ExpoNG 2017: Creech Grange and 006.5

Last weekend saw the now annual pilgramage south to ExpoNG in Swanley, Kent...

This year I shared the trip with good friend and excellent modeller Charlie Insley - we travelled down with both our layouts in his aging Astra which didn't miss a beat, and was comfortable enough for such a long journey.

I set up the layout on Friday night - taking all of twenty minutes to establish the display. The three sketches I printed out showed the concepts, and described what 006.5 was to the casual bistander. The layout was displayed on top of it's storage box and I used the lights from Creech Bottom, finished off with a black sheet over the desk. I was next to Narrow Planet which was proved useful as I could answer any queries as people were buying my kits...

Before we finished setting up Empire made a successful trip around the layout to confirm all was well... and then back to the saloubrious Campagnile hotel in Dartford for a few beers and a chat with some other fellow exhibitors and show-goers before bed...

Contrast this with the photo of Tim and I at ExpoNG last year where we both look miserable in his old Nissan Micra! Probably more likely hung over - no problem this year!

The layout performed pretty much faultlessly through the show, and despite the limited nature of operation I never tired of setting off a loco and stock around the loop in either direction. What is more the public were very complementary, so many lovely comments and some great conversations. People were standing and admiring the layout for 10-20 minutes, chatting away, and enjoying watching the locomotives make their way around (and around) at a gentle sedate pace.

The Avonside gained a lot of admiration and I'm pushing on with ordering the production batch of parts to allow me to release this to the public...

...it should be available through Narrow Planet before Christmas.

At the end of the day my Heywood engine took a trip to Llantrevelyn behind Bedgellert. Thanks to Adam and Tom for a little bit of fun and a chance to take some photos of my engine on a larger layout!.

All in all a great show - lots of kits sold, lots of lovely feedback, great to see some old friendly faces and catch up - and awesome to make some more friends too... thanks to everyone who stopped by to chat - I hope my modelling and blog are as inspiring and interesting and people who spoke to me about them encouraged - more soon...