Farnham & District 49th Model Railway Expo

I remember when entry to a model railway exhibition was £5 before Covid and after Covid it increased to £8 and today it is £10 and if you have children in tow it will be more. I don't blame the club exhibiting for the rise. It is just the rise in costs generally, probably brought on by geopolitical influences.

The poster at the entrance boasted over 50 layouts on show but I counted less than 30. In fact the number of layouts and traders seemed little different to previous years although an extra room was opened this year indicating a larger exhibition.

The quality of layouts was extraordinarily high, leading me to abandon my usual thoughts of choosing a personal best in show. Instead I'll highlight three layouts that depicted unusual scenes not normally seen at a model railway exhibition.

Moors View (N) depicting a wintry season

Buggleskelly (00) A diorama accurately depicting
the station from the film Oh Mr. Porter

Brief Encounter (00) All monochrome. Based
 on the 1944 film Brief Encounter

I made one planned and two unplanned purchases from traders. A bag of static grass to complete my Battledown Flyover layout, a 'morris minor traveller' car that took my fancy and the book 'Main Line To The West - Basingstoke to Salisbury' which has detailed historical information of the line, including Battledown Flyover.