2015 hobby expo layout ideas and preview

well, couple of weeks and its my clubs bi-annual show.

at this stage i have 2 trestle tables to fill, of which ive got one plan done and dusted.
not sure what im going to with the other as its going to be viewed lengthways instead of side on. so this way I instead of this way --- things at the back will be hard for the public to see, so i might keep the running tracks towards the front and put something else at the back.
i want to show each range from tomy dark blue right through to trackmaster revolution. my initial plan was to have both trackmaster designs on the bottom and use girders to elevate the tomy dark and light blue, using the appropriate girders. wont be overly exciting, but i dont know what else to do.

this is the table ive done so far. im in the door and this table will be the first one seen by the public. the minis will be up against the wall basically, and the other table will be behind [where the heater is basically] with a space for access for myself.



the track running around the edge will likely change at the back as i only have one red u turn and wont get another in time, so will most likely take that out and replace with straights. im also going to have bollards, but the clear tunnels will ensure safety for the engine.

i want to running tracks to be mostly visible to kidlets, who will likely be eyelevel with the tables, which is why i dont really want much at the far end where they wont be able to see clearly. im half considering leaving the table legs folded up and thus putting things almost on the floor which would make things easier to see and open up so many more ideas.

[Super]

Can't wait to see the final results from what you decide and pictures from the Club.

alright, here we go guys!! spent the day mulling things over, getting frustrated at the lack of "free play" in the older trackmaster and revelling in how many ideas i had with the vintage tomy. those two ranges are like chalk and cheese. the vintage stuff just triggers something... some many parts that all fit together freely and such variety in the decorations.

so, here it is...



both this and the photo in my first post cover 1.8m x 900, which is the size of the trestles.

i have discovered i like that trackmaster revolution holds together quite well when picked up. also the girders used with the older trackmaster hold that track together too, which will be a major time saver on the day. they can go in the car as is.

[Super]

Looking good Sunhuntin.

Since you have tons of stuff, have you ever thought of doing an area like out on the lawn and setting up something like the people at TrackPartyUk do but on a smaller scale to let the youngsters have a little hands on playing? Might be a big hit with the children. Just have a big box filled with stuff and trains and let them use their imagination along with their parents. Wish I lived near you because I would gladly help out with that.

http://trackparty.co.uk/#
https://www.youtube.com/user/poheZ/videos

super, i would do something like that but have several reasons not to... lol.

1: im actually quite grouchy and dont do people touching my trains well. even my own niece and nephews i get cross and pack up pretty quickly the few times i do get stuff out for them.

2: kids [and more their parents] arent overly respectful of other peoples stuff here. the times i have had gear within anyones reach, ive had issues with things. the auto transfer station ive had people give the "stuck engine" a push, causing crashes, and kids played with my ride on trains too, turning it on and off and jumping over the track.
i even had one guy readjust the controller on an HO layout that was behind bollards, causing it to derail. it was running fine, just not as fast as some of the others. the track itself was dodgy and needed a certain speed.

3: theft can and does happen at such events. im actually semi reconsidering taking my minis to this show due to this risk. if i can find a way to seal the display units, they wont be going and something else will that i can trust wont be at such risk.

4: all my track is stored in the ceiling and it takes ages to find decent track thats useful and fun. that set up above took me all day, just hunting and working out what track i wanted and how to make it interesting.

[Super]

I thought that you may have had lots of extra tracks not part of any set and many extra or well used trains from many large Lot purchases that could be used.

that i do, super. ive got tubs and tubs of blue track up there, but being in the ceiling space means its hard to take up and down all the time, especially in such large quantities.

what i would love to do, one day when i win the lottery, is have a room with odds and sods of track, used engines and the like, and just let visiting kids go nuts. thinking birthdays, preschool groups and such. it would have to be controlled, not just a public free for all.

photos from the weekend!

it was a success, and i didnt have any issues with kids or adults grabbing stuff. some littler ones tried, and one youngster was in tears because he wasnt allowed to play. i officially love clear tunnels.

the big loader was a mega success. strangely, not many people around my age recalled having one. i thought it was like a childhood staple, going by comments on youtube videos. ive never seen so many adults go zombie before. glazed eyes, mouths hanging open, completely switched off to everything around them.


minis in their nail polish stands, another big drawcard for people.


the layout table with vintage tomy, bluetrack, trackmaster 1 and 2 and the viaduct.


both tables together with a club member


my friend blairs christmas thomas layout, advertising our december show. this one folds in half for easy and safe transport.


blairs island of sodor layout. this comes apart into 3 sections for transport.


all of these pics were taken by my friend kylie, thankfully, as i was completely slack and forgot to take any of my own stuff.

[Super]

Fantastic! You did a great job Sunhuntin. The tables look terrific. I don't know why I thought this was to be at your club house. Sure wish they made the clear tunnels as curves too.

Wow. Next time I get the chance to go to New Zealand, do tell me where all this happens!

Big Loader!!!

-plarnold