Warley 2012

[queensquare]

Which ain't half as bad as flashguns fired indiscriminately towards a layout operator - trust me I know !

 

Or perhaps it's the layout owners 'revenge' ?

 

Couldn't agree more. People firing off a flash on their camera is the thing most likely to make me grumpy. Ask and you can take as many pictures as you want but please turn the flash off.

 

As to layout lighting in general I firmly believe that a layout is not of exhibitable standard if it is not properly lit. For a small layout the cost is much less than another loco and for large layouts it would still be only a tiny fraction of the overall cost of the build. I really can't see the point in spending hundreds, often thousands of pounds and man hours on a layout and then rely on the available, often grossly inadequate light. A couple of cheap Ikea spots on a stick does not constitute proper lighting.

 

Warley in general - we had a great, if exhausting weekend. The best and worst thing about Warley is the shear size and scale of it - it is what it is. It is both wonderful and enormously frustrating all at the same time. I feel much the same about Glastonbury Festival which I have been to/worked at for the last 30 years - most of what is good and bad about it is down to its size. What I do know is I wouldn't want to organise it. Its a colossal undertaking and, considering the club have to deal with the NEC who aren't the most flexible of organisations, I think they do a fantastic job.

 

We didn't get to see all of it but the highlight, for me, was as usual, the Dutch/German/French area. I have no real interest in Continental prototypes but they always seem to come up with something new and inspiring. The 1:1 Lyd was beautiful and I liked the narrow gauge themed area although I was a little underwhelmed by Cliffhanger which Kim said looked like a box hedge. In my own 2mm/N area I thought Loch Tat was a stunning piece of work. I made a couple of dashes over to Lime Street but , other than a long view down the layout from the concourse (stunning), I couldn't get near it which tells its own story.

Andy Y came over to see us on Tucking Mill and gave us a thumbs up which was nice. I was hoping to have more of a chat but didn't get the chance - don't know how Andy did but my voice had gone by Sunday afternoon.

 

Getting home went very smoothly. We were on the road less than half an hour after closing and my navigator, thanks to the RAC app on her phone, directed us away from the chaos and closures on the motorway network to an uneventful journey down the Foss Way.

 

Jerry

[melmerby]

One thing which could be useful would be if the layout name was displayed above head height (many already do), especially on some of the smaller exhibits.

This could be accomplished by fixing to any overhead lighting set-up etc.

 

This would enable you to see which layout is which, without having to push to the front.

IMHO it is not always easy to determine which is stand E63 or E64 for instance.

 

Keith

[Guest Belgian]

It certainly sounded like it Paul - if you'd said 'large' instead or maybe even 'it's an enormous club show' you may have got your point home much better.

 

 

 

Maybe cos they're mostly northern shows?!

Warley's a northern show (the frozen north starts at Watford).

 

JE

[James]

Warley's a northern show (the frozen north starts at Watford).

 

You're like my friend from Hackney who told me he'd be working 'up norf' - he meant Derby!

[DLT]

Down here, "The North" means Barnstaple.....

[christopher2061]

ElTel did in post #359. He is clearly the man.

 

Ed

 

What does the 'N' in 'NEC' stand for?

[oldknotty]

Thanks guys for the pics and videos very much appreciated :-)

[queensquare]

 

Warley's a northern show (the frozen north starts at Watford).

 

JE

 

Absolutely anything the other side of the M4 is up norf'

 

Jerry

[Enterprisingwestern]

A couple of cheap Ikea spots on a stick does not constitute proper lighting.

 

Ah well, that's me put in my place. (I thought mine were quite adequate and even have had compliments)

 

Mike.

[roundhouse]

Absolutely anything the other side of the M4 is up norf'

 

Jerry

 

I used to work up North, in the City of London

 

Anything over the other side of the Thames is up North.

 

I now work back in the South, not far from London Bridge!

[Andy C]

What does the 'N' in 'NEC' stand for?

 

Nackered.

[stewartingram]

What does the 'N' in 'NEC' stand for?

 

Froth - plenty of it (Spelling not very good....)

 

Stewart

[298]

 

 

What does the 'N' in 'NEC' stand for?

 

So the Leamington & Warwick MRS show at the National Agricultural Centre in January is also the National showcase event...?

[Dunmar]

Hi,

I have been watching this thread since the start and have refrained from adding to the 'misery' of comments directed towards this event. As it happens I have been invited to attend in the not too distant future. The question now is if I were to believe some of the 'petty comments' maybe I should stay at home!

Let's forget the trial and tribulations of getting to the event - thats a fact of life! The cost of entry? It costs £10 per day to attend ModelRail , Glasgow and at the last count £4 for the car park.

As a layout owner annd operator due to the size of my layout - 4 small spotlights on a bar strategicaly placed is more than adequate! As for those armed with the camera and flash! I give them one shot and politely ask them if they intend to take any further pics to turn it off!

Let's give Warley and its organising team a pat on the back- as without them it just wouldn't happen - if you can't do that !!!!!!!!!! then just don't go! .

If you want to speak to me in person you will have to wait til 2014. .

Bill.

[ELTEL]

Hi,

I have been watching this thread since the start and have refrained from adding to the 'misery' of comments directed towards this event. As it happens I have been invited to attend in the not too distant future. The question now is if I were to believe some of the 'petty comments' maybe I should stay at home!

Let's forget the trial and tribulations of getting to the event - thats a fact of life! The cost of entry? It costs £10 per day to attend ModelRail , Glasgow and at the last count £4 for the car park.

As a layout owner annd operator due to the size of my layout - 4 small spotlights on a bar strategicaly placed is more than adequate! As for those armed with the camera and flash! I give them one shot and politely ask them if they intend to take any further pics to turn it off!

Let's give Warley and its organising team a pat on the back- as without them it just wouldn't happen - if you can't do that !!!!!!!!!! then just don't go! .

If you want to speak to me in person you will have to wait til 2014. .

Bill.

 

Here Here

[bcnPete]

A couple of cheap Ikea spots on a stick does not constitute proper lighting.

 

Phew...Thank God I have used their kitchen worktop lighting...

[melmerby]

So the Leamington & Warwick MRS show at the National Agricultural Centre in January is also the National showcase event...?

As long as they have plenty of layouts featuring tractors!

 

Keith

[arran]

HI All

 

Having a lighting at Modelrail Scotland has been mandatory for at least 25 years , good lighting makes all the difference to an exhibit good or bad.

 

Our club has an independent light gantry with tracking installed so we can vary how we set it up for any layout.

 

Regards Arran

[john new]

Layout lighting is a topic in itself and subjective. One layout I saw late on in the day with no lights and the lack of lights was a problem. However as a photographer and observer of real life far more of the layouts didn't look realistic in their NEC setting because they were grossly overlit. Delicate balance here and personal preference comes into it. Over lit probably better than no lights but both scenarios are not ideal.

[queensquare]

A couple of cheap Ikea spots on a stick does not constitute proper lighting.

 

This has probably come across a bit harsher than was intended and if so I apologise. I am very keen on layouts being displayed to their best and spotlights on a pole simply do not cut the mustard for me for several reasons.

Firstly, there is a tendency for them to give pools of light with shadow in between and a multiple sun effect. A nice even light is what is required with minimal shadow so that all the builders hard work can be fully appreciated.

Secondly, it is very difficult to arrange spots to give even lighting without them shining in either the operators face, the viewers or both.

Finally, they tend to get very hot when on for six to eight hours at a stretch at a show. Not good for the lights, the comfort of the operators or the layout.

 

As another poster has noted, layout lighting is worthy of a thread of its own, and probably has one somewhere, but I do feel that too many modellers do not give enough thought to how their layout is to be lit and presented - particularly when taking it to a barn like the NEC which has pretty grisly background lighting which will do your pride and joy no favours.

 

Jerry

[bcnPete]

This has probably come across a bit harsher than was intended and if so I apologise.

 

Not at all Jerry...and I hope you didn't take my comment seriously...I just had to defend my beloved IKEA

 

Fully agree with what you say on all the points...good lighting pays dividends to hours put in on models.

 

By the way, thanks to all those who posted pictures - looked like a great show and hope I will be able to attend one year

[crab&winkle]

_{Unbelievable how this has turned into a Warley whinging contest. The NEC is old and the lighting is poor but then again, we now live in a third world country. The show was fantastic and the layouts excellent but most of all, the Warley Club organised it in a most professional way and deserve all the praise they should get for the excellent spectacle which is run by VOLUNTEERS.}

[RJS1977]

Here's (most) of my pictures - there are a few more on my phone I haven't got round to uploading yet!

 

http://s1268.photobucket.com/albums/jj563/RJS1977/Warley%202012/

[RJS1977]

As regards layout lighting, it's not just a simple case of "layout builders should have extra lighting". This adds not only to the cost of the layout (especially if it's added as a one-off just for that particular show), but also the amount of equipment that needs to be carried - many layouts are already designed to just fit in the owners' vehicles, or in some cases to be carried by one person on public transport!

 

Whilst it's a shame not to be able to see some layouts in all the glory the builders intended, on the other hand we often don't observe the full size railway in broad daylight either - especially this time of year! Which is not of course to say there should be layouts in pitch darkness, but I didn't see any that were that dark...

[queensquare]

As regards layout lighting, it's not just a simple case of "layout builders should have extra lighting". This adds not only to the cost of the layout (especially if it's added as a one-off just for that particular show), but also the amount of equipment that needs to be carried - many layouts are already designed to just fit in the owners' vehicles, or in some cases to be carried by one person on public transport!

 

Morris's beautiful little S scale layout St Juliot, which was at Warley and did indeed arrive via public transport, has a full lighting rig. It doesn't need to be big and bulky. Also, proper lighting should not be a one off. To show layouts at their best they need to be properly lit, whether at the NEC or the local church hall.

 

Jerry

 

Jerry