Warley NEC National Show 25th & 26th November 2023

[PaulRhB]

4 minutes ago, Mike Bellamy said:

 

Having been to the Warley show a number of times, I would say that in parts the "Creative Craft Show" and the "Cake International Show" at the NEC on Saturday were even busier than Warley

. . .

Very busy and as someone who doesn't do crafts or cakes (except for eating) it was very interesting.

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-24891683

.

Imagine that on the same weekend, the layouts would be static as everyone would be busy next door 🤣

[Barry O]

3 hours ago, PaulRhB said:

Imagine that on the same weekend, the layouts would be static as everyone would be busy next door 🤣

Used to be like that when "The Clothes Show" or "Comicom" was on at the same weekend. 

 

Looking at the various layout previews looks like we shall be seeing a good selection of layouts. 

 

In readiness for the show a selection of objects yo be weathered are now in my stock box  my big carry box is ready. So.. just need to get myself down there too collect my partner in crime @St Enodoc.

 

Baz

[PaulRhB]

1 hour ago, Barry O said:

Used to be like that when "The Clothes Show" or "Comicom" was on at the same weekend. 

I noticed people a bit distracted outside but the show still seemed busy 😁

[woodenhead]

48 minutes ago, PaulRhB said:

I noticed people a bit distracted outside but the show still seemed busy 😁

A few years back whilst acting as escort to my young un who was participating in a Pokemon event I spent the day sat in the Starbucks working on my laptop.  There was a comicon event on and there were several extremely well constructed Daleks wandering around accosting anyone who dared challenge them.  Apart from the lack of a working laser theu were pretty impressive and good actors inside.

[Southernman46]

4 hours ago, Barry O said:

Used to be like that when "The Clothes Show" or "Comicom" was on at the same weekend. 

Now we get Comicon at the ExCel in Town on the same day as West Ham are at home ................... makes for some interesting situations as the (I may be generalising here) podgy shaven headed Replica shirt wearers eyeball the Pokemon characters across the platforms at Canning Town.

 

Always make a point of asking Star Wars Stormtroopers why they are such rubbish shots - as they don't seem to hit anything in the films 🤣

Edited November 6, 2023 by Southernman46

[G-DIMB]

12 hours ago, Mike Bellamy said:

 

Having been to the Warley show a number of times, I would say that in parts the "Creative Craft Show" and the "Cake International Show" at the NEC on Saturday were even busier than Warley but as one might expect the gender balance was the opposite - and instead of being bashed by rucksacks, our ankles were being attacked from all directions by shopping trollies on wheels. Very busy and as someone who doesn't do crafts or cakes (except for eating) it was very interesting. I was there as the chauffeur and the official bag-carrier for Mrs B but after six hours even she had had enough. Came away with a 6" steel rule for a pound and an A5 cutting mat, also one pound. I have no idea how much she spent but the bags were heavy. The level of detail in some of the cake / sugar-paste / icing creations were much better than seen on many layouts. Brief BBC report below but unfortunately this shows some of the more bizarre creations rather than the very intricate flower displays that were incredibly realistic..

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-24891683

.

 

Having done the craft show as a trader for many years up till COVID it was actually pretty quiet there on Saturday (like you i was visiting as a bag assistant) compared to the past and it was noticeable even before COVID it was getting more expensive to go but takings were dropping. The cost for a stand in that show would for a 14ft front (they work in meters) would be £5000 just for the space an with some of the larger traders would be spending £10 to £15k on their stand space. And yes those trolleys are ten times more annoying than rucksacks. but i never smelt any of the wafts smelt at Warley. Up there again for the classic motor show this weekend before warley at the end of the month. I almost lived at Premier Inn Hockley Heath for the month of November.

 

Mike Bravo

 

 

 

 

 

 

[St Enodoc]

13 hours ago, Barry O said:

Used to be like that when "The Clothes Show" or "Comicom" was on at the same weekend. 

 

Looking at the various layout previews looks like we shall be seeing a good selection of layouts. 

 

In readiness for the show a selection of objects yo be weathered are now in my stock box  my big carry box is ready. So.. just need to get myself down there too collect my partner in crime @St Enodoc.

 

Baz

Looking forward to it!

[Chris M]

Another narrow gauge layout at our show will be Garreg Wen.

 

Garreg Wen (‘White Rock’) was built to satisfy two aims – to practice and develop new skills, and to provide somewhere to run models of older stock from a number of lines. The layout has been extended twice since construction to allow more scenery, including a new section (2022) extending around the corner.

 

The model is set in Snowdonia in the Victorian period (approximately 1880) and represents the modest upper terminus for passenger working of a former horse tramway, converted to steam a few years previously. The quarry extension leaves the back of the station to the foot of an incline located ‘off set’, but due to the gradient and the threat of runaway slate wagons, the passenger platform is on a separate line, as also happened at Bryngwyn on the NWNGR for example.

 

The quarryman’s terrace at the rear has been built with individual slate rubble walls, while there are a number of vertical slate slab fences typical of the Corris area as well as older dry stone walls. Track is ballasted above the rail base in contemporary Victorian fashion.

 

The intention was to produce a freelance model, but which remained credible to the period and general location. Sometimes this is called an ‘album layout’ allowing us to run models from a variety of real lines in the area. Prototypes from the Festiniog, Corris, Talyllyn, Penrhyn and Glyn Valley may be seen amongst others.

 

Victorian train arriving at Garreg Wen station. This is an early condition Festiniog Railway train dating to about 1865. Note the disc signal allowing entry to the platform road.

 

A view over the fields showing a Festiniog & Blaenau Railway train at Garreg Wen. The sheep seem unbothered by the newly intruding railway

 

Old Tom brings his carriage down from the station having dropped the master off to catch the train to the harbour.

 

A Corris Railway locomotive in original conditions passes the back of Railway Terrace with a train of slate slabs for their onward journey

 

Dolgoch pauses while running round the train at Garreg Wen station. Note the slate slab fencing.

 

Dolgoch has arrived at Garreg Wen station with a train of Talyllyn coaches. This is an unusual ‘reverse’ view from the driving side of the layout.

 

Corris Railway loco number 1 has arrived down the mineral line and is awaiting the signal to proceed at Garreg Wen

 

Festiniog & Blaenau Railway train arrived at Garreg Wen station. The passengers in the foreground are presumably travelling first class

 

Festiniog Railway No. “The Prince” pauses while shunting the tiny goods yard at Garreg Wen. The goods shed is a converted and expanded stable block, as can be seen in the traces of the original. 

 

[Chris M]

Although not connected to Warley Club, don't forget the BRM subscription offer - just 10 days left to take advantage of this. 

 

[97406]

Just got myself a ticket and one great thing about it is that the ticket is valid for either day. I’ve missed a couple of recent shows due to life getting in the way on the day I’ve booked so a big thumbs up for Warley and if other event organisers could take note. I also treated myself to the insurance in the unlikely event I can’t make it on either day.

[Chris M]

Steve Flint has just made an excellent trailer for the Warley exhibition. Please feel free to share.

 

 

[E100]

I've taken up the BRM offer but I'm there for two days. Any idea if I can head to the Warley stand on the Saturday and upgrade to a second day ticket i.e. pay the difference (asking nicely and politely of course)? Definitely a shy bairns get nowt type question I know.

 

Alternatively are advance tickets for Sunday available on the Saturday?

Edited November 8, 2023 by E100

[newbryford]

1 hour ago, Chris M said:

Steve Flint has just made an excellent trailer for the Warley exhibition. Please feel free to share.

 

 

 

I'm in the video!

 

[big jim]

46 minutes ago, newbryford said:

 

I'm in the video!

 

But don’t let that put you off! 
 

I’ve heard if people watch it and say your name 3 times then they turn yellow 

[MarkSG]

Give that there won't be a show guide this year, I thought I'd see if we could crowdsource one. I've put all the basic information (essentially, names and stand numbers) that's already been published, either here, on the website or on social media, and then made a Google Sheets document out if it.

 

The idea is that if you know enough about a layout to be able to write a short description of it, you can add that to the spreadsheet. I've done a couple myself already and I'll work on others over the next few days, but most of the layouts aren't familiar to me so I obviously won't be able to do it for all of them. 

 

The document is here:

 

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1LI2lhPPP4ci0nO-G-LuEht-csO5je1WUbuWXE7HP3Sw/edit?usp=sharing

 

It's open to anyone to edit, so please be mindful of the fact that it's a collaborative work and refrain from changing what other people have contributed (unless it's to make an entirely non-controversial edit such as correcting a typo or a factual error such as the wrong scale listed for a layout).

 

What I'll then do, a couple of days before the show, is format the data into a PDF document that can be printed off. It won't be a full show guide, and you'll still need the floorplan for it to be properly useful, but it will be better than just a list of names and more acessible than needing to refer to a website while in the hall.

[PaulRhB]

2 hours ago, Chris M said:

Steve Flint has just made an excellent trailer for the Warley exhibition. Please feel free to share.

 

 

That’s actually very good! I was waiting for Iron Man or the Guardians of the Galaxy to burst in 😆

[bbishop]

I've added notes on  B24 - Blindheim. 

[JSModels]

@MarkSG I was oringinally down as being C02, but it seems I have since been moved to D06A - I was on your list in both locations, so I've deleted my info from the C02 position.

[Chris M]

Sometimes no news is good news. There has to be 14 days notice of a rail strike and, so far as I can see, there was no announcement of any new strikes yesterday. So we can be confident that there will not be a rail strike on 25th November.  This means that those of you who travel be train to the NEC can buy advance tickets with confidence.

[bourneagain]

3 hours ago, Chris M said:

Sometimes no news is good news. There has to be 14 days notice of a rail strike and, so far as I can see, there was no announcement of any new strikes yesterday. So we can be confident that there will not be a rail strike on 25th November.  This means that those of you who travel be train to the NEC can buy advance tickets with confidence.

On the 8th November the RMT has agreed in principle to accept the latest pay offer, so the threat of any further strikes will hopefully be at an end.

[PaulRhB]

5 minutes ago, bourneagain said:

On the 8th November the RMT has agreed in principle to accept the latest pay offer, so the threat of any further strikes will hopefully be at an end.

ASLEF (Drivers) is just voting again and there is no deal on the table, fortunately as their ballot ends after the show it will not disrupt this years. 

[woodenhead]

I've already booked my parking space and intend on driving, the strike last year had me drive to the NEC for the first time and I realised how miserable the train journey was in comparison - I used to book first class on the return solely to increase the chance of a seat and it would be awful in both directions.

 

I'll drive down arriving about 8:30, lots of time for some breakfast before joining the horde to enter at 9:30 and I can leave whenever I like, I can accept it will be busy on the motorway but my personal space will not be invaded and I can enjoy a bit of quiet music if I want to.

[Ian Morgan]

I have finally successfully managed to get my car booked in on the NEC system for unloading Friday, so it looks like I shall go to the Ball.

 

Come and say hello.

 

This was my layout at its first public display, the 2mm Scale Association Golden Jubilee exhibition in July 2010:

 

Edited November 11, 2023 by Ian Morgan
Adding: Freshwater, Stand B36

[G-DIMB]

3 hours ago, woodenhead said:

I'll drive down arriving about 8:30, lots of time for some breakfast before joining the horde to enter at 9:30 and I can leave whenever I like, I can accept it will be busy on the motorway but my personal space will not be invaded and I can enjoy a bit of quiet music if I want to.

The show opens at 9.15 to advanced ticket holders so 9.30 would be about right to avoid the first charge. Normal ticket holders get in at 9.45am.

I used to stand at the entrance and watch the people come in and its the only time i have seen grown men run to save a few quid on a Bachmann return. Its not so bad now they have stopped with the returns but i note Dapol have started doing it themselves so might see it again this year once people realize.

[woodenhead]

@G-DIMB I just head to the back of the hall and work my way forwards, seems to work a treat.