Amberley Rail Gala 2016

This year there were more than enough volunteers to man the 009 society stand. However with the weather looking fine and my Son up for a visit we went along just to enjoy the trains and exhibits, which made it a much more relaxed day than usual.

The format was the same as always of course, and while there were some very nice layouts on show, most have been there previous years. Trade wasn't great either, while there were a couple of good book stalls I couldn't find anywhere to buy basics like paint (though my son picked up a wagon for his train set, so he was happy!). However while it would be nice if the model railway exhibition were better supported, the main attraction at the Amberley rail gala is the real railway.

This year had relatively few visiting locos (especially compared to last year's Lister-mania event!) however two fine steam locos were visiting from the privately owned Richmond Light Railway in Kent. These were running both demonstration freight trains and the passenger trains too - although double-headed as only Jenny had air brakes. It has to be said that Amberley is not exactly short of locos anyway, and can put on an impressive display of industrial diesels, while it is always a delight to see Polar Bear running!

Having more time meant that as well as riding the trains and the old bus, we could visit some of the other exhibits around the museum, which are excellent. My son enjoyed printing in the print shop, playing with the phones in the telecoms exhibition, and the demos in the electricity hall. So a good day out and well worth the trip.

You can see more photos here - covering both full size and model trains!