37114 Posted April 10, 2016 Share Posted April 10, 2016 Really enjoyed the show and great to meet many RMwebbers. In my view Geoff and the team have pulled a great choice with the move to Corsham, the venue is excellent and the facilities a big improvement on Melksham. Also special mention must go to Michelle and Ian for some excellent exhibitors catering, Sunday roast went down well. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisf Posted April 10, 2016 Share Posted April 10, 2016 I paid my first visit to this show on Saturday. The venue is well suited to the task facing it. Despite the efforts of the M4 I was on site by 09.15 and had no trouble parking. It struck me beforehand that the list of layouts was a cut above the norm, whatever that is. Any show with three P4 layouts has to be on the cards for me to visit - that is three more than Ally Pally - but there was much more. 2mm finescale was represented ably by St Ruth and the excellent Wadebridge, trams by Whitburn and 7mm by Dock Green. The balance and standard of layouts was such that everyone attending must have found something to like. I must compliment 37114 [nice chap] on Peafore Yard and forgive him for the name! Trade was well balanced too, with a sufficiency of box shifters and not too much in the way of junk shops. For once too I met some RMwebbers though I managed not to spot Valleymodeller knowingly. The cafe was kept busy. I forgive them for charging £2 for "tall tea" and noted that this is nearly twice the price charged by J D Wetherspoons. I enjoyed my pasty eventually: the assistant said she could not find me when it was ready. Perhaps she would like to meet my optician. Hey, these things happen. All in all I thought the 110 miles each way well worth the effort and must congratulate Geoff and his team for a fine show. In the interests of accuracy I should point out, as I have done elsewhere, that the P4 layout built by Stephen Williams and shown at Trainwest is spelled FARINGDON. One day someone will build a layout based on the Underground and Thameslink station called FARRINGDON and confusion will reign. Wait a tick: it does already. As for Clutton, my esteemed colleague Mr Beacon may not know that it has won an award for prototypical operation. I do hope it was behaving itself, as it did on Saturday, when he must have blinked at it. Chris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveb860 Posted April 10, 2016 Share Posted April 10, 2016 Well done Geoff, an excellent venue for an excellent show. Well worth travelling from Shrewsbury to attend. Sorry I couldn't stay long to operate the layout! Looking forward to next years show. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Barry Ten Posted April 10, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 10, 2016 I enjoyed my visit today. I had a bit of trouble finding the overflow carpark - I could see it behind the center but had to drive around a bit until I picked up the entrance. Faultless choice of layouts. I'd have been well happy with just Faringdon and Clutton, but Sidmouth was an expected bonus (I hadn't checked the list of layouts very carefully) and I was also hugely impressed with the 2mm layout with a Penzance feel. Lots more good stuff - but what is it with British modellers of the USA who have to display huge Confederate flags on their layouts? When I went to get a coffee the catering staff were clearly struggling to keep up with demand, especially as they were doing the food and sandwiches from the same counter. Trade support what I'd come to expect from previous Trainwests; other than Branchlines and SE Finecast, not really much in the way of finescale stuff but that's not a complaint, just an observation. A lot of the dealers didn't seem to be doing much business, though, backed up by a conversation with one of them who was almost shaking my hand with gratitude after I made a purchase. Overall a good day out and I'll be ignoring my TwatNav next year when it tries to take me down single-track farm roads... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Mike Bellamy Posted April 10, 2016 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 10, 2016 Any show with three P4 layouts has to be on the cards for me to visit Chris Chris - only 1 for our show at Derby but we also have 5 EM layouts . . . . . . . . . and no need to worry about motorways as we are next to the station ! http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/109105-derby-the-roundhouse-7th-8th-may-2016/?p=2236476 Pleased to see that the new venue worked well with an increased attendance - which was what we experienced last year when we went to the Roundhouse for the first time. I'm sure Geoff must be pleased and a lot more relaxed now it's over until the next time! . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PenrithBeacon Posted April 10, 2016 Share Posted April 10, 2016 ... As for Clutton, my esteemed colleague Mr Beacon may not know that it has won an award for prototypical operation. I do hope it was behaving itself, as it did on Saturday, when he must have blinked at it. Chris Mr Beacon? Clutton may well have won an award for prototypical operation, and I'm in no doubt at all that's why Richard Beeching closed the line. I was once at a show where Clutton was being exhibited and one of the operators, a teenager, had fallen asleep! I'm not sure anyone else noticed. All the best Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobby (John) Posted April 10, 2016 Share Posted April 10, 2016 Towcester is back home and tucked up in my garage. A big thanks to Geoff and the team for another great show and I hope it was a great success for you. See you in a couple of years with Fenchurch St Peter. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Cram Posted April 10, 2016 Share Posted April 10, 2016 Mr Beacon? Clutton may well have won an award for prototypical operation, and I'm in no doubt at all that's why Richard Beeching closed the line. I was once at a show where Clutton was being exhibited and one of the operators, a teenager, had fallen asleep! I'm not sure anyone else noticed. All the best Last time I watched Clutton I stood in front of it for 10 minutes and in that time not one train moved. Lots of bells ringing so I agree with you. Prototypical operation must have followed the Sunday time table. It was A Sunday when I saw it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taigatrommel Posted April 10, 2016 Share Posted April 10, 2016 Stromallee behaved reasonably well for its first proper outing, a four wheel shunter behaved about as well as you might expect over semi-inlaid track and a couple of points had issues, but the mainline worked well and the guys who helped me over the weekend did such a good job operating that I felt quite relaxed once the show had got going. I didn't have time to take in the operating of other layouts, but in terms of the overall modelling standard on display I'd say it was a top-notch exhibition. I was able to get the parts to finish my HAPs before Bachmann release theirs, and enjoyed going to an organised evening meal rather than having to find somewhere myself. Many thanks to Geoff and everyone else at Bentley MRG, I had a great weekend. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Endacott Posted April 10, 2016 Author Share Posted April 10, 2016 Geoff and the team have pulled a great choice with the move to Corsham... Where is it that you live Rob? Geoff Endacott Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Endacott Posted April 10, 2016 Author Share Posted April 10, 2016 I was fortunate to be able to park in the forecourt where the local constabulary was taking up three spaces! That did have one significant benefit. Shoplifting had been something of a problem at Christie Miller. We didn't get any trouble this weekend. I wonder if that had anything to do with sharing the building with the town's new police station. Geoff Endacott Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Endacott Posted April 10, 2016 Author Share Posted April 10, 2016 I enjoyed my visit today. I had a bit of trouble finding the overflow carpark... Sorry about that. The local youths nicked some of the signs. We had more trouble yesterday when some of the signs were moved to direct people to a dead end in the nearby housing estate. Simple things and simple minds... Geoff Endacott Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crantock Posted April 10, 2016 Share Posted April 10, 2016 Well done. A good show. I prefer single halls but the mix was a good compromise - although the mirrored wall in the dance room confused me at first. Apart from the excellent exhibits and good trade mix the surprise was the young age of the visitors, and not just ones being dragged along by parents. Genuine, self propelled teenagers a Tweenies. There is hope for the hobby in the west. So well done. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Endacott Posted April 10, 2016 Author Share Posted April 10, 2016 There is, however, one serious problem with the move to a larger venue. My feet hurt... Geoff Endacott Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Endacott Posted April 10, 2016 Author Share Posted April 10, 2016 Thanks are, of course, due to the exhibitors, especially for donating £128.25 to Macmillan Cancer Relief. Geoff Endacott Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taigatrommel Posted April 10, 2016 Share Posted April 10, 2016 Well done. A good show. I prefer single halls but the mix was a good compromise - although the mirrored wall in the dance room confused me at first. I almost tried to find the way through the layouts to the other exhibits in that room...! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kempenfelt Posted April 10, 2016 Share Posted April 10, 2016 I was fortunate to be able to park in the forecourt where the local constabulary was taking up three spaces! In addition to what Geoff's already added, the spaces taken up by the local constabulary were in fact dedicated parking spaces and marked up as Police. I wouldn't want to chance parking in such a space should any of them have been available. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
D869 Posted April 10, 2016 Share Posted April 10, 2016 Thanks to Geoff and his crew from the St Ruth team. We had a splendid time. I've put some photos on our layout blog and on the Wadebridge thread. http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/595/entry-17695-trainwest-2016/ http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/78121-the-north-cornwall-line-in-2mm-finescale/?p=2269642 Regards, Andy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted April 10, 2016 Share Posted April 10, 2016 Despite probably being the first layout away (14 mins from running trains and talking to the last pair of punters to setting satnav and putting car into gear) it was still 8.15 by the time I got home- exactly the running time suggested by the satnav plus a short stop. By 8.45 Furtwangen Ost was on end at the far end of the shed and Hawthorn Dene erected ready for Manchester in 5 weeks time. Very many thanks to Geoff and team for looking after us extremely well. From the point of view of an exhibitor this is a very well run and friendly show. Very much appreciated by the Furtwangen Ost crew. I hope that in the future we may be able to bring Hawthorn Dene. Once again, many thanks. Les Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kempenfelt Posted April 10, 2016 Share Posted April 10, 2016 Many thanks to Geoff and his team for an excellent show! From an exhibitors perspective we felt we were very well looked after! Although I wasn't there for set up, other members of the team were very complimentary of the bacon butties and cakes that were available during set up, a very nice touch! I must confess, Trainwest despite being one of my most local show's has always been an event that I could take or leave in the past. This view has very much been amended after this weekend! As a finescale modeller I was very impressed with the line up that had been put together. I've always admired Wadebridge and Faringdon. I was very much looking forward to seeing Sidmouth and wasn't disappointing, many thanks to Richard and his team who were very accommodating when it came to putting up with my prolonged interest. I was also very impressed with St Ruth with particular note to the use of lighting and developing backscene, it really is turning into a cracker of a 2mm showpiece. All these in addition to many other exhibits of interest. Keep up the good work Geoff and team and I will not be questioning my attendance in future years! A good spread of traders and layouts including three P4! I liked Sidmouth and Farringdon but I really don't get Clutton at all, lots of bells but no traffic. I have yet to see anything move on the railway, but I suppose that was why Beeching closed the original. As a member of the Clutton operating team I know there was a problem this afternoon when an electrical short developed causing a bit of a delay for a few minutes, but apart from that I thought the layout worked impeccably. Any hardened exhibitor is well aware of these incidents and the efforts and stress that go into resolving the issue to get the show going again for the punters. There was a revision to the DCC system since its last outing which made operation quicker behind the scenes. This resulted in pauses of circa 15-20 seconds when a train wasn't moving, unless stopped somewhere on scene, usually in the station or whilst performing one of the shunting moves. Because of the size of the layout it does a bit of time for the trains to emerge on scene, and to operate the layout prototypically (I.e. demonstrating the use of bell codes, working signalling and scale running speeds) there can be periods of as much as 60 seconds when a train isn't visible on scene. If this is too long to wait and view the atmosphere of the scene on offer then I guess this isn't the type of layout for you? Clutton will never be an intensively operated main line, nor was it ever intended to be. But I have always felt it always offered something different to many other layouts as a layout in the scenery, this I do IMHO feel it captures very well. Having learned of your experience of never seeing a train move, I would be most happy to invite you to spend 5 minutes with me at Clutton's next outing (Railex 2016) and I will personally take you through the operation. Hopefully that would go some way to improving your experience? I would like to point out that although I form part of the operating team, I have had nothing to do with its existence. It is the culmination of almost 30 years work of one man and I am personally in admiration of what he's managed to achieve in that time. Best Wishes Paul Hutfield Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold John B Posted April 11, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 11, 2016 but what is it with British modellers of the USA who have to display huge Confederate flags on their layouts? Indeed. Those that think it's all a bit of "Dukes of Hazard fun" need to get educated on the very real emotional reactions that particular flag raises over here, and the way in which it would portray themselves. And think very carefully about using it ever again.. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
40F Posted April 11, 2016 Share Posted April 11, 2016 . I was fortunate to be able to park in the forecourt where the local constabulary was taking up three spaces! The bays were actually marked POLICE I large letters ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PenrithBeacon Posted April 11, 2016 Share Posted April 11, 2016 The bays were actually marked POLICE I large letters ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; And they each had a car upon them so the letters were invisible! It was a joke for goodness sake. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Posted April 11, 2016 Share Posted April 11, 2016 The bays were actually marked POLICE I large letters ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; Yes but he didn't get it. He stood and watched the police car space for 5 minutes and nothing moved!!!! Mark Humphrys Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
40F Posted April 11, 2016 Share Posted April 11, 2016 You don`t always know with some of the posters any way HA HA Ah Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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