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

[Mallard60022]

Not yet. The buses I went to secondary school on for the 1st year were pre-WW2. I have no intention yet of giving up building train models and riding my mountain bike across the Pennines to Sid's Cafe, although injuries stopped me from playing tennis.

 

You could do walking tennis unless, of course, it is your arms that are ######.

P

[Legend]

Certainly my favourite operating team. After the breakdown, they both came to apologise for having to walk through our bit at the back. And to further soften the blow they gave me 2 bottles of Leffe! I've a new-found liking for the Belgians now. Hope you got home ok chaps.

 

Disgusting of Market Harborough

 

Watch that Leffe . Its strong stuff!   I was in Belfast once where they had it on tap. I asked for a pint , but he couldn't sell me it because it would be too strong. He could sell me two half pints though!

 

There is a serious point to this though. In Scotland we have lower alcohol limits , one bottle of this could put you over limit , its so string maybe even in England!

Edited November 29, 2018 by Legend

[big jim]

I travelled by van and got free parking for two days.

 

That’s what I did one year when I worked for Colas and the warley show was on the way home at the end of the shift, branded van, No16 key, railway staff car park, thank you very much

 

Not got a van any more though!

[Crewlisle]

I never thought I would say this, but as a lifelong LMS/LMR 1950's trainspotter & current modeller I thought that overall the Southern Region Thornbury Hill (Stand D64) was better value for money than Liverpool Lime Street (Stand D65) for the following reasons:

Thornbury Hill:  Overall presentation was excellent.  It was easy to talk to the operators.  Scenery was excellent & operation was perfect.  The imaginary timetable was obviously compressed with frequent stopping & non-stop express electric units.  There were also  steam & diesel secondary services & freight trains.  Plenty for the serious modellers to admire & the visitors who just like to see moving trains.

Liverpool Lime Street:  I first saw Liverpool Lime Street when it first went to Warley about 20 years ago & it was just bare boards.  With reference to this year's show, locos & stock were superb.  Construction & detail of the station itself was in a higher class than Thornbury Hill but it lacked entertainment value.  When the viewing public were three or four deep (as they were most of the time), all those near the back could see of the station itself was the frontage & roof detail, unless you were in the front row.  As regards to the loco movements, all you could see was the station throat (just!), the sector plate & the run down to the station.

May I suggest (as someone has in a previous comment) that you use a 'speeded up' timetable for big shows like Warley because visitors do not like waiting around for the 'Red Rose' departure in 10 minutes time as there is so much more to see in the rest of the hall!  Also, to improve the view of the inside of the station for large shows, make the station wall on the viewing side portable & made of Perspex.  For smaller  shows use the proper brick wall because the crowds will not be as big & people can bend down to see inside.  By making this wall interchangeable, visitors can watch all movements from the sector plate/rest of BR/carriage sidings right up to the platform buffer stops.

 

Peter

[Jol Wilkinson]

I believe that LLS has been created by John Holden and his group of friends as an accurate model of the station and its immediate surrounding in a particular period. It is a "model of a railway" and has been designed to fit their preferences. That it appears at exhibitions is a bonus for those that like to see exceptional modelling. Their are other finely modelled large layouts that are permanently located (Retford, Preston, Camden Bank, Little Bytham, and others) that are only seen be a fortunate few.

 

If your priority is frequent train movement on exhibition layouts, rather than exceptional overall modelling, then you need to look at layouts which are designed to provide that. Stoke Summit, Holiday Haunts, The Summit and others are all superb models but with simple track layouts that provide to provide interest primarily through train movement. You can only look at grass or cliffs for so long, no matter how well modelled. There are other layouts where you could look at detail on some layouts for quite a long time if you so wish, but most viewers simply want to see the trains run.

[queensquare]

I never thought I would say this, but as a lifelong LMS/LMR 1950's trainspotter & current modeller I thought that overall the Southern Region Thornbury Hill (Stand D64) was better value for money than Liverpool Lime Street (Stand D65) for the following reasons:

 

Thornbury Hill:  Overall presentation was excellent.  It was easy to talk to the operators.  Scenery was excellent & operation was perfect.  The imaginary timetable was obviously compressed with frequent stopping & non-stop express electric units.  There were also  steam & diesel secondary services & freight trains.  Plenty for the serious modellers to admire & the visitors who just like to see moving trains.

 

Liverpool Lime Street:  I first saw Liverpool Lime Street when it first went to Warley about 20 years ago & it was just bare boards.  With reference to this year's show, locos & stock were superb.  Construction & detail of the station itself was in a higher class than Thornbury Hill but it lacked entertainment value.  When the viewing public were three or four deep (as they were most of the time), all those near the back could see of the station itself was the frontage & roof detail, unless you were in the front row.  As regards to the loco movements, all you could see was the station throat (just!), the sector plate & the run down to the station.

 

May I suggest (as someone has in a previous comment) that you use a 'speeded up' timetable for big shows like Warley because visitors do not like waiting around for the 'Red Rose' departure in 10 minutes time as there is so much more to see in the rest of the hall!  Also, to improve the view of the inside of the station for large shows, make the station wall on the viewing side portable & made of Perspex.  For smaller  shows use the proper brick wall because the crowds will not be as big & people can bend down to see inside.  By making this wall interchangeable, visitors can watch all movements from the sector plate/rest of BR/carriage sidings right up to the platform buffer stops.

 

Peter

 

Your argument is self defeating with statements like, 'When the viewing public were three or four deep (as they were most of the time)' and   'because visitors do not like waiting around'. Quite patently many are happy to wait around! Also, if you are three or four rows back from the front your'e not likely to see much, regardless of what the layout is.

 

As Jol said, its a model of a real location rendered as accurately as possible, if you start changing things its no longer accurate. As for interchangeable front walls for smaller shows, I would suggest there arent any smaller shows that could afford Lime Street.

 

Jerry 

[Chris M]

I think we need to agree that we are all different and enjoy different things. LLS is great modelling. I think it is a brilliant piece of work and I'm glad I saw it. I say that even though it isn't to my taste as I much prefer layouts such as holiday haunts. It's good to appreciate what the builder was trying to achieve and enjoy what has been built.

[Phil Parker]

Railway modelling is multi-faceted hobby. LLS appeals to some, quite a lot judging by the crowds around it at Warley. I prefered the MOMING layouts. Crewlisle likes his layouts to have a public participation angle.

 

We are all different, but surely that's the beauty of the hobby, and especially a big show, there is something for everyone.

[john new]

LLS is superb modelling and fully justified being there. I was lucky enough, through being there with the SLS stand, to be able to see it close up well before the show opened as I arrived in the halls for breakfast. Superb modelling, and interesting/absorbing even without trains running. When trains were running it was mobbed by punters. So if it is good when viewed before trains run, and when trains are running, the builders must have got it right.

 

The only addition that personally I think would help would be adding vertical perspex risers to the half bridges; I think your brain would fill in the void easier with a support there, even though that support will be see-through.

[roundhouse]

I remember one year being in the The hotel lobby when someone was mentioning that there were too many American layouts at Warley. They didn't realise that we had an American layout but when I counted up the layouts there, it was an insisgnificant number of us but hey we all have our likes as and dislikes so there is very little chance of a big show pleasing everyone with all exhibits.

[melmerby]

All Warley layouts should be GWR, between the wars, a branchline terminus and 00.

If not I shall complain to the management.

 

Keith

[Compound2632]

All Warley layouts should be GWR, between the wars, a branchline terminus and 00.

If not I shall complain to the management.

 

Keith

 

... and with a much more frequent service than the prototype could ever have seen.

[woodenhead]

All Warley layouts should be GWR, between the wars, a branchline terminus and 00.

If not I shall complain to the management.

 

Keith

Wrong! They should all be pre-grouping and London Road be a standard annual inclusion plus one of Tony Gee's many offerings.

 

I wonder if they could do Lime Street as at 1920....

[Compound2632]

Wrong! They should all be pre-grouping and London Road be a standard annual inclusion plus one of Tony Gee's many offerings.

 

I wonder if they could do Lime Street as at 1920....

 

It is true that there was a lack of pre-Grouping this year, except at Gauge 1 and above. The live steam Bury 4-wheelers and L&B train were a sight to behold!

[Steve Hewitt]

I believe that LLS has been created by John Holden and his group of friends as an accurate model of the station and its immediate surrounding in a particular period. It is a "model of a railway" and has been designed to fit their preferences. That it appears at exhibitions is a bonus for those that like to see exceptional modelling. Their are other finely modelled large layouts that are permanently located (Retford, Preston, Camden Bank, Little Bytham, and others) that are only seen be a fortunate few.

 

If your priority is frequent train movement on exhibition layouts, rather than exceptional overall modelling, then you need to look at layouts which are designed to provide that. Stoke Summit, Holiday Haunts, The Summit and others are all superb models but with simple track layouts that provide to provide interest primarily through train movement. You can only look at grass or cliffs for so long, no matter how well modelled. There are other layouts where you could look at detail on some layouts for quite a long time if you so wish, but most viewers simply want to see the trains run.

 

Thanks Jol.

 

I wrote the following post on the Liverpool Lime Street topic:

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/33141-lime-street-station/page-73&do=findComment&comment=3380208

 

I hope it explains in a little more detail how we operate the layout, which is meant to represent a day in late 1947.

Apart from some straightening of curves, I believe the model is fully to scale from the North Western Hotel to a point 400 or so yards up the cutting, where it becomes the fiddle yard.

There is some compression along Lime Street to both sides of the North Western Hotel.

 

If after seeing the layout at Warley, there are any questions which we haven't answered, please post them on the Lime Street Station topic and we'll do our best to answer them.

 

regards,

Steve.

[MarcD]

There would have been our layout "Lowick" there this year which is o gauge and pre grouping but we had to pull out due to family reasons.

Marc

[Phil Parker]

I remember one year being in the The hotel lobby when someone was mentioning that there were too many American layouts at Warley. They didn't realise that we had an American layout but when I counted up the layouts there, it was an insisgnificant number of us but hey we all have our likes as and dislikes so there is very little chance of a big show pleasing everyone with all exhibits.

 

The problem with all those Amercian layouts is that they thought they Trumped all the others, even when under the old NEC lights that made everything a wierd orange colour. Being topped off with unconvincing static grass didn't help either...   

[melmerby]

The problem with all those Amercian layouts is that they thought they Trumped all the others, even when under the old NEC lights that made everything a wierd orange colour. Being topped off with unconvincing static grass didn't help either... 

They also try to outblast the next one with the sound levels. One of the reasons I don't like sound

 

Keith

[PaulRhB]

They also try to outblast the next one with the sound levels. One of the reasons I don't like sound

 

Keith

Sorry Keith but that’s a rather sweeping statement as many US layouts have nice low sound levels. I had sound on my Lulworth layout and you certainly couldn’t hear it unless you were stood at the layout. I could barely hear it behind the layout! It’s difficult to hear much with the background noise at Warley compared to a small show, exhibitors need to respond to that which is why mine have volume controls activated.

 

I fully support having the range of layouts in subject and type that a big show can offer and four deep shows enough liked LLS that it was validated being there. When I take my German layouts out they have been dismissed by some as ‘wasting space’, ‘foreign’ or ‘too many foreign layouts’ yet others have enjoyed them.

 

I think people need to question their own selfishness that they think every exhibit should be their taste In two days I missed some and could have spent far more time at others so I felt I got a good deal.

Edited November 30, 2018 by PaulRhB

[Jack P]

If I could ask, whats the name of the layout  that looks to be SR (IOW maybe?) Wartime themed?

[Northmoor]

When I take my German layouts out they have been dismissed by some as ‘wasting space’, ‘foreign’ or ‘too many foreign layouts’ yet others have enjoyed them.

 

I think people need to question their own selfishness that they think every exhibit should be their taste 

Totally agree, it's like people complaining that certain TV programmes shouldn't be on TV (especially the BBC) because they don't like them.

 

FWIW, I'm not a modeller of pre-Nationalisation and if I was, the LNER wouldn't be my first choice, but I could watch Copenhagen Fields or The Gresley Beat for hours.

[john new]

They also try to outblast the next one with the sound levels. One of the reasons I don't like sound

 

Keith

Some true but not all. The G1? Miniature layout at Warley was too loud, we could hear their annoying level crossing all weekend from our stand despite being an aisle away and the other side of a shell stand wall. At another show recently all you could here anywhere in the hall was one loud diesel on on an MPD layout. However, this is less and less the norm.

Edited December 1, 2018 by john new

[RJS1977]

Not that I've ever exhibited at Warley, but I always tend to err too low when setting my sound volumes before the show (obviously it's hard to gauge how noisy the room will be when the show is open) as I don't want to annoy neighbouring stands/layout operators.

 

However at one show I attended, the trader on the next stand took half the day to realise the seagulls he could hear weren't on the hall roof!

[melmerby]

Talking of US Layouts:

 

Four Feather Falls:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Orange River & Portland:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Keith

[PaulRhB]

Thanks, that Maine Fn3 one was beautifully modelled. I waited for the Forney to run but I think they ran everything else instead