dunwurken

The other townscape that I really liked, though never saw in the flesh, was P.D. Hancock's original Craig. Again this was a port with a light railway terminus next to the harbour but it really seemed to work as a scenic whole and I think that's the secret, to paint a picture in three dimensions of a place that if it existed you'd really love to visit. Strangely enough, I can't think of a single model based closely on a real place that does it for me so perhaps for a really attractive scene the artistic imagination needs free reign. 

I am not sure if you are aware but parts of Craig have been uncovered and are now in the ownership of the Edinburgh and Lothians MRC and are currently with me, a club member, for safe keeping.  For photos see: -https://picasaweb.google.com/112904466287746079405/MoreOfPDHancockSCraig#

Malcolm

As a "keeper" of an old layout myself I congratulate you on your efforts to save and possibly return such a historic and worthwhile layout to working order. It is a totally different branch of the hobby, more akin to preservation than modelling but is certainly challenging and interesting. Lots of decisions need to be made, as to what can be kept and repaired and what might need replacing and if so, do you do it using modern methods and materials or do you try to recreate what the original builder would have used many years ago.

 

Good luck with the project and I hope to see progress reports from time to time.

 

Tony

Tony

The layout has now been moved from the E&LMRC clubrooms and now 'resides' with myself. Evaluation of what will be required to return this layout to something approaching its former glory is now in hand. I fully agree with you this is more like preservation and restoration than railway modelling and I feel I should be consulting museum conservation staff rather than fellow railway modellers. Fortunately what we have to hand is, for its age, in surprisingly good and original condition so not too many decisions are required as to what should be kept and repaired and what might need replacing and so on. Where possible repairs will be undertaken using methods and materials familiar to the creator and in this respect we have magazine articles, a PECO booklet and PDH's book, Narrow Gauge Adventure, to assist us not to mention the many colour slides dating from 1979.

Progress reports will be posted from time to time

Malcolm