Warley NEC exhibition 23rd & 24th November 2019

[AY Mod]

32 minutes ago, Willie Whizz said:

 

I do think next year though I shall be checking out what other exhibitions are on and whether they're offering parking for less.  Then as I stand at the ticket machine I shall weigh my conscience against any sense of being ripped-off I may be feeling

 

Plan ahead a little further ahead and look at the pre-booked online parking for each event. Saved £6.

[melmerby]

I think this was the busiest Sunday I've seen, even after midday it was still busy around the more popular stands (layouts & traders).

Never did get a chance to see the GMRC winner in the flesh as there was always at least 2 deep in front of it.

At least I saw Market Deeping's layout.

 

KR Models are definitely going left field, first the GT3 and now the Fell!

I hope they don't try to reproduce it's gearbox(es)

[melmerby]

2 minutes ago, AY Mod said:

 

Plan ahead a little further ahead and look at the pre-booked online parking for each event. Saved £6.

Or travel by train, strikes notwithstanding!

[TrentValleyRailway]

 

Another great year at Warley for the layouts on show. Highlights of all the Modern Image layouts, as defined by Warley, on display this year.

 

 

 

 

 

[adb968008]

18 minutes ago, melmerby said:

Prices drop to half on Sunday afternoons.

Picked up 3848 Midland 4F for £35 at the end of the day, Kashmir Jubilee for £80, WD In War Time Black 77xxx £70, Warships @£70, 2x V1/v3 tanks for £100

[Trojmiasto]

1 hour ago, Hobby said:

 

Prices dropped at the end of the day two of our group picked up 009 Baldwins for 60 quid each!

Completely depending on who you are and if your face fits. A certain gentleman at the head of a large and well known model shop beside the entrance took quite a few models away from the Bachmann returns stand with him at a heavily cut price from the ticket. 

[Hilux5972]

12 minutes ago, adb968008 said:

I agree though it’s mixed feelings now...

 

Jam today or Gold tomorrow ?

 

we have a choice of 37’s and inevitably a WCRC will be one of them at some point.

 

I was put off buying an Evening Star 66 @£125 today for the same reason.

Yeah I feel the same way. I bought the Locomotion boxed set of 92220 & 66779, but if someone did a brand new 9F as Evening Star and Hattons ended up doing 66779 as well then I would still invest in the new ones. Same with the 37’s. 

[adb968008]

7 minutes ago, Trojmiasto said:

Completely depending on who you are and if your face fits. A certain gentleman at the head of a large and well known model shop beside the entrance took quite a few models away from the Bachmann returns stand with him at a heavily cut price from the ticket. 

Yesterday 37/47/66 we’re circa £90-120 depending on using cash and quantity purchased... I bought 6, I don’t work for a shop and I am happy with my price, and it was a nice amount less than the ticket.

Needless to say, there was no 37/47/66 left at days end yesterday.

 

Currently heading back with more than 15 locos and 2 coaches in the bag. Discounts aren’t purely Bachmann, I was tipped off about Realtrack 143’s which duly delivered as was Model rail J70’s offered £110, saving £17.50.

 

Today was my family day for the most part, I’ll post pics of the layouts later, I’ve seen some excellent layouts today. 

 

Edited November 24, 2019 by adb968008

[RJS1977]

49 minutes ago, melmerby said:

I think this was the busiest Sunday I've seen, even after midday it was still busy around the more popular stands (layouts & traders).

Never did get a chance to see the GMRC winner in the flesh as there was always at least 2 deep in front of it.

At least I saw Market Deeping's layout.

 

KR Models are definitely going left field, first the GT3 and now the Fell!

I hope they don't try to reproduce it's gearbox(es)

 

Was the rail strike only Saturday? Might people who were going to go on Saturday have switched to Sunday?

[rogerzilla]

Were the bikers directed to a different car park?  If so, the cunning plan to pay "their" charge might have backfired on trying to leave.

[RJS1977]

2 hours ago, RBC said:

 

I left at at 1230 since the place was now very busy and hot, there was a lot of jostling to get along one side of the arena where people were going in opposite directions down a narrow alley between exhibits/trade stands.

I also found standing 3-4 deep trying to see exhibits or get to trade stands a bit unpleasant and not very enjoyable.

I'm afraid I won't be back since I didn't find this relaxing or fun, I prefer the smaller exhibitions which obviously don't attract the big crowds.

 

 

To a degree, I think it depends what order you go round the show in. If you get an advanced ticket and get in on the 9:15 wave, and start at the back, you shouldn't have too much trouble (unless everyone else reads this and does the same!). Obviously at some point you will meet the folk who started at the front, but I don't think I was ever any further back from a layout than second row, and if a layout was too crowded to see, I went to look at something else and came back later.

[AY Mod]

12 minutes ago, rogerzilla said:

Were the bikers directed to a different car park?  If so, the cunning plan to pay "their" charge might have backfired on trying to leave.

 

It doesn't matter if you know that the bike bus will end up at the same point as the Warley bus, buy the appropriate ticket and follow the appropriate signs. This year, when I arrived on Sat morning, both shows were directed to East 1 but it can be different.

[Dragonboy]

So I’ve been home a short while and had my obligatory nap and will catch up on all the above posts later but as a regular Warley attendee I would like to say how enjoyable today has been.

 

Gangway width is the subject of another thread on here but it was clear that this was an issue that had been given prior thought but if I was to be a trifle picky maybe the MRJ Small Suppliers area was a bit of a pinch point today. The Suppliers May be Small but the customers are most decidedly not.

 

I did hear and appreciate the appeal to leave rucksacks in the appropriate crèche and that’s the first time I’ve ever heard it and maybe it bore fruit but well done for the announcement guys. As a person of short stature it was appreciated so thank you.

 

I prepaid for parking yesterday and appreciated the £4 saving but I think it was something I picked up on on here earlier in the week so I don’t know if WMRC actually publicised this change but if not could I suggest that this be hi lighted for the future? I’m not sitting here any richer of course. That honour goes to Brassmaster where I bought one more pack of windows than intended when I realised that my maffs was out and I had failed my two timetables. Thank god I didn’t try gesinters!

 

The only grizzle I’m afraid is the cooked breakfast. I set off at 7.30 and on entry I headed for a full English as I shop better on a full tum. OMG! Today’s was the worst breakfast I’ve ever experienced in my lifetime and was served up in an enamel dish my mother used to make Shepard’s Pie in when I was a child. One sausage. Two very fatty cold pieces of bacon and a cup of bean juice with about 12 beans in there. The change by the NEC in catering has really not been for the better and whilst it did not ruin my day I do think that WMRC should be aware of feedback both positive and negative.

 

Great day guys and thanks for all the hard work you put in for our pleasure.

 

 

Edited November 24, 2019 by Dragonboy
Spillung so not jist ma moffs out today

[Darius43]

19 minutes ago, Dragonboy said:

The only grizzle I’m afraid is the cooked breakfast. I set off at 7.30 and on entry I headed for a full English as I shop better on a full tum. OMG! Today’s was the worst breakfast I’ve ever experienced in my lifetime and was served up in an enamel dish my mother used to make Shepard’s Pie in when I was a child. One sausage. Two very fatty cold pieces of bacon and a cup of bean juice with about 12 beans in there. The change by the NEC in catering has really not been for the better and whilst it did not ruin my day I do think that WMRC should be aware of feedback both positive and negative.

Odd enamel serving dish aside, we quite liked our breakfast.

 

Cheers

 

Darius

[Steamport Southport]

13 minutes ago, Darius43 said:

Odd enamel serving dish aside, we quite liked our breakfast.

 

Cheers

 

Darius

 

You're lucky it wasn't on a shovel.

 

 

 

Jason

[Darius43]

Safely home at Worthing after a three hour drive back from the NEC.  Very much enjoyed the show.  Here’s my mixed selection of favourites.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cheers

 

Darius

[Darius43]

And a few more...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cheers

 

Darius

[RJS1977]

And my photos now on Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/53027759@N05/albums/72157711920584312

[melmerby]

What did others think of that sprawling US themed N gauge layout built like a Freemo?

Apparently it was 155 feet from one end to the other.

 

This year there seemed to be less of the US 0n30 logging type layouts with their Shay, Heisler & Climax locos and lots of trestle work.

[big jim]

4 hours ago, SVRlad said:

 

I had noticed that too, after about an hour in the hall I was feeling rather hot, but then at around 13:00 it became pleasantly cooler, and when my class 20 was being serviced by Redgate Models of this parish the temperature was very ambient. 

 

4 hours ago, Hobby said:

We think they may have opened a side door or two. I went from jumper to t-shirt during that time!

 

thats good to hear, at my age it could have been a hot flush!

[RJS1977]

FIrst reaction was not terribly impressed as the one of the operators couldn't read the number on the side of his loco and had to ask one of the spectators who couldn't read it either, and ended up having to try several different numbers until he found one that worked!

 

However shortly after that a train arrived and I followed it down the layout, and I was quite impressed with it. Considering how long the layout was, and that it was mostly single track, they did a good job of keeping things moving. Unfortunately none of my photos of it came out very well.

[big jim]

 

2 hours ago, AY Mod said:

 

Plan ahead a little further ahead and look at the pre-booked online parking for each event. Saved £6.

 

or work on the railway and park for free in the station staff carpark!

 

one thing though my back is absolutely killing me today! i think being stood/walking round non stop between 09:00 and 17:00 in my work boots on the concrete floor with only 30 mins or so sat with a work colleague at the the coal hopper wagon has really done my back in, doubled over with pain this morning when i got up and my heels are killing me, new boot time i recon

[The Stationmaster]

Right - my three penn'rth

1. Observation.  For a single attendee, entry paid on the day for one day -

Motorcycle Live entry plus £12 parking fee = £37

Warley Show entry plus £16 parking fee = £33.50 

(And I fully realise Motorcycle Live is a massively larger show which makes the cost per square foot of show space visited much cheaper.  But choice of hobbies and interest is at our own discretion and on this comparison the £16 parking cost didn't put Warley show visitors at a financial disadvantage compared with those to Motorcycle Live.

2. Observation.  The Warley exhibition is a large exhibition - you pay for what you get and you well & truly get what you've paid for.   Good value for money in my book.

3. Observation - I found the show yesterday (Saturday) less crowded than on past visits, you could move fairly easily in even the narrowest aisles, even the Small suppliers are was better than on my last visit.

(And no backpack encounters, I  usually havea. way of 'dealing' with them anyway if they are not taking care about who they try to collide with). 

4. Observation - the catering and drink costs seem no worse than any other large exhibition venue in or near a large cities and I have come across some grotty, expensive, catering at smaller shows.

 

5. Shopping - with one exception I bought/made payments for exactly what I went to buy/make payments for.   The one exception was the consequences of looking at Modelu's stand.   But my purchases still fitted in my pocket.

6. People - for me shows are about people as much as anything else.  I met and talked to most of the people I had hoped to meet and talk to plus one I guessed might be there with whom I had a long technical discussion about various matters relating to signalling.  Alas I didn't get a chance to meet everybody I had hoped to meet.  

7. Layouts - the ones I looked at or watched I liked, I didn't see all of them.  Maybe I should go in for a two day ticket because I never have time to look at all the layouts?

8. Travel - trains ran fairly well in both directions although the outward trip was slightly delayed by some less than pleasant yoofs trying to get aboard at Oxford.  Careful platform positioning meant I easily secured a seat in both directions but the outward trip had far fewer obvious Warley show visitors than in previous years which can't have been anything to do with the strikes (have they moved to the Sunday I wonder?).   Extra heavy loadings as far as Leamington on the return (due to the WM strike no doubt) very civilised after that.

 

Overall a good day out albeit a bit tiring  with a lot of walking and standing hence leaving the show after c.5 hours.    Definitely better for me than past years due to being less crowded.

[Chris M]

1 hour ago, melmerby said:

What did others think of that sprawling US themed N gauge layout built like a Freemo?

Apparently it was 155 feet from one end to the other.

 

This year there seemed to be less of the US 0n30 logging type layouts with their Shay, Heisler & Climax locos and lots of trestle work.

I thought it was very good indeed and had a good frequency of trains considering the type of layout. Well done lads.

Great to see the Tehachapi loop.

 

[Clive Mortimore]

I was not able to attend this year, so thanks to those who have posted photos, videos and updates on proposed new products. I hope all that took part, Warley club members, exhibitors, traders and visitors had a good time.

 

Also thanks for the yearly round up of smelly people, back packs and the car park. Glad some things never change.