Hey guys and gals, I just got back from a huge show this weekend (Fullerton RR days) and learned a lot about train handling and also how unaware some club members are. On sat I ran my coal train. First off, going back to the Accu Mate thing, they stink, and the more people I find that have used them, the more complaints I hear (I also heard Kato is working on a coupler like MT's ). I had my SD70M up front with a -9 and a -9 pushing. This was OK when I alone was running the train, but once other members messed around with the throttles everything went down hill. Some guys just don't under stand the concept of distributed power on an N scale layout that is divided into blocks (ie, if you stop the lead locos and the rear loco pushing is in another block, it will keep pushing and it will turn your train into an accordian.) I ended up just running head end power. The second day was better though. I ran a 65 car mixed freight that at any given time had 2 or 3 locos up front and a B23 in the middle. The B23 is a good choice for the middle as it is very light, and doesn't do much pulling,and if it stops dead in the train, it creates little drag for the engines up front, and won't be as likely to pull the train over on a curve. (Hope that last sentence was easy to understand). Another big problem we have are curiouse kids but the biggest problem are some of the parents (the ones that laugh and smile when there kid knocks over a $350 locomotive....ha ha ha very funny). I had numerouse derailments from fingers this last weekend. Part of the problem is that we lowered out plexi glass to 4" which I think is way to low, and even 6 year olds can now reach there hand over and touch the trains. The high light of the whole weekend was seeing 3751 move around a siding under its own power, but only to be towed into LA by a BNSF -9 (#6569? I think). I will have pictures soon, and thank you for reading this long post, hope you learned something, or can relate.
Sounds like you had an interesting time at Fullerton RR days. I can relate; even though I model HO, I know how it goes when uninformed visitors are around. They usually don't mean any harm, but there's nothing worse than seeing a pair of unfamiliar hands reaching towards a car or engine you've put time into. Fortunately, we didn't have that problem at my clubs open house this past weekend. Also, we didn't have any major derailments; hopefully, it'll stay that way this Tuesday night, our last open house night for the week. LOL...it makes me remember an open house last year, when the parent was worse than his kids. He starts playing with the turnout controls, picks up a handheld throttle that was live, then starts turning the knob and asks "what's this thing for?". We had to explain a few things to him after we took it from his hands. Heard there was a pretty good crowd at RR Days. Was hoping to have a chance to go down there and see 3751...but too busy with the club and work.
I don't run with a club at shows, but if I were to, I would definitely have a "show" engine. This would be one that I didn't particularly like and shed no tears for if something happened to it. It is common knowledge that "stuff" happens at shows. There is an old saying: "If a man lies to you once, it is his fault; if he lies to you twice, it is your fault." In other words, unaware of the problem is a good excuse the first time around, but only the first time. I can remember a woman picking her child up in her arms because the little tyke was tired and whiney, while picking him up, the kids shoe accidently kicked an engine to the floor and a non-layout running display. You could see the owner was doing a "fast" burn, but to his credit, he knew it was an accident. The general public knows very little about model railroading, so if the engine on the layout isn't prototypical - so what. I would be in protection mode at this point. Another solution is to raise the dues by ten bucks (yes I know there will be kicking and wailing by some) and with the extra ten bucks, create an insurance for damage incurred by the member at a show. So even 15 guys would create a $150 insurance cushion. If there were no damages in a given year, $75 would be carried over to the next year and 150 added to it, and the remainder spent on the layout. Showing a layout in public means, "when" the damage will occur, not "if."
We used to have stanchions with a rope to keep the public away from the layout but as the layout grew transport and set up/take down became a problem the stanchions were one item that was left out. Still we had no prolems with the public. Maybe it was the fact that our shows are usually in connection with a GATS or similiar type show where there is an admission fee and any children are there with their parents. Our biggest problem is with certain members of our club who are clueless as how the layout operates and who apparently don't care to learn. These are the same people who only show up "to run" but disappear when there is work to be doneand are habitually late in paying their dues. Okay, I'm done ranting now.
well It sounds like the weekend wasn't bad for you craig, I'm looking for a club near here But I haven't found one yet.
Regarding exhibition insurance, when I was involved in running our club's annual local show, we automatically asked each exhibitor for a figure for insurance value. I think this is the norm here in the UK. I would definitely not attend an exhibition where insurance is not provided, although there are some models for which no amount of insurance money can compensate.
It's the same all over. Awhile back I posted a story of a mishap at the GATs show in Philly. http://www.trainboard.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=13&t=000274 A local club had a modular HO layout up, which was actually very nice. Engineer and brakeman error. I had been trying to warn them of a problem and they just blew me off- until they had a huge derailment in the yard. The dispatcher even told them I had been trying to tell them. Knuckleheads. Not all clubs are bad, but that is one I would never join.
Alan - you are right - there are models that no (reasonable) amount of money can make up for. What I have seen here at shows is a row of interlocked chairs facing away from the display layouts with about 18-24" of space between the backs of the chairs and the layouts. This seems to work well as it gives the operators some room to move in front of the layout (to answer questions and just plan protect the thing) and it also gives the kiddies something to stand on to see the layout better whilst still keeping the RR just out of reach. The other bonus is it gives the adults a place to sit and rest - or even better - get a eyelevel view of the layouts.
Pardon me for laughing, but I just love it everytime I am prooved right! You guys are just beginning to realize why I no longer join clubs, nor allow kiddie visitors anywhere close to my layouts. It just isn't worth it if I want to run my really nice engines.
Craig, Barriers are definitly a must at any show. As far as dopey club members, your group should let all members know that they are not to handle any trains but their own, unless asked for help. At a show a couple of years ago, I ran a train of 120 cars with 6 locos on the point and 4 swing helpers. Must have been a Rio Grande train!!!!
We were lucky at our shows, as we had steel crowd control barriers!!! These are on site, as we have an annual flower festival in our town, where certain roads are closed off during a decorated float parade, with bands, etc. so we have plenty of control barriers to keep little fingers at bay!
Ok well after just arriving home from helping Fat Controller, MRL Mick, NUG and Gats exhibit Fat controllers (Roger) new exhibition layout we learned a lot of lessons. The first lesson was always keep trains running on the layout because as soon as they stop the visitors go elsewhere. Almost all the visitors loved seeing long trains on the layout. Rogers layout has a water scene which looks very realistic, most people commented on the water and we all answered several questions about it Overall it was a succesful exhibiton and I'm sure the rest of the guys will add to my comments. One last lesson I learned was to refrain from making changes to trains etc it may get a little monotonous for the exhibitors but it is important trains are always running on the layout and you need to ensure at least one train is in view at all times. [ 08 May 2001: Message edited by: Colonel ]
I agree 100% with your findings, based on many years of exhibiting. You are all smiling, so it must be going ok
Alan, it went very well for a first time outing. The positioning was great - immediately to the left on entry with the end of the layout showing through a mesh divider. This gets me to Craig's, and others, mention of hands getting to things, etc. The organisers of the Brisbane show, the Queensland Branch of AMRA (Australian Model Railway Association), had portable, low 'cyclone' fencing that was surrounding the layouts and providing the aisles. This was strong enough for several smaller children to stand on supported by parents so they could get a bird's eye view. The layout was placed far enough back so the spectators could see it and all but the most dedicated of 'touchers' couldn't touch. It worked very well with the 'water' getting the most attention in this regard. No damage to the layout was suffered. Positioning the layout in regard to the fenceline was the key here. As you can see, one child was reaching for the 'water' when I took the photo. Gary.
Indeed, nice fence work ! Its just ashame the public has been allowed to deteriorate to that extent. I concider myself 'real lucky' in that at my last open-house I did not have any barrier of any kind between my layout and the public. The kids had there faces right at track level and in that entire day there was only one mishap of a miss-placed finger nocking Thomas over onto a freight on the other track. We had a record crowd that day as well. For the next open-house I have some plexiglass to put up (about 10" above the rail) and that will prevent all but the most determined (and they'll be easy to spot haveing to reach that high).
LOL, Hahaha! We had a joke at my club that it was the members actually causing more damage to the layout then visitors, and that some of us should go and install small electric "fields" that would "warn" you if any of your body parts (gut is a big problem!) were too close. Mike
That may be a good idea Ed! Actually, the kids trying to touch is not my problem, my problem is when the parents just sit back and watch it happen!! I even had a mom let her kid touched and when I said kindly, "No touching please", the mom laughed! It's those kinds of people that make me mad. Hell, I wish I could find out where there car was in the parking lot and put my hands all over it....think they would be happy? "Treat people the way you want to be treated" As mentioned by Mike, club memebers are a BIG problem as well. Not to stereo type, but some of the older guys in my club are the ones that cause all the problems (one in praticular was running my loaded coal train (around 24 feer long) at about 150 scale mph! This is the same guy that runs -9's with 40' wood reefers!
Colonel, Nice looking layout. I especially noticed the backdrop on it. Whoever did that deserves kudo's.
