KarlW

Glad to see that myself and my dad didn't let our fatigue at the end of a LONG day affect how we were on camera! Thanks for the chance to speak to you Phil and Andy, hopefully I should be able to share some progress on my first layout soon!

There didn't seem to be so many rucksack issues this year for me. Wider isles might have helped. I agree with Peter about wheely suitcases though.

 

Mind you, when catching the cable-train to the airport (for a burger, not a flight), I was lightly walloped by a multi-colour, padded tail attached to someone from Comicon. Definitely a first!

I saw the suitcases too! I figured they clearly had a lot of stuff to get

As for ComicCon crowds, I got caught up in a crowd of people going to one in Swansea before - how people can wear costumes so padded in the middle of May I'll never know

Well after having gone to Warley on the Saturday, I can say I thoroughly enjoyed myself. There were plenty of layouts to see, and although I didn't get a chance to have a look at some of them when they were in full flow (the closest I got to Lime Street for example was as they were starting to get the trains running at the start of the day), there were plenty of options there to keep my interest. One of the layouts that I had a good look at that was really nice was the Sutton in Ashfield Town layout - lots of attractive scenery and also several LARGE freight trains that were running. I'll admit that my personal preference for layouts are loops rather than end to end, mostly as I like the idea that trains are going somewhere rather than just going from side to side in something like a marshalling yard, but there were other layouts like Tidmouth and Lime Street that were appealing to me despite my preferences.

As far as people at the show went, I didn't have many instance of rucksack shoving (although I did have a couple of occasional dances across the floor with other people trying to make room for me, as you do) but what both my father and I did come across occasionally was the case of a person either barging or sliding their way in front of me at a trader stall while I was browsing. Some people were polite and courteous, asking if you could move out of the way briefly or swapping in and out to give people chance to reach something they wanted, but there were a few occasions where I was browsing around looking for coaches or a particular loco and I'd all of a sudden find myself subtley nudged out of the way for someone else to grab something. All in all, nothing too unfamiliar to me - my other hobby is miniature wargaming and I'm well accustomed to seeing people charge towards certain stands to go for certain deals/items (i.e any Forge World stand at any wargaming show).

Got a chance to see a few people, and picked up a fair amount of stuff to get me started with my first layout, so all in all I was very happy with the day and my dad and I have already started thinking about making plans to go to next year's show, so an overall thumbs up from this newcomer!

Welcome back to the hobby.

Interesting to hear you were encouraged back by the TV show. That seems to have polarised opinions on here but it did show what can be achieved in a short space of time & who knows how many it has tempted into the hobby?

 

Enjoy Warley. You can buy loads there & see lots of good layouts. Most exhibitors enjoy talking to viewers so feel free to ask some questions.

 

The hobby can appeal to a variety of people for many different aspects, whether you like painting figures, building trees or fiddling with electronics.

Thanks Pete. Something I've gathered having a look at the various groups and sites I've joined was that the show seems to have been a point of contention for a lot of people. For myself though it was nice as you said to see what could be done in a small amount of time, and if something like that can be done with layouts and teams that have pressure on them, then having the luxury of time to be able to get things just as you want them means that anything can be achievable. The only issue I really have is space in my house considering the stuff I have is OO, and my own personal preference of having a layout where I feel like trains "go somewhere" rather than something like a shunting/marshalling yard, but I figure that with research and as time goes on, those issues can be addressed too

Those are good figures all round in the multi channel age. I doubt they are all model railway fans or gricers either.

 

Now it's over to those on the exhibition circuit to get talking to the newbies who are visiting the shows and enthuse them even more.

Indeed - I know my dad is really looking forward to seeing the winning layout in person, and I'm looking forward to seeing all of them - they all looked impressive on the show but it's another thing to see a well made layout in person.

Glad I saw this, am heading into Cardiff tomorrow morning and Antics was on my list of places to visit - at least I know where they are now!

I was umming and ahhing over picking it up seeing as I have no track right now, but the fairly generic loco (which seems to be the same mould for all of the cheap sets they do, only with an LMS paint job, and the somewhat uninteresting small loop is making me want to wait til I see another set somewhere.

Scratch that, I caved and got it - 40 quid didn't seem too bad for what was in it - will likely still get some more track to expand it soon.

I was umming and ahhing over picking it up seeing as I have no track right now, but the fairly generic loco (which seems to be the same mould for all of the cheap sets they do, only with an LMS paint job, and the somewhat uninteresting small loop is making me want to wait til I see another set somewhere.

I always start in the cafe for a full breakfast...... then work my way from the back of the hall!

 

Regards always...

Bob

 

I always start in the cafe for a full breakfast...... then work my way from the back of the hall!

 

Regards always...

Bob

 

That sounds like a plan too Sadly Sunday isn't an option but I'm sure Saturday will be fine.

Your magazines are being posted to you

 

https://www.facebook.com/Warley.MRC.Exhibition/photos/a.724110170936537/2391051047575766/?type=3&theater

 

Look at the floor plane and check what you want to see. Trade stands will be busy first thing... try and plan a route and decide from the layouts and other information in the magazine what you want to see first. With 90 layouts and lots of other stands it may be a struggle to see everything.

 

baz

Thanks Baz, I thought it was probably the case but just wanted to make sure. 

Plan your day carefully - target the layouts you want to see the most, ditto any retailers - late afternoon is quieter and as you're driving you don't have to consider your return train crush so make the most of that when it comes to the more popular exhibits.

 

Expect it to be very busy, there will be people who are rude, accept they cannot help it and move on, if you can't get close to one exhibit move on and come back round later.

 

If you intend to purchase from the Bachmann returns stand, expect it to be several people deep.

 

There is usually a test track for your purchases, make use of it and say thanks - it's volunteers and it's very busy for them all day.

 

Food isn't cheap but there is choice and there are plenty of loos.

Thanks for the heads up - we're hoping for a little bit of both, as I'm only just getting back into the hobby and was looking to get the basics to get myself going again as well as seeing some great layouts. Plenty have people have told me that it's a good idea to go as a new hobbyist and it certainly looks that way

So my father and I are coming to the Warley show this year, it's our first Warley (and our first real model railway exhibition for that matter). We've already got our tickets and parking (we ordered two magazines as well but I presume they come later/on the day), I was just wondering if anyone had any advice for us seeing as it's our first show, to make sure we get the most from the day? We're coming on the Saturday.

As I said on another post - it was seeing these new layouts and how they came together that got me thinking about the hobby again after many years away. The closest I have got to watching trains run around and creating railways was on Transport Tycoon on my PC for the longest time, but I've been involved in modelling for a while with Games Workshop products. Seeing the two mixed on Laurie's Team Steampunk layout showed me that some of the skills I learned in modelling tanks and infantry could easily be passed along to railway modelling, and with me showing a keen interest again after decades away (I'm now in my mid 30's) - my father also seems to have got the bug after watching the show with me.

I don't understand why people would think that this wouldn't attract people to the hobby - noone really seemed to be portrayed negatively (except maybe Missenden's interpretation of the rules) and the show contained fine examples of modelling that at least encouraged two Welsh guys enough to think they could mske a good stab at it!

I've been thinking a fictional layout around my local area (I live in Port Talbot) so I've been trying to get GWR stock or coal wagons and the like with nearby places (Swansea, Cardiff - even a couple of Bachmann Margam Junction shunter wagons) - my main issue at the moment (other than no track) is that the loco I bought to replace the old Thomas back in the 90s is an LNER 0-6-0T and so doesn't match. I'm hoping I can get a GWR loco at Warley, either as part of a train set to get me some new track or to supplement the loco from that.

My father and I loved all of the episodes of the show - it's actually inspired me to take up the hobby again! I'm looking forward to seeing some of the layouts in person at Warley, and I loved seeing models from my other hobby (that being Warhammer 40,000) being used on the Team Steampunk layout - I'm hoping that some of my painting/scenic skills I've picked up from that will translate well to my first proper layout.

Hi guys,

Just joined the forum and I thought I should introduce myself! My name's Karl and I'm from not-so-sunny Wales! I've had an interest in model railways for a while, starting with my Hornby Thomas train set when I was a child. As I got older, I swapped out some of the locos and rolling stock for some actual locos and trucks instead of the Thomas stuff, but the "layout" was basically still the oval & siding I had with the set. As I got into my later teens, my interests changed and the track ended up going, although I kept most of the wagons. I did entertain the prospect of dabbling into it again a few years ago but other than picking up some DVDs and magazines that was where it ended.

Flash forward to seeing the Great Model Railway Challenge over the last few weeks and myself and my father have finally decided to give it another good try. We're both going to Warley on the 24th and I'm planning to pick up some stuff to get myself started again. I've done a little bit of shopping already to replenish my rolling stock, and hopefully I'll do a bit better than a single oval on green painted chipboard this time.

Glad to meet you all and hope to share progress of my journey back into model railways soon!

Karl