Fraternite et Solidarite avec La France!

Can it really be a whole year since I was extolling the virtues of the enormous 2mm layout Fencehouses at the Hampton Court MRS show at Tolworth?  It seems to have come round very quickly, so, with the terrible news from Paris very much in my thoughts, I scrounged a lift off Derek Atfield to pay a visit.  I nearly didn’t go – I’m in Stuttgart next weekend, and visiting Warley the following Saturday – but it was worth the trip.

Perhaps my favourite layout of the day was the 4mm scale Kew Bridge tram layout.  It models Kew Bridge Road past the waterworks and many of the buildings are still standing.  I gather you can still get a pint at the Express public house.  The waterworks chimney is one of the most outrageous bits of vertical scenery I’ve ever seen!

The period modelled is 1901-1935, so anything goes with the pedestrians and road transport portrayed.  I picked up a few ideas for my interurban module.

Just 2 N gauge layouts to be seen (so what – there was plenty of good things to see), but Kayreuth was on display.  This German layout has plenty to look at, with trains running on two levels and a number of main lines and branches.  There also seems to be road works everywhere….

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My ‘Unusual Award’ goes to Arigna Town, 7mm scale, but 36.75mm gauge to accurately represent the Irish 5′ 3″ lines.  Just about everything is scratch or kit built, and the fiddle yard is full of unfamiliar rolling stock.  And never mind the novelty – it’s excellent modelling throughout!

‘O’ gauge – of the normal kind – was represented by Normandy Junction, from the Guildford club.  It’s a big layout, but I was taken by this trio of Southern tank locos.

Next post, I’ll report on the American room…..