Two Bridges at Canterbury Model Railway Exhibition 18 Jan 2025

[@KellinoRail]

Lovely to see someone still happy to use Lima locos and rolling stock. I also like the way they have blended the European HO gauge rolling stock in by forming it into one train and using an open load to make it harder to see the height difference between the 00 gauge loco and the H0 stock.

[@railwaymechanicalengineer4587]

OVERPRICED BRITISH STONE AGE MODELS ? Do wish the "Brits" would get rid of those dumb toy train set couplings which prevent proper realistic close coupling. The models I use (Japanese outline) all come with built in "Flexi coupling" and real life functioning couplings, so the corridor connections can almost touch (1mm gap MAX). And then expand going through sharp curves proportionately with the sharpness of the curve. Indeed Japanese outline "N" Gauge is better detailed than British "OO", and has all sorts of technology built in, still totally unknown in Britain it seems. Such as illuminated Rotating Destination Blinds, 5 Pole Skew armature, double flywheel drive mechanisms (with real life smooth inertia control). Scale working real life couplings with auto uncouple control. Traction tyres guaranteeing massive power even on 1 in 50 gradients. Even "Clip Out Quick Clean" motor bogies. And a Japanese "N" Gauge Tr-Bo Electric loco with all those facilities and more still only costs around £50. And in virtually British "OO" scale (Japanese 1:80) around £110 ! As there are more Railway Modellers in Japan than the whole of the rest of the World 3.4 times over. This keeps the prices down, and ensures technologies, not found anywhere else on the planet !!!

[@andyhoward1001]

I take your point. But the beauty of this layout is the use of a lot of models that were made around the same time the layout is set. I had 4 Lima class 33s in the 1980s. Not only is it nostalgia for the real thing but also playing trains at home. This layout shows that 40 year old tooled models can still stand on their own merit compared to modern hyper detailed (and eye wateringly expensive) versions with a bit of detailing and careful painting.

[@railwaymechanicalengineer4587]

@@andyhoward1001 Many of those Models were not available in the 1970-80's ! In those days Hornby simply churned out junk toys, not Models. Since the late 1980's you can thank Sandakan Hong Kong, and since the late 1990's PIKO (ex East German company with a new plant in Canton China) for Hornby's current locomotive Range. Roco (Austria) for Hornby's absurd Code 100 track, (which Roco would never use themselves) and it seems also Roco (Vietnam plant) for some of the other accessories ! So I'm fully aware of who makes what all across the Planet. As I also used to be a European Major Importer, Wholesaler & Retailer of all the Japanese main ranges ! There's nothing wrong with your exhibition layout. If I had to be really "nit picky" I'd say minimum radii on your layout is too low, so will cause one or two minor operational issues. What I'm pointing out is simply that the best current "British Outline" from any manufacturer is effectively a "Dumbed Down" version of what's available in other markets. So Japanese Outline "N" Gauge ranges 30years ago, had technologies included in their models then, that the British are still totally unaware of. Such as "Illuminated rotating destination blinds; High grade 5 pole skew armature motors, with double flywheel drives; "Clip Out Quick Clean" motor bogies; Real life scale working couplings (Buckeye & Scharfenburg); Interior Seating that changed with the direction of the train as per real Japanese trains. And on steam locos, proper "Reversing Valve gear". To name just a few ! And their models usually retail at between 25 & 40% of current British prices ! The Model Railway Market size in Japan, as I had to explain to the Directors of Marklin 20 years ago. Is bigger than the whole of the rest of the World put together, 3.4 times over. Indeed TOMIX the Worlds biggest producer (a subsiduary of TOMY TEC), has an annual turnover in BILLIONS of US$ Dollars. Something that flabbergasted the Marklin Directors at their annual Model & Hobby Tradefair in Nurnberg at that time. (The Marklin family run that tradefair annually which is the Worlds Biggest with over 13,000 Manufacturers present). Indeed I used to gleefully take a handful of ignorant British Model shop owners to that show, annually, to wake them up to the fact they were all playing "Island Monkey" !

[@davidsnapebrcrosslane8782]

​@@andyhoward1001, well said , nice layout and LIMA 33s