Warley, grrr and other things

I went to the Warley MRC show at the NEC in Birmingham this last weekend to work on the F&WHR stand, it is a publicity thing but we sell a pile of Christmas cards and so on. This year we also had the new Minitrains Bagnalls in case anyone wanted one... several people did want one.

A pair of Bagnalls sitting on  Topsy

Curry

One of the best things, if not the best thing about gong to Birmingham for a couple of nights is the proximity to marvellous Indian resteraunts. We took full advantage of this and spent two delightful evenings in the Polash in Coleshill which I would heartily recommend... mmm...

Anyway, apart from the fantastic curry it was delightful to see the Heljan L&B locos in virtually finished form. The news seems to be that they will be ready and will arrive with us in February. 

Here I am holding one, sadly I had to give it back.

There were three on the Heljan stand and PECO had one on display too. Having had one in my grubby little mitts I can confirm that they have a decent weight to them and look brilliant. I had previously convinced myself that a Southern one was what I needed to go with my PECO SR coaches but now, having seen the L&B livery too I can't decide.

 

The lighting wasn't terribly good on the Heljan stand so the colour is a bit odd, the orange glow from the NEC lighting makes everything brown.

I tried to keep my wallet unopened but failed in this ambition, I came home with three rather nice little wagons, a coach and some bits and bobs which will partly be used to modify my new Bagnall.

The coach and wagons

I now have a small rake of these coaches, not sure why as they don't really go with anything else I have but I like them.

The wagons with Sphinx

 

Yesterday I got some time to work on the new layout and to add some more of the scenery, another Warley purchase was a sheet of 3D printed brickwork which I have used as the platform surface, it was mainly bought to use as pavement outside the Post Office etc. on Underhill Town.

I think this might turn out to be quite a fun little layout and I have already spent more than a few happy minutes watching a train wander round and round.