Scaleforum 2023: 23-24 September

[MarcD]

I'm currently put orders and stock together of the show. If anyone wants to order for up at the show the last day is one week's time. I will only be carrying limited stock due to the space in the car..
New kits since Wakefield.
HR/HR/North Sunderland coaches
MR/LMS manure wagon
LBSCR/SR brake van
LBSCR/SR 3plk dropside
MR/LMS small Gunpowder Van
GNoSR/LNER goods brake van
There may be more depending on time.
Marc

[android]

Just 10 days to go to the show of the year! Don't miss the first outing of Iain Rice's Cade's Green, along with 11 other layouts and nearly two dozen traders.

See you there!

Andrew

[James Walters]

I am genuinely really excited for Scaleforum. Last year was my first and I must admit to being a little nervous being in such fine company.
However, I needn't have been, the atmosphere over weekend was warm and friendly and the inspiration abundant.

I will be demoing 'Starting in P4' again this year and will have with me the to-be-expected examples of track tools and loco chassis etc.
However, should anyone have seen anything in any of interest in any of my YouTube videos which you would like me to bring along in addition to the basics then do please let me know either by PM, email or on here and I'll be sure to pack whatever it may be for you to have a play with.

Additionally, I will be curating a display of Martin Wynne's innovative Plug Track system, including examples of laser cut turnout and plain track bases.
If this is of interest to you, then I'd suggest getting up to speed here first.
https://85a.uk/templot/club/index.php?threads/getting-started-with-3d-plug-track.722/

I'll have a PC with me and will be delighted to give a quick demo to anyone with an interest in taking Templot from 2D to 3D.
The results are stunning.

Hope to see lots of you there,

James

[gavin]

Pictures at an Exhibition

This year the society has so far been unable to find a volunteer to photograph the show. This is in no way a criticism of the very helpful people in the past who have performed this task whose efforts have been much appreciated. But if possible it would be good to capture something this year as well.

As Scalefour News Editor I would also like to be able to gather together some words and pictures to be able to include a Retrospective of the show in the next edition. So is it possible to persuade a few of you who visit the show to this time contribute your positive experiences individually - it would only need a few paragraphs and a picture or two from a number of people to give all we need, and it would be very good to gather a range of differing views. Perhaps our own ‘Pictures at an Exhibition’ in ten ‘movements’, like the original by Mussorgsky!

If sufficient pictures are collated, I will see what can be done about arranging a retrospective on the website as well, as is usual.

It is also worth mentioning at this time the opportunity for a picture for the back cover of Scalefour News - the intent remains that this should be a picture of some modelling that you have found inspiring, and are prepared to write a caption about. So please keep that in mind as well as you visit the show.

Looking forward to talking to many of you in just over a week. Please feel free to contact me here, or off-topic, or indeed in person - either before, during, or after, the show.

Gavin

[barrowroad]

Have I missed something or is a plan of the exhibition available as there isn't one in the latest snooze?

[Jeremy Good]

The plan will be appearing on here/the show website in the next day or two.

Jeremy

[barrowroad]

Thanks Jeremy.

[Jeremy Good]

For those of you who want a sneak preview of one of the layouts at the show I am pleased that Wheal Elizabeth, my P4 model of a Cornish China clay branch, is featured in this months issue of BRM (along with video on the CD/E-magazines). I’ll be happy to talk to anyone about the layout at the show…

See you in High Wycombe!!

Jeremy

[Alastairr]

Have I missed something or is a plan of the exhibition available as there isn't one in the latest snooze?

Here it is, we'll upload it to the sites in the next day or so as well

Hall Layout Guide.PDF

Thanks,
Alastair

[timlewis]

I don't see Dave Bradwell's stand on the floor plan. Is he still going to be there?

[dcockling]

If you haven't got yours yet, advance tickets are still available:

https://www.scalefour.org/scaleforum/tickets.html

Hope to see you there

All the Best
Danny

[gavin]

Hi Tim

I believe Dave Bradwell is no longer able to attend this year.

Gavin

[gavin]

Market Research

The Committee is making some small steps to put in place basic market research around the Society Shows. This is starting with a simple gathering of information at Scaleforum, in the form of understanding who has come, and where from.

So when you arrive at the door and buy your ticket, you should expect to be directed to a table where you can record your Name, Membership Number (if you have one), and first part of your Postcode. Nothing more than this.

It is of course up to you whether you provide this information, but particularly for Members it would be very useful if you do so. It is not clear yet how this information will be used - whether for instance adding your details will include or exclude you from any research. For non-Members the information will only be used to understand where people travel from, and there will be no attempt to try and contact you.

For tickets purchased in advance there is no need to provide this information.

Finally, should any Member feel they have useful experience in the field of Market Research that they are willing to offer to the Society, please talk to one of the members of the Committee.

Gavin

[timlewis]

Hi Tim

I believe Dave Bradwell is no longer able to attend this year.

Gavin

That's a shame - I was hoping to add to the pile of (as yet) unmade kits (and save some postage!)

[Horsetan]

....I believe Dave Bradwell is no longer able to attend this year.

*sound of crossings-off from shopping list*

[Noel]

So when you arrive at the door and buy your ticket, you should expect to be directed to a table where you can record your Name, Membership Number (if you have one), and first part of your Postcode...It is of course up to you whether you provide this information, but particularly for Members it would be very useful if you do so. It is not clear yet how this information will be used - whether for instance adding your details will include or exclude you from any research.

How very curious - we are having a questionnaire, but don't know why, and, judging by the final part of the last sentence [which I assume implies reference to membership records?] we will only then decide whether to include or exclude responders according to some criteria which we haven't decided on yet...

[gavin]

Hello Noel

Sorry - there is no intent to be mysterious.

All we are trying to do this time is to gather a list of where people come from (hence the postcode), and if relevant the membership number. There are no other questions - will try and show the form in a moment.

The postcode is purely, as stated, to get an understanding of the geography of visitors. The membership number is because perhaps, IF enough time can be found and suitable questions devised (and there is no guarantee of either of those), then we could ask questions either of those who attended or those who did not - to understand if there are things that can be improved.

The two society shows are the opportunities for directly gathering this information, hence this first small step. It may well be that nothing happens this year but instead we gather the information for a couple of years. But we have to start somewhere.

So hope that explains the thinking behind the process.

Gavin

[gavin]

Hello
Here is the simple form you will be able to use to record where you came from. All I need to do now is remember to get them printed in time!
Gavin

Visitors to Scaleforum.pdf

[Winander]

If you think you will need a higher resolution for location, take the number in the second part of the code as well.

[Martin Wynne]

Here is the simple form you will be able to use to record where you came from. All I need to do now is remember to get them printed in time!

Hi Gavin,

You could put up a wall map and invite visitors to stick a pin in it:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Geography-Lami ... B007NYI792

By the end of the show it would make an interesting talking point.

Visitors who object to providing personal information could be offered a blindfold.

Martin.

[gavin]

Hello Richard

If you think you will need a higher resolution for location, take the number in the second part of the code as well.

Yes - that was considered. But in this case the intention is to get a general view of where people come from. It is not of course impossible, if the whole postcode is provided as well as a name, to identify the address of someone.

For members this is irrelevant since the society already knows that information when required. But for non-members the intent is NOT to intrude beyond this simple information gathering - hence the simpler form of postcode in the hope that this will not discourage visitors from giving the information.

Hope that makes sense
Gavin

[Martin Wynne]

Here is the simple form you will be able to use to record where you came from. All I need to do now is remember to get them printed in time

Hi Gavin,

A useful column you could add to that with minimal extra effort or argument would be "Means of travel to get here".

Martin.

[Noel]

Sorry - there is no intent to be mysterious.

The only mysterious thing is why the job hasn't been done properly in the first place. A sensible questionnaire can only be drawn up when you know what you don't know and want to find out.
The proposed data is likely to show an inverse relationship between distance travelled and numbers attending. If it does not, then you may have something interesting, although you won't know why, which doesn't help much, but otherwise little useful information is likely to result.
Surely the most useful/important (additional) question is something along the lines of "What did you expect to get from visiting Scaleforum today, and was it delivered?" The comparison with the answers to "Why didn't you go to Scaleforum this year" is also interesting, even though that can, for obvious reasons, only be asked of members [and the current questionnaire for those attending doesn't distinguish between members and non-members...]
The answers to questions about "How did you travel here today, where from*, and how straightforward was the journey?" may be helpful in addressing questions about the location of the show, but, while relevant, are probably not primary to whether or not people attend. There will always be a trade-off between the reason(s) for going and the ease of access, which is decidedly subjective, so will vary from person to person.
Asking if visitors have attended Scaleforum in previous years, and whether they have attended other S4Society events this year may be useful in showing how consistently people attend, and possibly help explain distribution anomalies in the distance travelled to Scaleforum.
You could also ask visitors to rate the various aspects of the show [layouts, demonstrations, catering, freedom of movement around the show, trade attending, etc.].
What questions are asked, and how, will depend on what data you want to collect and how you want to analyse the answers.

*They may not have travelled from their home address, so the postcode may be misleading.

[Horsetan]

...."Means of travel to get here"....

Oleopneumatically?

[David B]

A small sample of what you can see at Scaleforum next weekend:

Brinkley

Brinkley 1.jpg

Eccleston

Eccleston 1.jpg

Sandford & Banwell

SandfordandBanwell 1.jpg