Clearwater

We went today as well. Quite busy when we arrived and not great for viewing layouts for 7yo in particular. However, when it thinned out around 3, was quite pleasant and enjoyable as could get easily to layouts. Some good ones but perhaps lacking a biggish 4mm roundly layout. Slightly too much too similar trade in my view. Boys wanted scanning by Alan at Modelu who remembered scanning older son a few years ago. He pulled prior scan up and found it was over 5 years ago.. Some excellent layouts. Particularly Plumpton Green. Fully signalled, 1910 p4 LBSCR so all non-rtr. Loved the block signalling mechanic to work the crossing. Owner /builder justifiably proud and nicely chatty. Also like Westcliff. EM, again exclusively non-rtr . Great use of forced perspective on the cliffs. Like how they have their fiddle yard open to view which allows the stock to be admired. I liked the phantom over a Scottish layout. Equally I generally like the 7mm layouts even when smallish. David

I was there today and didn’t find the seating area until after we’d sat on the floor and eaten our lunch. Felt another seating area was needed near thr pizza outlet area. Enjoyed the show however was surprised to see the odd pigeon flying about in the main hall. If that had decided to deposit on my layout I’d be seriously annoyed. David

I like online instructions too. Helps you understand whether its in your skill range or not. Plus easy to find them again if you want to check a point, search for a word or zoom in to make a picture bigger or whatever. I've not tried a HL chassis but I did follow the instructions for one of their gearboxes. An excellent set of instructions and despite the complexity I was thrilled when I got a working box at the end. David

I’d be of the view of stuff ‘em and leave the group. Life’s too short to deal with such bureaucratic idiocy and petty officialdom.

absolutely, almost everyone here already owns stock, a layout and is interested enough to post on a construction orientated thread. Some, a minority, will see a new starter pack in a different scale the chance to do something different. Perhaps a serial layout builder like Andrew P but most of us, like the OO/em/p4 debate will stick with where we are. I’d be interested if the mods and @Andy Ystart to see new joiners to rmweb who’ve purchased these new sets and are moving out into layouts from train sets. David

From Railadvent. Again, I thought this type of colloboration between the two leading GW mainline preservation centres made sense. I suspect that at some point the two entities will merge. David Great Western area groups team up to develop heritage trains market (railadvent.co.uk):

a few years ago on one of the GWS’ membership consultations, I did say that I thought they should do more with Tyseley, an extension of the Shakespeare Express to Oxford with the loco being turned and serviced at Didcot could be special. I thought there’d be something special about seeing a visiting loco arrive, be turned and serviced at a facility designed for that purpose. Hopefully not a one-off and that this will be repeated.

I’m firmly in category 3. I’m way too young to have seen steam age operations. Almost every photo I’ve seen of steam age operations shows the variety of stock that made up trains. Something too uniform, too consistent would make me think is that wrong? what I do like is where layouts have flip charts ‘ screens telling the viewer what thr train is, what the formation is, what design/type the carriages are. That allows me to educate myself, look at the coaches and understand a little about what they are. It also tells me that the modellers have taken care and know what they’re doing. David

It strikes me as supremely ironic that what's now feted as the loco beyond all locos, such a national icon etc etc etc was so celebrated in 1963 (disclaimer don't know exact year but you get my point), that it would have been sold for scrap and didn't event make the BTC list of locos worth preserving.

Apologies for being a bit offtopic albeit still constructional. I'm finding contemporary lego which I'm building with my kids, more constrained than the classic lego of the late 70s/early 80s given the higher number of specialist pieces. That said, the stuff available commercially is phenomenal. I built their Collett Hall with my kids (Harry Potter branded). Even included a tapered boiler. Had to quarter the wheel for valve gear. Did building lego fire my ambition to do other stuff? Absolutely. Sites like BrickLink Studio allow you to create your own designs and order bespoke kits which is just amazing. What people have built with these tools is again incredible. Example from an open day at Acton Museum. David

F14??? Crack open that toplight market. Ah Go on. Go on. Go on....

It would appear that the sainted Flying Scotsman actually predates sliced bread.....Perhaps sliced bread is the best thing since the Flying Scotsman?

I agree that the market for pre 1960 toys has gone. But the market for nostalgia and recreating your youth remains. See listing here for late 1970s Lego kits: I was given one of these in 1979/80 or so and I guess would have retailed for sub £30. Vintage / out of production lego is now quite collectable. Ditto the original Star Wars action figures. I've no interested in tinplate or Hornby dublo trains. Would I buy something that I really wanted from a collection? Possibly... Price would have to be right though! David

time flies. Was the SLS special on 25 September 2021.

Took my son behind Club last year. Some sustained high speed running. Fab day.

Typically, I can’t now find it but this guy uses similar methods: he posts on rmweb as @grob1234 David

If you’ve not seen it, I’d recommend tony wright’s video on loco making. If you Google it and ‘right track’ you can find it on YouTube. Helpful as you can stop, pause , rewind and see how he does it.

I am as well! Though when I have the space to try and start the plan in my head, what I'll probably do is think how it can be wired for both DC and DCC operation. I think (conceptually) that basically opening the switches to all sections creates a "single" circuit which should work for a DCC control. Clearly if switching mode, you'd have to take off all chipped/non-chipped locos respectively. I'm thinking of the (limited) times when the play value of DCC might be fun and designing in the flexibility from the outset is easier than retrofitting. David

how does it compare size wise to the similar era large Churchward prairies? It a lovely livery. There’s a lovely looking B5 photo on Tony Wright’s thread today that’s worth looking at if you’ve not seen it!

Hi Tony, Many thanks for patiently answering my queries. The series of photos above is amazingly helpful to see how you've put the chassis together. In terms of how you've joined the body to the frames, what is the bit you've glued(?) to the underside of the cab? I assume that you've then measured and cut the screw so it doesn't protrude into the loco's cab? David

Tony, A few questions if I may. Is the lead added to the front pony to ensure it stays on the rails? Did you need to add a similar weight to the pony? And I assume you've soldered the lead? Thanks in advance David

Patchway is also a heavily photographed location making it ideal as a modelling subject. Though maybe not ideal as so many photos allows the nitpickers a lot of licence!!

I think it depends on an individual's learning style. Personally I find old black and white magazines or books with poor/low resolutions pictures next to useless. Hence I was grateful Tony posted his stage by stage pictures a week or so ago. Equally, his Making Tracks video is fantastic for seeing each stage in as close to a demonstrator as possible. Whilst I've had some (excellent) tuition with Tony, I've not done a MIssenden Course. I would at some point because its by doing that you learn and develop your own method. If there's one thing I've learnt reading this thread is that there isn't always a single right way of doing things. Different people can get similar results through different methods albeit there are some common themes. On hoarding, I own more kits than I've built but I too am 'cash rich time poor.' So why buy? Some of these kits are long out of production so if I see what I want for sale, I'll buy it and hold it. eg a Great Bear kit. If something, eg the Nucast Aberdare, is reissued, I'll buy because I don't know when it'll become unavailable again. The final thing I've learnt from here is to have a vision on what you ultimately want from a model. That gives you focus and clarity of mind. I have a layout in mind. Perhaps it'll never get built but each day I learn a tit bit or two from this thread or elsewhere and it gets stored away. David

Isn't that true of any modelling medium whether it is photo etches for brass kits, masters for castings etc etc?

Thanks @Tony Wright - much appreciated. Whats the logic for removing the bearing on the inside of the non-driven wheels? As I understand it, the logic on the driven wheelset is to provide more space for the gearbox but for the non-driven wheels is to reduce friction drag? David