The London Festival of Railway Modelling 2014 - March 22/23

[John M Upton]

09:02 and the main Palm Court doors are not open. Not impressed at all....

[PhilJ W]

09:02 and the main Palm Court doors are not open. Not impressed at all....

At least its not snowing and freezing cold like last year.

[John M Upton]

Oh yes!!!!

 

Bachmann scrum stand very lightly stocked, good trade as usual, a lot of the clapped out broken old tat - sorry - collectibles shifters seem to have finally gone, some nice shiny new books to peruse as well.

[Mark Dickerson]

Hmmm, it was the "clapped out broken old tat" I mainly looked forward to. Row upon row of the same current-ish range blue and red boxes, inevitably with anything e.g. US invisible at the back, never really appeal. It's normally been my main stock-up of oddments.

 

We shall see...

[John M Upton]

Nice farewell question and answer session from Simon Koller. Pity no one thought to ask him why no Hornby stand there this year though as all that seems to have done is fuel the speculation and rumours.

[mezzoman253]

09:02 and the main Palm Court doors are not open. Not impressed at all....

Me neither, large queue snaking outside with no idea if it was for pre-booked or pay on the day, or both. I asked inside and was told pre-booked. A queue was then just starting to form at the cash desk. When the doors did open for pre-booked, people were coming in from outside and just sidling into the queue; there was no organisation at all.

 

This was my last Ally Pally, I was disappointed that many small suppliers were absent, there were no discounts on the box shifter stalls and overall feel was different. I could have saved £20 plus at least that again on petrol. I'll support a couple of my local events and give this big one a miss. It's been slowly declining over the last 3 or so years. Even the wife noticed the difference.

 

There were some very good and entertaining layouts of course. Invergeachy, Oldham King St. Parcels, Georgemas Jcn, and Michaelerplatz, to name a few. But the mix wasn't right somehow.

 

Maybe it was just me.

 

Rob

[Ryde-on-time]

Just returned from a great day out at the show, got plenty of inspiration for my fledgling layout

 

Have to say the show guide was a vast improvement on the A1? size sheet provided last year

[Brian D]

Hmm.  I thought this year's show was pretty poor.  Having paid my entry fee, I felt obliged to trudge round for two and a half hours vainly searching for any layout LNER or BR(E or NE) and also searching in vain for Ratio kit 250.  Not much on the Bachmann returns pile either.  Might give it a miss next year.

Edit:

Oh, and there didn't seem to be a "star" layout this year that you couldn't get near.

[David Bigcheeseplant]

I was thinking of going tomorrow as I have been most years from the first at Wembley but having read the reports might give it a miss

[grahame]

I wasn't impressed this year either;

 

* There was a big slow moving queue at nearly 11.00am to purchase a ticket (more ticket booths/sellers are required)

* A charge of £1 for a very flimsy and thin programme (last year it was free).

* No Hornby stand (I was hoping to see the new painted N gauge Brighton Belle).

* Various usual smaller/specialist traders were missing (from previous years).

* I struggled to find a stand selling a decent range of plasticard.

* There seemed to be less layouts than usual (particularly N/2mm).

 

But on the positive side the real ale bar in the corner had a great range and choice of ales.

 

G.

[James Makin]

All things to all people but I had a fab time!

 

Took the trip up in the green monster and didn't get lost on the A406 North Circular this time, bonus! My ears were still ringing with the new exhaust so any sound locos weren't as offensive at that time of the morning! And free parking = instant win.

 

Queuing wasn't too bad, though only one person taking card payments, poor girl! Got in and then was probably only person to avoid the Bachmann stand and just head for the toilets, priorities!!

 

Good selection of quality layouts, loved seeing New Bryford in the flesh and the US Tower layout in the Great Hall, some great bits of modelling - as usual quite a few inspirational layouts that are way off what I'd ever model myself, but really pleasurable to watch.

 

I snapped up some more bargain RES 47s (Invicta @£76, better than Hattons' £89!) and then went off to bore Brian on Shawplan's stand for a while, and caused amusement to onlookers on the Bachmann stand while gathering up my big pile of bargain RES 'Super BG' coaches before proceeding to chuck them all over the place!!

 

 Ticket price was well worth it (£11 or something I think, nothing really these days for the size) and great day out, good to catch up with old faces and very happy indeed!

 

[corax67]

Back home, fed & watered with my acquisitions taking up pride of place on the table.

 

 

Mixed feelings about this years show:

 

BAD - no signage, stewarding or queue control system outside so people just wandering in & queue jumping - GRRRRR!!!!!!!!

- quite random setting out with no real 'flow' for spectators

- a lot of empty space between clumps of stalls and layouts giving the impression of lack of support

- too many layouts with nothing moving for long periods of time

 

 

GOOD - Andy was there and gave great talks

- brilliant quality of layouts

- excellent mix of traders, from major box shifters to essential small manufacturers

- very keen & engaging demonstrators

- BRM stand staff were excellent

- opportunity to meet other RMWebbers face-to-face

 

I cannot comment on bargain availability (other than the BRM books for a pound each!!) as I had a very specific wish list which I obtained around 90% of but the guys I went with found no trouble coming home with bulging carrier bags.

 

Certainly nothing to put me off attending next year but then I am only 45 mins away by HS1.

[stewartingram]

Went today, unusually for me bright and early. Got off the W3 bus at the top of the hill about 0920, the queue was already round the corner but slow moving. Not long to get in out of the cool breeze, to find that queue was actually for the pre-booked people. So I joined the pay on the door queue for credit cards. Now, I'v heard grumbles about doors not open, long queues etc. Why don't people give it a rest - the show didn't open until 10:00 as advertised, so why should the doors be open? Pre-booked got in at 09:30, lots of those going in ok. They had a problem with the credit card machines, once they got power to them they started selling tickets, soon after the cash windows opened. But we stilll had to wait anyway, as it wasn't 10:00 so why grumble? Pre-book and go in at 0930 or be patient!

Once inside, I was surprised at how busy it seemed this year. I left at about 14:30. and it remained busy then.

Layouts: Nothing of "cult status" this year, but what was there was good. Everyone's tastes are different, so some people would be satisfied, others not, as expected. No pics I'm afraid though!

Traders: Seemed strange without Hornby, somewhat incomplete I felt, though ironically I usually only give the stand a cursory glance anyway. (The web coverage and mags tell it all, so no need to spend too much time there). The lack of new-ish (ie not used or old stock) RTR , particularly Hornby, was noticeable everywhere, certainly not the quantities we are used to, but a fair amount of Bachmann about. A good bit of s/h (both new-ish, and much older stuff such as pre-China era). Foreign is not my scene so I didn't take too much notice of traders in that.

Specialists: A surprise was seeing some of the stands that would normally have been in the 2nd hall, moved into the main one. Probably caused by the presence in there of the BRM village I suspect. I thought that there was a lesser range of specialists but could be wrong, maybe because I had a definitive list of wanted items organised, I wasn't browsing too closely this time.

Overall, excellent show, a good day's entertainment for the money. Got just about everything I wanted, from specialist to rtr. Enjoyed the layouts. Busy show, but the changing emphasis in the trade because of China problems was showing.

Because I've done so many London shows, from the mid-60's, I always think of this as the "big one". I wasn't disappointed. I like the venue, and its access is so easy with a choice of routes. (Get to know your bus/tube/trains!). Do it again next year? YES.

 

Stewart

[Hippo]

I enjoyed myself today. Didn't manage to get everything I wanted though, no Ten commandments or RT models ??

 

Some very good layouts.

 

Funniest bit of the day, watching Andy Y trying to lift a Heljan Garratt of Phil Parkers Edgeworth layout.

 

Owen

[RJS1977]

Hmm.  I thought this year's show was pretty poor.  Having paid my entry fee, I felt obliged to trudge round for two and a half hours vainly searching for any layout LNER or BR(E or NE) and also searching in vain for Ratio kit 250.  Not much on the Bachmann returns pile either.  Might give it a miss next year.

Edit:

Oh, and there didn't seem to be a "star" layout this year that you couldn't get near.

 

I would have said both the D-Day layout and the O gauge loco depot (can't remember its name) came into that category. Even at 4:30pm I could barely get near them! 

[Chrisr40]

My 10 year old son and I made the journey from Strood this morning for the show and didnt mind standing in the queue too much as he had experienced Warley Saturday last year and felt like a seasoned pro this time around.

 

We both enjoyed the large American layout whose name escapes me, the Australian N gauge layout and my son took a particular shine to Overlord as it is along the lines of what he hopes to capture with his own layout.

Sadly the day was marred for us by one particular gentleman who is fortunate that I didnt hear him telling my son to get out of his bloody way because he had dared to wait patiently to get to the front of the scrummage on the Bachmann customer returns pile. Rest assured if I can ever convince my son to attend a further show with me and we happen across that personage I shall be introducing him to the unwelcome sensation of whatever his chosen gauge is being shoved up his catch point !

 

The variety of traders was quite good and I managed to bag a bargain 7f for 50 notes and couldnt resist the new Hornby Sentinel.

 

Overall would I go again ? - depends if I have any pennies left after the Erith show next year.

 

Chris

[Richardderby]

I'll be there tomorrow morning and I'm really looking forward to it. Do say hello if you see me -- I'll be with my eldest daughter Esme: four years old, kind of into it although slightly bemused by the whole thing too.

Richard

[Ravenser]

There was something different about the atmosphere this year - and I think that missing something was packed in a shiny blue or red box.

 

The returns on the Bachmann stall were nearly picked clean by 11 am on day one and there was visibly very little behind the stand to top it up with.(Never seen it so bare , and so very early in the day as well) . The  display cases  on the Bachmann stand seemed fewer and were filled with last years award winners . No exciting test shots of forthcoming products.

 

No Hornby stand of course

 

As others have said , the traders were quite short of new 4mm RTR , and much of the stock on display was in old packaging , or even plain tatty boxes . That applied to both Bachmann and Hornby . And thinking about it , I don't recall seeing much Heljan either. I bought a J11 , but I had to look at 3 or 4 stands to find one . I don't know if N is suffereing the same famine. I remember some talk about a new Dapol catalogue and announcements for the show but this doesn't seem to have happened?

 

All in all I can't remember a major show as "flat" in terms of new RTR products . There's no point blaming the organisers for that , or saying that it means there's no point going next year - it's simply a reflection of the state of the trade

 

The number of layouts won't have changed, for contractual reasons, but there was little in the way of "big centrepiece" layouts such as the Gresley Beat provided last year. However there are some fine layouts there,  a lot of them to be found at the organ end of the Great Hall (I'd better add that New Bryford and Sweethome Alabama are at the other end)

 

And having the talks very prominently in the middle of the West Hall changes the feel - it seems less packed , but it also seems much less like "the annex". The talks programme adds n new elemnent to the show, and again, changes the mix and feel

 

To my eye the show was very full today - certainly fuller than last year

[Baby Deltic]

I went today. I was disappointed to be honest. I bought more books than anything.

[Jon020]

Arrived after 10... on a full free bus up the hill... straight in, avoiding the ticket queue into a busy hall. To me this year lacked something ... or lots of somethings. I did like the presence of the O gauge diesel layouts... but some were too crowded to enjoy; placing that one across from Dapol was just cruel... I;d loved to stay and watch for longer but it was too busy. Most traders there and managed a few friendly chats but just two minor purchases (although they were what I needed). By 1pm my lad was getting borer so we left. Last purchase was a Strathwood looking back at the Westerns for half price because the pages were put in the cover upside down... like that really matters ;-) 

Afterwards, did a tour of terminals using the travel card, KX, Eust, Padd and then StPan to head South and home.

New models highlight - Farish 31 sample (It looked really rather good - better than anything in OO)... and Spamcan... and painted 55s (they'll need some details like etched fan grills, but they look promising).

New model disappointment, first look at a long-awaited and anticipated O gauge diesel heavweight which has some lovely fidelity but looks to suffer from similar problems to the Heljan offering, and a few others... such a shame.. but I still expect it'll sell well.

 

No photos taken... I'm sure others will oblige.

 

It was nice to walk around outside in the spring sunshine rather than the snow, but I'll have to think carefully about whether I attend next year.

 

Jon

[John M Upton]

Nice to see the prototype Bachman E4 in the cabinet and after a bit of a hunt I managed to find a new Heljan green 33 (I think they were all sold out within a couple of hours) but overall it was not the best Ally Pally I've been to.

 

What was the deal with the show guide? I got given one gratis but there were signs everywhere saying they cost £1 (which by the way I would not have paid for on principle as the entry cost is getting very expensive for what is there now)

 

One thing that struck me both in the queue outside and in the show was that 90% of the visitors were males over the age of fifty especially at opening time.

[The Stationmaster]

Interesting mixture of views.  We arrived just before 10.00 and duly joined the ticket office (Cash) queue which worked quite quickly - no complaints on my part about either that or joining the by then moving and shortening queue to actually get in.

 

I think the new location for the BRM stand and theatre worked quite well - interesting to hear Simon Kohler answering the questions put to him by Andy, and congrats to Andy for asking the things we all wanted to ask.

 

So what about the rest of it - interesting mix of layouts including some very good and well known ones - great as far as i was concerned to get a chance for a chat with Mick on New Bryford and see his Colas Class 70 paint job - modelling the contemporary railway at its best (and I prefer steam!).  Some layouts were however a bit short of anything actually moving and Station Cat who was with me thought there were fewer of them than last year.

 

The trade situation was interesting to say the least - i wan't looking for anything new and shiny in either red or blue boxes (that's what my 'local' modelshops are for), I saw the right EP models for me on the Bachmann stand, i didn't have any inclination to join the Bachmann 'scrum', there did seem to be an overall impression of 'not much in current r-t-r in red (in particular) and blue boxes but again that didn't worry me.  The specialist traders seemed a bit patchy in presence and I did wonder if the cost might be a bit off-putting for some, I appreciate they can't do every show and in any case Railex is not far away.

 

Despite it being a bit more difficult to get to than the NEC Ally Pally is a great venue, it's clean, even the toilets were clean (unlike those at the NEC during the Warley show), there is a mix of catering and the quality of what we had was pretty good - my only complaint is a lack of seating for those of us who wanted to just sit and rest our legs and/ior feet without having to buy food or drink to justify our use of the seats.

 

Overall - a good show, great to meet various RMweb members (as is usually the case of course) and plenty worth seeing.  Considering that it's a London venue I don't think the price was unreasonable and was, I reckon, fair value for money (but nowhere near the Basingstoke show in that respect, it offered superb value for money).

[TomE]

This year was the first time I drove to AP, and it'll probably be the last. Felt like flypaper for #*@¥heads most of the way around the A406! That said parking at the venue itself was easy enough, and free, which is a rare thing these days!

 

The queue was already quite sizeable by the time I joined it at 9, but it moved into the main atrium fairly quickly so time waiting outside was minimal. I did think maybe they should have a two queue system though. One for those who just want to wander around the show and one for those who make a beeline for the Bachmann stand, which is where 90% of the people in front of me went!

 

I enjoyed the show, although this year I felt it to be a little sparse. The layout content was good, St.Denys and Lambourn being highlights for me, but there seemed to be fewer than previous years. Like Mike I thought the specialist trade was patchy, but I found everything on my relatively short list so I left happy.

 

Overall a good show, but not it's best year I feel.

 

Tom.

[backofanenvelope]

I'm off today, so good to know. I have a bit of a shopping list that I hope to complete. Forgot to bring ruddy camera though after I charged all 3 batts and found 3 cards grrrr. Looking forward to it though.

[Xerces Fobe2]

I will be along with Mrs Fobe today!

 

XF