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Nottingham East Midlands Model Railway Exhibition, 15 & 16 March


GWC1

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Did they not move often enough for you? Given that it is a terminus station I thought that over the whole weekend the trains were on average moving often enough, and certainly much more frequently than they would on the real thing.

 

Anyway, after all the moaning that went on last year about the bewildering layout of the show, the quagmire parking field and the lack of alternative parkibng facilities, I think the Nottingham Club deserve nothing but praise for this year's event. It is a great pity that an even greater number of visitors were not in attendance this year to see what the club has achieved. Given that the current venue (which is quite simply the best one that club can get at present owing to the reconstruction of the sports centre) isn't ideal as it cannot be arranged to have everything in obvious locations in a single hall, best use was made of the spaces that were available. Okay, the arrangement of the show was still described by some (those who were first-time visitors I imagine, or those who have no navigation skills/memory whatsoever) as a "rabbit warren", but all visitors, whether or not they bought a show guide, were given a plan of the exhibition. Plenty of prominent yellow signs indicated, for those with "eyes to see", the location / direction of "more exhibits" when these were not in immediately visible locations. Movement across the open spaces between the main groups of buildings was not a test of endurance of cold weather and frequent rain as it was last year, in fact it was a very pleasant weekend compared to typical March weather. For me, as a returning for a second year and not therefore handicapped by simple unfamiliarity with show, it was a doddle to find my way around. There was no problem with with cars sinking into a Somme battlefield!

 

All in all I thought it a well organised show with good exhibits and trade, very much a credit to the organising club who, as usual, looked after exhibitors luxuriously! Any traders, exhibitors or paying visitors who decided not to go this year based on bad experiences last year (or merely on sensationalist reports of last year's show) really have missed out on a good event. I thoroughly recommend the show to all in future years.

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I took my 2FS micro layout up to show in the 2mm room on Saturday (photos here) and like others I enjoyed myself. I'm a regular at the show, whether as a punter or an exhibitor and I do think that the organisers have taken on board some of the issues from last year and done their best to solve them. They even got the weather organised this year.

 

I think that the use of individual classrooms for themed or society areas is an excellent way to make the most of the opportunities presented by a venue which would not be the organisers' first choice.

 

So... well done and thanks from me.

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Did they not move often enough for you? Given that it is a terminus station I thought that over the whole weekend the trains were on average moving often enough, and certainly much more frequently than they would on the real thing.

 

Anyway, after all the moaning that went on last year about the bewildering layout of the show, the quagmire parking field and the lack of alternative parkibng facilities, I think the Nottingham Club deserve nothing but praise for this year's event. It is a great pity that an even greater number of visitors were not in attendance this year to see what the club has achieved. Given that the current venue (which is quite simply the best one that club can get at present owing to the reconstruction of the sports centre) isn't ideal as it cannot be arranged to have everything in obvious locations in a single hall, best use was made of the spaces that were available. Okay, the arrangement of the show was still described by some (those who were first-time visitors I imagine, or those who have no navigation skills/memory whatsoever) as a "rabbit warren", but all visitors, whether or not they bought a show guide, were given a plan of the exhibition. Plenty of prominent yellow signs indicated, for those with "eyes to see", the location / direction of "more exhibits" when these were not in immediately visible locations. Movement across the open spaces between the main groups of buildings was not a test of endurance of cold weather and frequent rain as it was last year, in fact it was a very pleasant weekend compared to typical March weather. For me, as a returning for a second year and not therefore handicapped by simple unfamiliarity with show, it was a doddle to find my way around. There was no problem with with cars sinking into a Somme battlefield!

 

All in all I thought it a well organised show with good exhibits and trade, very much a credit to the organising club who, as usual, looked after exhibitors luxuriously! Any traders, exhibitors or paying visitors who decided not to go this year based on bad experiences last year (or merely on sensationalist reports of last year's show) really have missed out on a good event. I thoroughly recommend the show to all in future years.

 

I couldn't make it this year but have exhibited there a few times and felt it worthwhile to drive up from Wiltshire on occasions as a punter. I would agree with all of the above, the current venue is far from ideal but I feel the club make the most of it. As an exhibitor, I think the welcome Nottingham provides is up with the very best. Hopefully make it next year.

 

Jerry

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Well done and thank you to all involved in staging this year's show.  I had a really enjoyable day out and I appreciate the effort that goes into staging such an event.  As an aside, I also rather enjoyed seeking out the various locations around the venue, aided and abetted by the map thoughtfully provided by the organisers.

 

Cheers all,

 

Paul

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Well , that's got to be a first for us, no complaints so far

for the parking arrangements. The club decided that we should

sort the parking ourselves to save money, and with help from

other clubs in the area who also helped with stewarding we

seem to have pulled it of. A big thanks to everybody who helped

us this year,

 

Cheers Geoff.

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Hi Folks

 

I attended the Nottingham show this weekend with my D&E era layout "Melangoose", had a fantastic time. Nice to be in the company of such great layouts

 

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Midchester

 

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Farkham Hall

 

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Meadow Lane TMD

 

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Dubmill

 

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Woodhead

 

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Aberbeeg

 

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Streatham Mainline

 

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Airesby Colliery

 

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and the sunsets as the exhibition closes on my layout

 

Good luck to Graham and the team for next years show

 

Nigel

 

 

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Clearly a much improved visitor experience over last year's - getting parked relatively close by without having to drive around half Nottingham, and the dry weather meant I made it into the exhibition proper dry and happy. This helps massively.

 

For me the society-specific classrooms didn't work that well - Although the micro layouts and demonstrations were interesting, to my mind each room needed a significant  layout in the scale represented to act as a focus. MERG would be trickier - do any of the MERG membership have exhibit-able layouts on the circuit which show off some MERG-sourced electronics without having the entire scenic areas between tracks stacked high with circuit boards? 

 

The little hand-out maps were useful - although a little more work to align them with the plentiful signs and the room contents would have helped - especially in the back stage area. It's a tricky call - clarity versus clutter on a map.

 

Getting around the exhibition was easy, with wide aisles and plenty of space - possibly too easy on Sunday. I hope the numbers were satisfactory. 

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For me the society-specific classrooms didn't work that well - Although the micro layouts and demonstrations were interesting, to my mind each room needed a significant  layout in the scale represented to act as a focus. MERG would be trickier - do any of the MERG membership have exhibit-able layouts on the circuit which show off some MERG-sourced electronics without having the entire scenic areas between tracks stacked high with circuit boards? 

 

I think I can answer this, yes, both my layouts use MERG electronics, but as they are all underneath the layout no-one can see them. It is difficult to see how the circuits can be displayed without being impinging on the scenic element of the layout.

 

If anyone want to have a look though when I'm at a show just ask and you can peer "under the skirts" of either Summat Colliery or Fourgig East ;)

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I attended on Sunday.  I parked on solid ground and congratulate the organisers for obtaining the use of it.

 

The layout of the show made the best of an unwanted situation.  Think of an advent calendar: every door conceals something different and thus it was here.  Electronics frighten and baffle me so I did not enter the MERG zone.  In the EM zone I found many of the great and good, all doing as good demonstrators should and being friendly, and in the Scalefour zone I learned a little about servos [but see above re fright and baffle] and found some fine ambassadors for P4, among them Rob Milliken's delightful brewery layout.  2mm could have done with a bit more space!  It has some fine ambassadors.

 

Other layouts impressed.  Do not assume that those I do not mention here did not impress for that is not necessarily so.  Aberbeeg is a remarkable place to model in 7mm but it does help if it is displayed in a sports hall, as here.  It is a good use of the 'parallel universe' principle, imagining as it does that passenger services continued beyond 1962 instead of being sacrificed to make room for imported iron ore traffic.  In the main hall, amid some more run of the mill offerings, was Cheltenham South and Leckhampton.  Those responsible for the shunting know what they are doing and I admit to having wondered just how some of it would be accomplished without gumming up the whole works. A pannier with two cattle vans in front and two behind is a fine sight.

 

The catering left me with mixed feelings. A giant sausage roll for £1.50 is good value and I forgive the lady assistant for supposing at first that I wanted a cob with sausage in it.  A cob is not in this case the embankment on the Festiniog Railway at Porthmadog or a bank of shingle at Lyme Regis but a bread roll   Tea, though extremely welcome, was dispensed in a cardboard receptacle and a tad pricy but served with smiley faces which makes a lot of difference.

 

The exhibition guide was good value at £1.50.  With it came the famous site plan but dimbo here mistook the courtyard for something else that looked like a courtyard. Although I failed O Level geography I can read maps.  Honest.

 

Chris

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For me the society-specific classrooms didn't work that well - Although the micro layouts and demonstrations were interesting, to my mind each room needed a significant  layout in the scale represented to act as a focus. MERG would be trickier - do any of the MERG membership have exhibit-able layouts on the circuit which show off some MERG-sourced electronics without having the entire scenic areas between tracks stacked high with circuit boards? 

 

As RedgateModels has said, plenty of members (myself included) have exhibitable layouts which use MERG electronics. Indeed, there were some at the Nottingham show that you probably didn't even realise - such as the automatic two train tube shuttle on 'Streatham'.

The whole point of a demonstration area is to make these things visible to visitors so they can see what can be achieved and how others have gone about it, not to keep it all hidden away. Of course, some exhibits take this to extremes such as Colin Head's 'Silicone Valley', which is particularly (and deliberately) 'stacked'!

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I visited on Saturday. I congratulate the organisors for managing to deal with some of the "issues" that others raised last year. The free maps and greater signage was a big improvement on last year. The parking was much improved as well and the queue was handled extremely well. It took me very little time to get into the show.

 The grouping of exhibits made it easy to find things, and also to avoid those items which did not interest me.

 

 Last year I supported the show in the face of much of the criticism. I really enjoyed the 2013 show. I suppose the number of large 00 gauge steam era layouts on show last year helped with at least four spectacular layouts including Thurston, Leicester South and Borchester Market.

 Sadly the line up lacked that sort of steam era quality this year and I was left underwhelmed. Kimberley was the highlight in this scale and era of modelling for me. The other highlight was the blue diesel model "Aberbeeg" which was a superb O gauge model.

 

 I was impressed by the catering and thought that it was pretty good value for money. I was also quite happy to pay £1.50 for the excellent show guide. I do think that the £8 entrance fee was quite steep for the number of layouts on show. Stafford is only £1 more and features more layouts (and the show guide is only £1!!!). My other criticism is the lighting in the Sports Hall was poor for the second year running. Much too dark!

 

 All in all some issues have been dealt with, but others still need attending to.

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Personally wish I hadnt bothered. Although there were some excellent layouts and a reasonable selction of trade the accessibility was a major let down. I attended on saturday with son number 2 in a pushchair. almost immideately faced with stairs I was told the lift are available if you wish to use one please find a steward. Steward found and lift used I entered the first room or two then to be faced with another lift... oh but wheres the steward? and again another lift but no steward in sight? This seemed to be par for the course and I ended up lugging son number two and associated pushchair up and down stairs and through firedoors (and would it hurt for some inconsiderate others just to hold the door for a few seconds) Result: Grumpy son and Grumpy dad.

I also couldnt get alongside the layout on the balcony as the space was too narrow for people to watch the layout, sit at the demos and get a pushchair down the aisle so gave up on that one.

Lost my show guide from under the pushchair through all the humping, so that was a waste of money - never even opened it!

It baffles me that stewards were stood randomly in corridors and on corners handing out leaflets when they could have performed the same task stood next to lifts thus saving all of the aformentioned drama (I wasn't the only one, I spoke to others with pushchairs/wheelchairs and they expressed nothing but displeasure)

Highlights for me were the couple of minutes spent watching Airesby Colliery and catching up with me old mate Bryn in the 2mmfs room.

Disgruntled Steve

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Myself and two friends made the trip from York to the show on Sunday morning and had no problem parking. A little walk from the venue but good to stretch legs after driving.

My pals have been to this event in previous years and said this venue is being used while the other is refurbished. That's good news because I didn't like the venue at all. Exhibiters were set up in rooms all over the place and many a time I had to stop and check where I was and how to get out. Food was good and staff friendly.

Enjoyed the two O gauge diesel layouts the most and spent some pennies on a very tastily weathered class 26.

All in all I enjoyed it.

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My wife and I came along on the Sunday and enjoyed our visit. As ever the overall standard of layouts was high, although I can sympathise with the writer above who felt there was no equivalent of the magnificent Leicester Central in the 4mm steam era. We had no problems finding our way around. 

 

Melton North is remarkable as an historic re-creation, we enjoyed the Taff Vale Welsh layout and Gary Atkinson's Woodhead is always a pleasure to see - still performing faultlessly at 5pm as the show closed! That is by no means to exclude the many other fine exhibits to be seen. The range of traders was excellent and allowed for the purchase of a number of items, as well as some very helpful conversations.

 

The Nottingham Club included a showcase exhibit of some of its Woodhead electrics, both 4mm & 7mm, and I for one would be more than delighted to see the Deepcar layout re-appear at some point, especially in its earlier black and green livery guise. How about it for next year guys?

 

John Tomlinson.

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My wife and I came along on the Sunday and enjoyed our visit. As ever the overall standard of layouts was high, although I can sympathise with the writer above who felt there was no equivalent of the magnificent Leicester Central in the 4mm steam era. We had no problems finding our way around. 

 

Melton North is remarkable as an historic re-creation, we enjoyed the Taff Vale Welsh layout and Gary Atkinson's Woodhead is always a pleasure to see - still performing faultlessly at 5pm as the show closed! That is by no means to exclude the many other fine exhibits to be seen. The range of traders was excellent and allowed for the purchase of a number of items, as well as some very helpful conversations.

 

The Nottingham Club included a showcase exhibit of some of its Woodhead electrics, both 4mm & 7mm, and I for one would be more than delighted to see the Deepcar layout re-appear at some point, especially in its earlier black and green livery guise. How about it for next year guys?

 

John Tomlinson.

 

Thanks for your kind words, and as for Deepcar, it's been out at Barrow Hill twice recently. First at the Barrow Hill live event last September and then a bit tongue in cheek for the visit of the two expat A4s in February. Nothing but Deltics to be seen on it! :jester:

We also went to the Model Rail event at Newark the week before Barrow Hill but the less said about that the better  :ireful:

 

If you can make it to the big show at Quorn GCR in June, we will have both Deepcar and Netherwood Sidings on display.

A bit more information here:

http://www.svmrc.co.uk/news.php

 

Edited to add smiley

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Hiya all,

 

In answer to a couple of Steve's points about the lifts and steward placing, steward weren't placed randomly all over corridors they were placed where they needed to be, ie entrance doors, exit doors,car parks etc, as we don't pay stewards (obviously) so there's no way we can force them to come and do a lot of hours at the show also the increasing age of some club members means the numbers seem to diminish a bit every year, we can't have stewards everywhere all the time, we are always on the lookout for members to join the club or even just to help out at the show, if you had asked about the a guide when you realised you had lost one, I'm sure one could have been sourced, as I help do the roster to sort the stewards out I can tell you it's no easy job.

 

Dave

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Thanks for the kind comments about the show everyone, we really do appreciate the feedback.

 

Re Ian Trivett, it seems his computer is also unwell. Regular exhibitors will know that his email was hacked a few years ago. The story then was that he was in Spain and the emails went out a couple of weeks before the show. I tried to tell everyone that it was a virus scam but we still had people come up to us at the show and ask if he was back yet!

 

Just to make it clear, Ian is pretty much house bound at the moment, and certainly not well enough to travel to Mapperley, let alone Ukraine!

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Not one of those scams! One of the staff at our school had the same thing happen - apparantly they were stranged in Gambia! Then a few months later she was stranded in Panama! All on a part time teaching assistants wage!!!!

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  • 2 weeks later...

We're having a club 'open day' on Easter Saturday. Streatham mainline will be in full operation also our American 'urban' layout  which has been brought out of store. There will also be our O gauge layout 'Market Witham' which should make it's debut at next years Nottingham show and the ongoing Trent Lane junction project to look over.

Come and meet us and see if you'd like to join, we have a very extensive reference library, as well as the layout building, if you're more of an armchair modeller there's always a decent amout of that goes on as well 

 

There will be a small sales stand and the entry fee (only £1) includes a cup of tea or coffee and biscuits. All proceeds will be put towards the purchase of the clubrooms which is underway at the moment. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Just curious.......why is this particular thread "pinned".......just wondered if there was something in particular in it that I was missing.???

 

It was pinned to help the club, obviously I forgot to unpin which has now been done.

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