Toy Fairs schedule for the weekend to 31 August 2008

Model Train Shows For The Week ending August 31, 2008

Here are the toy fairs and exhibitions list for the week ending August 31, 2008. After the glut of shows, exhibitions, open days and toy fairs for last weekend it is almost a week off for everyone this week. The limited list for this weekend is shown below. Just click the postcode to open up a Multimap page. Join our newsletter service to be notified when the toy fair and train show schedule is updated.

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August 30

Host/Event	Venue	Time	Adult Price	Concessions
Three Spires Railex Model Rail Expo - Truro	Truro School, Trennick Lane, Truro Cornwall TR1 1TH	10:00 to 17:30	£4.50	£2.50 Child £3.50 OAP
One Model Railway Club - Needham	Needham Market Community Centre, School Street, Needham Market, Norwich IP6 8BB	10:00 to 17:00	£2.50	£1.50 Child £2.00 OAP
Toy Fair - Ipswich 90 Tables	Rushmere Sports Club, The Street, Rushmore St. Andrew, Ipswich IP5 7DE	10:00 to 14:30	£1.20	£1.00 Child £1.00 OAP
Ormesby Hall Model Railway	Ormesby Hall, Church Lane, Middlesborough TS7 9AS	13:30 to 17:00	£4.20	£2.70 Family £10.90
Vintage Fair and Exhibition Rugby - 90 stalls	The Benn Hall, Newbold Road, Rugby, Warwickshire CV21 2LB	10:30 to 16:00	£3.50	£1.00 Child £3.00 OAP

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August 31

Host/Event	Venue	Time	Adult Price	Concessions
Three Spires Railex Model Rail Expo - Truro	Truro School, Trennick Lane, Truro Cornwall TR1 1TH	10:00 to 16:30	£4.50	£2.50 Child £3.50 OAP
Hayling Model Railway Exhibition	Beachlands Railway Society, Hayling Seaside Railway, Funland Car Park Sea Front Road, Hayling Island, Hampshire PO11 0AG	10:30 to 16:30	£0.50	£0.00 Child £0.50 OAP
Toy Fair - York 160 Tables	The Knavesmire Stand, York Racecourse, York YO23 1EX	10:00 to 14:30	£2.00	£1.50 Child £1.50 OAP
Toy Fair - Buxton 150 Stalls	The Pavilion Gardens, St. Johns Road, Buxton, Derbyshire SK17 6KN	10:30 to 16:00	£2.00	£1.00 Child £1.50 OAP
Ormesby Hall Model Railway	Ormesby Hall, Church Lane, Middlesborough TS7 9AS	13:30 to 17:00	£4.20	£2.70 Family £10.90
Toy Fair - Bowburn	Bowburn Community Centre, Durham Road, Bowburn, County Durham DH6 5AT	10:30 to 15:00	£1.20	£1.00
Toy Fair - Bromsgrove	Spadesbourne Suite, Council House, Burcot Lane, Bromsgrove, Worcs B60 1AA	n/a	n/a	n/a
Toy Fair - Chipping Norton	Chipping Norton School, Burford Road, Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire OX7 5DY	10:30 to 15:00	£1.00	£0.50
Toy Fair - Lostwithiel	The Community Centre, Liddicoat Road, Lostwithiel, Cornwall PL22 0HE	11:00 to 15:00	n/a	n/a

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Demo of home-made static grass applicator

This video demonstrates how to apply realistic tall grass in HO with a home-made static grass applicator. The $30 home-made applicators works like the $160 Noch Grass Master, but costs considerably less! For a detailed step-by-step video on building this home-made applicator, see: http://model-trains-video.com/MTV-001... ... DVD volume 5 also will include detailed how-to instructions on doing realistic model railroad scenery. Also see http://model-trains-video.com for more.

Toy Fairs & Exhibitions for the bank holiday week ending 25 August 2008

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Model Train Shows For The Bank Holiday Weekend August 25, 2008

Here are the toy fairs and exhibitions list for the week ending August 25, 2008. There are a few 3 day events this week due to the bank holiday and some extra toy fairs so you should be able to find one to go to.

Just click the postcode to open up a Multimap page. Join our newsletter service to be notified when the toy fair and train show schedule is updated.

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August 23

Host/Event	Venue	Time	Adult Price	Concessions
Bridlington Railway MTES	The Old Parcels Office, Bridlington Railway Station, Station Approach, Bridlington YO15 3EP	10:00 to 17:00	£1.00	Unknown
One Model Railway Club - Needham	Needham Market Community Centre, School Street, Needham Market, Norwich IP6 8BB	10:00 to 17:00	£2.50	£1.50 Child £2.00 OAP
Model Train Show - Ramsey	Ramsey Rural Museum, Wood Lane, Ramsey, Cambridge PE26 2XE	10:00 to 17:00	£4.50	£3.00 Child £3.50 OAP
Sedgemoor Rail 2008	King Alfred School, Burnham On Sea, Somerset TA9 3EE	10:30 to 17:00	£3.00	£2.00 Child £2.50 OAP
Ormesby Hall Model Railway	Ormesby Hall, Church Lane, Middlesborough TS7 9AS	13:30 to 17:00	£4.20	£2.70 Family £10.90
Model Train Show - Powys	Community Centre, Maengwyn Road, Machynlleth, Powys SY20 8EA	n/a	n/a	n/a
BORDER RAIL 2008	Hawick Town Hall, 44 High Street, Hawick, Roxburghshire, Scottish Borders TD9 9EF	10:00 to 17:00	£3.00	£1.50 Child £2.00 OAP
Hayle MRC	Hayle Day Care Centre, Commercial Road, Hayle, Cornwall TR27 4DE	10:00 to 17:00	£3.00	£2.00 Child
Ulster MRC	Carrickfergus Town Hall & Civic Centre, Antrim Street, Carrickfergus, Co. Antrim BT38 7DG	10:00 to 18:00	N/A	N/A
Jersey MRC	St. Peters Community Centre, La Rue De La Fosse, St Peters Jersey, Channel Islands JE3 7AH	12:00 to 17:00	£1.00	Unknown
Skipton & District Railway Society	Aireville School, Gargrave Road, Skipton, North Yorkshire B23 1UQ	10:00 to 17:00	£3.50	£2.50 Child £2.50 OAP
Toy Fair - Brentwood 240 tables	The International Hall, Brentwood, Doddinghurst Road, Brentwood, Essex CM15 9NN	10:00 to 15:00	£2.00	£1.50 Child £1.50 OAP

Click here to benefit from over 30 years of model railroad experience.

August 24

Host/Event	Venue	Time	Adult Price	Concessions
Hayle MRC	Hayle Day Care Centre, Commercial Road, Hayle, Cornwall TR27 4DE	10:00 to 16:00	£3.00	£2.00 Child
Sedgemoor Rail 2008	King Alfred School, Burnham On Sea, Somerset TA9 3EE	10:00 to 16:00	£3.00	£2.00 Child £2.50 OAP
BORDER RAIL 2008	Hawick Town Hall, 44 High Street, Hawick, Roxburghshire, Scottish Borders TD9 9EF	11:00 to 17:00	£3.00	£1.50 Child £2.00 OAP
Ulster MRC	Carrickfergus Town Hall & Civic Centre, Antrim Street, Carrickfergus, Co. Antrim BT38 7DG	13:00 to 17:00	N/A	N/A
Ormesby Hall Model Railway	Ormesby Hall, Church Lane, Middlesborough TS7 9AS	13:30 to 17:00	£4.20	£2.70 Family £10.90
Jersey MRC	St. Peters Community Centre, La Rue De La Fosse, St Peters Jersey, Channel Islands JE3 7AH	10:00 to 17:00	£1.00	Unknown
Model Train Show - Powys	Community Centre, Maengwyn Road, Machynlleth, Powys SY20 8EA	n/a	n/a	n/a
Skipton & District Railway Society	Aireville School, Gargrave Road, Skipton, North Yorkshire B23 1UQ	10:00 to 17:00	£3.50	£2.50 Child £2.50 OAP
Porthmadog Model Railway Group	St Cyngar's Church, Borth y Gest, near Porthmadog, Gwynedd	12:00 to 17:00	£2.00	£1.00 Child £1.00 OAP
Model Railway and Engineering Weekend	Rutland Railway Museum, Ashwell Road, Cottesmore, nr Oakham, Rutland LE15 7BX	11:00 to 17:00	£5.00	£3.00 Child £3.00 OAP
Toy Fair - Huntingdon 300 tables	International Indoor Arena, Kings Bush Centre, Wood Green Animal Shelters London, Godmanchester, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE29 2NH	10:00 to 15:00	£2.00	£1.50 Child £1.50 OAP
Toy & Train Fair - Orpington	Crofton Halls, Station Road, Orpington, Kent BR6 BAD	10:30 to 14:30	£2.00	£0.00 Child £1.50 OAP

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August 25

Host/Event	Venue	Time	Adult Price	Concessions
Ormesby Hall Model Railway	Ormesby Hall, Church Lane, Middlesborough TS7 9AS	13:30 to 17:00	£4.20	£2.70 Family £10.90
Jersey MRC	St. Peters Community Centre, La Rue De La Fosse, St Peters Jersey, Channel Islands JE3 7AH	10:00 to 17:00	£1.00	Unknown
Skipton & District Railway Society	Aireville School, Gargrave Road, Skipton, North Yorkshire B23 1UQ	10:00 to 17:00	£3.50	£2.50 Child £2.50 OAP
Porthmadog Model Railway Group	St Cyngar's Church, Borth y Gest, near Porthmadog, Gwynedd	10:30 to 16:30	£2.00	£1.00 Child £1.00 OAP
Model Train Show - Powys	Community Centre, Maengwyn Road, Machynlleth, Powys SY20 8EA	n/a	n/a	n/a
Harrogate Model Show	Bilton Grange United Reformed Church, Skipton Road corner Woodfield Road, Harrogate, North Yorkshire HG1 4LN	10:00 to 16:00	£2.50	£1.00
Model Railway and Engineering Weekend	Rutland Railway Museum, Ashwell Road, Cottesmore, nr Oakham, Rutland LE15 7BX	11:00 to 17:00	£5.00	£3.00 Child £3.00 OAP
Toy Fair - Leeds 100 tables	Morley High School, Fountain Street, Morley, Leeds LS27 0PD	10:00 to 14:30	£1.50	£1.00 Child £1.00 OAP
Toy Fair - Norwich 230 tables	Exhibition Centre, Norfolk Showground, Dereham Road, Norwich NR5 0TT	10:00 to 15:00	£2.00	£1.50 Child £1.50 OAP
Toy Fair - Coventry 400 stalls	Jaguar Exhibition Hall, Ricoh Arena, Coventry. CV6 6AQ	10:30 to 16:00	£3.00	£1.00 Child £2.50 OAP

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Assembling Your Model Train Display

Do you know the difference between a toy train and a miniature railway? The perfect display is the answer! By assembling your model train display correctly you will get more positive comments from those who you decide to share it with. Friends and family alike will appreciate the attention to detail that you put into it and the care you exercised when building your display.

After you have decided what model train set you are going to be using and what sort of display you would like then you need to gather together all your building materials. This list of materials will be based on the size of your model train set. You would not want to gather together a bunch of materials just to find out that you have wrongly judged the train layout's relative size so it is best to make sure you know the overall measurements of the finished train set.

To determine this you should actually do a dry fit of your track beside the display that you are adding it to. What this means is that you will place all your track pieces end to end including adding the curves on your display table but do not connect them. This will give you the overall measurements for the track. If you find that you want to build it bigger and smaller then this is the time to add those in so that you do not have to try to add them later.

Once you have decided the best layout for your track you will be ready to attach it into place. For this there are two main options. You can either pin them into place or you can glue them down. Glue is a very stable way of holding the track sections into place however it is not authentic and can sometimes look bad if applied incorrectly. Pins look much better as they can simulate railroad spikes. The only downside is that they can come loose over time so you will have to do a bit of preventative maintenance.

Now that you have decided how you are attaching your track you are ready to do so. If you do decide to go with the gluing method it is advisable to use a few pins here and there to still retain the semblance of realism. If excess glue gets on your tracks you can just wipe it away with a lint free cloth. If you use simple paper towels you can end up with more of a mess than you started with.

Once all the sections of track are in place you just need to give the glue time to set up. Usually overnight will do just fine. If you just used pins then a slight tug on each section will ensure that they are all snugly in place. Next you can do a quick test run of your locomotive. Let it run around the track a few times and see if any part of it threatens to pull loose or is not lined up correctly. Once your locomotive has made the run several times successfully then you should be good to go. Just add your cars to your engine and you are ready to roll.

By: Victor Epand

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for model cars, model trains, and model trucks. You will find excellent hobbying and trading resources here for model car tricks and tips, model train display building, and model trucks.

Assembling Your Model Train Display

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For more information on Model Train Layouts and other Model Train Tips visit Model Trains Today. To keep up to date with model train news and events then subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

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Model Train Shows w/e August 17, 2008

Here are the toy fairs and exhibitions list for the week ending August 17, 2008. Just click the postcode to open up a Multimap page. Join our newsletter service to be notified when the toy fair and train show schedule is updated.

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August 16

Host/Event	Venue	Time	Adult Price	Concessions
Wittering and District Railway Circle	Memorial Hall, Elms Lane, West Wittering, West Sussex PO20 8LW	10:00 to 16:30	£2.00	£1.50 Child £1.50 OAP
St Andrews Model Railway Exhibition	Madras College, South Street, St. Andrews, Fife KY16 9EJ	10:00 to 17:30	£3.50	£2.00 Child £2.50 OAP
Ormesby Hall Model Railway	Ormesby Hall, Church Lane, Middlesborough TS7 9AS	13:30 to 17:00	£4.20	£2.70 Family £10.90
Leyland MRC 19th Model Railway Show	Washington Hall Fire Training Centre, West Way, Southport Road, Euxton, Chorley, Lancashire PR7 6DH	10:00 to 17:00	£4.00	£3.00 Child £3.00 OAP
Scarborough Model Railway Show 2008	Pickering Memorial Hall, Potter Hill, Pickering, North Yorkshire YO18 1AA	10:00 to 17:00	£3.00	£1.50 Child £2.00 OAP
10th Model Railway Exhibition Abergele	Tramway and Light Railway Society, Church House, Groes Lwyd, Off Sea Road Abergele, North Wales	10:30 to 17:00	£2.50	Free Child £2.00 OAP
Toy & Model Collectors Fair Gateshead	Springwell Village, Gateshead, Tyne & Wear NE9 7QJ	10:00 to 16:00	£1.00	Unknown
Toy Fair - Oxford	Exeter Hall, Oxford Road, Kidlington OX5 1AB Tel: 01869 347489 for more info	11:00 to 16:00	£1.30	Unknown

Click here to benefit from over 30 years of model railroad experience.

August 17

St Andrews Model Railway Exhibition	Madras College, South Street, St. Andrews, Fife KY16 9EJ	10:30 to 17:00	£3.50	£2.00 Child £2.50 OAP
Leyland MRC 19th Model Railway Show	Washington Hall Fire Training Centre, West Way, Southport Road, Euxton, Chorley, Lancashire PR7 6DH	10:00 to 17:00	£4.00	£3.00 Child £3.00 OAP
Scarborough Model Railway Show 2008	Pickering Memorial Hall, Potter Hill, Pickering, North Yorkshire YO18 1AA	10:00 to 17:00	£3.00	£1.50 Child £2.00 OAP
Ormesby Hall Model Railway	Ormesby Hall, Church Lane, Middlesborough TS7 9AS	13:30 to 17:00	£4.20	£2.70 Family £10.90
10th Model Railway Exhibition Abergele	Tramway and Light Railway Society, Church House, Groes Lwyd, Off Sea Road Abergele, North Wales	10:00 to 16:00	£2.50	Free Child £2.00 OAP
1st Model Club Show - Maryport	Freemasons Hall, High Street, Maryport, Cumbria	10:00 to 17:00	£2.50	£1.00 Child £1.00 OAP
Toy Fair - Colchester - 110 tables	The Charter Hall, Colchester Leisure World Complex, Cowdray Avenue, Colchester CO1 1YH	10:00 to 14:00	£1.20	£1.00 Child £1.00 OAP
Toy Fair - Doncaster - 350 tables	The Lazarus Exhibition Hall, Doncaster Racecourse, Leger Way, Doncaster DN2 6BB	10:30 to 15:30	£3.50	£0.00 U16's
Toy & Train Fair - Hornchurch Layouts on display all day	Dukes Hall, May Glen Crescent, Hornchurch, Essex RM11 1CJ	10:30 to 14:00	£2.00	£0.00 Child £1.50 OAP
Toy Fair - Llangollen - 60 tables	Royal International Pavilion, Abbey Road, Llangollen LL20 8SN	10:30 to 15:30	£1.25	£0.75 Child £0.75 OAP
Toy & Model Collectors Fair Gateshead	Springwell Village, Gateshead, Tyne & Wear NE9 7QJ	10:00 to 16:00	£1.00	Unknown
Toy Fair - Redhill	Redhill Aerodrome, Kings Mill Lane, Redhill RH1 5YP Tel. 01737 822200 for more info	10:00 to 16:00	Unknown	Unknown

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Building Your Own Model Train Display

If you are looking for a hobby that you can pick up quick and put down any time then move away slowly. If you are looking for one that you can make last a lifetime then model trains are for you. Building a railroad can take many years if you want it to. It can get really exciting when you finally finish your exact duplicate of an existing railroad.

So how do you get into such a lifelong hobby? Visit a few railroads and museums. Also go and check out some hobby shops and any friends that you might have that are into model trains. If you feel a tugging deep inside you like an urge pushing you to put on that conductor 's hat and pull that train whistle then railroading is for you.

You must figure out how much space you are willing to dedicate to your new hobby. Once you know for sure then you can decide what scale train you will be running. This will also help you to know how much you will need to spend on materials. Now that you know where you are going to place your new railroad you can clean out that space. If you are going to build a table that is eight foot by twelve foot then you should allow yourself three or more extra feet on each side so that you have plenty of room to move around while you are building it and when you are running it as well.

Now that you know the where and the size then you are ready to begin sketching out your ideas. Draw out all the features you would like your railroad to have. You do not have to have them drawn perfectly. You just need a rough idea of how you want it to look when it is finished. You can base your layout on real towns or you can make up a fictional one that suits the train you will be using for this display.

Now you are ready to build your platform. Plywood is an excellent choice for this due to its strength and yet it is still easy to cut and drill. Make sure that you properly brace your platform so that it does not sway or collapse. You can then begin to build your features. Mountains and hills are easily created out of balled up or wadded up paper stuffed around wooden supports and then covered with wire mesh. The next step is to apply paper mache or plaster to the mesh in layers until you get a good coating. Take your time and make sure that you get the look you are wanting instead of rushing through and being unhappy with the end product.

Once you have all your features laid out, covered, and have given them time to dry you can begin painting them. Make sure to keep your colors as natural as possible. Painters acrylic paints are usually your best choice for painting this type of project. After the paint has dried you can then begin to assemble your train tracks. Make sure that you secure them in place so they do not come loose over time. Pins or glue can easily achieve this. Now that your features and tracks are in place you can put on your finishing touches.

Make your houses and buildings suit your setting and then begin to place them onto your display. You can build a whole town and complete it with people, cars, and the like. Give your new town a name and a story if you wish. You have now developed a railroad that you can call your own.

About the author
Victor Epand is an expert consultant for model cars, model trains, and model trucks. You will find excellent hobbying and trading resources here for model car tricks and tips, model train building tips, and model trucks
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For more information on Model Train Layouts and other Model Train Tips visit Model Trains Today. To keep up to date with model train news and events then subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

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Beginners Tools For Model Trains

by vgevge
How many of us have seen a movie or a television show where someone is wearing a conductor 's hat and running a model train? It has never been easier than the present to become one of those people with the lucky conductor 's hat. Now you can ever build your own model train set. The first thing you will need is to gather together some tools that will prove themselves to be very handy if not downright necessary. Once you gather these tools it will be beneficial for you to store them in a central location away from your others that way when you get ready to work on your train set you will not be missing one you need.

The most important tool in every modelers arsenal is a good hobby knife. It is best if you have a decent selection of different shaped blades as well. This knife alone will get you through more projects than you are yet to realize. It is definitely worth its weight.

The next tool you will need is a good set of wire cutters. Do not think your hobby knife can do it all. It can be dangerous to attempt to cut wire without the aid of wire cutters.

A hacksaw will come in very handy if you need to cut little wood or metal pieces. You should make sure that the item you are cutting is held tightly in place by the next tool on your list.

A vice is needed for clamping parts into place so that you can solder with a soldering iron. It also keeps you free to cut, sand, or file on them without having to worry about hurting yourself. This tool alone should help you prevent many potential injuries.

Speaking of a soldering iron that is the next tool on your wish list especially if you plan on using much electronics in your train set. While you might sometimes be able to get away without soldering some of your connections this will not always be possible. Any time you need to join wires to metal or wires to wires this will come in very handy.

Another tool that is handy for joining parts together is a glue gun. This will be especially handy when you get ready to layout your display elements like your people, trees, and animals.

A hammer with a small head on it can also be an excellent fastener for some of the harder to join wooden items.

For parts that will be screwed together as well as many that will need to be poked, prodded, or pried into position a small selection of screwdrivers will do the trick. They are also handy for working on your model trains interior workings.

For the many push pins you will be using over the lifetime of this hobby a pair of needle nose pliers is good to have as well.

For building base boards and many different general tasks you need to have a drill on hand. Whether cordless or corded a drill will prove its worth rather quickly.

Other than these basic tools the rest can be gotten rather easily. Don't forget to get your consumable items to go with your tools including solder, tacks, nails, glue, etc. Once again, by having all these tools ahead of time you will save a good deal of time and money in the long term of your model train building hobby.

About the Author

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for model cars, model trains, and model trucks. You will find excellent hobbying and trading resources here for model car tricks and tips, model train tool lists, and model trucks.

Article Source: Content for Reprint

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For more information on Model Train Layouts and other Model Train Tips visit Model Trains Today. To keep up to date with model train news and events then subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

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Beginners Tools For Model Trains