Page 10 - September October 2014

My Alton Ltd
For those who have not attended the Alton Ltd model railroad show, I should explain. It is a small, friendly show put on by mostly non-NMRA members. It is similar to our Benson meet, but smaller, presented by the Guild of Fanatical American Railroaders (G.O.F.A.R.S.) at the village hall in Four Marks, just off the A31 between Alton and Petersfield. All profits go to Hampshire Air Ambulance.
My preparation for the event started early the preceding week. All models set aside for people to inspect, select or collect are put in plastic crates. They will be the last items to load into the car on the day. Eight crates of brass were carried down two flights of stairs, loaded into my car and taken to secure storage on Tuesday.
The following day, six more crates of brass and one of “other essentials” were deposited in storage, along with my sack barrow. On Thursday I collected some items that were being transported to the show and picked up models for delivery at the show. These included models that had been receiving attention from mechanical wizard and painter, Martin Boyask! Friday I collected more brass, listed it, priced it and loaded it in four more crates. These would be loaded first on Saturday morning along with the residue of models from the packing process.
With the necessary checks carried out on the car, extra air in the tyres and filled with fuel, I did not need to set the alarm so early – 5 o’clock was ample!
Loading the car only takes about 40 minutes and the journey to Four Marks about 80. Of course the earlier you set out, the shorter the trip, so I arrived about 20 minutes before the man with the keys!
Setting up took about an hour and a quarter, then I had time for the first cup of tea and a wander round. The array of food was very tempting, but I managed to resist until just before the doors opened, when I succumbed to a slice of coffee and walnut cake and another cup of tea.
During my walk round I found Brian and Pat in the room by the door – the whole room. A good selection of books plus a huge display of model railroad equipment including structures and those elusive “parts”.
Plus Daughters, N scale specialists, were in the main hall, as was John of Railroad Trading with new books. SVS Film, John is a
Richard Maxwell
producer of DVDs and CDs and he can transfer your old 8 mm cine film to CD so you can see them again without the need for a mechanical projector and screen.
It was good to see the NMRA British Region stand the Slim Gauge Circle also represented.
Organiser David Cole had gathered an interesting selection of layouts with, in my opinion, the best in show being Neil Lancaster’s gorgeous Saw Pit Creek HOn3. The scenery and structures looked “right” and like they belong in the scene, and of course the Blackstone locos and rolling stock run so well. The N scale Copperhead Crossing, Civil War era was interestingly different and managed to avoid the trap, seen too frequently, of a typical British layout with American rolling stock.
O scale is always a challenge in a small layout – it more or less has to be a switching puzzle. Rock Ridge fits this category, and I have seen less convincing larger layouts in this scale.
The HO layout Warehouse District is a first attempt in American by Tony Bettger and as such is to be commended. I’m sure that when the time comes he will make numerous changes on Mk 2. I have seen Giles Barnabe’s work before and agree he is a good modeller, but my personal feeling is that On30 is too big a compromise. I know this format is very popular, with several manufacturers jumping on this niche bandwagon, but isn’t the Caribbean stretching North American a bit far?
Surprise County is the sort of layout that goes down well with the Sunday visitors to model railway shows, grandparents, mums and small children, but is perhaps too big a compromise to entertain knowledgeable enthusiasts.
In addition there were a number of Bring & Buy tables, though fewer than previously, but at least none of the large gaps/empty tables seen elsewhere.
Packing up started by 4 o’clock as there were few visitors by then. I was one of the last out – it takes me about an hour. I went home via East Tisted down to the A272 as I was meeting a friend for a meal. Having dumped everything in the secure storage as I could not face lugging anything up two flights of stairs, I finally got home at 10.20 pm. A long day, but a friendly and enjoyable one.
Don’t miss next year’s show, Saturday 18 July 2015.
Above left: Big Boy trundles through on Surprise County, a layout from the Gosport group
Above right: Rio Grande narrow gauge loco at rest on the Sawpit Creek HOn3 layout by Neil Lancaster
Ron Gager photos from the Alton Ltd meet at Four Marks
10 ROUNDHOUSE