Caley Jim Posted August 4, 2018 Share Posted August 4, 2018 Phil, John and Jerry, Coming soon to a Harbour near you John It's not the Vital Spark, then? Jim 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium nick_bastable Posted August 4, 2018 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 4, 2018 It's not the Vital Spark, then? Jim does that make you Sunny Jim ? Nick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium CF MRC Posted August 5, 2018 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 5, 2018 Phil, John and Jerry, Coming soon to a harbour near you : image.jpeg Look forward to being in North Cornwall this weekend at Wells. Best wishes, John That presentation reminds me of a 1:700 scale Mikasa model that I made for a Japanese friend of mine a few years ago. This followed a visit to the real ship in Japan - I hand delivered the model to him, next time I was over. Tim 9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caley Jim Posted August 5, 2018 Share Posted August 5, 2018 does that make you Sunny Jim ? Nick Well, I certainly hope I'm not like Dan McPhail! Jim Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Copleston Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 (edited) Last call... Don't leave it hanging! Remember to come along to Wells Town Hall, Somerset for RAILWELLS - this coming Sat 11 and Sun 12 August 2018 and experience John Greenwood's 2mm finescale Magnum Opus The North Cornwall Railway - including the Bodmin & Wadebridge Railway Padstow - Wadebridge - Boscarne Junction - Bodmin North - St Blazey Roundhouse - and the entire Wenford Branch, including Wenford Goods Depot with working gantry crane and road vehicles. Seven layouts in one - a true model railway system. Yes - ALL of it will be exhibited at the Wells Show - clearly an opportunity NOT to be missed! As a reminder, this is what you will get to see - a whole model railway empire in one layout: Plus three other 2mm finescale layouts will also be there: 2mm 'Bordesley North' – Jim Alwood (minimum space layout with high level station and lower level cement terminal); 2mm 'Callaton' – Mick Simpson (situated north of Newcastle in the 1970s); 2mm 'Mini-MSW (The Woodhead Line)' – Alan Whitehouse (the first showing of Alan’s revamped DC overhead electric Woodhead inspired layout); and also ‘Ashburton’ – John Birkett-Smith (a superb 1930s era GWR terminus, actually built to 2mm scale, but with N gauge wheels and track). Plus a host of other splendid layouts in P4 and other scales. A real Modeller's Show. More about Railwells 2018 here: http://railwells.com/railway-show/railwells-show-2018/ This is clearly a very special 2-mil orientated show - so be there if you can. See you this coming weekend! Edited August 9, 2018 by Phil Copleston 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bécasse Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 Someone is going to get a Form One ("please explain") and probably a few days suspension from duty for that. Road vehicles, including tractors, should only have been forwarded to stations with highway docks (Bodmin North in this case), and if, in extremis, they had to be handled by crane a complex arrangement with the tyres supported on beams with further beams used above (see photos of ships being crane-loaded for details) had to be used - and almost certainly prior consent at District level would have been required. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold queensquare Posted August 9, 2018 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted August 9, 2018 Someone is going to get a Form One ("please explain") and probably a few days suspension from duty for that. Road vehicles, including tractors, should only have been forwarded to stations with highway docks (Bodmin North in this case), and if, in extremis, they had to be handled by crane a complex arrangement with the tyres supported on beams with further beams used above (see photos of ships being crane-loaded for details) had to be used - and almost certainly prior consent at District level would have been required. The snap of the tractor being lifted by its steering wheel was taken when John, Phil and I were playing with the Wenford branch. Phil sent the tractor down the line as a challenge, aligning the hook on the working crane with the steering wheel took a steady hand and not a little skill on the controls of the working crane which John managed. We are under no illusions that lifting a tractor like that is in any way realistic, but it was fun, a concept we hold dear to our hearts. Jerry 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bgman Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 The snap of the tractor being lifted by its steering wheel was taken when John, Phil and I were playing with the Wenford branch. Phil sent the tractor down the line as a challenge, aligning the hook on the working crane with the steering wheel took a steady hand and not a little skill on the controls of the working crane which John managed. We are under no illusions that lifting a tractor like that is in any way realistic, but it was fun, a concept we hold dear to our hearts. Jerry Vic & Bob Dockside Managers Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
drduncan Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 Jerry (and of course John) Just found the thread and it has left me astounded at the scale and quality of the project. Best Duncan 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Steven Draper Posted August 11, 2018 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 11, 2018 Thanks to the rain my work has been cancelled on Sunday So I’m going to trundle up the M5 to View this masterpiece Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
D869 Posted August 11, 2018 Share Posted August 11, 2018 MinerChris and I had a very enjoyable day in Wells. Mr Greenwood's empire is well worth seeing if you can get there tomorrow. Thanks to John for letting us have a play. D6309 was temporarily DCC chipped and got a run out to North Cornwall along with my Masterclass 'P' set with new 3d printed roofs which look very nice. Most of my attempts to take photos didn't work out but this one of D6309 isn't too bad. Not sure what's going on with those telegraph poles though - must be a very heavy bird sat on the wire. 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 2mm Dabbler Posted August 12, 2018 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 12, 2018 Perhaps something a little larger than a Clyde puffer? (not mine unfortunately) Michael 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold TomE Posted August 14, 2018 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 14, 2018 It was a real privilege to be invited to operate the North Cornwall at Wells last weekend. A fantastic couple of days. Considering the magnitude of the project, that it had been transported all the way from Wadebridge, and there wasn’t really much in the way of a “plan” for operating, it all performed remarkably well. A credit to John’s workmanship, and my fellow operators! Tom. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Phil Copleston Posted August 15, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted August 15, 2018 (edited) Pictures from an extraordinary exhibition! John Greenwood's 2mm finescale North Cornwall Railway - including the Bodmin & Wadebridge Railway at Railwells last weekend Despite my good intentions, I didn't take too many photos during the actual two-day public exhibition - mainly because we were all dashing about like mad hares keeping the layout(s) running! And when I say 'layout(s)', it was really so - essentially the large and busy Wadebridge-Padstow section, and the whole of the Wenford Branch, plus some shuttle trains to the unscenicked Bodmin North. This was the first time the whole thing had been erected or operated outside of John's loft. Indeed, it was a steep learning curve for us all, but we found that these various parts of the layout tended to operate as two (and maybe a half) separate sections back-to-back, sharing the common fiddleyards in the middle. The branch was largely self-contained. Viewing was primarily on three sides, illuminated via the layout lighting rigs. The rest of the layout - the mostly incomplete Dunmere Junction, Boscarne Junction, North Cornwall Junction, Pencadder Road and St Blazey Roundhouse in the middle - could be glimpsed from the informal 'fourth' side. But visually these areas were largely obscured from public viewing and were only lit by the ambient hall lighting. See trackplan on posts #305 or 290 above to orientate yourself. We were situated in the main entrance foyer. Anyway, on with the pics. You've seen most of the layout before in various parts on previous posts, so you generally know how it looks. But nevertheless, I did manage to capture some moments during set-up on Friday afternoon, and some shots of the 'last train' at the end of the day on Sunday. Plus a few in between. Hope you find these informative and inspirational! Setting up, late on Friday afternoon: View from the rather messy 'fourth side'. This will all eventually get scenicked and be more presentable: Saturday morning, putting the stock on and trying things out: Saturday, later during the day (where did all the crowds go?): Sunday operations: Tony Gee and John share some of Edna Greenwood's delicious home-made cake (a North Cornwall layout tradition): Dave Taylor prepares the last train of the exhibition - a BR DMU 'Bubblecar' - to leave Padstow: In reality, the very last North Cornwall train to depart Wadebridge on 1st October 1966 was a DMU 'Bubblecar', so this last view is most appropriate. Sob! And that was it! The crowds on Saturday were tremendous, so it was hard to get any shots of the layout as such. Sunday was less hectic and more relaxed. But the sheer numbers of well known modellers and 2mm Scale Association members who kindly came to see the layout was most gratifying. All in all, we felt it was a very successful outing for such a massive undertaking. Inevitably things went wrong - turnouts failed, locos died, the crane and road vehicles on Wenford Goods Depot were out of action for part of Saturday, so John Greedwood spent a lot of time with torch and tools under the layout fixing things. Lessons learned: less panic in operating, sloooow down, operate fewer passenger trains and more goods trains, and importantly, keep the number of operators behind the layout to the minimum necessary to keep it running. But generally, we all had a jolly good time - as indeed we hope the viewing public did too! Others will no doubt post more photos of this layout at Wells and unique 2-mil event. I look forward to seeing the layout from their perspective. So please post your pics, guys! Whether this happens again - who knows. But having done it once, at least we now know how to go about it (or not)! Thanks are due to our willing operators over the weekend - Dave Taylor (DLT), Maurice Hopper, Tom Everitt (TomE), Laurie Adams, Tony Gee (plus a few others who wangled 'a go'), and of course to Jerry Clifford (queensquare), fixer-in-chief. And a special thanks to the gaffer himself, John Greenwood, for kindly inviting me (and the rest of us) to help out - it was a privilege and a real thrill. What an inspiring experience this has been! Edited August 16, 2018 by Phil Copleston 29 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
autocoach Posted August 15, 2018 Share Posted August 15, 2018 If I had a million I would replicate most of this in 4 mm or 7 mm......outstanding. The area I would love to model for my UK dream layout. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bécasse Posted August 16, 2018 Share Posted August 16, 2018 Is the prayer (photo 2) part of the usual set up procedure? and the final photo could well depict my last ever departure from Wadebridge up the North Cornwall line, the 122 is even the right way round (so I had to watch the line recede, much to my annoyance at the time). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Popular Post queensquare Posted August 16, 2018 Author RMweb Gold Popular Post Share Posted August 16, 2018 (edited) As Phil says above, an excellent weekend which is unlikely to be repeated. I have little to add other than a few more pictures. The fine running noted over the weekend didnt happen by accident, much careful adjustment and fine tuning was required. Here, the boy himself can be seen tweaking the board crossing at Dunmere/Helland. The logistics of getting the layout up involved three cars worth. I picked up Wenford, Boscarne, Bodmin North and the lighting rig a few weeks prior to the show and brought them up to the Mendip groups clubroom. Phil came up with Padstow and the Wenford branch and John brought the rest. Padstow made remarkable progress over the last twelve months. John and I built the baseboards immediately after Wells last year and we took it to Helston working but bare boards in late April. Most of the buildings and infrastructure are either mock ups or unfinished but for me it already nails the atmosphere of the prototype. We had numerous guest operators over the weekend, only a few of which were captured on film. Here young Spams looks as though he has been captured doing something else!! Spot the 4mm modeller operating that crane .......!! Dave Taylor, closely observed by a young enthusiast, brings the Betjemen Bell over the last leg of its journey. The late Steve Sykes beautiful rake of wagons made several trips over the system but sadly I was never on hand to snap the event. The other fixed freight rake was my cattle train, commandeered for fish traffic out of Padstow in the hands of John's Black Motor - which has now been in service longer than the prototype. I hope they get rid of the fish smell before the rake is required for the next special for Blandford market!! Another snap of the last train of the weekend. Lower Rose Goods in the background, another member of a strong Cornish contingent at the show - only fitting as the venue was George Warleggan's Bank! and finally, the crew - minus Maurice Hopper and Edna Greenwood. Back row; Laurie Adams, Neil Kinnison, Tony Gee (t.b.g), Tom Everrett (Tom E), me Front row; Phil Coplestone (Phil C), John Greenwood, Dave Taylor (DLT), Sprawled; Kim (Mrs Queensquare) Jerry Edited August 16, 2018 by queensquare 30 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Kylestrome Posted August 16, 2018 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 16, 2018 (edited) I'm glad to see John's taste in shirts hasn't changed! Edited August 16, 2018 by Kylestrome Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Donw Posted August 16, 2018 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 16, 2018 Most impressive. Sadly I could not make the day. I shall have to twist Steve's arm (our exhibition manager) to get as much possible invited to Taunton Don Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium St Enodoc Posted August 17, 2018 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 17, 2018 Pictures from an extraordinary exhibition! John Greenwood's 2mm finescale North Cornwall Railway - including the Bodmin & Wadebridge Railway at Railwells last weekend Despite my good intentions, I didn't take too many photos during the actual two-day public exhibition - mainly because we were all dashing about like mad hares keeping the layout(s) running! And when I say 'layout(s)', it was really so - essentially the large and busy Wadebridge-Padstow section, and the whole of the Wenford Branch, plus some shuttle trains to the unscenicked Bodmin North. This was the first time the whole thing had been erected or operated outside of John's loft. Indeed, it was a steep learning curve for us all, but we found that these various parts of the layout tended to operate as two (and maybe a half) separate sections back-to-back, sharing the common fiddleyards in the middle. The branch was largely self-contained. Viewing was primarily on three sides, illuminated via the layout lighting rigs. The rest of the layout - the mostly incomplete Dunmere Junction, Boscarne Junction, North Cornwall Junction, Pencadder Road and St Blazey Roundhouse in the middle - could be glimpsed from the informal 'fourth' side. But visually these areas were largely obscured from public viewing and were only lit by the ambient hall lighting. See trackplan on posts #305 or 290 above to orientate yourself. We were situated in the main entrance foyer. Anyway, on with the pics. You've seen most of the layout before in various parts on previous posts, so you generally know how it looks. But nevertheless, I did manage to capture some moments during set-up on Friday afternoon, and some shots of the 'last train' at the end of the day on Sunday. Plus a few in between. Hope you find these informative and inspirational! Setting up, late on Friday afternoon: 01. 20180810_183219_001a.jpg 02. 20180810_183125a.jpg 03. 20180810_183240a.jpg 04. 20180810_183318a.jpg View from the rather messy 'fourth side'. This will all eventually get scenicked and be more presentable: 05. 20180810_190204a.jpg Saturday morning, putting the stock on and trying things out: 06. 20180811_095159a.jpg 07. 20180811_095218a.jpg 08. 20180811_095244a.jpg 09. 20180811_095352a.jpg 10. 20180811_095416a.jpg Saturday, later during the day (where did all the crowds go?): 11. 20180811_165659a.jpg 12. 20180811_165721a.jpg 13. 20180811_170326a.jpg Sunday operations: 14. 20180812_162043a.jpg Tony Gee and John share some of Edna Greenwood's delicious home-made cake (a North Cornwall layout tradition): 15. 20180812_162050a.jpg Dave Taylor prepares the last train of the exhibition - a BR DMU 'Bubblecar' - to leave Padstow: 16. 20180812_163838a.jpg 17. 20180812_163919a.jpg In reality, the very last North Cornwall train to depart Wadebridge on 1st October 1966 was a DMU 'Bubblecar', so this last view is most appropriate. Sob! 18.20180812_164046a.jpg And that was it! The crowds on Saturday were tremendous, so it was hard to get any shots of the layout as such. Sunday was less hectic and more relaxed. But the sheer numbers of well known modellers and 2mm Scale Association members who kindly came to see the layout was most gratifying. All in all, we felt it was a very successful outing for such a massive undertaking. Inevitably things went wrong - turnouts failed, locos died, the crane and road vehicles on Wenford Goods Depot were out of action for part of Saturday, so John Greedwood spent a lot of time with torch and tools under the layout fixing things. Lessons learned: less panic in operating, sloooow down, operate fewer passenger trains and more goods trains, and importantly, keep the number of operators behind the layout to the minimum necessary to keep it running. But generally, we all had a jolly good time - as indeed we hope the viewing public did too! Others will no doubt post more photos of this layout at Wells and unique 2-mil event. I look forward to seeing the layout from their perspective. So please post your pics, guys! Whether this happens again - who knows. But having done it once, at least we now know how to go about it (or not)! Thanks are due to our willing operators over the weekend - Dave Taylor (DLT), Maurice Hopper, Tom Everitt (TomE), Laurie Adams, Tony Gee (plus a few others who wangled 'a go'), and of course to Jerry Clifford (queensquare), fixer-in-chief. And a special thanks to the gaffer himself, John Greenwood, for kindly inviting me (and the rest of us) to help out - it was a privilege and a real thrill. What an inspiring experience this has been! Of the "views", I liked the end-on view of Padstow from the seaward end the most. I enjoyed looking through the gap between the pillars at the fourth side as well. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Ian Morgan Posted August 17, 2018 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 17, 2018 I posted this on the RailWells thread, but I think it belongs here too. 360 video of Padstow. Best viewed on a tablet or mobile phone, you can follow the train around the track by moving the tablet/phone, or swiping the screen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuX85G5pxNc 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bgman Posted August 17, 2018 Share Posted August 17, 2018 I posted this on the RailWells thread, but I think it belongs here too. 360 video of Padstow. Best viewed on a tablet or mobile phone, you can follow the train around the track by moving the tablet/phone, or swiping the screen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuX85G5pxNc It's like watching with the free 3D glasses ! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Copleston Posted August 17, 2018 Share Posted August 17, 2018 (edited) Maurice Hopper – one of our intrepid fellow operators at Railwells – has kindly sent me these five photos he took early on on Saturday morning before opening, indeed before any of the rest of us got there! Maurice added these comments: “Having arrived early on the Saturday morning, I carefully removed the layout of its black plastic dust covers ready for the owner and the operating team to show up... and get the rolling stock out. Once exposed, it seemed like a good opportunity to photograph the layout in its prime position in the foyer of Wells Town Hall before the arrival of the viewing public and operators, who would soon be in the way of uncluttered photography! “It always seems rather amazing to me that all of the 2mm scale rolling stock for this extensive layout is carried in something not much bigger than a medium sized tool box!” Thank you, Maurice. Edited August 17, 2018 by Phil Copleston 11 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
2mmKiwi Posted August 17, 2018 Share Posted August 17, 2018 (edited) Thanks for sharing these interesting photos - this layout is truly a impressive body of work. I really admire John's commitment to recreating an accurate historical account of the North Cornwall railways. It's also (from my limited knowledge) a fairly unique approach to layout design in the UK, following more a style of US layouts? Looking at this last batch of photos it's interesting to see some details of the layout super structure. I would like to see more details of this aspect, which is often over looked. Things like the lighting rigging and frames, the trestles and the skirting/curtains - their design and how are they fixed to the layout. What is best practice? Can anyone refer me/us to further information on this aspect? Edited August 17, 2018 by 2mmKiwi Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
modfather Posted August 17, 2018 Share Posted August 17, 2018 Looking at this last batch of photos it's interesting to see some details of the layout super structure. I would like to see more details of this aspect, which is often over looked. Things like the lighting rigging and frames, the trestles and the skirting/curtains - their design and how are they fixed to the layout. What is best practice? Can anyone refer me/us to further information on this aspect? Dropped you a PM! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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