ba14eagle

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

Ah, but as I said Richard - thats all i care about. I did, once, use a repainting service in Leeds - Im still waiting for the handrails (for my coaches) to be returned - that isnt what id call good service, so havent been back

I have made the journey to Olivias Trains on a handful of occasions now - something that isn't pleasant, but that's because of the really awful trains you have to travel on to get there!! So, for me to spend nearly 3 hours on a Cross Country voyager, the service must be friendly and good. I use the chip fitting service mainly and, agreed, its not cheap, but I know Im going to come away with what I want, doing what I want it to do. Simple. It did feel a bit of an intimidating place to go into at first, but now I know what to expect and you get a cuppa thrown in too!

Second photo is definitely Sheffield Midland

Let me start by saying, I am aware that the stocking of exclusive models from other shops and groups has been going on for sometime and I don't really care who stocks what, from where. However, I am going to make myself look incredibly dim, when I say, I don't see how allowing other shops sell your exclusive models, is going to mean you sell more items - unless you are getting cold feet over what you've commissioned and are looking to offload some of the pain? In this day and age, who needs more than 1 store selling a particular exclusive model? Surely, a very large % of purchasers have access to Hattons as either a shop you visit, an online retailer or a retailer who accepts telephone orders (if you see their advert in the press or online). For me personally, I have bought, and have on pre-order, a number of Kernow Model Centre exclusives - why am I going to hope or wait for the day that another retailer is going to stock that item?

Lets hope that if an unrefurbished version ever comes to see the light of day, satisfactory changes are made! Am currently pleased that an unrefurbished version is all I want

This looks to be a great layout in the making. I like your track arrangement into the depot - too many depots spoilt by daft track layouts and poorly planned entry / exit lines.

The most impressive use of real water on a model railway must be in Hamburg - and its not 4mm, but 3.5mm scale Follow the video through to the Scandinavian section

strange that the other teams seemed to let this pass them by then, because it seems to have give one team a massive advantage

I too found last nights episode very entertaining and an improvement on week 1. On the night I thought the best team won - it was a superb layout! However, I am now rather disappointed with the winning layout, after watching this video posted on YT, by SDJR7F88. Seeing the layout in the back of the van, with what looks like most of the tracklaying done, screams a bit "Missenden" to me - especially as the almost perfect running of the layout was one thing the judges commented on when making their assessments on the layouts. I know its all a bit of fun and a fair proportion of Joe Public wont see this video, but still feels a bit wrong. Track Laying Ninjas - all is forgiven, you win the race for me!

There was a Paddington to Manchester Piccadilly working which very occasionally had a class 50 allocated, instead of a class 47, IIRC

A video of my visit to Worthing yesterday. A number of RMWebbers layouts featured!

Having recently purchased one of the latest batch of Heljan O gauge "Western", I have been looking at how I could scaleback the OO railway and incorporate an O gauge circuit. I had planned on removing the outer 2 circuits of OO and using this space for the O gauge. The O gauge couldnt go around the centre section / pond, so the boards nearest the back of the house would be split lengthways and the O gauge route would drop down under the footbridge. To make use of the best radii around the pond section, the remaining OO gauge lines wouldve been slewed to connect with the now disconnected outer tracks. However, after surveying today, Ive found that I would have to employ a 36" radius curve on the O gauge line to make this fit. This Im not prepared to do - I was prepared to try 42", but nothing less. So, my plans for an expansion into O gauge in the garden have been shelved for the time being. We need a bigger house to live in and I need a bigger garden to play in, so we will just keep hoping the Euromillions comes up soon!

I have just bought one of the new batch of Heljan Westerns and have been looking at minimum radii just as you are. I have read in another thread on here, that someone got diesels with a co-co wheel arrangement ie Heljan 31, 47 & 53, around Peco radius 2 curves (40.5") without any problems. Have another search through the topics and Im sure you will find its not as bigger problem as some might have you believe (although it will always look slightly ridiculous, as someone is sure to point out to me!). Here is a link to the page: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/102199-Heljan-o-class-31-minimum-radius/?hl=%2Bheljan+%2Bminimum+%2Bradius

Modern Railways Pictorial Profile Think it only lasted 12 issues, but very interesting.

Post removed - due to me being a muppet!

Link to my video of the event. Ian / Temeraire - Tidworth features at the end!

Junior World in Hook was a shop selling baby & infant stuff, but in the back of the shop was a large quantity of model railway items - they used to advertise in Railway Modeller, so it wasnt a complete surprise. In the late 80' / early 1990, there was a hardware store in Bargates, Christchurch, that used to have the odd secondhand item in the window for sale. My Father and I were looking for Langley Miniature Models store in Langley Green, Crawley, not realising it was nearer Three Bridges. When we popped into a newsagents store (looking for directions) in the counter they had some N gauge rolling stock - which was quickly snapped up!

The shelf under the cab windows looks too square (sorry I thought the cab front was shown in MarshLane's blog but it isn't - i've seen them somewhere damit!) and 50013 shouldn't have the radio pods on the headcode box in BR Blue

I can understand a few of the feelings of disappointment in the previous post, as the sports hall did feel a little too empty. I travelled double the distance of the above, but felt it was well worth it, as there were many examples of brilliant modelling and some interesting layouts, operationally. As last year, I am not sure how the non-railway related displays fit in, but think if these people are from the local community, its great to be able to welcome them along. The guy doing the tree demo seemed to be enthralling the kids, letting them have a go at producing a tree and base to stick it. Well done. Trade support seemed a little thinner on the ground this year too. Note for next year - despite coming last year, my normally good sense of direction let me down on Saturday morning and I missed the exit I required off the A303 (no exhibition signage this year), only to find there weren't any signs in the Town centre either!

Great to see Tidworth again, at the weekend, and many thanks for the crash course in its operation! Good to see the hydraulics get a look in and your locos on OC. Having just ordered an O gauge Western, I wonder how much space I would need to replicate that layout? - definitely one for the garage / garden I think!!

Has anyone mentioned Fishguard Harbour? Line continued out onto the breakwater.