SHOW REPORT: London Festival of Railway Modelling 2022

On a slightly chilly spring morning I was up at the crack of dawn ready to head to the London Festival of Railway Modelling. After a shower (Yes, some of us modellers do shower, contrary to popular belief!) the postcode was 'punched in' to the sat nav and off I went. Aside from one confusing motorway junction (the turning lane didn't merge like I thought it would and I didn't realise it was a split junction), I got there with no issues. Thank goodness I 'walked' the route through on Google Streetview in the areas around the London North Circular because there are some nasty roundabouts to negotiate!

After about 2hr 20mins Ally Pally was in sight, and thankfully one of the stewards kindly directed me to a free shuttle bus service that linked the far car park to the front of the hall; just as well because it was a steep hill and I was carrying a large plastic box containing one of my dioramas, and two boxes of homemade cookies for the MRC/BRM stands.

Whilst there was a bit of a queue to get in, the view across London was pretty amazing, and all things considered it didn't take that long. After winding my way through a curious large empty room I was greeted by the smiling faces of the MRC.

Alexandra Palace's incredible 'Rose Window', as viewed from the MRC stand on arrival.

Lawrence spotted me straight away (must've been the cookie boxes that gave it away!), and my baked goods were duly shared around the stand - they certainly seemed to go down well. After a pleasant chat and an introduction to what would be happening for my interview with Lawrence later on in the day, I hopped over to see Phil Parker and his new wagon repairs project layout for BRM; 'DHAPR' (the acronym being the first letter of each member of the BRM team). I only wish I had asked to have a go with operating it/the 3-link couplings...

DHAPR - OO - Phil Parker/BRM

The new Hornby 6 wheel Sentinel at work on DHAPR. Note the 3 link coupling.

The workshop even had a detailed interior. Note also the working lights and appropriate foreground clutter.

Phil and I ended up having a lengthy chat, and we were later joined in conversation by a cameraman from RareTV (no filming, just a very pleasant conversation). I managed to persuade Phil to relieve me of some of my cookies (Ha! Who am I kidding - we all know Phil would never turn down an offer of baked goods!), and having chatted for well over half an hour I thought it best to leave Phil to demo DHAPR, and see what else was on offer at the show. I did, however, return at multiple points during the show - and also spoke with Howard for a long time; helping to advise a modeller on what choices are out there in terms of layout baseboards.

I will note now that I did not take photos of every single layout as there were so many that my camera battery died half-way through - so I apologise for those I was unable to photograph. I particularly regret not being able to photograph Redbridge Wharf as I found that a particularly inspiring layout. I could not even get close to Copenhagen Fields which is a shame, but hopefully I'll get a chance to see it one day!

Deadmans Lane - OO - Mick Bryan

Deadmans Lane was a fantastic modern image layout, with plenty going on, some rather nice modelling and very smooth and sensibly-operated movements. Despite being far from my usual modelling scene, I enjoyed watching this one a lot!

The layout was recently extended, and I believe this shot shows the new area - not that I would have been able to tell had it not been for looking at the layout topic on RMweb!

Newchapel Junction - O - Newchapel Junction Group

Control of this enormous layout was achieved using a system of complex levers and interlocking frames, multiple control panels, a bell system, and a phone. Truly remarkable!

The standard of modelling was also exceptional - especially the signals. It was a very unique layout, especially with the turntable at the end that fed all platform/loop roads as seen here. The shed was off to the right of the camera.

Rossiter Rise - OO - Terry Tew

This was a beautiful cameo layout. The stock was particularly exquisite, and I complimented the owner and operator on the colouring which I felt was spot-on. Something I've only just noticed is that the terraced houses at the back are all slightly different colours - amazing attention to detail!

Here's a wider view showing just how compact the layout is. There was actually a section on the far right (I think part of the shed, although I didn't see it until it was too late to take a photo) that was cut away to reveal the interior.

Swaynton for Milcliffe-on-Sea - OO - Richard Smith/EMGS NW Surrey Area

Being based in the New Forest, naturally I had a soft-spot for this layout. Regardless of bias, it was really well-modelled, and gives off the right feel for a layout based in the New Forest area. The architectural modelling was particularly impressive.

My only suggestion was that I would've loved for this layout to have a really tall backscene; preferably higher than the trees (which for once appear to be modelled to the correct scale, rather than all other layouts, mine included, where they are compressed in height). Regardless, I really enjoyed this lovely layout.

Arun Quay - O - Gordon Gravett

This is one of two layouts that I was really looking forward to seeing in real life. Gordon is no stranger to the hobby, and his modelling ability is second-to-none. Perfect colouring, exquisite detailing, and well presented.

Arun Quay also has one of the most effective painted backscenes I've come across. He has managed this not only by being a talented artist, but also by employing clever tricks; like having the scenery drop away at the rear, muting the colours on the backdrop, and only having a very 'simple' painted scene instead of it being really busy and distracting. P.S. Just look at the detail on the crane and boat!

Oak Road - OO - Mike Buick

Another exceptional modern-era layout was Oak Road - there was always something going on on this layout, and I actually think the simple white background worked surprisingly well. The ballast heaps were a clever use of the limited space available, and also provide an excuse for a certain freight type.

As with most layouts at Ally Pally, the colouring was spot-on and consistent. Note that there isn't much going on in terms of people or details, but yet it doesn't feel empty - there's just enough there to keep the eye entertained in the brief lulls between passing trains.

Wainthrop Bridge - EM - Simon Howard

Another well-modelled layout with a consistent palette and modelling standard was this delightful EM gauge layout 'Wainthrop Bridge'. It always surprises me how much people can cram into a narrow layout, yet still manage to make it look spacious!

 I had to get a close-up of the stonework because it was beautifully modelled both in terms of neatness and weathering. It really exuded that grotty urban atmosphere.

Old Elm Park - O - Mark Pollard

What we see in these photos is actually the extension - the original part of the layout is a section view into a very dark roundhouse. Sadly I couldn't get a decent photo of that because it was dark and the layout was really high up - I struggled as it was getting these shots with my tall monopod and a tilting screen!

That said, the layout was really convincing, and if you were able to get close/high enough to see, there was some superb work to be observed. Clearly inspired by Didcot, it was great to watch the business of such a steam shed.

Scout Green Crossing - O - Paul Scott

This particular cameo/scene on the layout was really lovely. Another layout where the owner made the most of the limited depth available. The standard of modelling was again impressive, and the stone walls visible above were incredibly long!

Another feature I thought was well modelled were the buildings - really nicely weathered, too. The backscene was particularly effective, and the scenery blended in really well I felt. It was a joy to watch full-length express trains rush through the crossing.

Grindley Brook - O - Hillingdon Railway Modellers

Perhaps showing the finest attention to detail of all the layouts on show (perhaps matched by Arun Quay), Grindley Brook was an immensely impressive layout - not just in size but in quality as well.

I'm always on the look-out for unique scenes, so it comes as no surprise that my favourite scene by far at the exhibition was this delightful canal lift bridge. Incredibly inspiring - so much so that I completely forgot about the trains!

Mynydd Tatws - OO9 - Jennifer Kirk

This was a delightful little layout - possibly the smallest at the exhibition? Created by the well-known Jennifer Kirk, it was lovely to see the most was made of vertical space - something that is rarely done.

The modelling itself was superb, and I loved the flowery nature of the grass, hills and embankments. Operation seemed limited, but it was still one of the best 'pizza' layouts I've seen so far.

Cherry Orchard - 32mm - Ron Bailes

This layout was really interesting - not least because of the combined standard and narrow gauge railways. The modelling subject was also interesting; being a brickworks.

The narrow gauge line showed the whole process from clay to bricks; and the standard gauge interchange was accessed via an incredibly steep gradient (just visible in front of the class 08/09 in the photo above). I would've like to have stayed longer to film this layout as there was a lot to take in, and it was fascinating watching the transfer of materials.

Cranmore - S7 - Eric Hines

 A lovely layout based on a real place, and built in an unusual scale. Presumably that means almost everything is either scratchbuilt or kitbuilt, although it was too busy to ask the owner and find out!

The real place is now the headquarters of the East Somerset Railway, and the layout appears to accurately portray the real place well according to historic photos. The depth of the layout is again limited, but the backscene helps to give a feeling of spaciousness that otherwise would not be possible.

Harkness - EM - Tony Bucknell

This was a delightful layout - another one that was well modelled in every aspect; and everything was consistent across the board. It was clearly a quintissential light railway, with the Col. Stephens-esque platform building. The backscene was also lovely, albeit a tad too high and tinged red in places (as seen above). That said, it was a beautiful little layout!

The terraced houses were all scratchbuilt, and looked very tidy indeed. The weathering all over was consistent - and can be seen to good effect not only on the houses but also the roadbridge. Note the tiny lever frame and its point rodding in the foreground.

Yorkshire Pennines - N - Roland Wood

A crowd pleaser for sure - this complicated N gauge layout showed off the capability of computer control. It is of course fictional, but an impressive scene nonetheless, although I would've liked to have been able to get closer - access was needed all around the outside of the layout for the operators (including  space for chairs) so it was impossible to get good photos or admire it up close.

But from what I could see of the modelling it was very nice indeed - I particularly liked this old stone barn on the Pennine hills, and the horseriders above. Having both a mainline and a preserved line, there was plenty of variety to be seen.

Seaton - P4 - Simon Harris

This delightful layout accurately portrayed the real Seaton as it appeared in the 1920s. The stock was beautiful, although it was plagued by operating problems due to the heat in the smaller hall at Ally Pally. I also struggled to get in a position to take decent photos, but it was a really well-modelled scene.

One of the cameos was the stone cutting yard at the rear of the layout, and included horse-drawn wagons as shown here. Another feature I loved was the accurate portrayal of the engine shed with posts propping up the side facing the estuary! Sadly my photo of this came out blurry, so I have not included it.

Tytton Hall Yard - OO - Boston Model Railway Society

One of the layouts I struggled to get near was Tytton Hall Yard - a layout with a raised mainline and  an industrial (coal) yard below. I like the idea of snaking the sidings under the mainline - with only glimpses of the coal loading building visible. Apparently it works, and can load wagons, although I didn't see it happen whilst I was there, sadly.

Here's a shot of the headshunt and what I presume to be a scrap yard cameo in the foreground. I really liked the weighbridge/portacabin combo, and isn't something I've come across on a layout before.

Outwell Village - OO - Alan Price

Last but by no means least was Outwell Village - a layout I saw many, many years ago in Railway Modeller, and had me hooked. I was delighted to see it for the first time in person, and it really is impressive on every level. The more I look at it, the more I want to do something similar for my new layout!

The bridge was my favourite feature (I'm a sucker for a girder bridge for some unknown reason!) and is definitely something I will have to reconsider for Coastguard Creek. The layout is of course based on the real location, and from what prototype photos I've seen it is indeed a very good match.

Overall, I'd have to say that this is my favourite layout at the show, although Arun Quay was an incredibly close second. For me, it really has been an inspirational layout for so many years - and seeing it in real life certainly did not disappoint.

So there we have it...

... a fantastic show, and my first proper 'big' show. I came away utterly inspired, and it was so good to be at an exhibition for the first time since October 2019. I also had a great time chatting with members of BRM, MRC and Graham Muspratt from Kernow Model Rail Centre. Of course, it was also great to see so many fabulous layouts, and garner ideas to take forward onto my next layout.

I'd like to especially thank Lawrence Robbins of the MRC for persuading me to visit Ally Pally, and for hosting me on their stand; including a 5-10 minute interview where we basically had a nice chat and he congratulated me on winning the BRMa 'Modeller of the Year' Award back in 2019. I really enjoyed my time there, and hopefully next time I'll come a bit better prepared with a spare camera battery, and maybe be able to stay in a hotel nearby so I can enjoy both days.

I'll be attending Narrow Gauge South on April 23rd at Barton Peveril College, Eastleigh with Sandy Shores. Come and introduce yourself to me! I'll be only too happy to answer questions about the layout. Also, the Sunday (24th) is the RMweb SWAG event at Staplegrove Village Hall - I also hope to be there. If you've never been to either of these events I thoroughly recommend them both - they are top tier!