Saturday 19 November 2011

The Warley Way...

Hi guys. Well, another annual visit to the Warley National Model Railway Exhibition at the NEC. Having taken my layout last year we were not exhibiting this year. So, we simply went along for a look around. Open today from 9am - 6pm, we decided to get in early and check out the layouts before it got "too crowded". So, at 9:10am, we were in! It was another fantastic show with countless layouts, demonstrators, societies, traders and other exhibits. The centre-piece this year was the lovely GNR N2-class 0-6-2T No1744, owned by the Gresley Society. This engine is normally based at the GCR in Loughborough and was on a special visit to Warley, stopping off on her way home from the West Somerset at Minehead. Lovely bit of kit, complete with condensing apparatus for use in the tunnels out of Kings Cross towards Belle Isle...
No layout reports this year really, there were far too many good ones to mention. There was everything to see from T-Gauge right up to Gauge 1 and even 3.5"/5" too. There was also a 2ft gauge Barclay named "Gertrude" which was visiting from the Welsh Highland Heritage Railway at Portmadoc. By 1pm we had seen what we had wanted to see and I don't think we really missed anything. By now the hall was stupidly busy and people were barging into you left, right and centre. Feeding Time...
Only one purchase today: another 00 gauge Met Cam Mk1 Pullman Car (with lights) for my garden railway's Dining train rake. At £19.95 (normally £32) I snapped it up. There is one problem with Warley though...it really makes you want to build something! I do feel like doing a layout, maybe a 6ft x 4ft or something. This layout (on the Hornby stand) was not only simple but also impressive...maybe something like that - but I need some space!...
All in all, a fab visit to Warley 2011. We will be appearing again with our layout in 2013: "Yes, thats how far you get booked in advance!". We will also more likely visit in 2012 to see if there are any more bargains about! ;) . Cheers all. Sam.

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