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Little trains today.  Just a few layouts that caught my eye from all Allan’s photos.  Typically, I’ll start with a little N gauge layout, Settrington.  Based on part of the Yorkshire Wolds railway, this line shows that you don’t need much space to make a realistic railway.

Lots of N gauge Japanese action on Kiyami.  A complete contrast to the previous layout, but it works, I think, because of the dense urban scenery.

South-east goes north-east with Pauline’s South Millfields.  But shock, horror, it’s a venture into that ‘orribly oversized scale!

Lots of N gauge track on Holgate.  They must have shares in Peco!

And a random selection to finish!

Allan had a long trip last weekend to help Nigel from West Sussex at the Shildon exhibition.

After a long journey up to Locomotion NRM Museum at Shildon. We are already to go for this morning. Stand could not be in a better place.

I agree about the stand.  I can only rival that by a DEFRA conference in York, where the conference banquet was held on long tables between the royal coaches in the National Railway Museum there.

Today, pictures of large trains.  Next time, the model railways.

The last selection of layouts from the show.

I’ve still got pictures of 19 layouts, but I’ll just post my preferred selection.   Starting with an industrial interlude.  Fen End Pit (16mm NG) is well travelled, but I always enjoy the working excavator, and tipper wagons filled and empty with sand.

Central Works (O) was, I think, a car factory!  Industry on a large scale.

Staying with O gauge, we have Hazelcombe (Hydraulic Heaven), filled with diesel-hydraulics.  Actually, some of the best stock there was a rake of Mk1 coaches.

And Staindrop, a North Eastern Railway branch in LNER days.  Some very nice rolling stock, with scenery to match.

Staying with historic railways, Spilsby (OO) modelled the Great Northern Railway in pre-grouping days.  Some lovely old locos, and a dream of a fiddle yard.  Interestingly, the layout is set at quite a low level – perhaps 2’6″, unusual these days of eye level viewing, but actually interesting to have a different perspective on things.

The Abbey Light Railway was a well observed light railway.

Coppell (OO) had a sadly accurate piece of modelling – a Royal Mail depot with the track taken up or used by RailTrack.  And the biggest fiddleyard I’ve ever seen!!!!

Your guess is as good as mine!

Finally, I’ve commented on the wide range of societies at the show.  Apart from a long chat with my old friend Bill Bishop on the South Western Circle, and talking to the 2mm Association roadshow and the S Scale Society, the Italian and French railway societies had small layouts on their stands – both of which were good modelling in their own right.

Getting home was even easier than going.  We thought that we had a poor connection at Finsbury Park, but the Thameslink service was a few minutes late, and we stepped across the platform from Great Northern to Thameslink.  At Redhill, I stayed one extra stop on the train to Earlswood, just five minutes walk from home.  The only stress was due to the internal route indicators on the train saying Brighton, whilst all platforms said Three Bridges.  They sorted that out at London Bridge.

As usual, a very pleasant trip to a good exhibition, with good company.  No doubt I shall be going back next year.

I think that I may get four posts from this show – there was such a good number of fine layouts to see. It’s interesting to see people’s reactions in the forums. Some thought it quite average – just shows how we all see things differently. There were the usual complaints about catering. Yes, it’s expensive, but I had a very acceptable bacon roll and coffee for breakfast, and a tasty cheese and bacon bap for lunch, together with a good pint of ale. Lunch was fun, as I met up with ESNG Cha(i)rman Allan as well as Malcolm for the pint. It’s always fun to introduce friends from different areas (and ages) of your life.

But back to the layouts.  I enjoyed the little tram layout, Books Bridge (On2).  All very well done and some interesting rolling stock.

Switching/shunting UK and American style.  The little East Dock (EM) and large Plant City (HO).  Completely different models, but both excellent in their own way.

Two N gauge layouts.  A branchline with Braughing & Standon, and the excellent mainline Brinklow, again based on a prototype station.  Brinklow is a good example of how to keep trains running without getting toy-like – all trains are appropriate for the location and period and come along one or two at a time rather than all at once!

Long Melford Junction (OO) is instantly recognisable as Norfolk or Suffolk, with the big grain warehouse and ex-GER locos.

And finally, a familiar line, Fawley (OO).  But always worth seeing as a model of Fawley before the oil refinery expanded, and for the lovely Southern Railway stock.

Good for one more post, I think!