Robert Shrives

Great to the signals - as you note one of the last big jobs, it makes the scene complete and you will be busy talking past signals with the crews while S&T procrastinate! Have fun wiring up... Robert

Hi For what is worth as I crossed BHI concourse on Sunday Morning the station were after Inspector Sands as well ! I stopped and looked in my area for any signs of problems but none luckily. Mr. Joshi was a lost adult announcement. The PA has been a source of embarrassment for 20 years and NEC are not bothered at all. Perhaps out all the shows in hall 5 we are the only ones who make announcements. Thank you for all the feed back offered, brickbats and plaudits, hard days for all with my time sheet showing 9, 15,13,9 hours over the 4 days . The Sunday deliberately short to allow time for a curved ball of any kind dropping. Thankfully Christine and crew kept the coffee, tea and cakes going in the bunker, unseen real stars! Robert

Well I got out of the hall at 22.40 as last man standing - even NEC security short staffed last night. Enjoyed it all - I think! slept well first time in over a week with concerns of have I got right ! - well I did nearly but the show went on. Thanks for all the comments, good and brick bats ! Despite 20 years at this game a new curve ball thrown every year. some internal show changes among the 9 folk who organise the show as volunteers due to an expected RTC and loss of life. Some internal electronic media issues to address. The real engine makes for a feature as a direction point and is a good feature and way for loco folk to sell its next project. Interesting take on traders - in discussion I was saying how during the Covid created disruption the one "man" traders had found the virtual shows and easy access to website building had opened up a cheaper avenue to selling, and hobby better for it - allowing for some tech/age issues. I was offered the comment that "some" had found sales had waned - I guess not refreshed media presence? and felt that they missed shows now. When talking to new entrants to the hobby the comment had been about Wizard Models and their products, and the person said who? The general view still has to be seen at shows proves you exist, yes there is a critical mass with internet presence which means leading on line traders perhaps do not need to show the flag in the real world, but real world is fickle. The leading makers Dapol, Hornby, Bachmann ( dare I say the three "UK" established businesses and the newest leading lights -IRM, Revolution, Accurascale, Rapido , KR, Cavalex ( order as you wish and no offence intended in my ordering!) All showcase at Warley- and some sell as well. I have said to some the NEC does lead to the "National" tag naturally but having a Big London and Glasgow shows does allow the same effort, output, enjoyment at a "National" tag level. The scale focused shows naturally used a national tag and the advocates will travel the "Extra mile" ( many) . Regional and club shows have their place and will attract new folk and local traders, the best place for many to advocate the hobby - but again it will be a handful who stand up to the challenge and risk of running a show , truly if you want better at shows GET INVOLVED! ( There you are the gauntlet throw down! ) I would at a personal like to thank everybody involved in this year show from the lad at 22.30 who was sweeping the floor - sea of rubbish left amazing! to the visitor, traders, layout crews, societies on the floor and the club crew and supporting clubs who went the extra miles to make it all happen. I was not really last man standing as club members were unloading a artic at the club rooms, exhausting work in a wet night - thanks!! Best bit for me was getting 3 shelves of my eclectic modelling on display. N soc cube wagon kits, 3D print GWR railcars, TT MGR kits and diesels, Irish 4mm (16.5 gauge - sorry!) Kits and 3D prints again , plus IRM A class as the only RTR item. Last year I show cased G3 and G1 to N class 121 railcars. ( yes I do need to get out more!! before anybody else says it.) viz tables for flyers they were up at 09.10 and clothed and filled straight away ,so sorry if you beat me toit ! - 8 bags of rubbish cleared on Sunday from the tables. Only down from my view is that at the final count 17 folding chairs stolen.... which of course is a further charge to the club income. If any can come back total amnesty in place. Hope to see and chat to many folk in 2024. Robert

Coldgunner, Probably not the only one re pushing and shoving. Watching the younger gen at bus stops in central brum ! When I got off the 158 at BHM tonight the door way completely blocked by drunks going home from the "German tat market of the year commercial festival" So I just stood and waited! Eventually the penny dropped and a 50mm crack opened, so I waited until it was 600 mill and said "Thank you" loudly, you could feel the hate !! Re seating the NEC provide nothing for resting only commercial seats for catering areas, The catering in the hall was a lot less than last year - reflecting costs and markets else where perhaps. Keith and I put out 274 seats last night after set up cars departed the hall around 20.00. That filled areas set aside and the budget. My contractors put up the back walls and it was my line between stands and far end toilets that gave a secure in hall floor seating area for 500. If anybody want to secure funding to hire in, put out and collect chairs to suit ... Parking, its £12 a day at Wolverhampton Railway station. In central Birmingham carparks prices above this, lots of pressures on water treatment, taxation and easy cash cow as everybody want to park in the hall as walking is a problem and then spend 4 hours walking happily around an exhibition! The verbal abuse handed out to the lowly parking staff is quite disgraceful, at other shows I do carpark duty it is quite hard to restrain the inner voice as well !! The food price reflects wastage/ wages and the NEC access slice and given the choice of fancy coffees on offer the public could well be its own worst enemy! Food was popular with both food areas on edge of hall busy all day and the in hall coffee van in the A area had queues all day. I do agree operating a Sunday engineering service - bus replacements! when the layout has guests in front is poor form. However running the same train round and round also gets complaints. Even with some training operators get it wrong especaally behind the scenes causes nothing at the front, I do wonder on the patience levels as I guess times seem to fly by even if its 20 second but each to their own, I quite enjoy looking at the details and the train passing is not the end all of it. Robert

In answer to Fezza. Traders come and go, ageing in the hobby has seen a change in selling methods certainty aided by Covid has changed the face but, I guess you could go from O gauge RTR to 2mm handrail knobs at the show via every glue , paint brush, lighting aids, display cases, books, multiple DCC experts all the leading manufacturers and a host of leading retailers supported by the cast of resellers of preowned and loved models in all scales at a range of prices, Extra support from societies and private railways of many sizes to help folk enjoy the experience and enjoy having wallets emptied among friends and like minded souls I am not sure what else can be done. Yes, customs have added a level of uncertainty but without being poltical it is a fallout from trying to sail HMS UK away from Harbour Europe. It is equally fun trying to get out and back in from the lower decks of the UK, but hopefully this will mend in time. The £25 VFM arguments will wax and wane but it covers the costs of putting on the show, the club does not have a secret steam ship it sails around the globe. The NEC is quite an animal of a site and while having many income streams from shows and exhibitions is a real money pit. Fancy heating, lighting, securing and maintaining many football game sized halls and carparks. good luck! FWIW there are over 250 resting seats and I would love to have many more, finding space is suitable locations might be a problem it has to be said but it all adds to costs, but really helps the aging profile of visitors. Thanks for coming and hope you will do it in future years. Just thinking the confuseable names is a bit "life of Brian" popular liberation momment! Robert

Day one done, Busy enough, met lots of Big Railway and little Railway friends and club members. Best Layouts- well all of them 90 !! That is why they are at the show and show what folk can achieve either alone, with friends or among clubs. Each offer a new take on the hobby and despite comments above everybody proudly displaying there efforts. Personally I loved the 3mm Ballyconnell road (C51) and Portsea (c50). Bron Hebog)(70) near the end of the Welsh Narrow gauge enclave is a behemoth of Welsh highland scenery with large 009 trains. Last time itis likely to be seen south of the border. Only in this hobby could a Welsh Railway model live in Scotland and be run by folk from the England bit. ! A fun layout by stalwart of the hobby Paul Towers in O9 - stand E75 has mermaids - as seen by a young viewer today who dragged family over to see! I think other than ballast wagons these were the only mermaids on a layout! Binns Road (C63) , Manchecster trams (C62) G1 live steam (86) all have Wow and the live steam Narrow gauge (D50) not to be missed. Have to say of course Hawes junction (B37) is a lovely evocation of the S&C. The traders of all kinds really add a buzz with bargain hunters, news items and updates - Dapol 00 323 looks a good new announcement - but I might be biased as ex Yarmouth to Barmouth Railroad employee. A really big thankyou to all who came today and to those who made it happen. Robert

Well that is that! Out of hall and 99% ready not quite as smooth as I would have liked but every day is a school day - mainly arithmetic which never was my strong point. Last job was distributing resting chairs per the floor plan. Hopefully a welcome feature. See some happy readers tomorrow! Robert

Right about empty hall having been "last man standing" for quite a few years to see last of contractors off site. Due to transport issues it was 23.00 hrs last year. Seeing NEC staff clear hall with a forklift truck fitted with cleaning booms was fun. 30 minutes and hall was swept into a long berm and a bobcat threw pile into a Biffa roll on/ roll off skip within the hour all gone..for another year. Robert

Good to know! see you there . The 40 foot trailer contents makes no impression on the floor area in reality it is a big space and I cannot wait to see the zillion smiling faces on Saturday once show is up and running. A big thankyou to all who made it possible at what ever level of involvement. Robert Robert

The glazing is IIRC a clip fit and has to come to extract chassis, in theory easy enough to refit. The fun thing is the inter car corridor connection moulding that has a hair spring with it! I would take care with extracting the head lamp lightguides, I broke mine when making a royal mail unit! Robert

Good luck and probably wise give speaker size, I use my memory to insert sounds in my mind - but of course being old the memory sound files are quite large!

Hi just rereading your first post and I can recommend a peek at : https://irishrailwaymodeller.com/topic/1073-patricks- This is an Irish single line built in US and is a walk around system line and I would think that it will inspire a similar solution, even if you built on a gentle continuous visible grade with hidden steeper sections you could get two loops around the room - albeit end to end, a asecond portable board with an oval might be good for testing etc. The Fairbourne- Ffriog - Tywyn section or Penrhyn - Harlech- Hint of Barmouth would give good sections Fairbourne with climb and avalance shelter and Tywyn to give a freight focus plus NG interest. Penrhyn as freight focus with explosive travel and gradient to Minffordd- scenic end could be bridge over for NG FfR and road, Harlech as passing loop and castle as centre feature and hint of Barmouth to give station for loco hauled passenger activities. Both give opportunity for the short lived steam specials or lots of rats on freights. Good range of dmus and later sprinters if going current scene. Just a few pence of thoughts from the grey matter, but as ever it is yours and enjoy all it gives. Robert

Yes school boy error !! should beable to push out from behind as I opened holes out to get the 3D printed shafts into the holes , just a spot of glue! What photos have shown is that the 31/4 had a cutaway faring si will need to file a bit of the model. Also some had the fan upstand cowl so will need to be careful on numbering- it will be rail blue no orange line no headlamp- making life easier, the Hondawander website a great worm hole of loco phots! robert

Pop to Jewellery Quarter and end of down platform is a big pile of discarded cells... so it goes on today!

What you might find is that the clearances on the rods to platform could be negative! not sure if possible to simplify due to jointed rods. I missed out on a chassis so only seen others running. The concept of nrtr is very good allowing a good model easily with the "fun" of the chassis well dealt with the good work done by Geoff. On my bench I made a school boy error and put wrong buffers on my 31 - so will need to see it is possible to renumber my way out of it or more likely have to fit the correct buffers! Robert

Brilliant option with chassis having several "tops" to go at. Looking forward to double beets as now I guess 30% done! I have ordered and paid for 9 beet bulleids to show willing, just need a brakevan of course. Enjoyed the latest book from the Beaumont/ carse stable - Rails in Wexford https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rails-Through-Wexford-North-Colour/dp/178073381X other vendors of course! and this showcases the beet campaigns - up to 2006 the last! Robert

FP`s plan also gets away from the linear nature which provides a more organic feel, which is visually better and less following the rectangular nature of the board. Fully recommend any books via Wild Swan/ Rice authorship on layouts. Robert

Hi Lucky you and I am sure lots will be learnt! Yes having portable units makes sense for moving house, even if rails have to be sawn through at that time. Also having modules on a sep sub frame might allow moving bits about more easily. Regardless most units will even at "4X2" feet size will be a two person lift. Robert

Good to see HSTs at play, I will have to think on how to make that summer favourite, the HST drag with a class 47 or 50 doing the honours. Hawes suffered a toublesome single slip now loving relaid and trains run well, and with the signals I saw last week it really is a top layout. Robert

Good work on the promos Chris. Even I am looking forward to it, my feet might not however! 20 plus miles last year.. new safety shoes on order Robert

Hi check out folk like Tim Horn, or Grainge and Hodder Ltd. as two popular suppliers for lazer cut ply boards - You can still build a subframe support as you enjoy joinery by look of offcut pile! I would look to seal the garage door blanking piece with a cill as without doubt dropping something in will occur - is it going to get a vent in bottom to help air circulation or will damp be an issue? I look forward to seeing a plan - inevitable timber viaduct and rock cuttings among coastal scenery backed by a mountainous picture frame always inspires as I travel on the line, a frequent user since 1979! Robert

I guess you will end up soldering fishplates on to the point rails to aid fixtures and fittings! Lovely work with signalling plan, good job no double slips due to curve of layout - a bullet dodged even if above shows not always easy! Happy modelling. Robert

Hi Generally you see the white lining cloth not the colour if a quality curtain and I guess a 1970s street would only have the best twitching quality of curtain! But a lovely build and doing it on a slope adds a realism oft missed - unless modelling a modern flood plain Barrett homes disaster site/ housing estate. Robert

wow that is only the second 124 I have seen in N gauge , first was on Saturday on Nine Mills at Gaydon. lovely layout and proves every cloud has a silver lining. Robert

Bleeding shite crimbo markets full of tat - Today the Birmingham market celebrating cheap wood sheds in a cheap street selling even cheaper chinese boxed tat -crappery at top whack ching to drunk or unsuspecting tourists by folk imported for the task - or perhaps they are billeted with the cheap sheds somewhere in West Mids, opened today. News broadcasts noted increased and armed police patrol in market and city centre as a result of this Tatfest. The post tincture drunks addicts heading out of town by car, bus and train are a very sad reflection human behavioural standards and how low they have sunk - looking up from under the kerb foundations! Assaults on train crew results in crews when offered overtime to cover trains suddenly find sock draws to tidy so cancellations will be the result. "Rant mode off ." Robert