Railex 2014 Aylesbury 24th & 25th May 2014

[BlackRat]

UNN ISS IBB BULL or There abouts.

 

I think a weekender is called for next year.......as I will be free!!

[ANT]

Hello All

 

Well, a good day today at Railex.

 

I spent most of my day on the Club's Second-Hand Stall, though got away at lunch time to take some photos from the balcony.

 

 

 

I shall be on the stand again most of tomorrow, but want to get away to photo some of the layouts later in the afternoon.

 

Come and say Hi.

 

Thanks

SEEYA
ANT

[4630]

A very enjoyable show with a good mixture of layouts and traders.

 

The thoroughness and quality of the organisation of this show is also pretty evident in my opinion. 

 

Unfortunately my 'family free pass' ran out early in the afternoon so I had to leave earlier than I would have liked.  I'd liked to have stayed all day.

 

Here are a few photos that I managed to get through the crowds.

 

 

Bath Green Park

 

 

Buckminster Ironstone

 

 

Cliffhanger

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dewsbury Midland

 

 

Earl's Court

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[trisonic]

Big thanks to everyone who posted photos for those of us far, far, away!

 

Kerranged out a big A chord from a Les Paul thru a Marshall SuperLead stack in celebration.... the faint echoes should reach the UK around 4:00am..

 

Best, Pete.

[Re6/6]

Big thanks to everyone who posted photos for those of us far, far, away!

 

Kerranged out a big A chord from a Les Paul thru a Marshall SuperLead stack in celebration.... the faint echoes should reach the UK around 4:00am..

 

Best, Pete.

 

Volume up to 11 I hope Pete! 

 

Just enjoying a cuppa before departing on the SWAG/DRAG annual outing. Grief, it's b***** early!

 

Looks like a good show, as ever, Thank you Ivan for reminding me of something that I had forgotten on my list

[martin_wynne]

It's something like Eunice Yobble isn't it?

 

Innis The Bull was in the cattle dock.

[Horsetan]

...., Thank you Ivan for reminding me of something that I had forgotten on my list

I have few uses in life. This is but one of them.

[lmsforever]

Really enjoyed my visit this year brilliant layouts and trade good to see Alloa and Dewsbury Midland plus John Greenwoods masterpiece thanks to all concerned this must be the best show in the south .

[Horsetan]

If they're taking votes for layout of the show, my vote goes to Cliffrichard Cliffhanger. I mean, what's not to like?

[edcayton]

Absolutely superb show. Too much for my aching limbs to take in, there was absolutely no "padding" of any sort. Only bought one book. Railex has to be the "Gold Standard" now surely?

 

Ed

[RANGERS]

Spent less time there than I would have liked yesterday but enjoyed it immensely, once again a full selection of top drawer layouts and a varied selection of trade support, many of whom aren't seen anywhere apart from the scale society events. All in all a first class show, it begs the question just how many layouts of this standard there are which haven't featured at Railex. Now I wonder, just how do you get the Pendleton masterpiece to Aylesbury?

 

I hate to say this but the event is in danger of outgrowing its home, I arrived around 10.30 and as expected was in the overflow parking, nothing wrong with that but by the time I left around 1, it seemed like just about every conceivable space had a car in it and the traffic was still rolling in. The crowds in the hall made it uncomfortable in some areas, particularly the far corner near the Wild Swan stand.

 

A superb event and well organised, hats off to the team.

[The Stationmaster]

Agree totally with Ed; as we discussed at the show the percentage of 'WOW! factor' layouts was very high with not a duff one among them and some superb modelling on display.  Agree also about the 'no padding' aspect - a good solid show with trade and demos, plus a couple of seating areas, to back up/complement the high quality layouts.  

 

While I don't go very far northwards to attend shows this one must rank as one of the best in the country the only downsides being the tendency for the otherwise excellent venue to get a bit warm (ok for me today) and the far from recommendable tea offered by the in-house catering organisation at the Stadium (at least the latter was balanced by a pretty good and reasonably priced breakfast).  The show part - which is what it is really all about of course - simply goes from strength to strength with my only concern being how it can be bettered next year.

 

As far as traders are concerned may I take the opportunity to 'highly commend' Eileen's Emporium who having sold out of a particular model of airbrush yesterday gave me and at least one other customer today the same deal with one to be posted to us later this week with no p&p charge - a great example of genuine 'customer care' and how a business really does make a good name and reputation for itself.

[paulr1949]

I agree wholeheartedly - an excellent show with some really good layouts. I was there as an operator on the WhiteOak Light Railway, and only there yesterday, so didn't have a lot of time to look round, so had to use it wisely ;-)

I could happily have stood and watched Dewsbury, Bath Green Park, Alloa and Blackgill all day. And I didn't spend a lot either, just some tubes, piano wire, butanol, and picked up some etched signal bits from  MSE which I had ordered.

 

It did get fairly hot in our corner, but they did open the outside doors at various times yesterday, which helped. I too wonder how it can be bettered. Your challenge awaits, Dave!

[station cat]

Splendid show chaps. All the layouts were of a very high standard, the worst of them would have stood out as excellent at almost any other show. Trade support was excellent too. My one gripe is that there was only one overseas layout - but then overseas layouts of the requisite quality are not commonly found within reasonable distance of Aylesbury. I was so inspired that I bought a wagon kit - i've never made one before (I did buy one years ago which I still have somewhere, probably expired from plastic fatigue by now).

[Horsetan]

....just how do you get the Pendleton masterpiece to Aylesbury?

You don't.

 

I hate to say this but the event is in danger of outgrowing its home.....

Wembley Arena might be available...

[lmsforever]

Chatted to David today and congratulated him on the show his reply,wait till next year! There is no were bigger venue in Aylesbury and this hall has a good atmosphere perhaps the only other place in the town is the Waterside Theatre but don't think they would give up aSaturday show .Thought the demos were good and informative but could we have maginifying glasses for the 2mmsf layouts to see the detail on the rolling stock!!!!

[martin_wynne]

I arrived around 10.30 and as expected was in the overflow parking, nothing wrong with that but by the time I left around 1, it seemed like just about every conceivable space had a car in it and the traffic was still rolling in.

 

The solution to that is to use the excellent free bus service from the station. Although for a first-time visitor being deposited in a residential area without a model railway show in sight was a bit confusing.

 

The same thing happened at the last show I attended (Stafford) -- the free bus I mean. If model railway shows now include a free ride on the top deck of a bus as a standard feature, I'm all in favour.

 

An excellent show, well done to all involved. But far too hot inside for me to enjoy it properly. I went outside and found somewhere to sit in the fresh air for an hour or so. Went back in about 3.30pm when it had started to cool off a bit. Full marks for the lockers for somewhere to leave coats and bags. But I had to ask where they were -- a sign would have helped. Other shows would do well to copy this -- if you encourage people to use public transport you can hardly expect them to leave home at 7am without a coat. Car users can leave their stuff in the car.

 

Martin.

[John_Miles]

Really taken by Alloa and Ynysybwl (no I don't know how to pronounce it either and probably wasn't the only one to think it was the password)

 

Welsh is a phonetic language so there are strict rules on how to say things so pronouncing Ynysybwl is easy. First you have to realise that Y is a vowel in Welsh. The sound attributed to Y depends on its location within the word. If Y is the last vowel then it is pronounced as ee which with an s after it becomes iss. Otherwise Y is pronounced as er. The exception is if Y is on its own and then it is pronounced as er. Next you need to know that Ynysybwl is actually 3 words so it is Ynys Y Bwl.

 

So applying the rules it is pronouced   er-niss er bull - easy as I said except that the locals say the first syllable as un so un-iss er bull.

 

And then you wonder why so few people speak Welsh.

[martin_wynne]

pronouncing Ynysybwl is easy

 

I very much enjoyed being allowed to operate Ynysybwl.

 

Innis The Bull was clearly visible in the goods yard being led into the cattle dock.

 

Martin.

[Oldddudders]

Frankly I thought Eunice Yobble sounded like quite a nice girl...........

[mike morley]

  could we have maginifying glasses for the 2mmsf layouts

 

Today I discovered that a £600 pair of glasses are not good enough to even see a 2mmFS Beattie Well-tank properly.

What are John Greenwoods eyes like?  Is he related to anyone named Hubble? Can he please leave his eyes to medical science?  Can the medical scientists set up a railway modelling department?

Superb.  Absolutely superb.

[Tom J]

Second year running for me; this time I was without my young protege.

 

It. Was. Very. Warm. Such a shame - it was exceptional in every other respect. I went outside three times for fresh air because I was wilting! Seating was at a a premium unless you went upstairs; could I suggest, weather permitting, more chairs, and some tables, outdoors, out the back?

 

The venue does suffer from poor ventilation (as well as mobile phone blocking!) and as someone else said, the exhibition as a whole was crowded in the middle of Saturday. That said, (maybe as a result, and lots of people deciding to get going?) by 1500 it thinned right out and the last hour or so was very good for being able to scoot round and see everything without having to wait for a 'gap'. Last year I think the same might have happened; Thomas Ivor and I arrived with not much more than an hour and a half left and felt like we more than had our money's worth.

 

Absolutely loved 'The end of the line', which I'd not seen before. Also enjoyed participating at the Gravetts' table, which was clearly popular. At one stage I saw a lady with three children all having a bash. What a great sign!

 

Very well done to everyone involved. Super show, well worth the hour or so's drive for me. Nice to see Ivan and Cliffhanger once more, too.

 

Oh, just one thing, whilst I remember. At the (entirely justified!) higher than average admission price, I think it might be good to arrange a deal with the stadium to accept card payments for admission (as they do for the cafe, which sends customers over there to pay), especially as I doubt there is a cashpoint nearby.

[bbishop]

As usual, I spent a long time in front of a few layouts, especially one's I hadn't seen properly before. So rather ignored Ynysybwl and Bath GP (seen both before at Nescot), concentrating on Wadebridge, Cliffhanger, Alloa, Dewsbury and Blackgill. Mildly disappointed by Bradfield: I'd had a brief look at it when The Laird still had it. I think he spent a lot of time ensuring the track and stock were compatable; maybe the new owners need to replicate the process.

 

Whilst on the subject of mild, had about ten glasses of the stuff in the Farmers Bar before cycling down to the station. Lovely.

 

Bill

[Kenton]

 

Car users can leave their stuff in the car.

What, and enjoy a 10 minute walk in the pouring rain! When I left home and half way en-route it was torrential and heading north. The prospect of a drenching of me and my goodies going back to the car and a 90 minute drive home soaked to the skin - made up my mind.

 

Lockers? Available? OK I admit I didn't even think to ask. I simply perspired in my anorak, but should have known better as this venue is well known to be a cooker.

 

Must make a note for Scale4rum (same venue) in the rainy month of September. But I suspect the number of lockers will be somewhat limited - which may be the reason for no signs.

[David Bigcheeseplant]

Well that's it for another year

 

Thanks for all the comments, just got home. I am glad people enjoyed themselves. The hall is a big metal box so does get hot, we did open the doors to try and cool it down.

 

More people used the bus this year and if was full to capacity on one run even though we were running every half an hour on Saturday morning, selling ticket on the bus this year was really popular.

 

The hands on demo by the Gravetts on grassland seemed to go down really well, and saw many people including children taking away there grass creations. 

 

David