What are cameos layouts?
Cameos are small layouts, usually up to about 2m/6ft long, that present a realistic, self-contained scene. They can be single-ended with an integrated or add-on fiddleyard or through scenes with access to a fiddleyard at each end.
If you’re struggling to picture what I mean, a brilliant example of an N-scale cameo layout is Cross Street by David Lund.
To truly meet the definition of a cameo the layout should:
- put the ‘horizon line’ of the scene as close to eye level as possible, typically 63in for the average person standing;
- feature high levels of detail and ideally, fine-scale wheel and track standards;
- be as self-contained as possible, with an integrated display and support structure to ease transport, set-up and storage.
In many ways a cameo is similar to a module and a series of cameos built to a modular standard would allow cameos to be inter-connected. Modular standards tend to put an emphasis on standardised edge-of-module scenery to ensure independently built modules look consistent when brought together. Inter-connected cameos could be used to create very different scenes from a particular region or stretch of railway (the Lötschberg Line/Rhine Valley) or a large urban area (passenger services in Berlin/Toronto industrial switching) but being self-contained scenes they could still operate as stand-alone models when needed.
Click here for more ideas for cameos and modules.