THE ISSUE OF 'EXHIBITION ONLY' LAYOUTS IN THE CURRENT SITUATION?

[TEAMYAKIMA]

With all exhibitions 'on hold' for the foreseeable future I was wondering how many of us have layouts which can only be operated at exhibitions. I guess that mainly means BIG layouts and personal layouts because few clubs would build layouts which they can't set up in the club room.

 

Personally I haven't built a layout I could operate at home for the last 45 years or more, because TBH I can't see the point of operating a layout with shunting/switching unless there is an audience, At an exhibition my team put on a performance for an audience and so with no audience for me there is no fun is just operating a layout. So having a BIG layout that can't be set up at home is no problem - as long as there are exhibitions to go to take it to!!!!!  No exhibitions = no operating = no fun.

 

 My next show is likely to be in December and I'm sitting at home for the next few months with relatively little to do - my next layout will be small enough to set up at home with a max  of 23ftx 9ft  and just roundy roundy.

 

 

Edited June 4, 2020 by TEAMYAKIMA
Updating the concept of the discussion

[37114]

My layouts tend to get 90% of their use at Exhibitions although they can be set up at home, it is generally for testing purposes only. I can't practicality leave the layout set up (despite being only 9ft long) in the house so that tends to deter setting it up and to be honest I enjoy making rather than operating. 

 

My layout "Parsons Vale" was due to make its exhibition debut this month at Trainwest but this has been pushed back to October so instead of testing that in the mean time I am focusing efforts on my new O gauge layout 

[Phil Bullock]

Abbotswood MK1 - 12 x 10 - was show only due to size - although a weekend set up in the garden in summer became popular as a social.

 

Mk2 - 27 x 11 - ditto likewise. Any running at home is on Kato test track on kitchen floor since spare bedroom has been carpeted. Having no layout at home means I get more modelling done.....

[t-b-g]

I have an involvement with quite a few layouts. They vary from tiny shunting planks (Sutton Dock) through to a 40ft x 14 ft layout featuring 5 stations and a certain "Buckingham". I have had around 7 or 8 at any one time.

 

My hobby used to be all about building an exhibition layout and showing it for a year or two while the next one was being built.

 

My group of exhibition friends and operators has dwindled over the years and doing a lot of work on a layout for it to be seen at maybe 8 or 10 shows, perhaps 20 days, over two or three years ended up being a bit of a shame.

 

Ever since I have had Buckingham, the sheer pleasure of operating a home based layout really took over. So I have that here and my friend has our joint big layout at his place. The pure exhibition layouts are stored away and may not see the light of day again.

 

Having said that, operating alone is not quite as much fun as having a couple of friends round and running the layout for a couple of hours. Block bells are a bit surplus as the machine that works the fiddle yard is not up and running yet. It is still good fun to switch on and run a few trains solo and there is much shunting in the timetable. In many ways I feel less pressured to keep up with the other operator and can really slow down and immerse myself in my little world. Preparing the stock for a train, backing it into a platform, taking the pilot off, bringing  a loco off shed to couple on, is much more absorbing than "running them round" a big roundy roundy to me. 

 

After having had a break from building exhibition layouts for a few years, the bug has bitten again and a small, one car two man, terminus layout is under construction now. I will have room to set it up at home to test it but given the choice between running my new tiny layout or Buckingham, there will be no contest.

 

But I appreciate that we all have our own interests and things that we want from the hobby. In the end, we just have to decide what we want to please ourselves and start from there.

Edited April 1, 2020 by t-b-g

[Signalist]

My layouts are exhibition only, I would not really be interested in operating a layout that was small enough to set up at home. Even the modular club layout can only be set up in 'small' format in the clubroom so exhibitions are really important to me! It is the only time that proper operation is possible.

[Ross34]

I built an exhibition only layout and it went to the grand total of 1 show. As I'm effectively a one man band the storing, setting up, carting to & from shows plus storing it at home  (in bits) put me off "touring" the circuit with it. So I recluctantly scrapped it and built a much smaller layout I can use at home and its not too big a burden to take to a show...well it wont be once I've built a travelling cradle for it.

If I'm honest I do miss the "long train going round in circles" thing but it would have happened maybe two or three times a year...a maximum of 6 days playing trains wasn't enough to justify the sacrifices

[Allegheny1600]

53 minutes ago, Ross34 said:

If I'm honest I do miss the "long train going round in circles" thing but it would have happened maybe two or three times a year...a maximum of 6 days playing trains wasn't enough to justify the sacrifices

Hi mate,

Yeah, I can't see the point of doing this myself.

My own smaller layout is fine for home use but I find the rigmarole of exhibiting rather a lot of trouble. The idea of spending a small fortune (at least) and a huge amount of time & effort not to mention stress and sleepless nights - just to entertain Joe Public seems rather dumb to me.

At the very least, you should be able to count on your own enjoyment and satisfaction firstly. Those of us who exhibit non-UK layouts in particular, have to account for the fact that a LOT less of our audience simply doesn't appreciate our chosen prototype.

Were I to ever follow through on plans to build a larger layout such as the OP's, I would at least make sure the darn thing is capable of being tested and enjoyed first.

I used to own a 27' x 9' exhibition layout but what a palarvour that was to get set up right. I subsequently designed a 30' x 15' modern era German/European outline layout complete with Classic and High Speed lines but it simply wasn't worth bothering with.

Sorry if I sound rather negative.

[black and decker boy]

Space constraints mean Kirkmellington is only ever set up at shows. I’ve lost Expo EM this spring so next show is Spalding (hopefully).

 

As a family, we’ve Also lost shows for Harkness at Ally Pally & Rochdale

 

I’d really love a home based tailchaser but doubt it will happen. My small box room used for modelling, my home office, library & to store Kirk is regularly measured up by the wife for another guest room.

[rob D2]

Quite the reverse, having an exhibition layout is my idea of what hell looks like.

 

i play trains at home to relive stress, interacting with the public for two days would do quite the opposite 

[newbryford]

Even though I built a couple of small layouts that could be set up at home, they hardly ever were.

I wanted to save the enjoyment of operating for a few weekends per year, as I reckoned I would have got bored playing trains with them at home. Although my feeling towards that has mellowed over the years.

 

Current layout cannot be setup at home - luckily I have temporary use of a larger space for the times I want to set it up and test a few things. 

There is a small project that is taking a long time to get going, but the idea is to have it in modular (Freemo) sections so that I can set up 4 out of planned total of 7-8 boards in different formats to maintain operating interest.

 

I guess this is another thread that'll highlight the wide variations in this hobby that we can all enjoy (or dislike!).

 

 

[25901]

Well I've got Valkova Rd setup at the moment in the back bedroom/man cave. She saw a few exhibitions 13/14 yrs ago under "Useful Signs / Ten Commandments"

New street and building lighting to be sorted out plus general clean up.

[jcm@gwr]

I have both, my current exhibition layout is a 0 gauge Inglenook 6' 6" x 16"

and my unfinished home layout is a 4mm, double track, 2 level, shed layout 11' 6" x 7' 6".

I also have access to the layouts at the club, and i enjoy them all for different reasons.

We (some friends from the club) are building a new exhibition layout, 16' x 2' 6", plus the

fiddle yard at right angles to the main run, in 0 gauge.

[TEAMYAKIMA]

As the OP I guess my subtext really was how are we who can only run our layouts at exhibitions coping in this lockdown with no exhibitions to go to.

 

I guess for me the whole exhibiting experience makes all the work worthwhile. As I have said I have no interest in operating at home, I am (I must admit) a 'show off' in the most literal sense (and 'show off' is an ironic title in today's circumstances.

 

One of the most satisfying parts of exhibiting is the staying away in a hotel with my modelling mates and sharing the social interaction in the pub after the show closes. In that context our 'team' has two layouts and both need 4-6 operators and we do about 8 shows a year. At a recent show we were not allowed overnight accommodation as it was deemed we all lived too close - but all in different directions! And so, except for a quick pint after setting up and closing. we had no social gathering. We had plenty of hard work during the day but no 'pay back' in the evening. 

 

So when our other layout (mine) got an invite for the following year we all agreed that unless they offered us all accommodation we would decline the offer.

[newbryford]

Like you, I enjoy the Friday and Saturday night socialising with my team and fellow exhibitors

But it's not just the lack of shows that prevents operating of large layouts.

I would suggest that many - if not all - clubs have currently suspended meetings.

 

Unfortunately **it has happened - there's not a lot we can do about it for now except keep modelling.

 

To lighten the mood - maybe next time you exhibit Beijao, you should offer face masks to viewers?

(Looks for emoji with face mask, but can't find one )

 

 

[MarcD]

I have 3 layouts at the moment. Scratchy Bottom which is a modular layout that ranges from 16ft to 32ft. It's currently in my Dad's garage but that's a different house i have no access to it. My other two layouts are small so they can be operated. They have been design for exhibition use. The latest on "WC Boggs" has been built as part of the Gauge 0 Guild's Micro layout competition, which should be held on August bank holiday.  

The problem with trying to carry on with work on layouts is getting hold of the parts.

 

Marc

[long island jack]

I made a rule to myself, many moons ago, if I built an exhibition layout ( 3 finished +2 being built) I must be able to run it at home, didn't see the point of putting all that time and effort in to building something then not be able to run it!

[Zomboid]

I suppose I'm lucky to have a 6 month old daughter so my trainset time is pretty much zero anyhow now and for the foreseeable future, but even without her I have found I only really like operating with a social aspect - Freemo modular meets in my case. Those have obviously gone the same way as exhibitions for the time being, though I suppose they'll be easier to restart once this is over since the general public aren't invited in any case.

 

I like the idea of a home layout but actually I can't imagine when I could be bothered to build it, never mind operate it just on my own. My half baked module was built so that I can set it up and operate it at home, but I have never really felt like actually doing so.

[Benjamin Brady]

Good Afternoon all,

 

Weaver Hill is an exhibition only layout. It is a good feeling knowing that you have a show coming along knowing you'll be able to run your layout. However to be able to have it up at home would be great. It does mean you are able to work on the layout as a whole apart from the odd board in the front room or kitchen. 

 

We have also had to have some building work on the house done which does mean we have lost our other layout which was used to test and run stock in. It is always nice to have somewhere to run trains on. We have been without a layout for a few months now and really all you want to be able to do is run trains. 

 

The advantage of building an exhibition only layout is the lack of restrictions. As long as you don't go daft you have the ability to build a lot more than you would at home. I can see the pros and cons to both but the happy medium in my eyes is there always has to be something in the house so you can run trains. 

 

Unfortunately it looks like it is going to be a while until Weaver Hill is back out of storage and it shall need a little tlc I am sure after the downtime it has had. 

 

Benjamin  

[TheQ]

I have two layouts under construction / reconstruction. 

Tiree the one I'm reconstructing, was bought for showing. In theory I could set it up in the mobile home living room  by shuffling the furniture around, it however is unlikely.  More likely is the setting up of half the layout at a time for track / connection testing. 

 

My enjoyment is in the construction and demonstration of the layout,  at home running time will mostly be trains circulating,, while I make something.. 

[TEAMYAKIMA]

3 minutes ago, TheQ said:

My enjoyment is in the construction and demonstration of the layout,  at home running time will mostly be trains circulating,, while I make something.. 

 

That is as close to my view of things as I have seen in this thread. My layout is too big to set up at home and exhibitions I enjoy operating it for the enjoyment of the viewers, but my new home layout will just have trains running round whilst I do something else.

[duff man]

Hi all,

I haven't built any kind of model railway before primarily because shunting planks etc boar the pants off me. I have made a couple off starts but soon found myself asking myself what am I doing and not generally getting any satisfaction from progress. This said I have been a railway modeller most of my life building various kits over the years. Things changed in 2005 when my wife and I had our first holiday in Austria, I quite by chance came across a model shop and as you do just had to walk in, this was the very moment my desire to build a model railway was bourn. Although I had no idea at that time quite what I was looking at I did know I was looking at some very special models in terms of quality. The bug had bit but it did take a while for this to sink in which happened when I came across the Austrian railway group at Warley in 2006, I left with a membership application form which I completed and returned to the membership secretary. As time passed by I began to formulate my plans which have seen the creation of a 30ftx 14ft exhibition layout which as I wright should brake cover in 2022, it has taken seven years to get this far. The layout goes by the name Wolfstatt and is based on a fictional section of Austrian alpine main line set as  present day. Obviously this is a layout which can only be set up in an exhibition environment however we do on set up on the patio on fine summer days. Total build time is going to be nine years but quite possibly the best Nine years of my model making life, I have no problems with the layout not being available for long periods of time there are always bits of maintenance and various layout construction projects to be dealing with of layout.

Its been a great nine years.

Craig

[saxokid]

Im lucky ive got Banks road exhibition layout,my home fixed layout.

And now 12ft portable light weight layout under construction...

[PaulRhB]

My big HOm layout can only be set up in its entirety at a show but was built in three sections so I could work on one or run one bit at a time at home. The modules were built specifically to run at home or at modular meets so they are all flexible and pretty different at home to a meet in operation. I tend to run them like a real line at home with stopping running a train for a trip then coming back to it a while later almost like real time with 4 or 5 trains a day  

Shows are great social meets and I’m missing those but using the time to progress some piles of to do lists  

[bbishop]

On ‎03‎/‎04‎/‎2020 at 12:19, Furness Wagon said:

The latest on "WC Boggs" has been built as part of the Gauge 0 Guild's Micro layout competition, which should be held on August bank holiday.  

The problem with trying to carry on with work on layouts is getting hold of the parts.

 

Marc

 

Marc, ..... and you are building a British outline layout for the competition.  Mine is German!  So some parts have to be scratchbuilt and I may resort to obtaining roofs from Sabine Bünnig at Telford and hoping that the glue dries overnight.

 

Bill

[ColinK]

My OO blue diesel layout ‘Linden Grove’ was built in my previous house but is too long to set up in our current abode - except when I have the house to myself for a few hours.

 

It is due to be replaced fairly soon, but my operators keep asking if I can keep it for a year or two as they enjoy running trains on it (so do I).  Timescales depend on when I get the new (LGB i door) layout finished and whether or not I get any exhibition invites.