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

[john new]

On 25/01/2022 at 23:40, TEAMYAKIMA said:

---- snipped

 

Taking that idea further we are about to install a LOUD sound system with speakers under the baseboards which we hope will really attract viewers attention. I've hinted at it before, but now we are about to actually doing it.

 

First the train loco will signal that it's ready to depart. Then the two bankers will reply. Then they will depart and main line trains will be held until the bankers have left the scenic section. The three sounds are all authentic Chinese steam horns (used for signalling) and yet each is very distinctive i.e. it's not just the same sound bite played three times.

 

Here's the sound card .... my thanks go out to Steve W of this parish who has designed and built this for us - take a bow Steve!

 

 

We think these sounds will really attract the viewer's attention and focus their minds on the banking moves.

 

There are more ideas, but it's late and so more tomorrow.

 

 

 

No, no, no to loud sounds, think of the poor folks manning the next stand. I can see why you want it but please think of your fellow exhibitors and the punters trying to watch the layout next door without hearing your sounds over it. Ambient sounds yes, but loud no.

 

 

Edited January 26, 2022 by john new
Typo

[TEAMYAKIMA]

7 hours ago, john new said:

No, no, no to loud sounds, think of the poor folks manning the next stand. I can see why you want it but please think of your fellow exhibitors and the punters trying to watch the layout next door without hearing your sounds over it. Ambient sounds yes, but loud no.

 

 

Hello john

 

I hear what you're saying (no pun intended) and I think you have raised a very valid point. I will speak to Steve and request a volume control.

[Enterprisingwestern]

On 26/01/2022 at 00:40, TEAMYAKIMA said:

We think these sounds will really attract the viewer's attention and focus their minds on the banking moves.

 

I think one of these would be more effective, and quieter!

 

Mike.

[Ian Morgan]

It is difficult getting the volume right. We had sound effects on our 'Santa' layout that were deafening in the clubroom, seemed just right when we set up in an exhibition hall, and were almost undetectable when a hoard of visitors filled the gangways.

 

[Al.]

12 minutes ago, Ian Morgan said:

It is difficult getting the volume right. We had sound effects on our 'Santa' layout that were deafening in the clubroom, seemed just right when we set up in an exhibition hall, and were almost undetectable when a hoard of visitors filled the gangways.

 

 

 

What we need is an ambient noise sensor to automatically adjust the volume for loader and quieter periods.

 

Something to add to the list, Paul.  

[Geep7]

1 hour ago, Al. said:

 

 

What we need is an ambient noise sensor to automatically adjust the volume for loader and quieter periods.

 

Something to add to the list, Paul.  

Surely all you need is a volume control that goes up to 11 for those extra busy moments.

Edited January 27, 2022 by Geep7

[luke_stevens]

What we really need is something like noise cancelling headphones: then it would be really loud in front of the layout but quiet for each of our neighbouring stands...

 

L 

[ColinK]

I do like sound, although I appreciate some people dont.  Perhaps have  screens between layouts. One show I exhibited at my locos were drowned out by really loud noisy locos - Quorn!

 

Looking forward to seeing and hearing your bankers in action.

[Geep7]

At one show, my US layout was put in a side room. It meant we didn't annoy too many other exhibitors with the clanging bell, but  a nice benefit was the room was fully carpeted, a fact my feet thanked me for after the weekend.

[simonmcp]

I would like some clever person to make sound chips that 'broadcast' the sound to an app that could be listened to by anyone on thier phone or Bluetooth connected device, preferably with headphones. I envision it a bit like those audio guides you get at some museums. If the locos had a method of location detection the sounds could fade in and out as they pass the listener, I think it's called the Doppler effect. As the exhibition visitor moved to the next layout just the sounds of that layout would be played. It would be like those silent discos.

[TEAMYAKIMA]

4 minutes ago, simonmcp said:

I would like some clever person to make sound chips that 'broadcast' the sound to an app that could be listened to by anyone on thier phone or Bluetooth connected device, preferably with headphones. I envision it a bit like those audio guides you get at some museums. If the locos had a method of location detection the sounds could fade in and out as they pass the listener, I think it's called the Doppler effect. As the exhibition visitor moved to the next layout just the sounds of that layout would be played. It would be like those silent discos.

Wow! A bit too tech for me, but I like the concept. 

[St Enodoc]

3 hours ago, TEAMYAKIMA said:

Wow! A bit too tech for me, but I like the concept. 

Why not broadcast the whole thing to a Virtual Reality headset? Then folk wouldn't actually need to come to the exhibition at all...

[simonmcp]

9 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

Why not broadcast the whole thing to a Virtual Reality headset? Then folk wouldn't actually need to come to the exhibition at all...

Where's the fun in that, I go to exhibitions for the chance to catch up with fellow modellers. The social side is just as important to me.

 

I was envisioning perhaps just one ear piece/headphone so you could still chat to friends and the layout's team members.

[TEAMYAKIMA]

There's a courier on his way to make a delivery - what can it be??

 

(Thinks for 2 minutes)

 

OMG!  It's my two new DCC sound fitted DF7D's which run back to back and have SMOKE UNITS - another WOW! factor at Glasgow!!

 

 

[ColinK]

I’m now free on the Friday of the Glasgow show, might pop up to see your layout if I can get a cheap train ticket.

[luke_stevens]

7 hours ago, TEAMYAKIMA said:

There's a courier on his way to make a delivery - what can it be??

 

(Thinks for 2 minutes)

 

OMG!  It's my two new DCC sound fitted DF7D's which run back to back and have SMOKE UNITS - another WOW! factor at Glasgow!!

 

 

Was it them? Pics, please!!!

 

L

[TEAMYAKIMA]

On 29/01/2022 at 19:42, luke_stevens said:

Was it them? Pics, please!!!

 

L

 

OK, yes, it was them!

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 6, 2022 by TEAMYAKIMA

[Al.]

Do we get a demo of the smoke units?

[TEAMYAKIMA]

On 05/02/2022 at 10:22, Al. said:

Do we get a demo of the smoke units?

 

I knew someone would ask that question!

 

Somehow, I had an inkling it would be YOU!😉

Edited May 6, 2022 by TEAMYAKIMA

[luke_stevens]

12 hours ago, TEAMYAKIMA said:

 

I knew someone would ask that question!

 

Somehow, I had an inkling it would be YOU!

 

I resisted the temptation! I resisted the temptation!

 

Luke

[TEAMYAKIMA]

Now, I'm going to share a secret with you and if you read the next post you can only do so if you promise (and I do mean PROMISE) not to tell any of my operating team what I've been doing this week - they have told me very firmly that I should concentrate totally on the basics and if they know what I've been doing this week, they will go mental!

Edited February 6, 2022 by TEAMYAKIMA

[TEAMYAKIMA]

Ok then ...................

 

I have been working on that building under construction and I must admit that I know nothing about building design and even less about building construction. This was a big problem as my biggest fear was an architect or construction worker coming to an exhibition and say something like, " I am an expert in this field and I don't like to criticise, but ............"

 

So, I sought advise (on RMweb and elsewhere) from experts on how the building site should look.

 

All sorts of things got done this week to make the building site look more authentic as I learnt more and more about how a modern building is constructed - all very anal and all very time consuming!

 

I was told that all my columns should be the same height and so they got altered. Then I was told that they should all have four reinforcing rods coming up with about 1 metre (11mm) sticking out of the top and so I spent hours doing that. But I took the easy route, using the hole in the middle of the plastic molding to fit the rods in.

 

 

I was very pleased with myself - until I took a long hard look at what I had achieved..........

 

From 4ft away at an exhibition (the building is at the back of the layout) the four rods just looked like one thicker rod!

 

So, yesterday I started removing all the rods I had so time-consumingly fitted earlier in the week and started the far more time-consuming job of doing the job properly by carefully drilling four holes in the walls of the moldings.

 

 

Now, I realise that even this is not exactly as on a real building, but to 99% of exhibition viewers it will look OK.  Yes, I do estimate that architects and construction workers make up 1% of exhibition visitors!

[F-UnitMad]

2 hours ago, TEAMYAKIMA said:

the far more time-consuming job of doing the job properly by carefully drilling four holes in the walls of the moldings.

It does look waaaaaay better, though.  

[luke_stevens]

7 hours ago, TEAMYAKIMA said:

Now, I'm going to share a secret with you and if you read the next post you can only do so if you promise (and I do mean PROMISE) not to tell any of my operating team what I've been doing this week - they have told me very firmly that I should concentrate totally on the basics and if they know what I've been doing this week, they will go mental!

 

Gone mental...

[simonmcp]

10 hours ago, TEAMYAKIMA said:

Ok then ...................

 

I have been working on that building under construction and I must admit that I know nothing about building design and even less about building construction. This was a big problem as my biggest fear was an architect or construction worker coming to an exhibition and say something like, " I am an expert in this field and I don't like to criticise, but ............"

 

So, I sought advise (on RMweb and elsewhere) from experts on how the building site should look.

 

All sorts of things got done this week to make the building site look more authentic as I learnt more and more about how a modern building is constructed - all very anal and all very time consuming!

 

I was told that all my columns should be the same height and so they got altered. Then I was told that they should all have four reinforcing rods coming up with about 1 metre (11mm) sticking out of the top and so I spent hours doing that. But I took the easy route, using the hole in the middle of the plastic molding to fit the rods in.

 

 

I was very pleased with myself - until I took a long hard look at what I had achieved..........

 

From 4ft away at an exhibition (the building is at the back of the layout) the four rods just looked like one thicker rod!

 

So, yesterday I started removing all the rods I had so time-consumingly fitted earlier in the week and started the far more time-consuming job of doing the job properly by carefully drilling four holes in the walls of the moldings.

 

 

Now, I realise that even this is not exactly as on a real building, but to 99% of exhibition viewers it will look OK.  Yes, I do estimate that architects and construction workers make up 1% of exhibition visitors!

I am planning a small diorama with three stages of 'construction', a building under demolition (a Vollmer kit), a hole in the ground (I think another Vollmer Kit) and a Kibri kit of a very similar to yours building under construction. I now know that I will have to put in all the extra detail. I may be gone some time!

 

Nice work on your building.