I find the same a little boring myself as I also want to see things move. I believe the model railway press didn't help in this when one writer wrote in a column that exhibition managers should not accept any layouts that were not professional and in his view professional layouts should be run to a time table.
I dissagree with this as with some prototype railways a timetable was only a general guide. For example, thw Witland and Cardigan Railway where a certain engine driver would stop the passenger service in the middle of nowhere, walk down to the river, catch a fish or two (Which usually took about half an hour) and then proceed on rhe journey. Locals learnt not to complain as it would take him longer before he caught any fish! Many narrow gauge lines would run services when there was enough goods to warrant a journey. A passenger coach would be put on the front just to add some extra revenue. The service for passengers could be days apart during slack times but during peak seasons could be many times daily.
One layout I saw a few years ago had a scenic board with a station and double track. The scenery just stopped without any scenic break. It was said to be an exact copy of a certain station. Now two rather lovely looking kit built locos stood with their stock waiting to be used. I had watched several people come and go and the man would look at them but do nothing, not even talk.. This had happened for some time as I saw other layouts and was waiting for others to move to view it. When I got there another family seemed to sigh and walk away. I waited and waited with the man just glaring at me. I got fed up and asked him "When are you going to run any trains?"
"Not yet" he replied. "Come back at half past two as I run to a strict prototype timetable".
Well that was around two and a half hours away. I thought he was joking so I asked him "How many trains passed per day on the prototype?"
"Six. Three each way" came the reply. That meant one would be lucky to see four train movements during the entire exhibition.
There was no way I was going to hang aroud just to see his train move so I moved to the next exhibit.
I would say that if one is going to run to a timetable of sorts, to use one of those flip over books where one does not keep to a specific time but after one movement is complete the page is turned and the next train movement commences. That is probably the most practical ways of a compromise.
My personal gripes are twofold. One is a large exhibition layout where express trains crawl along and take forever to reach the other end. Even a shunter crawling can get tedious. Another layout which was set at head height with a box like display, where a young man in the club that owned it was left to run the sole locomotive. It was operated from the front and the only view I had was the end of his train as his head followed the locomotive movement. He ignored the fact that others wanted to see the layout.
Still another fine layout where another young man (Who was the only operator) spent ages with a stationary sound loco showing off sound at a time and changing lights etc for a long time. No movement. He was amused, but if one owns, or has owned a DCC sound loco (So ones been there and done that) then it is not really entertaining, and besides, no one else was watching as they were becoming bored.
At an exhibition I would much prefer to watch trains zoom past at frightening speeds then to see a sole loco movement at a crawl with nothing else happening. I believe this is where non scenic Hornby Dublo 3 rail layouts are so entertaining and really catch the crowds. I have rarely seen one without a gathering of people aatching them, young and old alike.
What I would enjoy is to see a lengthy train of coaches or wagons headed by a steam locomotive pulling away wheelslipping its driving wheels as it went, or a loco struggling to pull its load up an incline.
There are great many entertaining layouts out there to see who manage to merge a realistic approach with a mix of operating fun.
One H0 oldtimer American Wild West layout had this where the operators were amusing themselves sending trains back and fore, and it was very entertaining to watch. They were messing about a little and the crowds loved it. They loved it so much that there were queues just to wait for a viewing gap, even though few had any interest in the wild west scene. It was the sheer fun of entertaining movement all done on an 18ft end to end layout! So it can be done. The key is to entertain and enjoy. Become a child again!
