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QUOTE (dbclass50 @ 3 Oct 2007, 09:11) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Dave will be there with the trade stand & would be pleased to see & meet forum members.

Indeed I shall, and accordingly any offers of tea and coffee will be gratefully received.

But seriously there are normally about twenty layouts with good trade support to be had. As usual the show is jointly sponsored by Fleischmann and Hornby (no preference just alphabetical order).

I believe that the opening hours are 10:00 t0 17:00 on Saturday and 10:00 to 16:30 on the Sunday.

If the weather is good you can also watch Dave the dolphin playing in the sea outside and also venture to the funicular (see thread on Southend pier)

Hope to see you there.

Regards

 

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I have just checked properly and can now advise that the show is open 10:00 to 17:00 on both days. Admission is adults £4.50, senior citizens £3.00, children £1.50 with a family ticket (2+2) being £10.00.

17 layouts will be in attendance including Gresley beat and overlord 2 along with 27 trade and society stands and 6 displays.

Should be a good chance to get some absolute bargains.

And no Brian, Dave the Dolphin doesn't come into the hall if it's raining - he's got an umbrella!

Regards

 

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I'll try not to.....

Regards

 

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Well the show has been and gone and very succesful it was too. The layouts that I had a chance to look at were of a very high standard and certainly gave the visitors what they wanted to see if scenes round some of them seemed to indicate. Trade support too was of a very high standard with most items being available "off the shelf" as it were.

Of those I can remember Overlord 2 was impressive, not so much as a model railway but as a complete war time D-Day embarkation model - the trains were almost secondary! Gresley beat is superb and a very evocative model of the East Coast Mainline, for those who haven't seen it you really should.

Hungerford too stood out, even though I am not a great fan of GWR layouts, the finish and attention to detail made it a worthy contender in the best layout stakes.

Other layouts that caught my eye were Newcastle on the water, an N gauge layout with a four track main line and a branch at high level, all operated with modern stock, Dwyntfarn an O gauge GWR minimum space layout with an interesting assortment of unusual GW prototypes. (apparently the name means who's taking me to the pub!).

I managed a few words with SK and can now confirm that he is a minted lamb man rather than a coronation chicken afficionado, it really is amazing what you talk about when waiting in the tea queue.

It was hard work with Brian getting all the glory at Croydon (best in show!) Mind you I enjoyed it and was quite pleased to obtain a very nice mint and boxed Playcraft bogie wagon for a very fair five pounds from the German Railway Society(?)

I hope to do a more in depth report when I get the photos off the camera - far too tired last night.

Regards