I'll be the first to admit, I've fallen out slightly with the Railway Museum in York. The visit last summer left a bit of a sour taste in the mouth, and I wasn't planning to return until they've finished all the rebuilding work (so, in about 2050 then). But, with Half Term on, and wanting somewhere to go for a jaunt, we found out there was a Lego Railways themed exhibition on.
I've fallen down a bit of a rabbit hole lately, looking at the world of custom-built, British, Lego trains. Lego don't have much interest in British-outline railways, so some very talented builders have been knocking up their own designs. No, I don't need yet another new project or scale to work in, but I find these builds fascinating. I mean, just look at the craft and love that's gone into the Forth Bridge!
Highland Coos.
The layouts were spread around the museum, and a right variety they were as well. Big roundy-roundy layouts, and proper model railway-esque out and backs. Showing what can be done with a bit of creative thought, the Lego components rebuilt into a very passable 2MT. And look at that overall roof! Very impressive.
L-Gauge UK Railway are the overall body, acting as an umbrella organisation I gather, that lots of model-makers are part of.
Up on the top deck was this rather fun layout, incorporating loads of cameos and pop-culture references. "Bridge Street" by Nicola Rippon. I had a chuckle at the canal boat from "Wallace and Grommit: Vengeance Most Fowl"
Liked the little cameos too, like the flooding over the tracks.
...Nice.
The majority of the layouts were in the main hall, and I'm going to have to use this opportunity to moan a bit more about the place I'm afraid. It was very busy in the museum, and access wasn't helped by a number of exhibits being screened off for repairs and maintenance. Boy, sure would be nice if there was a major engineering workshop to fix oh wait, they closed it down and scrapped it in favour of push-button, paid-entry things for children. I'm not saying there isn't a place for that in the museum, but maybe that could have gone into a purpose-built space somewhere in the Yard outside, but clearly it was more important to sell that space off for housing land.
The usual problems also happened with two huge cafe and shop spaces within 30 feet of each other, both busy. I've worked in heritage catering, I know you can't help it when Technicals happen and things like the card machines fail, but again, surely that's space that could be used for exhibits? Or just a bit more space to soak-up the crowds?
They're STILL rebuilding the entrance and the roads, necessitating outside walks, awkward entries into the two separate sites, and a grand tour of derelict, truncated sidings and building sites.
Despite the cold, the playground was busy... but things like this weren't working, apparently. Though (risking being just a taunt to the children?) a miniature train WAS trundling around, just not stopping at the station. The adjacent hall was finally reopened... though all that seemed different to me was an expanded cafe space inside, another shop, and the fact the toilets were now portaloos outside.
Right, final bit of negativity to get off my chest before we try to end on a high; the lighting inside, whilst moody and dramatic, makes photography very tricky. Which is a shame, because in the noticeably-quieter side of the site were some more very good exhibits. We were particularly taken with this 'classic' Lego layout. Both me and Amy have a fair bit of this generation Lego that we've inherited from our parents, so it's nice to see it displayed.
Tunbrick Wells West was a great one to end on (we were also taken with the smaller-scale Didcot layout, but the poor lighting meant none of the photographs really came out well of that one sadly).
Light and sound-fitted locomotives, and a nice out-and-back operation with a mix of heritage steam and diesel locomotives.
This Class 08 wins the award for model I'd most like to make. No, I remind myself again, I really don't need another scale and gauge to work in...
Good grief, it's Soviet-level bleak. Mindyou, I'll probably be nostalgic for this when there's 2000 houses here. So; museum, disappointing again, but the exhibition inside, very good indeed, and some very impressive builds by some talented makers, which made up for it.
No comments:
Post a Comment