News, nostalgia, preservation and modelling

Stafford headlines early February exhibition calendar

With the Christmas and new year lull now well behind us it is time to turn our attention to the best shows coming up with significant diesel and electric presence. The second month of the year always excites, bringing two of the most significant events on the calendar, the Stafford Railway Circle’s annual exhibition and the huge but friendly Model Rail Scotland gathering in Glasgow. We’ll cover the latter in more depth in our preview in the next issue, so we’ll turn our attention here to the SRC’s show at the Stafford County Showground on February 4-5.

There will be 26 layouts at the event covering most of the major scales and gauges, although ‘P4’ has sadly been overlooked. Roughly half of those booked cover the D&E period, as follows: ‘N’ gauge – Deep Lane (N) by Pete Latham; ‘OO’ gauge – Airthrey Park by the Stirling & Clackmann MRC, Blackmill by Blackburn & East Lancs MRS, Cromer by Mike Kelly, Georgemas Junction by George Woodcock, Midchester City by Hugh Williams, Pendennis by Blackwater MRG, Slade Lane by Hugh Flynn, St Giles by David Harrison, Tremore by Nick Palette and Warren Lane by Alan Bevan and Maggie Clark.

Several Rail Express Modeller advertisers will also be in attendance, including Ten Commandments, Book Law, Ceynix Trees, Digitrains, Loughborough Model Centre, Modern Structures in Miniature, Phoenix Paints, Picture Pride Displays and Shawplan Model Products/Extreme Etchings.

Diary Dates

February 4-5
Stafford Railway Circle Exhibition, Stafford County Showground, Weston Road, Stafford, Staffs. www.staffordrailwaycircle.org.uk
10.00-17.00. Adult £7, concession £6, child £4, family £18.
See above for details.

February 11-12
The Festival of British Railway Modelling, Doncaster Exhibition Centre, Leger Way, Doncaster, S Yorks. www.model-railways-live.co.uk
10.00-17.00 Sat, 10.00-16.30 Sun. Adult £8, child £3.50, family £23.
Layouts include Buxton (N), Deep Lane (N) and Haslington TMD (OO).

February 18
RISEX Model Railway Exhibition, Princes Risborough Community Centre, Wades Park, Stratton Road, Princes Risborough, Bucks. www.rdmrc.nildram.co.uk
10.00-17.00. Adult £3, child £2.
Layouts include Hartburn (EM).

February 18-19
Ebor Group of Railway Modellers Exhibition, Heworth Church Hall, Melrosegate, York, N Yorks.
10.00-16.00. Adult £2, child £1.

February 18-19
Watford Finescale 2012, Parmiters School, High Elms Lane, Garston, Watford, Herts. www.missendenrailwaymodellers.org.uk/Watford_index.html
10.30-17.00 Sat, 10.00-16.30 Sun. Adult £5, accompanied child free.
Layouts include Portchullin (P4).

February 24-26
Model Rail Scotland 2012, Scottish Exhibition Centre, Exhibition Way, Glasgow, Lanarkshire. www.modelrail-scotland.co.uk
11.00-18.00 Fri, 10.00-18.00 Sat, 10.00-17.00 Sun. Adult £10, child £6, family £25.
Layouts include Choates Lane (N), Alburne Park (OO), Almond Bridge (OO), Bardowie (OO), Crimson Road (OO), Devilla Colliery (OO), Sheriffston (OO), Saxlingham (EM), Harton Gill (P4) and Portchullin (P4).