No Ally Pally for me this year
So I find myself unexpectedly free tomorrow and thought, ooh I’ll got to the model railway show at Alexandra Palace. However, the railway gods have decided that is a silly idea.
The exhibition at Alexandra Palace is the London Festival of Railway Modelling. As well as featuring over 40 layouts across all the scales, if it a coming together of many of the major retailers and manufacturers. The expectation as always will be that there will be new models announced, and even some surprise ones available at the show nobody previously knew about.
Going from Thetford area I have two choices to get to Alexandra Palace ordinarily. The more obvious and easier one is to catch a Greater Anglia service to Cambridge and get on a Thameslink service. Nope. Rail replacement bus between Ely and Cambridge
Plan B, ok I think, I’ll go to Norwich and go down the mainline to Stratford. Nope. Rail replacement bus time again. London service stops at Witham where they then bus you to Billaricay.
Now, as any self respecting modeller would, I found the idea of a trip out on the train quite attractive. But, the idea of having to get on a bus for some reason I find really off putting.
So what to do instead?
Well, I should have been volunteering on the Class 50 at the Mid Norfolk. That’s on hold this weekend as resources are diverted elsewhere. Combined with the railway being closed due to track issues at present, that makes Dereham a bit of a no fly zone this weekend.
I quite fancy a trip on the North Norfolk Railway, but they don’t start regular steam services until 1st April. Equally, the Nene Valley are running, but it’s just the Swedish Railcar scheduled and that’s not floating my boat.
At this rate I may have to suck it up and get on a bus after all… Urgh!