Are Model Shows Worth Visiting?

[Mountain]

For a couple of years I missed a fairly local exhibition. I do say that I love the smaller local exhibitions. Mind you. The last two I saw were fantastic. A large one at Swansea (Held by the Swansea Railway Modellers) and a smaller one at Bronwydd (Held by a local 0 gauge group). While the 0 gauge group were very short of space, the layouts were enjoyable. The cost of entry was kept low. It was a lovely outing to see the layouts.
The one in Swansea seemed to have a bit of everything in all shapes and sizes. Many layouts kept the crowds entertained for ages!
My only slight regret to it was that my brother and his wife were outside the exhibition, and I nipped out to tell them it was good, and I wasn't allowed back in and there was over an hour to go before it closed. Had I stayed in I would have seen more!

[burnie]

I went to my first this year at Glasgow and for the most part it was good value and enjoyable, I do agree on some things posted though. One modeller was brilliant, explaining things and offering advice when asked for, but several were ignorant and although they obviously heard me, just ignored any attempt at conversation. So when I attend my next in about a months time, I kind of know what to expect and will take from it what is on offer without raising expectations to high, some modellers just don't seem to enjoy doing the shows, makes you wonder why they do.

[luckymucklebackit]

It depends what you go for. The last exhibition I attended (last weekend) I had no great expectations of the standard of layout and I was not greatly surprised, only one 00 layout and it was poor. I went because there were traders from England who do great 2nd hand deals and I was not disappointed. The lack of model shops in the west of Scotland make attending a show almost a necessity.
It is different when you come to the big shows, there is an expectation that these will be good, but even the AMRSS show at Glasgow went through a patch where the layouts on show were poor, this has improved considerably. It has been commented that layout where everything whizzes round at impossible speeds, it is also the case with some DCC layouts where they want the locos to creep about at absolute minimum speed just to show that they can. I can understand why clubs and individuals have tended to exhibit smaller layouts, it is simply the economics of hiring suitable transport to move these big layouts around is beyond some clubs or individuals, if it can fit in a car it is obviously much cheaper. The AMRSS had a policy at one time where a club that was a member of the AMRSS received its share of the proceeds based on the layout size (bigger layout = more cash = more likely to be able to hire suitable transport), don't know if that has changed

Jim

[Mountain]

I think that the difficulties will be that I could go to an exhibition and think it was average. Someone else could think it was very bad. Still another would think the exhibition is very good and another would think it is the best thing they have ever seen!
We all have different ideas of what we would like to see and what we enjoy looking at.
The best approach is to have a variety. That way most people will have a fun time.
It is difficult for exhibition managers to find people with suitable layouts who can attend. While it may be relatively easy to find a 00 gauge exhibition layout with either GWR or BR blue era setting, other more unusual layouts maybe harder to come by. It can be a case where a certain scale and gauge nothing is available and then the next year it could be a case of the specific scale and gauge could be well covered.

[b308]

I think that the difficulties will be that I could go to an exhibition and think it was average. Someone else could think it was very bad. Still another would think the exhibition is very good and another would think it is the best thing they have ever seen!
We all have different ideas of what we would like to see and what we enjoy looking at.

Reading all the previous posts I was about to say exactly what Mountain has just said... You may not like what you can see but that doesn't mean others won't like it!

With regards to talking to the operator, I agree that there are ignorant operators, but it's not always that, if I am on my own it's quite difficult, even on the simple layouts I build, to keep stuff moving and talk (in depth) about the layout/railways it's based on, etc., etc. If there are other people watching then my priority is to operate the layout with chatting to punters as an extra, come back when it's quieter if you want to chat!

[Pennine MC]

What annoys me are "Stupid" layouts and modes of operation:
-...
-Express loco hauling a coal train
...

Except that that happened...

[Mountain]

Yes. Especially during WW2, along with the last decade of B.R. steam! It was actually amazing how some of the locos were able to pull such heavy freight trains at all (E.g. I've seen pics in books of things like 4/4/2 express passenger locos (In their day) pulling lengthy coal trains without assistance. They must have had quite a train crew to get them to do that!

[Notanyware]

I think Model Railway shows are an important part of this hobby, nothing in this world is perfect so if shows don't come up to modellers expectations just get over it and stay at home, I don't understand why Railway modellers have turned into a pack of moaners, crikey we are lucky enough to participate in the best hobby there is so why not quit the negative stuff and enjoy what we have that also Includes shows.

Have a nice day

Dave

[Notanyware]

I think Model Railway shows are an important part of this hobby, nothing in this world is perfect so if shows don't come up to modellers expectations just get over it and stay at home, I don't understand why Railway modellers have turned into a pack of moaners, crikey we are lucky enough to participate in the best hobby there is so why not quit the negative stuff and enjoy what we have that also Includes shows.
Sadly in this modern world that we live in people expect to much of all kinds of things, my advice is relax and have fun with what we have life is to short to waste time but picking.

Have a nice day

Dave

[Mountain]

I agree. This hobby is fun. We need to have fun! Some aspects of building our layouts may be challenging, but sometimes the fun is in the challenge!
Maybe at times we do take our hobby too seriously and forget to have fun. Is why I like the idea of freelancing. It is a real break as I found that prototype modelling was too serious for me.

[b308]

Just remember that what you think is "fun" may not be someone else's idea of it...

[Byegad]

I find most shows offer ideas for me to copy or avoid! Also there's the chance to pick up secondhand bargains and to see latest releases from the manufacturers.

What is not on offer, from most layouts, is well chosen, well run prototypical trains. Which makes the odd layout which offers this such a rare pleasure. As has been mentioned trains lapping a poorly disguised oval at a scale 200mph is uninspiring, as is the opposite of passenger trains progressing at a scale walking pace in countryside.
Prices of new items can vary from a decent discount to list price. Why would I want to pay top dollar for an item which the local model shop offers at 10% less and the big box-shifters at 25% or more cheaper.

The best bits are exhibitors willing to answer intelligent questions with intelligent answers. Many operators can and do, bur sadly an equal number don't.

Is it worth going? For me yes, but don't expect too much.

[b308]

What is not on offer, from most layouts, is well chosen, well run prototypical trains..

Really? The exhibition I was at on Sunday the majority had prototypical trains, even the SG N gauge one. That goes for most exhibitions I've attended this year.

It's worth bearing in mind that there were many different mixes of stock before the current "fixed formation" trains, so whilst you may not think it's prototypical the chances are it did run with that combination of stock...

[Dad-1]

No show can possibly hold the attention of everybody.

Some want to have eye contact and be able to converse with visitors.
Some want to see more action than trains running around a layout.

Well tell me how can someone drive a train through a series of points AND
have eye contact plus a conversation ?
IF I'm driving and the route requires concentration then yes, I will not be
wanting to have conversations. Should you be offended because you are
not at that time, the centre of my world - Tough !

For those who don't want to see trains doing several laps of a layout you
may well be missing an opportunity to have a talk with the operator/owner.
It's one of the few chances they'll have where the layout will run without attention !

As to exhibition content it's easy to criticize, but one can only run with what's
available within the catchment area. One can expect larger more detailed layouts
to cost the organizers - ever thought how much it is for a small team of say 3 to
travel perhaps 100+ miles and have an overnight stay ?
Then a show manager should try to get some low layouts for disabled viewing, then
gauges and scale, digital & analogue, larger & compact layouts.
In short it's impossible to include everything everybody wants.

Ultimately it's a case of do you enjoy the environment or not ? If it's not your thing,
nothing wrong with that, but don't expect utopia.

Geoff T.

[Pennine MC]

I think Model Railway shows are an important part of this hobby, nothing in this world is perfect so if shows don't come up to modellers expectations just get over it and stay at home, I don't understand why Railway modellers have turned into a pack of moaners, crikey we are lucky enough to participate in the best hobby there is so why not quit the negative stuff and enjoy what we have that also Includes shows.

Have a nice day

Entirely fair comment Dave. As a fairly regular exhibitor myself, I wouldn't condone excesses of poor behaviour but it does often seem that we're on the receiving end of a lot of vague, apocryphal criticism, often fuelled by a poor understanding of how the show circuit actually functions and which are thus difficult to respond to. I do know though that the majority of visitors do so in a spirit of mutual goodwill, understanding and respect, and that's what motivates most of the folk I know