Claude_Dreyfus

Thanks both - appreciate the comments. Good to talk with you both during the show. We had quite a few positive comments, which was nice to hear. The layout performed extremely well, with no particular issues (mainly minor fettling) - most mishaps were operator error... Here are a couple of snaps from the show. We were extremely flattered to receive 'Best in Show', that was a nice end to a very enjoyable show.

Ah right. Yes, plenty of those around on the DR. The front frames narrowed the candidates down a little...

There was a working slip coach on a layout back in the 70s. Long Suffren? I seem to recall a Railway Modeller article about it.

Looks like that may be a Rekoloc BR01. A lucky catch there... We'll have one operating on our Berlin layout at the Fareham show next weekend. 😉 Looks like you had a really varied and interesting trip. Thanks for sharing your pictures...

As well as the carriages and wagons. Cleaning is them not a very fun job but necessary for reliable running; I have just spent a couple of hours this weekend cleaning all of my carriage wheels for an upcoming show! Sounds like you may need to redesign the layout. If you cannot reach the track, then how can you do other things such as retrieve derailments etc.? I have tried any number of different approaches to keeping track clean, but really manual cleaning is the only option (rail cleaning wagons work to keep the track clean during operational sessions, but don't help much if the layout has not been used for a while.

66725 heads a rather short 6G11 09:03 Nutbourne - Eastleigh East Yard towards Pulborough, running about 2 hours late. 1st October.

I have used these guys in the past. Not sure if they still do repairs, but it may be worth asking. https://www.aandhmodels.co.uk/

Nice to see that after all of these years Dresden is still playing host to Ludmillas! That is a great selection of pictures, Dresden looks a most agreeable place to spend a few days...

As I mentioned in the previous post, Friedrichstrasse is intended to be a layout of lights. Streetlights, lighting in houses etc; we have a lighting fiend in the club! Occasionally we like to turn the lights off in the hall and just view the layout in its night-time guise. There are still plenty more gaps to fill - we need to complete the street lights, as well as complete the internal lighting for the remaining buildings. These will have to wait until after the Fareham show next weekend. Anyone at the show, do say hello! 👋

Nice pictures. Never been to Dresden myself, but those I know who have speak very highly of it.

Sorry, seeing a title such as this in the 'Overseas Modelling' area conjured this image... Lovely looking layout by the way.

Only a couple of weeks to go until the layout makes its first appearance at an exhibition since April 2019. The fiddle yard has now been completed and trains are fully operational. The new yard is a significant improvement on the last - many more tracks - and the change to make all six tracks at the front of the layout independent lines will allow us to run a far more intensive service. https://youtube.com/shorts/WgTtdQ06Niw?si=9vMLiNRVNBnWpgqw The factory board has now had the overbridge added, as well as various greenery. The factory wall has also been put in and weathered. Also added is an etched fence and gate, guarding the entrance. This will not be immediately visible to most observers as it will be partially hidden by the overbridge. This is the view from the fiddle yard. A portrait of neglect. Although the siding is not wired up, it is intended to show an occasionally used track, so there may be an occasional wagon in place. Our intention was always for the layout to have a lot of lights - street lights, lights in buildings etc. A lot of today was spent sorting out the wires and connections for these. The lights beneath the bridge add to the atmosphere. Perhaps not as austere and East German is the more lively bar. Plenty of light going on here! The following week (our last club night before the show weekend) will be spent thoroughly testing the running of the layout - including a new DCC booster unit to help with the increase in trains.

Just by way of a very late addition to this topic, Martin is still producing figures and taking orders, although no longer attends exhibitions. He is still an active modeller. Here are a few of his 0 gauge figures (he also has 00 footplate crew) at our club work day earlier today. Contact details - provided with permission are as follows:

Our 'Inspired by Friedrichstrasse' will also be present. Not on the website as yet, but definitely on the exhibition plan! Looking forward to the show, there are some interesting layouts attending.

Another vote for Sabine doing the Nürburgring in the Transit, but the ultimate episode for me was the Vietnam adventure. I was in Vietnam back in 2011 and the guide made reference to that Top Gear episode He motioned that the Vietnamese Tourist Board paid a US television company $500,000 for advertising, but it was nowhere near as successful as the free (to Vietnam) advertising provided by the BBC in that one show. According to the guide that one program made a significant difference to the perception of the country and subsequently the visitor numbers - particularly from the UK

I don't get why the BBC (and other commentators) try to portray this as a 'shock result'. Brighton have an excellent record against Man U in recent times; this was no surprise.

Sad seeing it in such a condition. Here it is at Carlisle in happier days - 30(!) years ago. August 1993.

Knowing a few people involved with Scouting, the reasons for adults (and volunteers in general) dropping out is in part due to the increase in administrative and legal requirements. Whilst these are, in part, necessary when working with young people, the hassle is so great that people do question if it is worth it.

For me, the loss of the more specialised overseas-inspired shows is the saddest consequence; the shows you listed as well as the Southampton 'Eurotrack'. Even the specialised society's AGMs seem not to include any exhibition, or public show-casing of member's layouts. That is not a criticism, just sadly an indication of where we seem to be with overseas modelling in this country. There are overseas layouts out there, and a lot of shows which include overseas layouts (even if some just include a 'token' overseas offering), but I do wonder if there is the appetite for a predominately non-UK exhibition any more. Answers on a postcard!

I believe 377/6s have ventured down the Arun valley once or twice before, mainly due to a rostering issue. There is a picture of 377620 on the route from back in 2015 somewhere on the web and a colleague of mine travelled on a 5-carriage set a few years back - the last train of the day to Chichester. I suspect this may have been the first visit of a 377/7 to Portsmouth though.

Thank you, much appreciated! I have not been to the museum, but it is definitely on the list... To keep to the thread, here are a few suburban pictures. 465035 heads into Victoria on 17 June 2023. 707035 at London Bridge with a Sevenoaks train. 9 March 2023 377442 and 377708 rest in the early morning at London Bridge. 15 February 2023 455805 at London Bridge having arrived with a suburban service. 27 April 2022 377704 arrives at East Croydon. This was actually an oddity, because this unit was used with 377613 on an Arun Valley service - 377704 formed the Portsmouth portion, whilst 377613 formed the Bognor train. And here is 377613 at Puborough. Not a great image as it was getting late, but worth including due to its rarity. 5 May 2022.

At the risk of making this a hovercraft love-in, I managed to get a picture of the new craft, which I too heard was off to Japan soon (on the right). I too managed to capture Waverley. Not a great picture as it was taken from the hover terminal (through a rather mucky window). So to keep on theme, here is a picture of 377468 at Barnham on 15 September. It was operating a Brighton service until it was terminated due to point failure at Arundel junction.

Had a day out to visit the Isle of Wight - although to be honest the main purposes was to have a play with the hovercrafts... It was the first time I had been there since the upgrade of the railway, so took the opportunity to get a few pictures of the indigenous rolling stock. 484004 was doing the honours along with 484002, which I did not get a picture of. The hovercraft was definitely the highlight of the trip. It is the first time I have ever travelled on one - I have seen them on a regualr basis on my travels to the island. Back at Portsmouth I managed to grab a couple of snaps of some Desiros. 444045 passes Gunwharf Keys on the approach to the Harbour. 450049 and 444045 rest at the stops.

166205 at Portsmouth Harbour, having arrived from Cardiff. 15 September 2023

These two were in action this weekend as part of the Pulborough Heritage weekend. The 1953 AEC Regal IV London Country RF The 1971 Leyland Leopard coach