Warley National Exhibition 26th & 27th November 2022

[Din]

46 minutes ago, melmerby said:

Something I noticed was that Hornby were doing some actual selling, with their "foreign" brands well to the fore.

With "N", "TT" & "H0" represented, there was even a Rivarossi "Big Boy".

I didn't ask the price just in case I could afford it.😄

 

Now where would a mammoth US loco go on a post grouping UK layout?☹️

 

£356.40

 

I know, I'm acquainted with the dozy sod who bought one of them!

[RedgateModels]

1 minute ago, Din said:

 

£356.40

 

I know, I'm acquainted with the dozy sod who bought one of them!

There was a chap who bought an old Riverossi version, tried it out on my test track, didn’t run ☹️

[Liam]

Both going in and getting away from the NEC was a nightmare for me; Phil and Neil picked me up from my house in Redditch at 08:50. We reached the slip road for Junction 6 around 20 minutes later, and were stuck there for the best part of half an hour. The traffic marshalling efforts only seemed to slow us down further, meaning we were parked (at North 11 car park, almost as far away as you can get) almost an hour after setting off from Redditch.

 

Hopefully Phil and Neil had a stress free journey back down the M5 but it took me an hour and a half to get from Birmingham International to my relative’s house in Edgbaston, mainly because the queue for the fast Birmingham bus was a mile long and I ended up hopping on the slower one which went via Chelmsley Wood and Castle Bromwich. 
 

I’ll post some pictures of the layouts tomorrow. I suppose I spent more time away from Smallwood than with it, but even though I made a few signalling errors when I was driving I did enjoy being an operator at Warley for the first time. I think the temperature of the hall was OK - certainly I never felt the need to remove the gilet I was wearing. 
 

Before Warley I said to myself that I wouldn’t get any more rolling stock. I kept that vow but I did make a few other acquisitions; a show guide as a memento, a fireman’s style mug, a SkaleScenics tree which I won from the BRM stand (thank you very much guys!) and then also this book, which my dad will enjoy as he worked on the railway (and did regular night shifts) during the time which the book focuses on. 

Edited November 27, 2022 by Liam

[Liam]

16 minutes ago, Din said:

 

£356.40

 

I know, I'm acquainted with the dozy sod who bought one of them!

That’s also the exact price of a 7-day standard class All Line Rover with a railcard. Something I’ve managed to do twice!

[woodenhead]

2 hours ago, adb968008 said:

Tell them its someone elses, blame me… 

I'm looking after them for a 'friend'

[woodenhead]

6 minutes ago, Liam said:

Both going in and getting away from the NEC was a nightmare for me; Phil and Neil picked me up from my house in Redditch at 08:50. We reached the slip road for Junction 6 around 20 minutes later, and were stuck there for the best part of half an hour. The traffic marshalling efforts only seemed to slow us down further, meaning we were parked (at North 11 car park, almost as far away as you can get) almost an hour after setting off from Redditch.

 

Hopefully Phil and Neil had a stress free journey back down the M5 but it took me an hour and a half to get from Birmingham International to my relative’s house in Edgbaston, mainly because the queue for the fast Birmingham bus was a mile long and I ended up hopping on the slower one which went via Chelmsley Wood and Castle Bromwich.

 

I'm tightfisted so won't use the M6 Toll unless work are paying and dislike any journey that involves the M5/M6 junction.

 

However today, I drove from Manchester to the International station car park in 1.5 hours, apart from a strange 60 zone in the middle of the countryside for a 'slow' moving vehicle that never appeared I sailed all the way.  Going home mid afternoon it was busy after the M42 on the M6 and the aforementioned M5/M6 junction - after that it was clear all the way home within 2 hours of leaving.

 

It had me believing that driving the M6 may be tolerable again - but maybe I was just lucky today.

 

Having done recent Warleys by train, to be honest being sat in a jam going home is still preferable to the misery of an over packed train until at least Stafford.

[Dunsignalling]

7 hours ago, Michael Hodgson said:

 

 

Yep - I know I'm a fine one to talk, but there's quite a few grey hairs and balding pates among that lot. 

It is often said that only young men go bald.

 

If you haven't started losing the thatch before you hit forty, the chances are you never will.

 

John (70 and still covered but entirely grey).

[toolongtoremember]

9 hours ago, Phil Himsworth said:

I was particularly interested in seeing "Crewlisle", as it was a major inspiration for my own layout, but there was a conspicuous space where it should have been... I hope it was for benign reasons and that everything is okay with its owner / operator(s).

I also went to see Crewlisle and was sad to see it not there, I too hope the same. 

[ThaneofFife]

The fast cov to bham x1 buses were rammed.glad i got off at sheldon. Standing all the way to bham must have been horrible. Thanks to the 3 chaps for sharing a,taxi on the wsy in when two x1 buses drove straight us at horse shoe inn!  

Plenty of bargain wagons on the stands minerals etc for around £11.

Saw one stand trting to sell dcc fitted mk2f coaches not dbsos for dbso money £128.  Might have been priced up wrong as thats more than rrp but i never asked.

 

Edited November 27, 2022 by ThaneofFife
Missing info

[papagolfjuliet]

11 hours ago, big jim said:

Just realised I’ve dropped a b*****k, got home and put my ‘big bags of warley purchases’ on the sofa then headed off to the caravan to close it down for the winter, realised on the way up that I’ll be staying up here a day longer than my wife who drive up yesterday so she’ll find the bags when she gets home tomorrow!

 

anyone got the number for interflora?  

 

As a wise man once said, asking for forgiveness is easier than asking for permission.

[Southernman46]

On 25/11/2022 at 23:27, adb968008 said:

off topic but..

talking of early..

I went out to see 44871 earlier this week, and wanted a vantage spot where the UF/DF cross over a bridge over the DS/US on the Brighton mainline at Coulsdon. I was there 20 mins early, only to find it 18 early, on the DF instead of DS… only just caught it!

This cutting is fantastic, both are.. imagine 130 years ago digging this out, and dumping it 3 miles down the road in an artificial hill.

You dont get much steam on the DF avoiding Redhill!

 

If theres not much else out tomorrow might 70000 get a bit of UF action ? - its the only thing between 6am and 11am at Bham intl.
 

These are almost essential these days for tracking anything or just being in the right place at busy spots

 

https://www.opentraintimes.com/maps

Edited November 27, 2022 by Southernman46

[Din]

9 hours ago, woodenhead said:

I'm tightfisted so won't use the M6 Toll unless work are paying and dislike any journey that involves the M5/M6 junction.

 

However today, I drove from Manchester to the International station car park in 1.5 hours, apart from a strange 60 zone in the middle of the countryside for a 'slow' moving vehicle that never appeared I sailed all the way.  Going home mid afternoon it was busy after the M42 on the M6 and the aforementioned M5/M6 junction - after that it was clear all the way home within 2 hours of leaving.

 

It had me believing that driving the M6 may be tolerable again - but maybe I was just lucky today.

 

Having done recent Warleys by train, to be honest being sat in a jam going home is still preferable to the misery of an over packed train until at least Stafford.

 

The M6 toll is stupidly priced and the lack of traffic I see on it no matter time of day suggests it'll be paid off some time when the Sun Explodes

[ndg910]

Has there been a limited edition wagon issued for this years show? If so does anyone have a picture/details. Sorry if it’s been asked already.

[MarkSG]

Just about to set off for the show. I'm really looking forward to it, having missed it for a couple of years for obvious reasons. 

[Ron Ron Ron]

2 hours ago, Din said:

 

The M6 toll is stupidly priced and the lack of traffic I see on it no matter time of day suggests it'll be paid off some time when the Sun Explodes

 

The price has shot up from around an affordable and worth paying  (to avoid the jams through Brum)  £5 ‘ish a couple of years ago, to a now silly £7.80 peak (for a car).

It's still a no brainer for many people to use the toll route though.

 

As for usage.

As a regular user, the traffic levels are noticeably far higher these days than in the past, particularly at peak times.

The last two return trips I made through there, in October, there were long queues at the main toll plaza's in both directions, with all gates in operation.

 

 

.

 

Edited November 27, 2022 by Ron Ron Ron

[rogerzilla]

Just got to Bham International.  Parked at Berkswell.  Made train by seconds!

[Nile]

11 hours ago, Nile said:

 

You wouldn't know that from the photos posted so far. They must be keeping a low profile.

 

Thinking about this a bit more, could the transport difficulties of yesterday (and maybe today as well) have limited the numbers of younger visitors?

While I'm here thanks to all those posting photos and keeping us stuck at home informed, keep it up.

[big jim]

24 minutes ago, Ron Ron Ron said:

 

 

 

As for usage.

As a regular user, the traffic levels are noticeably far higher these days than in the past, particularly at peak times.

The last two return trips I made through there, in October, there were long queues at the main toll plaza's in both directions, will all gates in operation.

 

 

.

 

The problem with the tolls is when people get there and go scratting round for their card to pay rather than being prepared beforehand, im normally in and out the other side in seconds! 

 

much prefer the toll barriers than the likes of the new Mersey crossing or Birmingham low emission zone areas with its ANPR as I regularly have hire cars for work and it’s a pain to have to pay that way and claim it back, the barriers take my fuel card with is so much easier

 

 

[woodenhead]

38 minutes ago, big jim said:

much prefer the toll barriers than the likes of the new Mersey crossing or Birmingham low emission zone areas with its ANPR as I regularly have hire cars for work and it’s a pain to have to pay that way and claim it back, the barriers take my fuel card with is so much easier

 

I've never thought about low emission zones, used to go to central Birmingham quite regularly and within the zone - just checked both our cars are compliant so it would still be fine, also good for London ULEZ.  Not driving into cities often now and things change so much...

[woodenhead]

46 minutes ago, Nile said:

 

Thinking about this a bit more, could the transport difficulties of yesterday (and maybe today as well) have limited the numbers of younger visitors?

While I'm here thanks to all those posting photos and keeping us stuck at home informed, keep it up.

Whilst there were lots of us older greying males, there were also lots of younger people about and lots of families.

 

I saw the TT120 stuff yesterday for the first time, ok I am not about to sell all my N gauge or OO stuff, but I was suitably impressed by the look of it.

[RJS1977]

56 minutes ago, Nile said:

 

Thinking about this a bit more, could the transport difficulties of yesterday (and maybe today as well) have limited the numbers of younger visitors?

While I'm here thanks to all those posting photos and keeping us stuck at home informed, keep it up.

 

There were quite a lot of younger visitors (teenage/twenties) around the Farquhar layout when I was viewing it.

[RJS1977]

4 minutes ago, woodenhead said:

Whilst there were lots of us older greying males, there were also lots of younger people about and lots of families.

 

I saw the TT120 stuff yesterday for the first time, ok I am not about to sell all my N gauge or OO stuff, but I was suitably impressed by the look of it.

Yes, I was surprised to see decorated samples(?) this early. It suggests that Hornby did not steal Heljan's thunder but were already well under way with development when Heljan made their announcement.

[tractionman]

57 minutes ago, Nile said:

While I'm here thanks to all those posting photos and keeping us stuck at home informed, keep it up.

 

I too am very grateful to all those posting pictures of layouts and updates on forthcoming models, I haven't been able to get to Warley for a very long time now so this 'virtual' attending via RMWeb is welcome.

 

I had my own little spree yesterday thanks to current TMC and Kernow offers (aka Christmas presents to me from various family members!), so kind of dipped into the spirit of things on the retail front too, again virtually, not quite the same I know but something all the same.

 

cheers,

 

Keith

[fezza]

Diano Marina for those asking for layout pictures... Although mine don't do it justice 

[fezza]

Another one