Paignton Summer Show 2018 August 11-12

[ChrisFordham]

Wessex Association of Model Railway Clubs

Summer Model Railway Exhibition Paignton 2018

 

Sat 11th August 2018 - Sun 12th August 2018

 

Torbay Leisure Centre, Penwill Way, Clennon Valley, Paignton, Devon TQ4 5JR

 

OPENING TIMES: SAT 10am-5pm, SUN 10am-4pm

ADMISSION: Adults £6.00

This is the largest Exhibition the Wessex Association of Model Railway Clubs has held, with over 20 layouts and up to 20 trade and demonstrators, this show offers all the model railway enthusiast, modeller or collector could hope for, from live steam 5" gauge, O to N Gauge layouts on display. Set in the Sports Hall of the Paignton Leisure Centre it offers a bright and spacious venue for the exhibition, Catering from the Leisure Centre Cafe, with a car park which will cater for 400 vehicles.

 

Layouts Attending So Far:

 

London Road 00 Gauge

Shillingford 00 Gauge

Brigham Bay N Gauge

Highburn Wharf O Gauge

Southgate New N Gauge

Live Steam / Diesel 5" Gauge

Lower Trumping 00 Gauge

Forest Green 00 Gauge

Firkin Karr Brewery N Gauge

Cotehele Quay O Gauge

Test Track Sedgemoor O Gauge

Burnham on Sea 2fs Gauge

Chalworth O Gauge

Pomphlett Quarry 00 Gauge

Coaley Junction 00 Gauge

The Junction N Gauge

Upwell Drove 00 Gauge

Depot De Camion H0 Gauge

How Its Made

 

Traders etc:

 

Ray Heard Model Railways

Railroom Electronics

Harvey Model Railways

W. M. Collectables

Keith's Bits & Pieces

David Rees Models

Andy Lynch Models

The Alan Ward Collection

Country Park Models

Platform 3 Models

Russel Foster Models

Neil Kirk Kato Models

David Smith Books

Model Rail Services

Bob Jones Models

DCC Train Automation

Turleigh Models

Helmsman Model Railway

Mainline & Maritime Ltd

[Captain Kernow]

How interesting - is this the first time a show like this has been held in Paignton?

[HSB]

Same weekend as Railwells!

[owentherail]

Holiday traffic will make getting there fun!!

[ChrisFordham]

How interesting - is this the first time a show like this has been held in Paignton?

Captain - Yes it is

 

Just to clear up a few comments, The Wessex Association of Model Clubs is not a Club in its own right, more a support network for lots of smaller clubs to help with running and setting up exhibitions - so please do support your local clubs. I am purely adding this as a exhibitor as I would like to see you all there.

 

Cheers Chris

[Captain Kernow]

Captain - Yes it is

 

Just to clear up a few comments, The Wessex Association of Model Clubs is not a Club in its own right, more a support network for lots of smaller clubs to help with running and setting up exhibitions - so please do support your local clubs. I am purely adding this as a exhibitor as I would like to see you all there.

 

Cheers Chris

Thanks for that, Chris and the very best of luck with the show. Unfortunately I won't personally be able to make it, but I wish you and everyone else involved much fun and success.

[rab]

Captain - Yes it is

Just to clear up a few comments, The Wessex Association of Model Clubs is not a Club in its own right, more a support network for lots of smaller clubs to help with running and setting up exhibitions - so please do support your local clubs. I am purely adding this as a exhibitor as I would like to see you all there.

Cheers Chris

Thanks for clarifying that.

When I read the first post I thought it might

have been our old friend Dakota Dibben.

[ChrisFordham]

Updates to the show list of exhibitors and traders on the Wessex Website.

 

http://wamrc.co.uk/exhibitions

[HSB]

Railwayrod and I are planning to go on Sunday. While we don't expect it to be as interesting as Wells it's just a short bus ride away as opposed to a 150 mile round trip by car and as it'll be the first time we've had a large model railway exhibition in Torbay we thought we ought to give it our support.

[Oldddudders]

A drizzly start further round Torbay - I’m in Babbacombe - but I will shortly sally forth to catch a bus. I hope plenty of others ignore the weather, too.

[gwrrob]

A drizzly start further round Torbay - I’m in Babbacombe - but I will shortly sally forth to catch a bus. I hope plenty of others ignore the weather, too.

 

You need the number 12 bus and give my regards to Goodrington Sands Ian.   I wish I could make it.

Edited August 11, 2018 by gwrrob

[HSB]

You need the number 12 bus and give my regards to Goodrington Sands Ian.   I wish I could make it.

Only from the Strand! He'll need a 22 or 122 from Babbacombe.

[Re6/6]

Well, l was a little underwhelmed with the whole thing. Far too many box shifters all flogging the same thing.The high point, layout wise, was Alex Warren's (Wiggoforgold) 'Upwell Drove' and part of 'Diddington'  and a small but well presented 'Brixham' in 'N' with superb architectural modelling. There was a couple of nice '0' gauge layouts

 

Attendance seemed moderate. Not surprising with the lack of publicity (apart from on here) there was just one sign outside the venue.

 

Imagine my surprise when l literally bumped into 'Olddudders'  ....... a long way from France! There were all the usual local suspects, mostly my German Railway Society pals with whom it was good to catch up with. Unfortunately there was nothing 'continental' on show.

 

Wells tomorrow which will be a whole different kettle of fish!

Edited August 11, 2018 by Re6/6

[Oldddudders]

Well, l was a little underwhelmed with the whole thing. Far too many box shifters all flogging the same thing.The high point, layout wise, was Alex Warren's (Wiggoforgold) 'Upwell Drove' and part of 'Diddington'  and a small but well presented 'Brixham' in 'N' with superb architectural modelling. There was a couple of nice '0' gauge layouts

 

Attendance seemed moderate. Not surprising with the lack of publicity (apart from on here) there was just one sign outside the venue.

 

Imagine my surprise when l literally bumped into 'Olddudders'  ....... a long way from France! There were all the usual local suspects, mostly my German Railway Society pals with whom it was good to catch up with. Unfortunately there was nothing 'continental' on show.

 

Wells tomorrow which will be a whole different kettle of fish!

 

Perhaps I was a little more impressed than John with the layouts, but echo his view of the acres of tables selling boxed RTR, much of it priced well above some bricks-and-mortar dealers, including Paignton Model Shop! The S&D seemed to be well-represented, as we might expect, and in more than one scale. Overall my £6 and time were not wasted, although I suspect the tea-urn was for exhibitors only - we weren't told. I believe there was some sort of catering elsewhere in the venue - but again, the handout told us nothing. 

 

Calling attendance moderate is being a bit kind. Most of those traders wouldn't come back readily, I guess. 

 

It was good to meet Re6/6 again - and I was pleased to introduce myself to Wiggoforgold, although the first person I saw when I walked in was Bob, a local OO gauge modeller who had served me in the theatre bar last night!

 

Don't hold your breath for an annual repeat. 

[ChrisFordham]

Sorry that you guys were so disappointed with the exhibition, it’s our first time trying this in Paignton. I was opposite Wiggoforgold with my own small layout - attendance has been low. Unfortunately Paignton Council removed all of our signs as the prohibit advertising outside which we were unaware of.

 

To help us could I ask what you look for in a exhibition?

[HSB]

Half the hall seemed to be more like a swap-meet with all the second-hand dealers. A better range of traders would have helped although the fact you clashed with the finescale exhibition at Wells didn't help your numbers. Also the general lack of advertising didn't help - I only found out about it through this thread.

[ChrisFordham]

HSB - thanks for the comments, believe it or not it was advertised in the railway mags, Facebook, RMWeb etc but seems to have been missed so we will work on that.

 

Trader wise we will be more select, our main issue has been Paignton Council - not only removing our signage but the concession on car parking didn’t happen, to top it all several groups were ticketed whilst loading layouts!

[gwrrob]

That doesn't surprise me as my experience of the Torbay wardens is they think and act like they're the Gestapo.

[brianusa]

It looked like a success to start with twenty or so layouts, a lot of dealers, big venue.  Is the potential base so small that Wells, quite along way away would make such a difference; the dealers can't be blamed for trying to flog their wares as that's why they came.  As a sometime visitor to the area now, I can attest to the zeal of traffic wardens, etc.

 

Brian.

[Oldddudders]

The buses in Torbay are frequent. I discovered that the open-top 122, which starts in Babbacombe, running every 20’ in summer, actually passes the venue. The 12 - Newton Abbot to Brixham - runs every 10 mins and has new buses with wifi and USB chargers. A Dayrider ticket costs £5. For people who believe in public transport, and may not have too many kids etc in tow, it works very well.

[Captain Kernow]

But being ticketed whilst unloading at the show venue, especially given that layout owners are giving up their time for free (or perhaps just expenses) is completely unacceptable.

[Re6/6]

That doesn't surprise me as my experience of the Torbay wardens is they think and act like they're the Gestapo.

Also some are half-witted jobsworths. A story reported in the Torbay Herald Express a few years ago after the council had palmed off parking enforcement to a private company there was a traffic collision in Hele and when asked to call for an ambulance refused with "it's not my job" and walked off. Mobiles were not so common back then.

 

When waiting in a traffic queue in Brixham one of these individuals actually put a no parking cone (prior to yellow lines being re-applied to the street) by my front wheel which l didn't see. You can imagine the rest! After jumping out and mildly confronting him he didn't understand my question..." are you trained to be half-witted or does it come naturally?"

 

Often they're called 'traffic wardens', but they don't have the powers of traffic management and knowledge of traffic law like the original black uniforms who were employed by the police AFAICR. All they can do is issue penalty tickets. They are employed as 'parking enforcement officers' or 'parking attendants'! 

 

Like any profession, they can't all be stupid!

Edited August 19, 2018 by Re6/6

[gwrrob]

The one who gave me a ticket for overstaying in Young's Park car park actually took pleasure in issuing it judging by his facial expression. If I hadn't have had the kids in the car I would have wiped it off his face.

[Re6/6]

But being ticketed whilst unloading at the show venue, especially given that layout owners are giving up their time for free (or perhaps just expenses) is completely unacceptable.

They all should apply to the parking 'ombudsman/appeals dept' or whatever it's called. I believe that there's high percentage that get thrown out. Most people don't bother it would seem.

[Oldddudders]

But being ticketed whilst unloading at the show venue, especially given that layout owners are giving up their time for free (or perhaps just expenses) is completely unacceptable.

And is entirely down to inadequate negotiation or understanding between organisers and local authority. I wouldn’t want to be responsible for that - but I am not inviting layout owners to exhibit in good faith, either.

 

I can imagine where some of those parking tickets might be shoved, and suspect the organiser has alienated some of the very clubs he is purporting to represent and support.