Tricky

How about this for a beautiful rendering of crimson lake? Plus check out the shine!

The last few evenings have been very enjoyably taken up with constructing the shells of the various buildings and structures. I had to have a couple of goes on some of them to get the positioning and scale right, trying to loose the ins and outs of the railway as well as blending the transition from 3D buildings to 2D backscene. I also wanted to complete this phase before painting the sky. After painting the sky I think I will be finishing the barge and providing some 'water' for it to sit in. After that, purchase of trackwork bits and bobs and maybe even a set of Deb's 31.5mm gauges...!

Went for the first time last year and thoroughly looking forward to it again this year. Hope my pockets are deep enough for all the trade stands. Can't wait to see Gordon Gravett's and Giles Favell's masterpieces. Hope to meet a few forumites for the first time...!

Hi Muir, and thanks for your kind comments. I would, however, definitely echo Rob's post and get posting yourself! Plenty of helpful guys on here to help. I don't know why I didn't start posting earlier- I think I mistakenly thought no-one would be interested. As far as operational stuff goes, to be honest I didn't actually give it a lot of thought! I was just pleased to be able to build something at long last after 30 years of no space and no money. At least I've got the space now...! I would be content to just park my rolling stock and sit back and admire!! However, they are meant to run and so I have at least devised the attached sequence which is a bit complicated but works. No doubt in the future I may be able to devise other sequences but of course the possibilities are limited.

A humble barrow crossing on Monk's Gate.

Interesting- thanks. It looks quite heavy duty!

I must admit to getting a bit paranoid about looking all fumbly and myopic with my 3-links in front of the heaving masses...! Jacksons when they work sound so slick.

Hi Marc, Quick answer, don't know! Still debating with myself whether it will work or be static... If it works, it will need some turning mechanism, obviously! Also wagons will need to be propelled by rope as no loco access to the road by the dock front, and how do I make that work...?! If it's static, then any wagons on the dock front road will also be static. Not a major problem I don't think as they can be in the process of being loaded/unloaded. However, having said all that, basic construction I think will be 6mm ply and a bit of track stuck to it and then detailed with real wood planks to simulate real wood planks... Richard

After my intense soul-searching whilst on holiday, I decided to re-do the backscene to this: Not immediately obvious are the curves at either end; more so in this shot Once I finalise where the buildings are going I can begin to have a go at painting the sky, buildings and other features in the distance, the intention being of course to get them to blend with the modelled landscape. Herein lies the success or otherwise of a cameo...!

Love it, as always beautifully executed and observed. I would love to see this layout in the flesh one day. When are you coming to Kent??!!

The GOG have a very useful PDF on line. The first result from a Google search of Alex Jackson couplings for 7mm.

Thanks for that. I had stupidly dismissed these as being 4mm only. I assume that sizes of the couplings are the same for 7mm?

Hi Peter, Thanks for the link to the Dinghams. I think I will give them a try as I haven't laid any track yet I still have the opportunity to plan where electromagnets can go. Retro-fitting on Monk's Gate might be another story though...! Richard

Hi all, Having skimmed through Iain Rice's Cameo book, high on the agenda is silky-smooth running and operation. It also seems that regular 3-link and screw couplings are frowned upon as these would necessitate a hand from on high. Also the backscene and high viewing level would make it doubly difficult. So I'm wondering for 7mm what the options are and what you all might be using? All my stock at the moment has 3-link couplings and ideally I wouldn't want to loose them. Your thoughts most welcome. Richard

Hi all, Forgive me if this has been discussed elsewhere (and I can't believe it hasn't!) but intrigued as to the current consensus of thinking on which automatic or semi-automatic couplings to use in place of 3-link or screw? I ask because I noted in the Cameo book Iain Rice's comment that a hand from the sky appearing to fiddle with said 3-link or screw couplings would be frowned upon (or words to that effect). In the interests of everything operational being silky-smooth what are my options? Thanks all, Richard

Believe it or not, this is going to be a barge (or 'lighter' as I understand they were called). It is made from lumps of cherry, with the loading well rough-cut out. The lumps stuck on top will be jig-sawn off and sanded to give a barge-like profile. It's probably well under-scale but needs to be I think so as not to dominate. I must admit, doesn't look very inspiring at the moment...! Also, took delivery of The Book yesterday. Generally reckon it's a good read, the requirements of the ideal Cameo Layout are quite strict though...!!

A bit more work has been done on the groundworks since this photo was taken...!!

Study of a Midland Railway Engineer's Department 3-plank.

Posted over on the Cameo thread that as I am on hols at the moment I have had time to ponder and plan. As a result I have come to the conclusion that the backscene is the wrong shape. I have sketched out what I think it should be and now can't wait to get home and crack on with it! Hopefully the Cameo book might have arrived from Titfield and then I expect I'll move onto Mark III...!

Am on hols at the moment which is great because it has given me time to sketch and ponder. My sketching and pondering has lead to the firm conviction that the backscene is the wrong shape and needs to be done again. I'm actually not at all sad about this as it's all part of the process anyway; a process I thoroughly enjoy. Also quite a bit of revision to some of the buildings. Very excited to get back home and get on with the revised backscene...! And buildings. And track. And electrics. And a reliable loco....

I found this out after the event too. Wasn't actually too bad to dig out ballast and add bits of sleeper.

The goods yard looking a bit empty with the Cabinet Maker's workshop in the background.

Have finally ordered my copy of 'The Book'.

Something by way of an update, baseboard finished, backscene built and painted with white emulsion for now, plus good progress made on ply and mdf mock-ups of the main structures, to check size and balance. My main area of concern is the middle back section which looks very bare and open at the moment. I need to think of a cunning way of hiding the edge...it all needs a bit of work until I'm happy with it, but that's all part of the fun of the process!

The Cabinet Maker's workshop in a quiet backstreet of Monk's Gate.