Thomas Visits Bride Bay

[Dad-1]

We often loose active members - A very valid question, what do they do when
years of building is completed ?. Go off and play, but with nothing New going on
vanish as they have little to nothing more to show here.
This is so true, but when a layout is still in regular exhibition use it's nice to see
that the project is still in existence and doing the job planned for it.

I didn't show the previous outing for this layout and really should have done due
to the location and interest. Having just done another busy exhibition I'll add a
couple of pictures.

On Saturday I was running solo at my clubs early exhibition at Beaminster, all other
club members were doing other essential jobs and I couldn't take a photo when in use
being too busy, but here after set-up by a nice hot radiator.



To show how busy we can get this was the December outing in a library. We feel it's
a good idea to take 'Thomas' to non railway events where we can engage a different
clientèle. Although very busy co-builder Derek was in charge while I took photos



Remember railway modelling should ALWAYS be FUN !!

Geoff T.

[Dad-1]

Well I've not done any more work on this - The excuse to bring forward was
simply the running of 'Thomas' in our Bridport Library on Wednesday. They're
trying to have 'events' going on each day during the Easter Break.

We make a particular effort to be at Non Railway Exhibition events so we're
able to introduce to the general public and children. Our youngest driver was
a week or so past their 2nd birthday !!
The next outing is at Yeovil Junction on 13th & 14 th May, that is of course a
specific railway event.

So far apart from track and locomotive wheel cleaning we have done 17 events
in under 2 years since completion without ANY problems. The scenery is still
intact which is a surprise as so many little hands hold over the edge to pull
themselves up to see better.

No photographs - too busy re-railing as they LOVE to go flat out !!

Geoff T.

[Dad-1]

As with most threads the actions of Photobucket have destroyed the picture
links that back up the text of many postings.
Should there be any pictures that you particularly want to see then I can arrange
to send to you via an email. First contact me via the NRM PM system explaining
what you're looking for and the page with posting date.

To bring some visual aspects back here are pictures taken yesterday, 15/7 where
the layout was being worked in the church at the local Bothenhampton Fete.

If it's not working to start with it's because I'm finding out how this hosting works.







Geoff T.

[Bufferstop]

Well you seem to have cracked that OK Geoff. Nice to see Thomas in action again.

[Dad-1]

Hi Bufferstop,

That was exhibition No. 19, it'll be out again on 29th July plus 6th & 26th August.
Not bad as it hit the public showings at the end of May 2015. I see I've also
got an accepted invite for 2018 !!

At the fete I was speaking to a lady who is involved with an old peoples home and
she thinks it may be nice to have it running there one afternoon. Now that might be
a first !! Because other than Thomas stock it can become a small layout on which
anything can run - in my case almost certainly GWR freight .....

I'm still not 100% happy with my photo hosting. They were being saved as 1600x1200.
These were at 1200 x 900 and NRM would, at the moment, not seem to have difficulties
with that.

Geoff T.

[Bufferstop]

If you get many requests for old people homes you may have to add some grouping era models, including a few motor vehicles, there's always a lot of "ooh my dad drove one of those".

[Dad-1]

First, I AM Rebuilding the photographic content, but with so many photographs in
so many threads it's going to take me some time. I had 3000+ photos on PB.
As a moderator can I ask as many of you as can to rebuild your threads with photographs
hosted at some other free hosting network following the demise of Photobucket.

We ran Thomas on Saturday 29th, we had a first in as much that we had an old gentleman
in a wheelchair pushed by his BUPA nurse driving for a while. I failed to ask his age, but
suspect well into his 80's so probably our oldest driver yet !! As is usual I was too busy to
take photographs, we were however voted the 3rd best layout in the show !!

I promise I will get a photo or two from this Sunday when we're running in a gazebo at
West Bay during "West Bay Day" a semi fete type of event. This is something that a
Thomas layout can do probably better than anything else - going out to meet the public
at locations and events where a regular layout wouldn't really fit in.

Geoff T.

[Dad-1]

I am shattered - it was all I could do to put all the layout away in
my shed. Oh did I miss having my buddy Derek with me to re-rail
Percy and wagons. Trying to keep order was ... exhausting !!



"West Bay Day"
Out doors on a windy day, wouldn't have missed it !!!

O.K back to restoration ...... but as I so often say "If it isn't fun,
don't do it" and this really was fun.

Geoff T.

[Dad-1]

Another exhibition under Thomas's belt. Just back from the Halstock Village
Fete. Once these events get going there's no time for taking photographs.
As usual completely whacked, a day of little 'touchers,' gee their little hands
can move so fast !!
Being mostly 'Child Resistant' rather than 'Child Proof' we do have a minor
repair, in that some real coal was dislodged from bins. Oh and the front bogie
fell off Edward when the fixing screw fell out - found in the track !!

This was exhibition No.22 in 27 months, still two more booked for 2017.

If you really want to get invitations to exhibit, build a good quality 'Thomas'
layout where children can drive. That is unless you don't like children, but be
warned 'Kids' come in all ages !!

My wife was beginning to raise question about the number of weekends I'm busy.
The big laugh is that she was in with the diabetic nurse for an annual review.
Mentioned I was going to be out at the weekend and what I was doing. Said
nurse now has my telephone number for a future booking to the Axmouth Fete.
Great when the wife starts getting me bookings !!

Geoff T.

[Dad-1]

THOMAS Layout ? What Next !!

The railway club oldies were not impressed .....
Say it quietly, but look ....



Not a Thomas character in sight !! We were running by invitation at old peoples
residential flats where there is supported living for those that need it. As the
youngest would be the late 70's we decided to run just early BR and here we prove
it's only a Thomas layout when we run Thomas stock !!
The oldest we got an age out of was 94 !!

A layout for all seasons of life ...... ?

Geoff T

[Bufferstop]

As you said Geoff, kids come in all ages. As a friend said "I enjoyed my childhood so much, I can't wait to start my second".

[Dad-1]

All the best people go to their library .........

This was our 25th exhibition/showing of this Thomas layout since we
first launched it on the local Dorset scene at the end of May 2015.

Seaton, Devon, 1 December 2017



Events like this and local fetes are high on my agenda, to go where you'll
meet an audience that wouldn't go to Model Railway Exhibitions. All good
fun and a platform to advertise & sell the hobby to anyone with the slightest
casual interest.

Geoff T.

[End2end]

All the best people go to their library ..........

All the best people TRY to go to thier library.
A family member who lives just outside Bridport cannot get to town nor the library since the council took away BOTH the Wednesday and Saturday buses.

Nice to see the layout having another outing. I'm not sure who's more enthralled.... the little kid's...or the big un's!
Thanks
End2end

[Bufferstop]

Showing the hobby at work for the sake of the general public is something that's not done often enough, but it can require a slightly different kind of layout. Your Thomas layouts get the young audience, and more than likely a few much older big kids. Ones that represent somewhere local usually pull a lot of interest. A model of the long gone Harborne branch in Birmingham got a lot of interest from those who remembered it and those who only knew the disused viaduct in the Chad Valley. The flight of steps coming down from an adjacent street was recognisable to many as the ones that went down to the row of garages behind the houses in that street. One of the first "domestic sized" layouts I saw was at a hobbies fair at Walsall Town Hall in the early '50s. I got a good reaction when I opened up the doors to my layout during an open gardens event organised by our residents committee. Someone with a layout in a shed or garage could do similar. (I doubt many people have a layout in a room with doors directly into the garden.

[Dad-1]

MMMMmmmm Naughty, but bumped this up, was in danger of getting lost !
Now done 32 showings, the July exhibition will be No.33.
We get more fun from this per £ spent from this than anything else we've ever made.

Won't quite hit 40 outings by year end.

Geoff T.