That Model Railway Guy

I finally had a chance to get my steam generator fitted P2 running on the layout last weekend so here's a review of the loco plus some footage of it in action for anyone that might still be on the fence about these. Skip to 10:38 to see how the steam generator works. Skip to 15:50 if you want to see the model running on a layout (with sound and steam).

It is pretty impressive what can be achieved these days with the cameras many of us have in our pockets. Again it comes back to having a bit of knowledge on how to use it which can turn a typical "phone video" into something that looks like (and for all purposes is) a "professional video".

Honestly it doesn’t matter what equipment you have, it matters how you use it. As someone who works in the film/video industry (and has on occasion taught courses on this very subject) my advice would be to start simple. You don’t need to worry about fancy cameras or framerates, shutter speeds, iso, etc when getting started. If you already have a smartphone that’s perfectly capable. iPhones and iPads in particular can produce great results. Androids can vary a bit more but in comparison to what was available 15 years ago they’re still pretty amazing. I’ve had footage used on TV that was shot on smart phones and I doubt most people could pick out the differences. My recommendation would be to get hold of a basic tripod so that you can lock the camera into a fixed position. This will also allow you to achieve some panning (side to side rotation) so that you can follow moving trains. Handheld and shaky footage doesn't tend to work well with small models. Most importantly I would look into the basics of framing a shot so that you can create nice looking videos. I could go into detail here but there’s plenty of info out there already. It takes a bit of practice but this alone will make more of a difference than whatever equipment you’re using. Finally, maybe think about lighting if your layout/work area doesn’t have any already. It can make a really big difference when shooting indoors. Again you don’t need anything fancy, I’ve used a couple of gooseneck LED reading lights in the past just to add a bit of extra light to an area. But like I said, it’s not about what you’re using but how you use it and most of that can be done with equipment you may already have - at least initially. Most of all, remember to have fun while doing it! Good luck 👍

Here's a little video I put together over the weekend of the show, featuring just a selection of the fabulous layouts on display. A big well done to everyone involved with the exhibition - I thoroughly enjoyed myself and it seemed everyone I spoke to at the show was having a good time as well 😃

I can’t speak to specifics but the guys at Rapido did tell me they weren’t happy with the decoration yet. The LMS lined one in particular I had to get special permission before putting it in front of the camera. I have no doubt that these issues will be sorted out though - identifying problems like these are the whole point of the samples after all.

Hi all, I recently got to have a hands on play with the sound fitted samples of the Jones Goods. I covered them briefly in a longer video I did about Rapido a week or so ago - but I thought those following this thread might appreciate seeing these locos in action without music or commentary. As always bear in mind that the sound on the video is not fully representative given that I was filming in an echoey space using a single microphone with the audio having then been compressed and rendered through various editing processes before being uploaded to YouTube and compressed further. All in all though, these were great really good fun to play with and Rapido were telling me about some additional features they're planning to implement before release too.

As @thetalkinlens has already mentioned, I presume the buffers are based on those being used on the new build since that’s what this model represents. I did mention the join in the boiler towards the start of the close up look at the model. Generally my impression was that, like the dome, it looks a lot worse in close up on camera than in reality. Certainly during the running session in some of the wider shots I don’t think it’s easy to spot. From my personal point of view, this is one of the best running locos I’ve experienced and I’d much rather have the die-cast section to aid that rather than a lighter loco that potentially didn’t run as well. I appreciate not everyone will agree with me on that one though.

For anyone still trying to make a decision on these models, I recently did a review of the preserved G5/O Class model. For full disclosure, TMC sent me this model for review but they have not had any say over my comments and I’ve tried to produce an unbiased video as much as possible. Obviously just bare that in mind while watching and hopefully you can make your own mind up from the close ups rather than relying on my thoughts alone. For those who just want to see the loco running (with sound!) skip ahead to 12:48

Happy to be of service 😁

Not at all, please be my guest. Getting it in front of potential customers was entirely the point after all 😃

Hoping this might be of interest to some of you. Recently Rapido invited me to take a look at everything they're working on and I got to take a really close look at the undecorated samples of B Set coaches. Rapido were also happy to let me film them in close up for the video below as well as put them to the test behind the 44XX too. The video should start from the relevant section but if not skip ahead to 06:48 to see the B Set coaches: Just thought I’d post it here in case anyone has been wanting a closer look at these models before getting an order in.

Hoping this might be of interest to some of you. Rapido recently invited me down to take a look at everything they were working on and while I was there the first running samples of the E1 arrived. They were kind enough to let me film them running on the test track to share publicly in the video below. It should automatically start from the relevant section but if not skip to 02:48 specifically for the E1. Obviously these are still a work in progress and Rapido already know of some things that need to be done to improve the performance. I just thought some of you might be interested in seeing these first prototypes in action.

My thanks to all at Rapido for letting me in on the secret and allowing me to film some close up shots of the 3D printed samples:

Superb! I've been keeping this under my hat for a while since I found out about it earlier this year. So glad that it's finally out in the open... now where's my wallet! 👏

I don't know for certain but I would have thought it was a custom animation made by the production company specifically for the show.

For anyone interested in more of the modelling side of the Eddie Izzard's "Bexhill 1940: Winter Wartime Model Railway", you might enjoy this video I produced last Christmas where I spoke to some of the team members responsible for creating and maintaining the layout: Enjoy 😃

Finally had a chance to take a look at my own model so thought I'd share a few close up images for anyone interested. This is R3838 the early crest version. Have to say I'm very impressed with it overall 👍 For those who want to see how it actually performs there's a video below. Initial test on the rolling road (DC) at 08:25 Running on the layout (DCC) at 10:36 Don't worry, there's no unboxing in this video - though for the faint of heart I should warn you that there is a brief mention of the packaging at one point 🙃

A little video overview of the show for those that missed it or want to relive it: It's not as comprehensive as my efforts from previous years as I was busy operating my own layout this time. As a result I only had a chance to run round and grab some footage very late on the Sunday afternoon as things were winding down - my apologies that not all the layouts are featured in the video.

A big thank you to everyone who attended this year, even if it was quite crowded at times - especially on the Saturday. As some of you may have already deduced, that was mostly due to 828 being stuck in the shed which significantly reduced the amount of space available for the exhibition. I know there are several unsung heroes at the railway who did a brilliant job reorganising everything at the last minute to fit everyone in, even if it was a squeeze. I don’t know how much I’m allowed to say publicly yet but it’s been a very successful event for the railway. Each year the show has continued to grow in popularity and it’s already slated to return next year. With that in mind if anyone has any feedback/constructive criticism/etc (whether you’re a layout owner, trader, or attendee) feel free to send me a PM with your thoughts and I’ll happily pass it on to those in charge. See you next year!

To whet your appetite a bit more, we also have Thornbury Hill attending this year: Along with Paystow making a welcome return too: I'll also be there with Pitley Steam Railway, my preservation layout based (loosely) on my experiences of volunteering at Spa Valley Railway: And that's just the very tip of the iceberg. After two very successful events in 2021 and 2022, this year is set to be even bigger with the main part of the exhibition using the full length of the shed at Tunbridge Wells West for the first time. A full list of layouts and traders set to attend is available on the website: https://www.spavalleyrailway.co.uk/product.php/279/model-railway-weekend/f080fedd0372bca4404ae728b88036b4 And finally, for anyone wanting to plan out their day, here is the timetable for the weekend:

Yep same person. @TEAMYAKIMA, I'm not sure why the email is bouncing for you as I'm still receiving emails from others but you're welcome to send me a PM on here as an alternative 👍

Fantastic! My own layout will be at Tunbridge Well West this year but I'm sure I'll pop down to Eridge at some point to see everything that's going on 👍

I took a bit of video of the show yesterday which is available to watch here: There did seem to be fewer layouts than I remember from previous years... I'd be surprised if Bluebell are having trouble getting layouts to attend though. I'm (mildly) involved with the exhibition at Spa Valley Railway over in Tunbridge Wells and our main issue seems to be finding enough space to put all the layouts that want to attend. I think we have close to 30 booked in for this year.

That's exactly the information I was looking for, thank you so much @Michael Hodgson for laying it out clearly 👍 Yes the plan was to have the fiddle yard fully railcom enabled and the scenic side of the layout without it. Good to know about it needing more resistance too. I'm planning to use the Roco detectors (mostly because that's what's available at the moment) but I'll be sure to take that into account. 99% of my decoders are Zimo so I should be fine on having railcom enabled locos - the two or three locos with different decoders will mostly likely be run infrequently and manually too. Thanks again!

Awesome, thanks for answering those questions for me - much appreciated. Yes I’m slowly working my way through the video series as well exploring the manual too. Lots to learn but I’m definitely understanding more how to achieve what I’m aiming for. Many thanks for all your help 👍