2015 Display Table Design Thread

[JohnRatzenberger]

If you make it too high, the members manning the display won't be visible - cuts down interaction with viewers. Also hinders leaning over from the back to correct a problem on the running layout.

Is this to handle all the stuff we have been working on, or are a couple of you getting overly enthusiastic about finding even more stuff to put on there at the last minute.

[mattbacon]

Is this to handle all the stuff we have been working on, or are a couple of you getting overly enthusiastic about finding even more stuff to put on there at the last minute.

This is all stuff that's been under way since July, though it was only a month or so ago that it began to look like we could actually complete the Kitmaster catalogue without bankrupting ourselves.

We shouldn't lose sight of the fact that SMW is a plastic modelling show, not a model railway show. CBK is about celebrating classic British kits, and this year we have chosen a largely railway theme for our display. The running layout was always intended as a special feature, not the be-all and end-all of our display (especially since the CBK credentials of our "runners" depend on Al jacking up an Airfix kit, inserting a whole new chassis and lowering it again). We don't have a whole lot of Ratio, Wills and other CBK railway kits, and we decided agin any of the card kits for sensible (International Plastic Model Society) reasons. We DO have a pretty comprehensive selection of the Airfix/Kitmaster stable, running the gamut from Kitmaster and Airfix originated kits, through Airfix reissues of the Kitmasters, through to Dapol reissues of Airfix owned Kitmaster originals...

For me, an important part of CBKSIG's remit, and especially at SMW, is to share some of the history of plastic modelling in Britain with the styrene-aficionados visiting: identifying Gems, celebrating box art, shining the spotlight on particular manufacturers. Without that, the display becomes just a working model railway layout. Fine for a while, maybe, but leaving a lot of people wondering why it's there...

My 0.02c worth, anyway...

bestest,
M.

[JohnRatzenberger]

Fair enough ...

[splash]

I have done a simple dockside that's two x A4 in length and has two straights of track running through it with overlaps each end will you need it ? as its made of card you could cut it down in width and put the cranes over the rail track.



Matt if you need it PM me and I will get it in the post.

[beany]

OK, I've just spent two days solid on this bugger (I took Friday off work) but the construction phase is now complete!

I have populated it with just a few of the items I had to hand (i.e. stuff not up in the loft) to give an idea of what your items will look like where appropriate.


The Kitmaster display will be along the back as promised and sits at about chest height so we will easily be able to see over it and in Matt's case spend hours discussing his beautiful Kitmaster builds with the punters (and by proxy for Chuck and Splash and anyone else building Kitmaster's that I've forgotten)!


I can see from this photo that the rear track need to come up by another piece of 12X30mm otherwise you won't be able to see the lovely running gear of the locos behind - and that's my favourite bit of the loco.
This section is wholly detachable from the table section - I'll just screw it back into place on the Friday set up session.
I'll add hardboard backing to cover the upright battens and we can add any box tops, instructions and signage to that - central spot is reserved for the CBK sign. I might make a title sign saying "The Classic British Village" or words to that effect if there are no objections so that the punters will know what our theme is (even if it seems quite obvious to us - trust me on this one).


Johns shed and Splash;'s turntable will go in this area - I've just plonked a Metcalfe card shed in to give and idea.


After two days I'm heartily sick of the thing for now but will take a day off tomorrow and break it down and start painting it all next week.
Before that I'll probably try out the power and make sure everything runs OK so I don't leave it too late to rectify any mistakes.


The baseboard is heavier now with all of the track on it so it will be a two man job to carry it into the hall at Telford so we'll make arrangement nearer the time. The table cloths will have to go down first anyway.

Cheers
Al.

[PaulBradley]

Excellent! Well done, Al!

[chrism]

That is all coming together nicely now. Well done indeed.

[mattbacon]

Great job, Al... I'm happy to be the "second man..." With no Jack to have to wait for the end of school for (he just segues straight from lectures to the bar these days, and won't be joining us, sadly...) I can be arriving mid-afternoon. Which reminds me... I'll PM Shaun about the "set-up" wristbands.

bestest,
M.

[Ratch]

Looks good Al

[ShaunW]

Marvellous Al, that looks excellent.

[splash]

[beany]

I've given the base a covering of paint, trying to use "railway" type colours i.e. dirt and brake dust. Being a lazy arse I started doing it with the track in situ but soon realised that would not work so VERY RELUCTANTLY lifted all of the track (apart from the two with the power wires soldered on) and started again. The camera flash has bleached the colour somewhat but here is what it looks like. Just bear in mind most of it will be covered in track and buildings and vehicles etc. The bar at the back gets covered when the shelf unit is in place.



All of my once carefully laid track


Cheers
Al.

[JohnRatzenberger]

Darn, I thought that bottom photo meant we were doing a complex track theme ...

[beany]

Track has been re-laid and painted to blend in with the surroundings. This of course means I now have to clean all of
the rail heads again to establish the electrical contact if we are to have running models - tests so far have not been the
greatest success so we may yet just have a wholly static display.



I've gone for a period look, i.e. soot, dirt and brake dust and oil everywhere - the joys of steam trains!

The gap in the sleepers above will be filled in - I must have missed this one!

I have completed the 3-tier shelf system and populated it with a few of my locos to give an idea of what it will look like
when populated with yours on the day. The manufacturers name signs are temporary for now to guage your opinion of
them - please let me know.

The overall look - apologies for the clutter but is a big flaming thing to work on and there aren't many places I could do it!


The wooden pole is not part of the shelving - it is just supporting the weight as the shelves are balanced on the table edge. The four upright battens will
have a board attached to which we can apply other signs and flyer/instruction etc.



Some more detailed views.








Side on view - the shelves will be between 4 and 5 foot off the ground so many people will get these views of them:




Remember - let me know what you think about the signs - I can produce more with different varients/vintages of the
Dapol and Airfix logos - Kitmaster pretty much always had the same one.

Cheers
Al.

[PaulBradley]

Looks terrific, Al. The only minor quibble is perhaps the darkish purple colour - something a bit more neutral might help to show off the stock a bit better - what do others think?

Darn, I thought that bottom photo meant we were doing a complex track theme ...

The Spaghetti Junction of railroads...!