Model Railway show success

From the thoughtful touches that brought the lay-outs to life to the fact that every prize in the tombola had a train theme, it was all in the little stuff.

The show featured 16 stands, including exhibits and a demonstration as well as trade displays.

A prime example was the South Pimlico exhibit put together by Colin Whitelock to show his vision of BR Southern Region in South London in 1966/7. It was a slice of grimey urban life crowding around an inner city station, with mods on scooters, double decker bus, union jack mini, pub life, factories, boys playing cricket, back streets and tenement flats.

Nearby but worlds apart was the rural scene of Anderson Lock, created by Robert Woodhouse and Brian Stubbles of Upminster and Bulpham Model Railway Group, based around their vision of the London-Midland railway from 1945-8, before nationalisation. Robert became interested as a child having seen his father - Eric Woodhouse, of Turkey Road - immersed in model-making as a hobby.

Exhibition organiser Paul Howard of Bexhill Railway Model Club

commented: "We have been fairly busy.

"There is a lot of interest although this is one of those things many people don't admit to liking - but it's surprising how many people are interested. There is a suggestion that the computer game is waning a bit and that young people are coming back to this type of hands-on hobby, of which model-making is the main one. I think it is encouraging. Companies like Hornby are doing very well and have been in the last five or six years - their share prices show you how well theyare doing - but up to 2000 it was really in decline. Now manufacturers have turned it round by improving their standards."

There are currently 15 members of BMRC - anyone interested in joining the group which meets every week can contact Paul on 01424 753535.