Camborne & Redruth perspective diorama

[Dunalastair]

Today's 'diorama a day' was an uncompleted project to try building a perspective diorama, in the manner of the Jack Nelson LNWR models. The Camborne & Redruth was a narrow gauge electric tramway which as well as operating passenger trams also served the mining industry.

 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camborne_and_Redruth_Tramways

 

The perspective ranged from about 7mm scale to 2mm scale.

 

I started with a relatively small scale 3D printed model of the electric loco and the ore tubs.

 

 

I then moved on to printed representations of the iconic mine buildings with the steam winder - a building which still survives.

 

 

After adding the beam, crank and flywheel, I added the headgear (wood rather than printed plastic), the orebin building and the elevated tramway which linked the two, based on contemporary photographs. The Cornish atmosphere continued with a representation of a non-conformist chapel. The 4mm commercial tram had 3D printed rails added and was later reliveried to represent a Cornish car.

 

 

 

Perspective track was an interesting design challenge, and each successive pole had to be smaller. A second tram in the distance was 2mm scale, by contrast to the approximately 7mm scale newspaper delivery van.

 

The following stage did not go well. I used modelling clay to inset the track and provide ground texture, but as it dried it shrank and cracked. In hindsight, putting clay on such a smooth surface was a mistake. Sadly, at this stage the project was abandoned, and the buildings and rolling stock now sit in storage boxes. It was an interesting project, but rather large considering my limited available space.

 

This was once very much an industrial landscape, but ore tonnages were small compared to e.g. coal, and tramways were generally short, with most loco power being (in later years) battery power underground.

 

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/LocationPhotoDirectLink-g528871-d3296842-i189202526-East_Pool_Mine-Redruth_Cornwall_England.html

 

I lived for a couple of years in Truro, and enjoyed visiting the industrial archaeological remains in the area.

Edited July 8, 2023 by Dunalastair

[MarcD]

As an alumni of the school of mines this subject is close to my heart. There was a great book published on the tramway a few years back.

Marc

[Dunalastair]

I don't know about 'a few years back', but I have a copy of the 1972 Fisher Barham book 'Cornwall's Electric Tramcars' which includes maps and a good section on the mineral traffic, with some nicely reproduced plates.

https://www.bottbooks.com/product/5419/CORNWALLS-ELECTRIC-TRAMCARS

 

There seems to be another, more recent but less specific tram book, currently on offer at a sale price

 

https://graffeg.com/products/lost-tramways-devon-and-cornwall

 

I also have a useful book (from a modelling perspective) about the King Edward demonstration mine at the School of Mines - I think that I may have bought that book when I visited the museum there. I've known a few graduates of the SofM over the years. I remember attending a meeting at the Geevor mine when I worked for the (then) Cornwall County Council, about the time that a planning application for a reopening of South Crofty mine came across my desk. Lots of interesting museums thereabouts, even away from the iconic engines and mineral tramway cycleways.

Edited July 8, 2023 by Dunalastair