End of Warley National Show - but now it's not the end of a show at the NEC.

[Old Gringo]

With so much negativity in the stormy January air, some RMwebbers might enjoy a different take on the news of the end of the Warley National model railway exhibition held at the NEC.  I began the following notes a week ago, after I'd started thinking back over the last three decades and they are just a few of my personal comments on the show.

 

Warley National Model Railway Exhibition - A Personal Reflection.

 

Like many others, I was saddened by the news of the cancellation.  Although, having been a 'country' (careful now it's just another word for associate) member of Warley MRC for many years, it somehow didn't come as quite such a shock.

 

I first met Paul (Jones) while I was helping to operate a super little layout called Carradon Junction*, at the small model railway exhibition held at the National Children's Home in Sutton Coldfield.  Paul had been told that I was involved in communications and design and asked me if I could produce a logo to be used for a brand new, 'National' Model Railway Exhibition, that the Warley club were going to hold at the vast NEC complex. 

 

Although I don't believe that there is anything really special about the artwork, which combined the Warley MRC 'screw-link motif' into an industrial-style, oval railway works-plate; it was an undated design that has been used over and over again the brand advertising.  And it's been a real pleasure to see it used continuously for longer than any of the liveries or motifs used by the 'Big Four' railway companies!

 

I went to that first Warley NEC show in 1993 as a demonstrator ('how to build and ballast track - made using C & L components'), working on a section of a projected East-Lancashire terminus layout, with a small display of Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway locomotives, carriages and wagons.  The engines were built by my late friend and long serving Warley member, Barrie Stevenson, from etched-brass kits and they ran for several years on the 'nearly-finished' layout. 

 

The ballasting demonstration introduced me to some members of the Stafford club and I ended up designing and ballasting several exhibition layouts with them.  Later helping with the planning and staging of the local exhibition, when it moved up to the Stafford County Showground.

 

And as Mick (@Newbryford) has said in an earlier post, "the hardest shows were those attended as a layout exhibitor, wanting to make sure that it all worked just as it should, but with that added pressure at the NEC of the 'National' label".  I'd like to add that it's just as true as a demonstrator, hoping that you managed to answer all the questions!  And I hope that everyone I've spoken to over the years was satisfied with the explanations I gave and also were encouraged to have a go.

 

In those intervening three decades, I have only missed a couple of NEC exhibitions; attending many times as a demonstrator, or layout operator, on club layouts, Group-builds and my own projects.  Regular RMwebbers might remember a few of the layouts: Black Country Blues (The BRM Competition layout), Diesels in the Duchy (Damian Ross's large cameo, inspired by St. Blazey), Stafford Railway Circle's, Littleton Junction and New Haden Colliery layouts: and finally last November, helping to operate Camel Quay (Terry Robinson's layout based upon a mini-Padstow).

 

Probably my favourite NEC experience was taking a layout based upon another section of the Southern's 'Withered Arm' in North Cornwall, Treneglos, which was built by Chris Tooth, Damian Ross and myself.  "Could it really be that this coach came from Waterloo?" was a line of Sir John Betjeman's poetry, which was included in the verses on the lighting canopy and the layout was a lot of fun to play trains on too!

 

In complete contrast, the hardest weekend was taking my U.S. project, 'Once upon a time . . . in the West'.  Based upon a junction at Whitewater, New Mexico and set in 1919, it was displayed as an exhibition layout under construction, which in retrospect was a great idea that probably should have stayed on the sketchbook!  (PS: Anybody interested in a 32 foot section of model desert, complete with display canopy, please PM me).

 

But, here's one of the things that IMO was so special about the Warley NEC show - the camaraderie of fellow modelling enthusiasts.  On the Friday night, I was really struggling to set up the US layout, when two chaps suddenly appeared from nowhere and helped me put up the not so 'light-weight' steel canopy (from which the 30 foot photo-back-scene was hung).  Thanks again Richard and Ray, I shall never forget your help that night with a 'Once upon a time' nightmare!

 

However, it was Simon's (@Not Jeremy) earlier comment (page 5/ post 6), that perfectly summed up for me the Warley NEC exhibition: "I loved going to Warley, in whatever capacity, it was so spectacularly and terrifyingly large, and was always an ambitious celebration and exposition of a great hobby.  What I really loved about it all was the excitement and pleasure it gave to so many people, seeing the enjoyment on the faces of so many people gathered in one place.  It gave you a great feeling of being part of a fantastic hobby".  I've also been to the NEC just as a visitor and have felt that buzz and enjoyed every show.

 

So, what are the things I'll miss most about the Warley club's National show? 

There was always something new to see - something new to learn - and someone new to meet.

 

Finally, I'd just like to add a big thank you to all those people who have helped to make the show the success it has been over those three decades.  Thanks especially to Paul and all the Warley club members for creating a show full of those special memories.

 

All the very best,

John

 

PS: What's next then?

PPS: Oh brilliant, a friend wants some ballasting and I've had this sketchy idea for . . .

 

* Carradon Junction was featured on the cover of the last edition of Model Railway Constructor.

[TheSignalEngineer]

7 hours ago, TinTracks said:

You're doing well . Ten layouts  maximum is just about my attention span.😆

The length of time I spend on each varies greatly. Seeing a glaring error straight away can make me move on quickly.

[Stefan88]

Very sad to learn of this, been going every year since returning to the hobby 8 years ago and previously went several years in a row while at school with likeminded school friends taking the train up.

 

It was only last year that I finally 'mastered' the parking situation, parking for free at Hampton in Arden station and getting a return on the train for the 1.5 miles to International for a couple of quid. Previously I'd always just parked in the International station long stay carpark for £9.

 

I had intended to take my daughter to her first Warley last year, originally planning on doing it all by myself in the morning to allow me to do the rounds through all the trade stands without a 2 year old on my shoulders, then popping back home early afternoon and returning with her for a leisurely round of the layouts and displays until the end of the day. But unfortunately she became sick and started vomiting later that morning (just as well I didn't take her with me first thing!) and the trains stopped towards Coventry for around 3 hours in the afternoon anyway with no realistic other way to get back to Hampton until they got running again, so I just went back in and did a few more rounds of the layouts.

So that was that and for me the saddest thing about all this is that I won't be able to share an NEC Warley with my daughter.

 

The show has legendary status not just in the UK but also internationally. The show is very well known on an Austrian model railway forum I frequent and the other members were always amazed by my poor quality mobile phone photos every year.
Most years I notice plenty of foreign visitors at Warley, last year I noticed some Dutch and German visitors from overhearing people in the trade and continental sections, and I've heard Italian and Slavic languages in the past.

[Ian Fisher]

Everyone seems to have not mentioned this ol favourite https://yorkshow.org.uk/layouts-2024/

 

Warley club help with resources for this show

[Barry O]

This year I talked to visitors from Norway, Germany, Belgium and the Czech Republic as well as a lot of UK visitors.. the Norwegian guys have gained a new (if temporary member for their club.. onerous Leeds members is in Norway 9n a student exchange! Amazing who you could meet at Warley.

 

Baz

[St Enodoc]

1 minute ago, Barry O said:

This year I talked to visitors from Norway, Germany, Belgium and the Czech Republic as well as a lot of UK visitors.. the Norwegian guys have gained a new (if temporary member for their club.. onerous Leeds members is in Norway 9n a student exchange! Amazing who you could meet at Warley.

 

Baz

And an Australian or two...

[5BarVT]

On 22/01/2024 at 23:42, St Enodoc said:

And an Australian or two...

Was that in addition to the BYOA (Bring Your Own Aussie)?

:-)

Paul.

[PaulRhB]

I enjoyed chatting to punters with various layouts I took, 

With Rhätia it was evoking memories of holidays and fascination with the rocks and that they knew the materials to make them. One chap was a geologist and complemented the observation of rocks and weathering. 

 

Camberwick made me smile when slightly glazed spouses suddenly spotted Pugh, Pugh, Barney McGrew, Cuthbert, Dibble & Grub and stopped the other half mid stride 😆 much fun was had remembering the names!

With Sud Harz BIG it was the faces of the lads on the layout behind us when we put a 32lt crate of cake on the table, “that’s what we need!” 😆

 

Lulworth it was our constantly changing bufferstops that delighted many!

 

and Sud Harz, smaller but also far away, it was kids chasing trains along the length of the layout 😁

 

Plus a load of friends layouts right up to the 009 village last year, Ian noticing the pub was filling up fast and reserving us a table 👍, bumping into friends on other layouts at lunch, the list just keeps on going. 
I had a ball every year and always nice that Paul J or another steward would pop by to check all was ok. It was a long tiring weekend but always fun. 

[St Enodoc]

6 minutes ago, PaulRhB said:

Pugh, Pugh, Barney McGrew, Cuthbert, Dibble & Grub

Not forgetting Captain Flack.

[PaulRhB]

28 minutes ago, St Enodoc said:

Not forgetting Captain Flack.

We didn’t but he wasn’t in the rhyme they remember 😉  

 

on the right with the whistle 😁

 

 

[Cymru Rails]

Thinking back, I'm glad I attended the 2023 show, not knowing it'd be the last for who knows how long. The memories are hitting different now. The vibes, the layouts, the camaraderie - the 2023 exhibition was unreal. Big shoutout to the organisers that made it special. I put together a video from my visit. Check it out here. It's a great video for those who were there for the final exhibition and a glimpse into the 80 layouts for those who missed out.

[Chris M]

6 hours ago, Cymru Rails said:

Thinking back, I'm glad I attended the 2023 show, not knowing it'd be the last for who knows how long. The memories are hitting different now. The vibes, the layouts, the camaraderie - the 2023 exhibition was unreal. Big shoutout to the organisers that made it special. I put together a video from my visit. Check it out here. It's a great video for those who were there for the final exhibition and a glimpse into the 80 layouts for those who missed out.

Thanks.

 

I expect one of the magazines will put on a new version of a National show. It will almost certainly not have as many layouts because bringing 90 good quality layouts together is very expensive and a business running a big show will always have to concentrate on making a profit. This means the ratio of layouts to trade stands will be lower than the ratio chosen by Warley club. This is not a criticism, merely the reality of business life. I believe there is both room for a new National exhibition and desire from modellers for such a show. I really don't know but I would be very surprised if one or two organisations aren't already deep in negotiations with the NEC. If a new National exhibition comes along it will be a good thing for the hobby.

 

In the meantime I am still amazed that Warley club managed to find the right people from its membership to keep the Warley National going for 30 years. That is one fantastic achievement.  There is an article about called "Death of the model railway?" in The Critic magazine by Richard Bratby which makes for a good read. I hope it is ok to quote one line of his article here - "It’s as if, for the last three decades, the Eurovision Song Contest had been organised by the Danebury Metal Detecting Club". 

 

Warley club is sound and, whilst it has no need to put on future exhibitions, there is a good possibility that a smaller Warley show will pop up sometime.

[roundhouse]

I was on a Zoom meeting last night with fellow 009 modellers. At one point the Warley show with the L & B theme with the loco 'LYD' as a centrepiece came up. This was the first year that I took a layout to the NEC. Prior to that I had heard horror stories about getting in and out with layouts. I was pleasantly surprised how easy and quick it was and much the same in subsequent years. That first show the NEC security were like the Gestapo but since then the ones that we have dealt with have all been very pleasant and helpful. The last few shows I have been doing demo so we didnt even require access with our vehicle.

 

As other have said its the chatting with visitors and other exhibitors that I will remember. I remember when we took out Czech layout that we had so many people who's partners etc were from the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Often we could have done with more operators on the layouts so that we could engage with more visitors. With the demo stand sometimes we could have done with a waiting area and ticket sytem🙂.

[MarkSG]

6 hours ago, Chris M said:

There is an article about called "Death of the model railway?" in The Critic magazine by Richard Bratby which makes for a good read. I hope it is ok to quote one line of his article here - "It’s as if, for the last three decades, the Eurovision Song Contest had been organised by the Danebury Metal Detecting Club". 

 

The article is available on their website:

 

https://thecritic.co.uk/death-of-the-model-railway/

 

[AY Mod]

A little announcement up at Doncaster this weekend.

 

So that's the end of the end.

 

 

Further information in due course.

[PaulRhB]

35 minutes ago, AY Mod said:

A little announcement up at Doncaster this weekend.

 

So that's the end of the end.

 

 

Further information in due course.

Good job I didn’t cancel my leave that weekend, so that’s in the diary  😎

[PaulRhB]

1 hour ago, AY Mod said:

 

 

 

Further information in due course.

[franciswilliamwebb]

3 minutes ago, PaulRhB said:

 

The undead meets the unwashed 😉

[wombatofludham]

On 30/01/2024 at 07:12, Chris M said:

  There is an article about called "Death of the model railway?" in The Critic magazine by Richard Bratby which makes for a good read. I hope it is ok to quote one line of his article here - "It’s as if, for the last three decades, the Eurovision Song Contest had been organised by the Danebury Metal Detecting Club". 

 

 

As both a Eurovision fan and railway modeller, I fully endorse this.  How Warley managed to organise an annual spectacular on an industrial scale will forever be a source of wonder.  (PS, going off piste, Bachmann will you get off your backsides and get a licence from the EBU/BBC/UA:PBC to produce 350104 in it's Liverpool Eurovision livery?  I'm sure I'm not the only occupant of the intersection in the Venn Diagram of Eurovision fans and fans of Desiros)

Also well done to Warners for taking on the mantle of organising Son of Warley.  Assuming the weather plays ball (November has a good chance of seeing the roads and railway line from Wales to the Midlands being washed downstream to the Severn estuary) I might be able to get over to see the new show.

[Revolution Ben]

 

Ha!

 

So since the end of November we have gone from the Warley show at the NEC to zero shows at the NEC to two shows at the NEC (Model World Live in April, now this one in November.)

 

I thought high prices/nothing for the kids/too little competition/too much competition/too much detail/ageing population etc etc were supposed to be killing the hobby?

 

cheers

 

Ben A.

[Mallard60022]

Well done Warners.

P

[AY Mod]

10 minutes ago, Mallard60022 said:

Well done Warners.

 

Thank you; the phone's been buzzing all afternoon with 100% positivity from the trade over a national showcase event for the hobby continuing.

 

Lots of work to do now within the team!

[Barry O]

5 minutes ago, AY Mod said:

 

Thank you; the phone's been buzzing all afternoon with 100% positivity from the trade over a national showcase event for the hobby continuing.

 

HUGE AMOUNTS of work to do now within the team!

fixed that for you!!!

 

Baz

[melmerby]

11 minutes ago, AY Mod said:

 

Thank you; the phone's been buzzing all afternoon with 100% positivity from the trade over a national showcase event for the hobby continuing.

 

Lots of work to do now within the team!

Any idea yet what size it will be?

[AY Mod]

3 minutes ago, melmerby said:

Any idea yet what size it will be?

 

What? The team? 😁 Probably one or two less than needed.

 

The show? Roughly what folk will be used to seeing.

 

There's a lot to sort but if we'd tried to get most of that done before a full announcement it would have been the worst kept secret in the hobby so, as things were only confirmed 48 hours ago, we've just gone for giving the where and when whilst we get down to it all.