And therein lies the 'flaw' in the concept. You could build a complete layout in 2mm scale in a 2m length! It is a totally different concept in the largest scales; in G3 that's only about 7 wagons long!
I agree. When does a cameo become a diorama and vice versa?
This, in my view, is becoming interesting and I, for one, am now pleased I did not enter the competition as any 'cameo' I would have built in O scale would have had its visual component exceeding 2m in length.
The other interesting point is how the word 'cameo' has appeared to have changed it's use or used incorrectly in modern times. According to the current OED cameo is defined as thus:
1. A piece of jewellery, typically oval in shape, consisting of a portrait in profile carved in relief on a background of a different colour.
2. Short descriptive literary sketch which neatly encapsulates someone or something.
3. A small character part in a play or film, played by a distinguished actor.
Taking 3 above as the literal theatrical interpretation for the competition then each 'cameo' in theory should be a scale theatre stage width in length. Therefore following this to it's logical conclusion, a 2mm 'cameo' would be smaller than a G3 'cameo' and as such everything would be proportional.
2 above could also be considered but is a model a literary sketch? Again a question of interpretation.
In my view a
diorama would more accurately describe the competition since the OED defines diorama as:
1. A model representing a scene with three-dimensional figures, either in miniature or as a large-scale museum exhibit.
In it's historical sense.
2. A scenic painting, viewed through a peephole, in which changes in colour and direction of illumination simulate changes in the weather, time of day, etc.
And a more modern definition.
3. A miniature film set used for special effects or animation.
Anyway, enough of the pedantry.
Without taking anything away from the organisers of this inspirational idea (and possibly the first time it has been advertised nationally) to demonstrate you do not have to have a large area in order to create a 'slice' of railway history in model form, I have noted throughout the previous postings it has become clear with the benefit of hindsight perhaps the dimensions of the 'cameo' could have been defined by the scale modelled e.g. 2mm scale up to 1m length; HO/4mm scale up to 2m length; O scale up to 4m length.
These are my thoughts alone and without detracting from any ongoing building taking place I look forward to seeing the competition entry and
'disqualified' 'cameos' develop as I am always interested in seeing (and learning from) how other modellers develop, build and scenic small layouts no matter what the scale.