Metr0Land

This flash sale at Rails seems to have flown under the radar? Beachy Head in BR for £124.50 +p/p https://railsofsheffield.com/products/25561/Bachmann-31-921-oo-gauge-h2-class-atlantic-4-4-2-32424-beachy-head-br-black-early-emblem (Same price at Hattons)

I should have added, one of the attractions of Sony Vegas (when I bought it) was that you could actually trial it for 28days. No idea if you still can. That was a real rarity.

I use Sony Vegas Studio v11.0 which is a bit long in the tooth now - I think they're currently up to v16. Most modern video editing tools will import pretty much anything, and some will allow you to include HD and earlier formats in the same timeline. For starters I'd say avoid this and import footage from one type at a time and edit until you're confident. My original material is on Video 8, Hi8, Digital 8, mini-DV and now HD on cards. There are some pitfalls with earlier formats. From Digital 8 onwards, when you capture video you will get a little icon for each scene - eg if you capture 5 mins straight from the camera and there are 20 different scenes you get 20 icons. Video8 and Hi8 won't do this. They hadn't thought about it, so you get a 5 min capture with no detail. For Video8, Hi8 and D8 the cassettes are the same but make sure you have a camera with a miniDV socket to connect to your computer. Since the 1990's I used a 'Firewire' IEEE1394 cable which was the bee's knees back then. You won't get a new computer these days that has a Firewire card in it, but you can buy them. I've no idea what happens if you get a miniDV to USB cable what it'll do. I suspect USB2 might struggle at times but USB3 should be ok with the data volumes. However as I still use the Firewire for V8, Hi8, D8 and miniDV I've no need to change. For modern all-digital cards it's just the same as a stills camera. Either connect a USB/miniDV cable to your camera, or take the card out and put it into a card-reader to copy files across. If you're wanting to save everything digitally, it depends on just how much fliming you have but will need sizable external drive/s. I've a couple of 2TB drives but they were becoming full. Am now using an 8TB external drive. I haven't backed that up as I still have the original films going back 1989 and cameras that can still connect to the PC (I always use a desktop for archiving work not a laptop).

Clearer view of ...579 here:

Llanelli goods shed is still standing - seen today (30May19)

The real 977993 OHPL coach has a pantograph. Is this just incorrect artwork or a compromise that has to be made given costs of tooling?

Ashamed of your wonky transfers? Even modern computer-designed trains have them. One of the carriages in 800.019 at Saundersfoot this morning

I've been meaning to have a go at rainmarks effects for some time. I have a selection of MiG streaking effects and had tried the rainmarks on a couple of test pieces which seemed to go ok after a couple of attempts. There are 'how to' videos on youtube (other products available). The principle with all these products seems to be that you apply streaks with a small brush, then use a wider flat brush dipped in thinners to make the runs you've created a lot more realistic. Needless to say when I tried it on a proper model it went pear-shaped.... I didn't take a picture of this stage as there was no way I thought I was going to retrieve the situation without a repaint. Imagine if the depot had slopped whitwash on the smokebox and it had weathered over a few weeks and you get the idea. My thoughts turned to painting the smokebox black, which was a fairly common occurence towards the end of steam. I didn't want this to look too crude so was expecting to have to paint 2-3 thin coats of black over a few days. I had some Tamiya X18 semi gloss black and thinned this and applied with a flat brush (the rainmarks had long since dried thoroughly). The next day I was amazed to see I'd pretty much done the job with 1 thin coat and come up with the effect I was trying to achieve in the first place! ie streaking that's barely visible at a distance but visible closeup and to some extent withstands scrutiny of a cruel closeup lens.

While we were away Russ Conway spent 4 weeks at Number 1 with Side Saddle. Coral records were pressing vinyl for all they were worth during this period and 03May 1959 Buddy Holly came in at Number 1 for 3 weeks with It Doesn’t Matter Any More – making it the UK’s first posthumous Number 1 record. The old and the new can be seen at Mantles Wood. Neasden’s C13’s were normally in a filthy state as we can see from 67420 entering the bay with the push-pull set. rev C13 arrival 800px by Sarah S1ddons, on Flickr Meanwhile the future has arrived in the shape of D601 Ark Royal which has escaped from her normal workings to the West Country to perform on a Paddington-Wolverhampton Low Level express. rev D601 Ark Royal 800px by Sarah S1ddons, on Flickr

Thanks. AFAIK they're not generally visible online. However he does (or did) have a catalogue of sorts. Also he's an officer and gentleman and used to offer to send packets on approval. Suggest you give him a ring. He does pairs of some items like the leaning out fireman, of which I use quite a few, as these fit pretty much any loco:

Falcon Figures/Masterpiece Models do crew in packs of 2, some generic and some for specific locos. Packs FF102 and FF103 are painted crews for J15. He does unpainted but I never seem to get round to painting them so always but painted these days which IIRC are £10 per pair. He's not on the web it's all by phone or mail order. He used to attend shows in the SE but as I now live in West Wales and never get to see him. Address is 28 Chiltley Lane, Liphook, Hants, GU30 7HJ phone 01428 727 341 - vey nice chap, absolute pleasure to deal with. (Sorry can't remember which crew I used)

FWIW I think in this instance colour is better. It sort of reminds when camera and colour film were expensive in the 50's and all we could afford was a camera with a not too great lens, but we were happy!

I should have added, there's no website

Apologies, I've only just seen this thread and I'm a member of the group! However I model OO so don't often look at 7mm stuff - but it's the only group in the area, and very friendly hence I joined. Meetings are alternate Tuesday evenings 7pm-10pm in the village hall in Pencader not far from Llandysul. This coming Tuesday is AGM but the normal pattern is one Tuesday will be the group layout Highmead Bay and 2 weeks later the test track (which has 2 tracks in 7mm with passing loops and 1 track OO/O-16.5). The layout was displayed at Newport O gauge show recently. During the last winter some sessions have started at 1pm (finsh at 10pm if you have stamina) in order to work on the layout during the afternoon and then set up for running later - people stayed for as long or short as they wanted. When I joined 3 years ago it averaged 10-12 per meeting but is now 16-18 per mtg (I can't claim credit) meaning it got a bit crowded around the layout on layout nights. A 2nd hand layout has recently been bought for people to work on/learn/teach others on Highmead Bay nights. There is planned to be an exhibition at Bronwydd early Nov. I've just been in hospital so not sure if I'll make the AGM to find more details. Membership secy (unless there's a coup on Tuesday) is Mike Marritt 01267 241 232 email: [email protected]

I wonder if they've worked out how to rescue a stricken 769? TfW have inherited the Arriva order and the first one is at Cardiff Canton. Current thinking is that they would need 4 (yes folks that's the number between 3 and 5) Class 150 units to rescue it. Much scratching of heads currently going on as there's no way they'd want to cancel 4 service trains (not to mention getting the units to the right place). Presumably someone will come up with something. Where's Baldrick when you need a plan?