TRAINWEST 2016 - 9 & 10 April

[PenrithBeacon]

Yes but he didn't get it. He stood and watched the police car space for 5 minutes and nothing moved!!!!

 

Mark Humphrys

Not a great idea, I might have been charged with loitering with intent.

[The Stationmaster]

The show was a good one for quality (whatever that means) layouts but I'm surprised 'Calderwood' hasn't been mentioned - maybe double track L&Y through lines don't have the attraction of single line GW branches?  Anyway I was most taken with it (more bell signalling as well as it happened, and working signals).  Clutton was working like a real railway when I saw it - trains moved in accordance with real railway practice so definitely a lot going for it.  But these are just two of an excellent selection of good layouts which made the show one to enjoy.  

 

I have long liked Trainwest as a show and while I was very appreciative of its Chippenham venue i wasn't quite so keen on Melksham (apart from the relative ease of getting there by road) but the show now has a venue which truly suits its credentials so I shall continue to visit as a happy and satisfied punter.

[Barry Ten]

The show was a good one for quality (whatever that means) layouts but I'm surprised 'Calderwood' hasn't been mentioned - maybe double track L&Y through lines don't have the attraction of single line GW branches?  Anyway I was most taken with it (more bell signalling as well as it happened, and working signals).  Clutton was working like a real railway when I saw it - trains moved in accordance with real railway practice so definitely a lot going for it.  But these are just two of an excellent selection of good layouts which made the show one to enjoy.  

 

I have long liked Trainwest as a show and while I was very appreciative of its Chippenham venue i wasn't quite so keen on Melksham (apart from the relative ease of getting there by road) but the show now has a venue which truly suits its credentials so I shall continue to visit as a happy and satisfied punter.

 

I liked Calderwood as well, Mike - sorry I didn't mention it. Fine selection of pre-grouping rolling stock, as well, some of it very interesting and unusual.

 

Re: Clutton, there was stuff moving on it on the three occasions I dropped by, but even if there wasn't, I'd suggest it's as much about soaking in the country station atmosphere, allowing your mind to float back to a quieter, slower time - almost revelling in the lack of continuous activity! It's definitely one of my favorites and I've always been content to absorb the leisurely pace of proceedings.

 

It's the kind of scene which brings to mind poetry:

 

Yes, I remember Adlestrop -- 

The name, because one afternoon 

Of heat the express-train drew up there 

Unwontedly. It was late June. 

 

The steam hissed. Someone cleared his throat. 

No one left and no one came 

On the bare platform. What I saw 

Was Adlestrop -- only the name 

 

And willows, willow-herb, and grass, 

And meadowsweet, and haycocks dry, 

No whit less still and lonely fair 

Than the high cloudlets in the sky. 

 

And for that minute a blackbird sang 

Close by, and round him, mistier, 

Farther and farther, all the birds 

Of Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire. 

 

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/adlestrop/

[Jules]

I'd just like to say what a splendid show and venue it was too.  I spent six hours there so excellent value for money too.  Only slight gripe was queuing 20 mins to pay for a sandwich and bottle of water, but in the overall scheme of things thats not much to get worked up about.

 

Calderwood was a nice change, although I like the GW stuff, is was nice to see a pre-grouping layout with interesting stock and good operation.  

 

A high standard of show to maintain!

[Geoff Endacott]

Not a great idea, I might have been charged with loitering with intent.

 

There is are four spaces at the rear of the building where your car could have been charged. They are for electric vehicles.

 

One of these is labelled for police use. I have never seen it used.

 

Geoff Endacott

[40F]

Do the Police have electric vehicle? Just imagine it You can speed to the scene or put the blues and twos on and crawl.

 

It also begs the question if they don`t why do they allocate a space there

[37114]

Where is it that you live Rob?

 

Geoff Endacott

I was referring to the venue rather than the town of course Geoff. That said the proximity to home (and an easy to pack layout) meant that I was home by 16.45 and that was with the last train coming off at 16.31....

[37114]

The show was a good one for quality (whatever that means) layouts but I'm surprised 'Calderwood' hasn't been mentioned - maybe double track L&Y through lines don't have the attraction of single line GW branches?  Anyway I was most taken with it (more bell signalling as well as it happened, and working signals).  

I liked Calderwood as well, I do think the lack of signage to the last 2 rooms meant some people could have missed it, a couple of visitors who spoke to me hadn't realised there were another 2 rooms (they hadn't bought a guide to be fair). I did speak to a couple of BMRG guys who said they would get more signs for next year.

[Geoff Endacott]

I liked Calderwood as well, I do think the lack of signage to the last 2 rooms meant some people could have missed it, a couple of visitors who spoke to me hadn't realised there were another 2 rooms (they hadn't bought a guide to be fair). I did speak to a couple of BMRG guys who said they would get more signs for next year.

 

The problem with extra signs is that they will not help people who can't read. When people paid they were told about four rooms on the right and one on the left, but that didn't help people who can't count.

 

Every room had a sign by the door listing all six areas (five rooms plus the foyer) which contained exhibits. You were in the second room on the right so many visitors had not reached the third and fourth by then.

 

However, we do have a cunning plan. We might increase the admission price by £1 to include the cost of a guide. That way everyone will get a big map.

 

Any thoughts?

 

Geoff Endacott

[Jub45565]

I havent visited Trainwest before, but headed across on Sunday. Excellent show, well signed parking, well advertised that there were 6 rooms so easy to spot if youd missed any.

 

Good selection of trade for a non finescale specific show - good selection of tools etc. Top layouts!

 

Food was a bit on the expensive & slow side, but was good quality.

 

Definitely one to add to the diary :-)

[mudmagnet]

I was helping on Dock Green over the weekend and had a thoroughly great time. Not operated DG before, but after instruction from Chaz and following the sequence, all went well.

 

From behind the layout, was very busy most of the time and with quite a few families on Saturday. Still a reasonable number of people around on Sunday afternoon at 3.30 / 4.00pm which I think is an indication of how long people stayed at the show as there was plenty to see.

 

A great selection of layouts, being surrounded in the sports hall by two 2mm finescale layouts and two P4 layouts.

 

I think that most of the popular scales / gauges / interests were covered, difficult to achieve - well done Geoff and team.

 

Obviously a few teething problems, but that is to be expected.

 

Thanks to the catering team as well, who worked hard and gave us a good couple of welcome lunches.

 

A couple of photos from the weekend.

 

Dock Green (7mm)

 

 

 

 

Sidmouth

 

 

 

 

Clutton

 

 

 

Wadebridge

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mikeyh]

First time visitor to this show so can't comment on how the venue compared to previous ones, but this one seemed really good, easy to find and park. Spent most of Saturday there and though busy definitely didn't feel overcrowded. Only slight drawback, as others have mentioned, was the big queue for catering. I probably would have had a couple of coffees and a cake during the day but looked like it might have been 15 or 20 minutes wait, which would be wasted viewing time, so didn't bother. Maybe next year an additional counter doing just teas and coffees inside the exhibition would be a possibility? Great selection of layouts - many to a really high standard and plenty of inspiration and ideas for improving my modelling. Will definitely come again. Thanks to all the organisers and exhibitors for a great day.

 

Mike 

[Geoff Endacott]

Only slight drawback, as others have mentioned, was the big queue for catering. I probably would have had a couple of coffees and a cake during the day but looked like it might have been 15 or 20 minutes wait, which would be wasted viewing time, so didn't bother.

 

Sorry about that. Catering was the responsibility of the in-house team. I told them to expect more than 1,000 people each day. They didn't believe me. I was right - they were wrong.

 

A separate drinks only counter is something we will be looking at for next year's show.

 

Geoff Endacott

[Mike Bellamy]

I told them to expect more than 1,000 people each day. They didn't believe me. I was right - they were wrong.

 

 

 

Happened before at our shows, most recently at The Roundhouse but we are promised improvements this year. Considering our attendance was considerably up they did a good job in difficult circumstances and have learnt from that experience.

 

Before the move, first year we were at the sports centre, they had run out of filled rolls by about 11am first day and that was supposed to be the weekend's supply. Guy running the tea bar went to Asda on his way home, bought loads of food and sold it on Sunday and kept the profit. Next year he had gone and the Council thought a burger van in the car park was an adequate substitute so after many complaints they allowed us to sell food (daughter of a club member had the necessary qualifications) but they sold drinks - then the next year we were able to sell drinks as well - this resulted in a surplus of almost £1000 on the food as there were no wages to pay and a tea bag doesn't cost very much !

 

There are usually three common 'moans' about shows - in no particular order - parking, seating, food - and most times these are all things that are fixed or where the organisers have little control - but get those right then everyone thinks it's a wonderful show !

 

.

[The Stationmaster]

I liked Calderwood as well, I do think the lack of signage to the last 2 rooms meant some people could have missed it, a couple of visitors who spoke to me hadn't realised there were another 2 rooms (they hadn't bought a guide to be fair). I did speak to a couple of BMRG guys who said they would get more signs for next year.

 

I didn't look at the guide until after I had been in every room - just to make sure there weren't any more  In fact the small posters by the entrance to all the rooms on the right hand side were just right I thought - count how many rooms were listed and try to remember how many I'd been in and if the numbers were equal then I'd done them all.

 

In fact I think the system probably worked quite well because while the first room was by far the busiest all of them seemed well attended and you had to wait your turn to get to the front at every layout (including Polpendra and Calderwood in the end room).

The problem with extra signs is that they will not help people who can't read. When people paid they were told about four rooms on the right and one on the left, but that didn't help people who can't count.

 

Every room had a sign by the door listing all six areas (five rooms plus the foyer) which contained exhibits. You were in the second room on the right so many visitors had not reached the third and fourth by then.

 

However, we do have a cunning plan. We might increase the admission price by £1 to include the cost of a guide. That way everyone will get a big map.

 

Any thoughts?

 

Geoff Endacott

 

I don't usually look at show guides until I'm on the way home (assuming I'm not driving) unless there is a stand or layout I particularly want to find.  But what I do find helpful is the way David does the Railex plan and list of stands publishing it in advance on here (although I realise that would only be available to folk who look at RMweb).  Would a simple single sheet - even just a basic one with just a list of what is in each room - be a handier way to do it so you won't get folk tripping over those who are trying to thumb their way through the guide while standing in the middle of the main access corridor?  Yes, I realise even an extra single sheet is a cost but maybe it could carry advertising on the other side - not necessarily model railway related but local events etc?

[valleymodeller]

I almost missed the fourth room on the right too, but that was down to my own stupidity rather than anything else, and I bought a guide too. I also got confused by the mirror in the other room, thinking it was a big room full of layouts. I haven't always been so stupid but I was younger before.

 

I would say that this show always attracts top quality layouts for us to see, and this year there seemed to be more layouts of a higher standard than ever. What date is it next year?

 

Tony

[Geoff Endacott]

What date is it next year?

 

Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th April 2017.

 

Trainwest is usually the second full weekend in April. This will be the case in 2018 and 2019. The dates clash with Easter in 2020 so we will move then, probably to the following weekend.

 

Geoff Endacott

[Geoff Endacott]

People have asked about next year's show, so here is a list of the exhibits confirmed so far:

 

59^th and Rust (HO): Ray O'Neill

 

Antwerpen Oostkaai (HO): Bill Roberts

 

Black Country Blues (EM): Staffs Finescale

 

Ghylldale (OO9): John Varley

 

Hounslow Sidings (OO): Ray Norwood

 

Kinlet Wharf (N): Wyre Forest MRC

 

Klapping (HO): Mike Roualle

 

Q Dump (O16.5): Nigel Tansley

 

St George's Quay (O): Alan Gray

 

St Merryn (P4): South London Group S4 Society

 

Stodden Hundred Lt Rail (O): A Jones

 

Untermutten (HOm): Dave Howsam

 

Vopak Terminal (OO): Paul Rolley

 

Webb's Wharf (O): Michael Watts

 

Wickwar (N): Farnham MRC

 

I may soon have to start a new thread.

 

Geoff Endacott