esngblog

A second batch of layouts from Bexhill, with some interesting ideas.

Bletchinghurst (OO) seems to be at most shows at the moment, but I appreciated a chance to look at it closely, without the barriers, and appreciate some very nice modelling.  Liked the hops!

Egdean (O) has a distinctly wintery feel.  The owner’s first attempt at snow covered ballast was not a success as it went yellow!  It was removed, and a coat of white paint over the ballast did the trick.

So to Compton Fawcett (O).  I liked the way that the small passenger terminus is set slightly above the parcels depot.  It gives credibility to the way things are laid out, and an excuse for two single tracks off to the fiddle yard.

Interchange sidings make good layouts, with plenty of shunting.  Chelwood Exchange (OO) does this well, set in the green diesel era.

Some tidy OO9 modelling in Westhay.

Lastly, Downlands is a fairly typical N gauge ’roundy-roundy’.  I think the challenge in N at the moment is to avoid building another layout like this and doing something a little different.

And Bohetherick Ferry (On16.5); interesting to have a layout under construction, but with some interesting features like the operating swing-bridge.

Having left Bexhill, we trundled along the coast (it’s a long was from Bexhill to Arundel) to visit the Gaugemaster sale.  We were all very restrained with our shopping, but came away with some odds and ends.  Canny man that Mr Apps – offered to buy us another cup of coffee when they were free!!!  At least we were too late for the bacon rolls and avoided another ketchup explosion.

All in all, a very pleasant day out.

A morning (that turned into most of the day) out to Bexhill with Allan and the Derek’s seemed a good idea.  We had a pleasant run down to the show along the leafy, and mainly secondary, roads.  The Bexhill show was well worth the visit, with plenty of good layouts to view.  I saw several layouts there that I had seen before, but behind barriers.  It was good to be able to inspect them close up.  It was a friendly show, too, and I spent some time chatting to some of the layout owners.  As is sometimes the case, I’ll start with a few of my favourites (that has very little to do with quality!)

I loved Rixworth Green (P4).  Southern Railway with light railway leanings and loosely based on the KESR Bodiam station (note castle on backscene.)  Talking to the owner, I was amused to find that he built the layout and then thought about the scenery for seven (!) years, till it clicked and he finished the little line.

Hallam Town is 2mm fine scale and a Minories.  What is there not to like (at least when they stopped trying to run standard N gauge stock on the line!)

I had seen Plant City (HO) before, but it was good to have a long talk with the owner.  Miami based switching, this is a model of a real location.  It is scale width, but compressed in length – and is still a long layout giving a very open feel and room for plenty of industries – and alligators.

Hastings Tramways (OO) is a small end-to-end shuttle, and very well presented.

Portsea (TT) is a familiar layout, but is always worth a look.  A model of Portsmouth Town and Portsmouth Harbour station, there are lots of excellent EMUs to look at, as well as some very well observed scenery.

A well laid out show in several rooms – and a good seating area for refreshments.  We did have a little excitement there, when Mr Apps had an incident with the brown sauce, that exploded over the front of the serving area.  Never a dull moment at ESNG!

Rest of the photos next time.

Thanks, Paul Rowlatt, for letting me post pictures of Redcar model rail, held on 3-4 August.  A bit of a photo-dump, but I’ve gleaned a few layout descriptions from the web….

Fiddle Street Yard (OO).  Note the hinged front that closes to make a travelling box.  Very clever.

Foxton Town (O).

Gresham (OO)

Brotton Mill (OO).  Lovely bridge, though the backscene seems to have suffered slightly!

This Japanese line didn’t get on the video – though Paul was obviously interested!!

Nor this little Swiss diorama of Solis 1902, with the railway under construction.

This YouTube video shows these and other layouts.

[Whoops, title corrected!]

I had the offer of a lift to the Shoeburyness (nearly Southend) MRC layout, but turned it down.  I let Messrs Dawes and Atfield go, and Allan sent me some photos of some of the layouts.  I stayed at home and spent the best part of four hours demolishing a buddleia tree that had given up the ghost.  Cutting things down is really the only gardening that I enjoy – probably the civil engineer in me!

Anyway, back to the layouts (in alphabetical order.)  Elbow Lane (OO) was one layout that I would have gone to see again.  Elbow Lane is a small yard with a short semi-dilapidated platform for shuttle trains – and plenty of interesting Southern Region and 3rd rail stock to see.

Fenwick TMD (OO) follows the trend of modelling modern, yellow, stock.  I wonder sometimes whether the model shops will run out of yellow paint.  I think that I preferred the old red and blue departmental colours.

First of two American layouts was Geeksville (HO.)

Also HO was Goutièrres.  Gouttières was the junction of the Lapeyrouse and Neris-les-Bains line.  A simple little module, and Allan must have missed one of those delightful French railcars that must have been due to run through in a minute.  I do like these simple, immersive, scenes.

Modular American with Los Tanimals (N).  Allan keeps taking these pictures of the end loops.  Must be a hint for me to build some!

Put your teeth in for this one!  Rheilffordd Di-bwyntiau (OO9).  Love the concept!

Ruffles Road (OO).

Upperton (N).

And last, but most definitely not least Ray Taylor and Anna Bass’ White Meadow Quarry (N).  I really like the curved bits to the baseboard that is far more interesting than the usual oblong.