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Railex 2015 23rd & 24th May 2015


David Bigcheeseplant

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My first time as a participant rather than visitor, and I can say that every aspect of the whole business from initial administration, through arrival, unloading, preparation, the exhibition itself, packing up and finally goodbye fully lived up to all of the very good things I had heard from friends who have been involved in previous years.

 

I think the range of layouts and traders was impeccable, I may be biased in preferring events that speak more to the enjoyment to be had from creative rather than retail activity (yes, yes, I know what I was doing there) but to me this weekend's Railex is just about as good as it gets, a superb effort and absolutely full of inspiration from all sorts of directions

 

Another thing that really strikes me about Railex is the great care and thought that David invests in the whole show, and also that the idea and vision is backed up by a truly impressive team effort from the Risborough club, multiple characters cheerfully working to a common goal with great effect I think. The social aspects are very well thought through and then to cap it all there is that brilliant bus with Vicky and the team - wonderful.

 

So thanks to all the organisers and participants for a great show and here's to next year!

 

Simon

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I have to say that I share the view of Stationmaster Mike's daughter about the low number of layouts this year. Unfortunately I'd seen a few of the ones that were there before so that didn't help. That said, those layouts that were there didn't disappoint and one even showed (to my mind) how effective fairly basic scenery can look.

 

I'm always bemoaning the shows that I go to with poor trade attendance and Railex scored brilliantly in that respect. It was my own stupid fault that I failed to leave home without with a shopping list and forgot virtually everything else except the money for the entrance fee!

 

I'm not disappointed that I went, I'll go again next year if I am able and accept that I'm probably one of a very small minority who would have liked a higher layout count even though I understand that large O gauge layouts do take up far more room than several layouts in the smaller scales/gauges and this is what affects the count.

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A very big thanks from the Harton Gill Team from Carshalton & Sutton MRC.

 

An extremely enjoyable weekend at the best organised show we've been to.

 

Everything in place as it should be for strangers-in-town but usually not. Where to go, how to and why.

 

(Right, that should get us invited back)

 

No. Honestly a massive thanks to Dave and his team.

 

Cheers

Harton Gill Team

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I very much enjoyed the show - great mix of layouts, all of which were worth going to see. The catering was a bit of an issue - lack of seating and cake but it wasn't too bad and I presume it is out of the club's control. I did think there were fewer layouts than last year, which was a disappointment, but I suspect that was the result of having a number of big uns. Trade wise, I would not like to see the current traders sacrificed for box shifters - though I think having a box shifter there is a good thing.

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Why is there a call for more layouts? What makes RailEx so special is that quality is more important than quantity; and long may it be so.


I think having a box shifter there is a good thing.

So what is Cheltenham Model Centre then?

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Hopefully we will have a few more layouts next year, although we had less due to two or three big O gauge ones taking the space of maybe 2-3 smaller ones.

 

Layouts this year took up 382 square metres which is about average for each year just under 25% of the floor space, the trade take about the same while the remainder is club and public space.

 

Speaking to the centre management Railex provides the biggest customer numbers to the stadium café during the year and was quoted "we could do with an event like this each month" 

 

I think generally we are doing the right thing and each year we try to improve aspects and refine.

 

David

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.

So what is Cheltenham Model Centre then?

er, a box shifter?  Therefore there was one there, therefore it accorded with Station Cat's comment 'I think having a  box shifter there is a good thing' - there was one and apparently Station Cat thought it was a good thing (which doesn't prevent other people thinking or saying that it wasn't a good thing.

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Well we had another great weekend at Railex and I can only repeat the positive comments made by others. I have often said it but for my money Railex is the best general show of the year and there was nothing this year to modify that view. Trade was excellent and the layouts top notch - a few that were familiar and a few new to me. Of those I'd not seen before I was mightily impressed with the Irish 3mm layout and the four rail underground terminus amongst others.

We will be back next year and are already looking forward to it. Congratulations and many thanks to David and the team.

 

Jerry and Kim

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I visited sat pm and enjoyed the show and venue. To me the surprise was the 3mm area and Addison Park. Different, new, and good. Realistic inclusion of derelict land etc.

 

 

Credit also to 82G and tasteful use of sound.

 

It did feel a little layout light and trade heavy but that was marginal.

 

Well done.

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I have heard that the S4Soc are so disappointed with attendances at S4UM that they are thinking of abandoning the event. It no longer makes a profit.

 

 

In that case, there will be no main Society show apart from the regional ones in far-flung places, which I certainly would not travel to.

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In that case, there will be no main Society show apart from the regional ones in far-flung places, which I certainly would not travel to.

Especially those outside the M25...

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Very nice of Jerry to remind me that I took one or two pics on the Sunday, and by odd coincidence the first - of John Greenwood's lovely little 45XX standing outside his model of St Blazey shed also includes a tiny little bit of 'Queen Square' himself  (it didn't frame quite so nicely with the elbow cut out  :jester: )

 

Click the pics to enlarge

 

post-6859-0-18334300-1432762548_thumb.jpg

 

Now the delectable Ballyconnell Road a lovely little layout of something a bit different and always a pleasure to see at exhibitions

 

post-6859-0-76414200-1432762780_thumb.jpg

 

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And now the beautifully modelled water & shoreline of Loch Tat

 

post-6859-0-32071200-1432762994_thumb.jpg

 

And finally back to Jerry Clifford and a cruelly close view of the emerging property market at William Smith's Wharf

 

post-6859-0-04366400-1432763116_thumb.jpg

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Hi All,

 

Boiler Basher and myself really enjoyed the show this year as always and the quality of the layouts presented was exceptional as always. Well done to all concerned!

 

All the best,

 

Castle

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To David and all the exhibition team,

 

Thank you very much for inviting Grindley Brook to this years show. As most visitors could see this is still very much a layout "in progress" and we (Hillingdon Railway Modellers) still have several years work left to do on it such as improving the groundwork and scenery, improving the backscene - we intend eventually to use the same continuous backscene system which Black Country Blues have developed.  

 

For Railex we borrowed Kevin Wilsons lighting rig from his marvellous Bucks Hill layout, but eventually we will have our own with a continuous valance along the front which we hope will make the whole layout look quite different.

 

It's taken 7 years to reach this stage and the invitation to Railex was just the incentive we needed to push on and get it to the running state we only achieved two nights before the show!!  In fact on Saturday morning, before the opening, we painted and cut to size the last backboard and put it in place above the tunnel mouth. Talk about a work in progress!

 

Thanks to everyone who said they enjoyed seeing Grindley Brook for the first time, the successor to East Dean, our last layout.  Your encouragement makes all the hard work worthwhile.

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I have heard that the S4Soc are so disappointed with attendances at S4UM that they are thinking of abandoning the event. It no longer makes a profit.

 

Regards

 

Attendance is a concern, as it is for most exhibitions, but there is no suggestion of 'abandoning the event'.  It's financial performance is reviewed annually in the context of the Society as a whole, as has always been the case.

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