RM January

[banburysaint]

The January edition has just arrived for subscribers, complete with a review of Warley releases! A very quick turn around. The railway of the month is probably the largest I have seen in the magazine

[rue_d_etropal]

mine dropped through letterbox on Friday. Nice and early. I do remember it used to be early for January issue, before they went Thursday publishing.

Sure to be a bit of interesting discussion, as Talking Points is all about whether modelrailways should be considered as art. Some very good ponts made, and pre-empting some who will comment here, what many do in the hobby is not art, however skillful it it. Personally I don't think it did went far enough, but then I am known to think in a different way.

To start the stirring, Pendon, is not considered as art, whereas Pempoul is. I agree with this, and I also consider what some think as art is just pretty , highly skilled paintings. That does not stop me liking them or appreciating them.

[Kelly]

mine dropped through letterbox on Friday. Nice and early. I do remember it used to be early for January issue, before they went Thursday publishing.

Sure to be a bit of interesting discussion, as Talking Points is all about whether modelrailways should be considered as art. Some very good ponts made, and pre-empting some who will comment here, what many do in the hobby is not art, however skillful it it. Personally I don't think it did went far enough, but then I am known to think in a different way.

To start the stirring, Pendon, is not considered as art, whereas Pempoul is. I agree with this, and I also consider what some think as art is just pretty , highly skilled paintings. That does not stop me liking them or appreciating them.

 

That is a bit 'one man's brass, anothers gold' type of a scenario. Might not be art to you, but who is to say someone else viewing it and thinking it is art is wrong? art is about evoking emotion and/or thought, and also recreating what we see, amongst other things. Model railways if done right can invoke both those criteria well. Eye of the beholder type thing however, so never going to get a single coherent answer to such a question.

[Steamport Southport]

From the Oxford English Dictionary definition of art: https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/art

 

 

The expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power:

 

By that criteria they are either both art or neither is.

 

 

I haven't got this issue (or the last one yet). But there's potentially an interesting article on Trans Pennine DMUs and one on overall station roofs (hopefully using bathmats for those who remember that article from the 1970s).

 

 

Jason

[rue_d_etropal]

There is art and  then there is art. Sorry but I did philosophy an uni. I will pick anything apart. Words can be very tricky. Defining art is not simple, but many don't follow the argument through. A bit like philosophy, you can have a philosophy, which can be absolutely anything, including complete rubbish, or you can think . It is not just following a few rules, but thinking, what if, and art is like that , and it should trigger something in the viewer. It also triggers something in the artist. Trouble it is only when it happens that you can actually appreciate it, and many don't give it a chance.

Most people will have seen street artists who do very detailed chalk pictures on the pavement. Extremely wwell done, very skillful.but just a skill learned, not art. Many model railways are like that, even kit building. Replicating what is there is just a photocopy of life, even fictional life, but add something, which the viewer has to find, and think about, then it becomes art.

Unfortunately the art world is full of non art, accepted by the art establishment because it keeps them in a job. The model railway hobby does not have a defined structure, luckily, but some do act as if there was.

I am saying the hobby has to be art, but some model railways are art.

Just reminded me. Jack Nelson is best remembered for his 3D dioramas, but in the 40s he was writing about creating layouts that draw your eye along certain paths. I think his wrk mightbe considered art. Always difficult looking back, as others have copied some of his ideas.That might be why it is difficult with model railways. We all borrow ideas from other model railways.

 

Looking back at that dictionary definition, that is a definition of a physical piece of art, not 'metaphysical' art. 

Anyone, and I suspect that is quite a few , who thinks this is rubbish, I won't try to convert you. You are not seeing everything, but if you are happy with that then I won't complain.

[tractionman]

For those like me awaiting eagerly the arrival in the shops...

 

Railway Modeller January 2017

January 2017 – vol 68 No.795

 

FREE COVER-MOUNTED KIT WITH THIS ISSUE!

Market Traders' barrow stall

A Wills injection moulded plastic kit for 4mm scale – see Craig Tiley's article in this issue on getting the best out of it.

 

RAILWAY OF THE MONTH

Carlisle and District

David Johnson is the proud owner of a mammoth project to recreate the Border City’s railways in 4mm scale in a purpose-built room measuring no less than 35m x 6m. In the first of a short series of articles on this remarkable model railway, he and co-builder Mike Edge reveal more to editor Steve Flint.

 

PLAN OF THE MONTH & SCALE DRAWINGS

Auchendinny

Jim Hay surveys this long-lost wayside stopping point on the Penicuik branch, in the lowlands of eastern Scotland, including plans of the station building and adjacent bowstring girder bridge.

 

FEATURES

 

Trans-Pennine DMU in 4mm

Wanting a more modern (and accurate) Class 124 than the 1960s Trix version, Sean Hutchinson built his own with the aid of custom-produced body side etches.

 

Great Endon

To provide the background to his 4mm scale layout, set in the present day, Jeremy Davison extended a Lancashire mineral line and upgraded it to a main route.

 

Dawes Central

Another contemporary-period layout, this time in N and set in industrial Lincolnshire. Richard Boothby explains how it was developed.

 

A Woolworth's in vinyl

Every High Street needs one – Peter Dawson used his skills with vinyl to create a 4mm scale model of the one that used to be near Paignton station in Devon.

 

Northcastle

North-east native Alan Hackett grew up around Newcastle, and this OO gauge layout is set in LNER days. It’s actually closer to Newcastle, New South Wales!

 

Coal sidings

Tom Kirtley returns to a topic that was popular in the letters columns back in the spring: the correct placement of coal staithes on layouts.

 

Trains on The Worlds End

Ordinary service trains, excursions and freight/engineers’ workings all appear on this award-winning OO layout by Peter and Julie Goss.

 

Talking Points

Topical issues from the world of railway modelling. This month, N gauge modeller Ian Stock presents his take on the concept of model railways as art.

 

Modifying a Heljan Class 20

When building his latest O gauge Scottish-based diesel depot, Ian Futers converted one of the Heljan EE Type 1s to a headcode box-fitted version.

 

Dungeness daydreaming

Des Trollip used 1:22 scale and hand-laid 16.5mm gauge track to represent a beach scene with a 15" gauge railway serving the fisherfolk.

 

Fast and frequent trains to Liverpool Street

Brian K Smith was inspired by a 1978 Roy Link plan to recreate the ex-Great Eastern of his youth in OO.

 

Cross Heath

Steve Farmer set himself the challenge of making the smallest layout he could that still had credibility; this N gauge project is the result.

 

Kingswood

Behind Tony Ditchfield’s railway room door lies his OO gauge layout – as does his car, so this part of the model occasionally has to be operated from a distance.

 

RAILWAY MODELLING EXPLORED

Project of the Month – Building your market traders' barrow stall

Craig Tiley shows you how to get the best out of our free cover-mount 4mm scale Wills kit.

 

Inexpensive overall roof

Christopher Day, one of a crew of Australian modellers building an extensive UK-outline layout, tasked himself with building a roof for little outlay.

 

REGULARS

 

Comment

Opinions and observations across the field of railway modelling. This month, Peter Osborne reminds us how our senses can improve our enjoyment of layout running.

 

Readers’ Letters

 

Latest Reviews

The items reviewed this month include the BR Class 08 diesel shunter in O gauge from Dapol; the code 75 bullhead track in OO from Peco; recent releases from Bachmann; a battery-powered air compressor from Iwata; the Mk.II version of the Sharge track cleaner for OO and N; the Wills Modern level crossing for OO; and much more.

 

Book reviews

 

News

Including a stop press look at some of the new releases seen at the Warley show at the NEC; a CAD image of the Hatton's Warwell; the HOA hopper to come from Revolution Trains in N; progress with the Golden Valley Hobbies Janus in OO; an EP sample of the Kernow Model Rail Cemntre/DJ Models GWR 1361 0-6-0ST; and much more.

 

Societies & Clubs

The hobby's best guide to What's On around the UK and beyond.

 

http://www.pecopublications.co.uk/Railway-Modeller-January-2017.html

[Barry O]

I seem to recognise a lot of locos and stock on Carlisle for some reason.....

 

Baz

[Nearholmer]

The only overall roof article is almost up there alongside the bath-mat, being glazed with an old transparent table-cloth!

 

Will it become a well-remembered classic too?

 

K

 

PS: close examination reveals that the table-cloth is indeed remarkably similar to the famous bath-mat, which raises the question: was the bath-mat cut-down from a table-cloth; or, was the table-cloth actually a roll of uncut bath-mat material???? Mysterious forces are undoubtedly at work!!

[BR60103]

I just received the December issue today, promising me the January issue on Dec. 8.

[Nelson Jackson]

When browsing the selection of magazines at Tesco, I couldn't help but buy this January issue, this was because of the layouts and free kit involved. I'm happy to see something physical being given away for free rather than a downloadable paper kit that other magazines see to favor.

[RJS1977]

The January edition has just arrived for subscribers, complete with a review of Warley releases! A very quick turn around. The railway of the month is probably the largest I have seen in the magazine

 

Yes, I think it's even bigger than the 100' x 20' 'Kingsclere Great Western' which appeared in RM back in the 80s and which John Brewer reckoned was probably the largest privately-owned indoor layout in the UK. But that's what I'd term a 'proper' layout - lots of tracks going all over the place, a couple of stations (one very big one), a couple of goods yards, a viaduct and a large loco depot. I used to draw up layouts like that all the time when I was a boy!

[Steamport Southport]

Nice of them to include a kit of a Wickham trolley. Now where do you fit the decoder and speaker?

 

 

 

That's what it looks like to me anyway....

 

 

Jason

[James Harrison]

I've no use for a market trader's stall, so in honour of the festive period I'm going to bash it into something that you only ever see around Christmastime... the child-catcher's van out of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. 

[Nearholmer]

I'm trying to think of something that it might become in 0 scale. One of those old, red, post office barrows that used to swarm around stations might work.

 

K

[Poggy1165]

I am fascinated by the reference to 'hand-laid 16.5mm gauge track'.

 

Do some people lay track with their feet, or is there some new super-dooper machine that plonks it down for you? 

[Legend]

Yes really good edition this month. Carlisle is magnificent, not just in scale, although that is impressive, but the standard of modelling too. As RJS1977 says it's the sort of layout you dreamed of in adolescence. Just one of many good layouts this month. Thoroughly enjoying the read.

[Steamport Southport]

The only overall roof article is almost up there alongside the bath-mat, being glazed with an old transparent table-cloth!

 

Will it become a well-remembered classic too?

 

K

 

PS: close examination reveals that the table-cloth is indeed remarkably similar to the famous bath-mat, which raises the question: was the bath-mat cut-down from a table-cloth; or, was the table-cloth actually a roll of uncut bath-mat material???? Mysterious forces are undoubtedly at work!!

 

Based on Birkenhead Woodside apparently. Could have gotten away with painting it black as the original one always looks filthy in photographs.  

 

http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/b/birkenhead_woodside/

 

Unfortunately it was gone before I was about.

 

 

Jason

[RJS1977]

I am fascinated by the reference to 'hand-laid 16.5mm gauge track'.

 

Do some people lay track with their feet,

 

"Jim Flatcrock"

"Who's he?"

"He's a man who's pretty clever with his feet..."

[Orange Cat]

That Woolworths shop interior should have had a display with tortoises on it. My Mum had a tortoise from Woolworths in the 1930s and they all still seemed to have them when I was little in the 1960s. 

[Legend]

That Woolworths shop interior should have had a display with tortoises on it. My Mum had a tortoise from Woolworths in the 1930s and they all still seemed to have them when I was little in the 1960s. 

 

The first counter was always the Pic 'n' Mix sweetie counter.   Then further back we had the delights of Airfix Kits .   Great shop , sadly missed

[rob D2]

That's the first edition I've enjoyed in a long time - much better balance of diesels / steam and not over NGed