Saturday, I decided to head for Ally Pally for the exhibition.  I missed last year due to rail driver problems, I do like the venue, and I had a complementary ticket for being a member of World of Railways.  All good reasons for a visit.

Travel was easy.  Thameslink from Redhill direct to Finsbury Park, a few yards to the opposite side of the same platform, then three stops on the local train to Alexandra Palace.  A bracing walk up the hill (it really gets steeper towards the top) got me there just as the early-entry tickets started to go in.  I decided to first rush around and take nearly all the photos I wanted.  I then sat down for a coffee and bacon roll before the rush later in the morning.  And I then spent several hours wandering around, slightly at random, to revisit most of the layouts and look at some of the trade.

I haven’t posted photos of every layout, but just those I liked, or photos that have come out well.

Copenhagen Fields wasn’t at the show this year, but a little bit of it, York Road tube station was.  Away from the layout, one was able to have a close look at this lovely, and unusual, bit of modelling in 2mm scale.  Note the man in residence in the ‘gents’.

I’ve seen Harton Gill (P4) before, and it’s a fine piece of industrial modelling.  If you are lucky, one of the unique Harton electric locos will pop out of a tunnel with some hopper wagons.

More industrial grime from West End Drift (EM).

I never tire of seeing City Basin Goods.  Such a fine layout, and it always runs extremely smoothly.  It’s been to some excellent exhibitions, too!

Modular (and American) modelling was well represented by Solent Summit (N).  I’ve seen this layout criticised for lack of trains running, but there was plenty of action whenever I had a look at it.  I do like the spiral, a mini Tehachapi Pass Loop.

I did like the Bremen Tramways (HO), again a modular layout, but like NCI, to no fixed size.

And lastly for today, one picture of Great Bardfield (P4).  Some lovely modelling of an East Anglian byway.  I couldn’t get any more photos, as the owners were wielding a soldering iron just to my right.  The exhibitor’s curse strikes again!