Camel Quay - A North Cornwall inspired layout in 4mm

[Andrew P]

Hi Guys, Good to see you both at the weekend, sorry I didn't come and say good by as it was a manic pack up at our end, I hope you had a good journey home.

[roundhouse]

I could kick my self for forgetting to come and have a look at CQ but completely forgot. Must be that dizziness after operating Star Lane.

 

Hopefully it won't be too long before getting another chance!!

[MartinWales]

Manchester in December I think Ian! 

[tender]

Manchester in December I think Ian!

 

That's 2016 (TBC) Martin.

[southern42]

Ray

 

Nice to meet up with you today.

 

Thanks for showing me the way you use the NCE Mini Panel.

 

We spoke briefly about a motorised sector plate. One the layouts - Humber Dock I think - had a remotely controlled one at one end of the layout. It was string powered!

 

I suspect the string was some kind of loop, pulled one way or the other depending on which of the two tracks were required to be aligned. Basic but it seemed to work.

 

I hope the rest of the show goes OK for you.

 

Here's Humber Dock but, as I had no idea of this conversation at the time I took the photos, I missed out on the intricacies of its sector plate.

 

 

[southern42]

I said I'd try and get some pics from Stafford.  I only had a couple of quick whizzes round the show with the iphone camera.  The first was Sunday morning before the show opened while I was waiting to buy a couple of vehicles I'd sized up on Saturday.  When you don't need them, in this instance BR vehicles for Camel Quay, everyone has hundreds of the things.  When you want them, it's as if they've all gone into hiding and, of course, they'll be on the other layouts.

 

The photo quest started when I caught sight of Foxcote Manor (familiar to us in its preserved form at Llangollen Railway) and railcar W19W on Weydon Road (later voted Best Layout in Show).

 

 

 

But, of course, with BR vehicles on the mind, there were road vehicles and reminders on display elsewhere and thus became a theme when taking the photos.

 

Whiteacres

 

Blakecaster Junction

 

Rowntree Halt

 

 

Elcot Road

 

Bankfield

 

Mortomley

 

Garsdale Head

 

And lastly, Redford Junction.

The poster on the billboard reminded me of a similar one at Alresford on the Mid-Hants Railway.

 

I'll sort out a few more tomorrow...er...later today.

[southern42]

A few more pics from Stafford.  They mainly show detail as most of the longer distance ones I took were rather blurry - in too much of a rush to get back to CQ, I suspect.

 

All lined up for business on Weydon Road.

OK, the camera was at a funny angle to get this so it was a rotate and crop job!

 

And the station is deserted. It's first thing Sunday morning so, I guess it's running to prototype, then.

 

Blakecaster Junction - Carriage Drive Works

 

[taking a closer look]

 

& Moorland Stone Company

 

Deesdale

 

& countryside

 

Aberdeen Kirkhill

looking as cold as it felt outside (or was that inside?) our Show Hall early Sunday morning. Brrrrrr!  Don't worry, the heaters, mugs of tea and bacon butties soon warmed people up.

 

Although I didn't get to see Eskmuir  (next time...) or a coal ramp, I did manage to see a shed on

Redford Junction

 

 

I'll post a few more later with a couple I took of CQ.

 

Edit out duplicate post.

Edit out and replace large image.

Edited February 3, 2015 by southern42

[Andrew P]

Hi Polly, great pics of the Show, for some UNKNOWN REASON I never took and pics of Weydown Road   such a shame for such a good layout.

 

Here's some pics I took of CQ.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Jaz]

Hi Polly, great pics of the Show, for some UNKNOWN REASON I never took and pics of Weydown Road   such a shame for such a good layout.

 

Here's some pics I took of CQ.

Stafford 2015 31st Jan 1st Feb 032.JPG

 

Stafford 2015 31st Jan 1st Feb 033.JPG

 

Stafford 2015 31st Jan 1st Feb 034.JPG

 

Stafford 2015 31st Jan 1st Feb 035.JPG

 

Stafford 2015 31st Jan 1st Feb 036.JPG

 

Stafford 2015 31st Jan 1st Feb 037.JPG

Nice pictures, the Morris Men are a nice touch.

[southern42]

A few pics of Camel Quay from my phone camera.

 

Delighted to say that the Morris Men entertaining Camel Quay's special visitors were well received at Stafford and I very much appreciated the interest and comments from RMwebbers (and friends).

 

I took this view to show how dance formations allowed the 'Obby 'Oss to casually wander in among the dancers as they dance back and forth.

 

The school girls on their very best behaviour.

 

Ginger giving a spontaneous little curtsey to the special visitor.

 

And the goings on will be well and truly over by the time N.E. MUCK & T.R. ASH get to the end of the cottages. 

 

While, down at the Goods Shed, a BRS Parcels Service has just arrived.

 

Wandering around the Show taking pics of other layouts and taking a closer look afterwards has got me back onto looking at photos of Padstow again to find and identify road vehicles that were there.

 

I found a black Morris Minor (built 1948-1952) on a colour photo (1960s?) of the station entrance.

A maroon Oxford Diecast one should do the trick and could be repainted and the registration number altered to match.

 

http://mikemorant.smugmug.com/Trains-Railways-British-Isles/SR-and-BRS/Other-SR-related-material/i-9jGH2kG/1/M/S_BR_Padstow_GWRA130729_slide7B20-M.jpg

 

 

Now it's time to get the loco crews ready for duty at the next show.

 

 

Edit: To correct rotation of two images because the iPad still presented them in landscape format.

Edited February 6, 2015 by southern42

[HAL 'O THE WYND]

Hi Poll,

 

Lovely work! I do like the way you have a sense of enlivening the layout beyond the obvious railway views. I'm thinking more on these lines(groan). There was a Barracks in Newcastle that often showed on the streets in different ways. I'm thinking of a Marching Band. Airfix used to do a one. I must check it out.

 

Otherwise, the detail is THE thing. It provides a narrative that brings the layout alive. Perhaps a layout should have a story?

 

Regards,

 

Hal

[southern42]

Hi Poll,

 

Lovely work! I do like the way you have a sense of enlivening the layout beyond the obvious railway views. I'm thinking more on these lines(groan). There was a Barracks in Newcastle that often showed on the streets in different ways. I'm thinking of a Marching Band. Airfix used to do a one. I must check it out.

 

Otherwise, the detail is THE thing. It provides a narrative that brings the layout alive. Perhaps a layout should have a story?

 

Regards,

 

Hal

 

Morning Hal.

Brass bands.  I'll look forward to that - with the music playing, of course.

You've brought back some  memories, now.

There was a park with a bandstand at the end of our road where I grew up and, in the summer, brass bands would play on their way down past our house and there would be at least one band playing in our lengthy carnival parade each summer.

There's so much that surrounds dancers and musicians, not least local pride and identity, I'm not surprised they excite people when they see them on a layout. Hopefully, we'll get to see them on yours.

 

 

Edit.  I agree about a layout having a story.  Personally, I love the stories behind the Locos and other rolling stock - how come they came to be there, or how they became famous (the Beattie Well Tanks, for example).  Then there's the story behind  the station or other part of the railway you're building and all the stuff around.  Why it was there or knocked down (WWII bombing, perhaps).  Then you can start with the people, imagining who they were and what they were about.  Must admit though, if I spent less time imagining, I might get the rest of my life sorted!

Edited February 5, 2015 by southern42

[HAL 'O THE WYND]

Yes, I'm afraid I spend too long modelling in my head, and I'm not as ready regarding domestic issues as I should be!

 

It's interesting you mentioning a Bandstand. I'm afraid my layout covers a lot of urban squalor, the demolition of huge areas to build flats that have now been demolished as of poor building quality. Then there is the tension of dieselisation taking over the ECML. The summer of 1960 is particularly vivid in this regard. But back to the bands. I've been worrying that there isn't space for any rural modelling, then the obvious occurred: Municipal Parks, built in Victorian Days, they still exist throughout the area. I live next to Northumberland Park, a prime example. So it's there that I'll be able to investigate my Gravett books - jaw-droppingly good in this regard.

 

Forgive me if you've mentioned it in the past, but as your layout is as finished as any layout can be (there are always things to be done) have you any plans for the future?

 

Regards,

 

Hal

 

EDIT Oh, and the narrative. The 60's of course! Our daughter picked up a cheap 2015 calendar that features early Beatles photos. We have all the records of course - vinyl - but somehow the calendar tugged at the heart-strings. So, plenty of stories to intertwine.  

Edited February 5, 2015 by HAL 'O THE WYND

[brianusa]

Hi Polly, great pics of the Show, for some UNKNOWN REASON I never took and pics of Weydown Road   such a shame for such a good layout.

 

Here's some pics I took of CQ.

Stafford 2015 31st Jan 1st Feb 032.JPG

 

Stafford 2015 31st Jan 1st Feb 033.JPG

 

Stafford 2015 31st Jan 1st Feb 034.JPG

 

Very nice but why does it remind me of Charlestown with a railway?  Must be the wall!

 

Brian.

[Oldddudders]

"Very nice but why does it remind me of Charlestown with a railway?  Must be the wall!"

 

Brian.

 

You mean like this?

 

[class"66"]

Great work guys...

[brianusa]

"Very nice but why does it remind me of Charlestown with a railway?  Must be the wall!"

 

Brian.

 

You mean like this?

 

DSC_0057a.jpg

 

 I was thinking of the other side of the dock actually but always nice to see Charlestown.  Thanks.

 

Brian.

[tender]

Back to a bit of modelling and after a lot of procrastination I finally got around to getting the signal working.

I was going to make it removable but that was creating more problems than it solved so will remain on the layout with a protective cover for transportation.

 

 

It's controlled by a servo motor with 0.3mm operating wire. Feeding that through the equally small hole in the signal arm made me realise my eyes are not as young as they used to be.

The servo is powered by Sig-Na-Track servo controller giving me DCC operation and easy control of the range and speed of the servo by adjusting a few CV's.

 

Ray.

[Andrew P]

Very nice Ray, some clever work there mate.

[southern42]

 I was thinking of the other side of the dock actually but always nice to see Charlestown.  Thanks.

 

Brian.

 

Hi Brian.

Charlestown [see topic around post  #680] was one of several quaysides and docks we looked at before building the quay.  We were impressed by the flexible nature of the plaster wall sections and buttresses from Ten Commandments which also painted up and weathered quite easily.  They seemed reasonably close to anything we had seen in photos.

[rab]

A few pics of Camel Quay. from my phone camera.

 

Delighted to say that the Morris Men entertaining Camel Quay's special visitors were well received at Stafford and I very much appreciated the interest and comments from RMwebbers (and friends).

 

I took this view to show how dance formations allowed the 'Obby 'Oss to casually wander in among the dancers as they dance back and

 

Wandering around the Show taking pics of other layouts and taking a closer look afterwards has got me back onto looking at photos of Padstow again to find and identify road vehicles that were th.

 

 

Did you know it is considered bad luck for either of the 'osses to appear in public other than on May 1st and for the May song to be sung other than on that day.

Padstow people are very superstitious about this.

 

When I was at school in Wadebridge we put on a show one year.

The guys from Padstow wanted to sing the May song and bring the blue (young) OSS.

The older folk in Padstow were dead against it.

The youngsters managed to talk them around eventually.

 

Also there used to be (still are I think) brass band concerts in the town on summer Sunday's

One year one of the bands played the maysong causing ructions with the locals.

[southern42]

Yes, I'm afraid I spend too long modelling in my head, and I'm not as ready regarding domestic issues as I should be!

 

It's interesting you mentioning a Bandstand. I'm afraid my layout covers a lot of urban squalor, the demolition of huge areas to build flats that have now been demolished as of poor building quality. Then there is the tension of dieselisation taking over the ECML. The summer of 1960 is particularly vivid in this regard. But back to the bands. I've been worrying that there isn't space for any rural modelling, then the obvious occurred: Municipal Parks, built in Victorian Days, they still exist throughout the area. I live next to Northumberland Park, a prime example. So it's there that I'll be able to investigate my Gravett books - jaw-droppingly good in this regard.

 

Forgive me if you've mentioned it in the past, but as your layout is as finished as any layout can be (there are always things to be done) have you any plans for the future?

 

Regards,

 

Hal

 

EDIT Oh, and the narrative. The 60's of course! Our daughter picked up a cheap 2015 calendar that features early Beatles photos. We have all the records of course - vinyl - but somehow the calendar tugged at the heart-strings. So, plenty of stories to intertwine.

 

 

I think we might call CQ "finished" when the O2 turns up. 

 

But until then, there are a few things still to do.

I'm, again, looking at Delabole.  Presflos didn't run until the '60s so I'm looking at the possibility of the earlier 1/120 CovHop. I gather there were two of them.  Slate powder for Calcutta went to Newport Dock so had the Rock Delabole line been built I guess it would have gone out that way, hence Camel Quay, our interpretation .

 

A couple of cattle stories has also turned up. There was a cattle market at Delabole, so, somewhere for the cows in CQ's cattle pen to go.  Also, Ayrshire cows (red or brown and white) were brought into Padstow by train and were walked up the hill to the farm.  That could be a good road filler where the road is narrow along the backscene.

 

At the moment the station rails end in blue sky.  This requires work along the end panel. There's also quite a bit of what I call "tidying up" and finishing off to do as well, but I won't draw your attention to these areas because I wouldn't want them to stand out and destroy the illusion if you haven't noticed!

 

But to answer your question, Hal, we're planning another layout but it'll still need to fit in the car so nothing grand.  We have the baseboards and some ideas but nothing is settled as yet.  Will start a new thread when the time is right.

[southern42]

Did you know it is considered bad luck for either of the 'osses to appear in public other than on May 1st and for the May song to be sung other than on that day.

Padstow people are very superstitious about this.

 

When I was at school in Wadebridge we put on a show one year.

The guys from Padstow wanted to sing the May song and bring the blue (young) OSS.

The older folk in Padstow were dead against it.

The youngsters managed to talk them around eventually.

 

Also there used to be (still are I think) brass band concerts in the town on summer Sunday's

One year one of the bands played the maysong causing ructions with the locals.

 

Ah, but according to Camel Quay's historian, Camel Quay's Morris Men celebrate Golowan (Midsummer) around St Peter's Eve, 28 June, St Peter being the patron saint of fishermen and Camel Quay having a long fishing tradition [#902] but they could never perform without their 'Oss as he is supposed to bring good luck to fishermen whenever they perform.  So, you see that they're just as superstitious as their Padstow neighbours. 

 

 

Edit.  Love your story, rab.  Its things like this that make it all worthwhile and a bit of fun, besides.  Thanks.

Edited February 6, 2015 by southern42

[HAL 'O THE WYND]

 

 

I think we might call CQ "finished" when the O2 turns up. 

 

But until then, there are a few things still to do.

I'm, again, looking at Delabole.  Presflos didn't run until the '60s so I'm looking at the possibility of the earlier 1/120 CovHop. I gather there were two of them.  Slate powder for Calcutta went to Newport Dock so had the Rock Delabole line been built I guess it would have gone out that way, hence Camel Quay, our interpretation .

 

A couple of cattle stories has also turned up. There was a cattle market at Delabole, so, somewhere for the cows in CQ's cattle pen to go.  Also, Ayrshire cows (red or brown and white) were brought into Padstow by train and were walked up the hill to the farm.  That could be a good road filler where the road is narrow along the backscene.

 

At the moment the station rails end in blue sky.  This requires work along the end panel. There's also quite a bit of what I call "tidying up" and finishing off to do as well, but I won't draw your attention to these areas because I wouldn't want them to stand out and destroy the illusion if you haven't noticed!

 

But to answer your question, Hal, we're planning another layout but it'll still need to fit in the car so nothing grand.  We have the baseboards and some ideas but nothing is settled as yet.  Will start a new thread when the time is right.

 

Hi Poll,

 

Thanks. For some reason I missed this notification. I only caught up with it when I went to see Ray's signal-video. Never mind, I've seen it now. Whatever you do, given everything you've learned in making a masterpiece like CQ, it will be wonderful. Although there is bound to be a small degree of tension in that, I imagine. A sort of, "How do we make it as good/better than CQ? Everyone will be expecting so much!" -  I empathise.

 

Kind Regards,

 

Hal

[southern42]

Guess what!

Dad's Army Morris on BBC2 Wales now.

Guess who's watching.