Southwold at Sompting Show

On Saturday I popped into the small show in Sompting. I mean small, as the hall used is quite tiny! Still there were about 10 layouts plus some dioramas, a Thomas layout for the kids to play with, and two traders too. This time I was accompanied by my 5-year-old daughter, which made a change, and she seemed to enjoy it.

A good range of modelling was on show, as well as typical RTR-based layouts in N and OO there was a very nice model of Wantage in 3mm fine-scale (that's 14.2mm gauge).

I also really liked this German (I think?) layout in HO. Simple in track plan but excellent running, and detailing. I've no idea if the buildings are kit or scratch-built but they were well done either way!

Narrow gauge was well represented, with 4 layouts in different scales. One of them was Southwold, by my friend and Sussex Downs 009 group member Simon Wilson. Although the Southwold Railway was built to 3' gauge Simon has used 9mm gauge, which looks fine with the small Southwold stock. Southwold station is easily recognised, and he has modelled the river bridge and a proposed extension branch. This means that despite being a relatively small layout he doesn't just have one station...

Nor just two stations...

...but three! Simon has captured the railway in the landscape look, and a real feeling of the openness of the landscape of that part of Britain. With trains running on both main and branch there was a fairly intensive service running too.

 You can see more pictures from the show here.