Operation "Christmas Market" and The International Model Railway Day

Like the previous year our Model Railway Club was invited to display model railways and garden railways at the Christmas market held at the local Borgarsyssel Museum last weekend. This was also a great chance to promote model railways and garden railways to the Public as The International Model Railway Day was at December 2nd. Our club didn't arrange anything at that date due to our club house looks like a construction site with a initial start up of a new club layout. The very unofficial statutes for The International Model Railway Day claims that the official day is December 2nd, but events may extend into the following weekend. So I suppose this can be considered as a celebration of The International Model Railway Day after all even if it's 5 days late. This year it's the tenth time of The International Model Railway Day 'celebrations'. 

I brought my very portable H0e Christmas Pizza layout and a couple of 'Military trains' to run at the 'Garden railway section'.

We were up early Sunday morning starting to prepare our model railway displays as the venue opened to the Public just 2 hours later:

This H0 scale Norwegian winter layout was built by Heine and his son:

We also displayed 2 'winter micro layouts':

This tiny layout was built by Lars Tore in a Bell Jar in Z-scale (1:220)

My H0e scale 'Pizza Layout':

Our Garden Railway display with 2 loops. It saw heavy traffic through the whole day:

My German Military Heeresfeldbahn train ready for winter service:

I also brought my War Department Live Steam locomotive. The kids (and adults alike) was very impressed and I gave some kids a short brief how this engine works and how to get it started and how to run it:

Gylmer's trains:

A small cameo from one of his hospital wagons:

Another cameo from the same hospital wagon. This skier does not look too happy:

Rätische Bahn by Arne:

Heine brought his Thomas the Tank Engine which was very popular by the children...

...especially since it was loaded with candy. 720g vanished within an hour and a half:

Since we had more trains to run them all at once but no fiddleyard, Gylmer got creative and improvised  some 'displays':

I also took advantage of the opportunity to visit the rest of the Christmas Market as well. One exhibition which caught my interest was a local re-enactment group from the 'Great Nordic War' called 'Det Norske Geworbne Infanterie Regiment':

Kids could shoot at Pirate or Swedish ships with a heavy sprung operated cannon:

From their market stall:

They sold Prince August soldier at a price:

Lunch Time:

The members from Gleng Model Railway Club participating at the Christmas Market exhibition in connection with The International Model Railway Day. We all agreed that it's been a great day together.

Blog Postscript

When coming home after this day out I saw my wife had tided up some of her old things she was gong to throw in the bin. Amongst the items she was going to throw away was this old game: 

I vaguely remember this game from my own childhood, but didn't have it my own. I gave it a closer look before she threw it away and I found it contained several tools looking just right for my 16mm/SM45mm/G-scale trains. So it is 'saved' for now.

...And yes; We played it once again.

A (cold) Day Out

It's been a while since I've been running any trains in any gardens lately. My friends and fellow model railway club members have arranged a couple of outings this autumn, but I haven't been able to attend to them due to work. It's been so long so I've actually start missing it. So when Heine invited to a running-session last weekend, which was off work because he knows my working hours, I was delighted and in off course. He warned to us to dress to something suitable for a wet and muddy ground as it's been raining here for 3 weeks. 

When I woke up it was cold, and the wet ground had frozen hard. I'm quite not sure if this was the last autumn running session, or the first winter running session as there was 4°C below and the ground was frosty and the tracks icey. 

Luckily Heine can de-ice large parts of his layout  with 'ice remover'...

...in a custom built de-icer tank wagon which deposits de-icer from the tank to the tracks through the pads. A very clever design:

So today's first train was a short de-icer train:

Thereafter the others were ready to run their trains. This engine made it's maiden voyage and first outing:

Another charming short LGB-train:

Heine's Harz Bahn rake:

One member also brought his Märklin Gauge 1 models (1:32) which also runs on 45mm gauge:

I brought 2 trains to this day out. One of them was my 1:19 scale German military Heeresfeldbahn train. I ran it with various numbers of wagons at various times throughout the day due to the weight and some inclines were slippery due to ice in the beginning, but not anymore when the temperature was rising:

The second train I brought this day was my 16mm Sm45 British War Department live steam engine. It's so heavy that it wouldn't experience any problems with slippery rails. A nice thing with running live steam in cold weather is that the steam/ smoke gets very visible. It takes so much attention to drive this train that I don't manage to take many photos of it while running. And no videos:

Ice in the turnouts could cause derailments...

...and ice on the track traffic jams in the inclines:

So it was just to 'Keep Calm' and enjoy a cup of coffee in the meanwhile:

It was not BBQ season now, but due to the cold weather Heine lit the fire-pit in the background:

-And added hotdogs to it (!):

The generous hosts and Chef himself, Heine:

A lot of people visitied Heine's garden today, both train operators and visitors. It looked like all enjoyed themselves.

Thank for your invitation and hospitality Heine!

So, when is our next day out? It's not decided but the forecast for next week says snow. Perhaps I should start preparing a rake for winter (-warfare)?

Blog PostScript 

When browsing Facebook or online newspapers different adds the advertisers think I'm a potential customer for keeps rolling over the site. They couldn't be more wrong. The last one I read I actually consider as totally unrealistic and 'How NOT to build an army for wargaming'!!

Just to get an idea, this price equals to £ 1703,50, $ 2240,74 or € 1925,11.

And that's for a single figure on 'black week' sales!!