BEIJIAO - a large Chinese HO exhibition layout set in the 21st century

[luke_stevens]

9 hours ago, mjenderby said:

A few pics from Warley. 

 

Mark

 

 

Hi Mark,

 

I see the level crossing isn't behaving it's self again :(

 

Which day did you go on?

 

Luke

[mjenderby]

Sat am. Unfortunately I couldn't make Manchester yesterday as Ryanair had to divert to Newcastle! 

 

Mark

[TEAMYAKIMA]

I've just found this photo elsewhere on RMweb showing the layout at Manchester. The photo was taken before the show opened - HONEST!

 

                                                

[luke_stevens]

20 hours ago, TEAMYAKIMA said:

I've just found this photo elsewhere on RMweb showing the layout at Manchester. The photo was taken before the show opened - HONEST!

 

                                                

 

But it misses all the red paint! Should the layout name plate be on a red patch?

 

How do you feel Manchester went?

 

Luke 

[TEAMYAKIMA]

3 hours ago, luke_stevens said:

How do you feel Manchester went?

 

Wow! That's a leading question if ever I heard one - like something out of PMQ's!

 

All I can say at this stage is that I was told by the exhibition manager that we came 2nd or 3rd in the public vote for best layout.

 

All I can say at this stage is that all the operating team have told me that they would be very happy to operate again as/when the opportunity arises. and that means that we now have a pool of 16 potential operators.

 

All I can say at this stage is that things were going so smoothly on Sunday afternoon that I just drifted off and looked around the show - a first for me!

 

That's all I can say at this stage.😉

 

 

[Trofimow]

I always said you should be on the stage...

[TEAMYAKIMA]

All joking aside, the key thing these days is to be constantly learning how to get the best out of the layout  - from the viewers' point of view, from the operators' point of view and from my point of view.

 

The layout has many operational possibilities and we need to learn how to exploit them to the best advantage.We learnt a lot at Warley, we learnt a lot at Manchester, what we need to do before our next show is to find ways to use that knowledge to our best advantage.

 

One problem we have in that regard is that operators only gain experience at shows - we can't set the layout up every week like a club can. So, the trick is to find ways of saving that knowledge we've gained and making it available to operators who come 'cold' to the next exhibition. We now have crib sheets for setting up the layout, crib sheets for using the Digitrax handsets and soon we will have crib sheets to enhance the operation based on the experience we gained at Manchester.

[RobAllen]

1 hour ago, TEAMYAKIMA said:

We now have crib sheets for setting up the layout, crib sheets for using the Digitrax handsets and soon we will have crib sheets to enhance the operation based on the experience we gained at Manchester.

Now this is a good idea for every exhibition layout. From what I've read and seen, a number of operators at any given exhibition are relatively "unpracticed" with the layout that they then operating.

I'm going to crib this idea for if I ever create an exhibition layout!

[TEAMYAKIMA]

23 minutes ago, RobAllen said:

Now this is a good idea for every exhibition layout. From what I've read and seen, a number of operators at any given exhibition are relatively "unpracticed" with the layout that they then operating.

 

Absolutely true in my/our case.

 

My layout needs 6 operators and we try to use 'local' operators whenever possible in order to keep costs down. Consequently, at our last three shows we have always had two completely new team members who, in some cases, have never even seen the layout up until then. Another issue is that some team members always use DC on their own layouts and we use DCC, but just because someone is used to using Gaugemaster or Hornby or Bachmann or NCE at home does NOT mean that they take to DIGITRAX like a duck to water.

 

 

[TEAMYAKIMA]

There are several videos on YOUTUBE showing the Manchester exhibition, most of which include BEIJIAO, but this is my favourite as it highlights one of our new features - QJ 7141 with dynamic smoke - and I think it looks really good. We start at 7.13 and 'NO' that's not our soundtrack!

 

 

[TEAMYAKIMA]

On the subject of videos, I have always wanted a definitive one which captures all our unique features and in the last few days I have some time looking at various exhibition videos to get ideas. 

 

I think that the Abingdon show in March might be the ideal venue for such a video session as we will be in a separate room and so there will be less background noise than in a large packed hall. 

 

Consequently, the layout will have to be completely finished and running perfectly by the Abingdon show. So, no pressure then! 😬

 

 

 

 

 

 

[TEAMYAKIMA]

I think it's time for reflection on 2023 and a look forward to 2024 and beyond.

 

Our last three shows - Taunton, Warley and Manchester - were all successful with crowds two, three and even four deep at times. At those shows we have had some issues, but we have learnt how to deal with them and have moved on.

 

One such lesson that we learnt was if you have five identical RTR locos, the fact that four of them will run perfectly in reverse through a set of standard PECO code 100 points does NOT necessarily mean that the fifth one will !!!🤔

 

Things went so well at Manchester that we were able to experiment with a few of the so-called 'complex' moves on the China Rail main lines - just to add a little variety to the operation. There are two of these 'complex' moves, what I like to call the simple complex move and the complex complex move and we tried both at Manchester. All of these 'experiments' were successful, but that doesn't mean that there weren't lessons to be learnt. We plan to make these complex moves part of the standard operation at future shows, once we have made some minor operational tweaks to deal with the minor issues these experiments brought to light.

 

So, we move into 2024 in buoyant mood - a layout which is finally delivering its full potential and a team of experienced operators keen to show it off around the country. So, all I have to do now is to wish everyone who follows this thread a 'MERRY XMAS' and a very 'HAPPY NEW YEAR'

Edited December 21, 2023 by TEAMYAKIMA

[steve45]

Hi Paul,

 

May I ask what exhibitions are you at in 2024?

 

Cheers

 

Steve 

 

[TEAMYAKIMA]

On 22/12/2023 at 00:03, steve45 said:

May I ask what exhibitions are you at in 2024?

 

Steve 

 

Hello Steve

 

We have three shows booked in 2024 - Alton (Feb 3/4)  Abingdon (March 2/3) & Aylesbury (May 24/25)    and, so far, in 2025 it's Basingstoke

 

Can you see a pattern developing?  🤔

 

If it continues like this we will be doing Warrington in 2056 and Yeovil in 2057!

Edited December 24, 2023 by TEAMYAKIMA

[steve45]

Thanks Paul,

 

I had already booked Alton into the diary, not sure I can plan that far ahead to include Yeovil in 2057

[steveNCB7754]

On 24/12/2023 at 08:26, TEAMYAKIMA said:

 

Hello Steve

 

We have three shows booked in 2024 - Alton (Feb 3/4)  Abingdon (March 2/3) & Aylesbury (May 24/25)    and, so far, in 2025 it's Basingstoke

 

Can you see a pattern developing?  🤔

 

If it continues like this we will be doing Warrington in 2056 and Yeovil in 2057!

 

Have checked, and Yeovil is just over 100ft AMSL at the bottom (south) of town and well over 300ft AMSL at the top end (north), so should hopefully still be there in 2057. Warrington on the other hand, is on the river Mersey at barely 30ft AMSL, so (if you believe the hype) you might need to invest in some waders, come 2056!  ;-)

 

Steve N

 

 

[RichardT]

On 24/12/2023 at 08:26, TEAMYAKIMA said:

 

Hello Steve

 

We have three shows booked in 2024 - Alton (Feb 3/4)  Abingdon (March 2/3) & Aylesbury (May 24/25)    and, so far, in 2025 it's Basingstoke

 

Can you see a pattern developing?  🤔

 

If it continues like this we will be doing Warrington in 2056 and Yeovil in 2057!

Hang on, aren’t you at York next year? Not 2058?

 

RichardT

[SHMD]

York has been removed from BeiJiao's, 2024 itinerary, due to a clash of dates.

 

 

Kev.

 

[TEAMYAKIMA]

57 minutes ago, RichardT said:

Hang on, aren’t you at York next year? Not 2058?

 

Apologies, I must admit that I hadn't publicised that issue as much as I should have. Due to a clash of dates we have had to pull out of York in 2024

[RichardT]

13 minutes ago, TEAMYAKIMA said:

 

Apologies, I must admit that I hadn't publicised that issue as much as I should have. Due to a clash of dates we have had to pull out of York in 2024

Oh that’s a pity.

 

Richard

[john new]

21 hours ago, TEAMYAKIMA said:

 

Apologies, I must admit that I hadn't publicised that issue as much as I should have. Due to a clash of dates we have had to pull out of York in 2024

Sadly as I would have liked to see it. It was taken off our layouts page a bit back.

[TEAMYAKIMA]

I've recently had it confirmed that we came 4th (equal) in the public vote for best layout at the Taunton show - not bad as there were 35 layouts. 🙂

 

 

[TEAMYAKIMA]

Good news!!

 

I am pleased to announce that we have been invited to take BEIJIAO to the inaugural KEYModelWorld show at the NEC on April 27/28 - and if there's a cup for most popular layout, we aim to give Pete Waterman a run for his money! 😉 

[TEAMYAKIMA]

Followed shortly, by bad news - the last 'real' steam still working in China has finally ended. Sandaoling opencast coal mine on January 15th 2024.

 

 

 

[Nick C]

12 minutes ago, TEAMYAKIMA said:

Followed shortly, by bad news - the last 'real' steam still working in China has finally ended. Sandaoling opencast coal mine on January 15th 2024.

Sad to hear - does that therefore mean that Wolsztyn is the only place left, globally, with normal (as opposed to tourist/heritage), scheduled steam operation? I suspect that won't last much longer either - it's been hanging in the balance for a few years now...