British Motor Museum,Gaydon
Saturday June 7th 2025
Report and pictures by Bob Leggett
The British Motor Museum was as usual a perfect venue for the joint TCS, B-L and Trix Society Vintage Toy and Model Railway Show.
As we enter we are welcomed by Paul and Shirley Williams, seen here with David O'Brien (Fig 1) who manned the entrance all day, and opened the show to early birds at 9.30am and the general Public at 10.30am. Paul also set up a very neat 4' long Trix Express Layout with Faller Buildings (Fig 2).
Alongside, the Museum had set up a tea and cakes stall specifically for the show and 'Martha's Snack Bar' did exceptional trade and she was highly praised for her speedy and reliable service.
The Trix Society took over most of the Foyer, Trix members including Penny Drayson manned a Publicity and spares stand, seen here with two customers (Fig 3). Steve Foxon and his son Herbie had a pre-war 15' x 4' Bakelite track layout. I particularly liked the contemporary overhead station made in the Trix style (Fig 4). Opposite Martin Kilford with help from Robin and Paul Stanton and Samuel Gregory was operating his excellent 1960's Trix 2-Rail layout much admired by visitors (Fig 5). The Many-Ways station looked excellent in the centre of the layout. The BR green and blue/grey Trans-Pennine units were working hard as I was passing.
As we move into the main hall, a large round table was set up for visitors to sit and chat with a cup of tea/coffee, later in the day I caught Jane Reeves and Janine Elton having a natter (Fig 6).
Next was the Chiltern group's Hornby-Dublo and Neverwazzas 'Queens Park' 2-Rail layout (Fig 7) operated by Derek Smith, Dave McRobb, Dave Jarvis and others. I was very impressed with Derek's Dublo style Beyer Garrett's in BR black and LMS maroon (Fig 8). Derek has now made almost 200 of these models.
Alongside Dave Coddington with his wife Elspeth and set up a large display of 00 Gauge Trains under the banner 'Trains of Yesterday' and was full of nostalgia. It was in three sections each with a running track, the first was mainly Airfix (Fig 9), in the middle was mainly Kitmaster (Fig 10) and the third was all sorts (Fig 11), including Tri-ang Miniville, Trix, Hornby-Dublo, Brimtoy, Mettoy, and kits and parts from Anorma, Modelcraft, Merit and Zenith and a collection of early Oil Bottles (Fig 12). Hornby-Dublo and Tri-ang Trains were running on the three circuits around the displays all day.
In the corner was TCS Chairman Bryan Pentland's with his colourful lesser 0 Gauge manufacturers layout including Mettoy, Chad Valley and Brimtoy with a high level circuit (Fig 13), As usual Bryan had some interesting modifications including a Tri-ang Minic Rail Ambulance (Fig 14) and various windmills (Fig 15).
However, my eye caught a lovely Old Timer set (Fig 16), This was a late Bub model built for Flare of New York. The remit was to build an old style Loco and Train, however, they ignored the fact it was was for the US market and made a copy of a Dutch 'De Arend' Train of 1839. One coach had passengers formally dressed (Fig 17), however, in the second coach, the passengers were definateley from the Wild West (Fig 18).
Next to Bryan was Paul and Adam Draycott with a large 0 and Standard Gauge Lionel layout featuring an impressive collection of large Locomotives and Tenders including Duplexes and a Mallett (Fig 19) and a Commodor Vanderbilt (Fig 20). I did however, like the two sided card double Tunnel with a City scene on one side, seen behind the Vanderbuilt with the Rockies on the other side!
James Day with help from Callum and his mother Karen who are members of the 3 Counties Garden Railway Group had a wonderful Playmobil G scale Wild West layout (Fig 21) with Carrera 1/24 Motor system with a Knight Rider car (Fig 22) and Delorean as featured in 'Back to the Future' running round and stopping for the Trains at the two road rail crossings. Together with the public able to stop the trains this was a very popular layout.
The far corner had a very impressive Hornby O Gauge SR themed layout. Operated by Howard Starr-Keddle and fellow members of the HRCA Mortimer group, it had some wonderful scenes including a Peek Freans Castle (Fig 23), Britains Floral Gardens and Farm (Fig 24), Dinky Toys Construction Site, Garages (Fig 25) and Fire Station (Fig 26), with three running tracks, this was a must see layout for all the detail as well as the trains!
Along the back wall, Paul Chapman had his interesting collection of Lima 0 Gauge (Fig 27) which included almost every item produced by Lima, including the ten years after the UK outline had finished, a special order set featuring a pair of Network SouthEast Coaches and a Class 33 Diesel in grey Railfreight livery instead of NSE livery! (Fig 27a)
Next was Neil Smith with his excellent colourful 1950's Tri-ang 00 Gauge Standard Track Transcontinental Layout. Neil had a superb range of stock running including a 4-Budd Railcar Train (Fig 28), Scenery included many of the Tri-ang Minic 00 Gauge Push 'n' Go models and the Countryside series rubber buildings (Fig 28a). Three trains were running at all times. Many wagons had unusual Tri-ang loads .
On the nearside wall in one of the two alcoves, former HRCA Chairman David Embling and his wife Monica were promoting the HRCA and had an original Hornby-Dublo Shop Display layout (Fig 29) with a laminated page from the dealer's catalogue advertising the layout (Fig 30).
In the next alcove Derek Bond seen here with Dave Coddington (Fig 31), was selling his 3D parts made by himslf, on display were many of the parts now made for the Tri-ang Davy Crockett and clockwork 0-4-0 Wild West Locomotive (Fig 32).
In the centre of the hall were the majority of Traders, most reported very good sales. Dave White had a collection of Tri-ang, Tri-ang-Hornby and early Hornby Train Sets including a RS101A TC Mail set which sold for £85, Dixon Upcott had a pair of late Hornby-Dublo 2-Rail starter sets (Fig 33). Bob Leggett sold a Dublo pre-war Gresley in need of some tlc for £100 and same price for a quantity of Dublo clockwork track, a lovely Train Eclair French clockwork Steamline set produced by Charles Rosignol was for sale on Simon Goodyear's table (Fig 34)
As we move into the Gallery where the final layouts and traders were, Stuart Rose and David Viewing had a lovely display of Gauge 1 and 2 models. What caught my attention was a superb early Exley Metropolitan maroon 4-4-2T (Fig 35) and an LMS Horse Box by Milbro (Fig 36).
Along the left wall Mike Green and seven members from the Bassett-Lowke Society set up their excellent 0 Gauge Layout, I was impressed with a B/L style Factory (Fig 37), whilst I was there a Britannia Class 70004 William Shakespeake' was being set up for a run. (Fig 38), Mike informs me these were built by Vic Hunt in the late 50's for 90 Guineas and are now worth £4-5000 today,
Chris Sanderson and fellow members were amongst the traders (Fig 39), promoting the 78 Derngate Society, the house where Bassett-Lowke lived and had just published a new book 'Bassett-Lowke Shops and Factories' (Fig 40). Mike Delaney was selling excellent Hornby O Gauge (Fig 41) and Richard Taylor had a collection of live steam models on his sales table (Fig 42),
Steve Knight and Marcus Archer were showing the Airfix Dr X system that was only produced for one year, seen here with exhibition roamer David 0'Brien! (Fig 43). Also on display was the Airfix Wild West set.
Alongside David Rhodes suitably attired was displaying his James Bond themed layout (Fig 44) featuring 00 Gauge Trains and Minic Motorway as well as the Airfix Bristol Freighter with Minic Motorway track going in the open nose (Fig 45).
The attendance was on par with last year with around 230 visitors. The main hall was very busy mid morning (Fig 46). A big thank you to Bryan Pentland who co-ordinated the show with help from Paul Chapman, Paul Williams and Dave White from the TCS, David O'Brien from the Trix Society and Mike Green from the Bassett-Lowke Society.
A huge thank you to all the exhibitors and traders and thanks to all who made the effort to come. We were delighted to see Jools Holland pop into the show (picture with Bryan?)
It is hoped to have another show next year and information will be out as soon as possible.
