Exhibition barriers - more shows appear not to offer them anymore - what do we do?

[tomparryharry]

1 hour ago, AY Mod said:

 

Except on Saturday morning at shows when it means 'Entertain and impress me, I dare you.'

 

That's easy! "Excuse me sir, I think your flies are undone! in a slightly louder voice, usually does the trick....

 

[Chris M]

Totally agree that barriers are important at Warley. I’m not too worried about barriers at most shows and I would never put a piece of Perspex or whatever along the front of the layout. I reckon I have taken my various layouts to around 40 exhibitions. Probably half of these had barriers and half not. In all those exhibitions I have only had one person rest their elbows on my layout and one very small child in her father’s arms grab a piece of fence. I am therefore not worried about having barriers at most shows, although I would say they are desirable if they are available. I have to admit that I have done more damage to my layouts while transporting them than has ever happened at an exhibition.

 

So, in answer to the opening question, no need to do anything, just stay cool and polite. Oh and a bit vigilant. In my experience 99.9% of model railway exhibition visitors are very nice, respectful people. That’s not tongue in cheek, that’s my experience over a number of years exhibiting.

[009 micro modeller]

1 hour ago, MyRule1 said:

Although I have not seen any recently there were a number of exhibition layouts that used to have "Danger - High Voltage" notices with the voltage expressed as millivolts.

I’ve seen those. In a similar vein, I have an 009 layout of a military site which used to be exhibited with printed, laminated ‘do not approach or touch’ notices (see lowest photo here: https://bookmaniac.org/2016/11/03/bad-tests-sink-ships-or-something/ ) - perhaps not quite right for the period and location represented but still a nice touch and hopefully a slightly humorous way of reminding people, which fitted in with the theme of the layout. I also originally had low Perspex screens, but found that they made it hard to view, so removed them. With other layouts I’ve not had many problems, even at shows without barriers, but that might be helped by having table top micro layouts (set back from the table edge slightly) or those with front or automatic operation.

[Phatbob]

My layouts and exhibition kit fits in my car.  Just!  No room to take my own barriers, so my layout information sheets state "barriers essential".  If I don't get an invitation as a result of that demand, cest la vie.  Not somehting that I'll ever get upset about.  If the host club can't or won't provide barriers for some reason, so be it.  Never going to be my problem!

[10800]

On 17/02/2023 at 08:02, Re6/6 said:

We found that these homemade 'barriers' do work well.

 

Picture by  Phil Hall

 

In case you're interested, the bases are cut from old kitchen counter tops, the legs are cheap IKEA desk legs upside down and the rope is from a boat chandler. 

 

We did have members of the team wandering up and down between the rope and the layout from time to time to answer questions, and the drivers would keep an eye out as they followed their train around the layout.

 

Yes, they did move - next time we will screw them to the floor might put non-slip pads on them.

 

The vast majority of visitors are well behaved. Having a 'spare' operator to talk to the public and having their radar sensitivity turned up to 11 deals with most potential miscreants.  

[SouthernRegionSteam]

On 16/02/2023 at 23:58, St. Simon said:

On my layout, I put information boards on the front of the layout that stick out into the audience, they are A5 sized and held on by velcro. They actually just hold people back enough so the layout isn’t damaged.

 

On 17/02/2023 at 09:14, Phil Parker said:

 

We did this and it does make a difference. Fingers are kept back a bit and barriers sliding on the floor can't get to the edge of the layout. They weren't structural enough to support a fat modeller, but are defintly worth a try. The added bonus is providing useful information to the visitors, and it was read by many.

 

I think Simon's option is probably what I'd prefer, and it's good to know that Phil's experience tallys up.

In my eyes, a key part of exhibiting a layout is to provide entertainment and information. Putting information boards in front is also, of course, a great solution to those wandering fingers! Additionally, it gives something for visitors to look at should there be a lull in operations, and means that those who don't feel comfortable asking questions can perhaps have them answered; so long as they are 'typical' questions.

 

I'd argue that, where possible, these simple 2 preventative measures are just as important before you finish planning/building the layout:

1. Having a scenic, but low-detailed 'buffer zone' at the front (could be a hardstanding, road, grass verge, meadow etc.) to lessen the chances of damage being done.
2. Similarly, and this is something that would also benefit people like me who photograph layouts, is to ensure trackwork is at least a few inches away from the board edge.

I appreciate that it's not possible/desirable for some, but I think it's worth considering from the outset.

 

I think I've said this a few times now, but on Sandy Shores, I have stuff right at the foreground that is not only very delicate, but is not glued down - such as 2 lightweight footbridge spans that rest on top of a (wobbly!) support. Not once has it been poked at exhibition. I actually think one of the main reasons why is that my lighting pelmet sticks out quite a way on front of the layout, complete with dangling sign that people commonly bounce their head off! It's not something that hurts, but it just encourages people to stay away from the front edge a bit in a natural manner. None of those 'Please don't touch' signs that really don't set the right tone (at least for me!).

 

I've never been to an exhibition that had barriers until recently, and I've certainly never exhibited at one with barriers. My experience of the shows with barriers is that it encourages you to lean on them. I suppose that's a good thing, but equally I found it irritating because I couldn't get close enough to layouts to admire them in the way they should/could be admired. Not to mention the storage required, cost, and set-up time/energy involved for the club/people putting on the event. It seems insane to me, but that's probably just me!

Anyway, I shall be giving the information board idea some more thought when I get back to designing the boards for my new layout... I suppose the key is to either make them look flimsy enough to discourage people leaning on them, or, you overengineer them to a degree to ensure you won't be liable for someone injuring themselves or demolishing your layout! Those doorstop spring things seem like a bad idea to me - it only takes on overenthusiastic kid to take down your entire layout...at least it would with mine!

 

As I said, I prefer the more subtle approach to people herding. I think it goes a long way to improve public relations and image, personally. Every exhibition, I expect something to get broken, but so far I'm the only one that's broken anything!

[2E Sub Shed]

At Swindon Club, (where I was a member , until relocating), , they use "old" weightlifting weights with a length of plastic conduit stuck into them and then tie "hazard tape" between them. 

 

Picture

 

Storage is a few "heavy boxes" and some bundles of approx 1 metre poles. 

 

In ability to place small children on these against solid barriers was one reason given by the clubs exhibition manager  for this approach. 

 

Stability may be helped by fact there is carpet is on the floor in hall at Steam. 

[woodenhead]

On 17/02/2023 at 08:02, Re6/6 said:

We found that these homemade 'barriers' do work well.

 

Picture by  Phil Hall

It probably does not take too much to make people keep their distance, in truth general British politeness usually comes to the fore if there is a queue or a barrier.  Last night I went to the cinema, we had to queue to get our tickets verified - the cries of angst from the queue when someone appeared to be getting special treatment rather than being told (politely) to join the back of queue.

 

However, I am going to find it uncomfortable leaning on those posts and my $rse might be sticking out a bit.🤣

[009 micro modeller]

It’s possibly been vaguely touched on earlier but one of the other concerns I have with barriers has to do with those that are perhaps a bit too heavily built but not secured to the floor (i.e. to the point where if they moved or fell over, the damage to layouts behind would be made worse, rather than being mitigated - and I realise it’s not always possible to secure them to the floor). The other slight problem is with tabletop layouts when the barriers are significantly higher than the tables, causing the view of the layouts themselves to be obstructed.

[PaulRhB]

Basically if you want them then ask the organiser if they supply them when they send the invite, if not then either have your own to take or decline the invitation 😉

 

[kevinlms]

You need one of these!

 

 

Seriously, if you want to provide a barrier that suits your layout - strong enough, long enough etc, the best thing is to provide your own. If it doesn't work as required, you only have yourself to blame.

 

[Barry O]

For a long time exhibition insurance said you had to have a physical barrier between the exhibits and the public.. we have our own barriers at Leeds. Strong enough to plonk your elbows on, high enough to be out of the way for children on step stools to lean against, but at a height where wheelchair users can see the layouts. They are made of wooden tops, steel uprights. Fit into our Exhibition hire transit and are put up and taken down very easily using one sized rachet ring spanners.

 

The "barriers" used by Manchester were poor.. easily kicked against the layout legs.. but they are now in use at a lot of shows. I feared that at least one person was about to go base over apex by getting entangled with them.

 

We have done a few shows with no barriers.. it means we need to "regrass" some of the scenery.. people just love to lean on static grass.

 

Baz

[RichardT]

The Ebor Group (York) exhibition last weekend was a “no barriers” show - it’s a small club church hall-type of local show (and this year was an excellent example of the genre).  I noticed the York Model Engineers’ N gauge layout/diorama had L-shaped shelves attached to the front of the layout holding information leaflets about the society for visitors to take away - see photo below, taken during a lull in proceedings unfortunately, so no punters visible!

 

They were very effective at providing a buffer space in front of the layout which also served a useful purpose.  In this instance the shelves were hinged to the layout and folded up to form part of the layout transport box, but loose ones attached to the layout with Velcro/magnets would be equally practical.

 

 

Hope this is of interest.

 

Richard

[NIK]

Hi,

 

I was exhibiting at a show at Tolworth I think it was and there was a complex Z gauge layout with spring and rope at the front. After the show a youngster from one of the other layouts was larking about and fell over the rope. The layout was canted over by the weight and a lot of Z gauge overhead stock hit the floor.

 

PS our own club has now made wooden barriers for our own exhibition (and to go with club layouts to other shows) that are bolted together to reduce  visitors pushing them forward. They take up a lot of space and need maintenance but are lighter to move than steel barriers.

 

Regards

 

Nik

Edited February 21, 2023 by NIK

[Junctionmad]

I think it’s clear from my experience you either provide very stable barriers or none at all. Too many shoes use feeble restraints and in my view I suspect expose the organisers to issues if the barriers are not resistant to the public leaning on them. 
 

we used full metal barriers for most shows and these tend to handle the “ crush” 

 

it’s certainly a big issue. I’d prefer to have no barriers then flimsy ones that could potentially mislead the public that a solid barrier exists 

[009 micro modeller]

10 hours ago, RichardT said:

The Ebor Group (York) exhibition last weekend was a “no barriers” show - it’s a small club church hall-type of local show (and this year was an excellent example of the genre).  I noticed the York Model Engineers’ N gauge layout/diorama had L-shaped shelves attached to the front of the layout holding information leaflets about the society for visitors to take away - see photo below, taken during a lull in proceedings unfortunately, so no punters visible!

 

They were very effective at providing a buffer space in front of the layout which also served a useful purpose.  In this instance the shelves were hinged to the layout and folded up to form part of the layout transport box, but loose ones attached to the layout with Velcro/magnets would be equally practical.

 

 

Hope this is of interest.

 

Richard

Very nice although I suspect it’s not exactly N gauge but G9 or similar, to represent a miniature line?

[Chris Turnbull]

When I built Cromer I made the layout supports six inches wider to which a handrail is bolted.  This photo shows the idea.  

 

 

I have found this quite adequate for my needs over the years and I have had none of the problems that others seem to have had.  The row of chairs along the front is an optional feature and one that I prefer although not all shows offer them.  What they do is provide somewhere for children to stand who then lean on the rail provided while they watch the trains.  This is also welcomed by weary parents who stay longer to give their arms a rest.  I think there must be something pschological about this as children rarely touch the layout itself. 

 

Of course this does require the initial design to take this into account but I see no reason why a clip-on or bolt-on handrail could not be provided for an existing layout.

 

Chris Turnbull  

[arran]

HI All

 

Good well made barriers keep the idiots back  from the layout and also enhance the viewers experience with having something at the correct height  to lean on .

 

 

Regards Arran

[Jonboy]

I was reflecting on the barriers at Risex at the weekend. They were upright poles cemented into paint tins with a coloured rope running between them. 
 

Everyone respected them and as it pulled everyone back 12” from the layouts it made viewing a lot nicer as you could see a wider perspective over the layouts where everyone is pushing to the front edge.

[ELTEL]

The Chilterns Model Railway Association (CMRA) have a large number of barriers which are available for clubs that are members to use for there exhibitions.

 

I believe there are a couple of stores in the south and I manage the store in Stafford.

 

They are used at the Stafford Exhibition and supplement the Warley’s own barriers at the NEC.

 

In the past they were used at Derby and Wigan Exhibitions 

 

If any club wants any further information about the CMRA barriers please feel free to PM me

 

Like many have said, I prefer to have barriers in front both on the Stafford Club layouts and my own layouts.

 

Terry 

[CF MRC]

CF has always had its own bespoke front barriers made from Speedframe. They incorporate a low rail for children to stand on and take into account the strange shape of the layout. They take up a minimum amount of transport space (the vertical frames are permanently assembled) with the horizontal rails adding useful low ballast to an otherwise slightly unstable travelling case. 

If you want see the layout without barriers then come to an MRC mini exhibition at Keen House or 2mm Scale Association event (as in HAMW, series 2, episode 3).

 

Tim

[RichardT]

4 hours ago, 009 micro modeller said:

Very nice although I suspect it’s not exactly N gauge but G9 or similar, to represent a miniature line?

Yes, correct. N gauge stock with large scale figures to represent a ride- on model engineer’s track.  I deleted all that detail from my original post because the barrier shelves were my main focus!

 

RichardT

 

 

Edited February 21, 2023 by RichardT
Punctuation

[Enterprisingwestern]

 

Bear in mind some layouts are a touch fit in the owners car, if barriers were needed to be transported as well where would they go?, uplifting to a small van increases exhibition expenses which defeats the object of saving money on barriers.

 

Mike.

[Bonafide]

4 hours ago, arran said:

Good well made barriers keep the idiots back from the layout . . .

It is not surprising that some exhibitors experience problems with this attitude. 

 

Or, perhaps, it's the visitors that have to put up with the idiots behind the layout!

[Bedlington North]

As an exhibition visitor I quite like the presence of a set of metal barriers to keep people back from the edge of the layout. I like to be able to take in the visual scene set by a layout as a whole, which is rather difficult once you get people leaning over the barrier with their ipad or large DSLR and would be even harder if people were hard up against the edge of the layout. I do cringe when visitors lean over even further to touch and poke at layouts. Do they not realise why the barriers are there? What possible benefit do they get from touching things?

 

I have sympathy with all the layout owners that have suffered from prodding.