Model railway exhibitions in France.

[JohnDMJ]

9 hours ago, Pacific231G said:

Has TrainsMania become annual- excellent if it has? I went to the first one in 2017 and it was a really good show. Unfortunately I couldn't make the second one this year due to a friend's 60th and assumed the next wouldn't be till 2021. 

 

Sorry, slip of the keyboard. 2021, I believe!

 

I agree that annual would be excellent!

Edited July 14, 2019 by JohnDMJ

[Pacific231G]

26 minutes ago, JohnDMJ said:

 

Sorry, slip of the keyboard. 2021, I believe!

 

I agree that annual would be excellent!

Biennial seems to be the norm for exhibitions in France organised by local clubs, Boulogne, Dieppe, Sedan and Orleans (to name just four I happen to know) all take place every other year. The main exception that I know about is RailExpo - formerly Expometrique- but that's always been more of a trade than a layout show. It was originally organised by the national narrow gauge modelling society (GEMME) and now by a private club (TdS) I think the RATP club may also have an annual show in Paris but i've not been to it and it may be more of a "bourse" (second hand sales event) which do seem to be more common in France than actual model railways shows and generally are annual. 

 

My impression is that, though better organised  in terms of local clubs belonging to a national association, the hobby is thinner on the ground in France than here. It is also a much larger country so transporting layouts and modules and accomodating exhibitors is probably more of an organisational challenge.  The first TrainsMania in 2017 was a special event to celebrate Loco-Revue's eightieth anniversary so very much a no-expense spared pulling out of all the stops and it was a magnificent show. I understand that the second Transmania, the first weekend in May this year, was a very good show but on a significantly smaller scale. Clearly the first show proved to them that running a national show was a viable operation and Lille, well placed to attract Belgian and Dutch modellers,  a good alternative to the Paris region.  The show also seemed to fit into Christian Fournereau's strategy of doing more as a company to encourage new people into the hobby along with the crowd funded Train'in Box and the lower priced and less glossy bi-monthly "proprietary modeller" oriented magazine Cles pour le Train Miniature.    

 

 

[Foulounoux]

On 13 July 2019 at 10:36, rynd2it said:

I'm about to move to France, Chabanais 16150, and being an active modeller I'm looking for any clubs etc within a reasonable distance. Limoges and Angouleme are about equidistant at 1 hour driving and that would be fine.

 

Any help or pointers would be much appreciated

 

Thanks

 

David

We are Chabanais  (Foulounoux to be precise on the Chirac road) also (albeit holidays only.

 

 

suggest you talk to the team at Confolens  l'association Chemin de fer Charente Limousine who are restoring the line but also have English members . They may be able to provide details of anything more local 

 

 

 

Regards 

 

 

colin

[rynd2it]

10 hours ago, Foulounoux said:

We are Chabanais  (Foulounoux to be precise on the Chirac road) also (albeit holidays only.

 

 

suggest you talk to the team at Confolens  l'association Chemin de fer Charente Limousine who are restoring the line but also have English members . They may be able to provide details of anything more local 

 

 

 

Regards 

 

 

colin

Thank you Colin, and good to know the line is being restored.

We'll be there in September I think, maybe a meet up?

 

David

[ianp]

On ‎14‎/‎07‎/‎2019 at 09:26, JohnDMJ said:

 

Sorry, slip of the keyboard. 2021, I believe!

 

I agree that annual would be excellent!

 

The latest edition of the magazine Voie Libre confirms that the next Trainsmania exhibition will be in 2021. I went to both the 2017 and 2019 shows and they were both brilliant; well worth a trip to Lille for a long weekend.

[Pacific231G]

On 13/07/2019 at 10:36, rynd2it said:

I'm about to move to France, Chabanais 16150, and being an active modeller I'm looking for any clubs etc within a reasonable distance. Limoges and Angouleme are about equidistant at 1 hour driving and that would be fine.

 

Any help or pointers would be much appreciated

 

Thanks

 

David

Hi David

I've just checked the FFMF website and there is a club  in Angouleme - Angoulême Modélisme Ferroviaire shortened to  AMF16 - so it's in your département,  which looks pretty active

https://amf16.asso-web.com/

 

Slightly harder to track down was CMFL-  Club des Modelistes Ferroviaires du Limousin (previously de Limoges)

they have a website http://cmfl.chez.com/   but it's not been updated since their "salon regional" (exhibition) in October 2017 - the previous update was in 2012 so this probably just means they don't use their website much rather than not being an active club.  I found the poster for their 2017 "4e salon regional" and that does give a contact email address  and phone number but they're personal ones so I've no idea if  they're still  currrent. No sign of a show this October in the FFMF calendar but I've no idea how complete that is or how far ahead clubs advertise their shows 

http://www.ffmf.info/jo-25/index.php/ag2/month.calendar

The calendar doesn't tell you much about each show and it's helpful to know the département numbers - a lot of clubs seem to use the formula xyz99 to name themselves and many more rural départements seem to have just one MRC- or at least just one that is visible. 

The FFMF site does have a region by region section but it doesn't include entries for every member club (I'm sure there's more than 0 MRCs in the whole of PACA) only those who've provided webpage links to FFMF.  

 

 

 

 

[rynd2it]

Thank you all for the input, most useful. Although where I'll find time for modelling with a house to do up I don't know ;-)

 

[Andy Hayter]

Sadly I can testify that you will find it difficult.

[Foulounoux]

The 2eme Salon National de Modelisime Ferroviare is on today and tomorrow at Bugeat (40 mins SE of Limoges)

 

www.hce19.fr

For more details

 

We went today and it is predominantly N gauge

 

Also made the error of arriving at 1230 so most of the layouts were unattended with either nothing running or token trains circulating

 

The best layout by far for us was an On30 USA forest layout with some link to little house on the prairie actress who played one of the Olsen

 

Security was very evident bag search and metal detector

 

Sorry photos on camera so will have to wait till we return to get uploaded

 

Colin

Edited September 7, 2019 by Foulounoux
Added website

[rynd2it]

I will miss this one, we don't arrive in France until Wednesday and then it's all hands to the pumps with bank appoinments, notaires, CPAM etc.

I will be in touch later though

 

Thanks

 

David

[Oldddudders]

3 minutes ago, rynd2it said:

I will miss this one, we don't arrive in France until Wednesday and then it's all hands to the pumps with bank appoinments, notaires, CPAM etc.

I will be in touch later though

 

Thanks

 

David

I arrived in France 15 years ago today. Brexit apart there are no regrets. I hope your time here is equally fulfilling. 

[rynd2it]

Hi again, starting to get settled here and now looking to at least socialize with fellow enthusiasts.

Colin, if you are about text me or call on 0761265011

David

[Philou]

Welcome to France - been here on and off since 2003 and then permanently since 2011. Time is not your friend if you have a house to do - even if you GSI !!

 

If anyone is interested, our club (of which I'm Hon. Treas. ) is holding its 20th birthday show in October this year. Though we're based in Chalindrey (of which there are a couple of layouts with the same name), the show will be held in Langres (52). I'll post up details of dates, visiting layouts, trade and a location plan later. Entrance fee will be €3 (under 10s free - sorry no discount for RMwebbers .)

 

If you swing by you'll be made very welcome.

 

Cheers,

 

Philip