RMweb Premium ullypug Posted May 20, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 20, 2013 Spent a really enjoyable day at Expo yesterday. I thought it was one of the best Expo's in ages, probably because the layouts appealed to my eclectic taste of Colonel Stephens and GWR! Not surprisingly the standouts for me were Tiverton and Maidstone Road but as others have said, the other layouts were all of a high quality. We were there from opening time and it almost seemed as if there was a general reluctance of the public to go home at 4.30, folks were enjoying themselves that much. Congratulations to Graeme, the EMGS board and the expo team for putting on another great show. Roll on next year! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium t-b-g Posted May 20, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 20, 2013 There is a more worrying trend. Today's show is David Geen's LAST official show. From tomorrow he will be mail order only. He is not the first, and of greater concern, probably will not be the last to do this. There are many contributing factors to his decision, but judging by the age of many traders, it could become a trend. Mike Wiltshire I had a chat with David about this and he reckons that he will probably still do 2 shows a year with a trade stand. One to be "up north" and one "down south". It is a shame as he is a lovely bloke with some really interesting gear on his stand and it will be a shame not to see him at the shows but I totally understand why he has made the decision. I am just glad that he has decided to cut back rather than pack in altogether. Tony Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium t-b-g Posted May 20, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 20, 2013 Many thanks to Graeme and the rest of the EXPO team for the usual great weekend. The EXPO EM events are the friendliest and most enjoyable shows on the exhibition calendar and having been there either on a layout or a demo stand at many such events, they are the ones I hope to get asked back to more than any other. Thanks also for the people who said nice things about Mansfield. I know there is still a long way to go with the project but it is good to know that our efforts are appreciated. The NLR set (Notts and Lincs Railway anybody?) was one of the sets of stock scrounged from Narrow Road for the show. It will be quite a while before a full set of proper GCR stock is available so it may well appear again at Mansfield. A lot of midnight oil was burned over the last few weeks so it will be good to relax a bit now and catch up with one or two other little projects. Last of all, a huge thanks to all those exhibitors, traders and visitors who make a weekend like EXPO what it is. A bunch of like minded people having a cracking good weekend together. Here's to the next one. Tony Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Nile Posted May 20, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 20, 2013 As well as the video I also took photos of nearly all the layouts. The GIMP has been busy this morning. Here is a selection. Tiverton Aldbury Town Iron Street Mills Culm Mansfield Market Place Hartburn Maidstone Road Rolvenden Foundry Lane Woodfield Road Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold kipford Posted May 20, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 20, 2013 First many thanks to Graham and his team for a very enjoyable weekend. Being one of the builders, operators and stock providers of Hope under Dinmore (I don’t only do diesels) I do feel the comments made by Kenton requires a response - Sorry about it not being in quotes but as I write this the quote function is not working:! Kenton wrote: Hope under whatsit - looked a pretty good diorama but I got rather bored waiting for something to find its way out of the rather too large and full fiddle yard. The detail on the model was really good but seeing some stock would be good. The one train that was allowed out didn't seem to know where it was due to stop being very hesitant, still the operators were really enthusiastic about the quality of the point work - and it must be said all the track looked very well accomplished - wish I could say the same about the stock. So to my comments: 1. If you are going to make a comment or do a review on a layout it would be nice if you would use its correct name. 2. We run to a schedule which ensures there is only about 30 second max between trains in either direction. As the layout is reasonably big and on a curve if you are standing at one end of the layout it will take some time for the train to come into view. 3. If there were any larger gaps in the service on Saturday morning and I am not aware of anything larger than at most a minute or two in one direction, then we do apologise, but there were a couple of mitigating circumstances which punters would not be aware of. a. As with any exhibition layout transporting it can result in damage (I am sure Kenton is well aware of that having obviously exhibited himself). We had a couple of electrical gremlins come up on Friday night/Saturday morning which were not present in the test sessions carried out prior to the show and proved a little elusive to track down. b. One of the major stock contributors (roughly half of it) dropped his loco stock box on Thursday, causing serious damage to some locos and unknown damage to the running qualities of the remainder, unfortunately we were still finding out what the final position was when the exhibition opened and some locos were stuttering a bit while we finally sorted everything out. 4. I trust the comment about the stock being not very well accomplished was about the perceived running qualities and not the presentation of them, as there is some very fine modelling in there which always receives very positive comments where ever we go. 4. There being too large a fiddle yard and to much stock! Kenton must be on another planet because our fiddle yard is nowhere near as large or densely packed as some other very well known layouts. My very rubbish (crapberry phone camera) overhead shot from the exhibitors lounge shows what I mean. Neil B, thanks for the video clip showing trains running pretty much at the frequency I mentioned above. Simon, Yes pity about the layout gaffers hand repositioning the island platform building. I think this was after he borrowed it to show someone, as it was a laser cut one by ‘Great Shefford’. PS: WE WON BEST LAYOUT IN SHOW! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Clive Mortimore Posted May 20, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 20, 2013 Having read Kenton’s comments and Dave’s, I am surprised that Dave took the decency to respond. I am not sure I would have done so. I enjoyed my visit to Expo EM, I usually do. Now like most times I have been to Expo EM I have taken from opening to lunch time to chat my way down the two far isles, then from lunch to going home time to natter my way along the demo stands. This leaves very little time to view the layouts, my own fault but what I did see was very high standard of modelling. Some layouts I cannot recall seeing anything moving, apart from me as I whizzed past. If you don’t stand still and wait then you will not see anything move, same as when trainspotting, I suppose. This did not distract from me saying to myself that is nice layout as I looked over the shoulder of the person I was gassing with. I did witness a derailment on Foundry Lane, but until the 304mm to the foot stops falling off the rails then I can accept this in a model railway. Surely a show like Expo EM is a time for modellers in this gauge to display their skills and for other modellers to just enjoy the modelling. It is not a show to “entertain” the local families. All the same hats off to Dave and his other “Dinmorians” for having a schedule of the frequency described and seen on Neil’s video. Well done in winning best of show. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brightspark Posted May 20, 2013 Share Posted May 20, 2013 PS: WE WON BEST LAYOUT IN SHOW! Not bad for a layout that seems to have nearly everything go wrong. Of course it will forever be now known as Hope under Whatsit. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenton Posted May 20, 2013 Share Posted May 20, 2013 Well having been goaded by kipford and clive to respond I guess I need to. First my comments on Hope under .... said nothing derogatory about the modelling of the layout in fact the opposite as the track alone was outstanding. I was standing at the station about level with the single slip which was being discussed with another modeller and his son. All questions being answered - which may well have explained the lack of stock movement. I stood there for at least 5 minutes (probably nearer 10) and the position to my left changed at least twice with the second guy taking a number of photographs. During the whole of this time there were two movements: an auto coach arriving at the platform from the left and departing whence it came in about 10 seconds; then a goods arriving in the main platform I think all those watching wanted to give it a push as it seemed so hesitant. It eventually got a helping hand before departing off scene to the right. That was it. Now I do understand teething problems, especially if set up late on the Friday. But this was about 12:00 on the Saturday so not the first rush of visitors. I now accept the added information of dropped and potentially damaged stock - but the viewer is obviously unaware of such catastrophe unless informed. I cannot comment on stock I cannot see - which is what I said. As for the name it was all I could remember. and just because I didn't mention other layouts doesn't mean that they were forgotten. Some of them I have seen before - some many times and they have already been acknowledged. The three mentioned I had not seen before. Tiverton was still my number one in show, somebody has to win it. We all have our favourites and maybe at the next show I'll be voting for Hope. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kits from Somerset Posted May 20, 2013 Share Posted May 20, 2013 Well I had a good first show but as normal I was unable to see the good layouts and there was three I would have loved to really been able to watch which I had never seen before. There was only two small faults I could find for the trade/layout operators/demonstrators was on the Sat there was no tea boy going around collecting orders for drinks on the stands where there was only one person holding the fort and delivering them, but after a big hint by a fellow trade RMwebber this was in place on Sunday. Also some cold drinks would be good as this can be put back to one side on your stand and be drunk when your throat gets dry which happens when you talk a lot and by this time the hot drinks will be cold. Re C&L when I do a show it is the main reason is to get the punters to part with their L.S.D. and this applies to most trade stands but I can see his point with his back, but it will be very bad for the shows if we all did that. Yes there will be most likely be less trade stands in the future but as long as their is still the ranges at the show that is the main thing and the surviving ones carrying more than one range of kits etc so if you have poor sales of one range there will better chance there will be good sales of other parts of your ranges to make it worth your while been there. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PenrithBeacon Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 I am surprised that 'Hope-Under-Dinmore' got the prize but there you are. Like other visitors I had a very pleasant weekend marred, for me,by laryngitis and I am looking forward to next year's show, but first there is RAILEX next weekend! Regards Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold kipford Posted May 21, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 21, 2013 By the way we were as surprised as anyone when got the trophy! I thought it was going to Rolvenden or Highbury Collery. Perhaps the judging took place later Saturday afternoon or Sunday morning when we had 99% of the problems sorted! It proves you cannot please all the people all the time (the 80/20 rule comes to mind). As an aside I forgot to add my congratulations to Tiverton for the operation prize and Geoff Kent for the scratchbuilding one. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold queensquare Posted May 21, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 21, 2013 By the way we were as surprised as anyone when got the trophy! I thought it was going to Rolvenden or Highbury Collery. Perhaps the judging took place later Saturday afternoon or Sunday morning when we had 99% of the problems sorted! It proves you cannot please all the people all the time (the 80/20 rule comes to mind). As an aside I forgot to add my congratulations to Tiverton for the operation prize and Geoff Kent for the scratchbuilding one. I don't think we (Highbury) were eligible as we are not EM. I think yourselves, Rolvendon or Tiverton would all have been worthy winners - all were excellent. Jerry Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest oldlugger Posted May 24, 2013 Share Posted May 24, 2013 First many thanks to Graham and his team for a very enjoyable weekend. Being one of the builders, operators and stock providers of Hope under Dinmore (I don’t only do diesels) I do feel the comments made by Kenton requires a response - Sorry about it not being in quotes but as I write this the quote function is not working:! Kenton wrote: Hope under whatsit - looked a pretty good diorama but I got rather bored waiting for something to find its way out of the rather too large and full fiddle yard. The detail on the model was really good but seeing some stock would be good. The one train that was allowed out didn't seem to know where it was due to stop being very hesitant, still the operators were really enthusiastic about the quality of the point work - and it must be said all the track looked very well accomplished - wish I could say the same about the stock. So to my comments: 1. If you are going to make a comment or do a review on a layout it would be nice if you would use its correct name. 2. We run to a schedule which ensures there is only about 30 second max between trains in either direction. As the layout is reasonably big and on a curve if you are standing at one end of the layout it will take some time for the train to come into view. 3. If there were any larger gaps in the service on Saturday morning and I am not aware of anything larger than at most a minute or two in one direction, then we do apologise, but there were a couple of mitigating circumstances which punters would not be aware of. a. As with any exhibition layout transporting it can result in damage (I am sure Kenton is well aware of that having obviously exhibited himself). We had a couple of electrical gremlins come up on Friday night/Saturday morning which were not present in the test sessions carried out prior to the show and proved a little elusive to track down. b. One of the major stock contributors (roughly half of it) dropped his loco stock box on Thursday, causing serious damage to some locos and unknown damage to the running qualities of the remainder, unfortunately we were still finding out what the final position was when the exhibition opened and some locos were stuttering a bit while we finally sorted everything out. 4. I trust the comment about the stock being not very well accomplished was about the perceived running qualities and not the presentation of them, as there is some very fine modelling in there which always receives very positive comments where ever we go. 4. There being too large a fiddle yard and to much stock! Kenton must be on another planet because our fiddle yard is nowhere near as large or densely packed as some other very well known layouts. My very rubbish (crapberry phone camera) overhead shot from the exhibitors lounge shows what I mean. Neil B, thanks for the video clip showing trains running pretty much at the frequency I mentioned above. Simon, Yes pity about the layout gaffers hand repositioning the island platform building. I think this was after he borrowed it to show someone, as it was a laser cut one by ‘Great Shefford’. PS: WE WON BEST LAYOUT IN SHOW! IMG-20130518-00029.jpg A very well deserved award Dave, in my opinion. Cheers Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bodmin16 Posted May 24, 2013 Share Posted May 24, 2013 Went yesterday, enjoyed the show as always, will be posting some video on YouTube with link on emgs over the next few days. video here Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bodmin16 Posted May 25, 2013 Share Posted May 25, 2013 video here Please check out my channel on YouTube (lswr53) there are a few other videos including expo em 2012. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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