Rosedale

You are right about no magic pill! I did the first 6 FE tutorials from Arnold Rowntree and felt quite proficient in a short space of time. Left it all alone for a couple of weeks for various reasons and after had to go back to the tutorials and do them again! I am hoping that there will come a moment when it all becomes second nature, but I'm no way near that yet! But I am a lot further forward than I was a month ago, that's for certain and it is enjoyable and interesting.

Looks great Rob! How do the programmes compare? Is one better/easier than the other?

This is brilliant modelling Stephen! You make such great progress and show what you are doing so clearly. Once painted anyone would be suprised that you had used card. I look forward to more updates.

So, what do you prefer Rob, Fusion or Tinkercad? Asking for a fella also starting on a Fusion journey?!!

This is very sad news. Iain was a great inspiration to me, starting with his early Model Railways articles about his West Cornwall Mineral Railway where he opened up a new track (sorry) away from mainlines and bucolic branchlines that has stuck with me to this day. I also liked his freelance approach and the encouragement to use imagination alongside prototype knowledge to create something new, original, interesting and personal, but with credibility. His writing was always very accessible and I think he did more than most to demystify fine-scale railway modelling and put across that rare aim; to enjoy it! I met him twice. Once at a Falkirk Finescale show that I drove to from Leeds where he had a demonstration stand and was very approachable and encouraging. I remember buying some lost wax boiler backhead castings from him that I used in a couple of my S Scale Irish Broad Gauge engines. Then I saw him at Scalefour North a few years ago where he was operating Trerice I think, standing up to demonstrate the benefits of high level viewing and was personally very entertaining with the small crowd viewing his layout. I do have most of his books, have thoroughly enjoyed them and will certainly be re-reading them soon. Although not always agreeing fully with his ideas, I admired his style, enthusiasm and innovation. His writing was consistently entertaining, his modelling, brilliant. His most recent book (I think) Cameo Layouts was a magnum opus fizzing with thought provoking ideas and enthusiasm. I do hope there is enough material around for someone to produce a tribute album to this giant of the hobby. RIP Iain.

Its whetting my appetite, particularly as that very engine may have spent some time in Ireland. The prints, etches and your engine Usk look superb!

I last looked at your thread ages ago and didn't view it in detail. But with a spare hour or so this morning I have gone through the whole thread and am left mesmerised and incredibly impressed, it's brilliant! I have spent a lot of time over the years travelling through York Station (University, work, then social) and I still get a sense of wonder every time I walk past the NER slotted post signal to the concourse. Your model Peter has exactly recreated the scene and that sense of awe. I saw it at Leeds (the mock-up?) last year and the progress since is amazing and reflects a lot of very hard work, design and assembly, plus a lot of thought throughout. And I would add that on a S-Scale Zoom meeting a coupe of weeks ago some of the lads were swooning having seen it at Larkrail. So, a huge well done for this awesome and ground-breaking (like all your layouts) project. If I wore a hat I would doff it in your direction!!

This is the first time that I have been able to get on RMWeb since you sent me some photos of the completed prototype and it is absolutely brilliant, a triumph of complex design. I certainly want one of these for Blakey, to become the Farndale Iron Company's shunter bringing in ironstone and potash wagons from the Farndale mines. I will probably also build one for the 5'3" as they did get over to Ireland as contractor's engines. Please keep us all posted about progress.

Looks great! I hope you'll be able to report back on next week's Zoom call?

Looking good! Have you a particular station or prototype in mind for the new layout?

All superb Paul, well done!

Thanks Timber, that's great advice and I'll take a look.

I'm currently climbing the foothills of the Eiger learning DesignSpark Mechanical, another free 3D CAD package available via RS Components. I have quite enjoyed the learning so far but I have a long way to go before I can get to the level of you guys! I was given some initial help on 'how to get started' from a fellow member of the Leeds Model Railway Society who has done some amazing work designing some complex buildings for the Derwent Valley Light Railway. Basically you draw a shape then extrude it. I think DSM Is a good package and there are lots of on-line tutorials and articles. The attached work in progress is a chassis for a NER S1 hopper wagon to match the brilliant hopper designed by Flubrush. The seperate piece is my first attempt at some strapping which I'll copy and attach to the solebars. I also need to draw crown plates etc and cut a 'fillet' from the inner solebar sides. My main enjoyment will always be getting a sheet of NS or plasticard or wood and fashioning a model. But the possibilities of 3D, particularly for complex items that need to be mass produced is certainly there and I hope will become part of my 'toolkit'. My scratchbuilt S1 chassis has about 60 separate parts. If I can cut that down to say 10 and gain reliable consistency then its a result. Onwards and up the Eiger - ropes and crampons needed for the next stage...........!

The next exhibitions for Blakey Rigg are: 19th/20th March - Alexandra Palace, London 1st/2nd October, Gauge 1 Model Railway Association 75th Birthday Show - Bicester. In addition, the layout has been invited to the Norman and Pontefract plus Uckfield shows in 2023. There is still some work to be done. I'm in the process of renewing the backscene, and am building a rake of SI metal bodied hopper wagons, having had a lot of help from fellow SSMRS members with the actual hopper body and the buffers (both 3D designed and printed by Jim Guthrie and Aidan Love) plus ironwork etched in brass by Dave Provan. They are fascinating wagons and such a feature of the line - see the first wagon attached.

Just in case people haven't seen it, the December 2021 Railway Modeller has a feature on my layout with great photos from Andrew Morris, plus pleasingly, additional notes about the Rosedale Branch and S Scale. I'm really delighted with how RM have presented it and have had a lot of nice comments from S Scale Model Railway Society members and our President, Trevor Nunn, plus other modelling friends. I hope that the article might raise awareness of the Rosedale Branch which is such a fascinating line set in an awesomely beautiful landscape. I again walked the whole line in the summer with a friend (we were forced to slake our thirst in the Lion Inn afterwards!) and I don't think I will ever tire of doing so. The colours, the changing views, contemplating the harsh lives of the railwaymen, miners and their families and contrasting this with the natural beauty is a constant for me. As is a decent pint afterwards - why am I always driving?! I hope also that the article might also raise interest in modelling the pre-group scene in general and scratch-building in particular. And maybe get more modellers to give S Scale a go? Finally, there were plans for the North Yorkshire Parks authority to hold a Rosedale Ironstone mining themed exhibition at their Danby centre that were scuppered by Covid. Hopefully they'll think about this again?

This is excellent! I really enjoyed our group discussion last night and agree this is the way to go. Although we are going to be using many different programmes, there are clearly common elements and we can share the various different solutions . The I class is looking excellent. And that is a good point you make about S being ideal for 3D - we are really benefiting from this technology.

Looking good Richard!

Hello Aidan, that model is absolutely superb and as said by Regularity, we want to see more! It will be very welcome on Blakey Junction, Rosedale Branch one of these days, covid and the resumption of exhibitions permitting. S has, as you have found, so many advantages. All the best, Paul

Ian, there were problems with some of the original wheels. The new Slaters ones are excellent and we still have stocks of the open-spoke wheels at the old price. Your excellent track deserves nothing better! Paul

Impressive results - I look forward to seeing it painted. I've long noted that real engines rarely had flat platework, whilst metal and plastic models are usually perfectly flat. So, card could get that subtle look. Very ingenious all round Stephen. And yes, you should build the second engine, particularly if it is another engine you remember.

I'm greatly looking forward to this. They were very attractive engines and yours looks very good.

That looks superb. The 3D tank especially is brilliant and being complete with boiler fittings is especially impressive. Are the cab sides, bunker and splashers etched with beading in place or did you add the beading seperately? I look forward to seeing the final result!

More S Scale chairs available Ian - I've got loads! But I do agree with the other comments that the SSMRS track system is best for the grouping onwards. And I think that older rail and presumeably chairs were recycled into sidings and branch lines. It all looks good by the way and I'm glad you're enjoying it.

Just the 8 (8 not 8 dozen!!) Jim, as discussed today. The last thing I want to do is break your new machine! Thanks again. In building the chassis I will be closely following the techniques illustrated so well in Scot's articles. But I think I'm going to use internal rocking solebars for suspension. Because of the hopper it will be difficult to have a lateral rocking W-Iron. And I'm not sure I'll be able to get enough weight in (even with a large lump of ironstone!). But I can get an rocking solebar behind the actual solebar and this system works very well. Having spoken with Scott I am also going to treat these wagons to proper printed transfers instead of my usual crude hand lettering!! Then I'm going to cover them in copious amounts of ironstone weathering - these skips on railway wheels lived outside and got a right battering!

Wow Jim!! Those hoppers look superb and I'm glad they have tested out your new Phrozen. I can't wait to build the chassis to go with them. Thank you so much.