Guildex 2025

This weekend saw the Gauge O Guild’s annual Guildex show take place at the Staffordshire Show Ground. It’s about half an hour’s drive for me and I took a drive over on Sunday morning.

Stocked up on a few modelling tools and materials, plus enjoyed seeing the layouts to top up my modelling mojo.

Here’s a few of the things that caught my eye.

I’m a big fan of Gordon Gravett and so seeing Arun Quay again was a treat. Seeing a small loco shuffling a few wagons around some sidings really appeals to me.

Selby was the main roundy roundy layout. The working swing bridge and garter blue streaks caught my eye.

The working crane at Whaplode, proving that less can be more when it comes to a layout.

The view of the railway through the ships on St George’s Wharfe.

Enjoyed some time watching the Sulzers trundle by on Dalnottar Riverside. It’s the kind of layout where a shift as Signalman would be very enjoyable. Particularly if traffic picked up on the private oil siding.

The split level approach to Manchester Hardwick Bridge made for some good operating potential. The passenger side reminding me of Minories. 47814 is a loco that as a youthful newly qualified  driver. I’ve not seen many XC 47’s modelled so this was good to spot.

Two more trade offerings caught my eye. Neither of which really suit a light railway, but could possibly by tempting enough to get as nice to haves. Footplate Models and Dapol are bringing out a model of the Hawthorn Leslie 0-4-0 that could be tempting. And Ellis Clark bringing out the L&Y Pug. The working inside motion of the latter is certainly eye catching and tempting.