TRAINWEST 2013 - 13 & 14 April

[leavesontheline]

Just back from my first visit to this show and I was very impressed. Well organised/laid out and a good mix of exhibitors. I like to see a bit of everything at such shows and this one didn't disappoint! The standard of modelling was very high and, as sometimes isn't the case at shows, the standard of operation was very good too. I'm sure it must get boring doing the same train movements all weekend and it must get tempting to rush it sometimes, but not today - even near to closing time!

 

It is hard to pick favourites as so many of the layouts appealed on different levels but the ones I spent the longest watching were Coppell and Warren Lane. Both superb and glad I've finally seen Warren Lane in the flesh after watching it on here for so long! Well done to all at the show.

[darren01]

Hi All

 

Spent the weekend up at this show with Ray,of Yard shunter , and had a very good time playing trains all weekend ,Thanks Ray.

 

I thought it was a much better show this year,than last and better trade stands.

 

Got a lot of bits and saw lots of very useful new items on some of the stands,and brought far to much.

 

Well done to you all for your hard work putting this show on, Thank you.

 

Here are some photo of the show this year's layouts.

 

All the best

 

Darren01

 

 

[Flood]

Thank you to everyone at the Bentley Model Railway Club for organising an excellent show.

 

I will apologise now to anyone who did not see perfect running on Aberdeen Kirkhill this weekend. The reasons for this have been identified and, hopefully, will never occur again. I felt very embarrassed by not only the performance of the layout and some of the locos but also by my own driving on occasions.

 

That aside we thoroughly enjoyed the show which had a most impressive attendance. Along with superb accommodation and an excellent evening meal organised by the club on the Saturday this produced a great weekend all round..

[Bruciethefish]

Had a really enjoyable, though tiring weekend, & having #2 daughter along meant I was at least able to view a few layouts & chat to fellow traders... Horsley Bank gets my vote for an incredible atmosphere in a small space, though I thought the standard throughout was very high....

[Calnefoxile]

 

On behalf of all the members of Bentley Model Railway Group, I would like to thank you all for the kind words.

 

We, as a group, appreciate all the feedback, good or bad, so we can try and maintain or improve the standards ysar on year. As many of you know Geoff works very hard to organise Trainwest and the rest of the Group work extremely hard to assist him on the weekend, to ensure his plans come to fruition and when you see the visitors, sometimes 2 or 3 deep in front of layouts, it makes me very proud to be the Chairman of a group of hard working chaps.

 

So once again thank you to everyone who attended as either a punter or operator and I'm glad you all enjoyed your experience of Trainwest 2013. See you again next year, unlesz you fancy visiting Calne2 in July.

 

Regards

 

Neal

Chairman

BMRG

[steveb860]

Really enjoyed the show this year,I hope it was a financial success for the club following the Calne disappointment. Shall try and make Calne2. Always nice catching up with the chaps.  

[The Stationmaster]

I will apologise now to anyone who did not see perfect running on Aberdeen Kirkhill this weekend. The reasons for this have been identified and, hopefully, will never occur again. I felt very embarrassed by not only the performance of the layout and some of the locos but also by my own driving on occasions.

Not to worry - everytime I tried to get close enough to the layout there were so many folk already there I could only look between their shoulders!

[roundhouse]

Flood

 

I think that most of us have been there.I know the feeling well!

 

As long as we keep striving to get towards perfection even if we never make it then at least we are heading in the right direction.

 

From Mikes comment it seems like people were more than happy to watch your layout anyway.

 

ian

[DLT]

Hi All

Spent the weekend up at this show with Ray,of Yard shunter , and had a very good time playing trains all weekend ,Thanks Ray.

I thought it was a much better show this year,than last and better trade stands.

Got a lot of bits and saw lots of very useful new items on some of the stands,and brought far to much.

Well done to you all for your hard work putting this show on, Thank you.

Here are some photo of the show this year's layouts.

All the best Darren01

Great set of photos there Darren, glad you had a good time, and I'm sorry I couldn't make it.

I'm there myself with Bridport next year.

Cheers, Dave.

[jitterbug1723]

Many thanks to Geoff and his team for such an enjoyable weekend. Helpful and friendly group of lads. The refreshments provided on the Friday were especially welcome after having done battle with the good old M4 on the way down !!! Great show all round.

Steffan and Dave ( Maindee East )

[kevpeo]

 Coppell just for the sheer fun of watching long trains go by (and the DCC noise wasn't so loud as to spoil the fun)

 

Cheers Kenton, We do try to get the sound balanced, which does mean learning how to turn some down! We had a great time at the show and got home to a rain soddon Cumbria at midnight, and with only one point motor in the fiddle yard on the 'fix it' list too. On the same point that the last motor failed on at Brighton!

Thanks to all the team at Trainwest for all the hard work they put in, so we can play trains all day! Kev.

[engage]

There is hardly anything that I can add to the above posting, Jitterbug has summed it all up very nicely.

I would like to emphasise the Helpful and Friendly bit,.we arrived as strangers on Friday but that did not

last long and we had a marvelous weekend.       Thanks to all the team and with special thanks to Neal

for helping to keep the trains running on Sunday and to the two Shifters who helped us on our way after

he show

 

Horseley Fields by members of the NGS

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/30801-horseley-fields-n-gauge-layout-was-dibben-junction/

 

Cheers

John,    

Chief Engineer to HF

[Geoff Endacott]

We aim to please.

 

I am glad that so many people seemed to enjoy themselves.

 

The overall attendance was down by a not very significant 17 compared to last year's record high. Considering that the admission prices had all gone up by £1 I am happy with that.

 

The important point is that I can now write a cheque to cover the balance of the annual clubroom rent.

 

I must get around the updating the Trainwest 2014 thread. Most of the layouts are already booked.

 

Geoff Endacott

Exhibition Manager, Trainwest

[darren01]

hI

Here are some more photo's from the show.

Darren01

[marc smith]

I've already posted a thanks to Geoff, and to some comments on my own thread,

but I just thought I'd add my thoughts here....

The Bentley MRC were very welcoming, to exhibitors - especially

with a selection of sandwiches, tea, coffee, chocolate biscuits and jaffa cakes, on arrival

that went down very well I can assure you

Thanks must go to Geoff and all the other organisers,

who were all very upbeat and chirpy all the time (even by 5.30 on Saturday!)

It was a well organised show, with a nice range of exhibits and good trade

Well done folks!

It must have been difficult to re-organise last minute,

but it's always nice to see "Hedges Hill"

and somehow, you seemed to fill the void well

 

Thanks to Darren for posting those nice pics

 

Cheers all

 

Marc

[darren01]

 

 

Hi

I can honestly say the sandwich did go down far to well,after the drive up and the three ups of coffee was most welcome.

Setting up was very easy,all where very wellcome, Good to spend time with Marc as well.

Thanks to Ray for a good weekend,Seen any lions?.

Darren01

[37114]

Great to see so many positive comments about the show, Geoff certainly excelled with the quality of layouts and trade he pulled in. As ever the amount of happy punters makes the hard work (and injuries) by the members putting on the show worthwhile. Apologies to anybody who saw the derailments on Hedges Hill on Sunday morning, I was left in charge of an unfamiliar layout in a scale half the size I am used to! Can't wait till Trainwest 2014

[marc smith]

Great to see so many positive comments about the show, Geoff certainly excelled with the quality of layouts and trade he pulled in. As ever the amount of happy punters makes the hard work (and injuries) by the members putting on the show worthwhile. Apologies to anybody who saw the derailments on Hedges Hill on Sunday morning, I was left in charge of an unfamiliar layout in a scale half the size I am used to! Can't wait till Trainwest 2014

 

The positive comments are all there because the show was good

It's a tough job, organising exhibitions, and I would always encourage positive comments

as this goes some way to reward all that hard work

 

I didn't see any derailments on Hedges Hill

- perhaps next year, they will ask you to run a T scale layout

[Calnefoxile]

Oh he had derailments by the score for a while, and of course it was all the stocks fault, even though the very same stock had been running perfectly for the rest of us all day on the Saturday  

 

Maybe he just needs more practice  

 

Regards

 

Neal.

[jbe]

I would just like to add my thanks to Geoff and the Bentley club for organising a first class show. There were some really excellent layouts present, but what set it apart was the quality of the trade stands. There were a lot of good specialist traders present with all those useful bits that are often so hard to find at exhibitions.

 

I had a lot of fun and interesting conversations while running Khan - there are many friendly people around Melksham!

 

Julian

[Philip52LC]

Looked forward to last weekend since January when due to the snow couldn't get to Calne. Living ten minutes away is naturally a bonus but means that I can visit both days should I wish. Having not absorbed from the website who was attending ( I really should pay attention and not read stuff in the early hours of the morning) I ended up visiting twice principally to purchase a number of books that were on offer. Mind it did mean a second chance to view layouts that were busy the first time.

 

However, having attended all shows sinced it moved from Chippenham, I thought this was the best yet and had I not been required at home to look after a poorly wife, could easily have stayed for several hours both days. My congratulations to everyone, not only all the hard working organisers but also those who attended from far and wide to display their modelling skills and sell their wares. 

 

Am already looking forward to Trainwest 2014 which has a high standard to meet following this show. 

 

Regards

 

Philip

[RichardL]

_{Thanks to Geoff and his team from all of the Nettlebridge Valley crew, Well organised, well attended. Cracking selection of layouts, good variation of scales, era's etc}

 

_Cheers

 

_{Richard Lane}

[alastairb]

I'll add my thanks to Geoff and the team for an excellent show, my second Trainwest since moving to the SW. As an HO American modeller, I was disappointed that Sweethome Alabama couldn't make it, but Menasha made up for it. Lots of impressive modelling on the other layouts and you can always learn something from a good layout whatever the theme - British Outline modellers who dismissively walk past overseas layouts without bothering to stop and look please note! Trade again was excellent, lots of good stalls selling lots of hard to come by "bits and pieces". I wouldn't agree with the comment from an earlier poster about too many of the stands selling too much second hand stock. All in all an excellent day out.

 

Alastair

[enginelane]

Thank you for your comments re Menasha. The show is the furthest south the layout has travelled and the comments and hospitality received made the long journey so worth while. As an exhibitor you are well looked after and having a view from the B and B window over the Kennet and Avon canal with sheep in the fields made a change from the back street views of some well known hotel chains

[Geoff Endacott]

Catering.

 

I have just spoken to the centre manager. They are aware of the problems and hope to bring in an outside caterer next year. This may involve parking a mobile catering van outside the entrance and allowing people to sit inside the building to eat.

 

Hurrah!

 

Geoff Endacott