Jol Wilkinson

David, it isn't the internet. its some of the people that use it. Jol

Their new loco and chassis kit announcements would indicate otherwise. This is probably BM simply streamlining their business and discontinuing the low volume. low value sales items. Their statement that they are discontinuing sales of etched windows appears to have gone unnoticed but I understand that these will still be available through another supplier.

Because mobile phones have made photography very easy. You don't have to think about settings, composition, etc. just point and squirt. If you don't like the result, do it again. You can also share your photos easily and at no cost, although it does appear that photo prints are becoming popular again.

Whilst videos can show layouts that can only be seen in the owners home, much also depends on the quality of the filming. Often a video fails to capture the extent and overall view of a layout, something which you can appreciate when seeing it at an exhibition. You ca, if you wish, also interact with the layout builders/operators as well as other viewers Social media, dvds and books provides a platform for teaching and sharing skills and techniques but there are often times when a one to one meeting provides a much better opportunity to learn. Why else are there demonstrators at many shows? How thick should the paint really be when you are airbrushing it, why does someone's attempts at soldering not work, how can I make this loco run better, etc. etc. I am a member of a national model railway society area group with eleven members. Two are also model engineers, one has a comprehensive woodwork shop, one is an experienced CAD etched kit designer, another an outstanding model figure painter (from a wargaming background), some are experienced kit and track builders. So there is a lot of experience, capability, tools and experience to be shared within the group. So whilst many people may prefer to model in isolation, there can be advantages from being within a club or group. How many of the solo modellers also attend shows, a significant number I would suggest. So while social media provides another way to share information and see layouts, for many the "social" side of modelling is also very important and can play a part in their modelling journey.

The LNWR Society has a very active Facebook group. The Forum is somewhat less active, which is regrettable as as forums have "index pages" are more readily searchable for the material I am interested in. For me, forums beat Facebook any time.

The RTR suppliers already have plenty of outlets for their product news. RMweb and other forums, magazine reviews together with PR announcements and advertising, as well as other major shows such as Alexander Palace. Bachmann already take a stand at York and I am sure that several other exhibition managers would be happy to have the RTR producers take a presence at their show, to raise its "profile".

Roger Sawyer of the EMGS demonstrated soldering at the CMRA Stevenage shows. Children seemed to be the ones that took up the offer to try it. When exhibiting London Road I usually spent my time interacting with viewers where possible. Children were always accompanied by their parents or grandad, so you had to get them onside too. At the Warley 2016 show one grandad said they had been back three times to look at the layout, so they were invited behind the scenes, the late Colin McCullum showing the youngster how to operate the control panel the . Whether or not he is still into model railways I don't know but hopefully a seed was sown.

York has been my favorite large show for many years, although I am no longer able to regularly visit. It uses an unusual venue, which is not the easiest for some exhibitors/traders in which to set up, is 30+ minutes walk from York station, has to contend with the car boot parking on Sunday, use the venues catering, etc. Yet it succeeds very well, attracting modellers from as far afield as Scotland and, depending on the weather, local families. Venues for shows are an interesting subject. Apart from the big shows that use exhibition venues such as the NEC, we are faced with having to use schools or sports centres in the main. While these often have suitable main halls, they are often not ideal in other respects. Organisers are sometimes required to use the contracted caterers who often aren't geared up to dealing with people who are on a day out and want more than a sandwich and cup of tea. Access for exhibitors and traders is often poor (because the venue was't designed for that). Ventilation/heating may be inadequate. Lighting isn't always suitable for layouts so woe betide those that haven't built it in. Parking can be a problem, especially when parents turn up with their offspring for sporting activities. Public transport access may be difficult, which doesn't help those who don't/can't drive or get a lift. I have attended multiple shows each years for over thirty five years as an exhibitor or assisting a trader and so have some experience of these issues and how they can affect peoples perception of the event. Despite this, show organisers manage to put on shows that are well worth visiting but would be even better if those shortfalls could be resolved.

Malcolm Crawley designed the K2/2 and was involved in the N1 but I think Paul Craig produced the CAD drawings for that.

Hi Stan, the paving slabs are still available, now through Phoenix Precision, which is good as I shall need a few more for the new platform ends. Jol

Value for money really depends on what you seek from an event. Whilst Warley probably had the greatest number of layouts and traders per pound, only a proportion of the former and very few of the latter would be of interest to me (relatively few of the smaller suppliers (kits, etc) attend) , so Warley wouldn't represent good VFM. That is not to say that the layouts weren't well modelled but my interests lie in 4mm and essentially pre-group so that is what I can appreciate and relate to most readily. Hence the EMGS and S4 Society shows represent best VFM for me where the layouts tend to feature older period layouts and the specialist smaller suppliers attend. Sadly, it seems to still be very much the case that some show visitors regard a realistic entry fee excessive, despite threads like this highlighting the effort and expense that goes into organising a larger and more comprehensive show.

It also appears to lack a lamp and a spectacle plate, which the others have.

I think that extends to more "newspapers" and media outlets that just the Telegraph. As for clubs deriding people that aren't kit builders or are non-steam, I have been to ones where the opposite applies. It takes all sorts.

It has been my experience, both though working with a small supplier of kits and an Area Group of the S4 Society that many "newcomers" to the hobby tend to be those whose children have grown up and in some cases even left home. They therefore have a bit more time, money and space to indulge a constructive hobby. Home layouts don't have to be large and by joining a local club or national Society with Area Groups they can have access to information, guidance and support. Of course that doesn't always work if your local club isn't very welcoming and forward looking. Some people want to work independently which is where Societies and Forums such as this are a great help, although sometimes advice offered can be conflicting and confusing. Exhibitions can have a strong role to play, in providing platforms for seeing inspirational (usually) modeling, meeting experienced demonstrators and meeting suppliers first hand. Personally, Warley wasn't my cup of tea, preferring shows such as the 4mm Societies events, York, Railex at Aylesbury and the SHMRC Portsmouth show. Over the years I have seen shows rise and fall. The Chatham show in the dockyard was good and I believe has been revived. The Southwold show was aways an enjoyable event but closed owing to lack of support for the show manager from his fellow club members, AFAIK. The Watford Finescale Show was a always aworthwhile event (the cakes are a very fond memory) but it too fell by the wayside when the active club members were too few to continue. Perhaps we have had too many shows. Most clubs seemed to run one and the few local ones I visited were not very inspirational. They were however inexpensive to attend and I wonder if that set a rather low bar in people's willingness to pay for the larger shows. The small shows do however provide an opportunity for local families to have an inexpensive few hours out, hopefully planting the occasional seed. I believe that model railway exhibitions represent great value for money, especially when compared with other activities. Warley may have been a bit of an outlier here in some people's views, but if so it was down to the venue. How effective is social media in presenting the hobby? Some people use it to successfully promote themselves and their view of the hobby. Forums can work well, but other platforms such as Facebook, whilst having easy access and good visibility don't appear to provide a structured and readily searchable way to find prior posts and information. Despite the discontinuation or the Warley show and Hattons closure, the hobby is still reasonably buoyant. It may be slowing down and its protagonists getting a bit older - although not necessarily wiser - but if you are able and willing to look back to where the hobby was in the sixties and seventies and where it is today, we are far better off today in many ways, although some will no doubt think otherwise.

I think the relevant word here is collections. Collecting is, I believe, a pastime in itself. Finding, researching, buying, displaying, possibly even bragging. Railway modelling is more about creating and using, although for some collecting is a major part of the hobby. However, I wonder if being described as a collector is seen as less worthy than being called a modeller.

Perhaps the difference between model railways and the other interests you mention is that railway modellers tend to buy lots of things, rather than just a few items. It is not unusual to read that someone has 100+ RTR locos, whereas an angler will perhaps have just a few rigs for different conditions, a photo enthusiast a couple of cameras and several lenses (I have friends who partake in those pastimes). Amassing large collections does seem to be something in the model communities (railways, buses, cars, etc.) so seeking the lowest prices is important to achieving that.

Andy, clearly I had phrased it badly, which I regret. Sadly we all make a mistake from time to time. Jol

Clearly the point I was trying to make has been misinterpreted in the understandable depression surrounding Hattons closure. I feel that those made redundant by Hattons should not find it too difficult to fine new jobs locally, in an national and local economy in which supply and distribution is a very major sector. They might have great knowledge of model railway products and its market, but unless they are willing to move elsewhere to where other major model retailers are based that may not of much use. However, their skills, at whatever level, should enable them to find employment elsewhere locally. That is the positive I was trying to portray.

I suggest that many of the 78 employees will had a relatively low skill role, as in any distribution business and further would not be likely to be able or want to relocate to another of the current major players in a different location. Those that have IT, Marketing, Warehouse Management, etc. expertise may also well be able to find employment locally and therefore not remain within the model railway retail sector.

Not at all. The fact that a design based derived from locomotives produced in the very early 1900s and which lasted well into BR days is something to applaud.

Simply an indication that buyers are often attracted to the perceived lowest price offering. In model railways, retailers have come and gone over the years. The Fratton Bargain Shop was one of the earliest I can recall to take large adverts in Railway Modeller offering discounted prices (although I haven't bought RTR for decades so haven't followed such thing that closely). Others joined in and as the internet developed things seemed to get more competitive. Those retailers with a strong financial footing were able to grow, those without often fell by the wayside as they didn't have the funds, staff and/or space to compete. The winners in this were the consumers who were readily able to buy from wherever they chose, rather than rely on their local shop. Hattons are closing down for whatever reasons they have. Others, probably the already established larger online retailers, will pick up the pieces as buyers continue to seek competitive (low) prices and efficient service, although these two don't always go hand in hand.

A number of people have speculated on the reason for Hattons closure, including the impact of Brexit, COVID and inflation over a number of years. I suggest they take a look at Hattons on Companies House. Their annual accounts show consistently strong profits - despite a reduction in turnover - up to 2022 when they made only a very small profit. So they had "weathered" various storms very well until then. We can only surmise what actions caused that significant fall (which is pointless) or what other circumstances have caused the directors to make the decision to close.

Dylan, I suggest you ask the question on the S4 Forum where, I am sure, a number of CSB proponents will offer practical advice. In essence the motor needs to be able to move a small amount freely, but as I have never built a set of frames with CSB I can't offer any firm advice. Jol

Hi Dylan, looking good. Are you going for the challenge of the opening (sliding) cab windows? Ironically the other NER loco kit I have yet to build is a Tennant, bought s/h from Australia through the S4 Society Forum. I particularly like 2-4-0s and 4-4-0s so was happy to get it, especially as I wanted to see what one of Arthur Kimber's kits are like. The previous owner had removed most of the parts from the etch, and assembled a few parts, so it is something of a jigsaw. Fortunately a My kit designing days are over for several reasons, the major one being a problem with my right eye which makes computer work rather uncomfortable. I have read that Arthur's daughter hopes to get his kits back into production, so keep your fingers crossed. Jol

Probably all write offs. Even if the engines don't hydraulic, there will be considerable damage to electronics, engine ancillaries, upholstery, etc. from dirty, polluted water, none of which will be cheap to repair.