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Have a look in this thread!

Three photos from me of a layout I've been involved with - Damian's 'Diesels in the Duchy': Hope you like them. (PS all taken on a mobile phone camera with no post editing)

Very nice

Hi Colin In our case, and presumably many other layout owners too, we are only able to physically fit 5 weekends worth of shows into each year. We also try and spread them out through the year too, so that family don't get too brassed off. Sod's law comes into effect here and each year we find that one month is very popular for invites. One year it's May, another October, but we get big show clusters. As such we try manage our calendar and spread shows across the next two or so years. It also works the other way too. Often show organisers come to us with invites to two or more years hence. Spalding is one example here. Either way we try our best to keep ourselves, family and show organisers happy.

Thanks for the comments Stewart. Unless i've got it wrong i think we're at Warley in 2011, so you'll not get a chance of seeing us there. Can you wait a further 12 months?

Thanks Captain. Can never have too many photos to model from.

Hopefully the latest photos will show we've done some work on these areas.

Hi craig Yes, we've been in touch with Andrew for Kernow. Strangely we saw him at the DEMU show in Bretby - obviously got his passport stamped! I'm thinking of building a model of the box that stands to the north of the shed - near where the Par line curves in. Would you be able to get some shots of all four sides next time you're there? That would be much appreciated. Cracking website by the way. Chris

Thanks Mickey Thought you'd not been on here for a while. Come and see the layout in the flesh at Wadebridge show in October.

Colin I doubt Damian will let me get away with that....

Thanks for the kind comments Jack, must stress though that the layout isn't mine, i'm just the 'hired help' for some of the buildings and bits of the scenery. Damian, the owner, came up with the idea and myself and a few others help out when required. The same team built 'Treneglos' and is currently working on 'Once Upon a Time in the West"...

Me neither Colin but the scene is growing on me! Mind you, i'm sure the layout would look good backdated with a few paniers and praries on there. Or a bit more recent, with a load of Warships etc!

Thanks Rich - we're probably not far off booking 10 years ahead at the rate the potential invites are coming in but, in this case, you're right it was a typo. Now corrected!

Thanks Jack - that's one of my favourites too.

You didn't take any photos while you were down there did you? We're trying to round up as many period (late 80s / early 90s) photos as we can, especially the buildings and yard area. Any help is much appreciated.

I like the green bits and buildings too. Even these dieselly thingies are growing on me...

Hi Rod We had a lot of interest in the layout at DEMU so the following list could lengthen over the next few months: October 2010: Wadebridge August 2011: Three Spires, Truro November(?) 2011: Warley @NEC April 2012: Trainwest, Melksham I think i've missed a couple but will get confirmation from layout owner, Damian

There's a few more DEMU show shots here taken (i think) by our leader, Mr York:

We've just done the DEMU show and here are a few photos taken over the weekend. Hopefully those who saw the layout at stafford will notice a few changes... But first a few of the upgraded roof and back wall on the wagon / coach works building: And now a few from DEMU: The above is one of my favourite shots The above is one of Damian's favourites

EM project is a pile of bits waiting for me to have the time to start! Got 2 locos converted though and some rtr track. Geoff made a common crossing and point blades for me - very nice too. Once I've got the new Treneglos fiddles out of the way, worked on Damian's buildings, done scenery and buildings on John's layout the house extension including train room should be finished and I'll at long last have somewhere for all my stuff! Realistically I think we're looking at this time next year before i do anything on a layout of my own but I'm still modelling! PS playing with John's layout requires wearing a poncho and six shooters......

I said I'd do the same for Damian too but he muttered something about 'trash compactors'. Be good to see you, we'll have to enrol you for the 3rd layout too......

Be good to see you too Rob - don't forget your GWR socks that you owe Andy Y....

Certainly are but it's still well over a year away! ...I think we were invited 3+ years in advance of the show. Amazing how other shows still don't issue formal invites until weeks before the show.

Staffordshire Finescale Group's Exhibition Diary About Us Staffordshire Finescale Group isn't and model railway club. It doesn't have a clubroom. It exists purely as a group of friends, located across the East and West Midlands, who encourage each other to improve both the quality and quantity of their railway modelling output. Most of us model in 4mm scale, predominantly in EM gauge, although the group is not intended to be scale or gauge specific. As a group our main focus is on modelling British Railways, but our interests cover a 40 year period from Nationalisation through to Sectorisation. Core members of the group include Andy Banks, Damian Ross, Geoff Cook, John Wardle, Mark Forrest and Nigel Brazier. Our Layouts We've all previously worked together on club layouts but work and life has moved us apart geographically. Collaborative and personal layouts we have built include: New Haden Colliery - EM industrial layout based on the real New Haden Colliery near Cheadle, Staffs. The layout was built by the group when we were all members of Stafford Railway Circle and was bought be Geoff Cook in 2012. Treneglos - OO layout set in the early 1960's BR(S) and based on a typical crossing station on the North Cornwall Railway. It was built by Chris, Damian and John in 2003 and has appeared in the Railway Modeller, Hornby Magazine and on the old version of this forum. At the age of 10, and with other projects coming on line, this layout is taking a back seat on the exhibition scene although we hope to do a show in the SW in 2014 to mark the 60th anniversary of the ACE ceasing. Foundry Lane - Foundry Lane (EM + DCC) is the terminus of a short freight-only branch line set somewhere in the West Midlands in the early 1970s. It was built and is owned by Mark and is due to be replaced by his next project - Wolverhampton Low Level (P4). Diesels in the Duchy - Damian's personal homage to the shed at St Blazey (EM + DCC). It runs 37s, 50s and loads of wagons from the late 80s and early 90s period. Once Upon a Time...In the West - John's personal project, a HO layout set in 1920 New Mexico, USofA. Currently on hold as he works on BCB but will picked up again at some stage...maybe. Black Country Blues - In May 2012 the collective won a competition to build the RMweb / BRM project layout. We decided to build something in EM, set in the 1970s Back Country. A freight only route with lots of blue locos, grubby wagons and grot. Exhibition Organisers Details Black Country Blues: tbc Diesels in the Duchy: Diesels in the Duchy Handout - Nov 2011.pdf Foundry Lane: layout data sheet_foundry lane.pdf New Haden: tbc SFG Layout Exhibition Diary Our layouts will be exhibited at the following shows: 2010 - Completed 12/13 February 2010: Diesels in the Duchy (DitD) - Stafford (Done) 29/30 May 2010: Treneglos - Aylesbury Railex (DONE) 12/13 June 2010: DitD - DEMU Showcase near Burton (DONE) 21/22 August 2010: Treneglos - Three Spires / Truro (DONE) 2/3 October 2010: DitD - Wadebridge (DONE) 2011 - Completed 5/6 February 2011: Once Upon a Time in the West - Stafford (progress demonstration) (DONE) 9/10 April 2011: Treneglos - Trainwest Melksham (DONE) 2 July 2011: Once Upon a Time in the West - RMweb Members Day at Stafford! (DONE) 20/21 August 2011: DitD - Three Spires / Truro (DONE) 12/13 November 2011: Treneglos - Spalding (DONE) 19/20 November 2011: DitD - Warley (DONE) 2012 - Completed Saturday 18th February 2012: Treneglos Tonbridge, Kent (DONE) 14th &15th April 2012: DitD - Trainwest Melksham (DONE) 26th & 27th May 2012: DitD - Railex Aylesbury (DONE) 25th & 26th August 2012: DitD, Railex NE- Blyth & Tyne MRS (DONE) 29th & 30th September 2012: Treneglos, Soar Valley MRS Loughborough (DONE) 20th & 21st October 2012: DitD, Uckfield (DONE) 2013 - Full 09th & 10th February 2013: BCB - The Festival of British Railway Modelling, Doncaster Exhibition Centre, The Racecourse, Doncaster, DN2 6BB (DONE) 23rd & 24th March 2013: BCB - The London Festival of Railway Modelling, Alexandra Palace, London, N22 7AY (DONE) 18th & 19th May 2013: Foundry Lane - expoEM Bracknell 17th & 18th August 2013: DitD - Midland Railex (Midland Railway - Butterley) 19th & 20th October 2013: BCB - The National Festival of Railway Modelling, East of England Showground, Peterborough, PE2 6XE (we're doing fewer shows this year as we're also building BCB) 2014 - Confirming Invitations Early February 2014: Black Country Blues - Stafford (Confirmed) 8th & 9th February 2014: Black Country Blues - Doncaster (Confirmed) 15th & 16th March 2014: Foundry Lane - Leamington & Warwick MRS Late March 2014: Treneglos - The Festival of British Railway Modelling (Ally Pally) (Paperwork received) 31st May & 1st June 2014: Black Country Blues - DEMU Showcase (Confirmed) 26th June 2014: Treneglos - Barnstable (Subject to operator availability) Mid August 2014: Treneglos - Midland Railex (Midland Railway - Butterley) Mid September 2014: Black Country Blues - ExpoEM North (Enquiry) 24th to 26th October 2014: Black Country Blues - Utrecht (Enquiry) 28th to 30th November 2014: DitD - Wakefield (Paperwork received) 21st to 22nd November, 2014: Black Country Blues - Warley 2015 - Accepting Invitations 14th February 2015: DitD - Biggleswade (Enquiry) June 2015: Black Country Blues - Wigan (Enquiry) 26th to 27th May: Black Country Blues - Halifax (Enquiry) Look forward to seeing you there.

The only thing that put me off doing this 'conversion' myself is that the 8F chassis doesn't really have the right cylinders on it for a Z. I did do the W class using an N chassis but the cylinders and wheel spacings never looked right to me and it now sits in a box unloved! Will be interested to see how your Z turns out though - nice job so far.