expoEM Spring 2023 - a Showcase of the Best in 4mm Railway Modelling

[Leander]

expoEM Spring 2023

 

A Showcase of the Best in 4mm Railway Modelling

 

The flagship event of the EM Gauge Society will take place over the weekend of May 13th/14th 2023 at the now well-established venue of Bracknell Leisure Centre. On display will be at least eight finescale layouts representing the best in 4mm scale modelling. As usual there will be plenty of opportunity to stock up on modelling supplies with a good range of specialist traders in attendance. In addition there will be a variety of ‘Show you how’ demonstrations and other special interest society stands. There will also be the EM and P4 test track, the EMGS trade stand - selling amongst other things, the Society’s range of EM track and points, in addition to the ever popular members’ second hand sales.

 

Venue:                                                              Opening times:

Bracknell Leisure Centre                                Saturday 13th May:      10.30am to 5.30pm

Bagshot Road                                                   Sunday 14th May:        10.00am to 4.30pm

Bracknell, Berkshire

RG12 9SE

 

Layouts include:

 

Anglebank (EM) Clee Hill Tramway- Chris Hewitt

Canada Street (EM)  Dockside 1970's - Peter Johnson

Church Warsop (EM)  GCR pre-group circa WW1 - Tony Gee

Eastwood (P4)  LYR circa WW1 - South Hants MRC

Hembourne (EM) GWR 1930's - Paul Ash

Harkness (EM)  Northumberland light railway 1950's - Tony Bucknell

Kerrinhead (P4)  LYR mid/late 1920's - Gavin Clark

Leysdown (P4)  SR early 1930's - Adrian Colenutt

Oldshaw (EM)  BR(WR) mid 1980's - Guy Molyneux, Mike Hale Tom Harwin

Pulborough (P4)  LBSC set in 1910 -

The Depots, Rosedale East (EM) NER pre-group North York Moors Paul & Nicola Gallon

Yard No2  (P4) LNWR inter war years - Dave Barrett

 

Trade to include:

247 Developments
Alan Gibson
Bill Hudson Transport Books
Branchlines
Brassmasters
Cambrian Model Rail Ltd
C & L Finescale Track Building Systems Ltd
Dart Castings
Dingo Servo Mounts
EBMA Hobby & Craft
High Level Kits
Isinglass Models
London Road Models
Mike King (Southern drawings)
Nick Tozer Railway Books
Nu-Cast Partners
Prickley Pear Products
Roger Carpenter Photographs
Roxey Mouldings
Steam Age
Stoneybridge Structures & Model Sounds
Wild Swan Books Ltd
Harry Flatman (private sales)

 

Demonstrators to include:

 

Vernon Harrod             Kit and scratch-built coaches and other rolling stock

Geoff Haynes                Painting and Lining

Peter Hill                       Converting R-T-R locomotives and scratchbuilding

John James                   Split chassis loco construction

Geoff Kent                    Modelling using Plastikard

Peter Sutherland         Plastic Coaches

Phil Tattershall            Bull-head trackwork construction

Graeme Vickery          Architectural Modelling

 

Visiting Model and Railway Societies:

 

Diesel and Electric Modellers United (DEMU)

Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Society

Model Electric Railway Group (MERG)

Missenden Railway Modellers

Pendon Museum

The South Western Circle

 

Location

Within easy reach of both the M3 (Junction 3) and M4 (Junction 10). Follow the brown signs for Bracknell Leisure Centre. SAT NAV - RG12 9SE

Bracknell Railway Station is ¾ mile away.

Free on-site parking, Catering and Level Access

 

Admission Prices (valid for both days)

2-Day visitor ticket      £11.00

EMGS Members          £9.00

Accompanied children under 16 - FREE

 

Contact

Email: expoem@emgs.org

Website: www.emgs.org

 

N.B. Information correct at time of preparation; all exhibits subject to final confirmation.

 

 

 

MRmagadvert93x1352023 (2).pdf

Edited May 14, 2023 by Leander
Updated list of exhibits & dates

[ullypug]

There have been some changes to the attending layouts 

 

Layouts 

Anglebank (EM) Clee Hill Tramway- Chris Hewitt

Canada Street (EM)  Dockside 1970's - Peter Johnson

Church Warsop (EM)  GCR pre-group circa WW1 - Tony Gee

Eastwood (P4)  LYR circa WW1 - South Hants MRC

Hembourne (EM) GWR 1930's - Paul Ash

Harkness (EM)  Northumberland light railway 1950's - Tony Bucknell

Kerrinhead (P4)  LYR mid/late 1920's - Gavin Clark

Leysdown (P4)  SR early 1930's - Adrian Colenutt

Oldshaw (EM)  BR(WR) mid 1980's - Guy Molyneux, Mike Hale Tom Harwin

Pulborough (P4)  LBSC set in 1910 -

The Depots, Rosedale East (EM) NER pre-group North York Moors Paul & Nicola Gallon

Yard No2  (P4) LNWR inter war years - Dave Barrett

[Enterprisingwestern]

 

Having made arrangements to fly over for the exhibition, the rail strike has now scuppered any plans to attend, so accept my apologies for absence! My allegiance will be tested with a visit to the N gauge show on Sunday at York!

Unless anyone is passing Chesterfield on their way there on Saturday?!!

 

Mike.

[Graham_Muz]

The South Western Circle are also attending as is Mike King with his drawings.

[Leander]

Thank you gentlemen, Post #1 has been amended accordingly, though Mike King was already on the list Graham.

[black and decker boy]

We are looking for ward to this with Harkness 

 

 

[Worsdell forever]

A few little jobs completed on The Depots and we're just about ready for the trip down south. 

 

 

 

 

[247 Developments]

thats us all set up ready for the show

[black and decker boy]

Harkness is up, tested and ready to go

 

[Compound2632]

If you didn't go yesterday, go today. Excellent layouts* and trade. This has to be the No. 1 show in the South of England for the 4 mm scale modeller. (I was going to say, serious 4mm scale modeller, but there was a Triang Battle Space Turbo Propeller Car on the test track...)

 

*Reflecting my prejudices - lots of pre-grouping and not too many diesels!

 

Going back today, dodging the half-marathon, I hope. (It's only 20 mins drive for me.)

[grahame]

I went along yesterday and it is a nice gentile show with good traders and interesting layouts. I rather liked Kerrinhead which had a great overall concept with visual height as much as horizontal interest and a pleasing blend of industrial, urban and rural scenics.

 

However, I found the balance of layouts rather out of kilter with just Oldshaw and Canada Street flying the flag for non ancient steamy subjects. And not a sparky electric in sight. But then that's my preference; others may have a different take.

 

Edited May 14, 2023 by grahame

[Giles]

Just got back from a really very good show - very high standard throughout,  which was lovely to see! Traders were extremely welcome,  and I got the vitals I needed, so thank you for an excellent job!

[Damo666]

On 10/03/2023 at 17:23, Leander said:

expoEM Spring 2023

 

The flagship event of the EM Gauge Society will take place over the weekend of May 14th/15th 2022 at the ....................

 

I know I'm late seeing this thread, but this confused me.

 

Edited May 14, 2023 by Damo666

[Compound2632]

25 minutes ago, Damo666 said:

I know I'm late seeing this thread, but this confused me.

 

 

Ah well then, you've missed it twice over!

[Northmoor]

Just back from this excellent show; only now realised I'd been chatting to a fellow RMWebber @black and decker boy (sorry for not introducing myself, I was the guy at the end with the family connection to Bamburgh). 

 

Echoing others, the show had a really good mix layouts; I'm of the Canada Street/Oldshaw generation, but I was very happy to study those layouts which aren't my era of interest.  I also managed to pick up some useful bits from the traders and only one project vehicle to add to the backlog, which is impressive for me.

 

[black and decker boy]

Here is our newest team member on Harkness having made its show debut this weekend 

 

 

an enjoyable exhibition again, thanks to all who organised & were stewards 

[mozzer models]

thats 247 home unloaded &now eating tea

[Jol Wilkinson]

22 hours ago, grahame said:

I went along yesterday and it is a nice gentile show with good traders and interesting layouts. I rather liked Kerrinhead which had a great overall concept with visual height as much as horizontal interest and a pleasing blend of industrial, urban and rural scenics.

 

However, I found the balance of layouts rather out of kilter with just Oldshaw and Canada Street flying the flag for non ancient steamy subjects. And not a sparky electric in sight. But then that's my preference; others may have a different take.

 

I think the layout mix very much reflects the interests of EM and P4 gauge modellers, in that they tend to be people who like building their locos and rolling stock. There are, I believe, very few kits for Diesel  or Electric stock, especially of any "quality". On the other hand, these are readily more readily available from the RTR manufacturers which is why 60's and 70's period layouts are much more prevalent at shows with a majority of OO layouts.

 

Pre-grouping subjects are also popular, probably because of the variety of models and liveries available. They also provide more of a modelling challenge and (in my own case at least) a greater sense of achievement and satisfaction.

 

It also explains why so few of the traders that attend The EMGs and S4 Society shows, Railex at Aylesbury, and similar shows find it worthwhile to attend those where the layouts are more focussed on the BR period after the introduction of diesels. Visitors to those shows will generally be customers of the suppliers of RTR models. 

Edited May 15, 2023 by Jol Wilkinson
Amended text

[Graham456]

12 hours ago, mozzer models said:

thats 247 home unloaded &now eating tea

Just. Tea,of the wet sort ! 
haven’t you replaced that griddle yet so you could have some delicious Welsh cakes waiting for you,

 

P S the aero wagon print looked very interesting ,

 

pps Bracknell was a long way to go for a plate I could have got at staplegrove, but worth it  only down side was the cost  at other stands far outwayed the fuel costs

i just caught the back end of the show here on the isles of wight which is why I didn’t get to use the Sunday  part of the ticket !

Edited May 15, 2023 by Graham456

[t-b-g]

12 hours ago, Compound2632 said:

If you didn't go yesterday, go today. Excellent layouts* and trade. This has to be the No. 1 show in the South of England for the 4 mm scale modeller. (I was going to say, serious 4mm scale modeller, but there was a Triang Battle Space Turbo Propeller Car on the test track...)

 

*Reflecting my prejudices - lots of pre-grouping and not too many diesels!

 

Going back today, dodging the half-marathon, I hope. (It's only 20 mins drive for me.)

 

4 hours ago, Northmoor said:

Just back from this excellent show; only now realised I'd been chatting to a fellow RMWebber @black and decker boy (sorry for not introducing myself, I was the guy at the end with the family connection to Bamburgh). 

 

Echoing others, the show had a really good mix layouts; I'm of the Canada Street/Oldshaw generation, but I was very happy to study those layouts which aren't my era of interest.  I also managed to pick up some useful bits from the traders and only one project vehicle to add to the backlog, which is impressive for me.

 

 

We had a lovely weekend with Church Warsop, one of the pre grouping representatives.

 

I think the two posts I quote show that no show is ever likely to please everybody. If the balance matches your own personal interests, then it is bound to not match the preferences of others. Mind you, I was the bloke who went to a DEMU show once and complained about the lack of steam models.

 

The very thing I like about these EMGS (and other finescale or scale specific) shows is that they are very much about the model building side of the hobby and I find that very refreshing compared to the very RTR heavy nature of some shows. I know that virtually everything I looked at over the weekend was either built by a modeller or altered before it appeared at the show. On Church Warsop every single loco, wagon and carriage was either kitbuilt or scratchbuilt and we had nothing RTR at all on show. I didn't examine every item on every layout but I would suggest that we were not alone from what I saw.

 

As modern RTR is now so good and as most diesels (as are great swathes of more recent steam locos) are now available RTR and there are few kits available for many D & E types I think those who like making things do tend to turn to more obscure prototypes.

 

So the models and layouts of more obscure older prototypes are right up my street and I think this was possibly the best exhibition I have been to for many a long year in terms of layouts that I enjoyed and appreciated.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Compound2632]

2 minutes ago, t-b-g said:

I think the two posts I quote show that no show is ever likely to please everybody.

 

I hoped it was evident that my remark was somewhat tongue-in-cheek. I am able to appreciate the quality of modelling seen on layouts like Canada Street and Angel Bank, just as I am able to appreciate the quality of modelling on pre-grouping layouts representing companies whose names begin with a G!

[t-b-g]

Just now, Compound2632 said:

 

I hoped it was evident that my remark was somewhat tongue-in-cheek. I am able to appreciate the quality of modelling seen on layouts like Canada Street and Angel Bank, just as I am able to appreciate the quality of modelling on pre-grouping layouts representing companies whose names begin with a G!

 

Me too. Good modelling is good modelling. I will drool over Canada Street just as much as I drool over anything pre-grouping.

 

I have been attending shows since the 70s and in terms of matching my personal preferences for pre-grouping models, I think this was the best one I have been to. I may never get that ideal mix for me again so I will enjoy it after a 45 year wait!

[grahame]

1 hour ago, Jol Wilkinson said:

I think the layout mix very much reflects the interests of EM and P4 gauge modellers, in that they tend to be people who like building their locos and rolling stock. There are, I believe, very few kits for Diesel  or Electric stock, especially of any "quality". 

 

Check out the emgauge70s.co.uk website for some quality diesel and electric modelling in EM.

 

[Compound2632]

5 minutes ago, grahame said:

Check out the emgauge70s.co.uk website for some quality diesel and electric modelling in EM.

 

I can see the attraction - the great improvement in appearance of trackwork is just a wheel-swap away.

[Northmoor]

2 minutes ago, t-b-g said:

Me too. Good modelling is good modelling. I will drool over Canada Street just as much as I drool over anything pre-grouping.

This is the most important point.  My personal era of interest is 1980s BR (because it's what I remember) but I will happily spend quarter of an hour studying something of the standard of Pulborough (quite apart from the era, I've never really been interested in modelling the Southern) while spending very little time viewing another small diesel depot, even if it's set in the 1980s.

I attend exhibitions to be inspired by the workmanship, not to continue my youthful train spotting.