York 2014

[rodshaw]

Little taste of coffee in the sponge and few walnuts, but a surprising amount of CARROTT bulking out the mixture, with no right to be there in the first place!

 

A surprising amount of Ts bulking out the word CARROT, methinks!

 

Or was Jasper really in the mixture?

 

I thought it was a good show with very good quality layouts. Having said which I'm increasingly attracted to the smaller ones - ironing board-sized is good for me.

 

Must say I was a bit bemused when I couldn't find the only listed 3mm scale layout - then I realised it wasn't a railway at all, but a clever canal lock complete with rising and falling water level.

[queensquare]

Well we had a great weekend at York, as usual Mal and his team looked after us superbly. The range of layouts, demonstraters and traders was of a consistently high standard with enough variety to pleases everyone. Despite the gruelling drive up from the south west (the M1 around Nottingham makes the M25 seem free flowing!) York remains one of our highlights of the modelling year - the combination of a quality show, great venue and the beautiful city itself is a real winner for us died in the wool yokels from the west country!

 

Our display/demo of models and research materials relating to my Bath Queensquare project seemed to go down well. What was interesting was the different emphasis of visitors who stopped for a chat. When we have put on a similar display closer to home (near Bath) people have chatted about memories of the S&D as a local line - shopping trips into Bath from Shepton, Radstoick etc. In York a surprising number of people had memories of Bath but as somewhere the train reversed on its lengthy journey taking them on holiday from various northern cities to the south coast - some fascinating stuff.

 

My only regret of the weekend was that I never made it down to have a play with Leighton Buzzard. I was sure, being in the far corner on the top floor would result in a few quiet spells where I could slip away but it didn't pan out that way. Three days talking was exhausting but great fun.

 

Jerry

[bbishop]

So GR King, the show or the cake wasn't quite to your taste......why are you telling the general railway modelling fraternity for? If you are dissatisfied, surely your comments would be better directed to the shows organising committee....as someone who exhibits no less than 5 ironing board layouts ( one will be at Sutton Coldfield next weekend) I take umbrage at your comment in an earlier post.....

So you didn't enjoy the exhibition, so be it. Why tell us- we dont care!!

 

Disgusting of Market Harborough

Why tell us? Because it is his opinion, and it's a free society so he's entitled to express it. You disagree, and you are entitled to say so. RMWeb is an open forum and members can comment as they wish within the minimal rules, although I might add "with courtesy". So far as York is concerned, he appears to have a minority view and most posts are supportive of the show ..... and the cakes.

 

Bill

[Steven B]

I spent an enjoyable few hours at the show on Sunday and very much enjoyed myself. The layouts were of a great standard and everyone appeared to be enjoying themselves.

 

Sadly I didn't get to try the cake (or the sandwiches) as there was nothing that someone with a nut allergy would risk eating due to poor labelling and potential for cross-contamination. A poor effort by the Race Course caterers I think. Cups of tea were reasonably priced though.

 

Happy modelling.

 

Steven B.

[gr.king]

"Paying customer" was no jibe, merely a statement of fact, validating my right to express what was stated as my own parochial view - which I do have a right to express even if Bungus deludes himself into believing that he speaks for everybody else (why tell US, WE'RE not interested etc etc).

 

I couldn't give a monkey's about the cake in the overall scheme of things, but somebody chose to suggest that it was wonderful. Mine wasn't.

 

Micro layouts are fine but they don't entertain the masses. Layouts that merely have trains "whizzing round" are no use either, the trains need to run fair distances at realistic speeds, be of fair lengths, AND be well modelled in well modelled surroundings. I may not have a show layout of my own to offer as an example yet, but I'm no armchair critic either, I spend many hours making models. I don't bake cake either, but I know the difference between good cake and a cheaply made, overpriced parody of a cake.

 

To those who feel that only glowing praise should ever be allowed on this website, I say "Grated carrotttttttttttttts!" to the lot of you.

[Andy Y]

To those who feel that only glowing praise should ever be allowed on this website, I say "Grated carrotttttttttttttts!" to the lot of you.

 

Graeme, if you'd just said that you didn't feel the show was up to the standard of previous years and that you felt there were too many small exhibits I certainly wouldn't have batted an eyelid and I'm sure most others would have felt your opinions was as valid as others but that came across as a secondary point after you'd launched a cake criticism. My perspective is that it's taken many people a lot of effort to put on the show and I feel it's churlish to start being negative over cakes (last week it was someone else with the BnB stand at S4) on a totally trivial issue as though it's the fault of the organisers. Daft as it sounds someone being irrelevant and unnecessary distracts from the topic and detracts from the quality of the topic. As many others have said and others I have spoken to they have enjoyed the show.

 

I've seen it before* where it takes 50 committed people to put on a show but only one detractor to cause bad feeling.

 

Next time rather than pandering to someone's perceived 'freedom' of speech it would be better just to bin the post (screams of fascism and repression around the internet) than allow irrelevant negativity.

 

*too many times

[LH&JC]

For what it's worth this was the first York I've been to since 2011 (I think) and I'm wondering why I haven't bothered going for the past couple of years, I really enjoyed it. Although in my opinion there was not nearly enough yellow on New Bryford! There were too many impressive layouts to single any one out for praise in my opinion but I will say I especially liked Kilbrandon Junction & the whole MOMING section.

I never attempted to photo everything but here's an offering of what I did shoot.

 

[D9JEF]

I visited the York show for the first time on the Sunday. Personally I thought it was very well organised and had lots of interest for all. I particularly enjoyed Porthcullin and New Bryford - being a diesel fan I would.

 

However, I thought Leicester is fantastic and I sadly miss walking over Upperton Road bridge on my way to the football. I also really like the narrow gauge layouts that were on display. I would never dream of building something similar but all the kids I saw absolutely loved them. The level of detail was also fantastic. Aren't we always wondering where the future of the hobby is...

 

Good range of trade - I always part with money with Ten Commandments and thought the Loveless display was fabulous. I believe they were for sale but 'wow' what a price. I would buy if I had the money...

 

I didn't try the catering, so I can't comment.

 

Overall, top marks and I will attend again.

 

Jeff

[Norm81]

The aforementioned 'Halfway' is just 4ft but with two levels, a sand loader, a little chimney with steam pumping out, a chap rolling a barrel, these little touches put a smile on people's faces and surely that's what counts.

I spent a fair while watching this, as i turned up to see loaded wagons removed, spotted the chute and wondered so had to watch the sequence to see if i was right!

 

Saturday was really busy, the only regrets i have are taking a point and shoot instead of my DSLR, not having enough money to spend and not having enough room for a second piece of cake. Will stick my photos up and a link later, mostly d+e.

[Jock67B]

I sadly can no longer travel far due to illness, but the photographs I have just seen make wish Id been there! Don't know 'gr king' but feel I have come to 'know' Phil Taylor through various posts he has been kind enough to produce to help me - as a recognised cake aficionado I think I would probably rather trust his judgement. What a petty and pointless post, perhaps he likes to be in a minority, as having just worked through this thread from #1, his is the only unreasonable comment! Is this why Aussies think of us as 'whingeing proms'? Well done to all concerned, and I speak as someone who has lots of experience of international motorcycle and car shows on both sides of the displays - how any one can be surprised at the cost of exhibition catering is beyond me : perhaps a visit to Ascot would give everyone a different perspective. There, got that off my chest, my biggest disappointment was not being able to see Rev. Denny's work as I have followed the saga as long as it has been running! Kind regards,

Jock67B.

[Timara]

Just about recovered from the weekend (legs still ache a tad though!), but a highly enjoyable one spent operating Portchullin with Mark and James.

My first experience of York show, which was very favourable, regardless of having to remember how to get to all the various main floors and mezzanines!  Didn't manage to see all the exhibits, but that's what happens when you go as an exhibitor anyway.

 

One or two new arrivals on Portchullin included Mark's Cravens DMU and my Heljan 26 (since bought by Mark).  Didn't bring tripod with me, so the phone camera will have to do!

 

 

I swear Leicester South looked bigger than when I last saw it at St Albans a year or so ago, unless it was just the venue that made it look it!  Was good to see it again anyway.  Shopping-wise, I picked up a couple of chassis packs from Comet - one of them for my Riddles 2MT (which Mike Edge borrowed for the weekend on his stand).  I'll get round to doing that soon.

 

 

A slight diversion from the usual here, since most sensible folk that go to shows as exhibitors would usually head straight home and put their feet up after two or even three days of it.  Before my train took me home, I popped in to the Minster for a pre-arranged couple of hours on the (rather fabulous!) organ there - friend of mine is the assistant DoM.  Couple of shameless pics: one from up by the organ case and the other of me at the nave console - I'm getting more used to being the other side of the camera now....

 

 

Cheers!

 

 

[lmsforever]

Went to York some years ago and enjoyed it a very civilised venue and this year looks no exception glad it went well the photos look good wish I could I have gone this year.

[Phil Parker]

I've just realised that the link I posted only contained half the photos I took. The album has now been updated:

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/45131642@N00/sets/72157644178991892/

[PGC]

Graeme, if you'd just said that you didn't feel the show was up to the standard of previous years and that you felt there were too many small exhibits I certainly wouldn't have batted an eyelid and I'm sure most others would have felt your opinions was as valid as others but that came across as a secondary point after you'd launched a cake criticism. My perspective is that it's taken many people a lot of effort to put on the show and I feel it's churlish to start being negative over cakes (last week it was someone else with the BnB stand at S4) on a totally trivial issue as though it's the fault of the organisers. Daft as it sounds someone being irrelevant and unnecessary distracts from the topic and detracts from the quality of the topic. As many others have said and others I have spoken to they have enjoyed the show.

 

I've seen it before* where it takes 50 committed people to put on a show but only one detractor to cause bad feeling.

 

Next time rather than pandering to someone's perceived 'freedom' of speech it would be better just to bin the post (screams of fascism and repression around the internet) than allow irrelevant negativity.

 

*too many times

 

Do the hosting club pay the race course to do the catering for them? If so, why criticise the cake on this forum as it's not something the hosting club have any control over.

 

 

A slight diversion from the usual here, since most sensible folk that go to shows as exhibitors would usually head straight home and put their feet up after two or even three days of it.  Before my train took me home, I popped in to the Minster for a pre-arranged couple of hours on the (rather fabulous!) organ there - friend of mine is the assistant DoM.  Couple of shameless pics: one from up by the organ case and the other of me at the nave console - I'm getting more used to being the other side of the camera now....

 

Cross_nave_York Minster_21-4-14_12517b.jpgTE_York Minster_nave console_21-4-14_12520b.jpg

 

Cheers!

 

Last year the choir I run sang the services over the weekend of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations and I can confirm that the organ in York Minster can make an awful lot of noise (especially when playing the introduction to Parry's "I was glad", and it really is a brilliant sound. I look forward to returning in the future - it's one of my favourite cathedrals.

 

A shameless advert (if Tim can do it, so can I ) of my choir - you can hear a recording of our weekend in York here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sthinTl8f1A, and when I get the time, I'll add some more recordings to our channel at this link http://www.youtube.com/user/CantusUK.

 

Phil

[Samuelsmifff08]

Leighton buzzards scenic could do with a bit of spring cleaning and freshening up but it gives it that Classic and historic feel

Samuel.

[newbryford]

. Although in my opinion there was not nearly enough yellow on New Bryford!

 

 

Are you listening Nobby/Spike/Rob/Graham/any one else on the Blackmill and/New Bryford teams?

 

I am not alone!

 

Cheers,

Mick

[Adrian]

As many others have said and others I have spoken to they have enjoyed the show.

 

 

I too enjoyed the show but in my opinion it wasn't quite at the same high standard as the last couple of years. There is always going to be some variation in shows from year to year and it's not possible for it to improve every year - there are going to be fluctuations. I wonder how many posters applauding the best show ever, also support the grade rises in O'levels and A'levels, do they think that educational standards can improve year on year?

 

It still is a very good show, a great location with character, not some soulless sports centre and with a great mix of scales to suit all tastes, but I do think Graham has been unfairly vilified for have made such comments. The great cake debate has been taken completely out of proportion and detracted from the debate. He appeared to be just putting an alternative point of view to someone who said the catering was great. I sorted my own comestibles for the show as in previous years I wasn't that impressed with the catering.

 

Which leads me on to the final comment, another poster claimed that the show was excellent because there were no other negative comments apart from the lone poster. However given the level of opprobrium heaped on Graham for him expressing his opinion is it any wonder no one else is prepared to stick their head above the parapet.   

[darrel]

I went on Monday first time since about 2001 mainly due to work getting in the way. I've still not managed Warley as I am always working the weekend it was on.

I was very impressed with the layouts good selection of traders, though I didn't make any large purchases all the bargains must have been snapped up in the first two days. I did buy lots of detailing parts, glues and paints. 

I thought the food in the restaurant was great and the prices very reasonable especially compared to the prices charged at the SECC in Glasgow. (No criticism of model rail Scotland intended)

Weather was great and I enjoyed the show well worth the ten hour round trip.

[enginelane]

As someone who will be taking over the post of exhibition manager for a northern show in 2015 I always read with interest comments regarding shows and how other aspects of attending a particular show tend to colour people's perception of the experience. Catering and car parking are just two of the mine fields just waiting to trip up the unawary manager and even with the best planning can catch out a club. Having been part of a team who have exhibited a layout at a great many major and small venues I cannot think of a single occasion when a club did not give 100% in trying their best to accommodate both operators and paying guests. It only takes a selfish driver to park a car in the wrong place, or someone to have a dodgy sausage roll to turn a particular show from success to failure and comments can then have impact on future years. Bottom line for me when I take over the role will have worked with the team to produce an exhibition worthy of paying money to come and see high quality layouts, traders supplying goods that people want to buy and have covered catering, access and all other aspects to the best of our abilities.

 

Regarding Leighton Buzzard I was lucky enough to listen to a talk from Tony Gee regarding Buckingham and Leighton Buzzard. His pictures and talk demonstrated not only the skill of the Rev Denney in producing such a layout a long time before a layout could be built off the shelf. It also showed that since the layout was being constantly tinkered with what a minefield of wiring and homemade switches, cereal box scenery could be. I am now 58 and am in need of updating, regular maintance and when I saw Leighton Buzzard it was running better than I was on that day! The team should be applauded for bringing the layout back on the road and showing off a slice of modelling history - I doubt that any part of my modelling will last that long!

[t-b-g]

Regarding Leighton Buzzard I was lucky enough to listen to a talk from Tony Gee regarding Buckingham and Leighton Buzzard. His pictures and talk demonstrated not only the skill of the Rev Denney in producing such a layout a long time before a layout could be built off the shelf. It also showed that since the layout was being constantly tinkered with what a minefield of wiring and homemade switches, cereal box scenery could be. I am now 58 and am in need of updating, regular maintance and when I saw Leighton Buzzard it was running better than I was on that day! The team should be applauded for bringing the layout back on the road and showing off a slice of modelling history - I doubt that any part of my modelling will last that long!

 

Many thanks for the kind words.

 

I may sound like a luddite now but in all honesty, having experienced them first hand, I now enjoy working with the "Denny" methods of doing things compared to some of our more modern ways.

 

The hobby has come a long way since the 1950s but being around Buckingham and exhibiting Leighton Buzzard makes me wonder if we have lost something along the way. The sheer ingenuity and joy of making things using hand tools and our own skill just because we can seems almost lost in a hobby full of chips and servos, superb RTR and computer aided work.

 

It is one of the great joys of our hobby, in that it covers everything from the person who will carve something from a block of wood to the person who will draw it on a computer and have it printed in 3D, never picking up a hand tool in the process. Working with Buckingham has reminded me very much of which I prefer.

 

Tony

[shortliner]

LH&JC - Thanks for posting the photos - seeing the gent clutching his pole (oooer, Missus!) in photo #5, I did wonder if somebody had modelled the Albaninan electric Mining Loco ! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CslRMmU01vk   Nice job of facial painting, BTW!

[298]

I wondered if it was just my parochial tastes in model railways causing dissatisfaction in that respect too, but as somebody else has now commented elsewhere about far too many "ironing board set-ups" and not enough "proper layouts" I'll say I agree with that sentiment too.

It's a good job I had other reasons to fully justify my visit, but I found no model railway "wow!" factor.

 

 

I suppose I might also add to my previous comments that by virtue of being a paying customer of the show on this occasion, I feel I have every right to comment on what was provided. I don't have to earn the right by demonstrating through my own efforts the "right" way to do things, especially when I have definitely sampled better offerings elsewhere, at similar or lower prices.

 

I'm not raising a specific issue with gr.king, but have noticed a worrying trend amongst show reports that I have both been to recently in various capacities or read about afterwards for comments to be made that there was no "wow" layout or factor. Apart from a general negative atitude from the poster, I think alot of it can be put down to defiencies in the venue causing a bad atmosphere (show me one that ticks all of the boxes) or an insular atitude to what someone is prepared to view, if you wrote just a short list of layouts that were worth making the effort to see, quite a few of them were at York. Worse still are the comments someone couldn't see a particular layout because of the crowds around it, when surely that is a measure of the layout's own popularity..?

[Eaton]

One might even think that some visitors go to exhibitions with the intention of finding something to be negative about. Frequently it is something over which the organisers have no control, catering, car parking, traffic to venue etc.

Other times you suspect there is a hidden agenda when the criticism is so far 'left field' that you wonder if you have visited the same show. Far better, I would have thought, to praise the positive as an encouragement to the organisers and as an assistance to getting numbers through the door. Who knows this may be good for the hobby. 

[Adrian]

have noticed a worrying trend amongst show reports that I have both been to recently in various capacities or read about afterwards for comments to be made that there was no "wow" layout or factor.

 

 

Why is that a worry? Not sure about others but I tend to talk about the previous shows depending on what layouts were there and the ones with the wow factor just makes it easier to remember the show, for example if I said "do you remember the York show with Aberbeeg and Gresley Beat?" you'd know instantly which one I was talking about. Or what about the Wigan show where Lime Street made it's first appearance. I still remember the Nottingham show when I saw Petherick. So I wouldn't take it as a criticism about the show just a statement that the lack of a wow factor layout makes it harder to identify the show in question because each of us will have a slightly different impression from the show.

 

For me the York 2014 will be the "Leighton Buzzard show", there were other excellent layouts but I'd seen them before so this was the stand out exhibit for me - your mileage may vary.

[The Stationmaster]

Going slightly off the point but what is a 'wow' layout?  The point was made above about there perhaps being an insular attitude to what folk are prepared to view and if we all go to shows expecting there will be layouts that precisely fit our 'wow profile' there will inevitably be disappointment unless, or if, the one you thought would be 'wow' doesn't live up to your expectations.

 

'Wow' is very much in the eye of the beholder I suspect as - in many cases - are the subject eras/places folk might like to see.  If the show's contents or layout list doesn't rock your boat then don't go or if you do go don't start moaning about it afterwards,  because your attendance was your choice (unless you were dragged there screaming of course).

 

And don't necessarily confuse the content with the atmosphere of the building - this year I have seen some layouts several times over at different shows and in some cases they have 'come over' differently because of the venue or the way they were fitted into it, strange how different the feeling about them can be (and probably totally irrational?).