Camrail

[Simon]

Thank you all for your comments and photographs, I had a great day - mostly spent talking

Currently sat around the table drinking tea, discussing life the universe and model trains and reviewing Steve's pictures of the day with Cookie and Kernow while Lesley bakes more fruit cakes - a gentle start tomorrow morning with no settting up to do.

MRJ 216 did arrive in the end, Paul Karau visited with Ann, June and Daisy; Gerry and Linda Beale did sterling work with the books, and I was delighted to welcome friends Peter and Ginny Barnfield for the first visit to Camrail in many years plus a very good turnout of Western Thunderers and lots of other people. These including Bryan Chalker, Bath's just retired Mayor who is a fantastically down to earth bloke with a great idea for a Bath Industrial Museum. Daifly and Tim worked incredibly hard in the kitchen with Lesley, eight loaves of bread were converted into numerous sandwiches and gallons of tea were brewed.

A brilliant bonus was meeting Chris Nevard who managed to make his first visit to Camrail and brought his very lovely Polbrook as a double bonus - great model and very nice chap.

It is really quite a fantastic and flattering feeling when people all pitch up to an event you have (ahem) organised, I really view the whole thing as a giant tea drinking railway themed party - it was a hoot, thanks to all again.

Great hobby, great friends, great family and great visitors - 0ff to kip quite soon now

Simon

 

[westernfan]

Glad it was a Grand day for all ,would have liked to gone to the show but at a 200 mile round trip a little bit out of the way for me Looking forward to some more images

 

[Susie]

Hi Simon,

I'm so glad it all went okay, and I'm really sorry I missed it. I started off yesterday morning in plenty of time to get to the venue by 11am, but 30 miles from home (it's a 340 mile round trip) the oil warning light on my bike came on, followed by a nasty clanking rattle from the back of the engine. Four hours later I was back home courtesy of the RAC! I think the drive pin to the oil pump rotor has failed.

I know the show was on today as well, but being a churchwarden I have duties on Sundays, and we had a baptism today with an extra 60 guests.

I was looking forward to meeting some more WT'ers, comparing coach building techniques, and, from the look of the photos, seeing some supurb modelling. Hopefully next year I'll get there.

Susie

 

[daifly]

An unusual loco was brought in and shown by an elderly gentleman. Entirely scratchbuilt apart from the wheels, everything was made of copper. The cylinders were from gas piping, the dome from a pipe end-stop. The cab brake lever actually applied the brakes. Barely a hint of solder visible anywhere. Exquisite.
Check shirt courtesy of S. Castens. Exquisite? You decide!

 

[Bob]

Hi folks,

My first posting on here for ages but just got back from 2 fantastic days at Camrail. I was supposed to be doing a demo on 3mm scale modelling but spent most of the time talking to punters or friends. It's thanks to Cookie that I'm back on here and we may see my brother Richard join up too (he was sat beside me making 7mm Plastikard wagons). For those who've not been before it is by far the friendliest to go to as an exhibitor and the catering is just great. I'll try and post a few of the photos I took on here tomorrow.....a curry and ice cold beer is a priority. The copper pug on Daifly's post is an incredible piece of work. No machine tools and all soldered up over a gas ring I believe.

Another great show Simon, well done and hope it made a few quid for the Railway Children

 

[Bob]

As promised, a few pics from the weekend.

First, Chris Nevard's Polbrook. The hazy photographic backscene is particularly effective.



My own humble effort, one of the boards for Chipping Compton. The buildings on the left are only placed for display purposes and not in their final positions. The pannier is a Brynkits kit. On the left is the sum total of my activites for the weekend, a Parkside/3mm Society Lowmac.



Andy Cundick's model of the most westerly railhead in Europe. The windswept terminus of Valentia Harbour.



Last but by no means least is John Greenwood's incredible 2mm Wenford Bridge. Apart from the scratchbuilt Beattie well tank, beautiful trackwork and scenery there's a working crane which loads timber onto a tractor and trailer or containers onto a Scammell Mechanical horse & trailer. If that's not enough they drive away off scene most convincingly

 

[westernfan]

Hi Bob. Thanks for posting those images . Is Chipping Compton 14.2 mm ?

 

[daifly]

On the Sunday morning, at Bradford on Avon station - about 100 metres from Camrail - this went through. It looked, smelled, sounded JLTRT - cos it was!

Thanks to Simon C. for telling me that it was happening.

 

[Bob]

Hi Bob. Thanks for posting those images . Is Chipping Compton 14.2 mm ?

Hi, No it's 12mm. I did contemplate going 14.2 but I had the track and loco's etc and too little time to switch at least for this project. The 3mm Society are doing a competition for the 5oth anniversary in 2015 so hope to put something together for then and as it will be a stand-alone project based on a 1960's coal yard (rather than my usual 1950's WR country branch lines). It should be a case of a couple of diesel shunters (already got in kit form) and re-wheeling my stash of Parkside 16 ton minerals and ex-PO coal wagons. Should be fun.

Bob

 

[Steve Cook]

Having just got back from Simon's this afternoon, thought I'd stick up some photos (some good, some bad) of Camrail from the beginning to the end, you'll just have to work on the principle of better late than never!

It was a cracking weekend, Saturday and the 'Show and Tell' table being a particular highlight - it was good to meet the WT members who turned up and put a face to the avatars To my shame, I haven't actually got any photos of the show and tell table, I spent too much time talking to everybody who brought stuff and still managed to miss JimG and Jamiepage when they left the show.

A quick rewind back to the beginning - the setting up well underway



Almost ready in Titfield Land, just the last few books to get out and a 'train set' style layout to build for the boys



Everybody in place and everything ready for the show start (apart from the show and tell table - that needed things to show)



The camera shy 'Captain, Tea Maker and Sandwich Guru at your service' - top sandwiches this year Tim



Safety briefing from the man in charge 'Emergency exits are located, here, here and here'



Wenford Bridge Goods Depot (2mm FineScale). Bloomin' marvellous layout, locos smaller than your thumb, tractors that move even smaller than that and a crane that loads and unloads. Just like Bob said above, jaw droppingly good. John Greenwood (the owner) was also fantastically helpful, answering all of my questions whilst maintaining an air of modesty that belies the skill involved in getting things that small to work properly. Combine John, Jerry Clifford and the layout and you have something which falls into the 'Definitely Distracting' camp...





Bishopsmead. A stalwart of the Camrail show, Ted Olney's layout represents an era when everything had to be kit built, scratch built or modified - nothing on the layout is straight from a box and it shows up in the level of variety on offer. Operated to an intense service (except when I was operating on Sunday afternoon), there is always something moving and its a firm favourite of many.



Bob (do you have to take my photo) and Rich Brown, regular demonstrators at Camrail. Bob is great 3mm modeller (see his photo of the station board for his layout somewhere above) whilst Rich makes superb wagons from platicard. Both are extremely talented, funny and good company - perfect for a spot of socialising and motivation / inspiration.



All good to go, get the doors open



Part 2 to come in a bit

Steve

 

[Steve Cook]

Christopher Payne's wonderful Portpyn layout







Secondhand stuff available from Robin Tett and Dave



Back to Wenford Bridge



Starting to get busy in the hall



The show and tell table gets some action as Cynric and JimG discuss the finer points of using machines to produce works of art ,whilst Steph describes the 'old fashioned' ways of producing works of art by cutting out by hand.



Jamie Page joins in (the coach chassis looks even better in the flesh and drew many, many favourable comments)



At which point Chris Nevard turned up with Polbrock

 

[lancer1027]

Excellent pics Steve, looks like it was a very sucessful show. Well done Simon and eveyone else who helped , a credit to you all.

Just a shame its a bit too far for me

Rob

 

[Steve Cook]

If you weren't sure what the size difference between 4mm and 1/32 was





Following the Captains suggestion and Chris' permission



Slightly out of sequence, but Polbrock really does fall into the 'Have layout, will travel' category



Some of Peter Barnfields fantastical contraptions on Dick Dorton's Ardleigh Noel





Ardleigh Noel in a quiet moment Sunday morning - 20 minutes later it was live steam-a-running



Nottingham Goods by Dave Barrett. Beautifully done, and great to be able to walk around and view on three sides. Showed me up to be needing more camera practise, these are the only two photos I've got worth posting





One of the 'biggies', Wyandotte Siding' by Ken Smith, nice to see some great liveries and a bit of space given over to modelling

 

[D6331]

Fantastic pics - is Mr Nevard listening out for an approaching train?

Roger

 

[Steve Cook]

Wyandotte Siding from the other end



The windswept and bleakness that is Valencia Harbour by Andy Cundick - you can 'feel' the atmosphere already despite it being a work in progress





Barnwood Junction by Martyn Normanton, making their exhibition debut at Camrail. Proper length trains (apologies for not having any photos of these) and a good crew to share a beer with after the show







Smaller member of the Castens family re-arranging a few cars on the train set



Back to Bishopsmead



Irish Tram(way) frenzy now, the lovely models of Chris (Dad and Builder) and Dennis (painter) running on 'Black Rock'.

 

[Steve Cook]

More tramage





Steph and Dave drink tea in a quiet moment on the DCC demo stand



whilst Mike, deserted by Dave (Finney) and Nick (Smith) does the same on the Finney and Smith Emporium



Another pop back to Wenford Bridge



And that was it - top entertainment, much laughter and happiness, vast quantities of tea and food, new friends and old friends - must be time to pack up then, show over



Everything rammed in the Landrover



we even broke the 'unofficial rule' by not being the last people to pack the vehicles There's a first time for everything! Mind you, I think Ted gave us a good run for the money, he has never finished after Simon....



Cheers for letting me in Simon, and thanks to everyone who came, talked and took the mickey, a great weekend

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

Overall it was a good little show, nice and relaxing with a pub at the end of the day. Good to meet a few more 'Thunderers' and finally thank you to all involved with all aspects of the show .

 

[Chris Nevard]

Hi guys! First post here!
Great to meet some of you guys last Saturday and for Simon/Tim for letting me gatecrash the show with a trainset!Bit naughty I know so thanks again!

Here are a few of my snaps, no captions required I'm sure!

 

[Steve Cook]

Hi Chris
Welcome to the forum
I reckon I might recognise a few of those people
Steve

 

[28ten]

I like the idea of just pitching up with a layout/diorama. I believe Simon said the hall is being refurbished next year, maybe a 'show and tell' day would be a nice filler?