expoEM Summer 2022

A Showcase of the Best in 4mm Railway Modelling

The flagship event of the EM Gauge Society in the north of England is back for 2022 and will take place over the weekend of August 20th/21st at Kettlethorpe High School, the venue we first used in 2019. On display will be at least ten finescale layouts representing the best in 4mm scale modelling.

As usual there will be plenty of opportunity to stock up on modelling supplies with a good range of specialist traders in attendance. In addition, there will be a variety of ‘Show you how’ demonstrations and other special interest society stands. There will also be the EM and P4 test track, the EMGS Trade Officer will be in attendance selling, amongst other things, the Society’s range of EM track and points; in addition, the ever popular members’ sales stand will be selling second hand models, kits and bits.

We are basing much of the expoEM content in the new Activity Studio, plus parts of the former Gym and Main Hall, which we used in 2019. See below for more details regarding parking and the main expo entrance.

Venue: Opening times:
Kettlethorpe High School Saturday 20th August: 10.00am to 5.00pm
Standbridge Lane Sunday 21st August: 10.00am to 4.00pm
Sandal
Wakefield, WF2 7EL

Admission Prices (valid for both days):
2-Day visitor ticket £10.00
EMGS Members £8.00

Layouts:
Bawdsey (EM) – BR(E) Essex, Late 1950s/early 1960s - Alan Rollins and Chris Wright
Crioch (EM) - Highland Railway, 1902-1922 - Dr Peter Fletcher
Culm (EM) – GWR/BR, late 1940s, Devon – Dai Davies
Eccleston (S4) – L&YR, c.1910, West Lancashire - Martin Nield
Great Swilling (EM) – BR(W), 1950s, Gloucestershire - David Burnett
Llanastr (S4) - Brecon & Merthyr Railway, 1914, South Wales – Rod Hall & members of Newport MRS
North Ballachulish (EM) – BR(ScR) 1970/71, west of Scotland - Andy Cooper
The Depots - Rosedale East (EM) – NER, early c20, North Yorkshire Moors - Paul & Nicola Gallon

The EMGS Test Track – with test facilities for OO, EM and P4 locos and stock

Chairman’s Challenge competition entrant
Swanish – Freelance but loosely based on Swanage - Ian Sandell

Guest Layout
Cameo Callaton (2FS) – BR(E) - 1980s based just north of Newcastle upon Tyne – Mick Simpson

Trade Support:
247 Developments
Alan Gibson
Bill Hudson Transport Books
Brassmasters
C&L Finescale
CM3Models
EBMA Hobby & Craft
EMGS Stores
High Level Kits
Hobby Holidays
London Road Models
Model Railway Developments
Nick Tozer Railway Books
Pre-Grouping Railways
Stoneybridge Structures

Demonstrations:
John Brighton - RTR loco conversion to EM or P4
Richard Brighton - Simplifying Layout Wiring
Karl Crowther – Signalling for the Kentside branch
Tony Gee - EM the Manchester Way (featuring some of Sid Stubbs’ Rolling Stock).
Vernon Harrod - Kit and Scratch-Built Coaches and Other Rolling Stock
Pete Hill - RTR Loco Conversions and Loco Scratchbuilding
John James - Split-axle and split-frame loco chassis construction
Tony Sullivan - Trackbuilding
Pete Sutherland - Great Western Coach Building

Special Interest / Line Societies:
Cumbrian Railway Association
Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Society
North Eastern Railway Association
Great Central Railway Society
Great Northern Railway Society
Signalling Record Society

N.B. All exhibits subject to final confirmation

Getting there:
Public Transport
If coming from Central Wakefield take service 106 Wakefield - Hall Green from Wakefield Bus Station Stand 11. Services run half hourly departing at xx.25 and xx.55 hours. Alight at the High School. Return journeys depart at xx.11 and xx.41 hours.

There is also an hourly service by the 107 Wakefield – Kettlethorpe from Wakefield Bus Station Stand 17. Departures are at xx.50 hrs during the day. The buses stop within fifty yards of the school in Standbridge Road. Departures in the return direction are at twenty minutes past the hour.

The nearest railway station is Sandal & Agbrigg (Northern Rail) followed by a short walk to Barnsley Road, then take the bus service 106 to Kettlethorpe High School. Failing that it’s about a 30 minute walk to the school.

It would be wise to check with both Arriva for the buses and Northern Rail for the trains, as weekends often means route maintenance work resulting in reduced or diverted services.

Travel by car
Satnav: WF2 7EL. The venue is with easy reach of the M1 (Junction 39). Follow the A636 towards Wakefield for about ¾ of a mile then turn right into Asdale Road, A6186. At the roundabout by the entrance to Asda’s carpark turn right into Standbridge Road.

From Wakefield follow the A636 signposted to the M1 and on reaching the A6186 turn left and follow the directions above.

Hopefully, there will be adequate parking on the sports centre site, which is on the right hand side of, opposite the school. Cross Standbridge Lane by means of the traffic light controlled crossing and enter the school through the pedestrian gate. The entrance to expoEM will be on your left. If parking here is not available, just a few yards further along Standbridge Lane turn left into Kettlethorpe Hall Drive and you will have reached the school entrance on the left. The entrance to expoEM is on your left as you go along the drive.

There is also on-street parking locally, but we would ask that you respect driveways to private houses if parking there.

Disabled Access should not pose problems as there are no stairs to negotiate. Assistance, if required, is available upon request at the entrance to expoEM.

Contact:
Email: exponorth@emgs.org
Website: www.emgs.org

Looking forward to it. Good venue, and glad it seems to be the default option for the north/summer/autumn show.

Two weekends away, and we're pleased to announce an additional trader to expoEM Summer 2022, Pre-Grouping Railways.

Post #1 has been duly amended.

Looking forward to my first 4mm show. I should have about 15 diffent wagon kits along with our flippem couplings.
Marc
Pre-Grouping Railways

I’m looking forward to taking Llanastr to its first post-pandemic exhibition too.

It's about time we started previewing the layouts that are attending expo Summer. To start with is the guest layout, Mick Simpson's 'Cameo Callaton' in 2FS.

Don't forget to visit the ever popular Members Sales!

Looking forward to returning to what pre-pandemic was one of the best shows on the calendar.

I've got a bit behind with the preview posts.
Today's photos are of Martin Nield's L&YR P4 layout 'Eccleston'. The L&Y Railway Society will also be appearing, located next to Martin's layout.

Bawdsey (EM gauge) was built by the late Chris Matthewman in 1998/99 and exhibited between 2000 and 2007 under the name of Strove. It portrayed an imaginary terminus in the 1930's in L.N.E.R. days. Now, after a couple of changes of ownership, it is exhibited by Alan Rollins and Chris Wright, and the geography now pins its location to Suffolk in the steam/diesel transition era late1950s East Anglia.

Crioch (EM) depicts the Highland Railway loco shed at Tain. The period represented is circa 1920.

Here's Dai Davies's 'Culm', also EM.

In a week's time expoEM Summer should be in full swing, for today, we have David Burnett's EM layout depicting operations in the Gloucester area.

Rod Hall and members of Newport MRS are exhibiting 'Llanastr', in S4. This 'micro' Brecon & Merthyr layout was featured in MRJ issue number 4 in 1985.

Andy Cooper's 'North Ballachulish' today, featuring his much modified NBR Class 21 and Mike Raithby's superlative backscene.



Photographs courtesy of Karl Crowther / Railway Modeller.

Unfortunately we haven't received any photos of the Chairman's Cup entrant 'Swannish', so 'The Depots - Rosedale East' built by Paul Gallon is our final preview layout.

In case anyone is wondering about the catering arrangements, this is the sorry saga. We had the Crocodile Sisters booked but they then withdrew citing staffing issues (who in catering hasn't got them at the moment?). I rang around numerous caterers in the Wakefield area and many told a similar story. In the end we've booked 'Hidden Gem' to do the exhibitors' catering but we haven't got anyone to provide meals for the public unfortunately. We very much regret this.

We can offer a limited drinks service of teas, coffees and orange squash, on the back of the exhibitors' refreshments. I realise we'll come in for some criticism on here. and elsewhere, but we've had to make the best of a bad job. I further realise that we'll get complaints from visitors. Exhibitors can't leave the premises while the show is on. Members of the public are free to come and go (and re-enter) as they wish. There are a number of catering establishments nearby and the large Asda superstore has a cafe and does 'meal deals'. The free Exhibition Guide contains details of these establishments.

Of course, you are also free to bring your own lunch.

Set up and ready to go. In colour too!

Happy to share a celebratory snifter with the Llanastr crew- they had just won the Chairman’s cup.

What a lovely exhibition this turned out to be. Excellent brand new buildings on an easy-to-find site and a wonderful collection of high quality layouts complemented by a wide variety of trade/Society stands. It confirmed my view that EMGS exhibitions are excellent. High quality fine scale modelling in a welcoming atmosphere devoid of any pretension. Long may it continue.