Thoroughly enjoyed the Portsmouth exhibition!! With just Steve and myself operating for the day, I don't think either of us managed to get a good look at the other exhibits. However, the short time I spent away from Modbury proved that the show was an excellent one with a variety of good quality layouts/scales on offer for the public.
Unfortunately, within the first few minutes of running it was noticed that my Dean Goods had an intermittent short, so we had to deploy John Russell's somewhat out of period Collett Goods for the day, but it is such an excellent and reliable runner that we'd have run it anyway!!
I didn't manage to take many photos of Modbury (and unfortunately none at all of Nigel Ashton's wonderful Drwys-y-Nant), but here are the few I managed :
An overall view of the scenic section before the public were allowed in. Steam Railmotor just departing towards Newton Abbot. Once again, the SRM attracted a lot of interest and favourable comment.
517 tank in charge of a short cattle train departing Modbury.
Prairie (later 45xx) draws a short Plymouth bound pick up goods over the embankment into the station.
A closer view of Prairie and leading wagons of Down Goods train.
Finally, fellow 2mm Association member and friend, Richard Brummitt, provided me with a surprise gift ...
A rather beautiful "Beetle" - a diagram W4 Prize Cattle Wagon. Richard said that he took my artwork for the W1/W5 cattle wagon and amended it. I think that is a gross understatement as the only bits recognisable from my original work are the ends and the drop flap side door!! He has 3D printed the body, and "cobbled together" the running gear from various bits of etch. The result is simply stunning and to say that I am thrilled is an understatement - Thank you Richard!! Unfortunately, because Richard uses 3 link couplings (!!!!) on his stock I wasn't able to run it on the day as it will need a set of DG's fitting.
Thank you for looking.
Ian