A Grand Day Out

Whilst I appreciate quality model making in any scale, tail chasing layouts running out of the box stock doesn’t appeal and neither does being elbowed by impatient fellow attendees to see the exhibits. These factors coupled with family and shift work commitments makes me an infrequent exhibition goer. 

What does appeal is seeing 7mm scale and/or narrow gauge modelling, so the return of the Gauge O Guild’s Guildex show this weekend at the new venue at Stafford, handily a short drive from home, saw my friend Neil and I venture out. I’ve been to several shows over the years at Stafford Show Ground, it’s handily placed alongside the A518 but the Faradays Cage effect of the venue’s steel framed buildings is not without its challenges for the traders’ card readers. 

The internet makes it easy to find out the latest trade news these days, for me, I like to see a model or kit in the flesh before buying, something exhibitions allows. Though attending shows is not without the inherent danger of my mind thinking up fresh silly ideas with what’s on display and Guildex was no exception. This was the first time that I’d seen the Ellis Clark Presflo wagons and they are a thing of beauty, they’d look great on a cement works based micro layout. The pre-production samples of the Wickham Trolleys were also on display and look equally good. Whilst too modern for me, my mind wonders whether an antiquated Baguley inspection car could be built using one?

I’m no great GWR fan, but the sample streamlined railcars on the Dapol display looked very sleek. The engineering samples of the forthcoming Austerity were also available and appears to capture the prototype nicely. I didn’t look at those long not wanting to set off more industrial musings!

Adjoining the Dapol stand were Lionheart Trains with what for me as a long standing 7mm narrow gauge modeller is the most exciting RTR development of the last twelve months, the forthcoming Lynton & Barnstaple models. We saw (and borrowed for the 7mm NGA stand) one of the sample locos at Kettering. Here were more sample loco liveries and sample carriages seen for the first time. Truly exquisite. 

There were a couple of layouts which I was keen to see having previously seen them in magazines. The first being Fen Drove with its colourful array of M&GN locos and a Wissington style agricultural feeder. 

Fen Drove

The second being Orford, having seen it in MRJ. Orford has successfully combined simplicity whilst remaining interesting to operate. A trick that I feel I’ve missed slightly with over complicating Abermelyn. 

Orford

One layout that I’d not heard of before but impressed was TGB Metal Recyclers. A modern image recycling / scrap metal yard. Modern diesels aren’t usually my thing, but this layout had decent modelling that ran well and I was impressed by the viewing angles created through piles of scrap metal, a nice touch. 

TGB Metal Recyclers

And finally I spent some time looking at all the dockside detail on St George’s Dock. 

St George’s Dock. 

Whilst I resisted making any big purchases, I bought the tools and supplies I needed, a couple of books, some detailing bits and a tree in the hope of inspiring some scenic model making to take place. 

The economic reality of putting on model railway exhibitions in a post-pandemic world is far from certain, and Guildex has certainly shrunk in the last decade. However, I shall continue to attend whilst we have the opportunity to do so.