JACK PALMER reports back from this show earlier in the month.
Unlike last year where we had our Open Weekend and The International N Gauge Show on consecutive weekends. Consequently, we were more relaxed about it this time around as the Open Weekend is only every other year! Keep an eye on Events to check when we next have an Open Weekend.
However, this time we had Friday the 13th to worry about, as we set out to Leamington Spa on that infamous date with myself, Craig, James and Matt in the vans. Thankfully the two-and-a-half hour drive to the Warwickshire Events Centre went by without incident!
We then spent the next few hours setting up both the Gaugemaster and Kato stands alongside each other, as this year we were proud to be joined by Kato President, Hiroshi Kato. We also brought a small selection of Revell kits to our stand for the first time and showcased our brand new Gaugemaster Collection Class 66 locomotives (GM2210101 is now sadly sold out, however other liveries are available - Ed) which brought a lot of interest from the public.
Despite the fact that this weekend was probably going to be the last bit of nice weather that we experienced this summer, the visitors ensured that we stayed inside for the majority of the weekend as a result of a very busy Saturday and a smooth flowing Sunday. On some occasions I had to step away from our stand just to allow all of you to explore our products.
Overall, this year's International N Gauge Show was a great success for all involved amd went by with plenty of laughs at a great venue that we look forward to returning again next year.
Whilst I may be a OO Scale modeller, I still admire and appreciate layouts and models of other scales. This was especially the case this weekend as some layouts really stood out to me and provided some inspiration to the new layout that I'm planning on building.
This layout was a particular highlight for all of us when we had an explore of the layouts on show during the weekend. This large layout clearly takes inspiration from the infamous West Highland Line in Scotland and consists almost entirely of handmade buildings and scenery. The West Highland Line is also well known to running close to large areas of water and this is beautifully portrayed by the creation of this harbour section next to the station.
By far the largest layout on show, James Street is a busy 1960s themed layout with plenty of things to entertain your eyes on all four corners of the railway, including vast stations, large dockyards and extensive locomotive yards and sidings.
Taking inspiration from the famous Settle and Carlisle Railway, Dentdale showcases Dent Station, The highest mainline station in the UK, Blea Moor Tunnel, Dent Head Viaduct and Arten Gill Viaduct.
Here's a look at some of the other fantastic layouts on show:
We look forward to seeing you all again at the Warley National Model Railway Exhibition at the Birmingham NEC on the 23rd and 24th November, 2019!