Was planning to take my nipper to this but forgot, glad on both accounts (journey and content) by the sound of it.
Having been involved in helping run (in a minor role) exhibitions in the past, the problem is that having model railways visit is becoming extortionate. You have to pay the expenses of the exhibitors (hotel, transit van hire, petrol and food) which even in circa 2000 when I was involved was becoming extortionate and killing any profit. Trade stands have to pay for stand space and all their own expenses. Add to that the fact that venues, especially council ones, have increased venue costs from a nominal fee to a commercial rate over the last thirty years and you end up with what you saw. We used to save costs in the '80s by hiring a couple of vans and transporting most of the layouts ourselves and doing the catering ourselves but that is now regulated out of existence.
At the big exhibtions, there always have been a lot of men of a certain age (mostly single, real ale, not always overly familiar with soap and water types) who spend their weekends travelling vast distances to visit the big exhibitions, when not stood at the end of platforms, on railtours, or painting their collection of telegraph poles at home that their long suffering mother has allowed them to plant in the garden.
However, the model railway industry has moved towards marketing to wealthy adults not children (most commercial trains now cost an absolute fortune owing to being anally accurate and are actually marked this is not a toy it is a collectable for adults - or something similar - to get round EU toy CE mark costs and limitation). Also the internet has killed off exhibitions being the best source of cheap second hand model railway gear that they were in the 90s when there would be really interesting second hand trade stands.
You are often better off these days at small club exhibitions where the exhibition is only one day and most layouts local club owners, less commercial and "ned" orientated and more family orientated. Plus only about £3 to get in.
Last edited:
) although I'm not sure of the funding model for their appearances. Some were hobbyists, some were the Lego professionals who have set up their own businesses making lego displays to order (such as the st pancras xmas tree a couple of years ago). And obviously there were a lot of children.
