For the amount of shows that I do in a typical year (other then 2020) Polar Express runs 4 weekends 12 hour days 8 days of running. Thomas 5 - 10 hour days and the many trains shows I set up at 2 to 3 day events. The controls have to be bullet proof kids will abuse them and with a large layout and perhaps 20 trains running it is hard to keep an eye on everything. A few kids will try there best to reach over the fence to derail a train throw things on the track or try their best to break a controller. Thus the heavy duty bolted down covers over the LionChief controllers and heavy duty switches and push buttons are needed to protect things from getting broken. The system I have improved on each year keeps things running most of the time. I had considered I Pads etc. they they are to easy for the kids to destroy. Most kids and families are great but you get some and who knows where the parents are; often staring at their phones not near their kids thinking they can just dump their kids to play. The few spoil it for the most that are good and enjoy the displays with their children. LionChief controllers are cheap compared to an I Pad etc.
I have found that the 4x8 switching layout works well for older kids, I am able to often get some teens to selectively invite other teens / children that look interested in to run the LionChief Plus engines with switching loading and dumping logs, barrels etc. We have always tried to invite kids that do not show signs of having a cold or coughing and being located next to the washrooms have always asked them to go wash their hands with soap and water before coming inside the fence at the display and handling the controllers and switches etc., a little precaution so relevant to today's situation.
Just a note on the fencing and making sure that your layout is safe and the public is safe. I came up with the fence idea that I have now used for many many years, after a couple of displays I had done at major railway companies displays. I was asked to set up and run model trains for an open house at a large Railway station for a rail company and run some of their trains. They said they would provide some crowd control fencing. I set a large display with several trains running. What they gave me was like the airport roll out things on movable posts. A little kid from across the station spotted the trains and came running across right into the display before his parents saw what he was doing and I saw him from the other side of the display and was not able to get to him in time. He grabbed a large O Gauge steam engine running at speed with a large flywheel and pulled it off the tracks and had his finger stuck bleeding in the side rods. It took some work to pull his finger free as with the worm gear in the engine could not just back it out. I was worried about a lawsuit of course. I also saw at a train show a large elevated O gauge layout as with most train shows a rope around the display. I was at the far end and heard screams then a crash looking over a kid had gone under the rope and grabbed a steam engine derailing it and the engine and long line of nice scale passenger cars crashed in pieces 4 feet to the cement floor with of course everyone yelling! After those incidents I put up the fence and always post signs do not touch the display. I occasionally still get kids leaning way over the fence or the odd kid climbing my 2 foot high fence to grab something derail a train or pull something off the layout. But it is protected much better with a solid fence and signs to not touch it is pretty obvious if you damage something or climb the fence you are at fault rather then with a rope etc. Would also protect you a bit of someone tried to sue you saying they got shocked or injured from your display. With the battery powered controllers on the fence this also makes it safer rather then some sort of powered control panel connection. Staying safe and keeping kids back with a fence is much better then what I see at shows wear some operators have to yell at some kid coming past the ropes. Makes for a much more positive experience for all.
?? How does your train club display or others you have seen keep kids back from the displays??
