Warley NEC 2010

[lmsforever]

A good show but why was it so hard to find the layouts as you walked in all you could see were trade stands,the layouts seemed to be tucked away out of site I noticed many people going round looking for them ,when I did find them they were all of an excellent standard.The New York elivated layout was a different prototype to be modeled ,liked the station annoucements, rolling stock was expetional .Hinton Parva another excellent creation.Travel to Birmingham is so easy all trains were full and clean.Echo the lack of seats ,food much better this year with a wide range the Subway wagon was a great choice well roll on next year.

[traction]

Had a great 2 days helping John Wiffen and his dad on the Scalescenes stand.

Very busy, today was a little less manic which was nice.

Everybody we spoke to was really interested and I was quite suprised how many had never heard of Scalescenes.

I hope I was able to give some useful advice and those who did come a talk to us will give the kits a try.

No I don't get paid, I just enjoy making the kits and offered to help John out.

 

Didn't really get chance to take any photos, got a few shots of two layouts! Took these first thing this morning before any operators were on the stand, at least I could get near them then!

Hopefully they are OK taken using the camera on my phone.

The level of detail struck me on this one.

 

.

 

This layout was just different and something away from the norm

 

[

 

Cheers

 

Ian

[pirouets]

Very enjoyable day spent strolling around. I wonder how many miles i covered. Best bits for me

 

1. The T gauge HST. Stuuning given its size

2. The Mumby Lumbar Co. The machine shop and lumbar mill at either end of the layot were true inspring pieces of modelling

3. Herculaneum Dock. Not sure why, but I think it was a layout that I could picture the real thing from.

4. Aberdare. A really interesting layout given the single platform serving a double track line.

5. Meacham. This one stood out as the article in RM recently did not make it stand out, but seeing it in the flesh made me want to have a go.

6. Dapol for not having the blue/grey HST ready until around March, which gives me a few months to save up AND build the trackwork for it to run on.

 

Also agree with the comments about well spread out, and loads of seating which my knees appreciated.

[Melly]

Sounds like it could be RTI (Road Transport Images). They sell a cracking CDROM catalogue with photo's of dioramas. They do a range of diecast chassis with resin cabs, etc, so you can build model lorries with your choice of cab, chassis and body.

 

My link

 

Thanks very much - that's the one. Had a new resin cab of the Leyland Roadtrain which will be perfect for my 80's/90's layout. Much appreciated.

[Ian J.]

Had a pleasant day out to the show today. I think this year the whole show seemed better with only one glaring problem - the oft-mentioned lighting. The space between the aisles was better, there were plenty of good quality layouts in all the regular scales, from both UK outline and overseas.

 

I think Sunday will become my preferred day as it is just so much less stressful. I used to try to get up for the start of the show on the Saturday, but unless I had knowledge of some bargains to be had on a trade stall, I honestly can't see the point any more. It's certainly not worth it to try and grab a new release as either a) there are no new releases, or b ) the new releases sometimes turn out to be 'inaccurate'. So now I set off a bit later from home (a civil 7.30am, rather than 4.30am!), there's no queue to get in, the visitors are more spread out, and it's possible to actually get up to almost all the layouts and see something rather than having to push or be pushed.

 

Additionally this year I had no purchasing funds (save £4.90 for some Alan Gibsion buffers for the yet to be started Westward Terrier kit), so I didn't do my usual hour and a half rush round the trade stalls to get stuff. So I had a nice leisurely stroll from 11.00am to closing at 5.00pm, with a couple of breaks for homemade sandwiches that I brought with me.

 

Here's some pics of the various pre-prod items that were on display:

 

Heljan

Baby Deltic

Class 28

Lion

 

Bachmann

Class 70

S&DJR 7F

2EPB

 

Dapol

Stove R

Class 22

Beattie Well Tanks

[simplex]

Had a good day, some great layouts, enjoyed watching the Gauge one live steam. spent some time by the 0 gauge Barmouth bridge, for some reason liked the Faller hit train layout more than i really should. But the highlight of the show for me was Hezelpoort which really has to be seen to be believed.

 

 

Many thanks to all involved in the organisation, running and exhibiting at the show.

[John M Upton]

Am I going mad or is the black triangle indicating the guards van end on the blue EPB on the wrong end?!?

[RFS]

Am I going mad or is the black triangle indicating the guards van end on the blue EPB on the wrong end?!?

 

I agree - it's definitely at the wrong end!

 

One thing about the 2EPBs is that I couldn't see any compartment partitions. As I remember from travelling on them, the motor coaches had two 4-bay saloons, and the trailers had 5 compartments and a 4-bay saloon.. It was also noticeable that the motor (identical to the 4 CEPs) intrudes into the first two compartments. Apart from that the units look superb.

 

Lord and Butler are also doing an exclusive limited edition featuring unit 5759 in green but with small yellow ends. Price is £109.95 (+£25 for custom weathering if required). They're contactable on 02920 667225.

 

There were some unpainted coaches of the 4VEP on the Hornby stand. This looked like the refurbished version with the reduced luggage compartment and an extra seating bay. Seems the motor bogie is in the correct motor coach as per the prototype, not at the end as in the Bachmann 4CEP. But it also looked as though it was at the passenger end of the coach (and hence visible) rather than at the luggage compartment end. I hope that the version of the original 4VEP has it there where it's out of sight.

[meld]

There were some unpainted coaches of the 4VEP on the Hornby stand. This looked like the refurbished version with the reduced luggage compartment and an extra seating bay. Seems the motor bogie is in the correct motor coach as per the prototype, not at the end as in the Bachmann 4CEP. But it also looked as though it was at the passenger end of the coach (and hence visible) rather than at the luggage compartment end. I hope that the version of the original 4VEP has it there where it's out of sight.

 

Hi RFS,

 

Erm, Unrefurbished or original CEPS have always had their Motor Bogies at the outer ends of the units .. so apart from the fact that the chassis block protrudes from the van area ( and in the EPB ) the motor is in the right place

 

If, and we do not know if this will happen, Bachmann produce a refurbished CEP - the I would hope thatthe motor would be moved in to the TCBK to help hide the motor.

 

Mike

[newbryford]

A big thank you to all who came and saw "Blackmill" and your positive comments. We were fortunate enough to be awarded the Modern Image layout trophy.

Thanks also to fellow exhibitors - especially those within close vicinty for their light-hearted banter throughout the weekend.

 

Home now for a 3-week rest before Wigan.

 

Cheers,

Mick

[Lambton58]

Thanks very much - that's the one. Had a new resin cab of the Leyland Roadtrain which will be perfect for my 80's/90's layout. Much appreciated.

I bought a 1956 Bedford S cab. It's stunning. A nice crisp moulding.

Ralph

Lambton58

[Lambton58]

Hi RFS,

 

Erm, Unrefurbished or original CEPS have always had their Motor Bogies at the outer ends of the units .. so apart from the fact that the chassis block protrudes from the van area ( and in the EPB ) the motor is in the right place

 

If, and we do not know if this will happen, Bachmann produce a refurbished CEP - the I would hope thatthe motor would be moved in to the TCBK to help hide the motor.

 

Mike

Just a bit of fun guys, but judging from this picture I don't think CEPS had motors.

Ralph

Lambton58

[Flying Pig]

Had a pleasant day out to the show today. I think this year the whole show seemed better with only one glaring problem - the oft-mentioned lighting. The space between the aisles was better, there were plenty of good quality layouts in all the regular scales, from both UK outline and overseas.

 

I think Sunday will become my preferred day as it is just so much less stressful. I used to try to get up for the start of the show on the Saturday, but unless I had knowledge of some bargains to be had on a trade stall, I honestly can't see the point any more.

Lambton58 and I took his two along today and would agree with all of the above. The combination of wider aisles and a less busy day made for a much more pleasant visit, though there still wasn't time in the day to see everything and this thread is reminding us of stands we meant to look at but somehow forgot...

 

The lighting in the hall is poor, but this just emphasises the need for exhibitors to see to their own lighting requirements. In this respect, the Dutch as usual score 11/10 for presentation with de Hezelpoort far and away the best: their lamps were aimed onto the excellent backscene so that the layout was effectively lit by the sky (just like life says Lambton58). These guys *think* about exhibiting. Surprisingly some layouts seemed to have no lighting of their own at all. Of those that did, I'm afraid the 2mm people didn't do so well - Ynysarwed and Wansbeck Road are exquisite but dark as some of the photos earlier in this thread illustrate.

 

One layout that actually benefited from the gloom was Blackmill. As the real daylight faded, young Lambton59 commented that it looked like dusk, an effect helped by plenty of in-layout light sources and the the sodium orange cast of the hall lighting. In my opinion its DCC sound also added to the atmosphere, which isn't always the case.

 

Enough blether - a few pictures. First up, the Bachmann 2EPB, which black triangle or no looked beautiful to us:

 

 

Very early samples of the Rails LMS diesel:

 

 

 

The Farish B1 is already available but was worth a snap as it seems to be their best yet:

 

 

The 03 and Metro Cammell DMU were present in works grey only, which was a little disappointing, but first impressions are good:

 

 

 

I'll leave the experts to pick apart the D6300, but Dapol appear to have captured the North British character (and hopefully not the reliability):

 

 

The only layout my little camera could capture with any clarity was de Hezelpoort with its high intensity illumination.

 

 

 

[Lambton58]

Better layout than last year with much more room to move and plenty of seating. Very well organised in general but for those attempting - like me - to 'pay on the day' it was an amateurish shambles if you wished to pay by card. The cash desks could, and should, have opened at least 10 minutes earlier and there seemed to be no reason at all why they didn't as there was more than enough crowd control to keep pre-payers separated.

Something 'they' got sorted for Sunday (not sure if that was Warley MRC or the NEC people, but well done either way). It really was a breeze getting in. The route to the carpark seemed to go against the flow of traffic, so no hold ups there. No queues either at the ticket office (cards accepted too) or to get into the hall and not much crowding in the hall.

 

 

Nice photos Mr FP!

 

Ralph

Lambton58

[Pacific231G]

I could only go yesterday (Saturday) and was helping to staff the SNCFSociety stand so didn't have a vast amount of time look round. Because of a very hectic week I hadn't seen this thread so didn't know about the RMWEB 1PM meet but thanks to everyone who dropped by our stand for a chat (especially those who joined the society)

 

I probably missed quite a lot on the layout front and agree that they're quite hard to find among the trade stands so wonder if a different hall layout would help. I've never found that to be a problem at Ally Pally which must be about the same size. Saturday was also very crowded until the last couple of hours which didn't help. Of those layouts I did spend some time with I found the Liverpool Overhead particularly interesting as I've never seen "The Dockers' Umbrella" modelled before and it was a fascinating line. de Hezelpoort was also extremely attractive but though it was opposite our stand it drew such crowds that I only got to see it after the show had closed and the conveyor belt operating system was fascinating.

 

As others have commented the NEC is depressingly gloomy. I assume that's because it's designed for trade shows where stands all have their own carefully designed lighting and maybe don't want much ambient light to interfere with it so the hall lighting is really just working lights but I don't know of any other large exhibition hall that is quite so dark.

[Huw Griffiths]

Just got back home from the NEC - as expected, well worth the trip. I'm already planning for next year - but haven't decided which day yet. (I just hope Mr. Souter continues running his blue coaches!)

 

Excellent layouts (too many to mention) - and loads of interesting club & demo stands. I learnt a lot - and met loads of great people.

 

The magazine stands were also interesting - some of the "special" models looked very nice. I also appreciated the model railway photography "masterclass" - I learnt more on this topic through watching one photographer (of this parish) for a few minutes than I'd learnt in the previous 45 years.

 

It was great to get the chance to meet a number of RMweb members - at the Sunday "meet" and on various stands. I don't know everyone's names - so, rather than miss some people out, I'll just say that I enjoyed meeting you all (which I did).

 

Anyway, that's enough from me for now.

 

Regards,

 

Huw.

[Burkitt]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KoZinL5e7tw

 

Here's my video from Warley, making full use of the 15 minute length now permitted by Youtube. I'll add some more clips of individual layouts over the next few days.

 

Paul

[Ron Ron Ron]

Excellent video Paul. Thanks !

[oldknotty]

Thank you guys for all the pics and videos it makes it a great day here as well 4000 miles away :-)

martin

[009matt]

Didn't know the baby deltic and class 28 were under DB Schenker ownership!

[edcayton]

Thankyou for that video Paul, it was excellent. Did you use a tripod, or have a very steady hand?

 

Ed

[Oldddudders]

Thank you guys for all the pics and videos it makes it a great day here as well 4000 miles away :-)

martin

Absolutely echo that as another foreigner, albeit 3500 miles closer! Last year, I recall, we even got a group RMWeb portrait. When you have no hope of getting to these shows - such things matter! More power to all your lenses.

[Burkitt]

Thanks for your comments on the video. No tripod, Ed, I don't think it would be possible to use one in the crowds present at Warley. I try to use the barriers in front of layouts to support my elbows and help keep the camera steady, and edit out any clips which are too shaky.Paul

[Oldddudders]

Thanks for your comments on the video. No tripod, Ed, I don't think it would be possible to use one in the crowds present at Warley. I try to use the barriers in front of layouts to support my elbows and help keep the camera steady, and edit out any clips which are too shaky.Paul

Certainly your video shows little need of additional support, and your assertion that a crowded hall is no place for a tripod will be appreciated by every visitor! If any extra support were needed, then a lightweight monopod might be favourite, because it takes up no extra space, standing in effect between the photographers' feet, but allowing smoother panning than some of us manage. Any benefit would be marginal at best in your case.

[St. Simon]

Very few pics due to crowds but down below you'll find Simon (of this parish) driving trains through Hinton Parva with Graham Muz lurking further along the layout - nice layout, nice to see the working signals (in the right places as far as I could see) but clearly a need for some Signalman training I thought.

 

Hi,

 

Thanks for that picture Mike!

 

The Hinton Parva crew got back to our clubroom and unloaded the layout by 20:45, just 3 and half hours after the show closed, we were packed up by 18:15! The Layout performed well over the weekend, with only a couple of minor niggles. From 9:30 on the saturday morning to 16:30 on Sunday afternoon, we had at least one deep across all 32ft of the layout, with several times getting up to 4 deep! We recieved lots of positive comments about the layout from the public, which is always good!

 

As some of will know, we had also had 2 of the forthcoming Hornby Magazine / Dapol Stove R 6-wheeled vans running on the layout, At the head and rear of our 2 parcels trains. They performed very very well over the 2 days with them hardly derailing at all!

 

I had few hours spare to look around the exhibition inbetween operating Hinton, overall I thought it was a very good show with a good range of layouts and traders. Unfortunatly I was unable to attend the meet up due to playing trains back at the layout! I noticed that the sunday was alot quieter than the saturday, at around 10:30 I was able to look at 99% of the layouts upclose and spend a bit of time at all of them. Even the Bachmann stand had free spaces along it!

 

Speaking of Bachmann, it was good to see the painted pre-production samples of both the 2-EPB and the Class 70! It was also abit of a surprise to see shots of the Baby Deltic and Class 28 on the Heljan Stand and the shots of the Class 22 on the Dapol Stand.

 

But the Best thing about the weekend, the Exhibitors Lunchs!

 

Unfotunatly I didn't manage to get photos, but I'm sure other people did!

 

Simon