esngblog

Today, I’ll start with the ‘fun’ layouts.  Perhaps not the most prototypical, but designed to give the operator a lot of fun just running trains.  Both these are American layouts in N, although Quarry Falls allows a few other trains to sneak onto the layout.

And Rocky Mountain Rails is a classic figure of eight layout.

Lisworth Bay (N) is a lovely slice of the Southern Railway west country, justifiably a regular on the exhibition circuit.

A quick mention for the lovely Janes Creek (EM).

Summer Springs on the New Cut (OO) captures the Norfolk Broads – it does exactly what it says on the can.  (Important warning – never throw your children to the ducks and swans – you may never get them back!)

Dual gauge on Moos OBB (HO).

And finally, our friends at the West Sussex group were running their modular N gauge, named “N E Where” for the occasion!

Once again, I didn’t get to the Erith show, having been to Southampton on the Saturday.  Once again, Allan has sent me a good selection of photos, and I’ve selected a few that appealed.

Great Tey (OO) captures the GER in Essex, and looks a good place to watch the trains go by.

Similar in character is Old Oxendale Sidings (OO).  Both these layouts do suggest what could be done with several N-club or N-mod modules?

And I may as well add the simpler but similar Hope Sidings.  A good advert for the hobby to the younger generation.

Keeping on the theme of sidings, but on a much smaller scale is London Road Sidings (OO), a self-contained cameo of diesel refuelling point and a couple of sidings.  When I saw this layout I was impressed with the support system – just raising the layout a couple of feet on the usual catering table found at shows, bringing it to eye level.

I think that I’ve enough photos for another set tomorrow, so I’ll finish with Smithfield (O), exhibited by the similarly named club just up the road from us in Merstham!

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!

Onward!  I was going to write this up last night, but we were suddenly invited out for a curry by some old friends.  You can guess my priority here….

Some fine O gauge modelling on Staindrop, picturing the ex-NER in south-west Durham around 1928.  I liked the scenic work, bridges and station, sometime difficult to convince in the larger areas of O gauge.  The nicely varnished facia to the baseboards also impressed!  It’s those small details that really set of a railway.

Also in O, the tiny St Kew Highway, exhibited on the Gauge O Guild stand, shows what can be done in the senior scale on a micro layout.

Kinmundy (EM) represents an ex-Great North of Scotland Railway branch in BR days.  This line is notable for the frosty scenery.  A simple dusting of white paint over the scenery, and some added sparkle give a most realistic scene.  However, the initial spray over the already modelled scenery must have taken some courage!

A side room had a display of the late Iain Rice’s layouts.  This seems quite the thing at the moment, but is very welcome.  Iain was a master modeller (and writer – try some of his layout design books), but was also, I think, a master bodger!  His articles always convinced me that I could make something like this.  All in P4, and minimum space layouts, we have the clay dries of  Tetrice (with a fiddle yard suspended by a chain off the main layout!!), Hepton Wharf, a tiny pioneer of the cameo layout, and Longwood Edge, an experiment to see whether the integrated cameo format – boards and backscene forming a box structure – would work on a larger layout.

And now for something completely different!  Sandy Shores Light Railway (OO9) is a flight of fancy set on the sand dunes of the South coast.  A fascinating little line with a convoluted track plan – and some very well done coastal scenery.  The operator told me that it’s rather interesting operating it!

Danbee (O), a GWR branch line.

And to finish today, the miniscule Kleinstadt (Z).

Another Saturday morning, and a slightly different five ESNG members again filled Allan’s van.  This time we headed south for the Southampton exhibition.  This is one of the larger club-run shows, and this year was as good as the last two that I attended.  Worth the longer journey – though it was an easy run down the M3 and a lovely sunny morning.

The layouts this time are presented in the order that I looked at them!  We start with “Hills of the North – the Spirit of Shap” (OO).  A very long (35′) but very simple bit main line across Shap summit in the Cumbrian fells, makes a backdrop for some very good, well weathered, models.  All appropriate for the location, trains from LMS to BR blue and grey days can be seen.  I enjoyed trainspotting, as the operators kept a procession of trains passing by.

Stedham Mill, Southern region in TT scale.

Express Daisy Sidings (EM) was built during lockdown to show how easy it is to build a small layout in a minority scale such as EM.  It’s just a little shunting layout, but the result is very pleasing to the eye (and a favourite of our ex-milkman Cha(i)rman.)

Tintagel Road (OO) models the Southern Railway on the ‘Withered Arm’ near Bodmin Moor.  The station is based on Camelford.  The layout has some very realistic operating semaphores.

Devils Bridge (OO9) is a scale model of the terminus of the Vale of Rheidol Railway.  Again, a little layout that shows the best of narrow gauge modelling.

Possil Road Canal Basin (O) is set in Glasgow, at the end of the Forth and Clyde Canal.  Apart from the railways, the ‘puffer’ and canal scenes are notable….  And the lovely Glasgow trams on the bridge – slightly more original than the usual ‘bus on a bridge.’

Quay Street (N) is an interesting mix of Southern EMU’s and London Underground.  It’s an interesting layout, and I was impressed by the small radius return loops on the end of the layout – they must carefully test all the stock on display!

Last for today, the most excellent Modbury (2mm finescale.)  Modelling the GWR in the interesting, just post-broad gauge days.  The running looked very reliable, and I’m fascinated by their train turntable!

The last selection from Canterbury, completing our visit to an excellent show.

Arnold Layne (O) gets my award for the best layout name (Google it if you want to hear some excellent music!)  It’s a small (for O gauge) branch terminus and goods yard.

Busy N gauge action on Barnwood.

Cement Works (OO9) does what it says on the can.  Some good industrial modelling, and again, a narrow gauge layout with ‘purpose’.

Nonington Quay (OO) is a Canterbury club layout, originally devised for the younger members.  After a recent refresh, it’s good to see it running pre-grouping GER stock, mostly commercially available.  I wish these models were there when I was in my late teens, when the GER was a favourite line.

Shepherdswell (OO) models the East Kent Railway location of that name.  The engine shed contains lots of interesting industrial locomotives.

And finally, The Victory (OO), a little light railway terminus.  It’s interesting in that it is set close to eye level (about 5′) and can be viewed from all sides.

Well, that’s Canterbury for this year.  Next Saturday I hope to be on the road again for another good show – Southampton.  Unfortunately, Allan’s milk rounds didn’t go that far south, so breakfast is less likely to happen.

Today’s layouts will be presented in alphabetical order, to avoid excessive favouritism!  We start with Albert Street Parcels (OO).  A nice little shunting layout, imagining that the viewer is standing on a platform in a large station, looking over to the parcels depot.

Jane’s Creek (EM), models the area around Janes’ Creek, Strood, Rochester, around 1920.  It is compressed to 2/3 full size to make it fit the owner’s house and car.  Great to see some pre-grouping modelling, and the sailing barges are lovely models in themselves.

On to Llanfair Caereinion (OO9) a scale model of the line’s terminus in GWR days.  No ‘twee’ narrow gauge modelling here, but a real railway trying to make ends meet.  And full marks to Andy Cundick, who was very happy to chat whilst operating the layout!

I’ve seen Obbekaer (P87) a number of times, but will always stop for a look.  A model of a Danish branch line in the 1950’s, it’s a very simple layout but the rather different rolling stock and railway plant are worth a close inspection.

And finally for today, Rossiter Rise (OO), London Underground and British Railways steam and electric.  Another familiar layout, but again worth perusing for the eclectic selection of rolling stock, nearly all kit or scratch built.

Saturday morning, five ESNG members filled Allan’s van, and we headed east for the Canterbury exhibition.  As the approached Canterbury, one of the two Derek’s commented, “Not long since we were down this way.”  The quick answer came, “No, it’s almost exactly a year since we visited the last show here!”  I’m not sure where 2024 went.

Next question.  “Do we go straight to the show, or do we stop for breakfast?”  Silly question, really, as the Cha(i)rman’s nose for a good café is exceptional.  So after an excellent full English, we arrived at the school to look at a few trains.  It was another excellent show, and I’ve spread the pictures over three posts to give it a proper write up.

Just the two layouts today.  I’ve seen Copper Wort (OO), based on the Burton-on-Trent brewery railways a number of times, but will always look again.  Saturday was a real treat, as the barriers were very close to the layout, and I was able to look closely at the wonderful buildings and get some close up photos.  As below…..

The second layout was Two Bridges up Sidings (OO).  I loved this layout for its simplicity, and because it models railway close to home.  With a Gatwick Express passing through, it’s set somewhere between Redhill and Gatwick, in the period that we first moved to Redhill.  Lots of EMUs and blue diesels!

More layouts next time.