British Railway Modelling Awards 2019 - The results

[Kingzance]

I’m very glad that RMWeb takes the trouble to organise this annually and that enough readers take the trouble to vote too! In the debate about r-t-r vs kit-builders, the quality of the former is immensely better than when I first got interested more than half a century ago and no doubt some of the kit built suppliers are facing a battle against major manufacturers proving r-t-r models of the less common models that were the niche kit suppliers operated within. With the competition of instant gratification, the skills required to assemble a kit or, heaven forbid, build from scratch, are in danger of being lost.

 

This is a hobby that encompasses such a wide range of tastes and skills that we may see the passage of time reducing the interest in specifics such as the early eras as the dates of birth of modellers moves with time. That said, the availability of historical information has never been greater or more easily accessed. 
 

There will always be a place for niche suppliers but, just as with mainstream businesses, they need to be switched on to recognise their opportunities matched to their skills. Those who can model scenic town and rural ‘scapes will always be well served and those who provide scenic components for such creations will always be busy. The winning entries in the layout category - and I have seen several of the entries - shows how important the setting is to the overall creation, regardless of scale.

 

Well done to all!

[Chris M]

There are lots of very good small suppliers. If there was such a category I would nominate N brass loco for consistently good service. Earlier this week I ordered an item but was informed it was out of stock and it might take a week or so to get another run done. Today I've just been told the item has arrived and will be posted to me today. So prompt service and good communication. There are others who are just as good.