York 2026

 

An early morning photoshoot saw me into York show nice and early this year. Finishing my work just as the doors opened left me with the whole day to wander around looking at layouts, perusing the trade and chatting to people. Far nicer than my normal rush around. 

I'm not going to try to bring you the whole show, there are plenty of YouTubers out there who make it their mission to do that, I'll just mention a few displays that appealed to me, and I managed to get an acceptable photo of with my 'phone. 

First up, I finally had the chance to see Maggie and Gordon Gravett's Port De Crozon, seen at the top of this post. It really is a lovely layout. The unusual high-quality modelling of an unusual subject in an unusual scale - 1:50. The thing that struck me most was the colour palette - muted but very consistent. Nothing stands out, and the colours suggest a quiet village on a sunny day. I was also pleased to see the tower that I remember watching Gordon build many, many years ago at the Chiltern Assoc. show. I'd always wondered where it would end up. 

Sticking with finescale, Old Parrock by Paul Rhodes looked like a chunk of Pendon had been lifted and brought to the show. OK, it's East Sussex, but the modelling techniques looked like the best of the Oxfordshire team, and Iain Rice. 

 

I'd love to have a go at building something like this in TT:120. Enough stock is available to make it practical, and with a scenic section only 4ft long, it would fit in the space I have available, even if the time required wouldn't. 

Larger, but to my eye, very distinctive, is Coniston, by the Morely Model Railway Group. It's a truism that you should be able to identify the location a model is set in without any trains being seen, and this is very much the case here. One look at the station, and I knew we were in the Lake District. 

Novelty always appeals to me, and the Roundhay team seemed to have decided to model the Lincolnshire Potato railways!

Roundhay is a particular favourite of mine. Regular readers will remember that my NG7 layout for BRM was based on it. 

Finally, the most eye-catching-for-Phil layout had to be Janice and Myles McGregor's Studio Tour. Imagine you were visiting a behind-the-scenes theme park based on the Harry Potter films and books, and this is the model of your day out. 

I'm a big fan of interesting ideas, but, and it's a big but, they need to be matched by the quality of the resulting model. Poor execution is a waste of good ideas. This is not the case here. All the modelling (from someone who is new to the hobby!) is really well done. I'd happily see these snow-covered houses in a mainstream publication, ignoring the Potter angle. 

We also saw Ford Anglias and boats on The Dark Lake, operating smoothly and effectively. Statues spun, and there were other working features. Potter-heads will delight in spotting the scenes, most of which passed me by in the same way as the books and films. I was alone in this, though, judging by the crowds in front of the model all day. 

As I say, there were so many quality layouts to be seen, a days entertainment was assured. I've only covered a few. 

But, what about the cake?  

One of my first stops was the restaurant, and how about a rhubarb and custard eclair? Delicious, even if Little Brian was unimpressed with the addition of yellow stuff to his favourite vegetable! 

Saturday Film Club: Jetex JETCAR - Good old fun, but dangerous?

In the good old days, you could nip down to your local model shop and buy a real rocket engine. Not your Estes sort of safe version, but one made of metal, that you assembled yourself. 

My Dad had a Jetex engine. I don't recall us firing it up, but the idea fascinated me. He always planned to put it in an aeroplane, but this car looks pretty cool. There was a boat too, but I fear it would plough into the bank if I tried it out on the KMBC lake! 

Baldwin Gas Mechanical

 

New, to me, this gas-mechanical loco in 16mm scale. I first saw the model on my late friend Ken's layout a couple of years ago. Produced by AnDell, the locomotive ran superbly and with all those rods flapping around, looked great. 

I wanted one, but AnDell are long since gone, so my only chance was second-hand, but nothing appeared. 

Sadly, Ken passed away, but I know those disposing (that sounds terrible, even though it is the correct term) of his railway and collection. We agreed a sensible price for the model, and last week, I finally picked it up. 

You might wonder why there is a Little Phil on the footplate. Well, when I first saw the model, it looked odd without a driver. There's always a model of me in my bag, so I tried it on the footplate - a perfect fit. So, for Christmas, I gave Ken a driver for his loco, suitably painted into overalls. 

Battery-powered, from cells within the bonnet, the wheels are driven by a conventional gear. However, the rods and jackshaft drive are purely for show, a Delrin chain linking everything up. No wonder the model runs so smoothly!

Control uses an AnDell radio set which works perfectly. I assume, from the short length of the aerial, that it's a 2.4 system. No xtals are visible, which is a relief. The loco is a delight to drive. Only problem is, it's 32mm gauge only, and I don't have a track for this easily available. Never mind, this is a nice reminder of a friend, and I'm sure I'll find somewhere for it to streatch its legs.  

Garden Rail May 2026

We head down to the allotment for some fast vegetable action as Tom Taylor's once modest railway has grown to become a popular attraction with regular open days. 

On the workbench: 

• Ice cream barrow build 
• Instant elevated railway 
• Spring garden tasks 
• Darjeeling Class One locomotive kit

If you fancy a small RTR battery-powered locomotive, we test Woodleigh Engineering's 'Igor'. 

For vintage steam fans, there is a good look at Finescale Engineering's Hunslets. 

And don't miss our essential guide to April's National Garden Railway Show – the UK's biggest event for modellers in larger scales!

Pan down trams

The trickiest part of any tramway model is the overhead. Unless you model a very specific location, such as Wolverhampton with its stud contact, or London with the slots and skate, overhead wires are very much part of the scene. 

From Birmingham, we have another option, at least for modern image modellers. Part of the route in the city requires the trams to operate from batteries, as there isn't any overhead. The thinking was that the line runs through some historic buildings, and no one fancies screwing overhead cables to these, so for a short section, the trams drop their pans, and run on batteries.