South Coast Model Railway Club exhibition 2023 - Saturday 29th July

It seems ages since ive been out to an exhibition, so the South Coast Model Railway Club exhibition 2023 was a welcome fixture in the calendar. Held at the Arnewood School in New Milton, Hampshire, its a show i've been to before, but not for a while.
There was a good selection of layouts, demonstrations and traders, spread around 2 larger halls and a couple of side rooms.
In the gym we see 2 layouts - first up, Connaught Road, a 7mm O gauge, roundy roundy layout. Up and Down Fast and Slow lines allow for 4 trains running round, as well as potential for a few shunting moves to take place. The layout has a Southern bias, but, as you will see, that doesnt stop a few visitors from other regions appearing. The second layout is again Southern based - this time a real location in a real time period. Redbridge Wharf is a 4mm scale OO gauge layout, featuring the junction station and timber wharf just to the west of Southampton. The extensive engineers yard here provides plenty of opportunity for lots of shunting and marshalling of trains.
We now move into the main hall, where the only 4mm scale layout was Wickhambreaux - and that is a OO9 narrow gauge railway subject. Amongst the 2mm N gauge layouts are Newton Mills, a British outline branchline terminus set in the BR transition period.
Ins and Outs is a 2mm N gauge layout with a very imaginative track layout. One line negotiates a figure of eight, whilst the other winds it way in and out, and around the outside. Some nice little cameos feature too.
Elmbridge is a very compact, modern image diesel depot, with a high level passenger branch terminus, cutting across the layout. Locomotives from many different companies can be seen on the servicing facility.
St Julians is a compact, 2mm scale N gauge, roundy roundy layout. This little layout makes great use of Metcalfe Models building kits and contains a lot of detail in a very small space.
Sarah's Falls is a North American / Canadian layout in N gauge. Mountainous scenery, tunnels and rocky gorges surround the trains as they run around the different tracks of the layout.
The rest of the layouts in this hall were all 7mm O gauge.
Woolbridge is a GWR branch terminus, which also features a goods shed and locomotive depot. Both passenger and freight traffic are seen during our visit.
Stephens Lane is a diesel era depot layout. Modern traction arrives and departs between servicing and stabling. A number of different liveries are seen.
An O gauge test track is also seen, featuring steam and diesel traction, including a rather nice class 205 diesel electric multiple unit in Network South East livery - a type that was often seen on routes nearby.
I hope you enjoy the film. I enjoyed the day out in the beautiful New Forest, despite New Milton not being the greatest of places to get to by road. Please feel free to comment, share and like. If you aren't already, why not subscribe to the channel?
best wishes
Iain