Moorcroft Junction & Kingswear

[Bigric]

Evening All ! After putting the pics of Chee Tor on here recently , I have been back into the archives for some more goodies . First up is a small album of photos of the late Andy Calvert's last layout , Moorcroft Junction . When I was just getting into N gauge in 2001 - 2002 , Andy was widely regarded as Mr N Gauge . He was constantly blowing the trumpet for N gauge & continually trying to raise the bar of what could be achieved . His final layout before dying prematurely at the end of 2002 was to be Moorcock Junction , an imaginary station on the Settle - Carlisle line set in 1957 - 1962 . I did have quite a few more photos of the layout from exhibitions in 2003 & 2004 BUT all bar these few in this album were pre digital & are long gone I'm afraid ! It's a shame he never finished the layout properly but what was there still gave a great image of the area & the line......I remember being in awe of the long , curving viaduct ! I seem to remember that British Railway Modelling ran 2 or 3 articles by Andy about the planning & construction of the layout along the way .

http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?action=media;sa=album;in=921

Sorry they are so close up , BUT I found these taken at a Folkestone exhibition in 2007 , MUCH better ! Follow the link below & scroll about half way down the page to get to the Moorcroft Junction ones . After Andy died , the layout was sold to a private individual (I think) & run at exhibitions by the St Aidans Model Railway Group as far as I know .

http://www.mumbles274.co.uk/exhibitions.html

Kingswear was/is a 2mm finescale layout doing the exhibition circuit in the early - mid 2000's - a GWR layout set in coastal Devon in 1944 (one of the little scenes represents troops being loaded on to a landing craft ) . I remember being struck by the quality of the scenic side & the use of forced perspective (??) to give a real feeling of depth to the layout . More great modelling IMHO !

http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?action=media;sa=album;in=922

All the background to Kingswear can be found on this link below

.http://www.gwr.org.uk/layoutsmap1.html

Thanks for looking ! Cheers , Ric

[Bealman]

Yes, I've followed the works of Andy Calvert since catching one of his layouts in an 80's edition of RM. He certainly was one of N scale's great modellers. Shame he left us so soon.

Thanks for posting! 

[elmo]

The great Andy Calvert indeed. I paid my £1 for the N Gauge Society joining pack and received Nether Stowey on the front cover. As a Great Western man that was all I needed to join the society, a very finely detailed layout. I have seen Moorcock in the 'flesh' but sadly never had a personal view of Nether Stowey.

Elmo

[Michael Shillabeer]

Hello

Moorcock Junction appeared at the N Gauge Society's 35th Anniversary Exhibition. Some photos here http://www.ngaugesociety.com/index.php?mact=Gallery,mf416b,default,1&mf416bdir=35th%2Fmoorcock&mf416breturnid=65&page=65

There is an article by Andy and more photos of his layouts at http://www.ngaugesociety.com/index.php?page=calvert-gallery

A superb modeller and a great guy. I wonder what he would have built using today's models?

Best regards
Michael

[Bealman]

You know, Michael, that's exactly what was going through my mind when I made the above post. 

[N Gauge Bob]

Evening All ! After putting the pics of Chee Tor on here recently , I have been back into the archives for some more goodies . First up is a small album of photos of the late Andy Calvert's last layout , Moorcroft Junction . When I was just getting into N gauge in 2001 - 2002 , Andy was widely regarded as Mr N Gauge . He was constantly blowing the trumpet for N gauge & continually trying to raise the bar of what could be achieved . His final layout before dying prematurely at the end of 2002 was to be Moorcock Junction , an imaginary station on the Settle - Carlisle line set in 1957 - 1962 . I did have quite a few more photos of the layout from exhibitions in 2003 & 2004 BUT all bar these few in this album were pre digital & are long gone I'm afraid ! It's a shame he never finished the layout properly but what was there still gave a great image of the area & the line......I remember being in awe of the long , curving viaduct ! I seem to remember that British Railway Modelling ran 2 or 3 articles by Andy about the planning & construction of the layout along the way .

http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?action=media;sa=album;in=921

Sorry they are so close up , BUT I found these taken at a Folkestone exhibition in 2007 , MUCH better ! Follow the link below & scroll about half way down the page to get to the Moorcroft Junction ones . After Andy died , the layout was sold to a private individual (I think) & run at exhibitions by the St Aidans Model Railway Group as far as I know .

http://www.mumbles274.co.uk/exhibitions.html

Kingswear was/is a 2mm finescale layout doing the exhibition circuit in the early - mid 2000's - a GWR layout set in coastal Devon in 1944 (one of the little scenes represents troops being loaded on to a landing craft ) . I remember being struck by the quality of the scenic side & the use of forced perspective (??) to give a real feeling of depth to the layout . More great modelling IMHO !

http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?action=media;sa=album;in=922

All the background to Kingswear can be found on this link below

.http://www.gwr.org.uk/layoutsmap1.html

Thanks for looking ! Cheers , Ric

Moorcock was sold after Andy's death to the late Graham Smith from Syston in Leicstershire. Graham was well known on the exhibition circuit. I then purchased Moorcock from him. Sadly due to constraints on storage and ill health I had to sell the layout, and I believe the layout was broken up for spares by a model shop somewhere in Bristol, who bought it under a private name and had siad he was going to exhibit it in a museum of famous layouts he had intended to build.  I have all the Moorcock details and I have contemplated building Moorcock Mk2, but decided against it as I could never repeat the quality of Andy's work. However I do have a spare 18ft x 12ft shed so there may yet be a possibility of a slightly smaller version. I also have one or two of the iconic items of rolling stock including the breakdown train....I recently turned down an over of a grand for it!!!!
(Some may know that I was the other half of the Armathwaite layout which I built with Howard Staniforth a few years back.)
Cheers
Bob

[trkilliman]

I spent a few years of my life as a Bristolian...52 to be precise, before emigrating to West Cornwall. I only know of one model shop in Bristol itself these days, and always pop in when visiting family. Just so happens I will be popping in there next week. I may drop the name Moorcock Junction into conversation with the owner who I have known for a good 30 years, purely to see what response I get.

Only saw it once at Thornbury, but wow what a lesson in how to create landscape! Sad news it was eventually broken up. I have to wonder if the NGS could have taken it under their wings, given how Andy and the layout were both so iconic to N gauge. Hindsight 'eh...

[Dr Al]

I had to sell the layout, and I believe the layout was broken up for spares by a model shop somewhere in Bristol, who bought it under a private name and had siad he was going to exhibit it in a museum of famous layouts he had intended to build.

That is sacrilege. What a shame.

cheers,
Alan

[Newportnobby]

Sacrilege!!
A crime against railway modelling

[Calnefoxile]

I spent a few years of my life as a Bristolian...52 to be precise, before emigrating to West Cornwall. I only know of one model shop in Bristol itself these days, and always pop in when visiting family. Just so happens I will be popping in there next week. I may drop the name Moorcock Junction into conversation with the owner who I have known for a good 30 years, purely to see what response I get.

It's not the shop you're thinking of @trkilliman it's another one that was in Bristol but moved to Yate and has now closed down I think.

The owner used to do exhibitions as a trader, but haven't seen him for ages. I did hear that he had broken the layout up, but cannot confirm that.

Cheers

Neal.

[Bob Tidbury]

That's so sad to hear that Moorcock junction has been broken up ,I actualy made a very small contribution to the layout ,The buildings on it were built by a friend of mine Mike Case and when he had the engine shed on display on the BH E stand at one of the exhibitions I jokingly said that it would be a laugh if he put a duck in the water tank ,he said he would if he could find one ,so I gave him one of the Ducks of off my layout and he glued it in .
I remember Andy Calvert he was such a nice chap ,although he was one of the best N gauge modelers he was always ready to talk with absolute beginners and give them hints and tips .
I will never forget just after his untimely death we were at the N E C show and a minutes silence was observed in rememberance , and you could have heard a pin drop in the Hall .
I will never forget him , a true friend .
Bob

[silly moo]

I remember meeting Andy Calvert at a show where he was giving a clinic on detailing locos, I asked him about quietening down noisy Farish locos. At that stage he was reviewing locos for BRM, he did mention that he thought Farish made a point of sending him quiet ones to review. Then someone asked him if his wife minded him being involved in the hobby he said, smiling  "she's lucky to have me" I think we were all lucky to have him.