Warley

[popeye]

I wish i was going but crowds do my head in. 

[Robert Shrives]

Well a good day at Warley- busy all day with a large number of early entry at 09.45, last out by 18.15 and hall empty by 19.30- I was the last out bar night security.   

Yes the layouts good and great to see engines available for Courtmacsherry - a great simple layout . 

The IRM boys will be losing their voices given crowds on stand - UK wagons reported as selling well.   The new product firmly aimed at East Coast mainline as a Deltic. The print on display and also a cab detail 3D print shows work well along. Bachamann might just wonder what is happening with locos being undated like this - leaving them with expensive dated tooling while "new  boys" snap at their heels.    The Tara wagons noted as being about a week away ! 

Now to survive Sunday and  breakdown. 

Robert  

[Patrick Davey]

On 11/14/2018 at 9:21 PM, Andy Cundick said:

I might bring the station building along to Warley Andy

Any chance of a pic Andy?

[David Holman]

Confessions of a Warley Virgin

It was quite an adventure and, it must be said, pretty arduous. Andy's company most welcome and Courtmacsherry, already impressive, is going to be quite something.

 For the exhibitor, each day at Warley starts early. Paying customers can arrive at 9.15, so layouts have to be ready for 9am and Saturday goes on until 6pm. Nine hours exhibiting and talking! Plus another eight on Sunday...

 Warley club looks after us well though - big breakfast and proper cooked lunch, with helpful stewards too. The NEC staff are mostly good, though the same cannot be said for parking and traffic management, where Sunday after the show was complete and unnecessary chaos. Barrowing and carrying the layout and stock across a busy main road is just not acceptable and could easily be avoided.

 The perils of attending the largest show in the country, I suppose - especially as there were other big events going on at the same time.

 Equally, our little Irish corner was kept entertained by Leslie and Richard Aka the syndicate from IRRS. Two excellent books too, one from the man himself on the 101s ( hopefully meaning I will get my kit build correctly) and a splendid big tome of GSR locos, that has been put aside for Christmas.

 Elsewhere (not that there was a huge amount of time to look round), Liverpool Lime Street was certainly impressive, though that sort of modelling is not for me. The full size locos were splendid and the big, large scale layouts especially so.

 The Model Railway Challenge Layouts? Alright, I suppose, though they did indeed look like they had been hastily thrown together over a weekend. The Accuscale stand showed rather more finness, as you might image. They really do deserve to do well.

 Overall then, a memorable experience. It is all the lovely people you meet that made it worthwhile. However, the days are VERY long and I was very grateful that Warley let me stay an extra night, so I didn't have to do a four hour drive on Sunday evening. Still knackered when I got home this lunchtime though!

[jhb171achill]

So, can you do it again the day after tomorrow for those who missed it, David?

 

 

(runs for cover)

[Horsetan]

45 minutes ago, David Holman said:

Confessions of a Warley Virgin

It was quite an adventure and, it must be said, pretty arduous...

I went in 2000/2001. Far too many people back then, like the teeming hordes that commute into Mumbai Station each morning. There were people actually hanging off the Hornby stand. Haven't tried going again.

[David Holman]

Didn't seem too bad. The aisles were mostly fairly wide, though there were obviously pinch points at the most popular layouts and traders. 

 Forgot to say that the most heard comment at Arigna was how did I make my washing line work? A sheet and two pillow cases were blowing nicely because the was a continuous draft, both from the ventilation system and because the outside doors nearby were regularly opened to let in disabled visitors. Managed to convince one or two that the washing was DCC controlled...

 Another nice moment was when I looked up to see a young man running his hands over my stock in the fiddle yard. After a moment's panic, realised he was blind, or very nearly, so normal services suspended so we could have a chat and let him explore further.

[Robert Shrives]

Hi, David thanks for comments - yes a hard day as one of the organising time  shown as "Facilities  manager" in the show guide it was 06.30 in hall and almost last man standing for 3 days, hall empty by 22.30 on Sunday with a sea of rubbish left for am cleaners today.

Show certainly busy and certainly TV and radio shows and advertising helped- Hornby reported all Christmas train set production sold from warehouses already.   

Traffic management again an NEC weakness - staff retention and brain power seems a limiting factor at shows and on a Sunday night real management enforcing staffing behaviour or even attendance is slim. at door 5.4 one Warley volunteer and one NEC staff at 18.00 - there had been 4 more before 18.00 at which point they just vanished. 5.7 Owen and a couple of staff at 19.00 as others just melted away into the darkness - it is on the agenda for round up with NEC. - As it is every year.  It is hard with three shows on and Saturday was worse with  concert  arrivals as the shows turned out.  It is not a job I would relish given how folk believe that rules and barriers are for everyone else and most certainly not themselves once in personal tin box tank.

Looking forward to 2019. 

IRM / Accurscale  stand  very bright and well laid out and with the ramp accessible, a creditable design. The build did give me a bit of hassle with having to cordon off worksite as show changed from a worksite to an open( non paying) showsite. But it is now done and I guess used again for a couple more shows.  It was fun as part of the global village that that one of the builders was Polish and spoke with a soft Irish  accent but in a clipped second language English. It just showed that despite what a few think we are really all the same species !  The launch of the Deltic went down well, looking forward to the C class or class 80 next year - there were more of these classes than a niche diesel like the Deltic ! ( Off to get my coat!) 

Thanks to all on here who got to the show. As ever I say Sunday morning is best if huge crowds are not your thing.       

   

[Irishswissernie]

Ah! The youngsters of today.  Back in the good old days of the 1980's, Newcastle (Geordieland!) Show at the Guildhall on the Quayside.

Show opening hours were Friday 11am preview for Press, disabled etc, Public 12 Noon until 9 PM, Saturday 10am until 9pm followed by a social for club and visiting layouts etc; Sunday 10am until 6pm. Add on the setting up and dismantling times.

The Hall was crowded every day and there were families with young kids attending unlike today where on the saturday at Newcastle's show the average age of the visitors work out at 50+ and by 4 pm the halls were almost totally deserted.

Modelling standards and the layouts on display are nowadays much higher and more realistic but model railways have lost their appeal for Joe Public. Cest la vie!

Ernie

[Robert Shrives]

In an attempt to overcome the above  view, this year a commercial decision was  made to have a "Kid for a quid" for accompanied by  paying adult , this along with the the TV exposure saw an increase on families both days and certainly Sunday as a family day hit the mark.  

Along with step stools and periscopes on offer from Stand A much fun was seen to be had - hopefully the second TV series and a widening of approaches to the public will see a worthwhile uplift at shows - Some times too much is expected of shows but a communal get together - like a club open day to the public can create more active interest, even if only a few friend traders on hand.   Warley club opendays attact around 200 for a 4 hour show and then we sign up for taster nights and recruit well.

I love small shows as they offer much more of an personal   feel, but Big bang shows work as well, the UK is well swapped with shows of many kinds - we need more weekends !! Big regional shows - Glasgow, Ally Pally ,York, Peterborough, Manchester and Warley  (to name a few that quickly come to mind "others available" ) Do the trader thing - showcasing , specialist and "box shifter" with big name layouts.  Small shows often show what can be achieved  with out NASA budgets and what is on your doorstep - often very inspiring.  

I guess horses for courses and the like spring to mind . Well roll on late November 2019 to do it all again!

        

[Mayner]

33 minutes ago, Irishswissernie said:

Ah! The youngsters of today.  Back in the good old days of the 1980's, Newcastle (Geordieland!) Show at the Guildhall on the Quayside.

Show opening hours were Friday 11am preview for Press, disabled etc, Public 12 Noon until 9 PM, Saturday 10am until 9pm followed by a social for club and visiting layouts etc; Sunday 10am until 6pm. Add on the setting up and dismantling times.

The Hall was crowded every day and there were families with young kids attending unlike today where on the saturday at Newcastle's show the average age of the visitors work out at 50+ and by 4 pm the halls were almost totally deserted.

Modelling standards and the layouts on display are nowadays much higher and more realistic but model railways have lost their appeal for Joe Public. Cest la vie!

Ernie

Ernie Thee Northerners are made of stern stuff. Model railway exhibition, followed by drinking session, followed by a fight afterwards on a quiet evening.

In the late 70s queue for the bi-annual MRSI exhibition at the O'Connell's School used to extend out on to North Richmond Street and around the corner onto the North Circular Road, the less said about the layouts and standard of modelling the better.

There was a noticeable change at the Model Railway Club Easter exhibition in Westminster during the 80s from queuing outside the hall on Easter Saturday morning to the hall being half empty.

If I remember correctly the exhibition used to run into the Easter holiday week. I remember going to the show one evening after work, having being away in Ireland over the holiday weekend.

[Warbonnet]

Hi everyone,

We’re back after our first and a very successful Warley show! It was great to see so many familiar faces among the crowds and Thanks to all of you for stopping by and saying hello. Thanks also to Robert who was a massive help to us when we were getting set up! Roll on 2019, though right now we could sleep for a week!

Cheers!

Fran

 

[leslie10646]

On 11/24/2018 at 10:45 PM, Patrick Davey said:

Any chance of a pic Andy?

Patrick - your every wish ........

Here is the Great Man himself supervising the arrival of a beet special at Courtmacsherry. No need to tell you whose wagons they are? Andy did a lovely job of converting my Provincial Wagons Bulleid Corrugated opens to 21mm, as you can see

Never being one to make demands, but I insisted on getting steam haulage - so with Andy's MGWR tank.

St Molaga takes her turn on the beet and finally, last but not least .....

Argadeen takes a bow. This little engine was a great favourite of my late friend Lance King, who donated her nameplate to the RPSI's museum -the one from the other side is in the IRRS's HQ.

Needless to say, the brake van was the inspiration for my latest wagon - the 10 ton GSWR brake. I clean forgot to show Andy my version - he's cursing my existence, as now people think his fine scratch-built van is my kit!

Finally, a view of the harbour at Courtmacsherry - 

Another terrific layout from Andy. He says it's "incomplete", but this looks just great to me!

Note the close supervision of the photographer by Andy - maybe he thought I had my eye on those lovely wagons - a mix of scratch built, John Mayne's kits etc.

We spent time on Saturday night so that we could load up a display of Lance King's slides of Courtmacsherry and the CB&SCR and were able to display them on our monitor on the IRRS stand on Sunday - the wonders of modern technology!

Arigna pics in the morning - I'm knackered after a weekend on my feet!

Edited November 27, 2018 by leslie10646

[jhb171achill]

Superb stuff!

[StevieB]

It was good to catch with old friends and meet new ones, friends being defined however you want. 

In terms of the physical area occupied, Warley is a big show with much to see. Apart from the Irish layouts, it was lovely to catch up with the two RHDR locos on display and to think that they are some 90+ years old. David refers elsewhere to the young guy with sight impairment who was ‘physically’ seeing models, etc. It was the same with these two locos, with One if the guides explaining everything that the young guy was feeling. It was lovely to see such kindness being displayed - not too much about if you believe everything you read in the media.

Stephen

[leslie10646]

Right, now let's turn to David's wonderful Arigna Town - photographs do it no justice - you have to see it and have the Station Master point out some of the delights. David has a series of informative notices along the front explaining the background to the layout and how things were done - excellent.

First a view of the station area - 

The railbus arrives at Arigna.

What a clever design this "bus" was - note the entrance with steps from rail level to the doors - no need for platforms (or stations!). This method of boarding the train is repeated on the other side. Note, too the shunting signal.

David pointed out the group on the platform.  Folk en route to weeping exile in America, perhaps;? The local priest is seeing off a couple of his young ladies! Well, I'll put it that way, David had a more amusing tale which I couldn't repeat here!

The railbus was then turned on the turntable. Now you can see how the boarding arrangements were repeated on the other side.

Finally, David's piece de la resistance - the washing line with clothes blowing in the wind!

Yes, the sheets really DID blow - everyone asked him how it was done!

No clever DCC feature - the sheets are tissue and there was a draught in the NEC - I can vouch for that - the IRRS stand was in primes position to get the full benefit.

 

[Broithe]

On 11/24/2018 at 4:01 AM, popeye said:

I wish i was going but crowds do my head in. 

I've done Warley once, about six years ago - I won some tickets and felt obliged to use them.

By the end of the day, I felt that I might have actually been on a Marine Commando selection course.

I resolved that, should I ever have to go again, then I would borrow a mobility scooter, thus having ready access to seating and a reasonably effective battering ram.

[Horsetan]

On 11/24/2018 at 4:01 AM, popeye said:

I wish i was going but crowds do my head in. 

If you suffer from any sort of nerves, palpitations, high blood pressure or have a pre-existing heart condition which maybe aggravated by large crowds, then Warley is definitely not worth risking your life for.

[Andy Cundick]

Thanks for the photos Leslie,as can seen Courtmacsherry is far from finished,but in my defence i only built the boards last Christmas,and this was only the second time the layout was fully erected.Hopefully by her next show(southampton the end of January).It should be well on its way.The main thing is the row of buildings,a lot of chimneys and slates,still something to potter on with over Christmas.Andy.

[leslie10646]

Good news, Andy. Southampton is usually a "must attend" Show, now it's doubly so. Had e a Constructive Christmas!

[Patrick Davey]

17 hours ago, leslie10646 said:

Patrick - your every wish ........

Ha thank you Leslie - another stunning creation by Andy!  Great pics!

[ttc0169]

Some shady looking characters here......

Well done lads with the announcement of the Deltic-I was delighted to be there at the launch and to witness a very professional team in operation.

Here are a few photos of an enjoyable day out...

 

 

[Broithe]

Is that the world's smallest autocue being held up there ?

 

Damned good eyes needed for that...

[leslie10646]

1 hour ago, Broithe said:

Is that the world's smallest autocue being held up there ?

 

Damned good eyes needed for that...

Yeah, makes you jealous! And Fran doesn't even wear glasses. With the current state of my eyes, Patrick would have been blurred at that range, never mind the Smartphone!

I was in the crowd to the left of the pics - good to see the interest the announcement drew and it was obviously well received.

As with the multi-variant A Class announcement at Raheny, the option to have your Deltic in different liveries and with different numbers is clearly a hit. My IRRS mate Richard promptly went off to the stand to order two different Deltics which he used to photograph on the ECML when he was doing his Masters at Durham. Serious diesels - one of my fellow timers has timed one at 117mph - did they really need the HST?

Good luck with the project, gents.

[GNRi1959]

I have to take my hat off to everyone flying the flag at Warley for the sake of Irish Railway Modelling. Thank you for the superb selection of photographs and reviews of the layouts on display. For me, it is David Holman and Andy Cundicks modelling skill that inspires me to go on.

[Richard EH]

Fabulous photos all, ta for sharing! Didn't have a huge amount of time to visit the layouts with show duties to do; but it was great to catch up with Leslie, Andy and Richard. As always great to natter, and pick up a few must haves! Richard's done a great job on getting the SLNCR drawings scanned and printed....

Cheers for  now!

Richard.

[leslie10646]

Does anyone know if there will be an Irish layout at the 2019 Warley.

My invite has just arrived and if there's Irish company, then I'll ask for a stand near it!

Thanks.

Leslie

PS By the way,  a few negative comments about attending this show, but I think they are not completely fair. Yes, the Saturday is usually frenetic, but the Sunday is invariably quiet and that's the time to come. 

[Andy Cundick]

Not next year and thefollowing year i'll my W&L layout there,Andy.