MATT TAYLOR reports back from one of the biggest events on the model railway calendar.
On the weekend of the 24th and 25th November, 2018, Gaugemaster attended the largest model railway show in the UK, which is held at the NEC in Birmingham. The show, which is run by the Warley Model Railway Club has been going for over 50 years and Gaugemaster are proud to attend each year. We always like to put on a big display, so we arrived on the Thursday before to start stand construction.
After the drive up from Sussex, we started building the stand on Thursday afternoon and finished it off on Friday. It was good to see all of the months of planning coming together. With both Noch and DCCconcepts on our stand, and several new items coming out at the show we had plenty to talk about.
As part of the Gaugemaster Collection we launched our first ever O Scale Starter Set, Brighton Works. We believe that it is the first British O Scale set for at least fifty years! The wagons were also released as separate items. At the time of writing the set has sold out direct from us but check with your local model shop to see if they have it.
Train Tech gave us one of the first samples of their Smart Screen name board, which can be added to stations or in multiple units. This model is programable with anything you wish and would look fantastic on any Modern Image layout.
DCCconcepts showed us a new loco decoder that can work as a super shuttle for DCC. More information on this product will be available shortly.
Back to the show, however. This year Sonja Bernhard joined us from Noch in Germany, showcasing their range to the UK market. A lot of items in the Gaugemaster Scenic range are produced by Noch, but we wanted to show off the full range of products they have available. For any modeller wanting to improve their layout scenics, this area was a must visit over the weekend. Sonja worked with members of the public to work on little scenic modules, which showed how to use the Gras-Master static grass applicator.
Elsewhere at the show, Peco and Bachmann both had layouts from the Channel 5 programme The Great Model Railway Challenge on display. Peco displayed the layout called Globetrotting Santa, which won Episode 3 and was built by the Basingstoke Bodgers team. This layout included a transition from rural England to Egypt, and including Santa having a pint in the Fordhampton Pub!
Bachmann had the grand final winning layout City of Tears built by the Aberdeen Model Railway Club. This layout, which is set in the future, is probably the only model railway built above the clouds!
My favourite layout of the weekend also won the prize for best modern layout. It was called Didcot A Power Station. I loved the power station and it is definately the sort of layout that I wanted as a child!
Overall, we had a fantastic weekend and I would like to thank all of the suppliers who worked with us for the event. Now it’s time to get back to Gaugemaster and start planning the 2019 shows!