A Pre-Christmas Treat for All the Family!
As in our previous exhibitions we had a range of activities specially for our younger visitors.
The Children’s Quiz
Every child had the chance to enter our annual quiz.
Some of the questions were easy, some of the questions are harder, but the prize was fantastic!
You could win a complete model railway – a locomotive, some rolling stock, the track and a controller.
Just like these lucky winners from our last four exhibitions!
Layouts to Operate
It is very rare that we invited a layout back for a second exhibition, but Thomas’ Christmas Surprise is one that we couldn’t resist!
It’s big, it’s fun and it’s operated by the children from several iPads around the edge of the baseboards.
It’s also very popular, as this picture from our 2019 show demonstrates!
Photos (c) Sodor Appreciation Society
For a slightly more thoughtful challenge for older children, there was also the N gauge layout Abbotsford.
Abbotsford is a main line station with two dead-end bay platforms. When trains arrive in these, the engine is trapped at the buffers, so the children have to shunt the engine out and get it to the engine shed, then replace it with a different engine so the train can leave again. It needs two volunteer children to operate it – one to drive the engine and one to set the points.
It sounds easy – but it’s trickier than you think!
There were also five other layouts in the rest of the exhibition which have said that they sometimes allow trustworthy children (and adults) to operate the controls.
Drawings and Games
It can be tiring walking around, so there were two areas where parents and children could take a rest. Junior Junction was in the entrance lobby and Toytown Terminus was in a reserved section within the catering area in Hall C/D. There was be plenty of drawing materials and simple games to use.
A Note About Layout Heights
We often get comments on our visitor feedback forms that the the layouts are too high for small children to see. This is largely outside our control, since the individuals and groups who built the layouts designed the height to be comfortable for them. However, we make it a policy not to invite excessively high layouts, and we ask the owners to have in place viewing aids for any layout with a rail height greater than 1.2m (3ft 11in). In this year’s exhibition there are only two layouts taller than this (Sherton Abbas and Canalside Ironworks) and children’s step-up stools are provided at both.
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