The Festival of British Railway Modelling 2023!

[Phil Parker]

We made the Yorkshire Post!

 

https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/whats-on/things-to-do/the-festival-of-british-railway-modelling-2023-amazing-photos-from-the-railway-modelling-festival-at-doncaster-racecourse-this-weekend-4023682

[MarkC]

2 hours ago, Phil Parker said:

We made the Yorkshire Post!

 

https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/whats-on/things-to-do/the-festival-of-british-railway-modelling-2023-amazing-photos-from-the-railway-modelling-festival-at-doncaster-racecourse-this-weekend-4023682

Good publicity - a great howler in the captions though - "Carnation Scot"! Perhaps that one could be milked a bit... 😛

[Adrian Stevenson]

Very enjoyable trip to the show yesterday. Arrived early and I too was surprised at the size of the queue to get in. 
Some very nice layouts. Being an O gauge modeller most of my pics were of the 7mm stuff. The S scale layout was interesting. I liked how the scale works out track wise. But some OO pics included. Sorry don’t seem to have took any N. And there were some great layouts, sorry on that.

I too must reiterate the comments re the Anoraks Anonymous stall. One very satisfied customer here. Usual disclaimer applies. Two well made and painted brass kit built wagons for £121. Will show them later in my layout thread. Plus a keen priced Parkside LMS Meat wagon kit from Pennine for £36.50.

As ever with shows great to chat to people and get inspiration. I would certainly attend again. Well done to all involved.

Cheers, Ade.

Edited February 12, 2023 by Adrian Stevenson
Spelling

[AY Mod]

3 hours ago, Phil Parker said:

We made the Yorkshire Post!

 

https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/whats-on/things-to-do/the-festival-of-british-railway-modelling-2023-amazing-photos-from-the-railway-modelling-festival-at-doncaster-racecourse-this-weekend-4023682

 

A much better job than usual when local press turn up and snap their normal stereotypical pics. I see you managed to photobomb Mr Mead's moment of glory.

[franciswilliamwebb]

37 minutes ago, MarkC said:

Good publicity - a great howler in the captions though - "Carnation Scot"! Perhaps that one could be milked a bit... 😛

 

Well you only get the condensed version in local papers...

[MarkC]

34 minutes ago, franciswilliamwebb said:

 

Well you only get the condensed version in local papers...

The flower of British repartee is blooming 😁

[Mallard60022]

Thanks Ade for those pictures. Some inspiring Scenic stuff there for me to be envious of and to which I might aspire?. 

The big boy's Engine Shed looked like fun and that Layout with the wartime Dock scene; I've seen it before and the detail to look at and for, is astonishing. Superb attention to details.

Phil

[Respite]

I was very impressed with how quickly we were all scanned in  yesterday morning despite the longest queue I have seen at the Racecourse venue. I also bought a Planet Industrials  'Victory'.

The layouts were a bit lost in the number of trade stands and I wonder how many people didn't see the exhibits upstairs.

Doncaster is a really good venue with its motorway, rail links and the car park being opposite the stadium.

[big jim]

5 minutes ago, Respite said:

wonder how many people didn't see the exhibits upstairs.

That would appear to be me!

 

I went upstairs, saw the food hall and came straight back down again, didn’t realise until I actually looked at the guide when I got home that there were things upstairs, didn’t seem to be anything if interest to me so hopefully i didn’t miss out on too much

[ELTEL]

Like many have said before me, a really enjoyable day out at Doncaster Exhibition on Saturday.

 

I arrived at 09:25 and thought the long queue was for the 10:00 pay on the door customers 

 

However joined the pre paid queue but I was in the hall within 10min (Well doe to all on the door) about 09:40

 

As I didn’t leave the exhibition till 16:30 plenty to see and I I had a most enjoyable day looking at the layouts (some hopefully to be at Stafford in the future)

 

Lots of chats with fellow railway modellers, traders and layout owners/operators as I walked round.

 

A most enjoyable day, and good value for money, it was great to see so modellers have started to return in larger numbers to exhibitions once again after the pandemic.

 

Terry 

 

 

 

[ph64]

This was a huge show, but personally I found the crush in the main hall too much and somewhat unsafe, so left after about 30 minutes.

 

That said, it's really great to see the show being so successful, so hats off to the organisers. I would say there needed to be twice the space or half the number of traders, but appreciate the economic realities of venue hire costs being spread across trader fees and ticket revenues.

 

Anyway, to everyone else that stayed, it's clear most of you had a great time, and hopefully the event will get enough space in future to make moving about less difficult.

 

My one compensation was I'd booked First Class on LNER from Kings Cross, so an early ride back in daylight wasn't all bad!

[County of Yorkshire]

I visited later on today (1pm-4pm) and was glad I did, as crowds had thinned out by around 2.30. I saw all the layouts I wanted to see with ample space. 
 

Always good to see Overlord, which can easily soak up 30 minutes of looking on at all the military kit and cameos. I also enjoyed Harlyn Pier, Merthyr Riverside, Scout Green Crossing and Port Solway. I felt A Nice Layout was a good example of a N gauge ‘train in landscape’ layout. Templecombe Lower was probably my pick of the bunch though. 

 

I found Rushwick quite inspirational as a OO box file with much operational interest. I really need to commit to building my first layout so I’ll take some inspiration from there. 
 

I accept the need for retail support to balance the books, but I felt the balance was ever so slightly too trade-centric this year. There were quite a few generic “back-bedroom” traders asking silly prices for things. Anoraks Anonymous were doing a brisk trade as they’d priced everything to sell. Where were Rails of Sheffield? I also think it a shame that the likes of Wizard/Comet models, Dart Castings, Phoenix Precision and Eileen’s Emporium no longer attend these shows for various reasons. It was hard to find some items for kit and scratch building, but H&A Models, 247 Developments and Squires Tools were good to see. 
 

Overall, had a good day out. 

[Michael Hodgson]

2 hours ago, ph64 said:

This was a huge show, but personally I found the crush in the main hall too much and somewhat unsafe, so left after about 30 minutes.

 

That said, it's really great to see the show being so successful, so hats off to the organisers. I would say there needed to be twice the space or half the number of traders, but appreciate the economic realities of venue hire costs being spread across trader fees and ticket revenues.

I had hoped to come, but other commitments intervened. 

 

I've been there before a few times though, and I've never found the crowding any worse than any of the other big shows - certainly not to the degree you found.  The busiest I've come across was the Great Electric Train Show in Milton Keynes, where the queues before opening were horrendous but they did a pretty good job on the door - ticketing seemed a lot more efficient than the last Warley.

[Phil Parker]

14 hours ago, ph64 said:

This was a huge show, but personally I found the crush in the main hall too much and somewhat unsafe, so left after about 30 minutes.

 

I took the Yorkshire Post photographer around at the peak time on Saturday morning as even with his mahoosive camera, were were able to get through pretty quickly (TBF, I wasn't taking prisoners) so "dangerous" seems a bit extreem. It did thin out later in the day, and Sunday was, as ever, quieter. It proves that if you want to see things, the second day is the better bet.

 

14 hours ago, County of Yorkshire said:

I accept the need for retail support to balance the books, but I felt the balance was ever so slightly too trade-centric this year. There were quite a few generic “back-bedroom” traders asking silly prices for things. Anoraks Anonymous were doing a brisk trade as they’d priced everything to sell. Where were Rails of Sheffield? I also think it a shame that the likes of Wizard/Comet models, Dart Castings, Phoenix Precision and Eileen’s Emporium no longer attend these shows for various reasons. It was hard to find some items for kit and scratch building, but H&A Models, 247 Developments and Squires Tools were good to see. 

 

Rails have stopped doing shows.

Wizard/Comet don't do shows any more - I actually chatted to Andy on Sunday as he said he didn't miss the work required to come out to an event.

Dart/Comet - Unlikely to do enough business at this show to make it workwhile. The online shop can take the strain.

Pheonix - Same thing, although I think Squires had some of their product on the stand.

Eileen's - No longer in business.

 

Not sure what you were missing from the kit and scratchbuilding world. Squires and others covered a lot of the basics, including the Southeastern Finescast stand. WM Collectables had a lot of kits for sale too. The 7mm Impetus petrol shunter kit appealed to me (I've built it in 4mm) but I don't need to increase the kit stash right now, apart from a bargain Langley lorry kit from Anoraks Anonymous. A D&S Wisbeech tram at £75 seemed pretty good, but I suspect people will just buy the RTR model now.

 

If you can tell us the sort of things that you couldn't find, perhaps we can look at the trade for future shows. Be realistic though, if you just want to stroke a bit of nickle silver and not buy it (as I saw the previous weekend at the Larger Scale trade event) then it's not going to be economic for the trader to attend.

 

FWIW, the trade I spoke to had an excellent weekend - so there were people finding things to splash out on. Plenty of bulging bags were seen heading out of the door!

[Phil Parker]

Right. Time for me to download several hundred photos and start some processing. Six layout shoots at the weekend - all to be stacked and shove in @AY Mod's direction so he doesn't get bored.

 

Thanks very much to everyone who visited the show this weekend. I hope you enjoyed yourselves and found both inspiration and maybe the odd thing to buy too. I don't know the numbers, but we were well ahead on pre-bookings before the doors opened, and both days seemed busy. I know I didn't stop talking until Sunday afternoon!

 

[t-b-g]

A bunch of us had a day out at the show on Saturday. We all commented on how busy it was during the morning and through to about 2.30pm. We saw it as a positive rather than a negative. At one point, we got a bit frustrated at trying to get near anything we wanted to look at and adjourned upstairs for a brew. I think you have to be aware of what sort of show this is. If you want a nice quiet show with lots of specialist traders, then you go to an EXPO EM or Scalefour Society type do.

 

I did give up counting just how many stands were selling RTR stuff, either new or second hand. It seemed like around 50% of the stands at the show were the "boxshifter" variety.

 

I was able to get the bits I needed from Squires, who do now cover a huge range of ranges and products.

 

Layouts were a mixed bag. There were a few that I enjoyed but mostly ones I am very familiar with. There were only a few that matched my sorts of admittedly niche interests, in terms of not being all RTR, interesting operationally and finescale, with mostly running things that people had built rather than bought. The one we spent most time watching was Port Solway. Some lovely unusual models on that one, although they did suffer from a few derailments and the need to finger poke a couple of times. We were watching that around 3.30pm and by that time, we were the only people in front of it.

 

It did surprise me how early the crowd thinned out. That would indicate that lots of people went and didn't stay very long. It seemed to start thinning out just after lunch, which would suggest people had seen enough after a few hours. 

 

The best thing about such shows for me is spending time with the people I go with and getting to catch up with folk I don't see very often.

 

In that respect, the show was a real winner.

[1E BoY]

On 11/02/2023 at 21:26, FranksLad said:

Great layouts and trade support. Had a full day and really enjoyed it. Very odd that hardly any locomotive / rolling stock manufacturers were in attendance though. Only KR models from memory. No Bachmann, Hornby, Dapol, Heljan, Accurascale, Cavalex. What’s the story there?

 

I think it is to do with timing. There are two big shows in February and Model Rail Scotland has been in manufacturers diaries for a long time. The show was first held in 1967 and a number of manufacturers are sponsors of the show. Therefore, it predates Doncaster by many years.

 

From the end of Doncaster to having to leave for Glasgow is around ten days. Glasgow set up is on the Thursday which for exhibitors from the south of England is going to mean travelling on the Wednesday. Likewise by the time they get home on Monday,  then most of the working day will have been lost.

 

Some of those manufacturers will also be at Alexandra Palace to meet their London and South East based users. Others will be  at York at Easter, again another long standing show attended by some manufacturers (Bachmann, Peco etc.).

 

I don't think it is likely that manufacturers willdo both Doncaster and Glasgow in the same month. They will choose one or the other. Manufacturers have limited resources for doing shows and most of the staff will be away from their day jobs for the duration of the show. They, therefore, have to be selective about which shows they can attend.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[gr.king]

55 minutes ago, Phil Parker said:

Not sure what you were missing from the kit and scratchbuilding world. Squires and others covered a lot of the basics, including the Southeastern Finescast stand. WM Collectables had a lot of kits for sale too.

I suggest that remark might over-simplify things. Squires are very good, better still for some of the stuff now visible on their Finecast stand, but they don't have everything a kit or scratch-builder might need, and the Finecast range of kits is not vast and has been more or less the same for years. A selection of second-hand / discontinued kits from such suppliers as WM collectables is certainly not a substitute for a supplier of an organised, comprehensive range of new, current, steam loco kits and components in the popular scale, including wheels, gears and motors. I do however, realistically accept, that with former key businesses no longer doing shows, or forced out of business, asking for full coverage of all possible desired purchases is like asking for the moon - probably futile.

 

I assisted with the LNER Society stand, upstairs, on the Sunday. It never got really busy / crowded up there on the Sunday, in fact at times I had to put my fleece back on as there was no crowd to warm the place. I'm told it was busier and warmer upstairs on the Saturday. If some people failed to realise that there was a show section upstairs, does it need better signage, for those who bother to look at signs? When I got chance to go downstairs late morning on Sunday, it certainly was not uncomfortably packed down there either. The usual rule of Sundays being less busy seems to apply. Those who dislike crowds should always consider a Sunday visit instead of Saturday if possible. I'm not convinced the trying to be first-in on the Saturday at shows really achieves a great deal - you can't be first to choose / buy from every trader in the building.

 

Oddly, although it wasn't madly busy upstairs on the Sunday, the society stand received plenty of visits / enquiries, and signed up new members, two to three times the number signed up on the Saturday I believe. I'm not sure whether that in any way says anything about the kind of people who attended on the two different days, and the numbers of those who managed to find their way upstairs.

[Mallard60022]

There is, for the Saturday,  the Danum Museum now in Donny, with the Grammar School 'Collection' and some other interesting things to poke around, as well as a decent Cafe and lots of Space.

It's also the main Library with a lovely upstairs Reference section. There is paid parking on site and  nearby and it isn't expensive. It is also only 15/20 minutes walk from the Station and another 15/20 minutes from the Racecourse. If you dislike crowds, I'd suggest spending a while there before hand and getting to the Show, via a local and well kept Park, for part of the walk, or a short drive should you have driven, for about 13.30/45. Have another cup of whatever, read the Guide  and scout around and then stay till it shuts. That means you could start upstairs too!

 

A suggestion for Andy and Co?  Perhaps extend Saturday by 30 minutes and shut Sunday a little earlier; say 45 minutes as it's the end of the quieter day?  The extra time on Saturday, when tiredness hasn't quite kicked in for Traders and layout Teams, is made up for an earlier departure on the Sunday, which many may appreciate?

This is a polite suggestion and not in any way a criticism, as I have done this show 'from both sides of the fence'.

Thanks all and especially the organisation team.

Phil  

[Phil Parker]

15 minutes ago, gr.king said:

If some people failed to realise that there was a show section upstairs, does it need better signage, for those who bother to look at signs?

 

There was a big sign by the escalator, a mention in the programme and the occasional PA annoucement - and of course the food is up there. Not sure that there is much more that anyone can do, short of physically dragging people upstrairs, or refusing to let people out of the show unless they went up.

 

I'm a little cynical as I'm sure there are plenty on here who moan about H&S gone mad, and we should let people use their common sense, yet when out at a toy train show, apparently need to be spoon-fed. I'm sure we will look at signage again, but it's busy environment visually anyway.

[Wheatley]

I went Sunday lunchtime, it's not a show I've done before despite it being within my 'one hour drive' comfort zone and I enjoyed it. Yes there were lot of box-shifters, but they were all doing a brisk trade while I was there, and I came away with a bag full of kits and bits  regardless. 

 

The 'MORE LAYOUTS UPSTAIRS' sign was the first thing I noticed on the  way in. However, by the time came to actually go upstairs I confess I completely failed to notice the (literally) 10 foot high "FOOD" banners  either side of the escalators and was  slightly surprised to find only food up there. I found the other bit eventually !  

Edited February 13, 2023 by Wheatley

[Ian Hargrave]

19 hours ago, Respite said:

I was very impressed with how quickly we were all scanned in  yesterday morning despite the longest queue I have seen at the Racecourse venue. I also bought a Planet Industrials  'Victory'.

The layouts were a bit lost in the number of trade stands and I wonder how many people didn't see the exhibits upstairs.

Doncaster is a really good venue with its motorway, rail links and the car park being opposite the stadium.

Yes…in terms of access from the motorway network and the easy free parking,it scores hugely. I’ve been before so I didn’t miss out upstairs . It’s just great to be normal once again after a pretty unpleasant three years and I much enjoyed the show,particularly as I too fell for a Planet Victory which for me is a star purchase ,particularly at a show price. Had I not gone ,I’d have missed out on a very special piece of rtr model engineering..And of course those Iron  Minks….

 

 

 

[Michael Hodgson]

1 hour ago, Phil Parker said:

 

There was a big sign by the escalator, a mention in the programme and the occasional PA annoucement - and of course the food is up there. Not sure that there is much more that anyone can do, short of physically dragging people upstrairs, or refusing to let people out of the show unless they went up.

 

I think people don't notice signs at the escalator as they enter, or quickly forget them.  What might work more effectively than the sign there is another sign facing the other way by the exit door - "We hope you didn't miss the exhibits upstairs" - to catch them on their way out.

[tingleytim]

17 hours ago, County of Yorkshire said:

Always good to see Overlord, which can easily soak up 30 minutes of looking on at all the military kit and cameos. I also enjoyed Harlyn Pier, Merthyr Riverside, Scout Green Crossing and Port Solway. I felt A Nice Layout was a good example of a N gauge ‘train in landscape’ layout. Templecombe Lower was probably my pick of the bunch though. 

Your comment about Templecombe Lower very much appreciated.  Thanks.  Tim Chapman.

[ste234]

We had a good day there yesterday. Was a bit busy just before dinner and trying to push a wheelchair round wasn't easy but that was to be expected, there was plenty of space in between the exhibits/stalls though which was good! 

A lot of the traders did seem to be big box shifters with lots of second hand stuff, (well, it may have been new but it was hard to tell sometimes) and there was definitely a lot of OO, but I appreciate that's where the market is really! Saying that I still came away with a bag full of bits that I've been after for a while. 

 

We found the upstairs when we saw the signs and looked in the programme book, but it took us best part of half an hour to find where the lifts were, there was no mention in the programme book and no signage in the building that we could see, just escalators. Eventually asked some of the guys on the door and they kindly pointed out they were right behind us 🤦‍♂️😂

 

There also seemed to be a lot of families/ parents with children there too which was good to see. Hopefully once my Daughter is old enough I'll be one of them too! 

Great show though, and some very nice layouts 👍

 

 

Edited February 13, 2023 by ste234