PD Hancock - Craig and Mertonford - Dundreich

[Graeme Dunbar]

My 009 News was waiting for me when I came home last night. I had forgotten how atmospheric the layout was and I don't think I've ever seen colour photos of it.

The architecture and stonework is spot on (I guess) for a peninsula off East Lothian.

The enduring image in my head is of the band on parade.

Here's the (or a) real Dundreich  :) http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dundreich_-_geograph.org.uk_-_211793.jpg

[Malcolm]

Ah, I had been meaning to look it up.  Somewhere in Peebleshire according to PDH.  Photo obviously not taken on a dreich [Scots to English translation - miserable, cheerless] day.
Malcolm

[Malcolm]

Stan

Lord Craig thanks you for your hospitality at the Dwffyr Uchaf Quarries and advises that he is most pleased with the photograph of himself in front of the loco.

Malcolm

[Graeme Dunbar]

Ah, I had been meaning to look it up.  Somewhere in Peebleshire according to PDH.  Photo obviously not taken on a dreich [Scots to English translation - miserable, cheerless] day.
Malcolm

Another fictional Dundreich. Perhaps you can remember a BBC Scotland comedy series (Laugh I nearly paid my license fee) that included a very young Robbie Coltrane? There was sketch featuring the Laird of Dundreich. The location lived up to its name!

I've just checked my copy of "Narrow gauge adventure" to check the location of Craigshire. I imagined it being bigger. Am I correct in thinking that PD drew his own line drawings?  It looks like the "Part of Craigshire" track plan is signed "PDH 1964". The layout drawings have echoes of Wainwright.

[Tigger]

Do not forget folks that, unless Pete has since said otherwise, his Charwel Cwm Bach locos were handed to me for the showcase ON LOAN only and not donated to the Society.

[MickT]

Do not forget folks that, unless Pete has since said otherwise, his Charwel Cwm Bach locos were handed to me for the showcase ON LOAN only and not donated to the Society.

Pete has since said otherwise David. When Julien had the heritage collection, all items that were on the inventory as being on loan were checked with the owners and they were either returned to the owners or a proper donation document was drawn up, passing ownership of the items to the Society. When I took temporary guardianship of the collection from Julien, in order to take catalogue photos, the documentation accompanying showed this. Collection was then returned by me to the Society and subsequently to the appointed keeper of the Heritage Collection, which is as the situation stands currently as far as I know.

Mick

[johnwilliams009]

Malcolm,
We were pleased to meet Lord Craig and hoped his visit to the quarries will help him with his plans for the C&M R.

Regarding the showcase which travels with our layouts around the UK.
I would like to say, that Garry takes great pride in having a different collection of locos for almost every show.
Sometimes a themed Paul Windle collection and depending where we are a collection of locos from a certain railway
ie the FR/ WHR and so on.
The collection will normally be made up from stock that Garry, Roger, Bill or myself have.
Some of the stock seen at one show will be possibly running on a layout at the next show.
With that it would be difficult to print out what is in the showcase, but someone is always on hand to explain to a visitor the contents of the showcase.
From the favourable comments we receive, it appears to go down well, in fact we have exhibition managers asking us to bring it along with our layouts.

Stan.

[invercloy]

Whilst we old-timers have had a lot of private correspondence of late regarding the Craig and Mertonford, it is, perhaps, a little sad that the younger, in this case, under 50, modellers probably have no understanding of the significance of the CMR. They probably see the remains of a well made scenic 009 layout with a bit of standard gauge, quite commonplace nowadays.

Like Steve, I had access to large stacks of Railway Modellers when I was younger and had an 8'x4' 00 roundy roundy, which happened to contain articles on the CMR.

Whilst on a holiday to Wales with my parents the first railway book I bought, and read cover to cover was a copy of PDH's book.  I still have it, and re-read it every few years.

At 28 I guess the magazines that were available at second hand stands at exhibitions when I was growing up will now have become superseded by those from the 90s and early 21st Century.  At least it's still easy to get hold of a copy of Narrow Gauge Adventure which will hopefully remain the case.

Great to see part of the layout still exists and is being actively preserved.  I hope to be able to see it for real some day.

[Graeme Dunbar]

Regarding Lord Craig - flicking through Narrow Gauge Adventure again I was reminded that he made figures from wax on a wire armature. Is this the case with this gentleman?

[petersmith1942]

Nobody seems to want these old RMs these days, too heavy for carting to exhibitions. The best place to look is preservation sites and stations including those with book shops. Many of these refuse magazines these days as they take up too much space to sell at 10p each. I always browse them if I see them but dont buy even at 10p. I suppose they will be put on CD/DVD at some point if they havent already. No doubt in 30 years time they will be collectors items at

[Graeme Dunbar]

Its perhaps advancing years or rose tinted spectacles but the creativity skill and imagination demonstrated in those days far outweighs the search for absolute fidelity apparent in current magazine layouts and often achieved out of the box
Peter Smith

One of the reasons I like 009! A good number of club standard gauge exhibition layouts are big but less than exciting. Perhaps understandably they take the opportunity to make maximum use of the large areas available in exhibitions, but it can lead to bland layouts.

The C&MLR was so full of character.

Perhaps one reason why some of the old layouts were good is that they developed and were redeveloped over a long period of time. There appears to be rather more build, scrap and try something new every few years now.

[tedp]

During the Valkenburg show in the Netherlands, Rod Allcock brought with him the restored Craig & Mertonford diesel loco 'Joan', which together with a number of the so-called 'Woolworth hoppers' visited the Craigcorrie & Dunalistair Railway during the course of the weekend. Photos appear in the photo album of the Valkenburg show here:

http://www.009dutch.nl/archive/2012/gallery37/index.htm

The Valkenburg show offered a great number of interesting narrow gauge model railways, including many in 009 or H0e. A full report will appear in due course, on the Dutch Group website on the 'recent' page.

http://www.009dutch.nl/

Just now I uploaded a short video to Youtube, showing 'Joan' at work on the C&DR, hauling a string of the so-called Woolworth hoppers. The loco is an excellent slow runner thanks to Rod Allcock's work.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkZzhuoZ8SQ

[Malcolm]

I've just checked my copy of "Narrow gauge adventure" to check the location of Craigshire. I imagined it being bigger. Am I correct in thinking that PD drew his own line drawings?  It looks like the "Part of Craigshire" track plan is signed "PDH 1964". The layout drawings have echoes of Wainwright. GraemeD

You are correct Graeme.  PDH did draw his own plans which, despite showing a scale, I would call them sketch plans rather than scale plans. 

The echoes of Wainright is not pure co-incidence.  PDH was a keen hill walker and admirer of Wainright and, if I recall correctly, they did meet.

Malcolm

 

[Malcolm]

Just now I uploaded a short video to Youtube, showing 'Joan' at work on the C&DR, hauling a string of the so-called Woolworth hoppers. The loco is an excellent slow runner thanks to Rod Allcock's work.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkZzhuoZ8SQ

Ted
As they would say in Glasgow; 'pure dead brilliant'
Malcolm

[rod335]

Malcolm

I don't know if PDH and Wainwright ever met but I do know that PDH told me they had a degree of correspondence, being out of similar moulds. Indeed PDH made no secret of the fact in conversation that Hill Walking was his major passion, taking precedence over railways and railway moddelling. Of course, then there was Scottish Church Architecture as well.... He regretted greatly that his failing health, and the death of his long-time walking companion, led to a curtailment of his walking activities.

Rod