Warley NEC exhibition 23rd & 24th November 2019

[Barry Ten]

48 minutes ago, rogerzilla said:

 

I struggle with US layouts because so many are set in the desert.  Let's see an Alaska Railroad one with big girder bridges, rivers and mountains.  Cheap to build, too, as you only need white coloured scatter material!

 

I can see the attractions but a lot of UK modellers do seem to get stuck in the desert/generic Wild West mindset for their American layouts. When it's done well it can be brilliant, but it was nice to see the opposite coast done well with Mauch Chunk.

 

I could see an Alaska-based layout being very interesting. I think Kato even do some of the Alaska Railroad liveries/trains. All you'd need is some beardy backwoods guys with chainsaws and skidoos.

[Liam]

4 hours ago, PaulRhB said:

Well with all the other discussions I thought I’d give a snapshot of our weekend

We left two hours later than planned due to my friend with the discovery having to work in the morning due to a last minute crisis. So we had a slowish journey up in Friday traffic. We arrived at the reception car park, registered and drove round to the hall where we drove straight in accompanied by a friendly steward. Unloading was equally as quick and the stewards did ask my two friends to shuffle the cars a couple of time’s to allow others access, always unhurried and polite and on the second move I asked if he could pop back once he’d dropped off the other exhibitor and escort the two to the void area to ease the gangway space which he did a few minutes later. 

May friends patiently waited while I organised the build as only one had helped before. As all are seasoned exhibitors they soon got the system and once I’d got each job started they were off with me just checking plug connections etc. The electrical check was done efficiently as usual. The layout went together quick but we were running out of time for dinner so left track cleaning for the morning and headed to our hotel where our other advance party had booked us in. 

 

A entertaining evening with friends is always one of the highlights of doing shows especially with 8 of us with this layout. 

 

Saturday morning and the crew were dispatched to breakfast while I cleaned the track, I ended up missing breakfast Saturday so had to make do with provisions from the crate of cake!

Those who hadn’t operated before were on the usually quieter first hour to allow for any problems to be ironed out but it all went smoothly. An early check by two of the Warley members to make sure everything was ok and we had all the meal and tea vouchers we needed and telling us where to find the stewards if we needed help was appreciated. 

The NEC staff were friendly and not obsessive about ticket times for food as we are invariably early or late due to how busy the show is. 

We had a fair few issues with the WiFi controllers Saturday afternoon but still my crew soldiered on, dealing with me getting irritated with technology by getting on providing a show. Not one complaint, just helpful ideas and suggestions. Problems were solved by an unplanned purchase of another wired controller and long leads even though they were prepared to fight on with operating in a more conventional manner from the base unit. I didn’t want to change the way they walk with the train as I know how much more relaxing it is so I stumped up the cash  

Saturday evening after a long day we retired to the hotel and dinner once more. As Paul Jones has agreed to 8 operators, giving us two shifts, everyone was tired but not shattered so another pleasant evening was begun with my friend James providing the main entertainment after dinner when he proudly showed us all his new BMW 4 series. James has picked up the car and driven straight to the show and not realised the first four digits spelt a word rhyming with heinous  thanks to the Euro flag looking like a p . . .

Sunday was less eventful technology wise with it all working well and my crew had now learnt quite a lot of the info to answer questions and were entertaining visitors well. A steward popped round to tell us expenses were ready and check we knew where to go.  

Pack up went as smoothly as set up and it really helped that the two cars carrying the layout were driven by others so I could concentrate on the layout not negotiating the NEC traffic back into the hall. The boxes boards and equipment were swiftly loaded under cover in the void and we enjoyed a brisk journey home. 

 

So a huge thanks to Ian, Tim, Pat, Julian, Steve, Mike, Neil on Saturday  & James on Sunday for their help and good humour especially Saturday afternoon which kept me from getting too wound up. 

It really makes a difference when you trust your crew with your models and just to get on with it while you quietly pull your hair out! Because of that the stress relief was quick and Sunday great fun all day.  

 

Additionally thanks to the whole Warley crew for organising us and the show over the last two years from booking to the day. The system works very well from entering the NEC, guiding us to and from our stand, electrical checks and putting up the barriers plus making sure we have everything for the two days. It must take a huge amount of organising just of their members and helpers. 

So if you get invited to exhibit I’d say yes it’s a great show to be at all round and well worth the long drive and preparation.

 

I’ve exhibited five time’s with my layouts and another three with friends so they are definitely doing something right as we look forward to it. 

 

Here’s to next year when I’ll be there as a punter again  

 

Out of interest Paul, what do you think would be different if you lived in the area (ie a 30 mile radius of the NEC) and were exhibiting a layout? In a few years time, should I be fortunate enough to have an exhibition layout which has been invited to Warley, this is something I’d like to bear in mind. 

[melmerby]

Here's a short video of Beijiao including a couple of stills at the start:

 

https://youtu.be/iMT46_X_aNY

[PaulRhB]

2 hours ago, SVRlad said:

 

Out of interest Paul, what do you think would be different if you lived in the area (ie a 30 mile radius of the NEC) and were exhibiting a layout? In a few years time, should I be fortunate enough to have an exhibition layout which has been invited to Warley, this is something I’d like to bear in mind. 

Hi Liam , the only differences would be not checking everything ten times before I leave as there would be the option to go home and staying in my own bed which saves them money. When we do our local show we all still end up having a meal out together and making a weekend of it  but just don't have someone doing a yeti impression snoring in the same room, (normal partners assumed not to snore as that's what they say)  

[JohnDMJ]

7 hours ago, Barry Ten said:

I did have one bloke who came up, looked at it, said "where's this set then", to which I answered "France", and his reaction was "don't like the French." Needless to say

I wasn't all that chatty thereafter.

 

 

Isn't the 2020 show due to be Swiss-themed?

[NHY 581]

14 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

Because the locomotives were not green with copper capped chimneys perhaps?

 

 

Please don't assume that simply because somebody is Welsh that we will model the Greasy Wet and Rusty. 

 

Rob. 

[MarkSG]

9 hours ago, Barry Ten said:

I can see the attractions but a lot of UK modellers do seem to get stuck in the desert/generic Wild West mindset for their American layouts. When it's done well it can be brilliant, but it was nice to see the opposite coast done well with Mauch Chunk.

 

I could see an Alaska-based layout being very interesting. I think Kato even do some of the Alaska Railroad liveries/trains. All you'd need is some beardy backwoods guys with chainsaws and skidoos.

 

There's a lot of America (and Europe, too) where, in the absence of human artifacts (builldings, cars, trains, etc) it would be difficult for the untrained eye to tell that you were anywhere other than Middle England. That's a simple consequence of the similarity of vegetation in a temperate climate. But if you're going to model somewhere far away from home, then you want it to look far away from home, not just the same as here but with different coloured trains. So the attraction of easily recognisable settings, such as the desert states of the US, is fairly obvious. I do agree that it has become something of a cliche, but, like all cliches, it has become one because it works.

 

The problem with snow is that it can be difficult to model effectively, especially on big layouts with a lot of open space. It isn't just a case of making eveything white.

[chuffinghell]

1 hour ago, NHY 581 said:

....Greasy Wet and Rusty. 

 

 

[Hobby]

14 hours ago, F-UnitMad said:

Ah, so it was my fault - or at least the small sign on the end of my US O scale layout that read "Trespassers will be shot. Survivors will be shot again" ...??

 

I don't know, was it?

 

Seriously, though, I have never "flogged" the nationality of my layouts, they have just been shown with their name and an information board. I have resisted the temptation to put great big flags along the front, wear silly hats or put up "humorous" signs in a pigeon version of the country's language... All of which I've seen on many foreign layouts and I feel that sort of thing often winds up a certain type of person...  Mind you as a narrow gauge modeller I am used to comments like "Oh, that's N gauge" anyhow so probably have a higher tolerance level to some types of punter!

Edited November 29, 2019 by Hobby

[warbonnetuk]

6 hours ago, JohnDMJ said:

 

Isn't the 2020 show due to be Swiss-themed?

 

There will be a number of Swiss outline layouts there as its a significant anniversary for the Swiss Railway Society.

[PhilJ W]

Perhaps it would help if instead of publishing the program in stand order the traders and layouts had there own lists. If the layouts were listed separately with a brief description visitors to the exhibition will have a better idea of what layouts are there. Some exhibitions list the layouts on display in the calender entry in Railway Modeller, I have found this very useful when visiting exhibitions and I somtimes have visited shows just to view a particular layout.

[Colin_McLeod]

It's interesting to see a change from all this "steam v diesel",  "DC v DCC", "OO v P4" etc replaced by "British v Foreign."   I wonder if it's a Brexit thing.  (If I am allowed to say that).

[PhilJ W]

Not really, its just adding to the mix.

[TheQ]

Should we complain about 00 V H0 then?

Edited November 29, 2019 by TheQ

[queensquare]

2020 is also the 60th anniversary of the 2mm scale Association and there will be a strong 2mm presence at the show.

 

Jerry

[grahame]

32 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

Not really, its just adding to the mix.

 

Although someone is bound to stir the mix (before baking it).

[F-UnitMad]

2 hours ago, Hobby said:

I have never "flogged" the nationality of my layouts, they have just been shown with their name and an information board

No, neither have I. A decent layout will give a good idea of it's location without flags etc - or even the trains themselves.

I recall seeing one layout where the backscene was very 'murky', & I thought to myself "that looks like a wet week in Wales". When I read the Show Guide later, that's exactly what it was!!

Edited November 29, 2019 by F-UnitMad

[MJI]

11 hours ago, melmerby said:

Here's a short video of Beijiao including a couple of stills at the start:

 

https://youtu.be/iMT46_X_aNY

 

I got near, but the other side, so missed it.

 

So where do you get Chinese stock from?

[melmerby]

29 minutes ago, MJI said:

 

I got near, but the other side, so missed it.

 

So where do you get Chinese stock from?

It's not my layout but you could try Hattons for a start:

https://www.hattons.co.uk/products/category-Bachmann-china-ho-scale-railway-items

Edited November 29, 2019 by melmerby

[TEAMYAKIMA]

30 minutes ago, melmerby said:

It's not my layout but you could try Hattons for a start:

https://www.hattons.co.uk/products/category-Bachmann-china-ho-scale-railway-items

 

I think Hattons bought up all remaining stock when Bachmann Europe dropped the Chinese range. Those diesels look pretty plasticy TBH - I had both but sold the blue one.

 

I get all my stuff now from Hong Kong

[298]

14 hours ago, JohnDMJ said:

 

Isn't the 2020 show due to be Swiss-themed?

 

I have a Swiss layout.... Well, that's what someone told me "Because Americans don't have electric trains..."

 

7 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

Perhaps it would help if instead of publishing the program in stand order the traders and layouts had there own lists. If the layouts were listed separately with a brief description visitors to the exhibition will have a better idea of what layouts are there. Some exhibitions list the layouts on display in the calender entry in Railway Modeller, I have found this very useful when visiting exhibitions and I somtimes have visited shows just to view a particular layout.

 

I'm still surprised that the "Exhibition of the year" doesn't have a better point of reference for invited layouts, even small shows have more than just the layout name, owner and gauge. What's the buisness case for doing this apart from an attempt to sell guides in advance or the assumption that enough people are going to turn up anyway as the organisers believe there is something for everyone?

 

Repeated advice on here is to find out which exhibits interest you and plan a route between, but then you risk not seeing the working Dutch bicycle or perspective showstopper layouts. And when I've found a layout on YouTube then it can feel like I've now seen it and like the comment above then wonder why I even need to go to shows at all...

Edited November 29, 2019 by 298

[Hobby]

Whilst YouTube is useful to see what it looks like I don't feel it can ever replace seeing something "in the flesh" so to speak... You can miss so much with just photos and videos as you will only see what the photographer is seeing, which is not necessarily what you will see.

[Redkiterail]

Part 1 of my pictures:

[Redkiterail]

Part 2 :

[Redkiterail]

Part 3: