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Mike Sharman's Mixed Gauge layout


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Apologies if it has already been posted but I found the video below on YouTube and I figured it might be of interest to some of you.

The workmanship really is incredible, especially as it is all scratch-built.  Looks like it's quite a complicated layout too with a lot of different running lines heading to different stations and industries

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JT2ZyFMbg_w

Edited by GWR8700
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The articles in the Railway Modeller, about 40 years ago, on Mike Sharman's models of early locomotives and rolling stock inspired me to try and model the same era. Unfortunately my efforts have not been to quite the same standard but I keep trying. I have not heard anything about him for a few years now and wondered if he was still with us? If so, he would probably be in his 90's by now.

 

Dave R.  

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Thanks for that, GW8700, I had not come across this.  The glimpses of this layout were glorious things to see as a child.  I seem to recall the layout cropping up in a Bob Symes short film.

 

Any chance you could post the link so I can watch it full screen?

 

What did happen to Mr Sharman and his layout?

 

Holt Model Railways still market what appears to be a significantly reduced range of his excellent white-metal accessories.

 

Otherwise it is hard to find much information online concerning his work.  Where any books published about the layout?

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Thanks for that, GW8700, I had not come across this.  The glimpses of this layout were glorious things to see as a child.  I seem to recall the layout cropping up in a Bob Symes short film.

 

Any chance you could post the link so I can watch it full screen?

Press the yuotube button on the right bottom for full screen..........

Stephen

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Press the yuotube button on the right bottom for full screen..........

Stephen

 

That doesn't work with videos posted within RMWeb topics, I'm afraid, my "browser does not support" this.

 

If I go direct to Youtube, then, sure, that works.

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Works in Firefox, Chrome and Microsoft, does it not display the button at all, leaving a blank, or do you just get no response? Just curiosity really......

 

post-6750-0-18505300-1473077885.jpg

The button only appears after the play is pressed, and only if the mouse hovers over the bottom row....

 

Bit surprised the Mike was so dependant on the K's motors in his loco's at the time, also the models are certainly not silent! When I viewed them they were quieter, but maybe they had a lot more use by the time the video was made. The double ended K's motors were not bad, but although reliable did wear out the bearings, especially with flywheels fitted, making them noisy.

 

He mentions the Albion Loco, with a rotary engine, and stated it lasted 14 years or so, but since then it has been found that it stood unused for many years as they could not sell it.

 

Stephen

Edited by bertiedog
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He mentions the Albion Loco, with a rotary engine, and stated it lasted 14 years or so, but since then it has been found that it stood unused for many years as they could not sell it.

 

Stephen

 

When I saw a drawing of this in Ahron's book The British steam locomotive 1825 - 1925  I was unsure just how it worked. Seeing Mike's working model cleared it up for me. I am glad he made it work. I wonder where all the models are now?

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Donkey's years ago, self and wife decided to go to the cattle market at Monmouth, and popped in to a show of local artists work just along the street. In a corner was a very pleasant chap trying to sell 4mm scale white metal figures and accessories to a steady stream of people who wanted to buy boring watercolours of Symonds Yat, The models immediately impressed me, because they were way above contemporary standards and I bought a few bits.

 

I'd seen and been wowed by articles about Mr Sharman's layouts.

 

Only ages later did the penny drop that the chap selling castings was, indeed, Mr Sharman!

 

Kevin

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Works in Firefox, Chrome and Microsoft, does it not display the button at all, leaving a blank, or do you just get no response? Just curiosity really......

 

attachicon.gifyt.jpg

The button only appears after the play is pressed, and only if the mouse hovers over the bottom row....

 

Bit surprised the Mike was so dependant on the K's motors in his loco's at the time, also the models are certainly not silent! When I viewed them they were quieter, but maybe they had a lot more use by the time the video was made. The double ended K's motors were not bad, but although reliable did wear out the bearings, especially with flywheels fitted, making them noisy.

 

He mentions the Albion Loco, with a rotary engine, and stated it lasted 14 years or so, but since then it has been found that it stood unused for many years as they could not sell it.

 

Stephen

 

Trust me, it doesn't work.  It says "your browser does not support full screen".  I use Internet Explorer, as I know where everything is if I bookmark it.  My wife and children despair, but there we are.

 

So, again, if anyone can supply a link to the video, I would be pathetically grateful.  

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That doesn't work with videos posted within RMWeb topics, I'm afraid, my "browser does not support" this.

 

If I go direct to Youtube, then, sure, that works.

If you right click within the video frame you should get a drop down menu including  "copy video URL" If you then open a new tab or window and paste that as the URL you should open it in directly in YouTube. Altreenatively just click on this https://youtu.be/JT2ZyFMbg_w

 

There was some confusion in RMWEB in 2013 when an obituary for a Mike Sharman appeared. He had been an engineering academic at Cambridge etc. and was an MBE and was also a  railway enthusisast with a collection of lamps and nameplates. It seemed though that he wasn't "our" mike Sharman who was reported at that time to be very much still with us. I don't know if that is still true but hope so.

Edited by Pacific231G
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If you right click within the video frame you should get a drop down menu including  "copy video URL" If you then open a new tab or window and paste that as the URL you should open it in directly in YouTube. Altreenatively just click on this https://youtu.be/JT2ZyFMbg_w

 

There was some confusion in RMWEB in 2013 when an obituary for Mike Sharman appeared. He had been an engineering academic at Cambridge etc. and was an MBE and was also a  railway enthusisast with a collection of lamps and nameplates. It seemed though that he wasn't "our" mike Sharman who was reported at that time to be very much still with us. I don't know if that is still true but hope so.

 

Aha, the old right-click ploy!

 

Thanks

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I remember it from Model and Miniature Railways a New Egland part work from about 74. His layout was heavily featured in there. A great layout. . Only ever saw pictures never a layout diagram

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Thanks for that, GW8700, I had not come across this.  The glimpses of this layout were glorious things to see as a child.  I seem to recall the layout cropping up in a Bob Symes short film.

 

Any chance you could post the link so I can watch it full screen?

 

What did happen to Mr Sharman and his layout?

 

Holt Model Railways still market what appears to be a significantly reduced range of his excellent white-metal accessories.

 

Otherwise it is hard to find much information online concerning his work.  Where any books published about the layout?

Sorry this is late, seems like the problem with the video has been sorted though.  I'd be interested in finding more information on it too, especially a layout plan or panoramic view in order to get an idea of the shape of it.

I'd seen a bit of the Bob Symes film on the Joy of Train sets but no more than an excerpt from that.  If anyone knows where that is or has any other information on this fascinating layout I'd be very grateful!

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I believe Mr Sharman built at least a couple of different layouts. IIRC The Works was to EM standards (insofar as that is meaningful when discussing mixed gauge) whereas a subsequent layout, depicting two terminus stations, one with a low level MPD reached by a steep gradient, was P4.

 

I've seen track plans in the model press for both. The latter appeared in Model Railways in the early to mid 80s. The former may have been in RM but memory fails me.

I believe Mr Sharman built at least a couple of different layouts. IIRC The Works was to EM standards (insofar as that is meaningful when discussing mixed gauge) whereas a subsequent layout, depicting two terminus stations, one with a low level MPD reached by a steep gradient, was P4.

 

I've seen track plans in the model press for both. The latter appeared in Model Railways in the early to mid 80s. The former may have been in RM but memory fails me.

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I saw Mikes mixed gauge layout at the Genk, Belgium, show in, I believe, 1993.

Our somewhat below-par club layout, from the RAF base at Bruggen, was sited next to his layout.

Having helped persuade our layout to behave itself, I had taken a tour of the hall to check out the rest of the show.

I had not realised that his layout was next to ours until I had returned to our layout from the other direction.

I said to Mike Sharman, 'I can't believe these are built by a human being', Mike said 'ït's just a question of technique'.

A very pleasant guy and a real craftsman.

Our two layouts probably represented the opposite ends of the quality spectrum!

Edited by dick rowland
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Mike Sharman exhibited his layout into the 1990s possibly after he had sold the wheel making business. Very personable chap liked to challenge established views on modelling I think he was from an RAF background lived in Wiltshire.

 

I still have a stash of his wheels and excellent milled brass gearboxes, if I ever get round to building the locos!

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Mike Sharman exhibited his layout into the 1990s possibly after he had sold the wheel making business. Very personable chap liked to challenge established views on modelling I think he was from an RAF background lived in Wiltshire.

 

I still have a stash of his wheels and excellent milled brass gearboxes, if I ever get round to building the locos!

I think Mike appeared with his layout sometime later than that (in the early 2000's) at Scaleforum in Leatherhead.

 

The 2009 S4um Retrospective has some of his locos displayed in the Showcase;

 

http://www.scalefour.org/shows/scaleforum2009/showcase.html

 

There was an informative article in issue No. 5 of MRJ on his wheel manufacturing business.

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I remember Mike's mixed gauge layout at the Bristol Show when it was held in the White Ladies Road - I'm thinking mid 1970's.......
I still have some of his early driving wheels in use, the ones with a green nylon centre and a bulge at the back (onto the axle).

Edited by Penlan
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I found the article on the P4 layout that I was thinking of. The layout was Credibility Gap and it was in RM in May 1993.

The locos were described in the previous issue.

Two more locos in May 1994 and 3 more in April 1996.

A further 2 in December 2000.

 

Rail Model Digest 2 describes how to create drawings.

 

Edit to add

 

Model Railways 1975 May also featured some of his locos.

Edited by kevinlms
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