Uckfield 2022

This weekend I was showing Loctern Quay at Uckfield model railway exhibition. This has a reputation of being one of the best club shows in this area and this year was no different. In fact this year it was bigger than ever with a large upstairs room added to the main hall and two side rooms, all of which were packed with high quality layouts covering a range or subjects and scales, and a good selection of traders too. I was in the upstairs room which I'd thought might be a quiet corner, but the show was busy all weekend (well until the last hour or two of Sunday), so I trust it met the organiser's expectations. As exhibitors we were well looked after, with a good lunch served in strictly timed sittings due to lack of remaining space! An enjoyable show and Loctern Quay attracted interest and nice comments. 

I can't cover all the layouts so here are a selection of my favourites, starting with the narrow gauge interest. 

Abergynolwyn by Tim Tincknell (5.5mm/ft scale 12mm gauge) - showing how it looked shortly after the line was built, with the original engine shed and cab-less locos (and a lot less trees!)

Cox Lumber Company by Alan Bevan & Maggie Clark (On30) - for the geared loco enthusiasts. An unusual subject nicely modelled. 

Sewel by Bexhill MRC (O-16.5), a model of a brewery. 

Blackmoor by Ian Lampkin (009) - based on the Lynton and Barnstaple prototype. 

There was also a demonstration stand by Gordon and Maggie Gravett, which gave a sneak preview of their next French metre-gauge layout. 

So a good range of NG layouts for a general show (including my Loctern quay of course). Now for some of the standard gauge layouts. 

Old Parrock by Paul Rhodes (OO). This small but beautifully finished layout represents a light railway deep in Sussex. 

Wantage by Robin Gay (P4) is a model of the tramway terminus which inspired the track plan I used (adapted and narrow-gauged) for Awngate. It's nice to see a scale model of the prototype with it's tight clearances, unusual track layout and construction, and quirky trains. Some of the buildings and details are not yet finished, so I hope I see this layout again. 

Lananta Quay by Nick Salzman (mm/ft scale 21mm & 14.2mm gauges) represented the GWR in the 1880s with both broad and "narrow" (standard) gauges, with a nice quayside and sailing barge as well as fine models of early railway vehicles, including "singles". 

Copper Wort by Peter Goss (OO) depicts a brewery and its railway set in Burton-on-Trent. Unusually built in an hexagon shape forming different scenes, and set in the early 1900s, it makes extensive use of industrial Peckett locos. This took the awards for both exhibitors and public vote favourites. 

Underpass by Robert Strachan (HO) is an Inglenook shunting puzzle set in LA, USA, in the unusual setting under an underpass.

Blakey Rigg by Paul Greene (S 1:64 scale) represents a bleak location in the North York Moors, and has captured the remote openness very well.