Geoff Endacott Posted August 26, 2013 Share Posted August 26, 2013 Make sure you go on the right date(s). Geoff Endacott Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcm@gwr Posted August 27, 2013 Share Posted August 27, 2013 But you will enjoy yourself especialy if you have a movement diagram you can flip over that will stop many daft questions and let get things right and at the end of the day run a Thomas train for a laugh and then go and have a pint!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Or The Harry Potter Express............ or Underground Ernie.............. or anything to wind those who insist on telling you that, "it's not the right shade of grey on the cottage door, for that part of the country, at that time of year/month/day!" This has started some interesting conversations for me, from people who were too shy to approach the opperating team before. Cheers, Jeff Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merc435 Posted August 27, 2013 Share Posted August 27, 2013 Very important to drink plenty of water, as you'll be on your feet all day and conversing with the public. We call it the day2 cold, by the middle of the second day, your throat is dry, your nose is blocked and you have a sore head. All tell tale signs of dehydration. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 One that hasn't been mentioned is a dust sheet to cover the layout. At exhibitions (especially carpeted halls) the punters create a lot of dust which hangs about in the air then settles on the layout overnight. Best to cover up at the end of each day. I would add allow plenty of time in the morning to clean all track and wheels ( dust...), and have some means of cleaning wheels during the day if possible, together with an oil dispensor. I worked out that over a 2-day show on a 12 foot by 2.5 foot roundy-roundy layout in N each loco travelled the best part of a mile. Also- dress in layers. Some venues are b-cold first thing and turn into furnaces in the afternoon- Warley Saturdays spring to mind. All the very best Les Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium eldavo Posted August 28, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 28, 2013 Don't forget to pack your sense of humour! Things will go wrong and you will get stressed but remember you and your operators are there to have fun as well as entertaining the punters. Cheers Dave Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
terry.ecmr Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 Trial set-up/operation the week before, check list of what to take and a soldering iron! I've only exhibited 6 times so far (with lots more coming up) and have found that organisers, traders and fellow exhibitors are more than willing to help each other in the event of an emergency. I've been pleasantly surprised by how helpful people are and what a friendly community modellers are. And I agree.....you'll get the bug! 'Earl's Court' ecmr.webs.com Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob D2 Posted August 29, 2013 Share Posted August 29, 2013 Make sure the backscene is high enough to cover your beer gut........should you have one... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merc435 Posted August 29, 2013 Share Posted August 29, 2013 Make sure you get plenty of sleep, there is nothing worse than seeing a beautiful layout with a tired, unshaven operator peering over the backscenes. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indomitable026 Posted August 29, 2013 Share Posted August 29, 2013 Make sure you get plenty of sleep, there is nothing worse than seeing a beautiful layout with a tired, unshaven operator peering over the backscenes. Oh, We thought that was a good sought after look...... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Sheep Posted August 29, 2013 Share Posted August 29, 2013 Also remember rule 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted August 29, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 29, 2013 One that hasn't been mentioned is a dust sheet to cover the layout. At exhibitions (especially carpeted halls) the punters create a lot of dust which hangs about in the air then settles on the layout overnight. Best to cover up at the end of each day. I would add allow plenty of time in the morning to clean all track and wheels ( dust...), and have some means of cleaning wheels during the day if possible, together with an oil dispensor. I worked out that over a 2-day show on a 12 foot by 2.5 foot roundy-roundy layout in N each loco travelled the best part of a mile. Also- dress in layers. Some venues are b-cold first thing and turn into furnaces in the afternoon- Warley Saturdays spring to mind. All the very best Les Whilst we don't normally cover the scenic areas as there is too much fragile detail to get snagged (if you can though, do so) , we do cover the fiddleyard. When cleaning the scenic area track I tend to do that on the basis that if I damage something then I only have myself to blame. We take clip on fans which clip to the layouts legs. We take them even in the coldest weather as some halls can have heating full on. With the recent really hot weather we even take a floor standing fan. Another useful thing is a portable light in case of having to find any faults under the boards. I have one that can hang onto hooks which are mounted under the boards (to hold up the baseboard electrical connectors). Ian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoovernut Posted August 29, 2013 Author Share Posted August 29, 2013 Make sure the backscene is high enough to cover your beer gut........should you have one... do you know me rob. ha ha Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium HillsideDepot Posted August 29, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 29, 2013 Trial set-up/operation the week before, check list of what to take and a soldering iron! I've only exhibited 6 times so far (with lots more coming up) and have found that organisers, traders and fellow exhibitors are more than willing to help each other in the event of an emergency. I've been pleasantly surprised by how helpful people are and what a friendly community modellers are. And I agree.....you'll get the bug! 'Earl's Court' ecmr.webs.com Certainly agree with these thoughts - several times now things have gone wrong and an urgent trip round the trade stands is needed. Even if they are setting up they will stop and find the vital part, and if your visit is only a fleeting one as you search out the essential item a more relaxed subsequent visit will usually bring questions along the lines of "did you find a...?" or "is it working now?". A thought on the "hot-stick" as we call it, you'll take an extension lead to feed your controllers, but soldering irons have short leads, and you can bet that without another extension your controller power won't let your iron reach the problem spot. OK you could stop the trains, but with an extra extension you might be able to run a limited service and do repairs at the same time. Be prepared for the expert who rubbishes all your efforts; we listen, discuss, and ultimately ask where we can see their layout on show! Then there was the comment on an item of a friend's rolling stock that "those never got that dirty", so said vehicle is now usually parked in the front siding, with the photos of the prototype readily to hand at the control panel. The opposite to the armchair expert is the person at one show, with a friend's layout, who asked "is it a real place?" The answer was that yes, Northolt is a real place, but now all she was looking at was imaginary "well," she said "we know Northolt very well, but could work out where all this is"! A weekend behind a layout will make visiting a show a very different experience, but you will find that you have entered a special 'club' so that when something goes wrong before your eyes you can give a sympathetic "I've been there" look which only those who exhibit can do. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RailWest Posted August 29, 2013 Share Posted August 29, 2013 From an 'eagle eyed punter', I would suggest please that you do NOT: 1. have information displayed about your layout that contains basic spelling and/or grammatical mistakes.... 2. have displays with pictures that are printed back to front..... 3. have demountable signals which are then installed the wrong-way round when setting-up, but your operator(s) don't notice..... 4. take any electrical device with a fuse (whether internal or in its plug) for which you don't have a spare...... 5. start packing-up early at the end of the day *before* the exhibition has closed and there is still a visitor or two at your layout..... Seen it all Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoovernut Posted September 1, 2013 Author Share Posted September 1, 2013 The show is done and the layout is safely home but what a nightmare. The layout has been stuck in the corner of the house and I don't want to acknowledge it even exists. Two Point failures, One accessory decoder failed. All the uncouplers stopped working as soon as I set up and finally I smacked my head on the bottom of the layout whilst trying to fix a point. But on the plus side all the advice given was a great help, plus I learnt a great deal for next time and there will be some mods done to kings wood before its next outing. Regards Mick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanks522 Posted September 1, 2013 Share Posted September 1, 2013 Hi Mick, Glad the show went reasonably well, we all have failures from time to time, last outing of my layout saw some automated loops that i'd tested to death for days decided to pack up for no apparent reason, i could have quite happily ripped them out there and then, which reminds me i need to check them before next time. Graham. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridgiesimon Posted September 2, 2013 Share Posted September 2, 2013 I am sure if you really think about it, you can think of some positives from the show, the fact you are thinking about the next one is a good sign!! Congratulations for getting through it though and you now have a list of stuff to sort/change/improve for next time - addition has started!!! Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium DLT Posted September 2, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 2, 2013 The show is done and the layout is safely home but what a nightmare. The layout has been stuck in the corner of the house and I don't want to acknowledge it even exists. Two Point failures, One accessory decoder failed. All the uncouplers stopped working as soon as I set up and finally I smacked my head on the bottom of the layout whilst trying to fix a point. But on the plus side all the advice given was a great help, plus I learnt a great deal for next time and there will be some mods done to kings wood before its next outing. Regards Mick Sorry to hear you had an attack of the gremlins Mick, theres nothing as good as an exhibition to show up any problems or shortcomings. As others have said, its a good idea to look at the first couple of shows as a "shakedown" for the layout, and start thinking about the next outing. Did you get any more invitations? All the best, Dave. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoovernut Posted September 2, 2013 Author Share Posted September 2, 2013 I did get asked for my details for potential invite to stowmarket. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevinklein Posted September 2, 2013 Share Posted September 2, 2013 did you do the show alone?... i think i`d hate to do something like an exhibition alone, no time to take a break when stressed, and so many different chores to try and concentrate on... do you have a layout thread here?... might be an idea, you`d find that the positive/constructive criticism and support you get here might raise your confidence before having to deal with the general public... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merc435 Posted September 3, 2013 Share Posted September 3, 2013 The show is done and the layout is safely home but what a nightmare. The layout has been stuck in the corner of the house and I don't want to acknowledge it even exists. Two Point failures, One accessory decoder failed. All the uncouplers stopped working as soon as I set up and finally I smacked my head on the bottom of the layout whilst trying to fix a point. But on the plus side all the advice given was a great help, plus I learnt a great deal for next time and there will be some mods done to kings wood before its next outing. Regards Mick Welcome to the club! We all have the "Baptism of Fire" on the first outing of any layout. Now you know where faults can occur, resolve them in you own time and then plan for the next outing(There WILL be another outing, won't there?). I've had a CDU fail on day one of an exhibition, but with a quick purchase, the loan of an Iron and the assistance of a couple of fellow exhibitors, I was back up and running within half an hour. Good luck with the next show. Andy. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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