Dave, I have just read your entry with interest. I am only 70 but have just retired and have switched to Gauge O, partly a response to stiffening finger jonts and bifocal eyesight. I am really enjoying it and am achieving more, now retired, than I could ever do when working (my work took me overseas all the time).

I reckon I have possibly a good ten years of modeling to go but I hope more. Cod liver oil tablets seem to work and my long time love affair with the Mediterranean lifestyle is also a good omen. My wife is convinced we can outlive our common sense and I hope she is right.

My saddest conclusion, though, is that all these modeling skills and results are of little interest to anyone in the family. So what I do is simply for me; it feels quite strange to write something do "selfish".

Hi Dave.

It's good to hear that you're still active with your S4 modelling, even if activity is only in short stints. I think you're absolutely right not to carry on beyond your concentration span or when feeling tired. Although a fair bit younger than you, I find it best to put the model away and do something else if I get tired or frustrated with something I can't get to go just as I want.

It's quite common to hear of modellers changing to 7 mm due to aging problems, but to my mind, 7 mm models need much more fine detail than 4 mm if they're not to look bare. Just look at some of the 7 mm stuff in the scratch/kit building section to see what I mean. The best ones are miniature engineering masterpieces.

Anyway, enjoy you bursts of modelling and the pauses in between.

Regards,

Dave.

The reason I switched was simple. I could not see or pick up a 4mm lamp bracket for a Dean Goods I was building. Now I have tackled greater detail in 7mm and succeeded.

I think the moral of my story is that you do what is best for you.

Thanks for your interest 'Focalplane', but I believe my mate Dave Holt is correct; - lampbrackets on 4mm can be plain, but on 7mm they need the rivets!  

(See you at Roy's tomorrow Dave?)

I did seriously consider 7mm about twenty years ago but John Langan, who I am proud to say was one of my mentors,came up with; - "Well I can see what you mean Dave, but remember a thou is still a thou what ever scale you use". A joke perhaps, but so true.

I've been trying to model to P4/S4 standards since before the inception of either society and have two layouts, over 25 locos, over 100 goods vehicles and some twenty coaches; all scratch, kit, or RTR converted by myself over many years. That's too much history for any acceptable change. At least it is at this stage; - who knows what the future holds?

Dave