ASRM Mini Exhibition July 2nd 2025.
Our two yearly exhibition took place as usual in the Memorial Hall at Bayston Hill, in the main, larger room on 2nd July.
I’d volunteered to help set up and for some reason got there much to early – time to have a walk around the village, have a snack from the local shop and look for the non existent antique shop that’s shown on Google Maps.
On return to the hall, I was met by Sam Ryan and together we set about getting out tables and chairs for the (to us) unknown number of exhibits.
We both then set our stalls out, detailed later, but Sam also produced his now customary spread of scrumptious food – my favourite being the ginger cake.
Soon after members started arriving and asking where we wanted them to go – time to think on our toes and make the decisions! It wasn’t long until every one was there and ready for the show to open.
Almost 40 people attended during the evening, some cracking responses saying how much every one enjoyed it.
For those unable to attend, or those like me, who have already forgotten, I’ll walk you round the show as a visitor, describing what I saw.
1. Starting on the left of the door and walking clockwise, first was Chris Cox’s Coventry 1839. An unusual but excellent model in EM showing the extraordinary revolution in public transport from the stagecoach to the railway at that time. Totally scratch built, it’s not complete, but fingers crossed it will be at our next show.
2. Next was Mike Davies layout under construction, presenting the entrance to Newbridge on Wye Station. You can see already that this is going to be great model, just by looking at the attention to detail in the track and construction. I look forward to seeing it grow.
3. We have been lucky enough at previous meetings to see the construction of Vernon Larcombe’s amazing model of Dawley and Stirchley Station in 2mm scale. Incredibly, he tells us this is just a model to make sure he can build it better. Most of us would be more than happy to achieve this level as a finished item.
4. On the stage, we found Nick Coppin’s O and EM gauge test track. He actually had a couple of models on the track but I failed to note the classes.
5. Paul Bowen was next, with is display of Lynton and Barnstaple stock in its SR era. Modelled in 16mm / SM32 scale he showed off two gas fired, radio controlled Accucraft model locos – Lew and Lyn. I also like the model brick wagon load! Paul informed me, these usually run on his garden layout.
6. Phil Scoggins was next with a display, close to my own heart, of Shropshire and Montgomery wagons. A real assortment of origins, much like the prototype, these wagons range from fully scratch built to modified kit wagons and all the stages in between. The outside framed vans particularly appealed to me, as my Grandparents lived in the Station Masters Bungalow at Ford and Crossgates, an S and M station, and there were a number of them still there in my childhood.
7. My own N gauge layout, Fillerton Halt was next. I built this layout in around 1981, to fit in the back of an Escort Estate. It’s a rabbit run layout, defying most modelling rules, with super tight radius curves, steep inclines and limited clearances all over the place – but it
works. I was exhibited back in the 80s and 90s and has stood on its end in my railway rooms for around 30 years. I ran it using UK based stock, also mainly from the same era. As an aside, due to posting our event on Facebook, the layout was invited to another show the day after, where I ran European stock.
8. I sneaked in what was probably my smallest ever trade stall, as every exhibition, however small has to have one!
9. It appears we all have fully working trains at the moment. Chris Rowaltt brought his train surgery along, including test tracks in OO and N. He offered to repair both analogue or DCC locos but the take up was minimal.
10. Along the end wall we had Dave Gotliffe’s under construction, model of Llangollen Station. It’s based on the late BR steam era, but with a few later alterations. All the buildings are hand made – I think its going to be a great layout once complete and I’m intending to invite it to an exhibition I organise.
11. Next we had another test track – with a difference. Dave York brough his N, EM and OO set up, that included both 2 and 3 rail options and a cracking display of West Midlands based coal wagons. I noted wagons based on those made by Kirk, Parkside, Trix, Slaters and Cambrian. I hoped for a Cannock and Rugeley Brake van but it was not to be.
12. Round the corner to the last wall, we found Eric Challoner with a cracking cameo of a Great Northern Railways Ireland 1915 U Class Beyer Peacock locomotive. An etch brass kits, magnificently built, in 4mm scale, with 21mm gauge track, correctly scaling up to 5’3” of the Irish Railway. Note the attention to detail in the modelling – items like the post box by the loco shed.
13. Sam Ryan was next, with, as he put it, an excuse to play trains. Modelled in OO9, a simple loop with scenery, designed and built with his nephews help, it is also an excuse to show off the locos he’s been busy painting.
14. Sam then had the most important stall – cakes and drinks. We really are lucky to have these scrummy nibbles at our meetings.
15. In very minimal space, Froggy Bottom 2 was next. Built by Mike Wakefield, it’s OO9 narrow gauge, using DCC control and was intended as a Winter Play Trainset. Something I think many of us intend to get round too!
16. Last came Graham Betts N Gauge LMS / GWR junction layout. Another layout under construction, which shows that we do build layouts in our group. It utilises Grange and Hodder baseboards and Scalescene buildings with a bit of plasticard, although there is no station. The layout is user operated, so much so that it took me a while to find out who it belonged to!
I think everyone will agree, we had a great little show, thanks to everyone who exhibited and also to those who came along to make it worthwhile displaying them.
Dave Angell
