Warley 2012

[Barry Ten]

I've started doing a two day stint.

Day one: Get there at opening, Shop and grab the bargains, leave early afternoon when it is packed to the gunwhales

Day two: top up on anything missed and a leisurely stroll around the layouts, much more civilised.

 

Keith

 

The one year I did a two-day visit I enjoyed it tremendously, but life's always seemed to scupper it happening again.

[RANGERS]

Well, I said I wasn't going, but I did; I said I wasn't going to spend much, but I did; and as usual I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as the smaller shows,but I did! It surpassed all my expectations this year, some stunning layouts which took an awfully long tome to get round, for no other reason than I spent a lot longer looking at them than I'd expected to.

 

I've little interest in continental but the three Dutch layouts were exceptional, Veldhoveh 1935 being outstanding and the star of the show IMHO, all 2'6" by 18" of it. Chatellerau was superb and Florida City rekindled my vague interest in US models again.

 

Crowds seemed smaller than usual, not as much of a crush. The queue to get in this morning was quick to disperse once the doors opened and even the catering wasn't overcrowded at lunchtime.

 

Acquired a Hornby Sandy at a keen price, almost by accident (not had a chance to have a good look yet but it looks to be worth the wait), and a couple of other bargains to go with it.

 

All in all, a super day out. We've been quick to point out the shortcomings of the NEC and the Warley show in general in the past but this year took all the stops out, one of the best for many years and possibly the best one I've been to.

[backofanenvelope]

Survived the Saturday ordeal! normally going Sunday when it's more relaxed, but great show.. Specially the L&B themed layouts, top of my list was cliffhanger. Very impressive. Also the Dutch layouts were very good when you could get near them.

 

Came away with a book, mag and some flux

T.

[roundhouse]

 

 

It looked as though you were relaxed and enjoying it Ian. I did try to say hello but you were engrossed in entertaining folk.

 

Andy

 

I was happy playing with our iPods driving trains and so did a fair few visitors, some of which have had a go before.

 

 

We had plenty of people that called by for a chat today which also kept us busy but was thoroughly enjoyable..that's part of the fun of doing shows.

 

Call by tomorrow.

 

Ian

 

[Crantock]

It was OK. I'm not sure I can go beyond that. Its the usual Warley problems of crowds and tight gangways. I go to quite a few exhibitions so some things were not new. I felt the trade to exhibition balance was a bit tradey but populist tradey and some bits unavailable. Pricing very mixed with some good bargains and some Christmas nonsense.

 

I thought Cliffhanger was good but would have preferred locos to railcars. Liked Lime street but felt operation looked more like a day at work than fun. Usually I skip the continentals but the E wing was well worth a visit.

 

Didn't intend to spend but seem to have a 2 year BRM subscription and a full rucksack.

[TomE]

Good to catch up with you again Tom!

 

Hope you didn't have any problems with the train home, mine was delayed due to "lineside problems" but the chap up front seems intent on making up the time, feels like we're almost doing warp speed!

 

Had a very enjoyable day "operating" Tucking Mill. Thanks to Jerry, Kim & John for the top company! Will upload some photos to the 2mm section a little later.

 

Tom.

[darren01]

Good to catch up with you again Tom!

 

Hope you didn't have any problems with the train home, mine was delayed due to "lineside problems" but the chap up front seems intent on making up the time, feels like we're almost doing warp speed!

 

Had a very enjoyable day "operating" Tucking Mill. Thanks to Jerry, Kim & John for the top company! Will upload some photos to the 2mm section a little later.

 

Tom.

HI

Maybe the Driver/Diver.... wanted to go tot he show as well and wanted to get to the Bachmann stand!.

Darren.

PS. With the weather being this bad he made to be.

[Nobby (John)]

HI

Maybe the Diver wanted to go tot he show as well and wanted to get to the Bachmann stand!.

Darren.

Diver!!!

[Nobby (John)]

HI

Maybe the Diver wanted to go tot he show as well and wanted to get to the Bachmann stand!.

Darren.

 

He would have been better off going to the Signal Box Stand.

 

Brand new stock

Class 85's £59.00

MLV's £59.00

37's from £40.00

Desiros £89.00

 

and loads more

['CHARD]

How in the name of (insert deity of choice) did we MISS Lime St? Top layouts we did see, were Haymarket Cross (and I'm not usually a depot apologist), which was simply incredible, oozing atmosphere and showing off a stud of Eastern (and Scottish) workhorses that were a credit to the operators and owners.

 

Stoney Lane (is that it?) - N gauge south London compact, had won a few awards judging by the decor at the right hand end where I was stood. This had beautiful attention to detail and a real sense of place - the MILLWALL tag on the road bridge was a lovely touch, if a bit neat!

 

Could get no closer to Cliffhanger than about three deep at the funicular end, I assume it was. The sheer scale of this was breathtaking, would have liked to spend longer and get closer to this masterpiece.

 

Despite spending a full five hours there, we still got sidetracked seeing old friendly faces such that I couldn't get round and put new ones to names I know only from here!

 

There were definitely bargains to be had, although the larger box-shifter stands were naturally concentrating on fast selling lines from the current catalogues; if you could get close enough and were patient there was a diverse selection away from or at the edge of the main piranha pools! Would love to make a return trip tomorrow to mop up the friends from here I missed and the layouts we unaccountably didn't see either. Sadly, I'm otherwise occupied!

['CHARD]

Reading this is making me want to go! Good job there is Sunday tomorrow

I can cancel my BRM subscritiption then restart it and get a free Kettle......Sounds like Green Shield Stamps, put like that

 

Only a lack of knowledge about the suitability of the free loco for my present purposes stopped me doing the BRM thing; it is one fantastic deal.

[darren01]

Top layouts we did see, were Haymarket Cross (and I'm not usually a depot apologist), which was simply incredible, oozing atmosphere and showing off a stud of Eastern (and Scottish) workhorses that were a credit to the operators and owners.

 

Please any photo's ! I would have been their but events over took me from going and helping out on a layout,So stuck at home

Darren

[Earl Bathurst]

Well another fantastic show today as normal. Look forward to next years show which will be with us before we know it. The show seemed alot busier than normal, does anyone else think the same? Fantastic layouts there very inspired by them all

[Jon020]

The show seemed alot busier than normal, does anyone else think the same?

The traffic on the M42 was blamed on two large shows at the NEC several times by Radio 2 this afternoon... I couldn't help but think that there was a concentration of railway modellers sat on the slip roads

(I wonder what our collective term is )

[Coombe Barton]

The traffic on the M42 was blamed on two large shows at the NEC several times by Radio 2 this afternoon... I couldn't help but think that there was a concentration of railway modellers sat on the slip roads

(I wonder what our collective term is )

A rucksack?

[MarkSG]

The traffic on the M42 was blamed on two large shows at the NEC several times by Radio 2 this afternoon... I couldn't help but think that there was a concentration of railway modellers sat on the slip roads

 

There was a huge queue of traffic heading for the NEC west car park as I came off the M42. I bypassed most of it by going round the airport approach roads and then doubling back towards the car parks, at which point I felt very smug as I sneaked through the roundabout and headed towards the railway station where I paid £5 to park all day (and didn't have to queue) compared to the £10 for the NEC car parks.

 

(I wonder what our collective term is )

 

A scale?

[newbryford]

(I wonder what our collective term is )

 

A whinge.

 

Cheers,

Mick

[Jon020]

Oops, that's started something. Glad it was a good day... and yes Mark, the station is always the best place to park.. cheaper and a short walk to the halls (from memory). That was what I planned to do today, but events stopped that. Glad it was a good show; I've really enjoyed reading the threads today.

Jon

[RJS1977]

Good show, a lot of very good layouts and trade (I picked up a S/H Bachmann Pannier for £25!). My only disappointments with the layouts (apart from a couple I barely saw due to the crowds!) were a number of layouts where several operators seemed to be standing around talking and nothing much happening, and (without wanting to restart the debate again), a couple of otherwise very good layouts that were front operated but the design hadn't been thought through properly, meaning I saw little other than the back of the operator(!) (There are some very good front operated layouts out there where maintaining a clear view for spectators has been taken into account, but these weren't, although to be fair I think the worst culprit was a normally home-based layout that had been invited as a "one-off". What I saw of it looked very good, it's just a shame I couldn't see most of it!).

 

Highlight of the show though probably has to be the Dutch picture-frame layout. One of those ideas that once someone's had it seems so obvious it's surprising nobody's done it before!

[Lambton58]

After standing Leighton Buzzard to NEC very grateful to get into the show,Liverpool Lime St just gets better every time I see it,thanks for explaining the technique for modeling the buildings.Other layouts,Holdeness Light and the two dutch mini ones worth looking at,overall good day out and heres to the next twenty years.

That makes me feel slightly better about standing from Bletchley! Were you on the 8.36 from Leighton Buzzard? By the time it got to Rugby it was hideously crowded and very few people could even get on after Coventry. We wondered if was something to do with the previous train having been cancelled combined with several events at the NEC + Christmas shoppers going to Brum.

 

Ralph

Lambton58

[Flying Pig]

... very few people could even get on after Coventry. .

Didn't stop them trying though.

 

If anyone's going tomorrow, Andy's suggestions up-thread are well worth heeding, but the star of the show for me was Loch Tat. I don't think I've ever seen such accomplished scenic modelling in 2mm or N (Ralph - you photos are required!).

[The Stationmaster]

Every time I go to Warley I say I ought to make it a 2 day event, and every year I don't - so as usual i missed quite a lot but then on the plus side I met and had a chat with a nice bunch of folk including one I haven't seen to speak to for nearer 20 years than 15 I think. But I did get to see some layouts (including Andy's recommended three - and well worth finding them) I did go and see Cliffhanger (which is quite something) and as another thread has already shown I made one impulse purchase which subsequently had a test run in Coventry (other pics of that event make the location very identifiable.

 

Had a good train ride in both directions although the final (from Coventry) return train was 20 minutes late (a Voyager) and seemed to be either rather poorly or really was having adhesion troubles, it certainly made some very non-Voyager noises and its acceleration in places was abysmal. And yes - from what I saw trains were crowded, even some Pendolinos which are not exactly short of space. The reasons seem simple - shopping in Brum, football in Coventry, and a couple of attractive shows at the NEC.

[gismorail]

Anyone know what the problems were with arriva trains wales today. Went to get the holyhead birmingham itl train from gobowen at 07.56 and was first informed at 07.40 that it was delayed ...... then a train fault ...... then at 07.50 train cancelled. Quick drive to ?shrewsbury and got the 08.31 for birmingham itl ...massive overcrowding . The return journey not much better .....running late and understand train was terminated at chester. Lady guard totally in the dark as to the problem ........ how not to run a bus service.

[31A]

Very much enjoyed myself, and thanks to those nice people from BRM for the free locomotive!!

[southern42]

08.02 Arriva Wales to Birmingham Itl ran on time with standing room at the latter end of the journey, though this did not affect us.

At Warley at noon.

 

19.09 Birmingham to Chester left on time but arrived at Chester 10 minutes late as we watched our Bangor connection pull out ahead of us. Not funny. The next train was an hour later and running 40 minutes late.

 

Customer Services laid on a coach for us (and 5 others) which took us to Bangor arriving 40 minutes after our original ETA.

 

With lots going on at the NEC on Saturdays throughout the year, it seems a shame that the 19.09 isn't a through train like the morining one.

 

Tired and going to bed. Will comment on the Show tomorrow. Night folks.