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BEIJIAO - a large Chinese HO exhibition layout set in the 21st century

TEAMYAKIMA

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TEAMYAKIMA

TEAMYAKIMA

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I hate to admit it, but I am devastated by the cancellation of the October 17th Poole exhibition. OK, I admit that I have been incredibly optimistic in thinking it would go ahead, but it was so convenient for us.  - a Sunday one day show, but with access to the hall from 10am on the Saturday. This was going to give us 5/6 hours for driver training, for attempting new, more complex operating moves, for re-arranging train formations to suit the haulage powers of different locos and allocating specific locos to specific trains - all things that take time and we cannot really do in front of the paying public.

 

Plus a photo session with Continental Modeller and maybe the chance to make a promotional video - all gone

 

In a word - GUTTED!

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TEAMYAKIMA

TEAMYAKIMA

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2 hours ago, luke_stevens said:

The question is: Do we try and replicate what we've "lost" in terms of prep and practice before whatever show comes next? Or do we just hope for the best for whne the next exhib occurs? Assuing exhibitions restart is something like a similar format?

 

Luke

 

There are several similar, but different issues here - what I will call testing, analysis and practice.

 

1. TESTING - We must test the layout - absolutely 100% on that one. Testing shouldn't take too long once the layout is up. Testing is making sure that all the points work, making sure all the pre-programmed routes work. Checking the Faller roadway runs reliably and all the automatic controls we've set up work reliably.

 

2. ANALYSIS - This is taking testing to the next level - Allocating specific locos to specific trains and checking that those specified locos can haul those trains reliably, Remember that many trains are much longer than at Warley - will two Bachmann QJ's haul 34 coal gondolas and a caboose? At Warley it was 24 and a caboose. If not, can two MTC QJ's do the job instead? Or a QJ and a DF4B? How much can a single QJ haul?  This kind of analysis will take a long time.  

 

3. PRACTICE - If we are confident that the routes work reliably and the stock performs reliably, then we can attempt more complex moves. These more complex moves will require co-operation between operators and we will need to PRACTICE, PRACTICE & PRACTICE these moves before we attempt them in front of an audience.

 

I have had the fiddle yard up in my back garden in the past - maybe we should try to get the whole layout up this summer.

 

hotmail.jpg.3e062badae62fdce54816db0d49a6a30.jpg

 

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Vecchio

Vecchio

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Problem with the garden is that the floor is not even as in a showroom (which is in many cases a gym with a very smooth floor). Even if I put my layout up in the garage I can see that the garage floor is not really flat. Do you have problems at the board connections?

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380John

380John

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With so many businesses struggling at the moment, and many working from home... I wonder if a local business might be able to help and rent or even allow you the floor space for a weekend, then you could do a mock run in peace and quiet. Most places will probably have security etc anyway so if it was all pre-arranged it maybe viable. Failing that, perhaps a church hall, community centre or similar will allow it? I know it's all subject to sanitation and elf and safety etc but there may well be a way around it? Just an idea. 

 

John 

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TEAMYAKIMA

TEAMYAKIMA

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1 hour ago, 380John said:

With so many businesses struggling at the moment, and many working from home... I wonder if a local business might be able to help and rent or even allow you the floor space for a weekend, then you could do a mock run in peace and quiet. Most places will probably have security etc anyway so if it was all pre-arranged it maybe viable. Failing that, perhaps a church hall, community centre or similar will allow it? I know it's all subject to sanitation and elf and safety etc but there may well be a way around it? Just an idea. 

 

John 

 

Hello John

 

Yes, that is an option. I have used a church hall in the past and I think I might still be able to hire it at some time in the future. The difference now is that I used to live exactly across the road from the church hall - it was 40 yards from my old shed - now it's 0.5 miles away and so we would need to pack a hired van. However, it is an option and one option would be to hire it for a couple of days and on the second day I could invite all my local non-railway friends over to see it - those who would never go to an exhibition - and we could make it a wine & cheese social.

 

Anyone old enough to remember 'Wine & Cheese' parties?

 

 

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St Enodoc

St Enodoc

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1 hour ago, TEAMYAKIMA said:

Anyone old enough to remember 'Wine & Cheese' parties?

Oh yes. Half a grapefruit covered in tin foil studded with cocktail sticks bearing either bits of cold sausage or a cube of cheese with a silverskin onion.

 

Memories!

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luke_stevens

luke_stevens

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Testing, Analysis and Practice all take time, lots of it.

 

Whilst you have a lovley garden I'm not sre how much of the TAP we can suscessfully do. We can physically set up, but checking haulage, checking the Faller roadway are all thinsg than need flat ground without the sun shining on the layout.

 

I just wonder if we can get all that needs to be done, done in just one day.

 

Testing has the habit of taking longer than you'd hope. Ask Crossrail...

 

Luke

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TEAMYAKIMA

TEAMYAKIMA

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On 27/04/2021 at 21:08, Vecchio said:

Problem with the garden is that the floor is not even as in a showroom (which is in many cases a gym with a very smooth floor). Even if I put my layout up in the garage I can see that the garage floor is not really flat. Do you have problems at the board connections?

 

TBH that session (two years ago) was not really about running trains at all, it was to test the route selection

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Enterprisingwestern

Enterprisingwestern

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1 hour ago, TEAMYAKIMA said:

I was told yesterday that our only surviving (December) 2021 exhibition invite is not going to happen as the show has been cancelled.

 

 

I find it slightly ironic that an allegedly Chinese derived problem is causing issues for a Chinese layout!

 

Mike.

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steve45

steve45

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13 hours ago, TEAMYAKIMA said:

I was told yesterday that our only surviving (December) 2021 exhibition invite is not going to happen as the show has been cancelled.

 

We may get a few summer exhibitions that may go ahead, but I don't think we will see much happening. A lot of venues (schools in particular) don't want the public using their premises as it means a deep clean, and there just isn't the time on a normal weekend (from Sunday evening until Monday morning) to get a deep clean done.

Venues such as the NEC maybe different as they are run on a commercial basis. I don't expect to be going to many for the next 12 months or so

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woodenhead

woodenhead

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14 hours ago, steve45 said:

We may get a few summer exhibitions that may go ahead, but I don't think we will see much happening. A lot of venues (schools in particular) don't want the public using their premises as it means a deep clean, and there just isn't the time on a normal weekend (from Sunday evening until Monday morning) to get a deep clean done.

Venues such as the NEC maybe different as they are run on a commercial basis. I don't expect to be going to many for the next 12 months or so

Even some commercial properties are affected still, Wigan is off because the site, a sports hall, is being used for vaccinations so won't be available this year.  I would imagine there will be other such facilities normally used as exhibition spaces that will also be similarly affected. 

 

The Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes (used by GETS) is planning ahead, there are events planned this year at Alexandra Palace (do you like Knitting?) but Peterborough Showground may not be as it is being used as a vaccination centre.  So there will be opportunities for some larger style shows including Warley to go ahead later this year, perhaps also some very small shows in the sorts of spaces where numbers are generally limited.

 

As long as the 3000 maskless people raving together test this weekend in Liverpool completes without incident then I think we can expect shows by the end of the year.

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