Firstly, NG34 would like to thank our hosts at the March MRS for a very well organised and run show, and for their gracious hospitality on the day from the minute we arrived with help to unload and orient us, through to feeding, watering and checking our welfare during the day. Great job – thank you.
We got ourselves settled in and the layout up and running. We found ourselves in the church choir but thankfully not having to sing.
Shuntingdon surprises – unexpectedly
We won’t even try to hide our embarrassment at the failure of the automated section of the layout. After a similar issue at it’s last outing we have spent hours checking the wiring and had it running faultlessly on the Friday night before we packed it for transit. The following morning though it began throwing issues that looked like programming and then morphed into a potential thermal creeping death. We tried our utmost to keep resetting it but it got progressively worse and more erratic throughout the day. We are deeply sorry if this spoiled the viewing but we are comforted that most visitors were sympathetic to our issues, and that we did persevere all day to keep it working. Rest assured we will be replacing that automation for something more reliable.
Shuntingdon surprises – expectedly
Shuntingdon is primarily a shunting puzzle (the clue is in the name).
Throughout the day we managed to entertain adults and children alike. When you’re at a show there are lots of scary ‘do not touch’ signs, and quite rightly so as we all know how much time, effort, skill and money goes into producing an exhibition layout. The premise of Shuntingdon is to allow the public to actually play with the trains on a layout that is visually similar to those around it. This is in the hope that we inspire the next generation to take up railway modelling. We don’t mind if you break something, scratch it, bend it or get the puzzle wrong – all we care about is that you had fun.
Did we achieve that today? We think so.
We had brothers & sisters working points and locos together, parents/grandparents and children working out the sequences and learning to drive a model train. One young chap (approx 6) was noticeably adept at the fine control of the analog power controller – so good was his ‘touch’ that we predict he’ll be a surgeon when he completes his education. And then there was the young woman who had perfected the 5 random card puzzle solving very quickly, only to send the loco in the wrong direction by mistake. The result is shown below. In a word – spectacular.
The poor lady was mortified. We collapsed laughing because… we’ve done it ourselves. No harm done, laughs all around, a day they’ll remember for sure. That is what is so good about Shuntingdon – you can have fun with it.
More Mayhem will ensue at the Boston MRS show next weekend on 26/27th September 2026. Come drive the trains or if you’re up for it, take on our shunting puzzle challenge. After all, how hard can a 5 random card selection be? (Try 7 if you’re really brave)
For this weekend though, mischief managed.