Wealden Railway Group Show, Steyning Centre. Sunday 10th March 2024

[teeinox]

We enjoy visiting local Club exhibitions because they are so very individual, and not overcrowded.  So there is plenty of opportunity to look closely at an interesting layout and maybe talk to the owner, which is really nice.  Steyning is not very far from where we live, so the Wealden Railway Group show there had to be visited.  It’s an 80 minute bus ride from where we live, but just one bus door-to-door, including a scenic ride in the rain between Shoreham and Steyning!

 

There were about 10 layouts, mainly of the cameo variety.  There was one trade stand, and a few bits and pieces for sale elsewhere.  One of the larger layouts was “Xertigny-les-Bains”, a French-themed HO-scale layout.  Here is a photo of the village square:

 

 

Spot the “Deux Chevaux”, but also a Mini.  And along with the traditional grey Citroen vans, a Ford Transit.  What this scene shows is not just traditional French provincial life, but a world that is changing.  Rolling stock reflects that too, as you will see in this photo:

 

 

There is the elderly “Picasso” railcar but also a diesel locomotive push-pulling a charmless RIB (Rame Inox de Banlieue) unit (In reality, that might have been a cast-off from the Paris region, my husband cynically suggests).  Still on the continental theme, here is a cameo layout based on Norwegian Railways:

 

 

Beautiful detailed modelling in a very restricted space.  And that is a feature of another cameo layout.  Steyning being near the South coast, you would expect a South Coast theme in the layouts, and here it is with Shellsea Harbour: 

 

 

A lot of things to see in a very small space.  Staying with the seaside, we really liked “Hanton Tarrant”, apparently based on Littlehampton in times past.  Here is an overview along the length of the layout, with a 4-PUL in the platform, perhaps ready to set off for London Victoria.  And unlike some other “Southern Electric” layouts we have seen, this 4-COR has juice; conductor rail is present and correct!

 

 

You can just see the fiddle yard at the end of the layout, so the layout is not big.  But it still has a sense of space and shows just what can be done in TT.  Being TT, we guess most of the stock was scratch built.  Here is another shot showing a 2H DEMU at the platform with a steam working behind.

 

 

The £5 entrance fee included a complimentary cup of tea or coffee.  At what other exhibitions do you get that?   The Steyning Centre certainly caters for the inner person.  Here is a photo of the servery.

 

 

The “Brown Betty” tea pot ensured a fine cup of tea.  And the chocolate cake was wicked.  They weren’t short on bacon rolls, either.

 

So, a great exhibition with great catering.

 

teeinox