A final set of photos from Southampton…..

I really liked St Holdens (EM).  I’ve always had a soft spot for the Great Eastern Railway, especially their beautiful blue locomotives.  This layout captures a typical Norfolk station really well, and brought back memories of visiting family in East Dereham.

Faller Stadt (HO) was a fairly typical roundy-roundy, but there was considerable interest from viewers in the Faller bus system and the vehicles driving around in the background.

Tittesworth (OO9) is a neat demonstration for MERG computer control and products.

An excellent idea at the show was to have a classroom set aside as the ‘junior’ room, with several ‘have-a-go’ layouts, plus this rather fine Lego layout.

Upbech St Mary (EM) models another of my favourites – the Wisbech and Upwell tram (incidentally also Great Eastern in origin.)

Brankstone (OO) is a fairly typical, but well modelled shed layout.  We all have too many locomotives, so a shed layout does have a lot going for it!

Last, but most definitely not least, the excellent Southwark Bridge (N).  Real London railways as I remember them from my teens and beyond.

We stopped for refreshments at the show.  The catering is good, but the queue for the coffee was immense, as the coffee machine was on a go-slow.  I did try their breakfast.  OK, but a bit dry, and the tasty bacon was a bit tough – it bent the prongs of my disposable fork.  So we then headed for a café at the Eastleigh Miniature Railway for coffee and cake, and in the case of Messrs Dawes and Atfield, an enormous breakfast burger.  There were some rather fine locos parked next door….

Well, that’s Southampton done for another year.  Worth the visit, and a pleasant morning out with friends.  I now have to decide whether to sign up for Alton next weekend.  It’s usually a good exhibition, but life is so busy at the moment!