Tolworth Showtrain

[Highlandman]

 

November 11th & 12th
Tolworth Recreation Centre,
Fullers Way North, Tolworth, Surrey, KT6 7LQ.

Saturday 11th November 10.00am - 5.30pm
Sunday 12th November 10.00am - 5.00pm
 
PRICES
Adult: £6
Child: £3
Family 2+2: £15

Sunday Special
One child free with every paying adult
 
Hampton Court Model Railway Society proudly presents annual show, Tolworth Showtrain on the 11th and 12th November 2017.
As is customary there will be a layout which our younger visitors can operate.

 

We have a wide range of layouts to suit all tastes and a large array of suppliers. There is also a free bus service to the show from the mainline station of Surbiton

 

Details of all the layouts and traders attending and times of the buses can be found on our show page at http://www.hamptoncourtmrs.com/showtrain/showtrain 2017.html

 

There is also free parking on site but we do have extra parking at:

 

The Advantage Nursery
Red Lion Business Park,
Fullers Way North.

 

 

We look forward to seeing you all.

 

 

[Highlandman]

The bus timetable has now been published on our website. So please have a look if you would like to plan your journey.

 

The published times are subject to traffic conditions and any remebrance events taking place that week-end.

[PenrithBeacon]

The bus timetable has now been published on our website. So please have a look if you would like to plan your journey.

 

The published times are subject to traffic conditions and any remebrance events taking place that week-end.

What, if any, service buses service the site?

 

Regards

[chrisf]

If I remember correctly, 71 and 465 go from Surbiton station to Hook Roundabout, whence it is a short brisk walk.  I learned this last year when the courtesy bus was not very well and must thank fellow RMwebber Chris116 once again for knowing where to alight.

 

Chris

[LennySlough]

so looking forward to this

[jonhall]

What, if any, service buses service the site?

 

Regards

 

71 bus or 465 or K4 bus to Southborough High School, probably 7 or 8 an hour between the routes. There is also a K1 bus to the stop nearest the junction of Thornhill Road and Red Lion Road, which might be a marginally shorter walk. If you already have an oyster or a freedom/bus pass then the service bus is a good bet, but we are running a special bus as usual, so there isn't a real need.

 

Jon

 

Edited November 9, 2017 by jonhall

[Graham_Muz]

Fisherton Sarum is being readied for heading to Tolworth later today for the set up. My operating team and I are looking forward to the show. 

 

 

 

 

[jonhall]

Just about to set off for the setup now!

 

jON

[ullypug]

Clevedon as set up and raring to go. Can't say the same for the operators yet.

[jonhall]

Ready for day one? I'm not sure I am.

 

Jon

[chrisf]

I attended yesterday.  Much on my shopping list remains to be procured but I did find some interesting items on two stalls that feature assorted pre-owned items - no, not the profusion of pre-1980s stuff that despite its fitness only for landfill turns up at show after show but an esoteric pot-pourri of kits and bits that would attract the locusts at the Scaleforum bring and buy.

 

Amid the wide range of layouts some stood out, as is usually the case.  I really like Lighterman's Yard [2mmFS] which really captures how I imagine post war Bermondsey while there were still some bomb sites but as yet no tower blocks.  The circular Irish essay in 3mm, Ballyconnell Road, is always a welcome sight and not just because 3mm and I have history.  Plumpton Green, recreating the pre-WW1 LB&SC in P4, has some interesting details that I had not spotted on previous viewings such as a team of oxen attached to a plough.  It is of venerable parentage but I wish it was not ruler-straight.  Whoever pioneered the rectangular baseboard way back when has much for which to answer!  Malix is a Swiss themed layout based on a part of the Berninabahn with which I am familiar.  Yes, there is a spiralling descending viaduct like that.  If you take the train down to Tirano you will travel over it, a more plesurable experience than visiting Tirano.  Stop digressing, Chris!  Sorry.  Minories, the MRC's EM layout, has sprouted an extension since I last saw it and is now a roundy.  While this allows longer trains and a more spacious fiddle yard I can't help feeling that it takes away the whole essence of the Minories concept, which is a cramped and difficult terminus.  Ullypug's Clevedon WC&P, also in EM, ably captures the ramshackle yet functional Colonel Stephens empire and has an utter charm.  Other well-known and good layouts were also present.

 

Catering is not the strong point of this show though there are many that are dire by comparison.  It is possible to pay a lot more than £1.40 for a cuppa much less palatable but it should be possible to process customers more quickly and keep the length of the queue at bay.  Guess who was never a catering manager?  I will admit to being seduced by an apple danish for my elevenses!  The shuttle bus, once of Ensign's fleet, worked well this year and I was blessed with congenial company on the outward run.

 

Chris

[Pacific231G]

 

Catering is not the strong point of this show though there are many that are dire by comparison.  It is possible to pay a lot more than £1.40 for a cuppa much less palatable but it should be possible to process customers more quickly and keep the length of the queue at bay.  Guess who was never a catering manager?  I will admit to being seduced by an apple danish for my elevenses!  The shuttle bus, once of Ensign's fleet, worked well this year and I was blessed with congenial company on the outward run.

 

Chris

Hi Chris

For future reference, on the Saturday there is a  traditional but very clean caff (wih a hygiene rating of 5) in the parade of shops round the corner. I used it last year and found it far better than the onsite catering. This year I paid les than a fiver for a very well filled BLT baguette and a decent mug of coffee which I think was £1.40 . Unfortunately I don't think it's open on Sundays at least it wasn't last year.

 

I agree about being slightly disappointed to find Minories now a through station though after exhibiting it for ten years I think Tom and co. are entitled to a change and it does let them run goods trains. I understand that in any case the configuration is optional so it can easily be set up in its original terminus form if wanted. 

 

I also liked Lighterman's Yard and found the use of a monochrome backscene very effective but what most impressed me was the reality of the streets of terraced housing and the period ordinaryness of them was really convincing without being in any way overstated. Somebody has really done their research.

 

I don't think I'd seen Plumpton Green before and I was impressed as much by its prototypical operation, which visitors can watch in detail, as by the high quality of modelling.  I hadn't seen that  pattern of two position block instruments before so I was impressed by its authenticity.

 

It alway seems a bit pointless to use proper block working at exhibitions and then hide it behid the scenes so that for the public it  just ends up being noises-off

My only comment would be that having gone to all the trouble of setting up authentic block instrument working it would be worth having an explanation of it on one of the panels. There is though a good explanation here http://www.lbscrmodels.co.uk/instruments1.html

 

I did appreciate Barry Luck's idea that visitors should only hear the fairly quiet block bells in the actual signalbox and not in the two fiddle yards. A mercy for adjoining layout operators.

 

I didn't notice how straight it is but to be fair that is also authentic. Google Earth is a very useful tool for studying railways. You can even count the sleepers at the real Plumpton Green and if you draw a dead straight line a kilometre long with the station at its centre and place each end half-way between the rails of either of the two tracks the line remains well within the four foot  with a maximum deviation from centre of less than 600mm so in this case straight is true!  In general, for purely exhibtion layouts I rather agree though about the dominance of the rectangular baseboard and very gentle curves should be possible without compromising transport and storage.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

.

Edited November 12, 2017 by Pacific231G

[dasatcopthorne]

It's not very often at all that I post about shows I've been to but I feel I have to re this year's Showtrain.

 

The usual general quality show let down, at least late on Saturday morning when I was there, by a crop of badly working/operated layouts. Outside of the control of the organisers.

 

Plumpton Green. Nothing running while the signalman chatted away to one member of the public, explaining the workings of the leverframe. A disadvantage with this layout.

 

Minories.  Rouns and round has removed the operational interest, especially when the anti-clockwise loco and four coaches circled continuously (other than very brief stops in the station, for at least 30mins or more. Why, when the last coach of this train often uncoupled itself on entry to the station, the offender wasn't removed is a mystery.

 

Penhalig Quay & Black Rock Sands. Continued derailments and few things moving besides.

 

Horton Regis. Slow on movements and many stops/starts etc by operators that didn't quite know what they were doing.

 

Outstanding layout? How can you fault Lighterman's Yard!!

 

So, my heart goes out to the Club and the Show let down by the above.

 

I hope it was better on Sunday.

[81C]

Show      = average. 

layouts   = average, many tired old one's, lots of finger poking.

traders   = same as last year the odd new one would not go amiss.

catering = bland as ever, did run out of items Sunday lunchtime.

toilets    = a disgrace clearly had not been cleaned.

Paying customers = excellent.  

[jonhall]

Show      = average. 

layouts   = average, many tired old one's, lots of finger poking.

traders   = same as last year the odd new one would not go amiss.

catering = bland as ever, did run out of items Sunday lunchtime.

toilets    = a disgrace clearly had not been cleaned.

Paying customers = excellent.  

 

I've had a range of feedback on the show from average to the best yet - I guess it depends on your interest?

 

None of the layouts did very much for me personally, but I thought most had something to merit their inclusion.

 

Trade - we are always on the look out for new trade, but not if they are in competition with our existing - no point two traders dividing the available custom and both not re-booking next year, a lot of traders are cutting back the shows they do, and it is difficult to find more, we did have at least one new trader this year, perhaps you didn't notice because they didn't stock something you wanted?

 

Catering - yes dreadful - so is their effort for the exhibitors, although that was marginally better this year. Alas we are stuck with the incumbent in the leisure centre who aren't used to catering for the numbers that turn up to Showtrain, there are very few semi-affordable venues in the area, and unfortunately none are perfect.

 

Toilets - was a complete disaster this year - the centre didn't tell us that was happening until we turned up on Friday to set up - we meet in the centre every Sunday, and last week there was no sign of the building work then, we were very disappointed, and will make our feelings clear with the centre staff, however they gave the impression that it was all organised by 'head office', and they were just as surprised as we were when the builders turned up.

 

Jon

[jonhall]

 

 

Horton Regis. Slow on movements and many stops/starts etc by operators that didn't quite know what they were doing.

 

 

The Horton Regis team have been working on that layout for the best part of 40 years, so I'm surprised they didn't know what they were doing, but you needn't worry - at the end of the show the layout was taken off by its new owner to the Midlands to retirement in a large loft, so won't be out on the exhibition circuit again.

 

Jon

[81C]

 

Toilets - was a complete disaster this year - the centre didn't tell us that was happening until we turned up on Friday to set up - we meet in the centre every Sunday, and last week there was no sign of the building work then, we were very disappointed, and will make our feelings clear with the centre staff, however they gave the impression that it was all organised by 'head office', and they were just as surprised as we were when the builders turned up.

 

Jon

Thanks for your imput Jon, the portaloo's are OK but they were uncleaned on Sunday, there was no excuse for their disgusting state which the club staff knew about before the start of the show and nothing was done to rectify the problem one member thought it was a big joke.

 

A displeased show goer.

[njee20]

Is that not just because you don’t model American though... bit short sighted.

 

I thought it was pretty good, not the best, better than last year. Some pretty good layouts, nothing incredible. I saw a bit more intervention from the giant hand in the sky than one might expect, but I’m not that fussed, can’t imagine the exhibitors wanted that to happen, just one of those things. Traders were alright, didn’t buy anything, but the only thing I was really looking for was to try a particular DCC system, which no one had, which is fine.

[EmporiaSub]

Fairly average show with the same layouts doing the rounds. Big plus in my book: no longer having a hall full of American layouts. I never saw the point of this.

I think a lot of that goes back many years to when US layouts were not so frequent at general shows and the NMRA contributed several layouts, along with a trader (LSWR Models), to give a overview of the US scene.

[dasatcopthorne]

I will come back on a couple of points.

 

A room full of US layouts was a bit much but there's always some merit in any layout. The trouble is, if someone is not at all interested in US stuff then they won't stay in the room. I hope the 'room full' has gone but a usual smattering will always be fine with me.

 

I would have liked to buy good DCC UK sounds possibly but the choice of Sunningwell means there are only US sounds available and a small sellection of other stuff. I find them quite limiting. You need someone who has UK based sounds and is willing to demo a sellection of systems.

 

I never visit Portaloos. OK for men but do they really expect women to use them?

 

I never use the Catering.

 

Sorry but my sympathy goes to the organisers.

 

Regards

Edited November 24, 2017 by dasatcopthorne

[jonhall]

The American one was always a bit odd,  partly we had a hall that was physically separate from the other two, and when we had 3 specialist traders in American then there was some merit to keeping a 'themed' hall, I personally thought we didn't get much out of the American hall, and was disappointed when the NMRA used to organise a different event in Portsmouth on the same weekend. I personally wasn't convinced that we got that much extra traffic out of it, but with the specialist trade it probably held its own.

 

The American hall became untenable when the traders gave up attending shows, and anecdotally this year the hall 'seemed'  busier, whether that was visitors staying longer I don't know.

 

Jon