Announcement: Bristol Model Railway Exhibition

[Jonboy]

7 hours ago, Phil Parker said:

One pleasent surprise was the catering. Leisure Centre can be a bit rubbish, but this one offered some very popular bacon butties and hot dogs (I counted a dozen sold first thing Sunday morning, including the one in my gob) and superb cake. There was a cafe in the hall, and a buttie van in the car park.

 

It was a bit of a puzzle how the simply BLT sandwich could be so good and the coffee so incredibly S*£&

 

Having not been before It was nice to see an exhibition with such a variety of large layouts to allow long trains or decent shunting manoeuvres.

 

The layouts all seemed to be to a very high standard and even on the Sunday all the operators seemed to be enjoying themselves, not a bad thing on a three day show.

[Barry O]

Herculaneum Operators were well looked after particularly by Judith Edge Kits...

 

 

Baz

[Huw Griffiths]

10 hours ago, Phil Parker said:

One pleasent surprise was the catering. Leisure Centre can be a bit rubbish, but this one offered some very popular bacon butties and hot dogs (I counted a dozen sold first thing Sunday morning, including the one in my gob) and superb cake. There was a cafe in the hall, and a buttie van in the car park.

 

That Victoria sponge was probably the best I've ever eaten. Hardly surprising it ran out by Sunday!

 

Interesting point about the catering - this certainly seemed to have changed a lot since the last time I attended this show, a few years ago.

 

Then, it seemed to be little more than the upstairs room, with very little in the way of food provision - but a pretence of a bar (with a range so limited it could be ignored).

 

I based my food "decisions" this time on my previous visits to the show - my holdall contained a carrier bag filled with food (some of which I'd got from a supermarket, on my way to get a lift to the venue).

 

In future, I might think about the on-site catering.

 

 

Meanwhile, one thing which didn't seem to have improved was toilet provision - certainly with regard to what "punters" got to find out about, anyway.

 

 

Despite these issues (and stuff relating to public transport), I've always liked this show - and generally found the venue pleasant.

 

Of course, there is also the clash with the "business end" of the World Snooker Championship - and I've liked snooker for as long as I can remember.

 

We then come to a tough question - do I go to a model railway show, or watch the snooker?

 

Decisions. Decisions ... .

 

 

[rodent279]

4 hours ago, Jonboy said:

It was a bit of a puzzle how the simply BLT sandwich could be so good and the coffee so incredibly S*£&

 

Having not been before It was nice to see an exhibition with such a variety of large layouts to allow long trains or decent shunting manoeuvres.

 

The layouts all seemed to be to a very high standard and even on the Sunday all the operators seemed to be enjoying themselves, not a bad thing on a three day show.

I had a sausage roll and a cheese ploughman's sarnie, the former was tasty but a bit greasy, whist the latter was very good. Didn't sample the hot drinks, as i had brought a travel mug with tea in it-which had gone cold by the time I drank it!

[leavesontheline]

This was my first 'big' show since 2019, so I found it extra specially enjoyable. There was a great selection of exhibitors and retailers alike. There was only one layout I had seen before (not a bad thing either!) and an inspirational selection of modelling on display. Either standards have gone up since 2019 or the organisers have upped the bar! Either way it was a big thumbs up from me to all organisers and exhibitors involved. Thankyou for making a great show. 

 

I went for about 2.5 hours on the Sunday. I wish now that I'd allowed a full day plus lunch really. The extra hall was very welcome as sometimes in the past this venue has felt cramped. As one suggestion for next time - I think 'Hall 2' could be spaced out a bit more and 'Hall 3' a bit more filled out. That back hall (#2) has always felt a bit more cramped, maybe it has a lower ceiling, or maybe it is the lighting? This time was no different. On the Sunday it was shoulder to shoulder in there at times, whereas the other two halls felt more spacious and airy. Just my 2p anyway! 

[Siberian Snooper]

I agree two or three of the layouts in Hall 2 could have been moved into hall 3, there was plenty of space in the area of the modular layout.

 

 

[Penlan]

On 02/05/2022 at 00:39, Andy Kirkham said:

..... The highlight for me was Pencader with its brass domed locos, its host of panelled coaches with apparently no two alike and painstaking attention to detail seemingly pinning the scene down to a particular  year ...........

Amongst that host of paneled coaches, well at the tail end of a passing passenger train, was a GWR 1st Class Family Saloon to Dia., G2, the one that at 1:1 scale is now preserved at Bodmin, though this summer is on loan to the South Devon Railway.  I was told that Madam Patti was on a circuitous return route to Penwylt from Aberystwyth via Carmarthen on her tour of West Wales, though with the time frame of the layout set in the 1930's (I believe), it would suggest she may not have been a passenger as she had passed away in 1919. 🤔
For information, the 4mm coach is available as a kit? from Worsley Works - 'Sides with overlay window bolections, ends floor and clerestory roof'. 

[John-Miles]

Sandy

 

It's a bit more than a 1st class saloon, It was built to a specially high specification for the use of the then Prince of Wales, later Edward VII. Madam Patti was allowed to use it as she was a friend of Edward.

[Penlan]

John, thanks for the correction,. I was just following the information for the Dia. G2 1st Class Family Saloon.
I believe I was aware of it's status for discretely conveying members of royalty etc., in which perhaps they could draw the curtains to contain (draw a veil over) their activities within the coach, as opposed to using the 'Royal Train' and all the palaver that would entail.
Did anybody else notice this coach on Pencader at the exhibition?

 

[Al.]

On 01/05/2022 at 21:55, Calnefoxile said:

 

Yes got to admit it was a very good show, spent a great weekend as guest operator on Beijiao, until we had a major System failure at 2:00pm today which killed half the layout.

 

But it wasn't really about the playing trains at a show, it's also about the social side and spent far to much time talking to people who I haven't seen for a while, and new aquaintences,  and far too much money on beer in the evening, just don't tell SWMBO 😜😜

 

Regards

 

Neal.

 

Beers and the conversations in the evening are the best part of the weekend. Particularly when those conversations are on the subject is C130's on the Mach Loop...

 

[Captain Kernow]

15 hours ago, Al. said:

 

Beers and the conversations in the evening are the best part of the weekend. Particularly when those conversations are on the subject is C130's on the Mach Loop...

 

Great photo, but I can't quite see the layout. Is it further back inside the plane?

 

[Matt C]

3 hours ago, Captain Kernow said:

Great photo, but I can't quite see the layout. Is it further back inside the plane?

 

 

 

No layout. Did you not hear ? Andy and Phil were at the show. . . Those guys have just dropped off the emergency Cake supplies !