Warley National Model Railway Exhibition 2018 - 24th and 25th November

[TomJ]

I think my 8yr had the best view of Liverpool Lime Street. Whilst us grown ups were looking down on the canopies he was looking straight through, almost as if he was in the station. He noticed far more than I did and was mesmerised by it

[Captain Kernow]

here are my pictures

All I can say is, 'wow!'.

 

Many thanks for taking the time to post those, Redkite, it can't have been that quick!

 

It just serves to remind me what a superb show it must have been and two days scarcely seems adequate to get round an event of that size and also do all the exhibits justice!

[Dave Goddard]

Redkite - many thanks for the photos, that shows that despite spending all day there today there is still loads that I missed!

 

Ebsworth Street certainly impressed me with great modern image modelling and some lovely lighting, and I was very impressed with all of the MOMING section especially the very simple but effective canal wharf model (Hook something I think it was called?  I am rubbish at remembering names sorry!)

[caradoc]

If there was one disappointment, it was that there wasn't a standout overseas layout. Warley is noted for bringing in the best of non-UK modelling that we don't normally get to see in this country. But this year, none of the foreign visitors really had the wow factor, at least for me. That's not to say they weren't good, but they weren't blow-your-socks-off good.

 

I  rather liked the large Dutch layout, Weesp, which as well as trains had operating lifting bridges and moving ships !

[Gilbert]

I think I enjoyed watching Lime Street at a show (I cannot remember the name of!) where the barriers were right up to the front. So close you could see into the platforms and actually see the trains moving.

I can't help feeling with all that technology the operators don't need to be where they are.....I think its a great layout but not well presented...I''l get me coat..

 

[reevesthecat]

Went today for the first time in 12 years with my 2 brothers. Met stern Steve Flint who wasn't stern at all and also saw Jason Shron on the bus but was too in awe to speak to him! Nice to chat to Ben Ando and some of the chaps in the Bachmann Collectors club. But enough name dropping loved the show and bought a few bits hope to attend again next year. I do see the point about lime street lovely modelling but nothing moving although it seemed there were some communication issues with the fiddle yard at the time we were stood in front of it.

The prototype models of the Bachmann 24 and 117, 121 and 158 looked great and I preordered the purple turtle with sound can't wait for that one to come.

Cheers

Mark

Edited November 25, 2018 by reevesthecat

[martinC37LG]

Well as per last night, but in a bigger font! THANK YOU! This extends to the amazing Warley staff; all the very kind people that came and visited the Class 37 Loco Group stand; and to the long list of new Friends that we have made. Quite an amazing weekend, and hopefully one we can repeat in future years. We have raised a significant amount of money for the ongoing restoration of 37003, and we can't thank you all enough.

 

We will be at Peterborough in a couple of weeks, so maybe see some of you again? and maybe some for the first time?

 

Oh, and the most valuable lession we learned tonight, was to make sure that your phone is in your pocket, not the front of the trailer, only realising after it has been packed to the rafters!

 

Martin.

 

A quick before and after shot for posterity.

 

 

[Clive Mortimore]

Well I spent two days driving trains on Friday Bridge, saw a wee bit of the show. Bought a few items, absolutely knackered. Spoke to loads of other modellers.

 

 

When you are exhibiting at Warely you miss even more than you do when a visitor.

[adb968008]

Well I spent two days driving trains on Friday Bridge, saw a wee bit of the show. Bought a few items, absolutely knackered. Spoke to loads of other modellers.

 

 

When you are exhibiting at Warely you miss even more than you do when a visitor.

Good to meet you on saturday clive, though you dont look like your picture ;-)

[Barry O]

Back home in Leeds after being at the NEC from 1pm on Thursday.

 

Thanks to all the demonstrating team and to everyone who came and had a go at weathering.

 

After 41 consecutive shows (And 6 as demonstrator liaison officer) I intend to be at the show in some capacity to get up to the magic 50!

 

Back next year with a great volunteer "partner" who is learning the ropes. More changes planned in the demo are for coming years!

 

Baz

[Kelly]

A great show once again.

 

Yesterday was busy and didn't spend much or see much as didn't venture far from the DEMU stand which was well attended for much of the day, always good to see.

 

Today I was spending the time trying to see the layouts and get bits from traders. This was hampered slightly by being on a scooter and the crowds around the more popular layouts (nothing particularly new or noteworthy in that however and not something there's many easy answers to). The layouts I did see were great however. The scooter battery getting low curtailed going around further however really towards the end, but I did get a chance nearer the end to see some of the busier layouts I couldn't see clearly enough earlier. (I recognise that being an exhibitor at the show gives a slightly different perspective on shows generally).

 

Spent more than I possibly intended, but I figure it works out even over time with the combination of postage costs saved.

 

Overall another great show that has left me utterly exhausted, but worth it. Look forward to next year! Being so close to me I tend to try to go every year if I can, even if I weren't doing the DEMU stand.

[PaulRhB]

Had a great weekend, fun company with the Tidworth crew, my Lulworth crew, and Dobris getting involved in the cake challenge at the hotel too

Great layouts and yes I’ve obviously missed some as there are two in the photos I didn’t see!

Well organised and chatted to loads of people including a load on here. I know many find fault in the show but apart from tired legs it’s great for me as exhibitor or punter as so much in one weekend.

Many thanks to all the Warley crew!!

[Clive Mortimore]

Good to meet you on saturday clive, though you dont look like your picture ;-)

Hi adb968008

 

Like wise, it was good to meet you. I think I know what you mean about the photo. It is the glasses I now wear that confuses people.

[Ian Morgan]

Wow, what a crazy weekend. I never left the layout on Saturday and only got away for a quick look round on Sunday. Most of the time 4 or 5 of us were chatting with different visitors. It's the first time people have photographed us at an exhibition rather than our layout. Managed to take a couple of photos during a quiet moment this afternoon. A big thanks to Peco for inviting us.

Edited November 25, 2018 by Ian Morgan

[melmerby]

Another batch from me starting with Blakecaster:

 

 

Next is Longnor:

 

 

Last in this batch is Lime Street:

 

 

Some of the photos of Lime Street can't really do the standard of modelling justice.

The photo of the sector table (last one) doesn't look like anything on screen.

 

Keith

Edited November 27, 2018 by melmerby

[Ian Morgan]

Oops, duplicate post

Edited November 25, 2018 by Ian Morgan

[Diesel Do Nicely]

As a piece of architectural modelling, I would certainly agree that it's quite stunning. 

 

As an operational model railway to stand and watch and enjoy as a spectator, though, I find it much less impressive.  You can (and I did) stand there several minutes at a time peering over the shoulders of the crowd admiring the architecture and nothing moves ... then when something finally does move, you can barely see it from most positions because the scenery and structures get in the way; and you're viewing from so far back because of where the barriers have to be positioned that you can hardly make out what it was anyway.

 

The quality of the modelling has remained just as high since I last saw the layout as a 'work in progress' a couple of years ago.  The quality of the viewing experience of it in operation has got no better.  And yes, of course I know the 'real thing' didn't have something constantly in motion every second of every minute; but that's hardly the point and not what I'm talking about.  This is surely meant to be an exhibition model of a working railway terminus and its trains, rather than a semi-static architectural museum exhibit; and on that level I deeply regret to say that, although I wish it didn't, it leaves me cold.

At Glasgow, I wandered over to Lime St from our layout to have a look, I stood for a few minutes and saw nothing moving, so I asked the guy sitting at the control panel if anything was happening? He looked at me, then looked at his wrist watch, checked his paperwork and replied with ‘yeah, in about 3 mins and 20 seconds, there is a service arriving”

 

Construction :- awesome

Operationally :- poor

 

Shame really, could be really something. I get that it’s ran practically prototypical and by timetable but most of us want to see things running. A good friend of mine has a layout of Glenfinnan, now if you were to run that prototypically, you could run a train, go home for a while and then come back later for the next service!

[chris p bacon]

Watching Sidmouth but nothing moving yet again.

 

Always the same with this lot.

 

 

And yet on the several occasions I saw it, it was working perfectly and at the end of the day sporting 'the best 4mm layout' award.

[fezza]

Lime St is a great model, just not sure it's a great model railway. The craftsmen ship is awesome but if you can't see the trains and not much is running... I'm also not sure the three-quarter bridges work visually. It's a game of opinions I guess.

 

Some really impressive layouts all round the show but sometimes the simpler ideas work really well. I loved the Austrian alpine narrow gauge, Sidmouth and, one of my all time favourites, New Bryford.

 

Well done and thanks to all involved.

[Ron Ron Ron]

Managing to get close to Lime St. and spending some time waiting for something to happen and thinking, all I can see is a roof; I suddenly became aware of a small lad along side me telling his mother about the details he could see.

I then realised he was at the right height to view the layout properly and could look into the station from below the roof line.

 

I crouched down for a couple of minutes and it gave a completely different perspective.

Maybe the whole layout should be raised by a foot or so?

 

My conclusion...

90% of those who viewed the Lime St., including many on here singing its praises, didn't see it at all.

By only standing up, I think most of you actually missed it.

 

P.S. Yes it is a bit boring to watch and difficult to view. A great piece of modelling though.

[Ron Ron Ron]

Just one observation.

I noted quite a few layouts being operated using mobile phones as handsets.

 

 

Ron

[Bungus the Fogeyman]

Good thing we didnt run Friday Bridge to a prototype timetable....... you might have seen the odd 16t mineral being shuffled about on Saturday morning and that would have been your lot!

 

A great weekend anyway, a big well done to the Warley MRC chaps. Tinged with slight sadness inasmuch that 2 of the old stalwarts, Paul Jones and John Seward, are taking a step back from the front line of exhibition organisation from next year. I'm sure I wont be the only one to thank them for their sterling work over the years, and I'm sure most of Johns grey hairs are down to me! Well done chaps!

 

Disgusting of Market Harborough

[Dunsignalling]

Lime St is a great model, just not sure it's a great model railway. The craftsmen ship is awesome but if you can't see the trains and not much is running... I'm also not sure the three-quarter bridges work visually. It's a game of opinions I guess.

 

.

I didn't visit the show this year but, having seen the otherwise excellent Lime Street previously, I wasn't at all impressed by the "sawn-off" arches hanging in mid-air.

 

The black paint on the cut ends just draws unwelcome attention to their incompleteness - if they were finished to match the modelled part, they'd be much less obtrusive IMHO. 

 

John

[Phil Bullock]

Phew - what a weekend !
 

Working on a trade stand you miss even more than if you are a visitor or layout operator. There really is no let up.

 

But in general folks seemed to be enjoying themselves. Didnt get to do any layout watching at all...but did manage to make a few purchases, thanks to Brian and the Shawplan crew, Accurascale - D9010 preordered, fantastic project lads, pleasure to support you. Also had brief woffles with other Rmwebbers - SVRlad (Thanks for the beer Liam!), Clive Mortimore and Peter of Crewelisle fame and the Worcester Loco lads as usual come to mind, apologies to anyone else I have missed or didnt have chance to see.

 

Saddened to hear of the van thefts from the hotel though. Plainly beyond the control of the organisers - apparently the car park barrier system at the hotel wasnt working.The folks on the Vale of Rheidol stand next to us were one of the victims and they had to bring another vehicle over from Aberystwyth. Hope you got home the right side of midnight folks! And you deserve a prize for the smartest turned out staff.... also a classic example of the small world syndrome as in woffling to them we discovered mutual local and fishing connections...

 

All in all always a tough weekend but good fun...

 

Phil

[Redkiterail]

Just one observation.

I noted quite a few layouts being operated using mobile phones as handsets.

 

 

Ron

there were using dcc with the touch cab or jmri or roco z21 that allows smart devices to be throttles