A modelling review of 2023

New Year’s Day, and time to reflect on 2023.

Starting with ESNG itself, we have, I think, had a steady year.  We’ve had enough members attending meetings to run trains at all but a couple of meetings.  And just occasionally, numbers have got into double figures.  I guess that we are really a small group of friends who run trains together – but there is nothing wrong with that.

We did manage a club open day, and a club exhibition, both held at our church hall clubroom.  Both were a moderate success, but both could have been better.  We ran trains, met some old friends, and thoroughly entertained some small children (who on the whole were impeccably behaved.)

Four club members returned to Stuttgart, and despite Brexit, took a good display of modules with us.  I think we all had a good week – quite hard work, but a really sociable time.

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And we had a day trip to the KESR to view (by train) the plaque remembering our old friend Miles.

Modelling, it’s been a mixed year.  I’ve started a few projects, and not completed them (yet.)  I did manage to improve the legs and wiring for my N-club modules, and this proved worthwhile when they all went together easily at Stuttgart.  I built a new ‘joker’ module for the show, that included a large fossil.  And I was diverted by plastic kits, making several including this lovely DH Hornet.  And we have continued to have ESNG working parties through the first half of the year,

What’s on the schedule for 2024?  I have too many projects set up or started.  I think it’s time to finish a few of them.  Perhaps I need to build some of those rolling stock kits sitting in boxes, rather than start a new layout?  However, another N-club or N-mod module is an attractive proposition…..

Finally, a modest comment about this blog.  The blog had 48,153 views in 2023, the most ever.  Either the quality of posts have improved, or Ron has been on more holidays!!!

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Happy New Year!

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    May 2024 give you all lots of quality railway time. And if you overindulged last night, note that only one city makes it easy to get home (or to stay on the train till you wake up!)

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Mid Kent Model Railway Exhibition

Friday, five of us bundled into Allan’s van, and headed for Maidstone to visit this new exhibition.  It not only gave something railway-orientated to do between Christmas and New Year, but it was good to go to a show on the Friday, as it was running on the Friday and Saturday.  We had a pleasant morning out, there were some interesting exhibits at the show – mainly in the larger scales – and it was good to visit with friends.

I didn’t photograph all the layouts, just what interested me.  We’ll start with Frittenden Road, a KESR style light railway in O gauge.

Brief Encounter (OO), a layout in monochrome does what it says on the can….

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Quevy (N) showed Germany with snow….

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I haven’t seen Newchapel Junction (O) for a while, but there are always some lovely locos to look at.

Queen Charlotte Dock (O) was under construction, and needed a soldering iron, but will be a most attractive layout when complete.

Some fine large-scale American stock.

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And finally, the Gauge 1 live stream layout.  I especially liked the rake of LSWR coaches.

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Potpourri #1089

I’m enjoying a quiet post-Christmas week, and not doing much of the modelling that I had planned.  So here’s some easy viewing to aid digestion after the Christmas excesses!

One of my favourite rail journeys.  I’m glad to see that it’s still going strong, though the views aren’t quite as good as they used to be, due to all the construction around.

Another steep bit of railway.  Fascinating and I’ve never been there.  I do recall working in Peshawar and seeing the armoured train heading up the Kyber Pass.  And viewing trains passing the Railway Golf Club course in Lahore – where vultures circled the course to penalise slow play?

All sorts of trains and trams in Leipzig….

A bit of Jago Hazzard…

Two very large and very excellent model railways.  One club layout in the states, and the gigantic model of Stuttgart, sadly never completed, but now partially preserved (may have posted this before.)

And my New Year wish – that they’ll fix the local potholes before they get like this!

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Potpourri #1088

Hope you all enjoyed your Christmas Day!  We’ll start today with some ghosts of Christmas past…

Brighton in 1906….

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Eastbourne in 1905….

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And the classic shot of the works Terrier at Brighton (photo Charlie Verrall)….

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Petersfield in 1898….

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And St Denys in the same era….

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Moving into the Southern era, a lovely Adams Radial tank in 1936….

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And Botley in 1928 – note the most impressive signal!

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And an O2 at Nine Elms (photo Robert Mack)….

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Two ‘N’ class moguls, 1825 and 1831….

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And into BR days, an M7 in 1952, still in malachite green….

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And a N15 leaves Bromley South in 1959.  (Photo Paul Jay.)

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And finally, Guildford in 1958.  A real modellers picture this, with 700 and Q1 class 0-6-0’s and a 4COR emu in the smart Southern railway concrete platforms.

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Happy Christmas!

Christmas greetings and blessings to all our readers!

A wintery Hastings scene for Christmas Day (photo Rob Crouch.)

And this popped up as my Windows login and was quickly saved for a Swiss Christmas greeting.

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Potpourri #1087

As we head rapidly for Christmas, some snippets from the web……

Some American electrics, including the wonderful GG1’s….

Also electric, Gatwick has a new improved station.  I haven’t got the train there, just driven underneath the bridge from the station to South Terminal….

More electrics – Cuba this time.  The Hershey Railway was a fascinating line, and Andy Gautrey’s HO layout version is well worth catching at a UK show (or indeed online.)

A day in the life of a steam train driver – these days they’ve got it easy, really!

The last train to Easton…

And another take on this interesting little branch line….

And a little modelling to close.  This is quite hypnotic, as well as being a neat little layout.

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ESNG meeting – 20 December 2023

‘Twas the last meeting before Christmas – and a surprising nine people turned out for a little light relief.  Good to see Terry back again, and a welcome to Alex.

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Plenty of trains on the move…..

Chris’ lovely NSE express….

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Southern EMU’s from Sean….

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Allan’s Pink Panther still has an ESNG sticker and a red spot (do not send over the helix) from Stuttgart on the loco…..

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Terry’s Schools…..

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And some of Sean and Lucas’ stock…. 

So that’s all our meetings over till 2024.  A solid year’s running.  We’ve missed just a few meetings with too few members to set up the layout, but most have had a nucleus of six or seven members around to play trains.  We’ll see what 2024 brings. 

 

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I’m only here for the gluhwein – 3

Day 3

Last day. Murky and wet – all photos taken around 9.30am. Took trams to Messe/Deutz Bf but on leaving station by wrong exit ended up doing a round tour of the Messe complex. Eventually found right way out and walked across the Hollenzollen railway bridge to Hbf.  Will walk back through city centre to enjoy Kaffee und Kunche before returning to hotel, which they are kindly keeping for me even though I have checked out. Around midday will head back to Hbf for train to Dusseldorf Airport hopefully by a quicker train. Due to land Heathrow around 4.30 UK time.

The rather murky Rhine in Cologne….

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And to finish this little trip, here is the evidence – Ron’s real reason for the visit?

To say nothing of this!!

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I’m only here for the gluhwein – 2

Day 2

Clear but chilly. Took tram to Hbf and walked down the river to the market at the Chocolate Museum. The market was closed when I arrived around 10.30 and after having coffee and cake it was only half open so a wasted journey. Made my way round the markets at Rudolfplatz and Neumarkt. Then back to Hbf so a sit down. Then carried on to the Dom, Altstadt and Heumarkt markets before final Islington with another coffee and cake. One good thing is that I managed to pick up 2 gluhwein glasses. Now back in hotel for a quick freshen up before going out for something to eat. Have already checked in for my flight home.

Cologne and the canal by the Chocolate Museum

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Dom Christmas market

Altmark/Heumarkt markets

Koln Hbf. (Please note, Thalys is now operating as Eurostar)

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