ianp

Correct. A point that should be observed by the small minority of trade stand operators at exhibitions who are surly, unwelcoming, have never smiled, and who clearly regard potential customers as a nuisance. Why do they bother to turn up? Thankfully they are outnumbered by those who are friendly, welcoming and only too happy to offer useful advice.

I would quite like to join a local-ish club with an interest in French and narrow gauge railways. But I certainly won't join my nearest one. Why not? A couple of years ago I went up to their hopelessly bad and disorganised layout at an exhibition and said hello. The two blokes were busy trying to get things going. Fair enough, but they both studiously ignored me, even though they had clearly heard me. They couldn't even be bothered to say "hi, we'll be right with you in two ticks, just give us a moment." No, they just pretended I was not there. I stood there for a few minutes watching them as they faffed around, then one of them acknowledged me in a vague, half-hearted manner. Nothing very friendly or welcoming. I made my excuses and left. Never to return. Their loss, not mine, let me assure you.

Blimey, it's been quiet here recently, hasn't it? Anyway, the website of the French Railways Society (formerly the SNCF Society) has turned up a most interesting link. It is to a website that superimposes existing and closed French lines onto Google earth. The society says: "There are clearly many lines missing but it is still an interesting site to visit, and will hopefully develop further in the future." http://www.anciennesvoiesferrees.fr/mapAVF.php.

Does anyone make a habit of buying models trains at auction? I noticed that two North London auctioneers seem regularly to have Hornby stuff (old and new) in their general household sales. It made me wonder if anyone prowls these sorts of auctions for bargains.

Later this month I am having a long weekend in Le Touquet which will let me take in a day at the Somme Bay railway (Chemin de Fer de la Baie de Somme) or CFBS. Are there any things of which I should be aware, apart from just turning up and enjoying myself?

Out of curiosity I checked that journey on the Deutsche Bahn website last night. It shows several trains that day from both Gare de l'Est and Gare du Nord.

In my experience, the SNCF website is still, like many French websites, laughably bad in terms of layout, usability and functionality. The concepts of Impressionism and Cubism are deeply ingrained in the French corporate psyche. I think the Deutsche Bahn website is the best for dealing with such fiendishly cunning questions from potential paying customers as "is there a train going from A to B on this particular date?"

Can you recommend any retailers in France who are good for HOm engines and rolling stock?

I received a promotional email today from La vie du rail, the big French railway publisher. It has launched (or maybe revamped) a website called Photorail with 10,000 photos of French railways: http://photorail.fr/. Not just photos, but posters and postcards too.

I wrote a review on this forum, dated 30th April. See below. I enjoyed it very much.

Artitec make a kit of something similar.

This very big exhibition is being staged in Lille by the publishers LR Presse, from Friday 28th to Sunday 30th April. I am making a day trip on the Saturday. Anyone else going?

I have just been watching the 1938 French film La Bete Humaine, based on the novel by Emile Zola. Dreadful clunky acting but lots of fantastic film of French steam engines, stations and depots. Are there any other drama films set so heavily on the railway? And I don't mean Murder on the Orient Express or the Titfield Thunderbolt.

Will you be exhibiting at Trainsmania in Lille at the end of April?

Fantastic. I am visiting the Trainsmania exhibition on the Saturday so I shall say hello.

Thank you. Don't know how I missed them when I looked. But very good news indeed.

This may have been asked and answered before, but are there any shops in the UK that stock and sell sheets of Redutex imitation bricks, slates, cobbles and paving etc? DCC Supplies used to, but not any more it seems. Anywhere else?

I am hoping to enter this three-box file competition. With that in mind, does anyone know of a (very) small turntable made in HO/OO gauge? I have in mind something to turn a short autorail but not a full-length steam engine.

A chap called Chris Elliott wrote and published in 2008 a good book called Les lignes disparues de l'Herault. It is full of information, maps and photos about the railways of the region. I think he can be contacted by the SNCF society.

Yes, Bedarieux is very interesting. My parents used to go on holiday there every summer (because it is off the beaten track), renting a cottage up on one of the hills directly overlooking the station and its huge but now disused goods yard. Its hard to believe now that this was once a coal mining area (well, a bit further up the Orb valley) and that the goods yard would have been crammed with coal wagons. I think I once read there was a daily train from Paris to Lamalou les Bains, which is just a few miles to the west, to cater for people going to the spas there for the good of their health. For what is now a station on quiet rural line, Bedarieux has a simply massive iron and glass roof over the platforms, which alone is worth the trip.

You can go up and down that line from Beziers to Bedarieux, and even further, for just 1 euro each way. Or at least you could a few months ago.

That is more very useful information - thank you. I see there is a biennial exhibition in Lille, but the next one is in 2016. Are there any other big shows located between Paris and Calais?

Thanks for those views. I have tracked down the details of the Rail Expo in Pontoise, a suburb of North West Paris. It looks good from the various bits and bobs on the internet. Sadly, at this late stage getting there from London by Eurostar will cost about £200 for a day return journey, or will involve an overnight stay. I may plan a (cheaper) trip next year.

What, or where, is the best source of information on forthcoming model railway exhibitions in France? Is there a comprehensive website somewhere? Thanks in advance.