SHOW REPORT: RMweb SWAG Members Day 2022

 The 24th April saw the return of what I genuinely believe to be the greatest model railway event in the country. A bold claim (especially considering I haven't visited every show to ever exist), but I can't think how a show could possibly be better than the RMweb SWAG Member's Day.

Held every year at Taunton in the small Staplegrove Village Hall, it is a phenomenal event put on, this year, by Rob (NHY 581 on RMweb), and in previous years by Stu (Stubby47), with others assisting; not least the BRM/WoR team who make the journey down every year to help support the event. Speaking of which, I would like to take this opportunity to wish Andy York a full and speedy recovery - despite being unwell (not Covid), he still took the time to visit the show for a while and thank everyone for coming; what a champion!

Continuing the theme of the BRM team, let's kick things off by looking at the first exhibit on the left just as you walked into the hall:

Phil Parker's wonderful dioramas:

Phil brought along some of his detailed dioramas - all made for past BRM features. They really are lovely, and it was great, having seen many of them in their respective articles, to see them up close and personal. I need to learn how to reign in my ideas, and create them as more easily achievable and smaller dioramas like these!

Those with eagle eyes will have spotted an interloper on the micro layout - that's Kernow's brand new forthcoming GWR Railmotor, two versions of which were brought to the show by Graham Muspratt - who spent the day helping out in the kitchen and encouraging people to spend their money on some rather delicious cakes... not that anyone really needed encouragement! Let's take a closer look at the Railmotor:

Above: Kernow Model Rail Centre's GWR Railmotor. For more information of the planned versions and a video of it running, click here. Just look at the detail and the fully working valvegear - it's nothing short of impressive!

Along a similar vein to Phil's dioramas, I also brought a couple of my dioramas produced for BRM to the 'do', along with their associated articles; in the hope that it will inspire people to either: a) Build something themselves, and/or b) Subscribe to BRM/WoR+ to read more articles like it (And no, I'm not being paid for this plug.)

Next to me, some exquisite buildings appeared courtesy of Alistair Green (of Ladmanlow Sidings fame; more on that layout later):

Above two photos: There was a lot of beautiful stonework and attention to detail on these models. And just look at the interior detailing of the barn, including what appears to be a Land Rover being rebuilt; a nod to Mick Bonwick.

From here on out, I will select three photos from each layout to appear here, with the rest viewable on RMweb (see link at the bottom of this post). I hope you enjoy the tour!

Bridport Town - David Taylor

I was thrilled to get the chance to operate Bridport Town for the last hour of the show. There was so much detail to look at that I think I only noticed most of it during the editing of the photos! The colouring of everything was perfect - nothing garish or unweathered, giving it a very consistent tone across the board. The layout is actually undergoing modifications, and I'm excited to see its evolution. My utmost thanks to David for allowing me to spend an enjoyable hour operating this masterpiece!

Castell - Stu Hilton

Stu brought his new and rather delightful little OO9 layout, Castell - really unique with the huge castle dominating the background, and really giving a feel for the imposing nature that the real castles have! I particularly liked the pebbledash on the cottage, and also the clever design trick of adding partially hidden buildings behind the castles' curtain wall on the left hand side of the layout; a really effective way of making the layout feel much larger than it is. I was also impressed by the use of not just the ScaleModelScenery kits, but also the leftovers from said kits!

Stu also brought along a demonstration layout (below) showing what can be achieved using the Modulus Wifi system - whereby Wifi is used to control all aspects of a layout (I believe including servos, lighting etc.). He showed that you can also have a wireless physical control panel (the cable going into the example below is actually just the power cable), or even control everything from your smartphone. Far too clever for me; I'm still stuck in the analogue era, and I still don't even own a smartphone!

L'heure Bleue - Al

Next to Stu, we had the fascinating L'heure Bleue - a French layout with a twilight period twist (hence the name); plenty of illumination, remarkable buildings, oh, and a working van driving around the centre of the layout (via a Faller road system). The moody lighting (some of which were also on a timer) added a lot of interest, and really gave a unique atmosphere that I had not previously experienced from a layout before - top stuff! I'd love to see this layout when set up in a dark room because I bet the effect is incredible.

And yes, there were trains as well; but I was captivated moreso by the scenery!

Ladmanlow Sidings - Alistair Green
Carrying on down the far side of the hall we had Ladmanlow Sidings. Unmistakenly Cromford & High Peak! The fact that Al forgot the backscene is both excusable and a minor problem when the standard of modelling is this good (that, and the fact that the SWAG do is so laid-back that no-one would mind in the first place  - that's why I love it!). I did add a backscene to a few of the photos just to help simulate what it might usually look like! Anyway, the stand-out feature is probably the lovely (and insanely tall!) stone bridge and all the scratchbuilt stone walling made from individual styrene blocks. I think Al  ought to be awarded some kind of medal for patience for his building of dry stone walls!

It was great to watch the layout in action and admire the scenery, and for some bizarre reason, apparently my arrival signalled the end of his running problems - as soon as I turned up, the loco crawled beautifully along the layout. I don't know who was more shocked; Al or me! Usually whenever I point a camera at something it's the kiss of death (and that includes my own layout...). Joking aside, it was fantastic to see Ladmanlow Sidings in the flesh!

Parkend Marsh Sidings - John Farmer
I was immediately struck by the size of this layout compared to what I imagined it would be like based on the photos online, but I am reliably informed that it is to scale - with only the angle of the far siding being slightly shallower to reduce the width of the layout. Being next to the doors/windows, the sunlight blasted the far end with light, creating a fantastic effect amongst the trees. The vegetation, by the way, was fantasticly dense and varied - I need to up my game! Similarly, the colouring was spot-on throughout - I just wish I had more time to watch some shunting.

Upbech Drove - Martyn Mullender
I took far less photos of this layout than I thought I did, and to make matters worse my attempts at focus stacking weren't very successful. Still, I've managed to scrape together a few photos of this wonderful little layout. The colour pallette is fantastic, and the layout proves that you don't need a spare barn to create a layout full of atmosphere. Another layout I will have to keep an eye on from now on!

Tucking Mill - Jerry Clifford

So, onwards we go, and next to Martyn was Jerry with his layout Tucking Mill. Let me note that this layout is 2mm Finescale, not 4mm or larger! I struggle to get something half as decent in 1:76 scale so god only knows how Jerry has created such a beautiful layout in a scale twice as small! I think 'exquisite' is the word I'd use to describe Tucking Mill, and it was also very nicely lit and immaculately presented which always earns bonus points from me. The backscene was also a work of art - despite my usual preference for photographic backscenes, I couldn't help but be impressed with it; it suited the layout perfectly.

Again, let it sink in that this is 2mm scale...

Pig Lane - Clive Mortimer
Clive's layout was deceptively complicated! In fact (and don't take this the wrong way), despite being far from my usual interests, I became utterly absorbed watching Richard operate Pig Lane. Aside from the sheer number of isolating sections and three way points, the challenge came from the way it was purposefully operated. It uses a deck of cards to denote what locomotives/trains would be either arriving or departing. Sounds easy so far, but bear in mind that you are limited by the number of stabling points, and that the deck of cards could deal you an unfortunate run of hands where every single card forces you to bring on more locomotives without being able to make one leave! This happened to Richard as I was there, and it looked like a hell of a challenge to figure out where on earth the next locomotive could be stabled!

All in all, a really fun little layout; especially if you took the time to understand the complexities involved. I ended up feeling sorry for Richard at some points (but I think he still enjoyed it?!)

Penmaenbach - Chris Hopper

A lovely little essay showing a slice of North Wales in the 80s. Another immaculately presented layout using a card system to shuffle wagons using a slight variation of the classic inglenook puzzle.  Like Upbech Drove, it proves that you don't need mountains of room to build a layout that is both atmospheric and fun to operate. I particularly liked the road bridges and the vegetation. It's another layout that, despite being 'modern image', I stood and admired for a long time - it goes to show that you should never pigeon-hole your viewing of a layout just because it is based on a prototype or period that doesn't interest you!

The tour continues... and practically within touching distance of Penmaenbach (actually, I think they might've been!) is our next layout...

Peasevern Yard - Rob Owst
It carries on the theme of extremely compact layouts, but this time, in 7mm scale! This layout is a fine example of minimum-space design, but for me the stand-out feature was the scrap pile. This isn't just a lump of foam with painted 'scrap' pushed in, oh no... every single piece of scrap was added individually! I also believe that the pile grows as more scrap metal is found. The end result is a scrap pile that actually looks like a scrap pile. Similarly impressive is the detail on the various vehicles lying around in various states of disrepair - the kind of detail I can only dream of in 4mm scale. Oh, and the ground textures were incredibly well-observed; including some rather nasty looking oily puddles!

Continuing our tour; from one grubby industry to another, we pop around the corner to visit...

Orchard Road (& Mudmagnet Models) - Richard

Richard brought along some of his 3D printed models; showing an impressive collection of lathes, pillar drills and other workshop tools. The detail on them is pretty incredible it has to be said: 

Of course, he also brought along Orchard Road - a layout I remember being impressed with online in my early years of RMweb. It was great to finally get to see the layout in the real world; and it did not disappoint! I've always admired the stone bridge, and it's great to see one built on the skew because, although making for a more complicated structure, it creates a much less harsher end point for the scenic section. The varied vegetation, especially around the various buffer stops, worked really well, but it's the interior detailing of the workshop that really 'wows'! So glad that I finally got a chance to see Orchard Road - it's a lovely bit of modelling:

Polsarrett - Chris Tooth
Whilst not (quite) finished, I initially didn't notice; Chris made an amazing effort to get the layout in such great form for SWAG - in fact, having seen a couple of W.I.P shots a short while ago, I was blown away by what he presented! The first thing that captured my interest was the level crossing - a really lovely scene, with a road at a low level towards the front rising up to meet the railway, and then rising again and curving as it meets the backscene out of view. The line of sight up this lane is spot on, and I just wish I took more photos here. Chris explained to me how originally the lane was wider, but he wanted a nicer transition to the wall on the left, and settled on adding a little ditch. Knowing windy narrow country lanes all too well, I think it's perfectly executed. The main attraction is obviously the clay drying shed, with it's lovely makeshift corrugated iron lean-to; with plenty of clay dust evident, as to be expected.

Ewe - Rob Gunstone
The sheep chronicles continue with a new entry from Rob (despite also putting on the event itself!). A delightful little cameo layout, which, featuring water, naturally means it immediately garners my interest. It's been beautifully done, too, and the water lillies make for a really nice touch, along with the reeds and other stream-side vegetation. Plenty of inspiration for my next layout! I love Rob's modelling. 'Simple' (i.e. allowing the scene room to breathe; and not cramming it with track, buildings or clutter), consistent, and always featuring a rural backwater. What's not to love? The leaves and moss on the shed is a lovely touch, too.

Another thing I love about Rob's layouts is the composition; everything is so nicely balanced. In the case of Ewe, tall trees either side, small buildings either side, and a viewblocking tree and shed offset to break the layout into two parts, and encourage interesting sight lines. Yet another 'sheep bloke' layout that is sure to be a classic. Take a look:

Please remember that these, and many more photos can be found over on RMweb in the SWAG 2022 thread, starting from here. I hope you enjoyed looking through these photos and seeing these fantastic exhibits. Hopefully others will have taken photos of the things I missed (cake, the bring 'n' buy stand, BGman's Bazaar, 247 Developments, and of course the wonderful helpers and host).

Well done to Rob for taking the reins from Stu this year, and I hear preparations are already in full swing for next year; where we'll get to enjoy yet another packed, friendly event... I for one can't wait! It is no exaggeration to say that I have never left a show feeling more inspired and more eager to get a plan for my next layout done, and work to get said layout started.

Here's to SWAG 2023 and beyond!