Bristol Harbour 
Bob Edwardes OO gauge 4mm scale
This layout started off as a small diorama, primarily to display two scratch built Stothert and Pitt Dockside 3 Ton electric cranes, located at MShed Museum, Bristol.
However, 2020 provided an opportunity to enlarge the model by constructing a few more cranes!
As a museum volunteer and operator of the four surviving cranes, I was keen to make an accurate representation. Access to the museum's archive material was really useful, as well as a working knowledge.
The Stothert and Pitt electric cranes were built at Bath in 1951, working at Princes Wharf, Bristol up until the 1970's
They were all sold for scrap but had a stay of execution when bought back by the newly formed Bristol Industrial Museum. Over the coming years they were restored to full working order and still lift up to their maximum weights.
The model continues to evolve and construction techniques improved to such an extent, that some of the cranes actually work.
People often ask if they are 3D printed.....they are not!!
Each part was carefully considered and a pattern created using a range of recycled materials. Some of these materials were raided from the kitchen; including a plastic milk bottle top - for the 3 Ton crane slew ring, a marmite lid - for the 10 Ton crane (crane 32) and large rivet detail.....split lentils.
With the patterns made for the 3 Ton cranes, silicon moulds were made, so that repeated copies could be made. The crane 32 model is unique, and is completely scratch built.
