The much anticipated Annual Modelling Competition took place today with more than twenty entries over all four categories. After placing the entries on the relevant table for each category (a task more difficult than you might imagine) the Secretary handed out the voting slips and we got down to the serious business of considering the merits of each
entry.
There was a lot of head scratching and mumbling before all the slips were finally completed and handed back to the Secretary. As the air of expectation and suspense increased David Gr counted the votes cast before announcing the results, fortunately without the ten second delay so beloved of some TV shows.
The first category to be announced was the locomotive category where David Gr’s SD&JR 7F 2-8-0 came first pushing his own GWR Collet 0-6-0 Goods into second place. David explained that the first was a David Andrews kit and the second a Finney kit and talked about some of the challenges of each.
In the coaching stock category Dave B’s four wheel coach that he had picked up as a bag of bits at a recent show and finished off, painting it in Southern Railway livery, won first place with John B’s Brake 3rd coming in second place. Dave’s coach was a Connoisseur kit of a Sunderland Railway Brake 2nd with the very effective Connoisseur printed
cardboard interior.
From the numerous entries in the freight category Roger’s delightful Serkits SECR Brake Van came first with my Serkits SECR Goods van some way behind in second place.
Strangely the SECR was very heavily represented in the category this year, I don’t know why.
Ross had a very nice tarpaulin covered wagon in this category and described the method he had used in fitting and painting the tarpaulin.
The scenic category was last and here Paul’s magnificent GWR Coaling Stage won pushing Tim’s dockside building for Queen Charlotte Dock into second place. Paul’s coaling stage is a Timberlands kit in laser cut wood (now no longer available) and will form part of a diorama to appear at our next Open Day.
As so many people now have RTR stock that they have repainted, weathered, improved or otherwise mucked about with, we are to have an extra category next year to cater for that.
We are looking to see something that has had a serious amount of work carried out to it so straight out of the box won’t do.
David Ho was back with us following eye surgery for cataracts and as usual kept us all provided with teas and coffees. Chris
