Last Saturday, I thought that I could do with time out. So I joined the Dawes van for a trip to Tenterden. They had a small model railway exhibition at the station, and we thought that we’d have a train ride too. So we headed east, and after a rather average (but very welcome) breakfast, we arrived just in time to catch a train for a round trip on the line.
All services were diesel hauled, but we travelled in the heritage carriage rake, in comfort in a four wheeled Metropolitan Railway coach (on loan from the London Transport Museum.)
No steam except in the yard, where you could pay for the privilege of driving a Terrier up and down the station. I love the late Southern Railway livery, with the ‘sunshine’ lettering. It’s also nice and simple for the modeller! Terriers are so small, that with an extra crew member driving, the ‘regular’ driver and fireman were both hanging out of the cab.
Inside the model railway marquee, there was a good selection of layouts. A small show, but well worth a look. Some were familiar, like the excellent London Road sidings.
And Caravansarai. I found the Sacred Ibis!
I really liked Exe Halt, in N, an old, but very presentable 4×3′ layout, with an elipsical shape.
The Lemanis Light Railway is also familiar from other shows, but is a good example of a ‘real’ narrow gauge railway – only whimsical in the safari park at the front of the layout.
The BLS Sud Rampe rathe reminded me of our old ESNG layout, Dreibruken.
A little American action…..
And minimum space O….
Finally, O gauge in the Kent coal fields.
We then retired to the tea room for further refreshments, and I returned from my morning out at 4pm. A very pleasant time was had by all.
esngblog 