CloggyDog

Interesting and useful thread🤔 I've done a pair of 60A Derby Twos in H0 for my Far North Dounreay micro layout, D5114 (GSYP) and 5130 (BFYE), both from upscaled 3D shells/bogies/tanks from Lincoln Locos (Lenny is happy to print his 3mm designs at 3.5mm/ft scale). Both have been 'Highland-ed' with tablet catcher recesses, 5-slot boiler plate and sealed headlights. (I still need to make and add the snowploughs). Decals from RailTec.

Lovesongs - New Model Army

Queen of my Heart - New Model Army

Always the Bridesmaid Never The Bride - Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine

For a demo at Swindon show last Saturday, I scratchbuilt a LNER/BR 13t steel high body to go on a spare Lima chassis. 20 thou sheet for the body, assorted angle and strip for the detail. Holes drilled right through and capped with discs of 10 thou to represent the domes over the internal lashing rings. Still need to add the wood notice blocks and 4-shoe vac RCH brakegear, followed by rusty bauxite livery.

Hindsight 17 details are up - Sat 16 March via Zoom Register (for free) at https://speedwitchmedia.com/product/hindsight-20-20-17-0-registration/ Hoping I get back from demoing at Ally Pally show in time to catch at least the 2nd half. The various presentations are often shared (along with discussion and further info) on the Hindsight groups.io hindsight2020 flier 17.0.pdf

Lights Go Out - New Model Army

GE mid-70s, usually during the fortnightly 306 trip Brentwood to Romford - recall rows of 12t vans in the yard behind Romford station, and the trips to Chelmsford and the annual holiday to Clacton or Walton on 309s. The twice annual trip up the ECML to see mum's friends in Newcastle was a highlight. I recall one return when I persuaded mum to forgo the usual 'old' train hauled by a huge thrumming machine with a red nameplate in favour of the shiny new HST. By about the age of 10 or 11 I was off to Stratford at weekends or weekdays in the school holidays to spot on the platforms there, soon after into London itself for a trip around the Circle spending an 30-60 mins each at Kings Cross, Euston, Paddington, Waterloo and Victoria, occasionally popped into the smaller terminii (Broad St, Marylebone, Holborn Viaduct, Charing Cross, Cannon Street and Fenchurch St). And the odd bunk around Old Oak and other depots ;) And not long after that, longer trips to Norwich, Peterborough, Brum, York, Crewe. Then I fell in with the loco haulage crowd, chasing 20s, 25s and Peaks.

Layout more-or-less behaved itself. Couple of niggly things to sort (coupler heights the main one) and the 2nd loco needs a good fettle. Seemed well received and plenty of interest. Thanks to @RJS1977 for the invite. Show seemed pretty busy most of the morning, tailed off a bit after lunch.

Two trains ready to head back downhill to Aberystwyth.

Turn Away - New Model Army

The Early Days of a Better Nation - Oysterband

Far Better Thing - New Model Army

Here Comes The Flood - Oysterband

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MYCnd8tw57Hr2xLTMomj5HDNiHFJ47IU/view?usp=sharing Silhouette Studio files for the Brake Third, Third and Summer Open, intended for use with Silhouette cutters, sides and ends 2 layers of 10 thou plasticard, requires Dundas bogies and roof, 60 thou for floor ans assorted microstrip. Drafted using the BR weight diagrams cross-referenced against photos.

Almost there, added some tiny folk and posed some trains

He's still around and trading and was at Maidenhead and Astolat shows in January, will be at Kenavon show this coming Saturday.

Trees for Mynydd! A fun afternoon adding foliage to Woodland Scenic armatures. A mix of clump and net foliage, including some autumnal tones. They don't look too bad for a first attempt (the ones on Nové Město were all bought in)

No, I think it's quite similar. 'a few models' may well number 40-50 for a standard display, each of which will have it's own packing box to ensure safe transport. So time to pack, load and transport is equivalent. Set out the display and usually have 2 or 3 people 'on duty' to keep an eye out for wandering fingers and answer questions from the interested viewer. Then carefully pack them all away at the end of the show and travel home. The only difference is static models vs moving models. I've heard back from my friend, whose IPMS group will be at Key Model World - they're getting 4 free passes and 2 parking permits. Nothing else.

Compare the situation with plastic modelling (IPMS) type shows, such as the 'Warley-equivalent' Scale Model World and locally-organised shows* where clubs/groups who want to display their models don't get any travel expenses or accommodation. They'd likely get some free entry places, plus more reduced rate entry tickets if required, but that's it. And if they want a larger than standard display, they'd be expected to contribute toward that too. So essentially, they provide their displays out of altruism or just to bask in the glory of displaying their models. I think we railway modellers have it very cushy indeed in comparison. Be interesting too see how Key's MWL are treating the plastic modelling groups 🤔 *a good friend has been involved in the organisation of SMW and his local IPMS branch show.

Chap in the British 1/87 society has been working on a 3D printed H0 47, alternately Lenny at Lincoln Locos can do his 3mm 47 upscaled to H0. On the wider topic, and as an active exhibitor of 'forn' toy trains (US H0, German H0, Czech TT) over some 20+ years, I've experienced both the utter distain and the keen interest from visitors and all points between. The former I just ignore (life's too short), the latter I'm very happy to engage with. Especially nice is when natives of the country modelled 'get it' straight away and share their knowledge or stories of travelling by train. I've noticed this especially with the Czech TT micro. Presentation certainly helps, with Nové Město, a Czech flag forms part of the display, along with reference material, including a Czech modelling mag. A DDR flag is used for my East German layout. Looking around shows, either rushed as an exhibitor or more leisurely on the rare occasions as a punter, I particularly seek out the foreign layouts, I like that variety and difference. I am interested in how other countries' railway look and work. My DDR and Czech layouts were inspired by railway-related trips to those countries. All-UK outline shows I find rather lacking, but that's just me. When I organised my local club's show, I always tried to have at least 1 non-UK layout present. Conversely, for the 5 years I ran Globalrail for the German Railway Society, I turned things on it's head and always included a token British layout 😉

A few years ago, I hacked a Hurst-Neilson brake out of a Parkside MR brake van (PC58, d1659) for a friend's LT layout 4mm (2 planks) out of the cabin length and 1mm out of each veranda length. Roof, floor and solebars reduced by 6mm overall, wheelbase now 10'6" (42mm). Duckets made from 4 laminations of 20 thou plasticard, then shaped. Outer veranda ends infilled with Evergreen scribed O gauge 'car siding' sheet. One thing I didn't do (and now wished I had) was correct the cabin ends. Decals are Modelmasters.

Former exhibition manager here and agree that booking accomodation was always something of a chore - finding good cheap rooms, certainly in the days before Trivago/Bookingdotcom/etc, relied on local knowledge (but how many of us stay in hotels in our own towns?). Doing it an allowance basis means less work for the ExMan and gives layout owner/operators more of a choice - I've certainly stayed in some... interesting accommodation as an exhibitor, some I'd rather not stay at again! I'm part of a layout crew for Model World Live, our layout lead has found us a Premier Inn in the area for just under the allowance (£35 per bed night - 4 operators for 2 nights means our allowance is £280 total).

Backscene on, scenics down, structures in place. Trees to get some autumnal foliage tomorrow and planted properly. Then some final testing and fettling ahead of it's debut at the Kenavon exhibition next Saturday. Oh... And a fiddlestick to make...

Cider Dreaming Time - Blyth Power