Our ESNG northern outpost, Paul Rowlatt went to the York Easter show. I went many years ago and would love to go back, but it’s not worked out – not least this year as I was leading our Easter services on the Friday and Sunday. It seems to have been the usual excellent show.
Back from York. Very good show, lots of different scales represented. No Japanese layouts, but there was a Chinese one which I saw a few years ago. Traders were a good mix, but the ones I know as friends said business was not as good as previous years. Hardly surprising with the cost of living now. I will post photos later.
Paul’s later comments on Facebook were a little more downbeat!
A very enjoyable visit to the York Model Railway Show which, for me, highlighted the problems that the hobby is facing. First and foremost is the cost. Exhibition entry fee £15 +£2 for the programme, actually fair enough for this show, I think it was worth it. Coffee @ £2.30 was OK, but not much change from £20 for a full meal at lunchtime.
Model railway items are no longer pocket money toys. Prices for many items are eye watering and will only keep going up, regardless of whether the UK gets caught up in the trade war fiasco. The hobby needs youngsters to come into the fold, but model railway clubs are struggling to get new blood into the hobby.
Traders are closing shops because of high business rates and insane hikes in utility bills to become online and exhibition traders only. The show was well attended today, although there were not many children, and nowhere near as busy as I remember when I attended pre-Covid. Local model shops are few and far between. London has virtually none. I fear for the future of the hobby, I just hope I am proved wrong.
I did push back a little with a few thoughts of my own. A major problem for exhibitions is the cost of venue hire post-covid, that makes exhibiting a high risk occupation for small clubs. Perhaps there were too many shows anyway? A number of clubs have moved from a big show to a smaller ‘open day’ format (as we are doing), or a small show with a few good guest layouts.
Show costs at major shows like York are indeed high, and catering is expensive. But it’s still good value for an excellent day out – and no different from an afternoon’s football or any other large event.
As for the death of the hobby, there have been plenty of comments around on how shows have been packed out, with more families attending. That has been my observation at the shows that I have been to this year down south. I don’t think the hobby is dying, maybe just changing.
You can choose who to believe!!!!
Anyway, lots of pictures from a very good show follow.
Mauch Chunk PA (HO) from the Barrowmore MRG. Paul reckoned that it was by far and away the best layout at the show. I would have been worried that all that Yorkshire rain was getting to his head, as a die-hard Japanese N modeller, but the couple of times I saw it a while back, I’d agree. Barrowmore have taken over this lovely layout and continued to improve it. I’ve always liked the Central of New Jersey line, and my own interest, the Lehigh Valley ran along the opposite back of the Lehigh River.
Scarlington (N). Shows how realistic a ‘busy’ urban railway can look in N gauge. Perhaps a little too busy for my refined taste – but it all looks very railway-like and prototypically plausible – which is where a lot of large N gauge layouts fall down.
Annerley (N), perhaps the other N gauge approach to large layouts – trains in the landscape. I do like the cliffs and the seaside foreground scenery.
Having waffled a lot at the top of the post, I think I’ll leave it there, and finish off next time.
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