ME Exhibition at Leamington

Visited the show on the first day, Thursday. Emphasis seemed to be on trade stands which I did not mind at all. Punterwise it was very cramped though which I DID mind.

Having done this one plus Harrogate and Sandown for the last three years wife and I will in future stick to our favourite Sandown. Harrogate, a lovely place, is a long, long drive for me - something I no longer relish. We'll both miss Bettys tearoom though.

Rik

Went on the Thursday too, and it did get pretty crowded pretty quickly. I bought a quite a few bits and bobs off the trade stands all of which were interesting, and left after about 2 1/2 hours. If you are not into model making as such (and I'm not) the appeal is limited. The turbine helicopters were fun though.

Having now been to Harrogate and Leamington, unless I have a specific reason for attending a show I wouldn't bother. One thing in Leamington's favour; the car parking was infinitely more convenient and better organised than Harrogate's. Stevie Wonder must have taken the day off.

Eug

After a 'Satnav moment' made me overshoot as I was looking for a proper yellow AA style sign like we amateurs use on our show directions I arrived at 11am and left when they turned out the lights as a sort of hint "get out". Car parking has improved since my last visit and with no rain it was a nice day outside for the TE runners. A predominance of 4 in Fosters may be due to the presence of the supplier at the show who sort of made an effort to show their product. Another large scale TE supplier was at the show but didn't seem to promote their castings.

The club stand winner was HSME which I think is Hereford and I talked to Derek who is making this interesting 'Farmer's Engine' to a fine standard. He found the boiler in a deceased friends stuff and over 10 years later found the one drawing he has. It is interesting in being a dead end of traction engine development by using under slung cylinders like an Avery and round spoked wheels in the colonial style though made in Leeds. Only three were made and only lasted 3 years. Hope it goes to Sandown when finished as it should be a winner.

more photos to follow, including a boat. but hey, that show is in a few weeks.

Edited By Bazyle on 19/10/2014 11:36:57

Nice engine, the drawing and description are taken from Bill Hughes's book where there is a chapter on it and also a boiler drawing and several other sketches.

J

Good info Jason, I hope someone can let Derek know.
Futher to a post on the Mega Adept thread - yes the Wolverhampton chaps had a treadle lathe in action as well as an Adept in their clever 'grandad's workshop' scene.

By the tailstock is a surface plate which earlier had bee put to good use to apparently check that a cup of coffee was full measure.
I didn't notice a grinder in this shed so perhap this might give gandad an idea. I think it is a design that has been around but with a little adaption for tool bits would make a better and firmer starting point than the common flat plate rest that gets suggested to beginners.

Back to models in athe rather small competition section. A nice touch was having full size next to a model of same. Now this is not possible with an express loco but they did have a full size portable engine (traction engine that doesn't move itself) which I forgot to photograph. I did get these two though and the casting supplier was nearby - tempting. Are the smallest ones easy to start or should one begin with a medium? I think a full size Lister is cheaper than the model castings.

Definately something a bit larger than the Junior or the similarly sized Little Wonder that they do, neither are easy to get running though now they come with iron flywheels rather than aluminium you have half a chance.

Went on the Thursday, was surprised how many were there.

As usual, the models displayed were superb. Just wish that I had the skill and patience to produce such work.

My constant complaint about the Fosse is that the aisles are too narrow. With folk at the stands on each side, and people chatting in the middle, it is impossible to move around.

Could not really see where the advertised extension was, it looked much the same to me as in previous years.

The gas turbine builders exhibits were most impressive.

On the Hereford S.M.E. stand, among all the other excellent exhibits, there was a power bogie for a 3 1/2 " Hydromek. Apparently, not content with the superb small scale work on the bogie and its twin, the chap has made a torque convertor (and is making a second) for the transmission, to be as close as possible to prototype.

The plan seems to be to use electric motors as prime movers, until, ultimately, a pair of V6 petrol engines replace them. WHAT DEDICATION and SKILL!

Howard

The human powered grinding wheel is just behind the drill in this photo, there was a chap using it at one stage.

There is apparently a Power Station on fire and some have closed so these human powered machines could become the way forward!

Edited By V8Eng on 19/10/2014 22:49:20

For the marine enthusiasts where were quite a few clubs even though there will be a boat show in three weeks. I am rather cynical about the way they do two small shows instead of one big show properly covering ME and boating.. The old Wembley and Picket's Lock shows covered both my interests for one entry fee, and were closer. So keeping the ME theme here is a Miranda steam plant: (pause while I upload the photos)

Just skip to another topic. I noticed there were no cheapo tool stands. I know some people get a bit prissy about them and only want to buy gold plated tools from Harrods but I do find they have useful stuff like wire brushes and wheels and I happened to want a few of their kind of bits. Oh well I can wait until Sandown.

Edited By Bazyle on 20/10/2014 00:20:02

Here is the Miranda engine and the original boiler design (for meths with some vertical tubes to that square saddle. I find it rather ungainly but it is a simple design. There was a thread on Paddleducks that shows how it can be rebuilt upside down as a table engine with the crank at the top suitable for direct paddle drive..

And here is one in the hull, and with a prettier boiler that is probably gas fired.

But a Borderer engine is really much to be preferred as in this picket boat. Note the diagonal planked hull yet all hidden when you put the cabin (white prot holed object behind) on.

Edited By Bazyle on 20/10/2014 00:35:01

This evening I have some pictures of the outdoor Traction engines and will put Velocipedes in a new thread.

If any clubs are reading this a note on stand presentation. It really really is a pain to have little number tickets on the exhibits and be expected to go round to the other side of the stand to find a book of details about the exhibits. Put a ticket in front of the exhibit like the picket boat above.

I totally agree with Howard regarding the width of aisles at the Fosse, even trying to move around the stands is hard work at most times of the day until mid afternoon. The organisers obviously want to make as much from rented stand space as the site will allow and fail to consider the impact on those attending.

While in a moaning mood I found the newly spread 25mm stone paths in the car park painful and dangerous to walk on, why didn't the contractor employed do a proper job and roll them in.

Emgee

I visited the show on Thursday, it did seem quite different from last year and the year before.

I had a pocket full of cash that was destined for Forrest Classics, they were listed as attending but I just could not find them. If they did not turn up then it is the second time I know of that they have not attended a show that they were listed as doing so, a shame.

After a couple of hours in the throng I retreated to my van for a snack and a cuppa, and decided to leave and pay Arceurotrade a visit for the first time, and I am glad I did.

I enjoyed visiting Arc so much that I went straight there on the following Friday. I don't know if they were glad to see the back of me in the end, but all funds I had set aside to spend at the show was handed over to Arc for various goodies. They were also very efficient at relieving me of all my cake and biscuits.

I was very impressed with Arc's set up and the investment they have made, they are not larking about at this business.

Hopefully my funds will have recovered for next years show, and Harrogate.

Was on their site that they could not attend, was it another hit & miss you were going to buy?

Hope you feel better now.

Such a terrible and dangerous place - best you do not risk going again - then there will be more room for us!

I missed the info on their site that they were not attending, I just saw on the show site that they were, but I suppose this is not always updated in time.

I was going to buy one of their 1BI horizontal steam engines, in fact maybe two of them. I will now have to wait until my stock of spare cash, and cake that I was parted from at Arceurotrade has recovered.

I thought the chippings were great. Kept my shoes clean. If they were rolled in the mud would come up between and by next year they would be burried by the worms.

The worst thing at shows are people with backpacks and bags of steel offcuts or pushchairs. People in wheelchairs are always polite and don't bump into you but pushchairees seem to think they own the road.

I think backpacks are an issue, I do not remember which show it was but a backpacker came close to stabbing me in the eye, luckily a jab in the cheek from something sharp just below my eye was the only damage. A bag and coat check in would be welcome I am sure. I remember a doctor on TV once saying it would be nice if his patients took a shower before visiting him, the same goes for some show visitors.

Mike

Hi Anthony and Baz

Didn't mention the fact I have a disability which is the reason walking on such uneven surfaces presents difficulty, but that's my problem and not yours.

Emgee