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

[Liam]

This was my Warley goodie bag, survived just enough to get back to the car.

It did good though, it held 16 locos, 8 Coaches, 12 sets of Gibson LMS pony wheels, 1 Class 52 body, 3 water towers, 1 fueling point and 1 cardboard coaling stage.

(I think it was the cardboard coaling stage that over did it).

Good day shopping.

Admittedly much was from the Bachmann returns stand, but at £45 for a Compound (I bought two), £50 for a “Giggleswick” Patriot, £40 for an E2, £70 for a class 47 I couldn’t refuse. Highest I paid was £100 for Madras. Afternoon on Sunday there was some very good deals there, the more models in your hand, the better the discount.

You didn't happen to notice how much Warships (if there were any) or class 03s were going for did you?

 

Cheers,

[br2975]

.

Perhaps you missed the comments at 9.35 in post #662 . . . . . . .

 

If you hate it so much why do you bother going ?

 

.

 

I don't "hate" going, that's not a word I used.

 

I don't enjoy going, there is a difference.

 

I  gave up going several years ago, for the reasons I outlined above

[Kelly]

Travelling to and from the show - by road, around the M42.

Car parking

OR

Travelling by train at an almost eye watering fare.

.

Crushed by the bargain seekers.

 

Pushed and shoved by any number of punters (intentionally and unintentionally).

 

Trying to hold down my  breakfast due to the smell of some sweat soaked jackets.

 

A show that, due to its popularity, and size cannot be readily, or easily absorbed in one day....so two days incurs a hotel bill as well.

 

That's only my opinion, others may hold opposing views.

 

Train prices really depends how far you have to travel. For me train travel is 2.30 return, so a bargain each day. Booked enough in advance it is possible to get London Midland London returns for around £6.

 

A large size is always going to have some problems to some extent. Although, as big as it is it is tiny compared to other shows the NEC hosts (the ComicCon show takes about 20k per day some years by comparison, probably close to 25k on a Saturday (the london ones have hit the 30-40k mark and no longer allow ticket purchase on the day as a result).

 

I agree you need two days to really appreciate the show though, to get chance to properly see as much as you want. I don't tend to go for the bargain scrambles on the box shifters, preferring to get small bits (admittedly I can get those items at other shows like Scaleforum, but being 'local' it is handy funds willing) and more books (much to the groans of my book cases!).

 

Unfortuately you can't as organisers do much about some of those problems you list, and they're hardly unique to the NEC/Warley when compared to the other big shows during the course of the year.

 

At the BBC Good Food Show they had a 'shop and drop' facility which was operated by one of the facility companies.

You paid a pound (some years ago) and you could add as much 'shop' as you like to your 'drop' then collect it all when you left.

It was all professioinally operated using a ticket system. It was very useful.

Just Maybe?

 

More pictures soon if I can figure out some layout names.

 

Keith

 

The NEC itself operates a number of cloakrooms for this reason, but I expect a number of people elect not to bother. Perhaps Warley could encourage the use of it to leave bags there or arrange for a section of the 'dead space' for a secure storage location watched by NEC security (though that'd incur extra charges of course). Whichever way it is looked at it will cause grumbles from some regardless.

[PenrithBeacon]

I'm an inveterate rucksack user, I have mine on my back most of the time when I'm out. However, at shows I most definitely don't use it, not just because it causes inconvenience to others but because it causes inconvenience to me! The problems that these 'others' have with rucksacks are actually shared by those who use them.

 

My solution is to use a bag that I bought from the NRM a few years a go. It's in a nice variation of garter blue ie a bit washed out, not so unlike garter blue got on A4s, and it has handles that are long enough for me to hang it round my neck. This has the advantage that it's always under control, there's not the slightest chance I'm going to loose it and it's ever so convenient to pop purchases in. Mind you it does make me look a little odd.

 

Regards

[John_Miles]

I'm an inveterate rucksack user, I have mine on my back most of the time when I'm out. However, at shows I most definitely don't use it, not just because it causes inconvenience to others but because it causes inconvenience to me! The problems that these 'others' have with rucksacks are actually shared by those who use them.

 

My solution is to use a bag that I bought from the NRM a few years a go. It's in a nice variation of garter blue ie a bit washed out, not so unlike garter blue got on A4s, and it has handles that are long enough for me to hang it round my neck. This has the advantage that it's always under control, there's not the slightest chance I'm going to loose it and it's ever so convenient to pop purchases in. Mind you it does make me look a little odd.

 

Regards

 

Do you have it on your back on trains? Being a tall person, if I have to sit next to the isle, I tend to get bashed by people with rucksacks who decide to do a 180 degree turn. Much better to carry it in front of you in confined spaces.

[chriswright03]

Stop with the rucksacks already!  Jeez!

[Mallard60022]

I see the Pecketts are on their way then

.....and my Gate Stock and Bulleid Diesel?

Phil

[Phil Parker]

I don't "hate" going, that's not a word I used.

 

I don't enjoy going, there is a difference.

 

I  gave up going several years ago, for the reasons I outlined above

 

And yet you keep posting on a thread about a show you have decided not to go to, for reasons that could just as well apply to a crowded shopping centre or any other event.

 

My feeling, gained from two days on the BRM stand, was that most people really enjoyed themselves. Yes, there are smelly and rude people, the show is big and crowded and the floor is very hard, but it's still a really good day out. You are tired by the end of it but happy. The photos show a great selection of layouts with many you don't get to see anywhere else. Even if it wasn't work, I'd happily pay to go in - I've been to all the NEC shows and several of the Harry Mitchell Centre ones. It's a very different experience from a local or specialist show, but well worth the effort in my opinion.

[Redkiterail]

with regards to rail fares if you book warley tickets through the ticket factory you get 25% london euston to birminginham international with virgin trains so it makes things a bit cheaper 

[adb968008]

What a lot of stuff!

 

So if it's not a rude question, how much did that little lot come to? (don't worry, none of us on here will spill the beans).

 

Honest.

I spent just over £1200... (misses doesn’t read this), sounds a lot but I think I did ok for my money:

 

(Admittedly i was waiting for Warley and went Armed).

 

The full list was:

 

1450 (Hornby) - tested , Same issue as all of the others with the wheels.

6639

32494

41157 x2, 45575, 45538

61862, 63983 (Heljan), 68023 (djm)

 

Diesels

10201 (kernow)/ 24077/ 37041/ 47001/ 47475 (model rail)/ 47576

 

Coaches: NSE Mk2 TSO, NSE Mk1 RB, Mk1 POS Mail with nets (blue/grey), Mk1 BG Royal Mail Red x2(Replica) , Lswr gatestock BR Green (Kernow).

2 parachute water towers, 1 midland water tower and a super quick GW coaling stage.

 

Of that lot the only two that were “total impulse” were the compounds, which i’ll be taking the tenders, and have the rest spare (I might do an Andy Capp 41101 just for a laugh considering the price I paid).

Edited November 29, 2017 by adb968008

[sb67]

with regards to rail fares if you book warley tickets through the ticket factory you get 25% london euston to birminginham international with virgin trains so it makes things a bit cheaper 

 

I didn't know that, I'll keep that in mind for next year, if they still do it.

Steve.

[adb968008]

You didn't happen to notice how much Warships (if there were any) or class 03s were going for did you?

Cheers,

No I was looking for a Maroon Class 43 warship full yellow ends, or a Blue one.. didn’t see any.. on any retailers stand or the returns stand. There was a Maroon half yellow ends on the returns stand on Saturday am, but it sold quite quick, I think about £100.

 

I found with the returns stand, the price drops as the weekend rolls on.. 915am Saturday you’ll get a few quid off the price, by Sunday afternoon it was bordering buy one get one free. Of course time isn’t your friend... the locusts on Saturday suck everything up so if there’s something specific you want you need to jump on it.

 

By Sunday afternoon there was a lot of 73109 BR std 5’s left, i’d Imagine £45-50 would get you one, but i’m Just over flowing with them so I didn’t touch them to find out. Other stuff that seemed to lag was E4’s, 66xx, 50705 and compounds.

 

Have tested everything today, all is good for me, the 47s were invariably missing a draw bar, the steam locos their parts bags.

Edited November 29, 2017 by adb968008

[sammyboy]

It's quite straightforward, just come off at junction 6 of the M42, and IIRC from the North the NEC is the last exit on the roundabout before you would join the northbound M42. But then there's the awkward A45, which is underneath the roundabout on one side of the motorway and over the roundabout on the other!

 

Or an easier way is just follow the plane signs which would lead you to the airport, and then at the very last section turn for the NEC.

We are 100% fine getting INTO the NEC, but it's just the getting OUT that's difficult!

[PenrithBeacon]

I spent just over £1200... (misses doesn’t read this), sounds a lot but I think I did ok for my money:

 

(Admittedly i was waiting for Warley and went Armed).

 

The full list was:

 

...

Clearly no austerity in that household! £1200!

[rob D2]

£1200 !

 

Good job mate, if it makes you happy that’s a perfect result.

 

I budgeted £3k this year on toy trains, but I’ve only spent about £500 through eBay recycling

[JCrompton]

As a first time visitor you probably wont be interested in what I brought, how many times I was hit with a Rucksack or run over by a mobility scooter, or how I got home. 

 

Thanks to everyone who responded to my earlier message, Warley is certainly an experience and seemingly a closed shop to the unexperienced. Knowing what to look at is a good suggestion...if you have a guide in advance (an extra £6.50). Otherwise the website just gives a list of names and gauges without any descriptions and only a handful of photos. That is either a clever marketing strategy to tempt the curious or just an epic miss by the organisers, as smaller shows have lots of photos and descriptions. Either way, you have to wander round to see everything but because of the crowds this is impossible, and there aren't any clear navigation points and even the large centrepieces lack presence. 

 

David Cheeseman earlier was right about the standards, although I think he might hold a different opinion to the average visitor. But I'm not sure how intentional it was to invite such a mix or to even quantify which layout was rated where- for example the large O gauge unfinished layout I saw didn't seem to have advanced in completeness or running abilities since I saw it at a previous show, but the operators seemed to be quite relaxed and accepting of it's foibles. Good for them, I say- but perhaps evidence of the Old Boys club (not that I saw any rowing club ties or funny handshakes). Someone commented that despite the size, the layout content seemed to be lacking in certain areas such as Diesel OO. Lets say an average show had 25 layouts and four were of direct interest, then paying twice as much for eight at warley is comparable. But at the other show I could look at the other 21, but warley it'd be those 8 and just a few others,,, that's where the size of the show fails as you don't have time to see everything AND those specific layouts.

 

In short, yes, it's a BIG show, but not the premier one. Something is vastly lost in the translation of a show on this scale and I can't see how it can be fixed. Layouts that would be fantastic elsewhere just seem to get lost in the melee and there are only so many people who can stand in front of a layout at any one time. Have they tried a Cinema area with a large screen and videos of layouts running, or would that just be the same as someone looking at yootube videos at home and negate any desire to attend at all??? SO how many times do I have to go before deciding not to bohther, then realizing one rainy october day that it's warley next month, there are infact a number of layouts I wouldn't mind seeing, and it might actually be worth giving it a go???

[Ian Hargrave]

We are 100% fine getting INTO the NEC, but it's just the getting OUT that's difficult!

If you park...as I have for the last few years......in the station car park ,you avoid all that nonsense. If coming south on the M42 exit to A 446 and run parallel south with the motorway following signs for the NEC and ultimately to the red arrow sign for B.International station.

A walk over the bridge is then all you have to negotiate No buses.Useful for storing purchases in the boot of the car and good exercise..

 

On exit turn right out of car park .Follow station access road up to A45 keeping left,heading South .A short distance brings you to the confusing motorway /NEC junction. Keeping your head and eyes on max.alert head North down the access ramp on to the M42 North.

[adb968008]

£1200 !

Good job mate, if it makes you happy that’s a perfect result.

I budgeted £3k this year on toy trains, but I’ve only spent about £500 through eBay recycling

 

 

Plus 6231, 46229, 46256, H Class, E5005, 34096, D5706, 33001, 45000, 46165, 45274, Dean Goods.

it's been an expensive couple of month.

 

Though equally Ive said goodbye to 250 coaches, and approx 80 locos from the 1980's 00 Gauge era in the last 60 days.

 

Additionally I bought 48045 over the weekend, but after seeing D9531 EP,  I decided to cancel that pre-order.. I don't like the nameplate on the cab side.

 

 

£1200 !

Good job mate, if it makes you happy that’s a perfect result.

I budgeted £3k this year on toy trains, but I’ve only spent about £500 through eBay recycling

 

toy trains.. ????

it's model railways

:-)

 

I spend far more than £3k, though I do recycle just as much too.

As soon as you go European the £ signs just get bigger.

Edited November 29, 2017 by adb968008

[APOLLO]

THE HAPPY WANDERER

 

I love to go a-wandering, 
Along the M42 NEC track, 
And as I go, I love to sing, 
My knapsack on my back.

Chorus:
Val-deri,Val-dera,
Val-deri,
Val-dera-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha 
Val-deri,Val-dera. 
My knapsack on my back.

I love to wander by the Peco stand 
And buy some Flexi track
Then quickly turn round -

And stab you in the back

Val-deri,Val-dera,

Val-deri,
Val-dera-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha 
Val-deri,Val-dera. 
My knapsack on my back.

I wave my ***** to all I meet, 

And they wave back to me, 
No deodorant I wear,  
Some people stare, that's how it is you see.

Val-deri,Val-dera,
Val-deri,
Val-dera-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha 
Val-deri,Val-dera. 
My knapsack on my back.

Oh, may I go to Warley
Until the day I die! 
Oh, may I always stink and sing, 
Beneath the NEC's clear blue sky!

Val-deri,Val-dera,
Val-deri,
Val-dera-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha 
Val-deri,Val-dera. 
My knapsack on my back.

Brit15

[Legend]

Hmmm . A little too much red wine Apollo?

[adb968008]

Clearly no austerity in that household! £1200!

A couple.. KCR 21, 90312, 90448 and 90753 (2-10-0) :-)

Edited November 29, 2017 by adb968008

[jamesg]

Have they tried a Cinema area with a large screen and videos of layouts running, or would that just be the same as someone looking at yootube videos at home and negate any desire to attend at all???

The Leamington show last year had screens near the entrance showing videos of Overlord, a very large layout that had been at the show the previous year.  It gave people a chance to see the layout who hadn't visited the show last year.  It's not the same as viewing Youtube videos at home; the footage was well curated and created at talking point amongst people at the show.

[Liam]

THE HAPPY WANDERER

 

I love to go a-wandering, Along the M42 NEC track, And as I go, I love to sing, My knapsack on my back.

Chorus:

Val-deri,Val-dera,

Val-deri,

Val-dera-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha 

Val-deri,Val-dera. 

My knapsack on my back.

I love to wander by the Peco stand 

And buy some Flexi track

Then quickly turn round -

And stab you in the back

Val-deri,Val-dera,

Val-deri,

Val-dera-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha 

Val-deri,Val-dera. 

My knapsack on my back.

I wave my ***** to all I meet, 

And they wave back to me, 

No deodorant I wear,  

Some people stare, that's how it is you see.

Val-deri,Val-dera,

Val-deri,

Val-dera-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha 

Val-deri,Val-dera. 

My knapsack on my back.

Oh, may I go to Warley

Until the day I die! 

Oh, may I always stink and sing, 

Beneath the NEC's clear blue sky!

Val-deri,Val-dera,

Val-deri,

Val-dera-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha 

Val-deri,Val-dera. 

My knapsack on my back.

Brit15

Brilliant! Next year I'm going to sing that all the way there on the train. And I doubt very much I'll get any odd looks on the Pendolino from New Street to International.

[melmerby]

 

 

The NEC itself operates a number of cloakrooms for this reason, but I expect a number of people elect not to bother. Perhaps Warley could encourage the use of it to leave bags there or arrange for a section of the 'dead space' for a secure storage location watched by NEC security (though that'd incur extra charges of course). Whichever way it is looked at it will cause grumbles from some regardless.

The "dead space" is where the Shop & Drop was in the Good Food show situated at the end of the exhibition space with proper security like a glorified cloaks but consisting of racking for purchases.

They are spread over most of 5 halls though!

 

In previous years I have always used to use the cloaks when I visited the Warley Show to drop off my outdoor gear.

Unfortunately the one by hall 5 got swallowed up by Starbucks a while back and the others nearby get full of Biker's leathers & helmets!

 

This year I didn't bother but I did have a large woven shopping bag for goodies, which I carry in front of me and I try to keep out of other's way.

 

Keith

[chrisd]

There was a dedicated NEC cloakroom for the Warley exhibition. Opposite entrance, far side of the entrance doors. Tried to use a different one first (near the entrance from the station) but that’s for bikers only.