Best In Show

I attended the BNHMRS 32nd model railway show on 14th/15th March 2015. I usually give a review of shows that I visit on this Blog but, this time it would be inappropriate because together with my son we were exhibiting our Cliddesden layout.

The BNHMRS show must be one of the largest in the south. This year there were 25 layouts on show. A specially invited guest of the club was Steve Flint, editor of 'Railway Modeller' magazine and he was given the unenviable task of judging Best in Show.

We were happily operating our little layout when we became aware of an increasing throng near us and then Steve Flint stood up on a bench and gave a speech, the content of which escapes me now because he announced that Cliddesden was to be awarded best in show! We were in utter disbelief as we were ushered to the front of our layout for shield presentation and photographs.

It was totally unexpected and begged the question why? Our layout is a simple loop with two sidings on a board 6 x 3 feet.

There is little doubt in our own minds that the scene we created looks right and realistic. The fact that it is closely based and scaled from a real location helps and years of modelling experience is another factor. But there must be more than this that warranted Best in Show.

Listening to comments from the general public as they perused the layout gives some clues. Lots of people gave praise saying it is well modelled and they appreciated the detailed scenes we replicated from real events of the period. (We have a screen presentation running alongside the exhibit that helps visitors understand the history of the station and the events that we modelled). There were also those who had some affinity with the line and came especially to see the layout, like the gentleman who knew Bert White, the last station master of Cliddesden and another who did a project on the station and showed us original documents related to the line and gave us a gift of a rare artistic print of the station in 1916, coincidentally the exact period of our model! This level of interest arose because we were exhibiting a scene that has roots in the local area.

There is no doubt in my mind that a model railway closely based on a real location can be more satisfying for the creator than a fictitious location because the history that must be researched adds interest and a sense of purpose to the project. For the visitor who knows of the area it awakens faded memories of happy times (hopefully). It was really heart warming to hear their stories.

We had a great time at the show and to cap it all it was my Birthday!

Febex - Alton MRC - 2015

I visited this show for the benefit of my little brother (age 59). He only recently opted to become one of us and still has a lot to learn. He is keen to use DCC and since there was a lecture on this at the show I suggested we should attend. Thinking the lecture would only be about half an hour I said I would go around the stands and dip into the canteen whilst he went to the lecture. Well, it lasted an hour, which I guess highlights the complexity of the subject, and I found myself kicking heels and spending more time than usual studying the layouts.

One in particular drew my attention -  Harton Gill, an 18.83 P4 scale industrial scene. A fictitious location with expertly crafted industrial buildings that could be mistaken for copies of the real thing (or maybe they are, I'm not sure). Our own Thornycroft layout is an industrial scene, which is another reason I was attracted to Harton Gill. The thing about heavy industry is the amount of clutter that it generates around the complex. Every inch of Harton Gill had details worth examining, which reminded me that we have some way to go in this for our own layout.

Just look at the work that has gone into clutter at Harton Gill. No wonder it won best in show and is my personal choice too.

A nice aspect of Harton Gill is the elevation. The track work ran over three levels but the height between levels are small allowing gentle track gradients, nothing abrupt, which made it quite realistic. It is a good ploy because it lifts the layout into the Z plane making more interesting viewing from front to rear and would work well for a layout that is even deeper.

Two more layouts that appealed to me were Nine Mills, N gauge. Another layout with many fine details to hunt for, this time spread across open countryside.

Leavesden, 7mm modern image. I feel intimidated by 7mm  because of its size. If you are used to working with a magnifying glass in the smaller scales then O or 7mm can be a bit overwhelming. You cannot get away skimping on detail in the larger scale as weaknesses here will be noticed. Leavesden passed scrutiny in this respect.

Trade was disappointing again in not fulfilling my needs. So, it was off to the well renowned Alton Model Centre nearby, an emporium of great variety, were I came away with the Peco N chassis kits and 12 bicycles to complete a couple of projects for our Thornycroft layout.

Bob Symes: 6 May 1924 - 19 January 2015 (aged 90)

I don't think anyone else did as much to bring model making to the masses on TV than Bob Symes. A 10 part series no less in the 1970s including 3 parts dedicated to model railways - his own hobby. It was through this series that I first became aware of this enthusiastic gentlemen instantly recognisable by his head and beard of white hair he sported almost since that time.

I saw him in the flesh when he exhibited his models at the Hexagon theatre in Reading, which must have been about the same time.

He fronted many programmes and shorts on model railways including 'A Lineside Look At Model Railways', which appeared on TV and later 'Another Lineside Look at Model Railways' available on VHS tape, which I bought.


More recently his work has appeared on YouTube and that is worth a search to view them.

Only today I learned that he was president of the Astolat Model Railway Club, whose exhibition I visited only 2 days before he passed away.

I am reminded of one of his expressions that was repeated more than once. About viewing layouts he said "I like to get right down to eye level for a realistic view" and this was epitomised in a photograph of him in this Chris Nevard posting.

Bob Symes never knew me but he touched my life.

More.

RIP