Epsom Show – 2019 #1

I often miss the Epsom & Ewell MRC show at nearby Epsom. Some years it has been the same weekend as our ESNG exhibition, and others the week after – and after our own show, I’ve had enough of model railways for a week or two! But in 2019, I’d recovered from NGSE, and gave the two Derek’s a lift up to Nescott to have a look at this good quality exhibition.

As one entered the show, we first stopped to look at Frecclesham – 14′ of Southern Region branch line. Simple, but very nicely presented.

On to Theobalds Yard, mixed gauge in 7mm scale.

Dent in ‘OO’ took me back to teenage years, and David Jenkinson’s inspiring EM model. A simple oval, really, but it captures the character of the Settle and Carlisle.

You’d have to guess that ‘Minories’ in ‘P4’ would be a favourite of mine. Based (surprise, surprise) on CJ Freezer’s classic Minories plan, with more complex station throat pointwork, green EMU’s, working point rodding operate the points, and all movements in and out of the station operated by bell codes. What is there not to like (though two days of operating with bell codes would be enough to drive you mad – even worse than the year we exhibited the Cha(I)rman’s Swiss layout complete with cuckoo clocks.)

South Snowdon (NWNGR) is built to 8mm/ft, to give an accurate gauge/scale ratio on ‘OO’ gauge track. An interesting representation of the actual station at Rhyd Ddu, but unfortunately in a very dark corner of the hall.

Arun Quay (in O) has become well known on the exhibition circuit, but it deserves its plaudits. Interesting to see the pictures of how it is constructed, and an example of an expanded polystyrene faced with 1/16 plywood baseboard girder. Very, very, light and surprisingly strong.

First of the three excellent ‘N’ gauge layouts in the show was Little Aller Junction. A cut down version of Aller Junction on the Western Region main line in the South West, this layout feels more than 7 feet long. I’ve been following its construction on N Gauge Forum, so it was great to see it in the flesh. All goes to show that you don’t need a station or sidings for a very satisfying layout. The most complex trackwork is in the fiddle yard, where lines cross over in order to get trains back on the correct up or down, fast or slow, line.