Large Scale Model Rail Show 2012

Held around the corner from where I live, the Large Scale Model Rail show has in the last few years been a bit the starter course for the main meal that is the 16mm Scale AGM a few weeks later. You will probably see the same trade plus many more at the later event. As likely as not there will even be some of the same layouts. If you are in a hurry then you skip straight to the main course.

This year though, the main course has moved from the Midlands to Peterborough. Not a difficult trip in the car once you get over the M6/A14 junction but if you have laready had to drive for a couple of hour to get to the old venue, likley to be very off-putting. This could explain why this show has grown a bit.

"Large Scale" is an interesting label. It includes O gauge which you might think is well enough served already but that's the way things go. On the other hand, the trade was mostly G1 and G scale with plenty of meths-based (or gasseous if you like that sort of thing) entertainment you could take home an enjoy in the privacy of your own garden. Or other peoples if you are into the group thing.

Anyway, I was taken by a few locos on display there. For a start there was the wonderful Lady Florence Dixie - an Emett-like creationg with vertical boiler, oscilating cyliners and articulated stagecoach style body. Watching this trundling around the 16mm test track was wonderful. This is a scale where it's perfectly acceptable to have some fun whilst still doing serious engineering.

On the sales side I liked the Max Micro-locomotive which at at £249 for a machiend kit from Martins Model Railways has got to be some sort of bargain. OK, it's unsophisticated but if you have a circuit of track and just want something to pootle around making nice noises and blowing smoke, you probably can't go far wrong. I could just see it on my line if enough of you click on my Google adverts !

An awful lot of moving trains were dsiplaying before surprisinlgy small crowds. I reckon most kids would live to see working, steaming, chuff-chuffs or bit electric chuff-chuffs that make all the right noises yet cruel granparents hadn't thought to bring them along.

A few photos on Flickr