Lynton & Barnstaple World - UPDATED

LYNTON & BARNSTAPLE WORLD

NEC Birmingham 24th & 25th November 2012.

 WOW - what a great weekend - just a quick update to say that this was a very successful weekend for the L&B.  Our thanks to all those who made it possible and especially to the Warley Organisers for their support. More details to follow.

The National Model Railway Exhibition is the largest in the UK, and has been organised for many years by the Warley Model Railway Club and typically attracts more than 18,000 visitors.

For the first time, the organisers have permitted a themed area dedicated to one railway.  Lynton & Barnstaple World - a show-within-a-show - will not only offered a window into the modelling potential of the line but also encouraged even greater interest in our current activities at Woody Bay, and our plans to extend the line. 

As can be read elsewhere on this website, the L&B project is gaining significant pace right now and consequently further support is needed  as more land is being purchased enabling the project to move forward towards our eventual goal.

Senior L&B Trust and Company officers were there, together with the Exmoor Enterprise displays/plans for the L&B's extension.  As well as a small selection of L&B merchandise, there were displays from the 762 Club, the Heritage Coaches Project and Accucraft with their superb range of 16mm L&B coaches. At the show, Peco also announced an exciting new range of 009 L&B models.

A regular feature of the Warley Show is a full-sized locomotive, and this year's show included the Ffestiniog Railway's new-build Lynton & Barnstaple engine Lyd on display in full Southern splendour.

There was also a display case provided by Accucraft featuring exhibition-quality L&B models.

The L&B-related models and layouts were as follows:

This is probably the one and only time that all these layouts could be seen together.  Two of them are featured in the December Railway Modeller and Tony Peart has kindly donated his cheque from Railway Modeller for the Killington Lane article to the All Aboard Fund.  The first time a  model of a proposed railway structure has raised funds for the real thing, perhaps?
 

Van 23 Imported from America!

Mike Bayly - sent over one of his treasures - a model of Van 23 -  for display in the showcase.  Built in 1969 using the Ray Tustin drawings in the Model Railway Constructor Aug 1955, those from Skinley and all the photos Mike could find. As it is 8mm gauge, Mike also made the 8mm track gauges and the PCB track. 

Apart from the K’s bogie side frames and chopper couplings the model is all scratch built with Plasticard. The bogies have brass pin-point bearings, which compared with modern practices are not particularly free running.  Unsurprisingly, it won the Cambridge MRS “Best Model” in both 1970 and 1971.

Really special to have had something L&B on show from across the “Big Pond”

Mike resides near Kansas City, USA and is an ex-pat Brit and in a very generous gesture has now donated his model to the L&B Trust for display in support of its aims. He adds - I love the Railway, and the models of it started me on a lifetime of Narrow Gauge.

Many thanks Mike for not only sending this over but for gifting it to the L&B Trust..

Our thanks to Manager Paul Benson of the Burford House Garden Store (Worcestershire) for providing us with garden furniture, benches, chairs, tables, floral planters etc.  

Lynton & Barnstaple World was organised by a team of L&B supporters, headed by John de Frayssinet who, as well as co-ordinating the show, also provided three of the layouts.

Our thanks also to Tony Spencer for liaising with the Warley organisers and for making a significant contribution to the show as well as to the Trust's coffers.