esngblog

The ESNG contribution looked, in part, much as a normal club night, with a procession of trains of varying parentage taking to the tracks.  The Farish Blue Pullman deserves a mention as it ran faultlessly for all four days.

‘ERIC’ went Network Southeast for the show, giving Sean an opportunity to show off all his models.  The stripy blue livery was one of the better on to grace UK rails in recent years, although it was possibly subliminal advertisement for a well known brand of toothpaste.  We cheated a bit and split up the multiple units to fill two of the roundhouse tracks….

After the 4-track N-mod sections, the main line dropped to N-club 2-track modules.  Martin’s model of Ford station is a nicely compressed model of a real location on the south coast, and the Gaugemaster shop can be seen in the background.  Last year, we found that the dummy outside 3rd rail was set a little high and tended to lift locomotives off the track.  That was solved, but this year we found a few dips in the trackwork that need attention.

The modular setup was in the form of a U, with 4-track N-mod along one side, 2-track N-club along the end, and then 2-track N-club fronting the Konigshaven layout along the other leg of the U.  Konigshaven exhibited at Stuttgart 10 years ago, and the owners took the opportunity for a 10th anniversary return.  All ran well for all four days, a complement to the builders of what is now a 20-year old layout.  The only disaster was a train of wagons that found their way to the floor.  Fortunately most survived, and the others can be renovated with new bogies.

Thursday night was, as usual, lock-in party night at the show venue, with each club bringing national food (and drink).  Here’s the ESNG contribution with items such as clotted crème scones, a range of British cheeses, and delicacies such as Walkers Crisps, mince pies and Twiglets.

And of course the ever popular barrel of Sussex bitter.  The club members are shown in characteristic poses (sorry about the fade in the photos – my phone couldn’t cope with such photogenic objects….)

Back at the show, one stand had a series of amazing dioramas, including this one of the Tour de France.  I just don’t know how many figures were used in this wonderful model….

Last week, ESNG completed its annual pilgrimage to the Stuttgart N-Club meet and show.  I went for the full four days this year, for the first time.  My impressions of the whole thing – four days is great fun, but not twice as good as two days (work that one out if you can) – and that the full show is exhausting.  I did very little on Monday, the day after I got back.  A model railway show doesn’t seem hard work, but you’re always active, operating and just putting things back on the track.

We also had plenty of discussions as to ESNG’s direction, but more of that another time.

Of course, one benefit of spending four days in Stuttgart was the chance to take a train down town, and see the town centre for the first time in seven years!  So we’ll start this year’s review with a few photographs of the real thing.  The views from the observation platform on the top of  the station tower are excellent – despite the rain.

The station roof is in the foreground, and the temporary platform access is to the right.

All this station area shown here, leading off to the carriage and loco yards in the far centre distance are being abandoned and redeveloped.  Trains will still run through this location though.  The station is being rebuilt underground and at 90 degrees to the existing station, so that through trains will not have to reverse when they stop at Stuttgart.  The magnitude of the project is gigantic, and will free up great areas for development and park land through the crowded river valley.  Perhaps we should have done something similar at London Bridge?  But the planning enquiries would have gone on for ever…..

In the Stuttgart show there was part of a model of the Stuttgart station as it was 20 years ago.  The owner had been building the layout for 30 years or so, and had recently died, leaving his layout to the Stuttgart club.  They managed to get part of the layout out of its room into the Messe for its first public showing ever.

All the good sidings and sheds in the background below have already been redeveloped – look at the trainspotter’s photographs that follow.

Meanwhile, back in the station, Allan, Derek and I went and stood on the end of the platform to watch the trains.  Plenty of movement to see, though being a Saturday, it wasn’t worth a trip to another station to look for goods.

These first two photos, of the same scene, are interesting in how identical reds have come out differently in photographs taken within seconds of each other.

Push-pull sets waiting to depart.  Note the redevelopment in the background….

A former East German loco and double-deck stock.  Again, interesting to see how the red loco has faded in colour…..

The station control centre….

Black is the new red…..

An ICE3 enters the platform….

And an view of the link between units.  Just like Kato…..