Wright writes.....

[Chamby]

11 minutes ago, Clearwater said:

 

I've often thought an effective exhibition layout might be a large engine shed just outside a main station.  Having running lines for parade style trains to go past and shuttling of an impressive motive power collection to and from the shed.  Obviously a loco could depart the shed and then be seen a short while later hauling a train past and vice versa with the train loco coming onto shed having been seen hauling an inbound service.

 

David

 

That’s a pretty good description of Graham Muspratt’s Fisheron Sarum layout.  It works very well as an exhibition layout, so long as you’re not offended by Malachite green!

[thegreenhowards]

When exhibiting Oakbourne, the OO gauge layout of the East Surrey Model Railway Club, I have invited members of the public round the back to operate. One young lad (who I knew because he was one of my scouts) was better than many of my fellow club members and kept at it for a good hour. 

 

I think this was inspired by invites for my daughter, Ellen, to operate a couple of layouts when she used to come with me to exhibitions. That really helped keep her enthused in the hobby for a while (sadly no longer). I think being young and female helped as I never got invited!

[Tony Wright]

1 hour ago, Jol Wilkinson said:

 

The fiddle yarss on London Road  attracted a lot of attention. Unfortunately viewers often wanted to discuss the models with the operators, etc. so distracting them from keeping the schedule running properly to entertain those looking at the layout. In the end I  had to build up the FY surrounds to shut off the fiddle yards. The high surrounds were then used to display photos of the stock and details of the layout, the LNWR, etc. 

 

 

Finger poking is, in my view, something that affects too many layouts at exhibitions, irrespective of scale/gauge.

Poor running was an occasional issue on Burntisland when I saw it several times. Sadly, because it is P4 that opens it up to a lot of flak, as I found with London Road. For that reason we had to ensure that any running problems were avoided as far as possible. The track was cleaned in the morning before any running at an exhibition, ant piece of stock that played up was removed and sorted, etc,

 

 

 

Tony,

 

I have to disagree with you. Railway modelling is not a Broad Church, it is a number of different places of worship, chapels, synagogues, churches, mosques, temples, etc,  with different religions. 

 

Those that follow one way of worship don't always understand and appreciate another. We should accept that people have different interests but we don't have to share them.

 

Jol

Good afternoon Jol,

 

My mistake. As an atheist, I should not be mentioning any places of worship, even though many of them represent the finest architecture ever created. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[grahame]

Although not really showing any new modelling, here's a pic of how my latest N/2mm scratch-built project of a row of shops fits in with the gasholder station. Despite the slow progress, I'm quite pleased with the grouping of the buildings and structures although there's still plenty of work and detailing to be carried out.

 

Unfortunately the palisade fencing (recently added) suffered moire distortion (making it look like most of the uprights were not vertical particularly on the front side of the forecourt) when resized for posting on the forum. Consequently I've posted a higher res version to try and avoid it, although it's not a lot better once added to the forum despite being okay and far better and sharper on my laptop when displayed direct from the image file. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Bernard Lamb]

59 minutes ago, Northmoor said:

I've seen Burntisland (the layout, though I've been around the real place as well) and it's stunning.

I've also been to an exhibition of Cannaletto paintings, mostly of Venice, where not one boat or gondola moved in any of them.  They were all stunning as well.

Burtisland and others like it, are works of art, they just happen to be in 3D.

No need for the sarcasm.

At a model railway exhibition I expect to see a layout working and actually working well.

Except for when it is described as an historical layout. Madder Valley and Aylesbury come to mind and I am quite happy with the presentation of those.

If it is a work of art then it should be presented in an appropriate setting.

Bernard

 

[Tony Wright]

2 hours ago, jwealleans said:

 

The trouble with that is that too many of the enthusiastic fiddle yard gawpers are (1) too handsy with the stock and (2) too distracting for the operators.

 

If there's someone round there to field questions and slap wrists, no problem, but it's not often you have the luxury of a spare body like that at a show.

Good afternoon Jonathan,

 

When Stoke Summit was at shows it was often 'seen in the round', or at least along both length sides. It was usually either an island by itself or part of a (thin) one.

 

I used to find there was as much (if not more) interest in the fiddle yard as there was in the scenic section. 

 

What we used to do was always ensure there were free 'operators' who were there to answer questions (usually me, because of my dislike of operating). I accept that isn't always possible (on other layouts), but we always made sure it was. 

 

Luckily, we never had the problem of folk touching things - perhaps because the fiddle yard roads were so close together?

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Tony Wright]

3 hours ago, Compound2632 said:

 

That is wildly at variance with my experience, having seen it a couple of times, most recently at Warley in 2019 - with the new  roundhouse. There was plenty of activity both goods and passenger - far more than the prototype would justify! Where did you see it? And what are your expectations for frequency of trains running? Are you only satisfied by layouts depicting 4-track main lines? I've seen quite a number of highly-rated exhibition layouts were there has been nothing happening for long periods - though that does at least have the virtue of being true to prototype. Clutton is an example that springs to mind.

Good afternoon Stephen,

 

Burntisland's running has been discussed on here before, and I've no wish to drag-up past criticisms. 

 

That said, though it is visually spectacular and an incredible piece of research and creativity (and in no way gimmicky), having seen it several times I can honestly say it's never performed to the level I would insist upon with my own trainsets. Far too much stalling, derailing and finger-poking for me, I'm afraid.

 

In fact, it's been at three shows where I was privileged to be invited as one of the judges. In terms of (static) appearance, it would have been no competition; Burntisland knocked everything else into a cocked-hat! However, good running was also a criterion for judging things, and in all three cases the layout didn't win because of that (I was not the sole judge, by the way). 

 

I'm good friends with the builders and our reasons were made clear (which they accepted). 

 

I didn't see it Warley (too busy with my own demo) but if things have improved running-wise, I'm delighted.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[t-b-g]

When Ken and I first built a layout together, some 35 years ago, we had a continuous run with a fiddle yard made up of loops but treated them as if they were a set of carriage sidings, ballasted them and added a small amount of scenic features, like a couple of mess huts and a boundary fence with a bit of greenery. We never pretended it was anything other than a fiddle yard, just a pretty one!

 

It was much nicer to look at than many fiddle yards if anybody came round the back to have a look.

[Compound2632]

3 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

Burntisland's running has been discussed on here before, and I've no wish to drag-up past criticisms. 

 

[...]

 

I didn't see it Warley (too busy with my own demo) but if things have improved running-wise, I'm delighted.

 

Possibly by the last time I saw it, the team had acted on just criticism as I cannot recall any issues with the running. It has to be said that the coal hoist was hors de combat and running on and off the ferry wasn't faultless. It must be tricky getting enough mass into those tiddly little Scottish coal bogies for good running, especially under gravity.

[Tony Wright]

1 hour ago, t-b-g said:

 

Thanks for the kind words. Out of the layouts I have been involved with building, it is the one that has probably given me the most satisfaction.

 

Ken got to the stage where he wasn't enjoying exhibiting any more, mostly due to his hearing being very poor. With the background noise of an exhibition venue, he couldn't join in any conversations any more and felt like he was missing out on a big part of the exhibiting experience. Plus a couple of our regular operators joined the great model railway club in the sky and although we found volunteers willing to help, getting a team of 8 together wasn't always easy. So he packed in doing shows a couple of years ago and Narrow Road became a home based layout, extended as I have already mentioned.

 

This is what the station building looks like, based on a slightly condensed Broad Street, hence the name!

 

I have found Tony Wright's photos in a low resolution format but they do give a good idea of what it looks like. There is much borrowed stock on show, so there is no need to comment on the mixed periods etc. At the time, we were just happy that we could call on friends to help us stock the layout! These were taken, I think, when the layout was first substantially complete but before the station building was added, hence the empty space beyond the archway.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Isn't it a wonderful layout, Tony?

 

And I'm not saying that to 'praise' my photography!

 

Thanks for finding the pictures.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Dylan Sanderson]

Good afternoon everyone,

 

I'm currently modelling the Esk Valley Railway (1950-66), and I saw this photo on a Facebook group that I think a few on here will enjoy! Does anyone know what type of vehicle is being used as an inspection saloon?

 

Class B1 61256 climbs Ravenscar Bank with the York based Engineers Inspection 6-wheel coach in 1962. Photographer unknown.

Edited January 12, 2021 by Dylan Sanderson

[Tony Wright]

Great news!

 

One of the locos I showed yesterday (but pages ago!) has sold.

 

 

 

 

The princely sum of £300.00 has been raised for CRUK, so grateful thanks to all concerned.

 

It really is one of the most-natural locos I've ever seen (and just how I remember seeing the 'Halls'). Having a Tony Geary-built loco is a real pleasure.................

 

This morning it just purred round LB on 40+ loaded coals. Oh, and yes, I've now found the front coupling in the box!

 

Nobody interested in the 'Castle'? 

 

 

[Dunsignalling]

For me, the mark of a truly great layout is having enough quality modelling in the bits that don't move to keep me interested when the bits that should, cease to.

 

John

[t-b-g]

10 minutes ago, Dylan Sanderson said:

Good afternoon everyone,

 

I'm currently modelling the Esk Valley Railway (1950-66), and I saw this photo on a Facebook group that I think a few will on here will enjoy! Does anyone know what type of vehicle is being used as an inspection saloon?

 

Class B1 61256 climbs Ravenscar Bank with the York based Engineers Inspection 6-wheel coach in 1962. Photographer unknown.

 

It looks like one of the NER 6 wheeler inspection saloons, with an open veranda at the back.

 

D & S used to do a kit for one but whether it was exactly that vehicle I couldn't be sure. There were quite a few about the system and I don't think they were all identical.

 

Malcolm Crawley had one on Thompson's End, which was a model of one he used to use when he was working on the railway.

[CUTLER2579]

4 hours ago, polybear said:

 

Narrow Road has always been a personal favourite of mine; the Station Building is superb in itself.  I did consider the layout once as a possible candidate for building my own version, but quickly discounted it when I realised I just don't have the space.  We've all been there, done that I'm sure.....

Will it ever be exhibited again do you think, or is it now a stay-at-home layout?

 

 I  would bet on it not being exibited again, but then I am aquainted to a Lady who is the real Iron Lady and makes Mrs T look like a mere PUSSYCAT. 

[CF MRC]

As ever with this thread, I’m a bit late to the table re: exhibition layouts. Large layouts become a major work effort for the team to transport and erect - for sure a self-inflicted injury. When working well, a pleasure, when they’re not ...well TBG summed that up well a few posts ago.  I would usually not recommend anyone trying to hold a conversation with me on the Saturday morning of a show. 
 

On CF we have the very best operating position at the front, for working Mrs W’s yard. I can sit there all day watching the main line trains go by and talking to the visitors. We certainly have some of the team who are better operators than others and some who enjoy talking to the public. Mike Randall will often stand at the front near the Cally tube, shuttling it back and forth: he really engages with the public well, but has been known to talk significant BS. The public talking to the fiddle yard operators is almost inevitable at the north end of the layout if it is open, with the lead question always relating to our brass strip track. We have no problem with people coming round the back, when invited, and it often then allows the north end operator to concentrate on their running. 

Recent efforts have been devoted to this little structure, which is, in itself, bigger than some 2mm scale layouts.

Glazing is the next job. 

Tim

Edited January 12, 2021 by CF MRC

[t-b-g]

1 hour ago, CUTLER2579 said:

 

 I  would bet on it not being exibited again, but then I am aquainted to a Lady who is the real Iron Lady and makes Mrs T look like a mere PUSSYCAT. 

 

You should never put stuff like that on the forum.. Somebody might show her!

[t-b-g]

3 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

Isn't it a wonderful layout, Tony?

 

And I'm not saying that to 'praise' my photography!

 

Thanks for finding the pictures.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

I pinched them off the Narrow Road website, which is why they are low resolution.

 

It is certainly something I look at and feel a certain amount of self satisfaction, which doesn't happen often with me. It isn't perfect, much was rushed (apart from the station frontage the layout was built in 12 months and it was hard going) but I always enjoyed exhibiting it at shows and I still enjoy operating it now, as part of the bigger layout. So it is a layout that satisfies both the viewer at a show and the people running it. That was a balance I always wanted to achieve and I really think that layout was as good as I will ever build in that respect.

 

I always wanted to do something similar as a Great Central layout but once Buckingham came my way, my focus went away from building exhibition layouts. When I have my all time favourite layout at home, I don't feel the need to build my own version of Buckingham for exhibitions.

 

Having said that, I am building a small layout for exhibiting, just on the off chance that they return one day! 

[Tony Wright]

Happy to report that the 'Castle' has also sold.

 

That makes a grand total of £440.00 for CRUK in just over a day!

 

Once again, my most grateful thanks to all. 

[Chas Levin]

On 09/01/2021 at 12:11, Tony Wright said:

As promised, some 'educational' views of Little Bytham.................

 

 

Looking south. 

 

When the sequence is run with four operators, the Down driver sits at this side.

 

 

Nearer to the station. 

 

The Down kick-back sidings are just visible to the right behind the backscene (which is not attached to the layout). There's just enough room for the non-obese to get in between the layout and the backscene, for routine maintenance purposes and photography. 

 

 

 

Two views of the MR/M&GNER section and its relationship to the main line, including two Up kick-back sidings for the GN. 

 

It's definitely designed for one-person operation! 

 

Spare locos and stock abound. 

 

 

The full width (12') of the MR/M&GNR section. The end curves are really much too tight, but the decision whether to have a working railway or just a static, scenic break has been discussed before. Anyway, since most trains on it are slow and short, the compromise is lessened. 

 

 

The lifting section and part of the cassette system.

 

For consistent good running, large-radius points have been mainly used in the GN fiddle yard, giving the smoothest transitions. 

 

 

Looking south down the 'spine', with the main GN fiddle yard to the left. 

 

 

One visitor was just too fat to get through this gap! 

 

The bulge-out was essential to accommodate The Willoughby. In fact, the full width here was necessary to capture the 'sprawl' of Little Bytham. 

 

 

Looking north, the various relationships are evident. 

 

Even more spare locos and stock are present for the GN. The drawers and shelves are full!

 

The little levers sticking out from the backscene to the left control the ground signals (thanks Roy and Ray). 

 

 

The fiddle yard operator's position. 

 

Even more spare locos! 

 

 

The sequence cards and the 'maintenance' bit. The Gaugmaster controller, as well as providing a rolling road and power to the test track also controls the Down kick-back sidings. 

 

I hope the above pictures answer the questions being recently asked (I've discovered I'm a contortionist!), but I dislike several of them because of the distortions caused by having to use an 18mm lens in places. 

 

Would some be used in a potential article? Possibly, though I still prefer to manipulate 'realistic' images. 

 

Any comments welcome, please......................

 

 

I'd echo what others have said Tony and say that these pictures are fascinating, very educational (in terms of seeing how you've done things) and inspiring (for thinking how I might do things, though on a smaller scale!).

Not as aesthetically pleasing as your usual photographic fare but the technical interest completely makes them well worth sharing: thank you!

Edited January 12, 2021 by Chas Levin

[Manxcat]

When I was about 18 (which was 45 years ago) I was an avid GWR modeller and embarked upon my first OO gauge layout called Hatton Heath. It was very basic but I enjoyed building and running it and it even appeared at two exhibitions on behalf of our club, Glasgow & West of Scotland MRC. 

 

One day, quite out of the blue, Scottish Television contacted me to say that they had an afternoon magazine programme and they had decided to do an item about a model railway. They had contacted a Glasgow model railway shop, namely the Clyde Model Dockyard under the Glasgow Central Station Bridge, to get details of any clubs in the city and had been given our name. 

 

They asked if we could bring a layout and I said I would bring my own but it would need another two people to set up and operate. They were happy with this and said that on the day of the live broadcast they would send a van to transport it to the studio. When that day arrived we helped load the van and followed it to the studio. STV employees insisted only they could unload the van, which was fine by us, and we were taken into the studio to watch them bring in the boards and all the other bits and pieces. At that point they left us alone in the massive space and we erected the layout and tested it. 

 

A short time later a runner arrived to say we were going to the green room for lunch with the presenters and other guests. Imagine my surprise to be seated opposite Rula Lenska and beside Brough Scott. On return to the studio a make up artist then came and applied the necessary face powder to all three of us.

 

A camera rehearsal started at that point and the floor manager suggested a shot of me operating the control panel might be good. Here's a less than good picture of the panel in my then bedroom. 

 

 

In the end the director ruled that this would not be a good idea because I had to stand in front of it, it was behind the layout and getting a camera behind the layout without it being seen by the cameras at the front would be almost impossible. 

 

One of my fellow club members was chosen to be the one the presenter spoke to and when the programme started and it was our turn, off we went. Running was great and everything went smoothly. A short time later the floor manager whispered to me that they wanted the closing shot for the show to be of a train arriving at the station. We set up a passenger train just appearing out of the fiddle yard and waited. On cue I started it running having double and triple checked that all the points were correctly set, the signals were off and, crucially, that all track sections were turned on. 

 

The closing credits music was audible in the studio and having heard it previously I knew I was going to be able to make the train stop at the buffers just as it finished, if I drove accordingly. The camera was panning along with the train as it approached the final track section, a 10 inch piece of track just after the loco release crossover point. The loco stopped dead,  abruptly, and the camera panned on for a split second before jolting back to the loco. 

 

Investigation revealed that when the switch for that section had been moved to energise the track it had broken inside and no power was able to flow.

 

Despite that fly in the ointment, and despite the fact that many layouts have appeared on TV, I am happy to be one of only a handful of modellers who can say that my layout was taken to a TV studio to be filmed in action as part on a live programme. 

 

The nice little bonus was a £30 fee for each of us for agreeing to appear. Today that would be around £190. Not bad for a few hours work.

 

Archie

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Chas Levin]

On 10/01/2021 at 16:37, t-b-g said:

 

Am afraid not. All the joint projects I have been involved with are on a "my layout with your help" basis and Narrow Road is Ken's layout which I have helped with and Ken doesn't really do internet or social media. His son set up a website http://www.narrowroadlayout.co.uk/  some time ago, which has details of the station of that name but it hasn't been updated for some time and doesn't show the rest of the layout.

 

It is still very much a work in progress and only two stations are substantially complete in terms of scenics but only have a few dummy signals.

 

 I am seriously thinking of starting my own workbench/layout thread to post details of all the various things I get up to and if I do, when I can get to Ken's again I will ask if I can take some photos and post them. Ken struggles a bit now and is conscious that his hands and eyes are not as good as they used to be and he has doubts about whether the layout is good enough for a wider audience and if the Wright writes critics got their teeth into it, his confidence would quickly vanish, so I won't be posting anything on this thread.

 

It is a substantial layout and in order to quicken progress, we have decided to use card kits to get one station presentable quickly. Can you just imagine the comments that would generate!

 

I will add a poor quality snap or two of one of the buildings I have been working on, a row of shops from Leigh on Sea as it may have looked in the 1920s.

 

What a lovely model - makes me want to walk inside and buy some chocolate.

[Tony Wright]

2 hours ago, t-b-g said:

 

I pinched them off the Narrow Road website, which is why they are low resolution.

 

It is certainly something I look at and feel a certain amount of self satisfaction, which doesn't happen often with me. It isn't perfect, much was rushed (apart from the station frontage the layout was built in 12 months and it was hard going) but I always enjoyed exhibiting it at shows and I still enjoy operating it now, as part of the bigger layout. So it is a layout that satisfies both the viewer at a show and the people running it. That was a balance I always wanted to achieve and I really think that layout was as good as I will ever build in that respect.

 

I always wanted to do something similar as a Great Central layout but once Buckingham came my way, my focus went away from building exhibition layouts. When I have my all time favourite layout at home, I don't feel the need to build my own version of Buckingham for exhibitions.

 

Having said that, I am building a small layout for exhibiting, just on the off chance that they return one day! 

Good evening Tony,

 

I've decided that I'll build no more exhibition layouts, nor be part of a team which does so. 

 

As noted on here (hundreds of pages ago!) I did consider the idea of building Kiveton Park for exhibitions. An even dafter idea was that I would do it all myself, but it just isn't practicable now, even with help. 

 

I have to be realistic. Now, in my 75th year (though still without any 'underlying health issues' - I passed my annual MOT recently without need of any treatment nor drugs), how long would it take to build a layout 28' x 10'? Even in retirement, two years? Three years? Four years. More? Probably the last-mentioned. Taking out a new layout on the road at 80? I think not.

 

Anyway, even if I were a decade younger, in the current circumstances how would I be able to start it? Buying wood is hardly 'essential shopping'. No, just not on. 

 

That also assumes shows will return. I'm sure they will, but, in my view, in a different format. Smaller perhaps, and less-numerous? More specialised? 

 

I'm also convinced that many exhibition layouts (most of which have not been exhibited for at least a year now) will never be seen again at shows; largely because their builders will be just too old, or the core of builders will be. 

 

All the above said, I still feel personally optimistic. I have the chance to be part of the 'greatest model railway ever made', in Retford. Sandra has requested my help in future, which makes a dream come true. Yes, I know Covid prevents my (or anyone) doing things at base, though I can still build EM frames for more locos. Little Bytham is complete and awaits the time when visitors can see it in person again. 

 

Reasons to look forwards? I think so.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Erichill16]

Evening,

I try to keep up with this thread but find it difficult but may add the following based on discussions from a few days ago.

I regularly get a German language N gauge magazine and they often have the train formation depictions but where a model is not correct the model is described as being ‘comprised’. To be honest it’s one of the main reasons I get the magazine especially as I can’t read German!

Ive been to see ‘Miniatur Wonderland’ and have mixed feeling. What is remarkable is its popularity, I was absolutely flabbergasted to find it was open from something like 8.00in the morning to midnight some days of the week. (Rest of the week 8:30am until 9.00pm.) Basically ‘trains’ were running in the scenery and they weren’t particularly accurate or convincing but some of the scenery, particularly the buildings were really very good. There is a football match, in a football stadium, and I mean a ‘stadium’, it probably about 8ft x4ft and it’s full of spectators. 
Some of the statistics are incredible, 15km of track, 300 employees, over 250,000 figures and some of the actions scenes are really cheesy, flying aeroplanes, flying flying saucers, couple practicing for the bedroom olympics etc. 
Not really my cup of tea but it’s certainly popular and if it gets people into ‘our’ hobby then it can’t be all bad. I went with a friend and we both took our wives and they were happy (unless they were being polite) to spend the whole day there with us. To be truthful, I’d rather have spent the day at one of the large European exhibitions like Intermodelbau.

Anyway, that’s my twopenneth,

regards

Robert

[Headstock]

2 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

 

I'm also convinced that many exhibition layouts (most of which have not been exhibited for at least a year now) will never be seen again at shows; largely because their builders will be just too old, or the core of builders will be. 

 

All the above said, I still feel personally optimistic. I have the chance to be part of the 'greatest model railway ever made', in Retford. Sandra has requested my help in future, which makes a dream come true. Yes, I know Covid prevents my (or anyone) doing things at base, though I can still build EM frames for more locos. Little Bytham is complete and awaits the time when visitors can see it in person again. 

 

Reasons to look forwards? I think so.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

Sorry Tony,

 

I've also decide not to proceed with my own exhibition layout, as a result you won't be able to be a part of ' the greatest model railway ever made'. You will have to put up with sixth best, behind thingy, whatsit, do da bridge, summat hill and that Piggy thing.

Edited January 12, 2021 by Headstock