Cliffhanger at Warley

[tedp]

WRONG Ted!  4mm/ft and 16.5mm track. NARROW GAUGE, just like so many who claim to be modelling standard gauge!

;D ;D

[petersmith1942]

This thread has been great ,just a pity many contributions cant resist a barbed comment or implied criticism of other layouts. I visited on Sunday so was not aware the barriers had been moved out for "operator convenience" (maybe thats a barbed comment). With that knowledge I would have liked to have had two views, one closer and one where I was! I know thats not possible but at our "national" showcase handsomely (some might say extortionately) paying visitors views (interpret that as you will!) should be paramount
If we ever give up the quest for something new the hobby will be in its death throes; it isnt and hopefully people will try "new" (theres nothing really new) ideas and put up with adverse comments. Lets not be too precious however and fortunately layouts are in reality relatively easily changed despite protestations to the contrary.
Peter Smith

[Tigger]

Ok, let's have a bit of factuallity here Ted, anything less than The Master's 7' 0

[pilotfriend]

I have seen one guy with a small telescope at CG. I then realised that he was 'cabbing the numbers' on my rolling stock. He became very 'agitated' when he found two coaches of the same number in the station at the same time!

"I know thats not possible but at our "national" showcase handsomely (some might say extortionately) paying visitors views (interpret that as you will!) should be paramount"

I do agree with that but the barrier distance has to be chosen for the best view of the display. Those who want to see close up can always go online afterwards or as many did, buy a CD. My dioramas are not 'intimate' affairs in any case. I really would not like visitors to be 'intimate' with them at all! The fine detail is added for my own satisfaction. I could obtain the same visual result with a lot less. There are many layouts with fine intimate detail. There are few which are 'railways in a landscape'.

Close barriers can be a disaster. Some people lean right over and thrust a long lens right into the scenery. I have discovered this one to my cost.



It takes weeks to make and moments to break

We are quite puzzled why some video cameras now disrupt our automation. This did not happen in the past. We have a few IR recievers and I wonder if this is it.

[Hobby]

With barrier positions, from what I see of CH, it's designed to be seen from a distance - trains truly dwarfed by the landscape.  Unfortunately that means that a lot of folks who realise there is a wealth of fine detail are apt to be a little frustrated that they can't see it!  I'll agree with John that both CH and CG are best viewed from a distance for effect but this does mean that the detail isn't always visible.  Then again, the same can be said for the MRC's magnificent Copenhagen Fields and the MMRS's Derbyshire layout (the name of which escapes me).

Clee Tor I think Tigger...

I think the barrier thing is because people are used to viewing layouts closeup, but where the layout is designed to be viewed from further back then that's how it should be done... If it's any consolation, Jeff, I also pestered John about moving the barriers out to where they were on Saturday morning, it was the crush that pushed them in about lunchtime, I was out front but John was there as well, so I assumed he'd agreed it so I didn't say anything. I spent Friday night getting them so that anyone stood at the barrier would not be blinded by the lighting, by pushing them in they were...

I'm intrigued in a comment John made earlier - "I have other concepts but they are not to be I am afraid." - would it be possible to tell us some of them John?

[pilotfriend]

Nope! They also would not have one village, house on fire, fairground (with lots of leds), railway station and engine shed per square foot either! :-\

"I was out front but John was there as well"
By then I was brain dead and would not have noticed if CH was upside down!

[Hobby]

I'm sure you would!!

[Malcolm]

I fully agree that if you have designed the layout to be seen from a certain distance then the barriers should be the requisite distance from the layout front and indeed I would hope that exhibition managers would also take that into account when drafting their floor layout plan.

One thing that continually annoys me as an exhibitor is where there is not enough space between the barrier and the layout and small hands, large cameras etc can all reach over and touch and as John says 'weeks to make, moments to break'.  Why bother with barriers in such instances? Here I think exhibition managers, often trying, particularily in smaller halls, to sqeeze the proverbial quart into a pint pot, do not allow the approx 3 feet which I consider necessary to allow safe and easy access to the front of the layout to deal with any emergency.  This may be a reflection on the girth of myself and my fellow operators but it results in us having to go out onto the public side of the barrier and then shouting 'Excuse me, make room for the maintenance staff' or words of a similar nature and shoving our way in knocking cameras to one side, trampling kids underfoot and getting verbal abuse into the bargain.  Irrespective of the correct artistic distance between the barrier and layout there needs to be a minimum access distance from a health and safety angle.

Malcolm

[pilotfriend]

Here here Malcolm

[Brandyman]

Sorry to clarify the barrier, on Saturday it was right up against the stands for the lighting rig. This meant that on a couple of occasions the whole of cliffhanger moved with the force of the crowd, and on the few times we had a rolling stock issue I had to squeeze under the brace for the lighting and try to stand again without falling onto the layout. On the Sunday morning the barrier was removed for filming before the show opened, and when re-erected initially it was a lot further away as the builder had an interview in front of it, and needed access for his scooter. Later it was moved closer again to give a distance of about a foot in front of the lighting barrier, enough to give me access without having to go down on my hands and knees.
So depending on what time you visited the barrier was at different distances.

Jeff 

[pilotfriend]

That's right. I was trying to find the fairground hidden in the trees to show to the cameraman. ;D

[rhydddu009]

John, i saw a book cover at warley that appeared to be a new book on modelling written by you. When is that due out? For the record i thought cliffhanger was outstanding.

[pilotfriend]

Thanks. My book is due out early next year, published by Crowood Press.I am proof reading and indexing it now.

[Brandyman]

That's right. I was trying to find the fairground hidden in the trees to show to the cameraman. ;D

No the fairground is where the clowns hang out. So it must be round the back of the layout!

[pilotfriend]

 ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D