What is a Cameo Layout?

[davknigh]

5 minutes? For most you'll be lucky to get 30 seconds. Even monster layouts with trains thrashing around will be lucky to get a whole 5 minutes. I've had people not even break step as they glanced at the layout on their way between trade stands. 18 months work assesed and "enjoyed" in less time than it takes to flick a light switch. :-(

Been there, experienced that.

 

I think we're drifting away from the point of this whole exercise though. The vast majority of punters at any given show won't have a layout of their own and, imho, the goal is to show them that a quality layout can be built in a space small enough that nearly everyone will have enough room, given that lack of space is one of the main constraints on layout building.

 

Cheers,

 

David

[Mick Bonwick]

I was at the Salisbury & South Wilts Railway Society's exhibition this weekend just gone, and a very interesting layout I saw there was The Bath & District Amalgamated Fullers Earth Co. If it were not for the fact that I had other things to do I could quite happily stood and watched this being operated for at least 5 minutes.     This layout fits just perfectly into the 'cameo' category - I'll let the photographs do the talking . . . . . .

[coachmann]

I suppose some of the thinking of exhibitors has got to be 'Give the punters value for money'....Action. My interest at at least one Manchester Corn Xmas exhibition lay in the Alex Jackson display. A loco was moving around at slow speed effortlessly coupling and uncoupling wagons. I was on my own much of the time. 

 

A Cameo will therefore have lesser appeal unless it has some unique selling point. One idea that comes to mind is an extravagant unit for displaying beautifully built and painted locos and items of rolling stock amid a scenic backdrop.

Edited May 15, 2017 by coachmann

[Stubby47]

One idea that comes to mind is an extravagant unit for displaying beautifully built and painted locos and items of rolling stock amid a scenic backdrop.

 

Like a garden shed ?

[Captain Kernow]

Like a garden shed ?

That could form the subject of your other cameo, Stubbers!

[Stubby47]

That could form the subject of your other cameo, Stubbers!

 

Strange (and spookily Nostradamus-like) you should think that, Herr Capitan....

[NHY 581]

I will admit to having become a bit bored with operating my layouts at shows, but I have found that varying the motive power can help alleviate the boredom for me, the operator.

 

For me the home operation is most important. The fact that I have been invited to exhibit is an unexpected and entirely pleasurable by product. However, there is no escaping the fact that my current layout was designed( really !) to occupy me for perhaps half an hour at a time. Not all day at an exhibition. As a result, a big part of the fun is showing off the stock which people have been kind enough to pass comment on when I have posted photos on the forum.

 

Rob

[BG John]

I went to what was advertised as a Model Railway Exhibition last year. It had one working layout, and everything else was some sort of static display, mostly non railway models. At least it was free!

 

I suppose people in Britain are used to exhibitions full of movement, but there's no reason why there shouldn't also be displays of high quality static models. I suppose a Cameo could be seen as a display of high quality modelling, that's a good thing in itself, with movement to add more interest.

[Ruston]

I have just read six out of the ten pages of this thread "What is a Cameo Layout?" and I'm still non the wiser.

 

Is the layout that I am currently building ( http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/121045-white-peak-limestone-tarmacadam/ ) a cameo layout?

 

Or does it only become a cameo layout if I buy the book about cameo layouts?

[Captain Kernow]

 

Is the layout that I am currently building ( http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/121045-white-peak-limestone-tarmacadam/ ) a cameo layout?

 

 

I think it completely and utterly qualifies as a 'cameo' layout, Dave, and it's also a brilliant bit of modelling.

[PaulRhB]

I have just read six out of the ten pages of this thread "What is a Cameo Layout?" and I'm still non the wiser.

 

Is the layout that I am currently building ( http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/121045-white-peak-limestone-tarmacadam/ ) a cameo layout?

 

Or does it only become a cameo layout if I buy the book about cameo layouts?

Yes it can be if you add a full frame to conceal lighting, or as Ian calls it proscenium arch, and it can be mounted around eye level.

Buying the book is the entry ticket effectively as it's a Wild Swan competition. This was launched in MRJ and just been allowed additional exposure on here.

Another really nice layout whether you enter it or not

[bgman]

I have just read six out of the ten pages of this thread "What is a Cameo Layout?" and I'm still non the wiser.

 

Is the layout that I am currently building ( http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/121045-white-peak-limestone-tarmacadam/ ) a cameo layout?

 

Or does it only become a cameo layout if I buy the book about cameo layouts?

In total agreement with the above posts, a superb piece of modelling and it would undoubtedly qualify.

[Gerald Henriksen]

Don't know it that it would qualify as a cameo, but an interesting idea for how to expand possibilities within the general idea of a cameo:

 

https://fillmoreavenueroundhouse.wordpress.com/2017/05/14/c2ps/

 

 

edit:

 

It has the possible added benefit of pleasing both the adults and the kids in terms of height.

Edited May 22, 2017 by Gerald Henriksen

[BG John]

Don't know it that it would qualify as a cameo, but an interesting idea for how to expand possibilities within the general idea of a cameo:

 

https://fillmoreavenueroundhouse.wordpress.com/2017/05/14/c2ps/

 

 

edit:

 

It has the possible added benefit of pleasing both the adults and the kids in terms of height.

Interesting idea, but I don't like the thought of the consequences of the staging elevator descending at high speed if the operator loses their grip. With cheap and easily available parts for 3D printers etc., I'd rather have a motorised version using stepper motors, and servos to lock it in place.

[pete_mcfarlane]

Or make it out of Meccano, Peter Denny style. 

[PaulRhB]

Don't know it that it would qualify as a cameo, but an interesting idea for how to expand possibilities within the general idea of a cameo:

 

https://fillmoreavenueroundhouse.wordpress.com/2017/05/14/c2ps/

 

 

edit:

 

It has the possible added benefit of pleasing both the adults and the kids in terms of height.

Iain Rice should approve as he's drawn a multi level layout on a bookcase in the past

[Stubby47]

Iain Rice should approve as he's drawn a multi level layout on a bookcase in the past

 

Excellent - see Project #1, link below...

[Neil]

Like the multilevel concept, but I prefer it executed as a coherent scene if possible; here's a lovely narrow gauge example.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Joseph_Pestell]

Like the multilevel concept, but I prefer it executed as a coherent scene if possible; here's a lovely narrow gauge example.

 

 

A pity that the video clip does not show the incline fiddleyard in use.

[w124bob]

I guess this would have counted as a cameo?

 

initial concept:

 

post-6720-0-92802000-1337376745.jpg

 

End product:

 

 

 

It's ten years old now - like the layout Simon mentions, it was built for the 2007 RMweb 6 foot challenge. In that time it

has been exhibited a dozen or so times and while it would bore me senseless if it was my only layout, it's fine for a weekend

of relaxed shunting.

 

At one show we set it  about a foot lower than usual, and it attracted little or no attention. During a quite spell, we jacked it

back up to the normal operating height and it immediately started pulling in visitors again.

I've been looking for this layout, could someone remind me which Continental Modeller it appeared in? Or any other mags.

[Mikkel]

Don't know it that it would qualify as a cameo, but an interesting idea for how to expand possibilities within the general idea of a cameo:

 

https://fillmoreavenueroundhouse.wordpress.com/2017/05/14/c2ps/

 

 

edit:

 

It has the possible added benefit of pleasing both the adults and the kids in terms of height.

 

 

Iain Rice should approve as he's drawn a multi level layout on a bookcase in the past

 

Not only that, but on p. 37 of the new "Creating Cameo Layouts" book he shows a design which is more or less identical to the one in the link. Except that the casette is simply turned by hand.  So if it's in the book, I assume it qualifies...

[RogerE]

A thought about layout height. As an ex-exhibition manager (well1989 was the last I managed) it is something I hadn't really thought about, but it is something I am now thinking about as a result of a conversation I had today.

 

I went to, the ever excellent, Railex, and understandably, considering where it was held, there were a few people in wheelchairs.

 

As I left I was accompanied by one who was "resident" of the National Spinal Injuries Unit. I got chatting to him and, unwisely, asked what he thought of the show - summarised by:

 

"A f****ing waste of time, most of time all I could see was black cloth".

 

We were joined on the trip to the overflow car park by a Dad with a 5 year old boy, who echoed his views, as they had to leave earlier than "Dad" had wanted because the youngster was fed-up with not being able to "watch the trains unless he was picked up by dad".

 

As I see it the only reason for building a cameo-type layout is to display it. If you are the only person who wants to see it them the optimum height is whatever you want it to be. If however you want to show it to others then you must remember you are showing it to an audience who will range in ages from 3 to 100 and have an eye height of, say 600mm to 1800mm, and for some of those the eye level can't change.

[peter220950]

I'm working on that problem at the moment,

 

 

 

Hoping to build in a linear actuator onto the boards to allow the layout to move to suit everyone, when I measured my eye level sitting down to standing up I was surprised to note the difference is only around 400mm. The initial lolly stick mk1 then gave rise to a 1/3rd scale balsa job to sort geometry, and will now move onto the mk3 with aluminium box section.

 

Peter

[NHY 581]

When I next exhibit Sheep Lane, I am contemplating showing as I use it at home when the Memsahib is out. It will of course be shown with an appropriate table cloth.

 

I can pop a few chairs in front, one for me and a couple for the victims .......sorry, visitors to whom I can chunter on to.....

[Barry Ten]

I've been looking for this layout, could someone remind me which Continental Modeller it appeared in? Or any other mags.

 

Sorry I missed this, been away over the weekend. It was in the April 2010 Continental Modeller.