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Copenhagen Fields


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Tim,

 

Congratulations on what looks to have been a very successful weekend. Out of interest, which year did CF win the Geoff Jones layout trophy previously?

 

Andy

 

I think it was probably 1992, when the layout went to the 2mm event in Newcastle. I believe it was the first award of the trophy.

 

Tim

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At saturday's AGM I made the observation that Copenhagen Fields had been already been a recipient of the GJ trophy but was told I was wrong (I knew I wasn't (!) but why argue with the youngsters). The powers that be maintained they had trawled through the list of previous awardees.   However CF does deserve to be recognised for it's continued growth and could be considered to be a layout withn a layout within a layout. Tim believes 1992 to be the year in question but I find that Denys Brownlee won with Burnham-on-Sea at the AGM at Keen House. 1993 AGM was at NEC and 1994 at Keen House again. I will delve further on tuesday  to be more exact.

 

There was some chat over the weekend about researching and compiling a complete record/dosier from 1960 onwards of who was in office, who won what with which model, milestones of new products and innovations etc etc. This could be handled by several members -  each concentrating on separate decades preferably within their personal membership. This would ultimately need a co-ordinator to double-check for any ommisions.

Edited by autocoupler942
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Here's a panoramic shot of the layout as it was on display at the Kings Cross Steam Extravanganza last weekend.

post-7249-0-46087600-1413279563_thumb.jpg

 

When we first started work on the layout in 198mumblemumble, John Birkett-Smith produced a model of the model and the layout is now very closely matching that original vision. It's only taken 30+ years...!

Edited by 2mmMark
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At saturday's AGM I made the observation that Copenhagen Fields had been already been a recipient of the GJ trophy but was told I was wrong (I knew I wasn't (!) but why argue with the youngsters). The powers that be maintained they had trawled through the list of previous awardees.   However CF does deserve to be recognised for it's continued growth and could be considered to be a layout withn a layout within a layout. Tim believes 1992 to be the year in question but I find that Denys Brownlee won with Burnham-on-Sea at the AGM at Keen House. 1993 AGM was at NEC and 1994 at Keen House again. I will delve further on tuesday  to be more exact.

 

Andrew,

 

When the awards were discussed between myself, Jim Allwood and Geoff Jones last week, Geoff provided us with a list of layouts that had been awarded the prize. Given that Geoff had very kindly provided the award all those years ago, and had personally decided each winner since 1992 (and maybe earlier?) we didn't see the need to challenge this. The list he gave me (which I am happy to forward to you by email) starts at 1992 with Denys' layout, and had only one gap (1997, when the award was apparently not made). If you can identify which year CF won the award and/or check any of the others, I would be interested in correcting/updating the record for the archives.

 

However, there is no rule to say that a layout can only win once if it had been altered or extended (Wansbeck Road and Haverhill South have both won the trophy twice), so it's all somewhat academic, and certainly shouldn't detract from the fantastic achievements of Tim and his team.

 

Regards,

 

Andy

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post-13388-0-17683200-1413291002.png

 

Herewith a picture of the model of the model as dated December 1983, when the MRC committee sanctioned the building of the layout.  The only real change from the original plan is that the York Road bridge is closer to the back scene (nearer scale position) at the south end and indeed the layout is a little longer and squarer at the front left hand end.  At the right hand end the back scene was moved further back to increase the depth effect.

 

I have also attached a 1985 picture showing how model railways keeps you young (TFW & MF)!

 

Tim

 

post-13388-0-59772600-1413296199.png

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I am glad you posted the picture of the model of the model, Tim. I found that the aerial photo of the CF at Kings Cross instantly reminded me of it and it is good to see that after all these years it is getting somewhere near full fruition - just another decade to go?

 

David

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Found this picture in the archives. Horse must have been moving in the long exposure. The tailor's dummies almost look like Slater's 2 mm scale figures!

Happy Christmas everyone!

Tim

post-13388-0-89422000-1450986662_thumb.jpeg

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The tailor's dummies almost look like Slater's 2 mm scale figures!

 

The guy in the peaked cap behind the horse looks pretty 'static' too!

 

Nice one Tim!

 

And a Happy Christmas from me too.  :-)

 

Jim

Edited by Caley Jim
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when the layout is finished and no longer wanted by the MRC (interesting to speculate on what you might attempt next!) this really should go into a museum it is the best evocation of the London cityscape of that era I have ever seen. I suppose because it has 'model trains' it would not be seen as the fantastic piece of art it is.

 

 

Don

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Found a couple more of the Cally from the Club archives. The demolished house may correlate with the Minutes of a meeting of The Model Railway Club 13th October 1915: ‘The meeting was brought (to) an abrupt conclusion at 9.30 by the visit of Zeppelins to the immediate vicinity. ‘

A number of German Naval Zeppelins bombed London  on the 13th October, producing one of the worst airship raids of the war.  The most damage was sustained around The Aldwych & The Strand
 
These photos were labelled as having been taken by a chap called B. Norman, obviously quite a few decades ago, but after the Great War.

 

Tim

post-13388-0-14648700-1451092722_thumb.png

post-13388-0-13487400-1451092759_thumb.png

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Found a couple more of the Cally from the Club archives. The demolished house may correlate with the Minutes of a meeting of The Model Railway Club 13th October 1915: ‘The meeting was brought (to) an abrupt conclusion at 9.30 by the visit of Zeppelins to the immediate vicinity. ‘

A number of German Naval Zeppelins bombed London  on the 13th October, producing one of the worst airship raids of the war.  The most damage was sustained around The Aldwych & The Strand

 

These photos were labelled as having been taken by a chap called B. Norman, obviously quite a few decades ago, but after the Great War.

 

Tim

Tim,

I'm not sure of the year for the photos but I'm fairly sure that the date was 1st April.

Happy New Year.

John

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Those photos are wonderful. When I first saw them, I knew they were of the model, but then, the more I looked, the more doubt came over me. Were they actual old photos of the area used as reference for the model? It was only when I read the shop names that I came back to reality again. The black and white makes them much more effective at deceiving the eye (and mind) than the colour photos do. It really shows that the tones are spot-on.

 

Ian Morgan

Hampshire

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The wonderful tumbled down buildings were made by Matthew Wald, who is currently making some offices for the goods yard behind York Road viaduct. The photos were taken in the early 90's by Barry Norman with wet film.

 

Tim

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A rare photo of R33 over London.

'On the 2nd July 1919, when the R34 began her transatlantic flight, the R33 also left the sheds that day with the SR1 to fly over the peace procession in London, again the ship towing a very large banner advertising Victory Bonds. On this flight the ship carried a band on the top gun platform, however the band members would have been out of sight from the crowds below the ship and it is doubtful that the music would have reached the crowds as well' (source Airship Heritage Trust).

 

Probably coincides with our model of the DH2 going to the Imperial War Museum down the Cally. I'll see if I can find an old photo.

 

Tim

post-13388-0-79403200-1451302186_thumb.jpg

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Mark

The B Type bus was completely scratchbuilt in Plastikard, using an early photocopier for the advertisements and destinations and office staples for some of the metal bits.

 

The tram was also by Matthew and skids along on solid acetal 2mm scale wheels moulded by Denys Brownlee as replacements for Peco wheels. It is actually the second tram, as the original (at that stage only the lower saloon) was nicked at the first time we exhibited the layout at Horticultural Halls in the mid 80's. Every few years it needs a new set of wheels. It is magnetically coupled to a massive mechanism under the road (also made by Denys) that has five wheels: the large fifth wheel is in the middle, is rubber tyred and runs on a strip of emery paper. The gauge is equivalent to Irish broad gauge in 3/16th scale, with substantial sprung copper wiper pick ups running on the circular steel rail. The tram has one magnet (N) and the mechanism under the road has three (NSN) to centre the vehicle above it in the road. The road itself is thin PCB with the code 40 FB rail directly soldered to it. No one seems to notice that it only goes up and down the same length of track. It is usually the most reliable part of the layout and must have covered hundreds, if not thousands, of miles over the years. I have one of the Oxford diecast trams, but that is very disappointingly crude, especially at the top. Might be OK with very major surgery.

 

I converted the STL from a white metal kit (might have been a Beaver RT). The other buses are from solid clear resin castings, very subtly made by Ced Verdon. On the North end of York Way we have an indeterminate 1:400 bus headed south, sourced from architectural suppliers.

 

The tube was completely scratchbuilt by Stewart Hine using a power bogie with an armature from a Z gauge mechanism. This was replaced by a Japanese tram type mechanism this year (much cut down and modified) coincident with a major simplification of the underground layout. This has to be 110% reliable and previously it had not been. My four year old grandson had great fun 'driving' it at the last AP show!

 

 

Tim

post-13388-0-79764200-1451319665_thumb.jpeg

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