expoEM Summer 2023

[Leander]

Sat 19th - Sun 20th August 2023
Kettlethorpe High School, Standbridge Lane, Sandal, Wakefield, West Yorkshire WF2 7EL
 

OPENING TIMES:  SAT 10.30am to 5pm, SUN 10am to 4pm
ADMISSION:  Adults £11.00       

 

The flagship event of the EM Gauge Society in the north of England will take place at its now established venue of Kettlethorpe High School, near Wakefield. On display will be at ten finescale layouts representing the best in 4mm scale railway modelling.

As usual the EMGS Trade Officer will be there with the stand, however he will not be able to bring all the items stocked because of transport
Logistics. He will be happy to bring along any pre-ordered items for payment on the day, BUT these must be ordered with a deadline to reach him by 7 days prior to the show. He is able to take cash, cheques and cards as payment at the show.
The EMGS Membership Secretary will be in attendance ready to take early cash subscripons for 2023/24.
Adjacent to his stand will be Steve Young ready to sell you EMGS badged polo shirts, sweatshirts and aprons. Each purchaser will receive an EMGS china mugs (While stocks last).

Admission Prices (Valid for both days):
2-Day visitor ticket - £11.00
EMGS Members - £9.00

 

Layouts Attending :
Blakey Rigg - Paul Greene (S Scale - Guest Layout) - NER Rosedale Branch
Chatsworth Road - Allan Atherley (S4) - BR(LMR) Derbyshire - Late 1960s/early 1970s
Dewsbury G.N.R. - Geoff Tiffany, David Carter & Brian Eves (S4) - Gn/LNER/BR (NER) - 1880-1965
Kyle of Macallan Locomotive Shed - Adrian Walby (EM) - BR (SCR) - September 1966
Grimesthorpe (for Attercliffe) - Tony Gee (EM/18mm Gauge) Sheffield District Railway - 1908
Hope-under-Dinmore - South Hants Model Railway Club (EM) - LNWR and GWR Joint - 1904 to 1920
Minimis - Peter Fletcher (EM) - Industrial - Late 1950s/early 1960s
Sheepcroft - Stu Davies (EM) - BR(WR) - Late 1960s/early 1970s
Wepre Park - Ken Gibbons (EM) - BR(LMR) - Mid 1960s
West End Drift - Graham Hudson (EM) - Industrial (Colliery) - 1950 to 1970

 

Traders Attending:

247 Developments
Alan Gibson Model Railway Products
Bill Hudson Transport Books
Brassmasters
CSP Models
Dave Bradwell Kits in 4mm Scale
EBMA Hobby & Craft
High Level Kits
London Road Models

Nick Tozer Railway Books
Pre-Grouping Railways

Squires Model & Craft Tools.

Stoneybridge Structures & Model Sounds 

        

Demonstrations :         
Timara Easter - Weathering and Conversions
Vernon Harrod - Kit and Scratch-Built Coaches and Other Rolling Stock
Pete Hill - Converting R-T-R and Scratchbuilding Locomotives
John James - Split Chassis Loco Construction
Geoff Kent - Modelling Using Plastikard
Mick Moore - Scratchbuilding Wagons & Wagon Loads

John Phillips – Progress and other developments on his Doncaster layout
Peter Sutherland - Building Plastic Coaches       

 

Specialist Society Stands :

Cumbrian Railway Association
North Eastern Railway Association
Great Central Railway Society
Great Northern Railway Society
Signalling Record Society
S Scale Society
 

Catering:

For your convenience we will have a range of tasty sandwiches, freshly made by Hidden Gem Catering, available for visitors to purchase at lunchtime on both days. Teas and coffees, plus soft drinks will also be on sale

In addition there are also catering facilities at the nearby Asda superstore (with café) and a number of small restaurants, including Square Pizza, Rinaldi Restaurant, Pagoda Cantonese, and Mumbai Boss. The Walnut Tree pub a short distance along Standbridge Lane serves food.

Alternatively you could bring your own lunch, seating will be provided.

 

Getting there:

Public Transport

 

Bus times for services from Wakefield Bus Station on the weekend of 19th & 20th August 2023 (updated 04.08.23)

 

Arriva Yorkshire Service 106 Wakefield-Hall Green

https://bustimes.org/services/106-hall-green-wakefield

Saturdays: Wakefield Bus Station Stand 11

Departs every 15 minutes at 00, 15, 30 and 45 minutes past the hour. Alight at Bus Stop: “Kettlethorpe, at High School”.

Return from Bus Stop: “Kettlethorpe High School Stop K1” at 04, 19, 34 and 49 minutes past the hour.

Sundays: Wakefield Bus Station Stand 11

Departs every half hour at 20 and 50 minutes past the hour. Alight at Bus Stop: “Kettlethorpe, at High School”.

Return from Bus Stop: “Kettlethorpe High School Stop K1” at 10 and 40 minutes past the hour

 

Arriva Yorkshire Service 107 Wakefield-Kettlethorpe

https://bustimes.org/services/107-wakefield-Kettlethorpe

Saturdays (only): Wakefield Bus Station Stand 17

Departs hourly, on the hour. Alight at Bus Stop: “Kettlethorpe High School Stand K1”.

Return from Bus Stop: “Kettlethorpe, at High School” at 32 minutes past the hour.

Note there are no fewer than three Bus Stops in the vicinity of Kettlethorpe High School, so it would be advisable in particular for your return journey to check that you have the correct one.

 

The nearest railway station is Sandal & Agbrigg (Northern Rail) followed by a short walk to Barnsley Road, then take the bus service 106 to Kettlethorpe High School. Failing that it’s about a 30 minute walk to the school.

 

It would be wise to check with both Arriva for the buses and Northern Rail for the trains, as weekends often means route maintenance work resulting in reduced or diverted services.

 

Travel by car

Satnav: WF2 7EL. The venue is with easy reach of the M1 (Junction 39). Follow the A636 towards Wakefield for about ¾ of a mile then turn right into Asdale Road, A6186. At the roundabout by the entrance to Asda’s carpark turn right into Standbridge Road.

 

From Wakefield follow the A636 signposted to the M1 and on reaching the A6186 turn left and follow the directions above.

 

The entrance to expoEM will be on your left. There should be adequate parking on the sports centre site, which is on the right hand side of, and opposite the school. Cross Standbridge Lane by means of the traffic light controlled crossing and enter the school through the pedestrian gate. If parking here is not available, there is plenty of on-road parking in the vicinity of the school, but we would ask that you respect driveways to private houses if parking there.

 

Disabled parking is available on the school site amd access should not pose problems as there are no stairs to negotiate. Assistance, if required, is available upon request at the entrance to expoEM.

 

Contact:

Email:  exponorth@emgs.org

Website: www.emgs.org

 

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

Edited August 17, 2023 by Leander
Layout withdrawn and replaced by a demonstration.

[Leander]

[Leander]

Unfortunately, CM3 Models have decided to withdraw from the expo. Post #1 amended accordingly.

[MartinWales]

Don't forget the the ever popular Members Sales!

[Leander]

The bus services have been amended to include the up-to-date information regarding the services running on expo weekend (see Post #1).

[Leander]

We'll feature all the layouts appearing at expoEM summer over the few days, including colour photos where they're available. The expo Guide will be in monochrome. The first layout to be featured is our Guest from Paul Greene of the S Scale Society.

 

Blakey Rigg – S Scale (1:64, 3/16”2o the foot)
Paul Greene
Blakey Rigg (or ridge) was between Rosedale and Farndale and was the site of Blakey Junction high up on the North Yorkshire Moors on the Rosedale Branch of the North Eastern Railway. The branch reached the tops via an incline and was built to transport the considerable quantities of ironstone mined there and move it down for smelting in Teesside into iron and steel. The busy junction saw branches going off to the East and West sides of Rosedale plus another branch into Farndale. On my layout in S Scale, it is assumed that the Farndale branch brought in both ironstone and potash. Together with the Rosedale Ironstone, the Junction was a busy but isolated and windswept place.
Please do not hesitate if you want to ask questions about the layout, prototype or S Scale.
 

Blakey Rigg (or ridge) was between Rosedale and Farndale and was the site of Blakey Junction high up on the North Yorkshire Moors on the Rosedale Branch of the North Eastern Railway. The branch reached the tops via an incline and was built to transport the considerable quantities of ironstone mined there and move it down for smelting in Teesside into iron and steel. The busy junction saw branches going off to the East and West sides of Rosedale plus another branch into Farndale. On my layout in S Scale, it is assumed that the Farndale branch brought in both ironstone and potash. Together with the Rosedale Ironstone, the Junction was a busy but isolated and windswept place.

[247 Developments]

We will be releasing our 3rd Wagon kit at the show on the Saturday 

So Far its all been GWR in 4mm & 7mm

But this one is LMS & in 4mm with its 7mm one later

[Leander]

Chatsworth Road - A P4 layout by Allan Atherley set in the late 60s early 70s.

Inspiration for this layout came from Bill Hudson’s book ‘Through Limestone Hills’ where I found photos, detailed drawings of buildings and a track plan of Rowsley. I was looking to build a terminus layout and as a former member of the Scalefour North organising Team it had to be P4.

The original station and goods yard was chosen, although this was to become just a goods depot in real life. The track plan was designed using Templot and printed out onto A3 paper. The length of the layout was determined by the length of my shed and more importantly the length of the loop around the goods shed using a minimum of 5ft radius curves. This meant that a couple of sidings were omitted as was the point work that reduced the remaining sidings to the two lines that went under the bridge carrying the A6. Because of these changes I really couldn’t name the layout Rowsley.

Construction began when a good friend and superb modeler Martin Smith built two baseboards for me each being 1.1m in length. This is my third 4mm layout, two in EM and this one and I have used steel rail, Exactoscale or C&L chairs and plywood sleepers from the Scalefour Society on all three. The track was laid in situ directly onto the plywood top and ballasted with Woodland Scenics material. An NCE DCC system is installed together with Tortoise point motors.

The stock is mainly ready to run with P4 wheelsets. Lead has been added to the wagons to give better running and the locos fitted with sound chips and weathered with an air brush and weathering powders.

The station building is listed and extant, being used as a charity shop when I last visited, forming part of a modern single story shopping development. The original railway staff houses opposite the station are occupied. All other railway buildings have been demolished, there being no trace of the bridge carrying the A6.

The station building and the half relief houses were drawn and laser cut for me by Gavin at Stoneybridge Structures. He was able to scale the stonework from various photos I had taken and so produce accurate models. All remaining buildings were scratch built by me to the plans in Bill’s book. The typical Derbyshire bridge was scratch built from ply and covered with Slaters stonework. The stone loading shed, which is based on the one which was located at Sproxton near Grantham is constructed of Wills Corrugated Sheet with brass supports and provides a screen blocker which allows operators to load stone off scene.

 

[Leander]

Dewsbury – Great Northern Railway

 

         Presented by Geoff Tiffany, Brian Eves and David Carter

 

The Great Northern Railway reached the small West Riding town of Dewsbury in 1874 and constructed a large goods yard and a single platform passenger terminus at Railway Street before extending the line through a new passenger station and on to Batley in 1880 and it is this station and its environs that we have chosen to model. 

 

The layout is to scale, emerging from Leeds Road tunnel, running either side of the island platform, over Crackenedge Lane and exiting into Batley Carr tunnel. A tighter than prototype curve at the Batley end is the only compromise from the prototype.

 

The GN passenger service consisted of local trains between Wakefield Kirkgate and Bradford and a Leeds Central to Leeds Central ‘circular’ service.

Bradford portions of Leeds/Bradford to London expresses also called at Dewsbury before combining at Wakefield Westgate. There was also an L&Y Bradford to Barnsley service that ran under L&Y powers.

 

Goods trains consist of mainly ‘trip’ workings between Wrenthope yard and Batley and/or Laisterdyke. We assume that the small station goods yard catered for the nearby fruit and vegetable market located (unmodelled) opposite the Station Hotel as well as traffic for the end loading dock and coal for the station coal shed.

[Leander]

Grimesthorpe (for Attercliffe)  - EM (18mm gauge)          

Tony Gee

It has been a while since I built an exhibition layout but I was prompted into producing another one when I came into possession of a number of superb carriages and wagons, which belonged to the late Sid Stubbs. He and his colleagues at Manchester Model Railway Society developed their own set of standards way back in the 1940s, which are quite a bit finer than what have become the norm in EMin recent times.

The layout is set in the Sheffield area. The real Sheffield District Railway was a branch from the LD&ECR and joined the Midland line at Grimesthorpe Junction. It ended in a goods facility at nearby Attercliffe. They intended to build a passenger station and had started work but then they were granted running powers into Sheffield Midland and it was abandoned.  In my world, that didn’t happen and the station was completed.

The layout will run a mix of MR and GCR services, as the real line did just after the GCR took over the former LD&ECR.

Much remains to be done and the layout is very much a ‘work in progress’ but it is advanced enough to allow me to showcase the work of Sid Stubbs, and to demonstrate the practicalities of using the original 18mm EM gauge.

[Leander]

Hope-under-Dinmore

South Hants Model Railway Club

In 1862 the Shrewsbury and Hereford Railway was jointly leased by the London & North Western Railway (LNWR), the Great Western Railway (GWR) and the West Midland Railway (WMR). By 1871 the WMR had amalgamated with the GWR, so the LNWR and the GWR jointly acquired the Shrewsbury & Hereford line. In 1887 the traffic levels on the line were increased by the opening of the Severn Tunnel and in May 1892, the conversion of the broad gauge lines to standard gauge to the west of Exeter meant even longer distance through services on the line. A station was built to the south of Dinmore tunnel, Dinmore, which was closed in 1958.  The layout is based on a fictitious station that is assumed to be at the north end of the tunnel, close to the village of Hope-under-Dinmore.

Track is to EM gauge (18.2mm) using a mixture of C&L plain track and hand built turnouts.  Turnouts are operated by “Tortoise” point motors.

Signals are based on LNWR design and are operated by “The Bouncer” system which utilises programmed model aircraft servos.  

There are two signal boxes that are based on the signal box at Leominster.  The station building is a mirror image of that at Dinmore that still exists as a private house.

The layout is set in the pre-grouping period 1904 to 1920.  Trains are operated to a schedule and are a mixture of LNWR and GWR.

[Leander]

Kyle of Macallan Locomotive Shed

Adrian Walby

Welcome to the locomotive shed at Kyle of Macallan, somewhere in the North West Highlands of Scotland in  September 1966 and steam has been gone from the area since June 1962. Where the steam locomotives were once serviced, diesels now rest between duties though not for long as the writing is on the wall for the somewhat derelict shed.

The layout is based on but is not an exact copy of the shed at Kyle of Lochalsh and coincidentally the shed lost its roof in a fire shortly after the end of steam, remarkably similar to events at Kyle of Lochalsh.

The layout is built to 4mm:ft scale EM gauge and is DCC controlled. The locomotives are r-t-r models converted to EM gauge and all are sound fitted.

[t-b-g]

On 10/08/2023 at 17:10, Leander said:

Grimesthorpe (for Attercliffe)  - EM (18mm gauge)          

Tony Gee

It has been a while since I built an exhibition layout but I was prompted into producing another one when I came into possession of a number of superb carriages and wagons, which belonged to the late Sid Stubbs. He and his colleagues at Manchester Model Railway Society developed their own set of standards way back in the 1940s, which are quite a bit finer than what have become the norm in EMin recent times.

The layout is set in the Sheffield area. The real Sheffield District Railway was a branch from the LD&ECR and joined the Midland line at Grimesthorpe Junction. It ended in a goods facility at nearby Attercliffe. They intended to build a passenger station and had started work but then they were granted running powers into Sheffield Midland and it was abandoned.  In my world, that didn’t happen and the station was completed.

The layout will run a mix of MR and GCR services, as the real line did just after the GCR took over the former LD&ECR.

Much remains to be done and the layout is very much a ‘work in progress’ but it is advanced enough to allow me to showcase the work of Sid Stubbs, and to demonstrate the practicalities of using the original 18mm EM gauge.

 

I am not admitting to being behind schedule with the construction but I am pleased to report that today, the vast majority of the layout had some wires attached and the first trains ran up and down both main lines and into Platform 3 and the goods siding/loading bank.

 

Just the other two platforms and the fiddle yard to wire up and we might even have a working layout.

 

The control system is a straight copy of Buckingham in that nearly all the electrics are done through the signals, so there are virtually no section switches to remember. I say virtually as either the up or down main line can be switched to a second controller to allow parallel moves or for something to be isolated. This will allow a train to come up to the home signal and be held. I also hope to rig up the facility for a loco trapped at the buffer stops to be able to follow a departing train up the platform. Again, that is a copy of the arrangements on Buckingham.

 

It is the first time I have had the chance to apply these wiring methods since I have had Buckingham and it will be interesting to see how it works in practice but first impressions are very positive.

[Leander]

Minimis
4mm scale: EM gauge
Peter Fletcher

This compact layout represents part of a fictitious engineering company, the site of which extends well beyond the side and rear of this small corner of its northern works.  It was designed for simplicity, using the Peco 18.2 mm gauge track commissioned by the EM Gauge Society, but with the additional intent of tempting others to ‘have a go’ at building a small layout of their own in EM gauge.

There are no points; instead, route selection is made via a pivoted sector plate that accommodates a small tank locomotive and two wagons.   A slightly larger sector plate, that overhangs the footprint of the layout, can be substituted for the occasional use of a Type 2 diesel locomotive.  The more usual motive power, however, is drawn from an industrial lank locomotive, two Sentinel Class Y shunters and a Class J72 tank.

The structures are deliberately intended to overshadow the railway so that the track fits unobtrusively within the scene.  All were built from plywood and embossed plastic card, with each component brought close to completion before the parts were assembled like a large kit.  

One of the four tracks is hidden, allowing trains to have an origin or a destination in a very limited space.  The layout was constructed for analogue control, but digital can be substituted simply by changing the controller and turning on all nine of the sector switches.

[247 Developments]

The Kit been released this weekend is a 

 4mm LMS 12 ton Traction Truck £15.00 including  buffers

20230813_201341 by brian mosby, on Flickr

4mm LMS 12 ton Traction truck by brian mosby, on Flickr

4mm LMS 12 ton Traction truck by brian mosby, on Flickr

 

 

 All been well the 7mm kit will be out in 1 to 3 weeks

[Leander]

Sheepcroft by Stu Davies (EM)

This is a first attempt at building an EM layout, as well as being an example of what can be done with limited space and resources. Whilst the plain track is by C+L the points are handbuilt using bullhead rail and copperclad sleepers, with cosmetic chairs added. The templates used to build them were created by using Templot. Point operation is by wire rod operated by a microswitch which also controls frog polarity. Control is DCC with a ROCO Multimaus the primary controller.
The layout doesn’t require much stock, which is largely modified RTR plus some kit-built. It can be happily operated with a loco, brake van and a handful of wagons. The stock uses 3-link couplings, so if the operators are looking a bit stressed, please bear with them!
A freight only line, it is set in the south west with stock mainly from the late 60s/early 70s and is very loosely based on a real location.

 

 

Edited August 15, 2023 by Leander

[Leander]

Today's featured layout was to be 'Wepre Park', however yesterday I received word from owner Ken Gibbons that he is forced to withdraw it, due to resons completely beyond his control.

 

With time being so short before the expo, we are not replacing 'Wepre Park' with another layout. However John Phillips has accepted the invitation to step into the breach. John will be demonstrating the buildings and structures being constructed for his EM layout of Doncaster. We thank John for helping out at such short notice.

[MarcD]

I will have the first of my new 4mm coach kits. 12 to start with.

1) LSWR 28ft all 3rd

2) LSWR 28ft all 1st

3) LSWR 28ft brake 3rd (2 compartment)

4) LSWR 28ft brake 3rd (3 compartment)

5) Ashbury (Furness/Cambrian)  Brake 3rd

6) Ashbury ( Furness/Cambrian) 1st-3rd composite

7) Metropolitan carriage and wagon (Furness/Cambrian/LSWR/LNWR/NBR) all 3rd

8) Metropolitan carriage and wagon (Furness/Cambrian/LNWR/NBR) Luggage 3rd

9) Metropolitan carriage and wagon (Furness/Cambrian/LNWR/NBR) brake 3rd

10) Highland/ Caledonian/North Sunderland 1st-2nd composite

11) Highland/Caledonian/North Sunderland 2nd-3rd composite

12) Highland/Caledonian/North Sunderland all 3rd

The are all £50 and need wheels and couplings to complete.

 

Marc 

Pre-Grouping Railways 

 

[Leander]

This is the final layout to be featured:

West End Drift

An EM Gauge Model Railway

Winner of the EMGS Chairman’s Challenge 2022

This layout was built to use the new ready to lay track and points introduced by the EM Gauge Society recently. It was awarded the above trophy at EXPO EM held in Bracknell in May 2022. It features a small drift mine colliery with a working loading screen facility under which trains of hopper wagons are filled before despatch to the main line exchange sidings. There is also a narrow gauge section which emerges from the drift entrance. The period portrayed is from 1950 to 1970 with both steam and diesel traction in use.

[Leander]

I have this evening learned that the Signalling Record Society will be unable to attend expoEM Summer this weekend because of health issues.

 

We wish Natalie Jones our very best wishes for a rapid recovery.

 

Peter

[mozzer models]

quick coffee then 247 will be setting off

 

[Bri.dolan]

I’ll be bringing my son who’s 12 with me 

What would admission be for him ?

 

regards 

 

Brian 

Edited August 18, 2023 by Bri.dolan

[Worsdell forever]

2 hours ago, Bri.dolan said:

I’ll be bringing my son who’s 12 with me 

What would admission be for him ?

 

regards 

 

Brian 

 

The poster is advertising accompanied children under 14 free!

[Bri.dolan]

22 minutes ago, Worsdell forever said:

 

The poster is advertising accompanied children under 14 free!

Thanks for that 

I think I’ll need to get my glasses on lol

 

 

[Suddaby]

59 minutes ago, Bri.dolan said:

Thanks for that 

I think I’ll need to get my glasses on lol

 

 

I also didn't see that on the poster, but have spoken to Leander, the exhibition organiser, and he confirms free admission for accompanied children.

Useful to know, as I think I may be on the door!!

 

See you tomorrow, say hello when you come in.

 

Kevin