Jump to content
 

andyram

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    3,171

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    2

 Content Type 

Blog Entries posted by andyram

  1. andyram

    Wirksworth 2014

    By andyram,

    It has been a fair few months since I have added an entry to this blog. That is not because of a lack of show visits. I have visited several over the last few months including Derby, Mickleover, Butterley, Bakewall and more. Many of my comments have been posted on the show's own pages. Sadly some of my comments have led to some criticism from some of the argumentative members of this site! As a result I would like to issue a safety warning. The views on here are my opinions only, and any criticisms are meant as constructive comments!!!
     
    And so to today. I like the Wirksworth event - it is rather unique in having three different sites spread across the town. The short walk between them breaks up the event and there are some nice little shops to look at whilst en-route. There is also the Ecclesborne Valley Railway to ride on as well if you so wish with DMU's on the main route and steam on the short incline branch.
     
    Back to the show and there was a good mix of layouts. I know that the organisers had had some problems with booked layouts dropping out, but they had done well to put on a decent show. The Ilkeston group had provided three layouts with the pick being "Fenby Quay" which is becoming a real show regular. Meanwhile their "Elveden Road" was a recently completed project showing a modern day servicing depot.
    The third Ilkeston model was "Woodside Lane Stabling Point". This small layout has also been seen at many shows over the years and has visited this show on at least one previous occasion.
    For 0 gauge enthusiasts there were two models - Catley Chemicals and Woodthorpe Shed. The latter showing some outstanding models. For someone who is a 00 gauge steam enthusiast there was very little. The only model to fit the bill was Derek Gelsthorpe's "Sutton Junction". I have seen this on many occasions and really like the model. It is a nicely sized terminus layout and there is always something happening. However one thing that, in my opinion, lets it down is how the model is operated. When shunting stock locos are allowed to change direction in an instant without any kind of pause. To me that spoils any sort of realism the model portrays. This may be a personal preference as I have seen similar practice on another of Derek's layouts - "Idle Way".
     
    The second room had another good mix of layouts. It was good to catch up with some Mickleover Club members and see one of their layouts for the first time. There was a lot of modern image here again, diesel layouts seem to be in the majority at this year's event. There was also a trio of foreign layouts. Those who admire the continental modelling could not fail to be impressed by the sizeable "L'Etoile de Chevineaux" a lengthy HO gauge French inspired model. Sadly I do not find these kind of models of interest.
     
    The modelling quality was varied in this room with one layout which, in my opinion, did not reach exhibition standard. Model buildings that were not well fixed together, exposed polystyrene formers, ill fitting building and tunnel fronts that exposed the constructions behind all spoilt a very busy and unique model. There was little operational interest either. I am sure some found the various cameo scenes impressive but for me the very poor workmanship spoilt it all.
     
    The third room mainly featured trade but there was a large display of Twix Twin and two small layouts including the N gauge layout Bitsand which had lots of passing trains.
     
    All in all an enjoyable show. Here are my light hearted awards.
     
    Best layout:
    3rd: Elveden Road - only completed in the week leading up to the show. A good looking modern day layout.
    2nd: L'Etoile de Cehvineaux - the largest model in the show. An impressive HO gauge French layout.
    1st: Fenby Quay - for the scenic and sound fitted locos it gets my vote.
     
    Best model loco:
    An 0 gauge "Crab" on Woodthorpe Shed caught my eye.
     
    The humorous:
    The inaccuracies of one visitor's monologue on the production "Deltic" which seemed to bore one of the operators.
     
    The worst:
    The poor workmanship on one layout in the second room despite displaying some "best in show" trophies! If it was "work in progress" model I could understand its appearance, but it wasn't.
  2. andyram

    Time has flown!

    By andyram,

    Was it really the beginning of June when I last posted on this blog?? How time does fly, and to be honest the lack of input on here has rather matched the progress with this year's show. A house move, a holiday and starting back at work under a new head teacher have rather taken over my time. Just a couple of weeks ago Chris, who runs the kitchen at the event, approached me to ask about lunch arrangements for the day. My reaction was "oh sh**, is it really that close?" Well yes it is. The third Weston on Trent show is only six weeks away and the fingers are well and truly out!
     
    To be honest, knowing of my impending house move, much of the work was done in the early part of the year so we are not behind by any means. This week has seen the new layout information forms sent out to gather up the final information from all our exhibitors. This will make sure nothing gets missed after my break from duties. A few phone calls this week has confirmed some other layouts and seen a couple of failures too. Despite this the show is filling up nicely. I do think we could have our best ever line up of layouts. That being said there is still one definite gap. We still need a narrow shelf layout, maybe operated from the front, which could fill the space in one of the corridors. Any offers considered!!!
     
    As with the last two shows I plan to exhibit my own "Skaleby West" layout. This remains stored out of use in our spare room at present. The plan is to update the goods shed area for this year's event, replacing the poor scratch built building that has never looked quite right. I bought an off the shelf Bachmann building during the summer which will fit the space so now it is just a case of getting down to work. This may be the layout's last outing. It will have attended three Weston shows in a row, all be it with some amendments each time. The goods shed is the last area to be dealt with so there will be no changes for next year. With that in mind I am planning to start something new - more on that soon. Skaleby West will remain available for other exhibitions.
     
    More updates soon.
  3. andyram

    Decisions, decisions.

    By andyram,

    Right now I am sat with one of those well known modelling problems, not sure which way to turn. At the start of this year I had two 00 gauge model railways. Skaleby was my 11ft long shelf layout that was permanently erected in our spare room and its little brother, Skaleby West, a 4ft x 1ft micro layout, built for exhibitions was stored alongside it. The latter was considered complete with just the usual maintenance being required, whilst the former was an ongoing project.
    Recently we moved into our new build property. Sadly Skaleby cannot be accommodated into the spare room and has been consigned to the garage. The two moves this year has really taken its toll. The track, laid on ballasted foam underlay, has started to lift and needs relaying, probably on cork with new ballast. With such major surgery needed I am unsure whether to rip it up and start again or leave as a long term project for the summer months.
    Skaleby West is in the spare room. However in order to join the scenic board to the fiddle yard a short extra board will be needed to allow the layout to fit around the corner of the room. This will also mean the part constructed 4ft extension board cannot be accommodated in the house and could only be used at exhibitions.
     
    So what to do?
     
    Do I concentrate on the maintenance of Skaleby West alongside building the short extension piece to allow me to run the layout at home?
     
    Do I use Skaleby West as a shunting layout, minus the fiddle yards, whilst concentrating on overhauling the layout's goods shed and adjacent area (those who have seen the layout will know what I mean!)?
     
    Or do I start something new?
     
    After all, I do have a 4ft x 1ft baseboard all but complete that is sat doing nothing! During my recent holiday in Norfolk the old grey matter has been ticking over and I rather fancy a small coastal terminus model to include a small station and some sort of goods / harbour area for the movement of fish traffic. I have purchased several of the Hornby and Bachmann fish wagons and a low relief Bachmann hotel building in recent months so I do have something to start with.
     
    Decisions, decisions!
     
    Oh and there is still the planning permission passed for the small G scale layout in our new garden, providing Thomas features somewhere!!!
  4. andyram

    A RMWeb festival?

    By andyram,

    It has been quite a while since I posted anything in this blog. Things have not been good at present. The new house is still not ready and we have found major damp in two rooms of our temporary accommodation (my late grandfather's bungalow). Stress levels are at an all time high and have led to some careless and costly errors which readers of the Early Riser's thread will be well aware of. I don't want to repeat myself but will say that all the trouble has kept me away from working too much on the show. I have even struggled to get leaflets out to some events.
     
    However during the recent half term holiday I have managed to sit down and start to piece together the Weston 2014 show. At present the layout count stands at 14 with several of these having featured on RMWeb, or are owned by RMWeb members. With "Up the Line", "Wheel lock Mill", "Weyburn Road", "Forster Street" and "Skaleby West" all definitely attending along with one of Jim Read's layouts the show is already set to feature 6 RMWeb layouts. Not quite a second RMWeb Live event but we are certainly are doing the website proud! I am waiting to hear from another member who I contacted recently. Anyone else up for it?
     
    One disappointment was the news that the Belper Modular layout has had to pull out. Its owner has decided to dismantle his modules and start a new retirement project. He is still going to help out on the day and is likely to be deployed on car park duties and as a relief operator on Skaleby West.
     
    Recently I joined the Mickleover Model Railway Group and at least one fellow member has put their layout forward and another is keen to attend so that should help push the layout total towards my target of 20 layouts.
     
    The layout
    I have now started a separate Skaleby West layout thread in the layout's section as I want to separate the layout from the show. Currently the model remains stored until our house move. It is due to attend Weston 2014 and is available for other events.
     
    Until next time...
  5. andyram

    Day 2

    By andyram,

    There was drama in the courtroom today as the defendant broke his self imposed silence with a verbal attack on the council for the prosecution. It came after the lawyer continued to outline evidence of negligence dating back to the 1940’s. Mr Beeching QC presented exhibit B to the jury in the form of a mangled and charred wooden brake block. This item had been loaned to the prosecution lawyer by the Island of Sodor museum. It had, according to Mr Beeching, been recovered from N.W locomotive number 5, James, following an accident shortly after its arrival on the island’s railway system. Whilst hauling a freight train down the steep gradient, known locally as Gordon’s Hill, the engine had “run away” derailing into a field of cows at the bottom of the hill.
    According to the lawyer; staff at Tidmouth Sheds had alerted the railway’s management to their concerns about the locomotives wooden brake blocks, declaring them as “no good” the moment the locomotive had arrived on the railway.
    Addressing the defendant Mr Beeching stated that he had “purchased the locomotive and put it into service despite knowing the brakes were of insufficient quality”. He continued that this showed a “flagrant disregard for the safety of passengers and crew and that it was a miracle that the crew had not been seriously injured in the accident”.
    It was at this point that the defendant, Sir Topham Hatt, rose from his seat and broke his silence. Pointing a finger at the lawyer he stated that Mr Beeching should “get his facts straight before trying to build a decent case”. Sir Hatt stated that the engine in question had not been newly purchased at the time of the accident. In fact it had been purchased a couple of years previously. Staring straight at the lawyer the defendant stated that “should the council look back at photographs from N.W number 3 (Henry’s) tunnel incident, number 5 can clearly be identified as the locomotive which hauled the carriages away.”
    Mr Beeching interjected that this was not possible as press cuttings linked to the previous incident referred to the engine by the name Eagle. He also stated that this particular engine was painted in a red livery, whilst James had been black at the time of the crash.
    With a big sigh, and speaking to the lawyer as a teacher may speak to a difficult child, the defendant stated that following purchase N.W number 5 had suffered from a number of mechanical problems shortly after its arrival. It was subsequently returned it to the main land for repair before it had been officially named. It was during this time away, stated Sir Hatt, that the wooden brake blocks had been fitted and this action had been against the railway’s wishes. The engine had returned painted in a black undercoat and was carrying this livery when it crashed during a test run. The red livery was restored after the locomotive had been repaired, with improved brakes, following the accident.
     
    This was not the end of Sir Hatt’s attack on the prosecution however. He then asked the lawyer why he felt it pertinent to use, as evidence, events from so long ago. After all, stated Sir Hatt, he was not even running the railway at the time – it was his father who was in charge during the 1940’s when all of these events had taken place!
     
    This led to the judge calling for the trial to be adjourned! The case will resume shortly..
  6. andyram

    Day 1

    By andyram,

    A big crowd gathered inside the court today for the opening day of the trial of Sir Topham Hatt aka "The Fat Controller". The charges read out related to the negligent running of a public railway and the endangering of human life on many counts.
     
    Mr R.Beeching QC - appearing for the prosecution, began to state his case by showing the jury exhibit A. This was a strange collection of used bricks. Mr Beeching addressed the accused stating he had shown a disregard for public safety as far back as 1945. The prosecution referred to a documented incident where the North Western Railway locomotive number 3 failed with excessive water in the cylinders. The lawyer stated that the accused decided, instead of repairing the said locomotive, to leave it deserted in a single bore tunnel with the portal partly bricked up using the bricks shown.
    Mr Beeching went on to say that the defendant then cut a brand new tunnel, adjacent to the original, with work completed in a matter of days. The lawyer stated that proper safety procedures could not have been followed in such a short space of time.
     
    When questioned about the above matter Mr Topham Hatt declined to comment - stating that his doctor had "forbidden him to speak". Mr Beeching stated that the defendant's silence was "a sure sign of guilt".
     
    Continuing the prosecution, Mr Beeching stated that Mr Topham Hatt showed a further disregard to the safety of the passengers just a few weeks later. An incident was recounted where N.W.R number 4 suffered a failed safety valve near to the tunnel. Due to a lack of available engines N.W.R number 3 was brought out of the tunnel to take the train. The prosecution stated that the locomotive had not passed any fitness to run exam, had not been oiled and was not given enough time to be brought to working pressure.The fact the train made it safely to its destination, assisted by N.W.R number 2, was a miracle.
    Mr Beeching went on to state that the quick return to service may have been a contributing factor to the engine suffering steaming problems and requiring a major rebuild in subsequent years.
     
    In defence Mr Awdry QC stated that the water in the cylinders incident was a complete fabrication of the truth. In fact the engine simply "refused" to leave the tunnel because it did not want to get his paint dirty. The cutting of a new tunnel was, in fact, well under way before this incident and photographs of the incident clearly show a second tunnel portal with track already in situ.
    Mr Awdry stated that no time has been officially recorded to state the duration between the fire being lit and number 3 returning to service at the head of train.
     
    The trial continues.....
  7. andyram

    A rollercoaster ride!

    By andyram,

    It has been a few weeks since I posted an update about the Weston 2014 event. It has definitely been a busy time. The show has started to take shape with a number of RMWeb users set to attend. "Up the Line", "Wheelock Mill" and "Werrington Road" will all be representing this website at the event in November. A further RMWeb layout could be confirmed within the next few days. I also have one or two other layouts on the "probable" list that just need final confirmation and I hope to do this soon.
     
    Things have rather been on hold though. The first house move finally took place at the end of February and we are now residing in my Grandfather's bungalow until the end of May. Following the move we had a couple of weeks without the internet which did hold things up. Since the move things have got hectic at work. We returned after the half term break to an announcement from our head teacher that she is to retire in July. Over the last few weeks we have all been nervously checking out the applicants who have been touring the school. After a lot of soul searching I put in an application for the job. Sadly I was not shortlisted!
    If that was not enough Ofsted landed on our doorstep for two days earlier in the week. We seem to have done ok but we await the final report after a stressful time.
    With all that in mind it is no wonder I have not had time to chase layouts or follow up earlier enquiries. Hopefully with the Easter holiday just around the corner I can find some time to catch up.
    What I do know is that we still need some more layouts, especially some smaller micro layouts which would suit the corridors. If there is anyone out there......
     
    The layout:
    Following the move Skaleby West is stored in the spare bedroom. It is behind a large pile of storage boxes and so is not accessible. There is simply no chance of any modelling work during our stay here. At least the new house will be ready a month early so fingers crossed I can crack on with the layout extension during the June half term and the summer break. There may still be a chance that I can unveil an extended Skaleby West at this year's event.
     
    Until next time..
  8. andyram
    Another weekend and another show. After Allestree and Sileby last week I headed off, with daughter in tow, to the 12th annual show at Trowell. This is run by the Ilkeston Woodside Model Railway club and is always an enjoyable event.
    With 10 layouts, 7 trade stands and a couple of demonstrations the show is a nice size. It can all be seen in an hour, but has plenty to keep people there for a lot longer. It certainly seems popular and there was a good crowd throughout the time I was there. This does provide one issue, the room does get quite cramped, and the amount of people generated a lot of heat inside the room. I was certainly sweating a lot by the time I left. This is only a very minor criticism though.
    Amongst the layouts were a couple of well known layouts from the local (and not so local) show circuit. "Aberdeen Kirkhill" has been around for many years and models a large Scotrail servicing depot. Its frosty, winter scenics are superb and there is always plenty of movement. In addition John Huddlestone's tram layout set around "Elstree" studios has been seen at many shows in the local area. This is also an excellent model, and was set at a perfect level for children to view without the need for standing on steps. My two year old daughter certainly appreciated it!
     
    With the Weston-on-Trent show in mind I was on the look out for further layouts to add to this year's roster. The small shunting layout "Tom's Sidings" impressed me. So much detail packed into a small space, and a lovely use of photographs built up to create a 3D back scene. Sadly the operator is not available for this year's Weston show!
    Newton East provided a lovely view of the 1950's and 1960's B.R scene. Today it was representing the southern region. The scenics looked superb with an excellent card station building and very nice canal scene added at the front. This layout is a possible for Weston 2014.
    The group's own "Fenby Quay" also featured a canal scene with a raised quay in front of the station. This model came to Weston last year, but I never really got to view it properly. It is an excellent model enhanced today by the sound fitted locos, complete with flashing red lights in the steam loco cabs to represent the firebox flicker. The sound fitted City of Truro once again looked fantastic.
     
    N gauge interests were covered by "Bitsand" and "Lagganmoor", both were very nice models with lots of passing trains.
     
    All in all a very nice show once again and congratulations go to the organisers. For me the show was further enhanced by an unexpected incident. Whilst walking around I bumped into someone who has been a regular visitor to the Weston shows. We stopped to chat and during this he told me about his own layout which he had just started constructing. He told me that he had been inspired by my own "Skaleby West" model - stating that my layout showed what could be achieved, in a small space, from off the shelf materials.
    Now I am fully aware of Skaleby West's limitations. I do not confess to being an experienced modeller, and I do not believe my skills are comparable to those I see at many shows. But it was very nice, and very humbling to hear someone speak so highly of my model and that they have taken inspiration from my work. A proud moment!
     
    And so the "lighthearted" awards:
     
    Best layout:
    3rd: Newton East: A superb 00 gauge model of the 50's and 60's B.R era.
    2nd: Fenby Quay: A very close second - great scenics and lots of operational interest.
    1st: Tom's Sidings: Such detail in a small space both myself and daughter spent a long time viewing it at close quarters. It just pips Fenby Quay as I went back to this one slightly more.
     
    Best scenic item:
    The 3d photo back scene on Tom's Sidings was a clear winner for me.
     
    Best model loco:
    Sound and light fitted models on Fenby Quay - not often you see the firebox flicker represented. City of Truro was the pick again for me - that is twice this loco has featured in my "awards" on two different layouts. I think I need to add it to my wish list.
     
    And finally:
    The nice surprise:
    Kind comments about my layout and the thought that it has inspired someone - a proud and humbling moment.
     
    And the not so good!
    One incident on a layout where the uncoupling ramp failed and the operator resorted to picking up the brake van to uncouple by hand. At least use an un-coupling hook!
  9. andyram

    Doubling Up

    By andyram,

    Last weekend my wife Sarah had a little moan about how she had not had much of a break recently. With my school workload and the recent house move pressures she was becoming very tired due to constantly looking after our 2 year old girl. She, quite clearly, needed a break - a few hours on her own to wind down and have some peace and quiet.
    After breaking up for the half term holiday yesterday I promised to take the little one out for a "daddy and daughter" day today. As it happened this weekend has not one, but two local model railway exhibitions and I managed to visit them both today.
    The day started at Allestree in Derby. This "trains day" has been running for a number of years. In the past it has been an amateur run event to raise money for the local church. The exhibitors were made up of local enthusiasts who came along and set up their displays on the morning of the show. Many would never exhibit at any other events. That being said the show was always worth a visit with many displays showing off collections of older models providing a sense of nostalga. Almost all had something moving all of the time which was perfect for the children.
    This year's event represented a change of organiser. The local "Famous Trains" charity having taken on the event. This change has produced a larger show with two rooms being used this year. The other change saw a few more professional show layouts in attendance. The "Famous Trains" own Darley Factory layout provided plenty of shunting action. David Lenton's "Linton Yard" was a work in progress minimum space diesel model complete with sound fitted locos.
    The show had not forgotten its roots. In the original main hall there was once again plenty of vintage displays with Lone Star and Triang models. There was also a G Scale display on the stage with a Toby style tram engine shunting some stock. Once again there was always something moving on many layouts which kept the children thoroughly entertained.
    For me it was great to catch up with some friends from the Mickleover club and some exhibitors from last year's Weston show. I have also got to know some Famous Trains members and it was great to chat to some of them, even if I could have landed another modelling job as a result.
     
    After a nice lunch at Allestree we headed over to Sileby in Leicestershire for the annual Syston Model Railway Exhibition. This is always an enjoyable show although parking is often a problem. The signs direct visitors to the car park for the local supermarket, but this is quite small and on a Saturday spaces are like rocking horse manure!! There was already three or four cars circling the car park when I got there. Luckily I managed to park in the nearby housing estate although this meant a five minute walk in the rain.
    The show featured 14 layouts with this year's event seeming to be heavily weighted towards the more modern image. Of the 14 layouts, 8 of them represented various periods of the diesel era. This did spoil my enjoyment a little as I am more a steam era 00 gauge modeller. Only 3 layouts represented steam. Of these the 0 gauge model on show was a long way from being finished. The other two were both N gauge meaning there were no layouts to fit my style of modelling. That was disappointing!
    Of the layouts that were there I enjoyed Mike Kelly's "Cromer". I have seen this many a time before and always admire the quality of the scenic modelling. It also brings back memories of some recent holidays. Brenton Midland also featured plenty of sound fitted models and had a constant procession of trains. Midchester City also provided the flavour of a inner city terminus station with plenty of DMU's.
    The N gauge Nunbrook and Loxley also provided plenty of modern image action on the main line. The branch did provide "something for kids" as a Thomas the tank engine shuffled back and forth with Annie and Clarabel - no wonder my daughter kept dragging me back there!
    As for steam models there were two N gauge layouts which provided scenic branch line action. Whatton Parva, based on Tenterden, represented the Colonel Stephens light railways. The pick of layouts for me was "Elmfield" which represented the station in the final years of its life.
     
    The lack of steam era layouts coupled with a tired daughter meant my stay at Sileby was briefer than usual. We left and drove to Quorn and Woodhouse Station on the G.C. Sadly a heavy rain shower along with a 45 minute wait for the final steam hauled train of the day had us heading for home.
     
    And so the "awards"
     
    Best layout (across both events):
    3rd Darley Factory (at Allestree) - a rare 00 gauge steam model today. Plenty of Austerity shunting in a well modelled industrial environment.
    2nd Cromer (at Sileby) - always a favourite as it is well modelled and brings back good memories.
    1st Elmfield (at Sileby) - a tough call, but the fact it was a rare steam model at the show helped. Lovely modelled scenics and accurate shunting in N gauge which is never easy.
     
    Best model loco
    Runner Up: An N gauge Stroudley Terrier on the Whatton Parva layout at Sileby. A lovely model of a diminutive loco in a small gauge.
     
    Winner: The 0 gauge Ivatt Class 2 on the unfinished layout at Sileby. I like this class of loco and this model was superb.
     
    Best scenic item
     
    The factory complex on Darley Factory a very large card model.
     
    And the not so good:
    The lack of 00 gauge steam at Sileby was very disappointing. Other than that there was nothing "bad" that stood out.
     
    Finally, the humourous:
    The motorised "mouse" on a layout at Allestree raised a smile and had my daughter coming back time and time again!
  10. andyram

    Progress continues!

    By andyram,

    Another month down and I am pleased to report more progress with the Weston on Trent 2014 show. Following the announcement in the last entry of two new exhibitors for this year's event, I can confirm that further layouts have now been booked. Ken Jones is one exhibitor who has agreed to return for a third year with more of his micro layouts whilst another third time returnee, Malcolm Hughes, has agreed to bring some more of his heritage collection. For this year it looks likely that he will provide a display of Lone Star models. John Bottomley who attended the 2013 show with his 00 gauge layout, Torridge, has agreed to return with his N gauge model this year. That already makes a total of 6 or 7 layouts. Last year I reached 20 and hope to do so once again. There are a couple of other returnees I need to confirm soon which will hopefully take the layout total into double figures.
     
    Recently I have joined the Mickleover Model Railway group. Apart from some very enjoyable evenings it has also opened up some other possible new exhibitors. Hopefully these can be sorted soon. One established member has already expressed an interest in attending for the first time. A good start then, but I still need more exhibtors. If any other RMWeb member is interested please send me a message.
     
    It now looks certain that we have sold all of our trade stands already. Only one of last year's traders is still to confirm their availability and I am confident that they will be joining us. If not we do have two other traders waiting in the wings to step in. It is a nice position to be in!
     
    The first set of leaflets were distributed around the recent Burton swapmeet and some were left at the Stafford show so the publicity has already begun. Hopefully this will help to bring in another good crowd. At this point it is worth stating that admission fees will be the same as last year.
     
    As for
     
    The layout
    Our house move has still not happened as my solicitors have decided the end of January was a good time to go AWOL. As a result we are still packing up our current house with no date set for the move into my late Grandad's bungalow. Skaleby West remains stored in the spare room and no work has been done yet. The planned scenic extension is currently on hold as another project has emerged. I have been involved with the planning of the "Beyond the Train Set" project for the September RMWeb Live event. This could mean that I will be involved with the construction of the group's Ffarquhar layout as well as planning some of the other displays. I have also volunteered to build the "shunting puzzle" layout for the display. At one point my spare Skaleby West board looked like it may be used for this, now it looks like a seperate board is to be constructed for me so the board can be reallocated to Skaleby West. Whether I will find time to develop it is another matter. It may be that, for 2014, Skaleby West's space in the show will be taken by the "Beyond the train set" display. Time will tell.
     
    Until next time....
  11. andyram

    Stafford 2014

    By andyram,

    The first weekend of February has produced my first model railway exhibition visit of the new year. I have been looking forward to the Stafford event all week as it is one of my favourite events of the whole year. It guarentees three large halls of exhibits with a host of large and impressive layouts to enjoy and plenty of trade to try and part me from my cash. Once again it did not disappoint. The show was excellent!
     
    My dad and I arrived at around 10.20, just twenty minutes after opening, and were greeted by a rather large queue. Clearly the show remains popular. Credit goes to the organisers who managed to keep the queue moving and, despite the numbers, we were in the hall in just over five minutes. Very impressive.
     
    At £9.00 per person the show is not cheap, but is definitely well worth the money. The show guide, at £1.00, was excellent value and, I think, cheaper than last year. The guide remains a good read and reference for the exhibits on show. Ok, Kenton, not too many track plans - but not everyone needs them!!
     
    This year the show featured a number of micro layouts in the "Sandylands" suite, providing plenty of inspiration to those with limited spaces. The pick of these models was "Ingleton Sidings" which is only 4ft x 1ft in size and is displayed on an ironing board. This takes the form of a shunting puzzle with a short headshunt and three sidings. The wagons are displayed on cards and then the cards were shuffled and five selected to form the train. The challenge is to shunt the wagons, in the short space, to achieve the sequence shown on the card. These layouts often received mixed reviews, but they are fascinating to watch. Set in a brewery sidings there was plenty of detail packed into the limited space with the additional touch of a video screen showing a live feed from a small camera hidden in a crate on the layout. This excellent model always seemed to attract the crowds.
     
    There were several layouts I had seen before including the N gauge "Melton Mowbray North" which aims to accurately represent the station and surrounding area. This is a superb model with key features including the "Home Ales" sign on the overbridge. The modern image "New Bryford" was on display. This is another excellent model with plenty of "yellow" on show. Peter Cullen's "Mannin the Middle" which represents the Isle of Man railways is an interesting circular shape.
     
    Scanning through the layout list before the show there were some layouts I was looking forward to see. The Hornby Magazine's "St Stephen's Road" has recently returned to the exhibtion circuit. It features an unusual triangular baseboard layout with Western and Southern region lines. The model did not disappoint with a number of sound fitted locos. The sound fitted and weathered Bachmann "Dukedog" was superb as was the sound and smoke fitted Spamcan. The highlight was the sound fitted model of City of Truro which looked a picture as it appeared, majestically, from the fiddle yard.
    BRM's "Black Country Blues" attracted a large crowd throughout the day and entertained with a procession of slow moving blue diesel hauled freight trains. The layout was superbly lit and the scenics were offset by a fantastic photographic backscene, one of the best I have ever seen!
     
    There are always models which have the "wow" factor. At Stafford that was definitely "Gresley Beat" which provided a constant flow of LNER action amongst fantastic scenery. This included a 70 odd wagon freight, hauled by an 0-6-0! A brilliant model and well deserving of the large crowds which gathered throughout the day. Mind you this did not stop the "picky" merchants having a moan. A gentleman next to me, loudly, bemoaned the lack of crews in many of the A4's, whilst my Dad criticised it for falling foul of his "pet hate". He hates bridges which go nowhere. Those bridges that end abruptly at the front of the baseboard always draw his (not mine) criticism. Even my own layout does not escape this! At times it was a little embarrassing to listen to my dad and the aforementioned gentleman "pick flies" out of such a superb model. For me it was the best in show!
     
    Mind you there was one or two layouts which did draw my criticism. The excellent N gauge model "Dentdale" did impress me. This excellent Settle and Carlisle model featured a couple of superb viaducts set in brilliant scenery. Sadly it was let down a little by the use of of two 8F's, both numbered 48773, within moments of each other. That is a cardinal sin in my opinion!
     
    Stafford does often suffer from the weather with heavy rain and snow causing trouble in past years. This year the recent rain did leave the car park very muddy. We were lucky to find a space on the hard standing and, therefore, had no problems. My father in law was not so lucky and got stuck in the mud!!!
     
    All in all an excellent show. Congratulations to all of the organisers. Here are my "awards" for the event. Remember these are only my humble opinion!!!
     
    Top layouts (the ones which kept me coming back for more)
    3rd: St Stephens Road: Plenty of sound fitted locomotives set in lovely off the shelf scenery.
    2nd: Inglenook Sidings: An enjoyable shunting puzzle in a limited space, with the opportunity for the public to have a go.
     
    1st: Gresley Beat: No contest! Plenty of scale length trains with lots of LNER action. Superb!
     
    Best scenic item
    Runner Up: The viaducts on "Dentdale",
     
    Winner: The photographic backscene and lighting on "Black Country Blues" - just excellent.
     
    Best model loco
    It could have been any of the sound fitted locos on "St Stephens Road" with the Dukedog and Spamcan being strong contenders. For me the pick was the sound fitted "City of Truo". It looked and sounded superb.
     
    And finally - the not so good.
     
    Runner Up: The doubling up of 8F 48773 on "Dentdale",
     
    Winner: I am not going to name the layout. All I will say is one model featured a card built model of a "cafe". This was falling apart, with the card roof clearly very bent. The colouring on the model looked like it had been done by one of my less able 6 year old pupils!!
     
    A great show though, thoroughly enjoyed it!!!
  12. andyram
    In a recent "Hornby Magazine" interview Simon Kohler came out and said that he believed that much of Hornby's recent supply problems were behind them, and that he hoped all of the items listed in the 2014 catalogue would be released during the forthcoming year. This means that 2014 should see a lot of exciting models appearing in the shops. The long awaited P2 should finally arrive and should be joined by the new GWR "Hall" as well as many new models announced in the new catalogue.
    For me personally the announcement of the K1 was particularly exciting. As my home layout is based loosely on Goathland this will fit perfectly, especially if they produce a model of 62005. The new, affordable, TSO mark 1 coaches will not go amiss either!
     
    This weekend, however, I read some disturbing news in the business section of a tabloid daily newspaper. The brief article claimed that
    "shares in the company had slid on Friday, after it said that problems with a Chinese supplier would lead to a £1 million loss this year".
    Does this represent further problems for the company, or is it a result of the supply problems from last year? The article also claimed that shares had "fallen by 9%, but recovered to finish the day's trading 3% down". It also claimed that it will cost Hornby "£600,000 to pull out of the supply contract."
     
    I wonder if this perceived loss has been caused by the fact Hornby have decided to cut their losses and pull out of the contract with the supplier who has caused the delays. This outlay could contribute to such a loss. If this is the case, hopefully a new supplier will provide a better service and get Hornby back "on track" by meeting their promise of releasing all items during 2014. If this is not the case then we could be facing another frustrating year of delays.
     
    I really hope that Hornby's promise of a better year is true. It certainly needs a good year, and some good publicity. I would hate to see it lose its way. Perhaps another James May's Toy Stories programme featuring another madcap Hornby challenge would not go amiss!!!
  13. andyram
    With the month of January, and with it the new year, now in full swing my mind has turned towards my possible modelling projects for 2014. Due to the house moves planned for this year, developments on both my layouts are on hold until next month at least.
    In the short term I have thought about embarking on one small project which I have had at the "back of mind" for some time. I have a Skaledale model of a terraced shop, which bares a little resemblance to Arkwright's store from the famous BBC sitcom "Open All Hours". It is my long held plan to use this model to replicate the shop complete with shop bike, Arkwright and Granville and a few other items to depict a scene from the show.
     
    This project may become my stop gap project for the next month or so. The trouble is, I need figures to represent the main characters. A quick look through the internet last night has, as yet, failed to produce anything suitable. I am sure there won't be actual 00 gauge models of these characters produced but can anyone suggest figures which may suffice??
     
    Am I seeking the impossible??
  14. andyram

    A good start!

    By andyram,

    The new year is only a few days old but there has already been a good start made to planning the Weston 2014 show. Since my last blog enteries I have received two offers of layouts from RMWeb members. Both of these will be new exhibitors at the Weston event. It is great to attract new people and I look forward to seeing both layouts in November. One layout is U.S based whilst another represents WW1 which already gives some interesting diversity to the event.
    A third layout has been promised from the Ilkeston Woodside group. They have kindly supported both of our events - providing their Thomas layout in 2012 and "Fenby" last year. It will be great to welcome them back as they always go the extra mile to help. They shared the proceeds from the "pay to operate" Thomas model in 2012 and provided valuable assistance on the car park last year. I believe they will also be offering some car park marshalls for this year's event.
    Three of the traders from last year have already rebooked and I am confident that the others will return as well. Another new trader has enquired about attending. Sadly I doubt I will have space as I think that, if all the current traders rebook, we will have enough trade. We don't want to overload on the trade stands.
     
    I am fairly confident that a couple of other exhibitors, who appeared last year, will return with different displays and models I just need to contact them to confirm arrangements. All in all it is a good start the plans for Weston 2014. Anyone else who is interested in attending please get in touch!
     
    Skaleby West
    At present the plan is to include my layout in the exhibition again. However this rather depends on whether I can make progress with developing the layout. During the first year Skaleby West was displayed as a temporary terminus station with just one adjoining fiddle yard. Last year I managed to throw together a third board to act as a temporary second fiddle yard. As a result Skaleby West became a through station. My plan is to develop this board into a second scenic board. Currently the model is stored in our spare bedroom as we begin to pack up for a house move. We are due to move out at the end of January and will spend six months living in my late Grandad's bungalow prior to moving into our new build property in June or July.
    I hope to work on Skaleby West once we get into the bungalow although other modelling plans are bubbling under behind the scenes. Watch this space....
  15. andyram

    Weston 2014 is go!

    By andyram,

    The school holidays may be half over and the Christmas festivities may now be over, but with the New Year around the corner I can now confirm that there WILL be a Weston-on-Trent Model Railway exhibition in 2014.
     
    Actually the decision was an easy one. With almost £1000 raised for school funds and plenty of positive comments received, the headteacher seemed to nervously ask me if I would be prepared to run another event. Answer..of course I would.
     
    The date is Saturday 15th November.
     
    As a result I am on the look out for layouts again. Can anyone help??
     
    Meanwhile:
    Skaleby West
    The layout is in store awaiting our double house move next year. We will leave our current home in January and move around the corner to my late Grandfather's bungalow. We will stay here for 6 months until our new build is ready.
    No work will be carried out on the layout until we move out of our current home. Then I hope to get cracking on some of the outstanding jobs on the current scenic section and also consider building the scenic extension.
    In its current form the layout is available for exhibitions should anyone want it. At present its only 2014 booking is the Weston show, and that depends on whether or not I complete the extension.
  16. andyram

    A time for reflection!

    By andyram,

    As I write this it is just over a week since the Weston on Trent model railway show. The school has returned to normal with all trace of the exhibition now removed. The road signs have been returned, with thanks, to the Mickleover Model Railway Club and all the other signs and posters have been taken down. Now is the time to look back, reflect, and assess whether we achieved what we wanted to achieve with the show - just as we have to do with all other fundraising events!
     
    Once again it is pleasing to report that the show was, in general, a success. We managed to put on a bigger event this year with 3 more layouts and 2 more trade stands when compared to last year. We also had our first demonstrations too.
    The attendance this year was certainly significantly up on our first show last year. We almost doubled our takings on the door. This contributed to a total profit of £954 which has pretty much paid for a desperately needed new school server computer. The headteacher was certainly happy with that!
    Feedback from our visitors was once again positive. Many praised the quality and variety of layouts on display and once again there was plenty of praise for the quality of the catering and the friendliness of the staff.
    It also appears that we managed to deal with those areas of the show which came in for criticism last year. The road signs, borrowed from Mickleover, were certainly a huge improvement on our home made efforts last year. Many praised the quality of them and at least one person turned up on the day purely because they saw the road signs!
     
    I did say prior to the show that we wouldn't get everything right, and we didn't! Car parking was clearly the major issue this time around. The school does have limited parking. All the spaces had been taken by 10.25am and there was nowhere at all to park by 10.40am. This led to some complaints and some people turning around and heading for home. Clearly we needed better stewarding of the car park. The staff members who were supposed to be doing it were, for one reason or another, unavailable. We were thankful to members of the Ilkeston Group who stepped in to run the car park. Their members reported 15 cars which remained in the car park all day. This means that some of our exhibitors did not follow the request to move their vehicles to the nearby pub car park. This is something which we will need to deal with for future shows. Both Ilkeston and Mickleover clubs have offered help with car park stewarding in the future!
     
    Whilst the refreshments worked well and were praised, we are aware that drinks and bacon cobs were needed much earlier. This would have given the exhibitors and traders more time to be fed and watered before the doors opened. Again, we will need to deal with this in the future!
     
    Now I have mentioned "the future" twice. The fact is that we have now done two Weston shows. The Weston 2012 event was due to be a one off as part of a special year of fundraising. Weston 2013 took place following the success of the previous year. The headteacher then planned to make the show a bi-annual event to avoid over burdening the staff as the show falls just a few weeks before the annual Christmas fair. The success of Weston 2013 and the comments made by many on the way out has led to a change of heart. Many visitors felt it would be unwise to wait two years for another event. As a result there will be a Weston 2014 show. The provisional date is Saturday 15th November 2014.
     
    Thanks to everyone for making this happen!
     
    So "here we go again"!!
     
     
    As for my layout.
     
    Skaleby West performed fairly well during the day with only a few stalling issues and I was fairly happy with it. I was quite surprised that it finished joint 2nd in the "Best in Show" vote as I know it is not that great. I am not an experienced modeller by any means and I know the layout has plenty of faults:
    - the goods shed remains a mess.
    - the points are still not wired up.
    - the gap in the scenery remains at the front near the tunnel.
    - there were stalling issues on the goods yard points and one of the points did not change fully.
    - the fiddle yards remain "ad-hoc".
     
    Despite all of that I am proud of the layout and intend to tackle all of the above areas in the future. A double house move planned for 2014 will affect my modelling time. It will mean that my home layout will be dismantled in January / February and will not be re-erected until July at the earliest. This may mean that I will have no time for modelling, but if I do Skaleby West will be the only layout I can work on. Hopefully I can deal with some of these issues and maybe work on the planned scenic extension. That way it will look different when it is exhibited at Weston 2014. At present that is its next show booking. It remains available for exhibitions, but is probably below the standard required for other shows at this moment in time.
     
    At the Weston show I was lucky enough to add a new loco to the layout's roster with the purchase of Bachmann Ivatt tank 41250. It made a brief appearance at the end of the Weston show. Yesterday I ran it on the layout at home whilst at home ill with flu. No room for the fiddle yards so Skaleby West ran as a shunting puzzle.
    Here are some pics to finish with.

    Ivatt tank 41250 arrives at Skaleby West during the closing stages of the Weston 2013 show.

    The Ivatt tank backs into the tunnel ready to begin shunting the yard yesterday.

    The loco stands by the signal box.

    Shunting the goods yard.

  17. andyram

    Is Big really the Best?

    By andyram,

    Throughout this week there has been plenty of excitement about this weekend's Warley exhibition. Sadly I have never been to this event, and my plans for a visit this weekend have been scuppered by a nasty case of flu! Strangely enough I do not feel that disappointed.
     
    This year Warley advertises 87 layouts, numerous demonstrations and plenty of traders ready to tempt people to part with their hard earned cash. There is also the manufacturers who will be announcing new products, and full size exhibits such as the part built Patriot class. There really is plenty to see. So why I am not that disappointed to be visiting this mecca of model railways.
     
    That fact is - I am going to play devils advocat for a few minutes. Can a show grow to be too big?
     
    The show is advertised as running from 9.45 - 6.00. Let's assume I can get in the show at 10am and stay until closing. That gives me 8 hours. Take away half an hour to have some lunch and that leaves 7 and a half hours or 450 minutes. That means that during that time, just to see all the layouts I would have an average of just over 5 minutes per layout. That does not account for the demos / traders and all other exhibits. Considering them would reduce the average time down to 2 or 3 minutes per exhibit. To me that sounds like a real rush!
    Considering the number of people who say they are going to the show, I am sure that there will be a large crowd inside the NEC and I wonder how easy it will be to get to see some of the exhibits.
    Entrance to the show is £13, and parking can be as much as £10. If I am going to pay that much out before I even get into the show I want to know that I will enjoy the event and have the time to see all that I want to see.
     
    The biggest event I regularly visit is the Stafford show which is quite a bit smaller than Warley. Despite spending the whole day there I sometimes come away feeling that I have not had enough time to properly see everything.
     
    At the smaller shows there is plenty of time to make two or three circuits of the exhibits, see everything, go back and view and photograph my favoured layouts and also spend time talking to some of the exhibitors. At these events it seems a lot more relaxed and less rushed, as a result I often come away having enjoyed them more.
     
    So, at the risk of asking a contraversial question, can a show actually be too big??
  18. andyram
    Weston-on-Trent Model Railway Show 2013
     
    Last year I wrote a blog entry, entitled "The Longest Day", to recount the events of the inaugral Weston-on-Trent model railway show. Without doubt this year's event produced an even longer "longest" day.
     
    For me the Weston 2013 event began with an unwelcome 5am alarm. This was followed by a leisurely breakfast, before I embarked on the "ninja" loading up of the car as I tried to load up Skaleby West without disturbing my slumbering wife and daughter. Things seemed to go very well and the layout was packed up quicker than last year. Amazing considering I was taking an extra board this time.
    I was ready to leave by 6.30am. The journey to school was slow as I paused to put up the road signs. Following the comments from last year's event we were fortunate enough to have the loan of some larger and professional signs. A big thank you to the Mickleover Model Railway Club for allowing us to use their signs. Mind you, putting them up in the dark and the early morning drizzle was an interesting experience!!
     
    I arrived at school by 7am at the same time as the first trader. A quick wrestle with the padlock and I was able to open the side gate and allow them into the hall.
    The next few hours passed by in a whirl with a constant procession of arrivals as setting up got into full swing. Inbetween showing people to their pitches I was able to set up Skaleby West. I was pleased that the layout had arrived intact with none of the damage sustained last year. The station fencing, lamps and furniture all remained firmly in place, and even the trees had not shed many of their leaves. It looks like last year's repairs had worked well. Then the moment of truth arrived. The controller was plugged in and the first loco was placed on the track. Unlike last year it worked first time. My trusty "Jinty" 47279 shunted from fiddle yard to fiddle yard with a single wagon in tow. A few little pieces of track cleaning and everything seemed ok.
     
    Before long opening time arrived and the stress levels seemed very low. Things seemed to be going smoothly. There were none of the dramas compared to last year - no sluggish ovens or staff locked in the toilets! I should have known things were too good to be true. Within the first half an hour I received reports of complaints over the car parking. It seemed that the car park was "rammed" by opening time. Whether some of the exhibitors had not heeded my request to move their cars to the pub car park, whether some of the school staff had likewise ignored the request or whether we had had an early rush I do not know! There was also a report from a colleague that someone had backed their car into a lamp-post although no member of the public reported that to me. Having done the same thing myself a few years ago after a particularly tiring day I hope there was not too much damage.
    In response to the obvious parking issue I called in an offer of help from members of the Ilkeston Woodside Model Railway club and deployed their members on car park duty. A huge thanks to them. If I can ever repay the favour in anyway I will!
     
    Later in the day I heard reports that there was plenty of cars parked in the nearby Village Hall car park and in the adjoining roads. We certainly seemed to have had a good number of visitors and there was a steady crowd all day. The stall holders reported much improved takings.
     
    All in all the show seemed to go well. Once again the ladies in the kitched worked tirelessly and there was plenty of praise from exhibitors and public about the quality of the lunches. Lots of people seemed to pass on positive comments and the only issue that was raised was the parking.
     
    As for Skaleby West after its smooth start it produced a tempremental morning. There was lots of stalling issues, especially from the usually reliable "Jinty". After much consideration the final loco roster was made up of:
    Jinty 47279
    Ivatt tank 41324
    Midland 3F 43474
    Standard 4 tank 80120
    Standard 4 75065 (afternoon only)
    Super D 49395
     
    Of these locos the Standards generally ran well, although the tank had a habit of stalling in the same place all day. The Jinty had a tendancy to derail wagons during shunting movements as its coupling seemed to ride under those on the wagons. The most reliable proved to be the Ivatt tank.
    The Super D was the one new engine into the ranks. It had never left the box before and so was understandably a little sluggish at first. By the afternoon it ran well.
     
    During the day I also managed to sell a few unwanted items and reinvested the money into a new purchase. A second Ivatt tank, a weathered version, was added to the ranks and made a brief appearance late in the day whilst a young "fan" was having an operating turn.
     
    So all in all the show seemed to be a success. The current total is just under £1000 which is much higher than last year. A big thank you to all involved - the exhibitors, traders, visitors and staff. A special thanks to the Mickleover group for the loan of the road signs and their donation and the Ilkeston club for their work in the car park. I hope to post some photos soon although the files are currently being described as "too big".
     
    As I sit he bleary eyed after being awake for 18 hours I feel pleased with the efforts. Another year has gone. I have now organised two shows. Would I do it again.....you bet I would!!!
  19. andyram

    The Night Before!

    By andyram,

    Well what a weird day! After a monumental effort from the staff during the afternoon the majority of the school is ready to receive their exhibits. It was a weird feeling setting up a model railway exhibition whilst dressed in pyjamas and dressing gown as part of a Children in Need fundraiser. Such is the varied life of a teacher! At least the fundraising film club in the afternoon allowed me some free time for setting up.
    The hall is ready, although we have had to reduce the tables for the refreshments to fit everything in. The hall must have shrunk!! A slight layout location ammendment was needed as well, but hopefully all will be well. To balance out the reduced tables we have added plenty of chairs in the corridors to give people places to sit.
     
    At present two layouts are partially set up, the show guides are printed and ready and the lunch passes are ready to be handed out. We have even remembered to put up signs for the toilets this year! Just the road signs to do. The Mickleover group are kindly lending us some of their signs for this year so hopefully they will be easier to see!
     
    And so, after a year of planning it is almost here! It has flown by. Once again the nerves are jangling. Have I got the plans right? Will everything fit in? Will all the exhibitors turn up? Will enough people come through the door?
     
    Only time will tell.
     
    If you are coming to the show I hope you enjoy it. Please remember, this is only our second show. We will probably still make mistakes. Please be patient with us. If you have any suggestions please tell us. The new road signs and pricing arrangements are based on feedback we received last year. If you enjoy the show please share your comments too. The positive verbal and written feedback we received last year was the reason this year's show went ahead!
    Also don't forget to come and say hi. I will be operating Skaleby West all day.
     
    As far as the layout is concerned it should be exhibited as a through station although the second fiddle yard is very rough. The loco roster will be finalised tonight (after a meal in the pub with my wife)
     
    Hope to see you there.
  20. andyram

    The last week!

    By andyram,

    As I sit and write this entry there is less than a week to go until the Weston on Trent model railway exhibition. Things are slowly coming together, but there is still so much to do in the next five days.
     
    At present I am working on putting the show guide together. It is almost finished, but still requires information from one layout owner. My aim is to get the guide finished by Wednesday so that it can be printed on Thursday and Friday. This year's guide will run to 12 pages compared to 8 last year.
     
    The raffle still needs sorting. So far we have the usual array of wine and biscuits promised and the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway and Midland Railway have replied to my request with the promise of raffle prizes. Hopefully they will arrive in time. Sadly a number of local preserved lines have ignored the request. I am sure that they receive many requests, but a reply to say no would not go amiss. I have to say the lack of any response from the Great Central is especially disappointing considering I am a working member there! Time yet I suppose. The raffle has been boosted by some railway DVD's which have been donated for this year.
     
    Tomorrow sees the final planning meeting. Hopefully the rest of the staff will provide the same commitment as last year. They did a cracking job on the refreshments and have set high standards for this year.
     
    Finally I still have Skaleby West to finish. Still no final loco roster yet, and still some last minute scenic work to complete. Update to follow on this later in the week.
     
    Until next time...
  21. andyram

    Taking Stock

    By andyram,

    As the Weston-on-Trent show creeps closer here is a further update:
     
    The show
    What a difference a few days make. In my last blog I reported that a layout pulling out had reduced the total to 18. Within a few days it has increased to a provisional total of 21. One small layout which had pulled out earlier in the year is now coming again, and I have received a kind offer from another RMWeb user to bring their shunting layout too! It will certainly be good to welcome one of the website's younger members to the event.
    I have also confirmed arrangements for our first ever guest demonstrator. This has resulted in me opening up another small room in the school for this year's event. As part of the demonstration stand RMWeb user DonB's developing model of the Bridgnorth Cliff Railway will be on show. Although work in progress it will be well worth seeing!
    As thing stands the show will feature exhibits in 4 rooms and 2 corridors. This should be made up of 21 layouts, 8 traders and 2 demonstrations. At present there are just a couple of layouts awaiting final confirmation. Once this has been received I will post a full list of visiting layouts on the blog and the show page.
     
     
    The layout
    I now have the extra flowers and some more stock boxes courtesy of the Burton show last weekend. Now all I need to do is complete the extra scenic touches and decide on a loco roster for this year's show. I admit that I have a little bit of a dilemma with this. I am struggling to decide which of my vast collection of locos to roster into service for the day.
    For many years I was a railway modeller without a layout. During this time I did build up a rather large collection of steam outline models. These cover all of the “Big Four” regions as well as a selection of B.R standards. The majority are liveried in British Railways colours with a mix of early and late crests.
    Skaleby West does not represent any particular location or era. It could easily pass for a preserved line or a branch line in the latter days of steam. The only scenic items which suggest a location are the Midland region signal box, and the maroon liveried benches and station lamps. It was for this reason that I chose to run the layout with a Midland region feel last year. The initial loco roster included the following weathered models;
     
    Bachmann Standard 4 number 75065
    Hornby “Black 5” number 44762
    Bachmann Fairburn tank number 42667
    Bachmann Standard 4 number 80120 (seen below on my home layout)

     
    The first two locos did look a little too large for such a small layout, and a certain amount of artistic licence was used when running them on the short passenger trains.
    A second passenger set was worked regularly by my unweathered Bachmann Ivatt tank number 41324. This was borrowed, along with the coaching stock, from my permanent home layout, Skaleby. The loco and carriages worked at regular points during the day to depict a service from the model’s sister station (see below).

    My spare locomotives were two Bachmann unweathered models, “Jinty” number 47279 (seen on the layout below) and Midland 3F number 43474. These were both pressed into regular service due to problems with the Standard 4 tank and the Fairburn and ran impeccably.

    But what should I do this year? Do I stick with the Midland theme? If so what models should I choose? I definitely need to make some changes to last year’s roster. The Fairburn tank has developed a fault and cannot run and 75065 and the Black 5 really are too big.
     
    My plan is to run with two passenger sets and two mixed freight sets throughout the day, with the freights being shunted in the yard in between each arrival and departure. This means I need 5 regular locomotives and a couple of spares. Perhaps I will throw it open to others. Any suggestions as to what I should run??
  22. andyram

    The clock is ticking....

    By andyram,

    As the pumpkins appear outside some of the doors on our street, and little witches, ghosts and wizards start begging at my door, it reminds me that November is almost here. In fact there are now just 17 days until the second Weston-on-Trent model railway exhibition. That is quite a scary thought as there is just so much to do. Here is the latest update:
     
    The show
    After the children had left school at the end of the half term last Friday, I finally made it into the junior classroom to complete the measuring up. This will form the extra room for this year's event. With the help of the headteacher's husband things were completed quickly. I have since spent the early part of the half term break completing the floor plan and sending out the confirmation emails.
    Sadly things have not gone as smoothly as I had hoped. A number of emails have come back with quick confirmations, but one or two have brought additional problems. One layout has changed shape! Yes the dimensions given to me at the original time of booking are now different and that will mean some further tinkering with the plan. In addition to this, one trader decided to moan about their planned change of location in the hall whilst another decided to argue over the agreed price! Sadly a further email has brought news that one layout has had to pull out. Whilst it was one of the smaller exhibits it is still a little disappointing!
    At present the layout count stands at 18. This is one more than last year. I had set myself a target of 20 so I am back on the search again. The question is, can I really find two more layouts at such a late stage?? Time will tell! Perhaps it is time to contact those people whose details I have placed "on file".
     
    The layout
    As regular readers of this blog will know, I built my first exhibition layout for last year's show. Since then Skaleby West has been stored in our spare room with plans to add a second scenic board in time for this year's event. Sadly that will not now happen.
    With our house still on the market the extension board has been stored out of sight in the garage. So far the baseboard has been glued together, but it still awaits the final screws before any scenic work can begin. Even if I manage to complete the baseboards there is just no chance I can do any serious work on it. The extension is now on hold until next year although the board may still be used as a second fiddle yard to allow Skaleby West to be exhibited as a through station for the first time.
    With a free day today I did give some attention to the current scenic board. The whole layout was cleaned to remove the layer of dust and a few repairs were carried out. It seems the original modelling glue does not come up to standard. A few of the platform items had come loose as had some of the "goods" in the goods shed. These were all re-glued before some additional detail was added.
    A bicycle was added to the platform and some Mini-Natur flowers were glued behind the station name board to hide the white plastic "feet" which could still be seen from some angles. At present red roses dominate the scene as this is the only colour I have. Hopefully I can pick up some other colours from Burton at the weekend allowing me to complete the scene. Here are some updated photographs, apologies for the poor quality as they from my mobile phone.

    Fresh from some maintenance Ivatt tank 41324 arrives with a short works train.

    A mobile phone shot showing the developing flower bed behind the station running in board.

    A shot towards the station building showing the newly added bicycle.

    The coal merchants complete with workman now re-glued in a new location.
  23. andyram
    The Weston show is creeping ever closer and thinks are beginning to take shape. Here is an update:
     
    The Show
    The number of layouts is growing steadily. After a phonecall last week I have provisionally booked the 18th layout for the show. This will nicely fill another hole in one of the corridors. I can also confirm that the Meccano display will return for a second year, with different exhibits to last year. I still have a couple of other layouts I would like, and once I have measured up the second classroom I will know how much space I have left.
    We have once again reached an agreement with the local pub, allowing exhibitors to use the Coopers Arms car park for the day allowing us to keep the school car park clear for the general public. The pub is about a five minute walk from the school and provides a hot carvary, although booking for evening tables is highly recommended.
     
    The Layout
    The extension board remains in the garage with no progress made. To be fair there hasn't been much time for any modelling. The house remains on the market, and we have seen a procession of viewings. Sadly we have not had an acceptable offer yet. Until the house is sold I will not be able to get the extension board or my modelling materials out of their various hiding places.
     
    The Rant!!!!
    This morning I picked up the latest copy of the Railway Modeller magazine from my local supermarket. I was pleased to see the Weston show listed amongst the magazine's exhibition guide. My early email request was certainly worth it. Hopefully this may encourage a few more people to come over and visit this year. So why am I about to have a rant I hear you ask?
    Answer!
     
    I am a subscriber to the Hornby Magazine having purchased every issue since it began. At the same time I wrote off to the Railway Modeller I sent my ad request to the Hornby Magazine too. Last year they included our details for two months. This year..nothing. Have they ignored us? Possibly not! You see the show guide in HM ends on 9th / 10th November so it seems our date has missed the boat. I had no problem with that until I checked the release date of the next issue. The next publication date is the 14th November - two days before our show. Even if the ad makes next month's issue, what is the point? Many purchasers may buy on or after the date of our show. This is a complete joke. Surely editors should consider publication dates when putting a guide together and ensure those that fall so close to the next issue are included the previous month. The Railway Modeller has done this (its next issue is also the 14th November) so why can't the Hornby Magazine. What a waste of an email!!! I am fuming at present!!!
  24. andyram
    I can't believe that my last blog entry was in June! Where has the time gone?? All of a sudden there has been the first chill of the upcoming Autumn and the nights are starting to draw in and that means the second Weston-on-Trent model railway show is starting to creep ever closer. As I write this there is less than two months to go. So much has happened since the last blog, and so little has happened too.
     
    I had hoped that my six week summer break would see me get stuck into the planned extension to Skaleby West ahead of its second ever exhibition appearance at Weston 2013. Sadly things did not work out that way as other things got in the way - family trips out, decorating and a curtailed deviation into G scale modelling all eroded the time I had to work on the layout. In the final week of the summer break I did manage to glue together the wood to form the extension baseboard and that is it! The board still sits in our garage awaiting the final screwing together before scenic work can begin.
    Recently we have put our house on the market, and as we look to move into a new build via the government's "Help to Buy" scheme we have just a four week window in which to sell. During this time there is strictly no modelling as much of my stuff has been secreted away out of sight. It is looking very much like the extension will not get finished in time - in fact I probably won't have time to even start scenic work.
    I do have a "Plan B". If I can finish fixing the board together I may use it as a temporary second fiddle yard allowing Skaleby West to be displayed as a through station for the first time. The current scenic section has seen one or two improvements during the summer and I will refer to these in a later blog.
     
    But now the big news!
     
    The show will be extended this year!
    Yes I have gained permission to open up a second classroom which should allow me to fit in all the exhibits I have planned. There were a couple of layouts which I had put on my provisional list and had not got back to the owners. Both of these are RMWeb members so apologies to them. I will be in touch in due course. Right now I am measuring up the new room and beginning to finalise the floor plan to include all current exhibits. At present there are 17 layouts and 8 trade stands on the roster! We will also have the raffle and the same ladies on catering so all exhibitors and visitors can expect to be well fed!
     
    Less than two months to go then!
     
    Until next time (I promise to update soon!!!)
  25. andyram

    Progress in to the buffers!

    By andyram,

    As the final weeks of the summer holiday slipped by I was able to make further progress on the garden railway project. The flower bed, which I dug out before the last entry, was covered in the frost proof sheeting before a good layer of decorative stone was added. I then edged the front with some cheap (£1 shop!!!), but decent looking white plastic picket fencing. All looked very nice and I was ready to head out, purchase the set and get the track temporarily placed down. I also had a helpful message from another member of this site passing on the details of the owner of a local garden railway who was willing to offer advice. Thanks Don!
     
    Sadly it all hit the buffers at that point!
     
    My wife and I had been casting an envious eye over the new housing development on the edge of our estate. Last week we made the mistake of attending the show home opening. That was it! We are now in the process of selling up ready to move. As a result "Project 3G" is on hold. However it will be revived at some point should we complete the move and I have the planning permission from my beloved for that. So this is not the end of the project, just a siesta. Perhaps it can be viewed as a few steps back in order to make more forward!
     
    The move will also mean my home layout, Skaleby, will also have to be taken out. However its planned new home will potentially provide more running space so there is a positive there too. Meanwhile I hope to continue with the Skaleby West extension and I will update that blog in the near future.
×
×
  • Create New...