ba14eagle

Really interesting, the short formed HST at BTM - easy to model!

The Corkickle photos are amazing - I went there last summer and you wouldn't believe any of that existed.

O gauge, kit built 6 wheel milk tank. £20 & £2.95 p&p. Ive removed the signage and done some weathering and added lettering. Something different for my growing milk train - ah yes - dont currently have an O gauge railway - just started collecting for the future .

I completely agree with Bonafide' comments.

This was a first time exhibition for me and probably the last - sorry. It was ridiculously busy and too cramped, as people have said. Perhaps it needs to be a 2 day event.

There were some brilliant layouts on show, which I would have loved to have been able to spend more time in front of, but when you cant actually get a good viewpoint, you can get bored - I did. Some of this comes about due to the old problem of people just standing in front of an exhibit and chatting - paying no attention to whats in front of them, just being a pain in the posterior. There were a few layouts that just didnt having anything going on, or werent functioning well, or as Bonafide said, were being operated by people who just didnt know what they were doing - Its a shame.

Agree with Col. Stephens, some of the layouts werent quite what id expect to see at a show, but agree with others comments that all levels of skill should be on show.

Anyway, here are the links to the video I shot:

Looking forward to travelling to this new show (for me) - hopefully the trains wont be a nightmare.

Are any of the loco Dr's into fixing dcc stuff? please!!

Congratulations to everyone who has ever been involved with Traction magazine. I've every copy bound up - a great source of reference material.

However, I don't know what's happened to the picture quality in this issue - lots of the pictures (not models) seem really dark. A shame, because there is some really nice subject matter.    

It seems that Boden Rail has put 50017 up for sale http://www.wnxx.com/forsale/index.htm. If there are no takers, it seems the loco will be used to provide spares for 50050 and 37240 (bogies?).

 

Despite being a 50 basher back in the day, am I alone in thinking that Class 50s are well represented in both preservation and on the main line, and the loss of one might not be a bad thing if it ensures the continued operation of the other survivors?

NO!

There are a few other candidates lying around which could become donors. This loco is an absolute beast and shouldnt face the axe.

Think you will find that 50050 is up for sale too.

Beer from Burton on Trent.

Do pigeons class as freight? lots of pigeon specials

I too went to the exhibition in question - my first time visit in fact.

I can agree with a few of the points made in the O.P. but it certainly didnt spoil my day.

I met some modelling friends and chatted for ages, but made sure we did it, away from the viewing area for any particular layout.

I was disappointed not to buy anything (but I do have a very small shopping list, most of which is already on pre-order) but missed out on the one item I did like! - the old rule about buying something when you first see it, rang in my ears! 

I, obviously, am one of those people who take video footage at shows and I chatted with some of the exhibitors about the popularity of "exhibition films" on a certain website. Some were very surprised by the level of interest.

I will post the links to the videos here, but first, I will have to come clean - I did have some gripes about the show.

Personally, I dont much like shows that are in schools and use little classrooms or studios (despite having organised shows like this in the past!!). One of the studios on Saturday was very dark - it didnt matter to 2 of the layouts, whose lighting was brilliant, but imho Loftus Road could have done with being in a better illuminated room.

There were lots of very nicely modelled layouts, but too many werent working particularly well - this seemed to be for a number of different reasons. Im pleased to say though, Campbell Quarry, Atlantic Road, Kirkby Stephen West, San Maria Gandia and Redbridge Wharf (to name but a few) were very, very good and thoroughly entertaining.

These are the first few of my (rather poor) slide scans. There are more to come.

56034 at Woodborough, 20/7/1988

56045 Drynham, Trowbridge, 24/5/89

56046 Westbury North Jn, April 1989

56051 Westbury depot, 10/5/1987

56053 Westbury depot, 10/5/1987

56062 Westbury, 14/5/1988

56075 Patney & Chirton, 20/7/1988

During the 1980's, the Waterloo to Exeter trains were something like this:

TSO - TSO - TSO - BFK - TSO(T) - BFK - TSO - TSO - TSO

The BFK could be marshalled together, with the TSO(T) being amongst the TSO.

The only vehicle here not available ready to run - unless you use a Lima one - is the TSO(T)

Cross Country trains could be anything from about load 7 to load 12, depending on origin / destination - stuff like the "Wessex Scot", serving Edinburgh and Glasgow, would be a 2 portion train. Each portion would convey similar accommodation, plus one would have a catering vehicle (Mk1).

I'm very happy with the process - have recently acquired 3 x Dapol O gauge milk tankers, for under £50 each incl. p&p when the opening bid was £50.

I'm looking forward to this loco and the RNAD wagons too!

I enjoyed the weekend, Maesglas performed pretty well, better than baby Laira ever did. Nice to hear some positive comments from peoe too. Good to see friends and meet a few new people. The layout looks surprisingly good in the videos, it's interesting to see it from the other side and take it in as a whole. In the video by SDJR7F88 I look rather animated in the conversation I'm having to the left of the layout!

 

Jo

Think we were talking work Jo!

Visited the show yesterday and pleased to say, it goes from strength to strength, with more improvement.

Many thanks to everyone involved.

Here are a couple of videos, made during my visit. The outstanding Chilcompton Tunnel gets its own video.

On Saturday 12th January 2019, I made my first visit to the Chiltern Model Railway Association show, in Stevenage. I thought it was a really great event, with a good balance of layouts, trade and demonstrations.

Thanks to the organisers for the event and, probably, the best *free* showguide, ive ever seen - well done chaps! It was really nice to see lots of layouts that were new to me, as well as a couple of old favourites.

I did get a bit miffed when a small group of old men stood for ages, in front of a popular layout, harping on about roadworks and immigrants and what should be done with them! Sorry guys, but take your chat elsewhere - maybe even moderate your subject matter in public - and let the rest of us, enjoy the cracking layouts!

Here is my footage.

You are welcome to come and measure up Westbury, whenever you like!

Hi Mike

Have you any plans to populate your coaches?

I thought Mendip Rail operated their own trains? Elsewhere it says that DB previously had the contract.

DBC operate the trains.

It will be interesting to see what traction works these trains - the Mendip Rail 59's are over / about 30 years old - are they still reliable enough? We wait to see. I would like to see class 70's on this traffic, but am not holding my breath. Linked to this point, is whether Freightliner continue to operate "jumbo" trains or whether the traffic is moved on more direct "quarry to terminal" trains.

Hopefully, FL might use some of their wagon fleet on these trains too, which could see the end of use of 45mph rolling stock, from the MR fleet.

For me, Basingstoke, Swindon or Banbury would fit the bill.

Reading can be chaotic.

Cardiff is a really good choice further afield.

All my suggestions are on the doorstep of town centres, which have a large number of shops - surely a lady's paradise!

Ive done a couple of videos of some recently - well within the last 35 years - closed / abandoned / mothballed lines. Links below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zd4jlpcsHrI

Went to the Olivias site the other day only to find that they do not have a proper shop website. Having heard tales about Olivias before I abandoned the idea to order from them.

Sorry, but what part of the website makes it improper?

This is a thread about a product, not another thread on which to bash the retailer.

OOPs!

Nearly forgot the Westerns & Warships, which also worked stone traffic from the Westbury area - especially to the South Western division, during construction of the M3 & M25 motorways.

Hymeks also used to work passenger trains from the Western, through the New Forest, to Bournemouth & Weymouth

Class 56's, 58's & 60's worked stone traffic from Westbury & the Mendip quarries.

58's & 60's worked the Furzebrook to Avonmouth LPG tanks

56's & 58's worked coal trains from the Midland to North Kent and stone trains from the Midlands to terminals in Kent, such as Bat & Ball.

Whoops!

I meant to plug this show last week, but missed it.

As usual, this small, but friendly show, had an interesting mix of layouts, demonstrators and independant traders. Keep an eye out for it next year!

Here is a link to my video of the event.

Another great show at Taunton this last weekend - I went on Sunday.

The set up of the small rooms, in the older building, left something to be desired, with there being too little room around the layouts and stalls - I hate to think what it was like on Saturday!

Anyway, here are a couple of my videos of the event.

My apologies to those whose layouts dont feature - Soar Model Railway Club - you seemed to be having some serious problems and each time I stopped by the layout, little or nothing was moving. Mike and Oak Road - youve featured in 2 show videos this year!! And so has Stapleforth St Stephens. I really must get a second battery for my video camera too