Al Reid

Have to get my kids to show me how! Will keep the photos on my memory card!!

Was this show the best ever. Hard to say but there was a great range of layouts of all sizes and of all eras to suit everyone's taste. I spent the day there on Friday with my great mate Julian Andrews and a further three hours yesterday, with a few more today The best in my opinion was Fence Houses. Awesome and at a great viewing height too. That circular patch of burnt grass sheer brilliance. I took a photo of the tress and my wife thought it was real life photo. The way the river bled into the back-scene under the viaduct was so well done. 10/10 for sure. Bee Lane was first class with non stop action. On Saturday it really appealed to the kids who could relate to everything they saw, who says the current scene is boring! The layout I would have walked with was Rumbling Bridge. What a layout and from Scarborough too. I took countless photos for the sheer inspiration, puddles in the road, the lovely stairs down to the platform, signalman on the token platform, weeds growing through . the loading bay, a tarpaulin over a leaking van roof. Wonderful. And restrained DCC sound , well done a perfect layout which I WANT! Finally nice to meet some well kent names from SMT/MTI on the North Haston stand. Again I say why did I give up modelling BAR!

They say Envy is a sin---well I am a sinner. What models. With Simon Kholer of Hornby taslking about smart modelling could the T9 chassis be uses as the basis of a Caley 4-4-0. I am hopeless at construction not helpednow by arthritis and alwsays wondered about the Hornby M7 being converted into a Caley 0-4-4T. Indeed decades ago I wrote to W S Stevens Stratton of Model Railway Constructor asking if I could convert the new Triang M7 to a Caley Tank for a then projected C&O layout. He indicated it was possible with some compromises. Is this another possibility for smart modelling from Hornby? I had always hoped that Harburn would commision one a la Kernow and indceed suggested this to them, sadly without a reply.

Scotland has so many gorgeous terminals like this, all so modelable. A great boost wouldbe a rtr Caley 0-4-4T. I was hoping that the likes of Harburn Hobbies could sponsor one much as Kernow did with their Beattie Well Tank amongst others. With options for three liveries,plis different funnels there is plenty of variety. They were also seen allover Scotland from passenger duties on the Cathcart Circle to the Killin Branch and many other branch lines in between and also pilots at stations from Glasgow Central to Kyle of Localsh. I wrote to Harburn a few years ago-sadly with no response..