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Your last visit to a Model Railway Exhibition


Brian Hawkins
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On 18/01/2021 at 19:09, Neil Phillips said:

Could have made it to the Calne show in January 2020 but as this was the weekend before we moved to Cornwall it would have met with huge disapproval from SWMBO so I didn't dare. I later found out it had been cancelled anyway, not Covid related at that point.

 

It wasn't cancelled - merely moved to a different venue due to building works at the leisure centre.

 

Geoff Endacott

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It seems a very long time ago now. 

The last major show I visited was the CMRA exhibition at Stevenage . Several of us from our local 009 Society group in N&W London etc. (the Buccabury Group) met up there on Saturday 11th Jan followed by our annual curry evening which was that evening in Kneebworth - another distant memory.

I was particularly struck by Fintonagh, Harlyn Pier

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and Aerodrome Park  with its ingenious kick back fiddle yard

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The only other show I got to last year was the French Railway Society's "Winter Rendezvous and Exhibtion" in Lenham on 9th February.

As well as the very striking Villefranche la-Chapelle in H0

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There were several good narrow gauge layouts there including  in 0e Chuffinecque using adapted Magic Train stock

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and in N m Gare St. Christophe

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and St. Dugdual

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There was also a very unfinished H0m layout, Le Goudron-Canal

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Its builder really does need to more work on  it  :D (It worked alright though and I was able to let several other FRS members operate it) 

 

Before lockdown I should have been at the Wealden Railway Group exhibition on March 7th in Lancing. I was stopped by a very unpleasant virus infection (not THAT virus AFAIK) but was in any case having serious doubts about the wisdom of going 

Since then of course nothing apart from several online shows (which I have enjoyed)

 

I've noticed that the lack of exhibiitons seems to have slowed down layout building activity for quite a lot of people I know.  Have those of you with permanent or semi- permanent home layouts been getting more done on them?

 

 

 

Edited by Pacific231G
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Mine would be Macclesfield, 14-15 March. Just as things were on the precipice. In fact, looking back through my photo album, it literally goes from one photo being of a layout at Macclesfield, to the next being of the working-from-home office I set up three days later as we went into the spiral towards lockdown 1.

Edited by Dragonfly
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5 hours ago, Pacific231G said:

 

I've noticed that the lack of exhibiitons seems to have slowed down layout building activity for quite a lot of people I know.  Have those of you with permanent or semi- permanent home layouts been getting more done on them?

 

 

 

 

Yes, I've been doing quite a lot (as energy levels allow) but not necessarily always a great amount to show for them as it's often a case of one step forwards two back (or even vice versa).

 

As examples:

 

Devil's Bridge/Niederau

 

I completely relaid the track over the summer as I had precisely the right number of 009 points to do it.

Whilst I was fitting one of the point motors, I managed to damage the lead point and had to order a replacement - twice! Made the decision not to use a Peco point motor on it the third time, but to use a SEEP surface mount instead - only they haven't been available for six months....

Got all the track laid and running nicely so I ballasted it.....

All of a sudden, derailments I wasn't getting before, point motors not working, electrical dead spots, rails mysteriously coming out of joiners....

All (hopefully!) fixed now....

 

Aberystwyth

 

Assembled four servo mounts for Llanbadarn crossing. Checked all four of them against the outputs on a MERG Servo 4 board. All 4 work. Drilled four holes in the baseboard and started gluing the mounts in position (involving sitting and holding each one for 1/4 hour or so, going away and finding they'd fallen off...). Eventually got the rear two stuck in place only to find a different photo of the prototype that showed I'd mounted them in the wrong place....

Finally get all four mounts mounted under the baseboard and the SERVO4 mounted on the baseboard frame, only to find that for some reason now only one of the four channels works correctly and two don't work at all....

Decide to have a running session instead and find a number of issues involving derailments or electricity either not going where it's supposed to or going somewhere it's not supposed to....

 

Plenty to keep me busy!

 

However the Niederau backscene looks good (apart from the joins - at some point I'll get it professionally printed on a piece of ply) and the Llanbadarn Up Home signal works!

 

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8 hours ago, Geoff Endacott said:

 

It wasn't cancelled - merely moved to a different venue due to building works at the leisure centre.

 

Geoff Endacott

 

Apologies Geoff, I recalled it incorrectly. But I'd still have got a bent ear if I'd attended and left the missus surrounded in boxes!

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1 hour ago, doilum said:

Pontefract. Had another enjoyable show before the impending doom dawned on us.

We also had an excellent show at Pontefract. Much enjoyed.

This was my favourite layout. Burnroyd I think?

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and these were my co-conspirators on Derwent Road (09) by Bill Flude (on the left in this photo)

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and this was one of Roger Nicholl's

49442302103_45ef41b895_z.jpg

 

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On 19/01/2021 at 10:50, ardbealach said:

Second last time out as an exhibitor with 'Whithorn'  was up to Model Rail Glasgow in February 2020 for a great weekend - pictures below.   And finally we exhibited 'Whithorn' at Macclesfield on 14/15 March. On the Sunday at Macclesfield there were more exhibitors and traders than visitors, and as the day went on it just went quieter and quieter.

 

Next time out up to Perth now cancelled - and then we are down the M5 to Taunton at the October Half Term.  Hope that one goes ahead - best model exhibition lunches there - IMHO!  (AM)

 

20200222_144155.jpg

Hi ardblealach

 

Your camera must have been set on a very high shutter speed. You have managed to catch Bungus The Fogeyma (Dave Tailby, about 1/3 in from the left and half way up in a purple jumper) operating his own layout. Having spent the weekend "helping" Dave you have photographed him on one of those rare moments when I wasn't operating the train set, must have been filling the tea cups or off for a P.

 

The Glasgow show is always a good weekend. I was looking forward to going  again this year where I was taking a layout and Dave was to be my little helper. I am really looking forward to when we can all start attending shows be it an exhibitor, a trader or a visitor. 

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I’m really rather ashamed to say that other than my local small show in Hinckley, the only other regular show I attend, which was also my last, is Warley.

 

I’ve set a goal to find more time to go to other events when normality resumes, God willing. This wretched virus has really highlighted to me the importance of making more time for ones own life, not just ones own work.

 

Excellent thread, I’ve really enjoyed reading this.

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On 20/01/2021 at 21:42, Dragonfly said:

Mine would be Macclesfield, 14-15 March. Just as things were on the precipice. In fact, looking back through my photo album, it literally goes from one photo being of a layout at Macclesfield, to the next being of the working-from-home office I set up three days later as we went into the spiral towards lockdown 1.

 

That was our last show of 2020.  Managed to also exhibit/visit at Pontefract and Rainhill, Stafford and SECC, which now makes it all so painfull to be 'locked away' from the beautiful hobby.

 

The weekend we were at Macclesfield, we set up on the Friday, unsure if it would last until the Sunday.  There were various news bulletins being relayed around the hall, about ‘elderly’ types being confined to barracks on the Monday 16th.  We were in the Premier Inn and the only guests were exhibitors/traders for the show.  When 4:30pm breakdown arrived, everyone packed up quickly and we drove through Cheshire hardly seeing many cars or people, until we got to Lymm M6.  We all know what has gone on since then, and now we are paying the price of what some of us would describe as complacency, irresponsibility, and stupidity out there.

 

It was a great weekend, with a real sense of camaraderie!  Well done to the club for having made a carefully considered decision to go for it.

 

Roll on the vaccines, and let's hope a chink of light starts to appear in the Autumn.  Until then, with no sense of urgency, I am slowly getting on with improvements to a couple of layouts.

 

Dave

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53 minutes ago, 70000 Britannia said:

 

That was our last show of 2020.  Managed to also exhibit/visit at Pontefract and Rainhill, Stafford and SECC, which now makes it all so painfull to be 'locked away' from the beautiful hobby.

 

The weekend we were at Macclesfield, we set up on the Friday, unsure if it would last until the Sunday.  There were various news bulletins being relayed around the hall, about ‘elderly’ types being confined to barracks on the Monday 16th.  We were in the Premier Inn and the only guests were exhibitors/traders for the show.  When 4:30pm breakdown arrived, everyone packed up quickly and we drove through Cheshire hardly seeing many cars or people, until we got to Lymm M6.  We all know what has gone on since then, and now we are paying the price of what some of us would describe as complacency, irresponsibility, and stupidity out there.

 

It was a great weekend, with a real sense of camaraderie!  Well done to the club for having made a carefully considered decision to go for it.

 

Roll on the vaccines, and let's hope a chink of light starts to appear in the Autumn.  Until then, with no sense of urgency, I am slowly getting on with improvements to a couple of layouts.

 

Dave

 

Or may be just a lack of knowledge & understanding?

We know a lot more now than we did back then, some (but not all) of which was due to information being suppressed.

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Managed to visit two shows last year, the Canterbury show on January 18 followed by the Tonbridge Show on February 15.

 

February 15 was also the last day that I rode on a train - to get to and from Tonbridge.

 

Keith

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52 minutes ago, Pete the Elaner said:

 

Or may be just a lack of knowledge & understanding?

We know a lot more now than we did back then, some (but not all) of which was due to information being suppressed.

There has been plenty of wide-ranging knowledge and guidance disseminated. Unfortunately, the proverb "you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink" has been often demonstrated.

 

No matter, returning to the theme of the thread, the joy of exhibitions will be a joyous moment for many and, hopefully, will produce many new presentations for us all to enjoy.

 

Dave

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3 hours ago, 70000 Britannia said:

 

That was our last show of 2020.  Managed to also exhibit/visit at Pontefract and Rainhill, Stafford and SECC, which now makes it all so painfull to be 'locked away' from the beautiful hobby.

 

The weekend we were at Macclesfield, we set up on the Friday, unsure if it would last until the Sunday.  There were various news bulletins being relayed around the hall, about ‘elderly’ types being confined to barracks on the Monday 16th.  We were in the Premier Inn and the only guests were exhibitors/traders for the show.  When 4:30pm breakdown arrived, everyone packed up quickly and we drove through Cheshire hardly seeing many cars or people, until we got to Lymm M6.  We all know what has gone on since then, and now we are paying the price of what some of us would describe as complacency, irresponsibility, and stupidity out there.

 

It was a great weekend, with a real sense of camaraderie!  Well done to the club for having made a carefully considered decision to go for it.

 

Roll on the vaccines, and let's hope a chink of light starts to appear in the Autumn.  Until then, with no sense of urgency, I am slowly getting on with improvements to a couple of layouts.

 

Dave

As I commented earlier in this thread it was certainly quiet on that Sunday afternoon at Macclesfield.  None of us knew back then just what an effect Covid would have on life, not least on our exhibitions.   The attached picture illustrates just how quiet it was.  But we cannot blame ourselves for what you say are "complacency, irresponsibility, and stupidity"  It was just that we were then innocent, as was everyone at that time.

 

So are we agreed that Macclesfield was the final exhibition before lockdown?  (Alisdair)

macclesfield show 2020.jpg

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6 hours ago, ardbealach said:

As I commented earlier in this thread it was certainly quiet on that Sunday afternoon at Macclesfield.  None of us knew back then just what an effect Covid would have on life, not least on our exhibitions.   The attached picture illustrates just how quiet it was.  But we cannot blame ourselves for what you say are "complacency, irresponsibility, and stupidity"  It was just that we were then innocent, as was everyone at that time.

 

So are we agreed that Macclesfield was the final exhibition before lockdown?  (Alisdair)

macclesfield show 2020.jpg

Hi Alisdair, we have crossed paths a few times. I recall you were "back-to-back"  with us at Liverpool in June 2019, in the Church (Clayton End Signalman)!  Also, I thought we were indeed operating at the last exhibition (or one of) last year.  Very unusual but enjoyable weekend. I agree, we have learned a lot since then.

 

Forgive my criticism - it was reserved for just some of the recent publicised transgressors :-).  Even so, I can understand the frustrations we are all feeling.  It will be very interesting to see which show will be the first to launch in the future.

 

Dave

 

 

Edited by 70000 Britannia
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The last show I did was Bristol gauge O group's show this time last year. My  5 year old (4 then) loved it. Since then we were supposed to have done 6 shows. I'm not hopeful of any of the 6 book for this year going ahead, but hopefully I'm wrong.

Marc

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Wimborne on the Saturday 14th before lockdown started, attendence was way down and you could overhear anxious conversations on just about every stand. Seems like a lifetime ago now... If I'd known how long this was going to last I would have bought more!

 

I have made a resolution that once restrictions are lifted and exhibitions are back on I am going to visit every one within reasonable distance - just because I can.

 

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