EmporiaSub

An excellent show, all round! Got there just after 12 and ran out of time.....!!

It certainly was impressive!Reminded me of my trip to the area in DR days!

Talking of Emmelshausen..... My trip up the branch in the early 1980's!

I visited yesterday too. Good variety of layouts, especially of the overseas prototypes! Saved quite a bit of money as one of the main traders only took cash or cheques, and I did like the look of several HO German loco's!

A selection of layouts. Brian

An excellent show, especially as it is for one day only. Probably fair to say that not only was it probably one f the best one day shows around, it puts a good many two day shows to shame, especially with regards to quality of layouts.

Yet, it is in the NRES Journey Planner! Buses between Corby and Kettering!

Have a look at http://modeleisenbahnbauler.blogspot.co.uk/ It is just under 120cm long, although there should be some sort of cassette on the end. I run a V100 and a Railbus too, along with 6 wheel passenger stock and a selection of freight cars. Brian

Thoroughly enjoyed seeing the layout at Brighton today! And thanks for explaining a lot of the intricacies of the layout. (And with Valencia Harbour next to you, made a fascinating insight into Irish railways!).

I think a lot of that goes back many years to when US layouts were not so frequent at general shows and the NMRA contributed several layouts, along with a trader (LSWR Models), to give a overview of the US scene.

First time I'd been, usually coincided with work in previous years.... Ended up buying some G9 stuff for a micro layout!

To which we all duly did and found it busy until about lunch time......

Well, a quick update! Went to Morris Models of Lancing and got some KD 17's and 18's. Fitted a pair of 17's to the Roco V100 and several pairs of 18's to some freight cars. Even using 18's, the difference between the buffers is 2mm less than the standard couplings, whilst between the 17 and the 18 is only 3mm. However, as I'm using Peco Setrack for the initial micro/mini layout, I'll have to be careful to avoid buffer-locking, which is why initially I'll stick to the 18's on both ends of the freight cars! Brian

I take it you use the one that is the NEM Standard. Just wondering as I see three different length shanks, what one is best for close coupling, as I have some fairly tight pointwork, mainly due to the nature of the present layout. (The next one will be using larger radius points!) The only drawback in my view is having to change out all the couplings on the freight cars I have at present. Brian

Having just started on a micro German HO scale branchline, one quandary I've come across are the different couplings in use. (I've been using Kadees on my US HO layout since I started back in the last Century.....). The newer Fleischmann freight wagons are now fitted with their own brand of close couplings, as opposed to the standard couplings used by most other European companies. Now, I've tried using them for shunting but don't find them user-friendly. However, with passenger cars, I have no problem with them as I don't usually break up the sets, so have standard couplings on the end two vehicles, as all my loco's are the standard couplings. Any ideas or comments please on what others find easier? Brian

Probably find that there is actually more movement on the branch terminus layout than a large continuous run....!

After all, remember how London generally voted 'remain'........as he ducks for cover now!!

Not only large layouts. I timed a typical 'day' on my German branch line layout, of four passenger trains and a freight train. Took about 30 minutes to run through the sequence, and the only breaks were me remarshalling the trains in the Fiddle Yard. Otherwise it was continuous, so hardly realistic but what is the alternative?

I hadn't been to Ally Pally for a few years now, work getting in the way. The last time I went it snowed.... This time I got blown up the hill from the AP station! I enjoy the mix of layouts, though some don't really interest me, especially the earlier eras. However, I did enjoy Leysdown! The Minories layouts also fascinated me too, along with the County Donegal and the Continental layouts! Talk about a variety of liking layouts. Gripes, well, yes, one or two layouts were a little too close to each other, but maybe that is me, as I like to stand a couple of feet away from a layout and watch. I'm not commenting on the Essex Belt lines, as I am a US modeller anyway, and that sort of thing is my scene! However, I am also modelling German HO, and could say I was disappointed at the lack of a German layout, but I won't, as firstly, I knew there weren't any there, and secondly, I prefer to go to specialist shows for that. Next year, maybe, though I do often give big shows a miss every other year, unless there is something I really want to see. And finally, I enjoy Ally Pally for one other reason, the building!! Thanks to all who made it a good show!

I see when you want a change, then it suddenly becomes Rotterdam Noord, or something similar.....

Picked up mine in Smiths in Lancing earlier in the week. Only got charged £3.50! Seeing as the U.S. price is $7.99. Most articles are repeats that have appeared in MR over the years, but still worth an evening read, as MR now seem to accept that the vast majority of modellers do not have basement sized areas.

I have some ME Code 70 and 55 track, and agree it is not easy to lay, as regards curves. The 55 can easily pop out of the chairs as well. I've kept mine purely for siding and spur tracks, shame really as the Code 70 looks so much better.