Stafford Railway Circle Exhibition 4th 5th February 2012

[OldNick]

I attended the show on Sunday this year, and the attendance appeared very low - presumably the knock-on effects from the snow on Saturday afternoon. I've been there in snow before, so the parking conditions weren't a surprise, nor the state of the on-site roads. Clearly there is nothing that the organisers can do about thsat, and the welcome on reaching the hall was very warm.

 

I found the traders I needed without difficulty, plus one I hadn't expected - we now have a nice shiny vinyl station sign to announce our layout at shows. Overall it struck me that the traders were a good balance.

 

On the layout side though, although there were some excellent layouts, the balance of layouts seemed hoprribly dominated by OO. By my reckoning, 21 x OO layouts 4 x O (+ 1 xO16.5), 2 x EM, 2 x N & 1 x Fn3 - or 21/31 in OO is not a balanced display. For 2 x EM to represent the entire fine-scale aspect of the hobby, or 2 x N gauge all the smaller scale models was disappointing.

 

Witht he crowds as thin as they were, I did take a few photos, some are here, more are linked at my Flickr site.

 

[pitbull1845]

On the layout side though, although there were some excellent layouts, the balance of layouts seemed hoprribly dominated by OO.

 

To be fair to the organisers, their website was very informative about what layouts (and their scale) would be appearing. Pretty sure it was also mentioned on this thread too so the info was out there to try and reduce any disappointment.

[great central]

There are times when you have to take what's available for that particular year, I know that there are certain layouts we would like at Nottingham to fit in with one of our 'themed' areas, but it simply isn't available for the year we'd like it.

Good layouts are often booked up at least a couple of years ahead, I enquired about one at Pontefract last week and the first year they could do is 2014, if we get in quick, otherwise it would be 2015 at the earliest.

 

I thoroughly enjoyed the show, spoilt slightly by keeping an eye on the weather. It started snowing when I got to Uttoxeter, on the way out. So it was decide to carry on or go back home, well worth keeping going.

The drive home was another matter, not helped by somebody in a 4x4 going down the A50 at less than 15mph!! I kept going at about 30 - 40mph in my old 2WD banger quite safely.

[trisonic]

Which is the layout with the rather nice bi-level, weathered yellow brick(?) station building (with the PO vans out front)?

 

Thanks to everyone who posted photos - I devour the ones of good shows.....

 

Best, Pete.

[Graham_Muz]

Pete

 

That's Alloa and deservedly won the best in show.

[trisonic]

Thanks, Graham. I thought it must be. That alone is a beautiful model in itself.....I'd like to see more of it if anyone has yet more photos, pretty, please?

 

Cheers, Pete.

[Oldddudders]

Thanks to everyone who posted photos - I devour the ones of good shows.....

And you are not alone, Pete. I share your passion for vicarious visits to each show, and thank the snappers and cinematographers most sincerely.

 

When seasoned modellers say choice among layouts is difficult, we have a healthy hobby as represented on the exhibition circuit. Stories of layouts booked several years in advance tell their own tale, and the only fly in this rich ointment seems to be the increasing scarcity of suitably compliant venues, which is a worry.

[OldNick]

The other fly at the moment is the economy. Exhibition managers are having to cut their coat accordingly, resulting in a general reduction in the demand for large layouts requiring overnight accommodation for operators. Stafford had managed to afford these, but I wonder if the high proportion of OO gauge layouts came about through economic 'back-filling' once the expensive show-pieces had been selected.

[lmsforever]

But I don't want to live on Long Island!!!!

 

Best, Pete.

whats wrong with Long Island?

[Revolution Ben]

Hello,

 

Thanks for posting those photos. Which is the unfinished layout with the EWS Class 60 on a viaduct? Looks like it has a lot of potential...

 

cheers

 

Ben A.

[Andy Y]

It's going to be a very interesting layout Ben. It's Whiteacres by the Stafford Railway Circle - http://www.staffordrailwaycircle.org.uk/layouts8.php

[ScRSG]

OK "Alloa" has arrived home safely and has been restored to the club rooms until next time (Wigan in June). Can I, on behalf of our group, please extend a big thank you to the Stafford boys for their hospitality over the weekend. It is most welcome when you are looked after so well. We are obviously delighted to have been voted as best visiting layout, and are grateful for all the positive comments made to us during the show. For those of you who haven't seen Alloa and were unable to visit, there are more photos in the Rmweb galleries, just do a search for Alloa, some photos are taken from the inside of the layout and you can see some of the detail which is often missed when viewing from the front.

 

p.s. We have already had a discussion about tension locks!!!!! (but to change over 100 items of stock.....)

 

Once again many thanks for a splendid show.

[gridwatcher]

Airthrey Park is back safe and warm at the club rooms. We had a great weekend and all thank The Stafford lads/lasses for their warm welcome and the friendly atmosphere. Great journeys both ways too! We look forward to another visit (if invited!?) Pity that weather might have taken the edge off the numbers. Well done to the Alloa lads and also to Blackmill, Georgemas and Warren Lane teams for the craich and their lovely layouts! Airthrey Park will next appear at the Cathcart Model Railway Show on 27th and 28th October 2012

[unknown]

 

OMG, spotted moonlighting on Blackmill. George will be angry

[kits galore]

^{What a great show Stafford is spent a long time there lots of good layouts with a good mix of traders from ready to run to the specialist, kits,paint, loads for wagons .lights plus loads of bits and peices. Will definately be going back next year. Well done the show team.}

[woodenhead]

In terms of what I want to see at Exhibitions, it's quality over scale quotas. I model in N but I don't go to exhibitions looking for N gauge, I go for inspiration from any scale. Having said that, if you asked everyone what they modelled I am sure by far and away the biggest proportion would be OO so most exhibitions will have OO dominating. If you need to see a particular scale there are specialist exhibitions catering for most of the common finer scales.

[Nobby (John)]

OMG, spotted moonlighting on Blackmill. George will be angry

 

Yes i saw you, shame i didn't when we were packing up Georgemas

Anyway arrived in Copenhagen this evening to -13 so dont moan about the UK.............( although every road is open and clear and no delays on flights except those coming in ( like mine. )

[Nobby (John)]

^{What a great show Stafford is spent a long time there lots of good layouts with a good mix of traders from ready to run to the specialist, kits,paint, loads for wagons .lights plus loads of bits and peices. Will definately be going back next year. Well done the show team.}

 

Blimey, is my eyesight going or is this microscopic eye testing text. ------ aah just realised its N Gauge text

[Kev T]

If think this PMT double-decker used to be my school bus around 1969. If I remember correctly, the seats upstairs were long benches on a raised platform with the aisle to one side in order to give more headroom downstairs, as it was a low height model.

 

For me personally the most interesting layout at the Stafford show was/is Alloa. I really like it when the aim of a model is to recreate a location historically, as accurately as possible. This layout oozes atmosphere, with lots of fascinating details such as the bowling green, and you just know it is a real place. I never even noticed that the couplers were tension lock!

 

I think it is very difficult to get an invented model to have the same atmosphere - they tend to have too much crammed in and bring in too many cliched features, or the layout somehow doesn't ring true.

 

Douglas

 

I also remember NEH466 and NEH467 being regulars on my school run from Longton to Meir, better than the Beresford buses!

 

For me I really enjoyed New Haden Colliery and being an 0gauge meddler I liked Hospital Gates.

I had a very informative and enjoyable session with Paul Lunn who gave me a couple of ideas for a home layout to run my stuff on when I can't get to Alsager. Anyone who is struggling for inspiration should look him out.

 

Kev

[Piemanlarger]

Well, we made it!

 

After saturdays car troble and the weather, we did not leave till a bit later Sunday with a planned Eta of 12, which turned out to be 12.30 by the time we entered.

 

We we a bit disapointed with the choice to close at 4 on the sunday as the snow had stopped falling saturday and roads were fine. The tannoy announced this was to allow layouts to pack up and get home early. I can see the point, but dont think the hour made much difference apart from making our visit now a bit rushed.

Very nice welcome upon entering, and generally the show was very well run from what i could see. However, guessing the showground have been paid good money by the organisers i was surprised that no effort had been made to clear a walkway from the car park to the show.

 

As pointed out trade and layouts well advertised so you knew what to expect.

Trade was exellent. spent far more in a show than i normally do though 5 waggons just topped £100! Great tool stalls, books and general stock plus the detailed stuff. Very well balanced trade. Took adbvangtage of the reduced sanies too, though what was saved there was spent on the sweet stand for the trip home lol

 

Please note my thaughts and comments are not meant to offend anyone, hopefully there are somethings that some may find I have apoint?

 

I hope you enjoy the snaps.

 

Layouts.

 

After saturdays fiasco it was only the draw of Blackmill that made me make another trip on sunday. Was not disapointed and spent alot of time watching the layout being operated and taking notes. Think i looked like a nerd by 3pm lol

Was surprised how long blackmill is but could have spent all day therte really, apart from when that 57 was running. noisy things those 57.

Some great stock and ideas.

One thing that did disapoint in Blackmill was infact nothing to do with blackmill, but the 0 gauge "sound" layout behind it. The level of sound on all the layouts that had it was spot on, least the 00 layouts. Was disapointed that the sound from the 0 guage layout was so loud it was drowing out blackmill, first time i have seen a class 66 go Chuff Chuff chuff. One of my steam buff companions who is an 0 guage modeller himself was also put off the offending layout, one thing he spotted was a 3 clynder loco with 4 beats per rev!

 

 

 

 

Loads of great scenes, really liked the 4x4 on the rocks

 

 

 

 

 

I guess these have both been waethered by club members? Very nice too.

 

 

 

 

Very nice loco, sounded good and looked good.

 

 

 

 

 

A Rice loco and train this one!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Was this running on dcc or is it a motor less loco? I might have missed it, but thaught the lamp could have been working?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Warren Lane.

 

Nice container layout with very good operation of the cranes etc. again enjoyed this though sometimes thaught there was a slightlack of loco movement. I am sure it is correct however just my thaughts. Loco sounds were great especially the DRs class 37. Not sure what chip was fitted, think it may be the Zimo version. Sounded excellent.

 

first time i have heard the class 70, thank god its out of my era.

 

 

 

Nice mix of stock

 

 

 

Very impressed with this model.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Very nice sounds from this loco, any one know whos sounds they were?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pendennis.

 

 

Thisd layout was a big bonus to me, in that i have got some nice ideas to copy here for my proposed china clay layout. The fact the china clay section was just a few feet at the end shows what can be done. Very impressed with this, even if the locos were quiet lol

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Midchester.

 

Thaught this was another great layout with a very interesting operation and tack plan. Very enjoyable to watch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Georgemans.

 

Nice layout with some interesting stock not least the pipe carrying wagons

 

 

 

 

 

some very nice deatil and ideas to see here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Berrybridge.

 

 

Nice layout as indeed were most i saw. Cant remeber a show where i have been so impressed with the l;ayouts and spent so much time photographing scenes and buildings on them. Very high standards on the whole.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alloa.

 

Great layout with great features and buildings. Not sure if its me going off steam but i hardly noticed the loco movement i was so captivated by the layout itself. Superb, just needed sound. Maybe thats why the locos did not attract me so much lol

 

.

 

 

 

 

 

superb building this

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Does anyone know what the feature on this building is. found it very interesting

 

 

 

 

Superb scenes

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alkam

 

Very nice again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Albion Quarry.

 

Great layout and loved this crane

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

aithrey park.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Great show, well worth the trouble of going twice to see it once. As a 00 guage modeller i will say there were not much n guage there, layout wise but personally i dont have a problem with that. Perhaps the layout that is being built could have made way for more N gauge in hindsite.

Definatley a show i will keep an eye on for 2013 especially if there is a strong 00 D&E theme to it!

[grid56104]

 

Does anyone know what the feature on this building is. found it very interesting

 

 

 

Unsure to what feature u are referring to but if it is the half cylinder at the back of the building its likley to be the staircase between floors. I am sure one of the Alloa team can confirm.

 

Max

[Piemanlarger]

Unsure to what feature u are referring to but if it is the half cylinder at the back of the building its likley to be the staircase between floors. I am sure one of the Alloa team can confirm.

 

Max

 

thanks max. seems a good suggestion. interesting model.

[ScRSG]

Unsure to what feature u are referring to but if it is the half cylinder at the back of the building its likley to be the staircase between floors. I am sure one of the Alloa team can confirm.

 

Max

 

Quite correct, this is the back staircase. Basis of construction was a Sweetex container!!!!

[vitalspark]

Thanks, Graham. I thought it must be. That alone is a beautiful model in itself.....I'd like to see more of it if anyone has yet more photos, pretty, please?

 

Cheers, Pete.

 

Thanks to you both for the kind comments.

 

If you click on my name..`vitalspark`.. and open galleries there are a few shots of Alloa in there.

 

Great show and all credit to the team at Stafford for a particularly warm welcome to ourselves and friends from North of the border.

It was nice to be sharing a hall with `Airthrey`..our neighbours from Clackmannan.

 

Davy

[newbryford]

Was this running on dcc or is it a motor less loco? I might have missed it, but thaught the lamp could have been working?

 

 

 

 

 

66622 has a working tail lamp - it flashes, so you may have caught it in the off state (either that, or we've forgot to turn it on). It has had the driveshafts removed, so is towed only at the rear of the ballast train. It also carries a sound decoder, so we can have it just idling away.

 

Glad you finally got to see Blackmill.

 

Cheers,

Mick

p.s. the 0 gauge 40 was the really loud one..........