Modern Image O Gauge 2024 (MIOG) - Crewe Heritage Centre - Saturday 23rd March

Late March and I'm going back to Crewe for the MIOG group exhibition, held at the Crewe Heritage Centre. But, how could I refuse, after last years great layouts? So, an early start from West Wiltshire gets me to Crewe just as the show opens. I used the complimentary bus service this year, due to the intermittent rubbish weather. More great work from the organisers, before you even get to the venue - selling tickets on the bus - nice work and I'm straight through the gate! Locomotive Services Ltd have supplied a couple of visiting 1:1 scale class 20' as well as the centres own residents - but I will get to them later. The show has another great selection of layouts, covering many different eras and subjects within diesel and electric modelling, and manufacturers and traders. All layouts are 7mm O scale, so we can do away with that caption for each one. Layouts are as follows: Netherwood Sidings - a layout based upon aspects of the electrified Woodhead route, shortly before closure. Some of the railway structures are copies of real ones, from the area around Rotherwood and Orgreave. Norman Colliery - For some of us over a certain age, you cant read this without a smile coming over your face. A brilliantly thought out internal colliery system, featuring internal industrial traction and BR blue traction side by side. Hillport Goods - a small, urban, goods yard, typical of the type that used to be found in many railway connected conurbations. Set in North Staffordshire during the late 1970's, the yard handles coal, fuel oil and general goods. Passing steel and cement traffic can also be seen. Glasshouse Loan - Set in the early / mid 1980's, this simple yard exists to deal with traffic to a bonded warehouse and brewery. Again, passing traffic can be seen - in this case, military traffic. Oh yes - and its set in Scotland. Love Lane - there had to be one! A diesel stabling point, set in the Western region. Sometimes it features 1970's diesel hydraulics, other times, later, diesel electrics. Lots of dcc sound and well observed weathering sets this depot layout apart. Ballan Road - its the late 1950's and we're on the Cumbrian coast of North West England. Through traffic features, as well as local chemical traffic. A small yard and loco servicing facility add to the layouts operational interest. Newcroft - Its the mid 1990's and its a time of transition in the North West of England. New generation DMU's and recent type 5 diesel traction feature alongside diesels from a much earlier period. Local passenger trains mix it with freight workings on this end to end layout. Wheal Demelza - How much simpler can a layout be? 2 points and you can still shunt freight traffic and run a branchline passenger service. A Regional Railways Class 122 handles this currently, but it must only be a matter of time before a Class 153 appears. What freight is going to feature on a Cornish branch? - why, china clay of course. Another great O gauge micro from Stan - finally, a BR based one to go with all the European examples. My apologies to the exhibitors of Lowery Lane WRD - I got so engrossed operating Wheal Demelza, I didnt get back to take any footage of your ultra-modern subject. I hope you enjoy this film. I certainly enjoyed making it and attending the show - the 250+ mile round trip was well worth it - even if I didnt come home with the suitcase full of rolling stock that I wanted to buy. best wishes, Iain