Model Boat Mayhem

Mess Deck: General Section => Chit-Chat => Topic started by: JimG on January 22, 2017, 09:22:20 pm

Title: Friday at Alexandra Palace.
Post by: JimG on January 22, 2017, 09:22:20 pm
Having recently retired and with plenty of spare time I decided to take a trip down to the Model engineering exhibition. I used to do this regularly but it's probably been around 20 years since the last time. I must admit that model wise its not up to the standard of the old exhibition when they had tables full of competition entries, now its just club stands. The total area is also less although there was plenty of space to move around even when it was at it's busiest. Just beginning to recover from the journey there and back, overnight sleeper coach on Thursday night the same back up on Friday night doesn't help your rest.
Here are a sample of some of the photos I took at the show.
Subjects include RC steam trains, large RC tanks, RC trucks which were constantly running around a small road track and boats of all types. I didn't bother photographing the large steam locos and engines which took up most of the club stands.
(I didn't take note of which clubs the boats came from and these photos are just a representative sample of the photos taken.)
Jim
Title: Re: Friday at Alexandra Palace.
Post by: JimG on January 22, 2017, 09:24:44 pm
Trains, tanks and trucks. The trains are live steam, RC controlled.
Title: Re: Friday at Alexandra Palace.
Post by: JimG on January 22, 2017, 09:28:22 pm
Round the pole boats , waterline and lifeboats.
Title: Re: Friday at Alexandra Palace.
Post by: JimG on January 22, 2017, 09:31:47 pm
Sailing barges and steam.
Title: Re: Friday at Alexandra Palace.
Post by: JimG on January 22, 2017, 09:34:48 pm
Assorted models.

Jim
Title: Re: Friday at Alexandra Palace.
Post by: Subculture on January 22, 2017, 09:38:21 pm
This is a different show to the original Model Engineers Exhibition, which is what you may be recalling from back in the days when it was organized at Wembley Conference Centre, later on at Alexandra Palace and Olympia. That show had a hatchet taken to it for some reason and is now a shadow of its former self.

The show you visited started up in the early nineties at Picketts Lock, and was a more modest affair. The show was enlarged and transferred to Alexandra Palace.
Title: Re: Friday at Alexandra Palace.
Post by: Colin Bishop on January 22, 2017, 09:38:28 pm
Different Exhibition and organisers Jim,

It used to be the Model Engineer Exhibition sponsored by what is now MyTimeMedia, publishers of Model Boats and Model Engineer magazines.

Now it is the Model Engineering Exhibition run by Meridienne who also put on the Warwick show.

Colin
Title: Re: Friday at Alexandra Palace.
Post by: Tug-Kenny RIP on January 22, 2017, 10:12:03 pm

I wanted to go, but the train fare was £190............  yes indeed.    %%

ken

Title: Re: Friday at Alexandra Palace.
Post by: Corposant on January 22, 2017, 11:08:59 pm
The number of models did seem a bit reduced from last year - but I thought there were more trade stands (although I personally was disappointed Chronos were not there!).

The highlight for me was seeing that Phil had found his long lost cap!  O0

Mike
Title: Re: Friday at Alexandra Palace.
Post by: Plastic - RIP on January 23, 2017, 08:03:53 am
We've gone every year but have seen a vast decline in the show to the point we didn't bother this year.

To be honest, the show that the St Albans Model Engineering Society put on was better in my opinion.  :-))
Title: Re: Friday at Alexandra Palace.
Post by: JimG on January 23, 2017, 12:51:54 pm
Different Exhibition and organisers Jim,

It used to be the Model Engineer Exhibition sponsored by what is now MyTimeMedia, publishers of Model Boats and Model Engineer magazines.

Now it is the Model Engineering Exhibition run by Meridienne who also put on the Warwick show.

Colin

I knew that it was a different show but had hoped that the new one would be up to the standard of the old one. A decent range of traders there, if I was looking for machine tools and parts there was a good range. I did miss a couple of the old traders, Proops and Squires, always good for simpler tools and parts. The model boat side was disappointing with the only decent trade stand being Component shop. Even Howes was mostly RTR and drones.

Jim
Title: Re: Friday at Alexandra Palace.
Post by: JimG on January 23, 2017, 12:55:03 pm
I wanted to go, but the train fare was £190............  yes indeed.    %%

ken

I looked at the train price, going to be over 3 times that for the bus and not a great service for the return journey. :((

Jim
Title: Re: Friday at Alexandra Palace.
Post by: Subculture on January 23, 2017, 01:00:08 pm
For marine exhibits, it's never been the best show. There's no pool, so it's static display only and I think in addition to this there are fewer new models under construction , so there is a sense of deja vu.