Tolworth 2024

Last weekend I took Loctern Quay to Tolworth. Here's Andrew Bolton operating. Although it hadn't been out for some time it worked well, of course with the new wagons added to the fleet.

It wasn't the only narrow gauge layout. The Wantage Narrow Gauge Tramway (009, Richard Holder) is modelled on Wantage - but narrow gauge rather than standard. The prototype was so narrow gauge in atmosphere that this actually works - with some of the stock of the prototype represented. 

Wisteria Collop (009, Dave Simpson) is an attractive scenic narrow gauge layout. 

Kaninchenbau (H0e, Iain Morrison) is an automated Austrian layout.

Compass Point (009, Chris O'Donoghue) is an old favourite of mine. I love the contrast between the business of the harbour and boatyard...

And the wide open space of the "shingle desert". All this in a relatively small layout. 

There were some excellent standard gauge layouts too. Drws-y-nant (2mm finescale, Nigel Ashton) was next to Loctern Quay. It's a simple but superbly executed model, even with working road vehicles. 

Lochty (EM, Andy Cundick) is a delightfully bleak model of a North British Railway goods branch terminus, with quaint locos and stock.

Northport Quay (David Holman) is a model of the Irish 5' 3" gauge in 7mm scale on 36.45mm gauge. More quirky locos and stock in a well modelled attractive scene, complete with harbour and Clyde Puffer. 

Ropeley (00, Chris Cleveland) is a model of the station on the Watercress Line in Hampshire, which is home to the line's engine shed, workshop, and extensive collection of running and part-restored locos. Having visited the line, the model is convincing and well observed.

Trinity Dock Street Bridge (00, Gavin Rose) portrays Hull docks in an atmospheric, well detailed scene.

A couple of layouts stood out for their unusual approach. Kinmundy (EM, Southampton MRC) is set in winter, with a light dusting of snow/heavy frost. I've seen snowy layouts before, usually Alpine and typically depicting a deep blanket of snow. This has a much more British winter effect that is very convincing - wintery trees, frosty bushes and roofs, even a touch of glitter to add that frosty sparkle. A very convincing result. 

Brief Encounter (00, Model Railway Quest - Dawn Quest) takes a radical approach of depicting a scene entirely in black and white. Yes, this is a colour photo, the model is black and white. It's very cleverly done - when you think about it, it must be really challenging to do effectively and convincingly - but beyond the novelty, I don't really get the attraction!

It was a big show so these are just a selection of the layouts. It seemed well organised and went smoothly, an enjoyable weekend. 

Cars, a motorbike, and preparing Loctern Quay

In the run up to the Uckfield show I thought Hexworthy could do with a few more road vehicles in the car park, I've struggled to find "ordinary" modern or recent vehicles, but I did have a couple of (original) Minis from Oxford Diecast, a relatively timeless model. I'd also been given an RAC motorcycle and sidecar, wrong era for Hexworthy but will look at home at Loctern Quay. 

As with any commercial model they looked far too shiny and clean, too artificial, so the first task was to disassemble the cars. Sadly, these models are riveted rather than screwed together, but I've drilled out the rivets of many of my son's HotWheels so he could modify them...

The paintwork was given a very light rub back with a fibreglass pencil - just to take the edge off the shine. I sprayed the Mini bodies with Testors Dullcote, but for some reason this went a little cloudy (maybe it was too thick, or the air too damp?) - looking like faded paint on the red car, but not so good on the green one. I did another light rub back and brush painted Vallejo acrylic matt varnish which seemed to reduce the cloudiness. 

Next the tyres and window reveals were given a coat of matt off-black enamel. The motorcycle saddle and panniers and parts of the car interiors got some matt dark grey to take away the one-colour look, and metallic silver dry-brushed over the brake levers, exhaust, and other parts of the bike. Finally, an acrylic brown wash was applied, worked into panel lines, and dabbed off with damp kitchen roll. 

The vehicles were reassembled with a little glue to hold them together, and a blob of gloss modge podge on the headlights. They look much more natural now - not dirty or rusty, but not quite clean and less shiny. I do have to be careful how I "park" them though, as the windows reflect the lighting too well!

The RAC motorbike and sidecar also look much more natural, being much less shiny and mono-colour.

Loctern Quay has an exhibition coming up, so has had some prep, such as vacuuming and brushing off any dust. I'd given the harbour water a coat of magic water when I did the river on Hexworthy, and the three new wagons have had cards made up for the shunting puzzle. All locos have been tested, as have couplings on all the wagons, of course what works in testing may not work in the exhibition!

So all is ready for the exhibition this weekend at Tolworth, my third show in four weekends! It looks like being a good show, if you visit do say hello. 

Newhaven/Seaford Show with Hexworthy

Yesterday I took Hexworthy to the Newhaven club show in Seaford. Here's my helper for the day Martin Collins at the controls. 

Set-up now is pretty slick, delayed slightly by someone who'd parked their car so close to the handrail by the entry with the boot open so that entering the building meant squeezing through an 18" gap while ducking under the tailgate! A mysterious short early in the day was thought to be due to a point changing but not switching electrically, and there were a couple of derailments leaving the fiddle yard but fewer than at Uckfield, otherwise all went smoothly. 

This was a small club show with a variety of layouts in different scales. I didn't pick up a program so I can't identify the other layouts, but here are some that caught my eye. 

This N-gauge layout was inspired by the narrow gauge tram/railways around Interlaken in Austria, albeit made using standard gauge Kato track and trams, it reminded me of a childhood holiday in the area. 

This N-gauge model of Banbury was impressive for both its size and its realism. 

This is a 3mm scale Southern Railway layout.

This is the Uckfield school club layout. 

Nice detailing and weathering on this NE region BR era layout. 

The Newhaven club did a good job of looking after us and, while the multi-room venue made it hard to judge, it seemed quite busy so I hope it was a success. Not much of a break now - my next show is next weekend at Tolworth, although for a change this one is with Loctern Quay.