to be away from their family working for the weekend whilst we have fun, to the retailers who discount and fight for our business on not the best of margins whilst trying to pay the mortgage, taxes and have food on the table, and then to the modellers and show organisers who have worked for months (and layouts for years) to make the show happen.

 

Whilst many say this hobby is shrinking, I find the opposite, today i saw a layout which I understand made its first major exhibition debut this weekend, taking 17 years to build...

 

 

 

 

It’s a great hobby, and this has been a great weekend.

Edited November 26, 2017 by adb968008

[pete_mcfarlane]

I went today, and it didn't seem as busy as previous years. The highlights for me were seeing 'Leighton Buzzard (Linslade)', which I've seen several times before but is always impressive, and the 4mm scale Cavan and Leitrim layout, which was a World away from the usual crude 4mm scale NG layouts. I definitely am not going to build a NG layout, ever......

 

Oh, and the S scale Cambrian layout was excellent as well. But then pre-group S scale layouts are generally very good. 

 

I have no opinions on the new lighting, didn't buy anything from a box shifter, nobody whacked me with a backpack, and I did not smell any smelly people. 

[Mallard60022]

The guy who used to sell the Issue near to the Wetherspoons Bar in Paradise Forum (now long gone) in Birmingham used to have a fancy selling stall complete with dog kennel!

 

http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/585447

 

keith

Let's hope his 'hand up' rather than hand out, paid dividends. There but for the grace etc.

Phil

[melmerby]

Did anyone notice that "Blokpost 13" was 3 rail stud contact?

 

 

A little unusual these days surely?

 

Keith

 

 

[Bungus the Fogeyman]

Well, we've just got back from the NEC after an excellent weekend- Cath has walked her legs off purveying quality railway literature to the masses, and I was occasionally found in the naughty corner with all the other micro layouts operating Victoria.! Having exhibited at Warley for the last 6 years, i think this year was the best of the bunch from an exhibitors point of view. It was great to see so many freinds and have so many showing an interest and asking intelligent questions.....I think moving the micro section to this years location was a master stroke- we had a lot more people showing an interest in what we do. We were fed and watered well too.

So then, well done from this boy to Mr Jones and his team. Looking forward to returning next year with Friday Bridge.....

 

Disgusting of Market Harborough

[SM42]

Well I'm back home and fed and watered and now relaxing. 

 

Feet ache but at least standing all day Saturday seems to have made my bad back better. So yay!!

 

I didn't see much of the show as usual, but what I did I thought was excellent and I only managed to spend £6 (Mrs SM42 says Yay!) 

 

I had a great time and met a lot of interesting people who stopped to gaze and were then accosted by some bloke in green who was loitering around our stand trying to get people to talk to him.. 

 

If you did stop and chat, all I can say it was a pleasure. 

 

Best comment was from someone who "just popped in to see if you people were real." Needless to say we are and he was quite astonished at how big the hobby is. 

 

A big thank you the Warley team.

 

 

Andy 

[RJS1977]

Finally uploaded my photos to Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/53027759@N05/?

[RJS1977]

and the 4mm scale Cavan and Leitrim layout, which was a World away from the usual crude 4mm scale NG layouts.

 

There were several other good 4mm narrow gauge layouts in attendance too - I certainly wouldn't regard 'Bottle Kiln Lane' or 'Launceston' as crude, in fact I'd say I've seen very few 'crude' 4mm NG layouts in the 15 years or so I've been a member of the 009 Society.

[Gilbert]

I spent two days sat operating a layout next to Launceston at the Wimborne show earlier this autumn and it is a work of art - which is also very close to the real thing.

[Legend]

Hi

Well back from a full weekend visiting the show ,great to meet up with some good friends.

A lot of nice layouts and some great trade.

Ok so I bought a Dapol jinty brand new £155 only because my friend bought a peckett with sound ,I feel a layout coming on?

Bought the new Scottish early diesel book and the Clayton book plus 2 Kernow new white weathered clay hoppers.

 

Hugh

 

What’s the Scottish Early Diesel Book Hugh?

[queensquare]

Just back from an exhausting but very enjoyable weekend. Highlight for me was becoming a grandad for the first time ( Ted born late Friday, all doing well.

Amongst a host of great exhibits the two things that completely knocked me out were the forced perspective inspired by the Dutch masters and this tiny, working loco ( 3/4mm to the foot) which a visitor brought to show me at my demo stand. The Loco is sat on the cab roof of my 2mm scal Jinty. Both astonishing examples of model making.

 

 

 

Grandad Jerry

[t-b-g]

Finally uploaded my photos to Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/53027759@N05/?

 

Including a couple of videos of "yours truly" nattering on about his favourite layout.

 

It was a cracking good weekend, with nice easy access to the hall on Friday for setting up and a reasonable wait to get the car right up to where the layout needed to be loaded after the show closed. Last train ran at 5pm and home by 9pm.

 

The layout performed really well. Better than many more modern ones and we only had one broken solder joint needing fixing on Saturday just before the show closed. On Sunday, we never needed the toolkit at all.

 

It was lovely to be able to bring Leighton Buzzard out again and to hear so many people who were inspired by Buckingham over the years, especially as Stephen Denny was there to hear just how much the work his father did is still appreciated.

 

So many thanks to the Warley team, the operating crew and to all those who said such nice things about the layout and our work keeping it running.

 

I didn't see much of the rest of the show but when you get to operate and enjoy your favourite layout in front of such an appreciative audience, it is sometimes hard to tear yourself away.

 

Tony

[Ian J.]

I've just got back from visiting today. A good exhibition, lots of variety. Unfortunately I had a headache which, though stifled by parrots, still left me feeling sub-par. I found myself thinking I may not go next year, but that may just be due to feeling out of sorts today. What I do feel is that when I go to such exhibitions, I'm all to aware that I can't do any modelling where I currently live due to it being tiny jail cell sized lodgings with all my stuff still stuck in container storage. Unless I can get out of this hell hole soon, I think I'll go stir crazy to add to my ongoing fatigue!

 

That said, Sunday at the NEC is definitely more pleasant than Saturday.

[Andy Hayter]

Did anyone notice that "Blokpost 13" was 3 rail stud contact?

 

stud contact.jpg

 

A little unusual these days surely?

 

Keith

 

Not in Germany (and probably Austria and Switzerland - all under one DACH*) .  Many exhibition layouts and magazine layouts use this system.  

 

* Sorry German joke. D= Deutschland (Germany); A = Austria; and CH = Switzerland - together DACH - which in German means roof.  So Germany, Austria and Switzerland under one roof.

 

 

Spent lots on things too heavy or too liquid to export from the UK - watch a kick up in the UK export sales for November!  

 

Somewhat disappointed that no one seemed to have any Cambrian kits for sale.  We know they are in the process of being sold, but I had hoped to pick some up from one of the trade stands.  Parkside would have been nearly as bad, but I had the good fortune to order my requirements for the next year or so just before the sale was announced. I am sure PECO will with time get the kits back in regular circulation.

 

I did however get some GCR (ex D&S) kits from the GCR Society. 

 

I guess for speciality items I need to come across for a more specialist exhibition.  Trouble is, as always organising the pass-outs and then the logistics of flying in, transport to the exhibition, hotels etc..

  Brum had the attraction that I could fly in, use an airport hotel, use the overhead "train" for free and walk the last few metres.

[sammyboy]

Came back from Warley only a couple of hours ago before I fell to sleep...

 

Anyway, about the day and my experience of the show.

 

For the fourth year in a row, I once again enjoyed myself looking at the great layouts and buying goodies for Christmas for myself - Including some painted N Gauge scenic bits (a set of traffic lights and two mothers pushing babies in prams!) plus a Class 156 'Super Sprinter' from Dapol, who upon paying the £100 fee, out of the blue the stall owner handed me back a £10 note, saying you get a 10% discount because I offered to pay the full price?!

 

And why do we always get lost when exiting the NEC complex? My Dad's a good driver, but the road signage to the M42 motorway is poor, and it always leads us onto the road into Birmingham, then having to turn around back onto ourselves to find the motorway again!

 

A good day was had by all.

 

Sam

[Bluebell Model Railway]

My last visit was 2 years ago, a long way from the Isle of Wight, also seemed busier than 2 years ago and people seemed to say longer even at 4pm it seemed busy. A great event put on by all well organised, and smooth running. Sadly no cash to buy anything unfortunately  would of brought a few things if I did so only an exhibition guide.

For those who didn't attend here's so Video highlights....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTZTxL1AcVA&feature=youtu.be
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSKTnzL_QNA&feature=youtu.be


 

[adb968008]

I'm all to aware that I can't do any modelling where I currently live due to it being tiny jail cell sized lodgings with all my stuff still stuck in container storage.

T gauge.... it will run on a placemat at your dinner table.

I was surprised how much T gauge is available this weekend !

Edited November 26, 2017 by adb968008

[pete_mcfarlane]

There were several other good 4mm narrow gauge layouts in attendance too - I certainly wouldn't regard 'Bottle Kiln Lane' or 'Launceston' as crude, in fact I'd say I've seen very few 'crude' 4mm NG layouts in the 15 years or so I've been a member of the 009 Society.

I suspect I may have missed those. I did rather like the 7mm scale Snailbeach layout though, which did a good job of creating a 'middle of nowhere with not much happening' atmosphere of that railway.

 

I have seen quite a few 4mm NG layouts down the years that I'd regard as a bit crude. I'm sure people get a lot of fun out of them, but they seem to run badly and look nothing like anything that exists in the real World. That's not my cup of tea. 

[melmerby]

Some of my pictures

 

Bottle Kiln Lane

 

 

 

 

 

Rowntree Halt:

 

 

 

Launceston Steam Railway (complete with it's deserved cup!):

 

 

 

 

 

 

St Brayden:

 

 

 

 

 

More to follow

 

Keith

 

Edit Derwent valley corrected to Rowntree Halt

Edited November 28, 2017 by melmerby