Overall view early in the day - are you in the shot?

Farleigh Down. An unusual 09 layout representing a 15" gauge line serving a military supply depot, by Ellis & Paul of the Nailsea MRC

Farleigh Down, 09

Another view of Farleigh Down, a military 09 supply depot by Ellis and Paul of the Nailsea MRC

Tim Tincknell's well known Specialist Mining Company in 09. Because it was difficult to fight my way to the front of the viewers with my camera and tripod I did not manage any close-up views this time, but there are plenty in the earlier NG SouthWest 2008 and MOMING 2007 collections

In case you don't know what Brian Guilmant, the 009 Society Sales Officer looks like, there is no excuse now! Here he is in the apron, with his minder, Lee Bryant of the Wessex NG Modellers.

Alan Eadle, a Small & Delightful Group member, showed his attractive SM32 layout, Ryan's Mill

Simon Andrews' very attractive little 09 estate railway, Black Hall Sidings

The goods yard at Black Hall Sidings in 09 by Simon Andrews

Simon Andrews 09 Black Hall Sidings. The chunky little tank loco is built from an Avalon kit and runs on one of the excellent flywheel fitted Hallig 9mm gauge tram chassis.

This tiny little 09 Speeder on Simon Andrews' 09 Black Hall Sidings, has a scratchbuilt body on a small 9mm gauge Japanese Caramel 4-wheel chassis that has been imported by 009 Society Archivist, Garry Whiting

John Perrett, of the S&D Group and an 009 Society member with his Mendips coalmining layout, The Benter Railway in 009. This features a working incline which can be seen directly in front of John in this view. I have a baseboard crossing on my own layout that looks very similar.........

The upper level on John Perrett's 009 Benter Railway

A Barclay wing tank, constructed from a Backwoods kit, brings a short goods train into Lower Peak Wharf, John Bruce's award winning 009 layout

Not a train in sight, but a scene that could have come from Pendon. A view down the village street on John Bruce's Lower Peak Wharf

This view of the Barclay wing tank loco at Lower Peak Wharf is one that I was quite pleased with. "Sometimes it just comes together right"

Steve Bennett's well known and very attractive demonstration Gn15 layout, Big Cat Mine

Another of prolific and skillful modeller Steve Bennett's micro layouts - the Gn15 industrial shunting scene "Simplicity Sidings", the construction of which has been serialised in the GnInfo "Gnatterbox" Forum recently.

Steve Bennett's second micro-layout on show was his attractive little Gn9 loading bay: Vanguard Works.

Mike Brown, of the Nailsea MRC brought his G scale layout, Sabden Yard.

Roy Parkes retired his award winning 0-16.5 layout Crackington Quay after Expong 2007, so it was a pleasant surprise to see that it is now in the very safe hands of 7mm NGA Chairman, Howard Martin, seen here (left) chatting to Christopher Lepper, who many will recognise for his marvellous 10mm scale Irish tram and railway models.

A scene on Crackington Quay, originally built in 0-16.5 by Roy Parkes and now owned by Howard Martin

Gordon and Maggie Gravett, accomplished modellers and S&D Group members set up a scenic modelling demonstration stand, which included this very attractive diorama featuring a scratchbuilt French Reseau Breton Billard 150D Autorail for their Pempoul layout, due to be shown at Expong on 25 October this year. The scale is 1:50, 18.2mm gauge, and I am grateful to Hans-Joachim Donner of Berlin, who emailed me these details.

South West 009 Group (SWOONS) member, William Loyd with his superb little piece of the American Rockies in Sn3 scale (1/64 scale, 14.2mm gauge track), Oro Grande Railroad.

William Loyd's Sn3 scale layout, Oro Grande Railroad may be small, but the modelling standard and scenery is absolutely outstanding.

A Baldwin 0-6-0T wheezes its way across the bridge behind the loco shed on William Loyd's Sn3 Oro Grande Railroad

Howard Coulson brought his African 009 layout Eitomo out for its 104th showing, and as far as Howard is concerned, its last one. Howard has decided to retire the layout after some 32 years on the exhibition circuit and has advertised it for sale. By the time you read this it might well be in new hands.

A colourful scene looking across the station area at Eitomo, East Africa in 009 by Howard Coulson

This view of Howard Coulson's 009 Eitomo shows an Otavi Railway steam railcar, from what is now known as Namibia, (German South West Africa), built from one of the original Backwoods kits

A bit of 009 superpower in the form of this very exotic and powerful locomotive seen at Eitomo. It originated many years ago on Howard Coulson's worktop as a Rivarossi N gauge "Big Boy" 4-8-8-4 Mallet.

S&D Group member Richard Andrews with his popular Gn15 Moulding Lane

An attractive little scene on Richard Andrews' Moulding Lane, Gn15.

As well as Moulding Lane, Richard Andrews brought a new micro Gn15 layout called Edenbridge Farm. The water feature at the front of the board is excellent

SWOONS member Phil Farr-Cox with his 009 Foxcombe Colliery. 009 Society Treasurer and SWOON founder-member Geoff Bowyer looks on.

An attractive scene on Phil Farr-Cox's 009 Foxcombe Colliery.

This familiar Peco Jeanette 009 kit has been totally transformed by fitting it to a superb Fleischman 0-6-0 chassis by Phil Farr-Cox.

Phil Farr-Cox also brought this little 009 "pizza" layout (or perhaps as it is oval and it is from the west country, it is a "pasty"?) called Ivor Knott's Timber Yard, which is a very compact and domestically friendly (ie it could be allowed in a living room....) way of both testing and showing 009 trains

Performing on Phil Farr-Cox's 009 Ivor Knott's Timber Yard when I passed with the camera was this little diesel loco converted from an N gauge Ibertren kof diesel.

Harvey Faulkner-Aston is well known on the exhibition circuit for his 0n30 layout "The Layout With No Name". For this event he brought one that does have a name - "Darius Washington State", again in 0n30

A super view of a small Shay loco on Harvey Faulkner-Aston's 0n30 Darius Washington State

One of my best snaps of the day, taken at Harvey Faulkner-Aston's 0n30 Darius Washington State

Recently elected Chairman of the 009 Society, Simon Coward with his Isle of Mudd layout that gets bigger every time I see it.

Simon Coward's Isle of Mudd is a freelance island somewhere in the Atlantic and is a mainline narrow gauge system, so mainline trains are called for, as can be seen here. The layout is one of the 009 pioneers to prove the capability of DCC in this scale.

One of a class of 4 large American GM diesel locos that handle heavy traffic on Simon Coward's DCC operated 009 freelance layout, Isle of Mudd

A glimpse along the impressive frontage of Simon Coward's Isle of Mudd - DCC mainline in 009

Here's one for the heritage modelling fans. This old (possibly 1960's) vintage 00n3 loco, built onto a Triang TT gauge Jinty chassis and with a body that is thought to have originated from a clockwork loco model of the period, has surfaced in the 009 Sales. It has already been discussed on the 00n3 Forum but its provenance still eludes. Can anybody identify who built this interesting model?

Garry Whiting of the 009 Society has recently imported a batch of tiny Japanese Caramel N gauge 4 wheel cmotorised hassis which are ideal forms of motive power for small diesel locomotives as illustrated by these two that Garry commissioned Paul Windle to build for him. The leading one is a Hudson Hunslet, with a Planet following. The chassis are a similar size to the (now elusive and expensive) Arnold kofII.

Here is Garry Whiting's latest piece of 009 exotica specially built by Paul Windle; a 2-6-6-2 Mallet on a Bachman chassis and a very handsome locomotive indeed in my opinion.