#model railway exhibition

[greateasternj69]

Another photo dump from the model railway exhibition from Saturday.

[eltristanexplicitcontent]

Shildon Model Railway Club Exhibition October 2024

[aut1sm-mess]

Went to the sonoma county fair today and wanted to the model trains they had in the Home Arts exhibit! this is only some of the photos that I took here and I would love to share more!

Ft. Random people who I accidentally filmed and Thomas, Percy, and diesel

[the-time-lord-oracle]

Percy in action on the Reverend Awdry's Ffarquhar layout at the 2022 Warley Model Railway Exhibition.

[sensedgetss]

Model Railway Exhibitions

Model Railway Exhibitions are captivating showcases for hobbyists and enthusiasts. These events feature intricate layouts, realistic scenery, and miniature trains in motion. Visitors admire detailed craftsmanship, discover new techniques, and connect with fellow modelers. Exhibitions often include vendors, demonstrations, and workshops, fostering creativity and inspiring a passion for model railways. For more details visit here:- https://sensedgetss.com/innorail-2024.php

[bovineblogger]

I was at a model railway exhibition today and some of the layouts had little model cows

I LOVE THAT SO MUCH!!!!!! i wanna hold one of the tiny cows!!! choo choo...

[ltwilliammowett]

Modern model of the Endurance (1912) stucking in the Ice of the Antarctica

You can see this little piece of the history of Shackleton's first attempt to cross the South Pole if you visit the Miniatur Wunderland in Hamburg, a constantly growing model railway exhibition that presents different regions of the world as models on a total of approx. 1,600 m² of model space.

[scotianostra]

On May 2nd May 1901 The Glasgow International Exhibition in Kelvingrove opened.

The second of 4 international exhibitions held in Glasgow was opened on 2 May and ran until 9 November, covering roughly 73 acres of ground in Kelvingrove Park. Among the multitude of temporary buildings was this concert hall on the banks of the River Kelvin, with seating for 3,000 people. A full programme of concerts was organised for the duration of the exhibition, featuring performers from all over Europe.

Its centrepiece was the new Art Galley and Museum which appropriately housed the Fine Art section, including work by the “Glasgow boys” who were by now acknowledged as internationally important artists. But the exhibition’s main building was the temporary Eastern Palace; its architect was James Millar who won an open competition with his design which satisfied the extravagance demanded by the public. This Oriental fantasy, with its strong suggestions of 16th century Spanish Renaissance architecture, was topped by a grand dome adorned by an electric-torch wielding golden angel of light. There were also separate buildings for industrial and machinery displays, concert halls, foreign pavilions, numerous restaurants and cafes, as well as many minor buildings covering subjects such as agriculture and heating and lighting. Some idea of the sheer scale and grandeur of the enterprise can be realised in examining the exhibition plan in the first picture.

It’ hard to imagine the planning that went into this and the scale of the whole thing, for example, a whole Russian village of 7 buildings, there was a model farm complete with working dairy, windmill and grieve’s house, a Grand concert hall with seating for more than 3,000, and a new sports ground at Gilmorehill with a four-lap cement cycle track, cinder pedestrian course, football pitch and stand accommodation for 25,000 spectators. The suggestion of limitless resources was enhanced by the breathtaking electrical illuminations which lit up many of the attractions by night.

Although it lacked the novelty of 1888, Glasgow’s second major exhibition was still enormously popular, resulting in attendance figures of over a staggering 11,000,000.

Thanks to the railways, journeys were now relatively easy and inexpensive, and tourism was growing. Visitors from afar were encouraged to explore further, and the beauty of the surrounding countryside was heavily promoted in the publicity literature.

The Palace of Fine Arts at the exhibition remained as a permanent legacy, now known as Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum

[goodoldroyalty]

The Duke and Duchess of York with Sir Hugh Bell and Lady Florence Bell at Stockton for the Railway Centenary 1925

‘Replying to the welcome extended to him at Darlington on July 2, 1925. The Duke of York said that the exhibition which the town ha got together would bring vividly before every one the amazing progress which had been made on British railways. He paid tribute to the pioneer work of Edward Peasse, “the first railway statesman.” and to George Stephenson, “the railway locomotive engineer.” The world owed to these famous North countryman a debt of gratitude which it would be impossible to repay.

Their Royal Highness were greatly interested in the Exhibition, which provided a study in contrast. The models lent by the Great Western Railway Co. included one of the engine “Alma,” dated 1850. There was also a model of the “Jenny Lind,” which has a sentimental and industrial association with the railway men: and which was carried in procession around the city of york to celebrate the inauguration of a nine-hour working day, which came into forse in 1872.’

THE BRISBANE COURTIER

Lady Bell, The Duke of York, Viscount Grey. The Duchess of York and Sir Hugh Bell, seated in the Grandstand, await the arrival of the procession. In the foreground are silver models of "Locomotion" and the crude coach used by the Stockton and Darlington Railway Committee on opening day 1825. These mementos were presented to The Duke and Duchess by Viscount Grey at the end of the procession.

[greateasternj69]

Was helping out at my local model railway exhibition on Saturday, had lots of fantastic and good looking layouts there that I was able to take some good photos and videos of and it was simply just great fun.

[eltristanexplicitcontent]

really neat spinning, magnet powered scale model of a gravity-powered logging railway...

[feigeroman]

Saturday Movie Night: Railscale 1

Here's an idea I've been sitting on for ages, which I hope will become a semi-regular feature on this here blog. It's a pretty basic idea - every week (if I remember), I share a video on here which I think you guys would be interested in seeing. Naturally, that means a lot of the videos will be to do with Thomas, or real-life railways (real and model), or anything else I decide is worth sharing.

I don't know if anyone here has heard of Phil Parker, but yes, I am basically ripping off the Saturday Film Club feature he does on his blog.

You may well remember me talking about Railscale a couple of years back. Well, since then, someone's gone and uploaded all three issues to YouTube (see that earlier post for why there were no more). So I thought, what better way to kick off this semi-regular feature?

See above to watch the programme, and see below for more details about the contents.

THE BROMFORD & HIGH PEAK RAILWAY (7mm/O)

This huge, spectacular O gauge layout was deliberately shrouded in mystery by its creator, Ferrari importer Ronnie Hoare. For security and insurance reasons, he rarely allowed visitors to the layout - the Railscale team were thus privileged to be allowed to film it for this feature. The layout itself featured over a scale mile of track, and included models from some of the country's leading model makers.

INSIDE A SAWMILL (7mm/O)

We next look around Les Tindal's scale model of an American sawmill of the interwar period. The sequence shows how Les adds details and develops scenery, and finishes with a look at huge he achieves the authentic weathering of timbers and metals.

PECORAMA (Various)

Pecorama is a permanent model railway exhibition in sunny south Devon, own and operated by the PECO company. They believe that any house or flat can accommodate a model railway, and the layouts on display have been made with this philosophy in mind.

WINCHESTER CHESIL (4mm/P4)

The Scalefour Society was one of the leading pioneers in the great push towards greater realism for model railways. This exact scale model of the GWR's Winchester station was made by society members from the Southampton area, and they take up the story of how the model came into being.

BOYTON CROSSING - PART 1 (4mm/OO)

The first in a series of segments demonstrating the construction of a model building - based on the crossing keeper's cottage at Boyton, on the Salisbury-Warminster line. Railscale's resident model maker, Mike Jolly, talks us through the process of researching and measuring the prototype, before building up the basic structure with card and embossed sheets.

LIVE STEAM ON THE ISLE OF MULL (Live Steam/10.25")

 In 1984, a miniature railway opened on the Scottish island of Mull, linking Torosay Castle to the ferry pier at Craignure. The line has since developed into a tourist attraction in its own right. Nick Dodson of Railfilms shows us around, and talks with founder Graham Ellis.

PROJECT N - PART 1 (2mm/N)

Mike Jolly returns to commence the construction of an N gauge layout. After deciding on the plan, he chooses and cuts the timber, and makes a start on assembling the baseboard.

COACH CONVERSION (2mm/N)

Railscale 1 concludes with this short segment, demonstrating how to convert a Graham Farish BR Mk2 coach, to represent types not available in the ready-to-run market.

[sensedgetss]

InnoRail India 2024

InnoRail India 2024 promises to be a pivotal event for the railway industry, showcasing cutting-edge innovations, sustainable practices, and advanced technology solutions. Industry leaders, innovators, and policymakers will gather to exchange ideas, discuss future trends, and collaborate on enhancing railway infrastructure, efficiency, and safety. Don't miss this transformative experience!.For more details visit here:- https://sensedgetss.com/innorail-2024.php

[recentadultburnout]

Info for writer in Thai series fandom: Holidays and Festivals

In my opinion, most holidays and festivals can be sorted by their relevance into a few categories, like the royal family, religion, or something inbetween. If its origin is something related to the royal family, it is likely that it will have fewer activities for people who are not government officers or students to do than when it relates to religion.

Piyamaharaj Day

Date : Oct 23

King Chulalongkorn (or Piyamaharaj) Day is to commemorate the day King Chulalongkorn passed away. King Chulalongkorn made many contributions in his reign, like the educational system, military affairs, national communication, the state railway, and the Slave Liberation Act without bloodshed in Thailand. Piya (ปิย) means beloved and Maharaj (มหาราช) means the Great King. As the name suggests, he was really popular. Many people have his picture in their house or their shop. He is also somewhat considered sacred, and some people will make a wish to him. The offerings that people believe he liked consist of brandy, cigars, shrimp paste rice, pink roses, and other general offerings. 

Activities

The various departments will send their representatives to lay wreaths of flowers to pay homage at his statue and make merit in His Majesty King Chulalongkorn's name. People who loved him will do that too. Many government agencies, schools, and universities will also hold exhibitions to educate the public about his life and work.

The current queen’s birthday Date : Jun 3

The current king’s birthday Date : July 28

Activities Most government agencies and schools will set up the king or queen's picture, decorate it, and arrange a place for people to sign their name to wish them a happy birthday. They might also hold exhibitions about their lives and the work they do for the public too.  I'm glad I didn't have to do it anymore. It's really hard to make an informative board when there is so little information in the first place.

Coronation Day

Date : May 4

In Thailand, we call it Chat-Mong-Khon day. Chat (ฉัตร) means several-tiered umbrella. In this case, it is nine-tiered, symbolizing the sovereign. Its Thai name refers to the ceremony they do on the date that the coronation of the current king happens. Originally, this ceremony was considered a private ceremony of the King, held in the royal court, but later it became a national holiday.

Activities

There are none, but like every special day and occasion in Thailand, it was encouraged to make merit on this day.

The Royal Ploughing Ceremony

Date : May, at the beginning of the month, depends on what day is the most auspicious according to astrology.

The main purpose of the ceremony is to boost the morale of farmers across the nation. The highlight is the sacred bull's choice, which will predict the amount of rain and which product will flourish, and the rice sowing, which won't really have a chance to grow because the audience will collect it up immediately as it is believed to bring luck and help the crop grow when they mix the seed in. After the ceremony, the model farmer usually received a plaque of honor from the king or representative. 

Activities

Other than in the ceremony, there are none.

Magha Puja

Date: The 15th day of the waxing moon (full moon) of the 3rd month according to the Thai lunar calendar.

A day celebrates a gathering that was held between the Buddha and 1,250 of his disciples who came to see the Buddha without being summoned. From the tale, all of them are already Buddhist saints (Arhat) and all of them are direct disciples ordained by the Buddha himself. 

Activities

Go to the temple, abstaining from all sins, offer alms or make merit by giving freedom to animals (release birds or fish) that got caught-about this one, I must say that it's a thing you shouldn't do on a whim. Too many people do it without any consideration for the environment or even whether the animals they release will survive. They do it just because it's a "tradition". Their actions also create demand for birds or fish that wouldn't get caught otherwise. It's more sin than merit at this point.  Listen to a sermon and go wian tian (เวียนเทียน) which is to walk with lighted candles in hand around a temple in the evening.

Visakha Bucha, or Vesak

Date: The 15th day of the waxing moon of the 6th lunar month or, in other words, the full moon day of the Visakha (visakha is the name of the month in the lunar calendar).

It is a day that marks the three most important events in Buddhism, namely the birth, enlightenment, and death of Gautama Buddha, with all three events taking place on the same day but in different years according to Thai interpret.

Activities

The same thing you do on Magha Puja.

Asanha Bucha

Date: The full moon day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar.

It is the day that Gautama Buddha gave his first sermon, the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutra, to Kondanna, Bhaddiya, Vappa, Mahanama, and Assaji. The day after Asanha Bucha will be the day Buddhist Lent starts.

Buddhist Lent or, in Thai, Khao Phansa.

"Khao Phansa" means "Rains Retreat", which means all monks must stay at any temple during the rainy season. Because the monks in Buddha's time had a duty to make pilgrimages to animals and spread the Dharma and teachings to the people in various places. There is no need to have a fixed place to live, even in the rainy season. The villagers blamed them for stepping on the seedlings and other crops until they were damaged. Therefore, the Buddha laid down a Buddhist Lent regulation for the monks to stay stationary for three months in the rainy season. 

Activities

Because Asanha Bucha and Khao Phansa are next to each other, sometimes the activities get mixed up. For Asanha Bucha, we do the same thing we do on Magha Puja and Visakha Bucha days. Khao Phansa will have more occasional things happen, but like I say, it can get mixed. One day is not a big deal at all. There will be a Buddhist ceremony, as well as preparations for the monks' and novices' residence to be in good enough condition to be used for three months during Buddhist Lent. There will also be a Candlelight Procession (Phi-Tee-Hae-Tian-Phan-Sa:) in which we will take special candles (one of the popular activities is to cast that candles by providing materials such as wax, candle wicks, crucibles, and pans for the crowd to use to make them together in a public place such as in front of the mall), we make before Khao Phansa Day, go to the monastery to present the candle to the monk, then put candles into the temple, and light candles to worship the Three Jewels. There are also other activities, such as offering clothes to the monk, praying that they will conduct themselves within the framework of the Five or Eight Precepts, listening to sermons, and the Dharma. You can choose to participate as much or as little as you want. It is up to your faith and abilities. For monks, there will be a lot of other activities, but for ordinary people, I think this will be all. At the end of Buddhist Lent there will be Tak Bat Devo festival.

The Vegetarian Festival, or Tesakan Gin Jay (เทศกาลกินเจ)

Date: Start on 1st day of the 9th lunar month according to the Chinese calendar and last 9 days.

It is came from Taoist tradition. During the fastival people who choose to paticipate will only eat food that prepared without meat or products of animal origin (e.g. milk, eggs, honey, fish sauce, gelatin, collagen) and not flavored with strong smell vegetables such as garlic, onions, spring onions, shallots, chives, and cilantro, some also Including hot and spicy spices.

Moon Festival

Date: The full moon day of the 8th month according to the lunar calendar.

It is a traditional Chinese cultural festival that takes place in the middle of autumn to celebrate the harvest. Some households will celebrate it with their family, some don't. The ceremony will be held in private, so I'm not sure how popular it actually is, but the mooncakes sure are.

Chinese New Year

Date: The 1st day of the 1st month in the Chinese calendar.

Thais of Chinese descent will follow the tradition for 3 days: pay day (wan jai/วันจ่าย), pay respect day (wan wai/วันไหว้) and travel day (wan tiao/วันเที่ยว).

Pay Day is the day before the end of the year. It is a day when we have to buy food, fruits, and various offerings before the shops close for a long vacation.

On Worship Day, the day starts in the early morning by paying homage to "Bài lǎoyé" (拜老爺 / 拜老爷) which is a form of worship to various gods. The offering is three meats (Sasae, Sam Cheng), pork, duck, and chicken, and liquor, tea, and paper money. After that, we pay respect to "Pai Pae Bo" (拜父母), which is to pay respect to ancestors, parents, relatives, and relatives who have passed away. This will be completed no later than noon. The offerings consisted of sa sae, sweet and savory dishes (mostly done as the deceased once liked), as well as the burning of paper money, gold paper, and paper clothes to dedicate to the deceased. Then the whole family will be gathered to eat and exchange red packets afterward. Finally, we will pay homage to "Pai Ho Hia Tee" (拜好兄弟), which is respect for the spirits of the deceased brothers and sisters. The offerings will be kanom keng, kanom tian, taro in syrup, silver and gold paper, along with firecrackers to ward off evil and for good luck.

The day of travel or holding day is the new year's day. It is the first day of the first month of the year. Today, it is a tradition called "Pai Jia," which is an occasion to go to another's house to wish them luck and ask for blessings from the elders and loved ones.

Qingming

Date: 15 days after the spring equinox.

It is believed that Qing Ming Day is one of the three days when the human world and the spirit world are closest to each other. So during this period, it is a custom to go sweeping and pay respect to ancestors' tombs. Moreover, during Qingming, the weather is good. Therefore, it is suitable for the descendants to travel to the graves of their ancestors to pay homage, sweep and clean around the graves of their ancestors.

( He is coming to me's Thai name is He came to Qingming next to my grave.)

Songkran or Thai New Year

Date: 13 April

The word "Songkran" comes from Sanskrit and means "moving." It refers to how the zodiac sign is moving, which means the new year. Songkran is a traditional family practice where water is the main element of the ceremony. Basically, there will be  1.Bathing Buddha images at home and at temples for good fortune and making merit, offering food to monks ***By bathing, I mean gently pouring water from a water bowl (ขันน้ำ) onto the Buddha images. 2.Gently pouring water from a water bowl onto each other and wish each other luck in the new year. It will be more formal when it's between an elder and a child than between friends. 3. Ask for forgiveness for something that has already passed or a New Year's wish from an elderly person. 4.Loading sand into the temple. It is believed that it will bring auspiciousness, happiness, prosperity, and a lot of money, like the grains of sand that are carried into the temple. Another belief is that taking the sand that is attached to the feet from the temple is a sin. Therefore, to not commit a sin, we should bring it back to make up for what we take during the past year.  It is mainly a family event, so it is also a time when most people travel back home to their family. Many people work far from home and don't have many chances to go back, so in the Songkran period they will go back and have a family gathering.

The water fight is not really traditional, but it's a main event that has many people waiting eagerly now.

Loy Krathong Festival

Date: The 15th waxing moon of the 12th month according to the Thai lunar calendar.

Loy means float, and Krathong, in this context, means banana leaf vessel or floating basket. The traditions vary by region, but one thing they all have in common is that it takes place at night and includes float Krathong. The purpose of this event is to either worship the goddess of water, Ganga, pronounced in Thai as "Khong-ka", or to worship the Buddha, or both. The krathong that is used in this event can be made from a lot of things, such as banana leaf, banana stalk pith, foam, coconut shell, or bread. There are many beliefs around this event. For lovers, sometimes the pair will use one Krathong together or go float it together and try to make it stick together after it goes into the water, as it is believed to be a good sign for a pair of lovers. During fastival, the atmosphere can be quite romantic. There is also a belief that you can float away all suffering along with the krathong by cutting nails, hair, and money and putting them into the krathong before floating it.

Yi Peng Festival

Date: the 13th to the 15th waxing moon of the 12th month according to the Thai lunar calendar or the 15th waxing moon of the 2nd month according to the Thai Lanna lunar calendar. On the same day as the Loy Krathong Festival.

Yi Peng is actually a variation of Loy Krathong, but instead of only Krathong, it will also have Khomloy, which is some kind of hot-air balloon, and it will actually happen two days before. The Yi Peng starts on the 13th day of the waxing moon, which is considered "Wan-da(วันดา)" or the day of the preparation to make merit at the temple. When it comes to the 14th day of the waxing moon, Father Oui (grandpa/elderly man), Mae Oui (grandma/elderly woman), and those who have faith will go together and conduct themselves within the precepts, listen to the Dharma, and make merit at the temple. A large krathong will be made in the temple courtyard. Inside the krathong will be food and other consumables. Anyone can bring something to make a contribution. Those items will be given to the poor to make merit. On the 15th day of the waxing moon, the big Krathong at the temple and the small personal Krathong will be floated on the river.

Index

[amethyst42]

The inspiration for Gonagalls, found in Discworld.

With the Nac Mac Feegles, their musicians/poets are called Gonagalls. They are notoriously bad, and in fact are used to terrify the enemy. William McGonnagle, 1825-1902, according to Wikipedia: "gained notoriety as an extremely bad poet who exhibited no recognition of, or concern for, his peers' opinions of his work. " Additionally, "McGonagall has been lampooned as the worst poet in British history. The chief criticisms are that he was deaf to poetic metaphor and unable to scan correctly. His only apparent understanding of poetry was his belief that it needed to rhyme". And reading his poetry, I can now see that Pratchett modelled his poetry exactly on McGonagall's "metre". This is his poem about the Tay Bridge Disaster, a railroad bridge which had a terrible collapse, in the late 19th century:

Beautiful Railway Bridge of the Silv'ry Tay!

Alas! I am very sorry to say

That ninety lives have been taken away

On the last Sabbath day of 1879,

Which will be remember'd for a very long time.

[the-time-lord-oracle]

Minories; another of the layouts at the model railway exhibition today.