pirouets

Are they the demo's you plan to attend whilst at Warley given your love for it? And look on the bright side, you could have been running a football club forum over the last few days :-)

Note to self - read the prior posts before going off to play with google :-)

https://pure.aber.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/affective-geographies-of-models-and-modelling(3bddf5c3-52b9-428b-ba10-4b0384b4b6b2).html I think this is it and there is the link to the full pdf further down the page.

Why on earth am I trying to make some form of soup - Looking up how to use sea foam trees, I watched a Luke Towan video an took his advice to soak everything in boiling water. After that I hung them on the line to dry. To add weight to the pegs I attached a couple of those generic Ikea screws. Once they had dried out, I added a base coat of grey and then my track dirt spray for the base colour. Some of the stems had come out better than others so the poorest ones which are used as trees right up against the backscene were done first using the finest cheap hairspray and then 2mm static grass. I then repeated on the stems to be used at the front and planted them. They are not glued in yet as I need to think more about the ground cover that will be under the trees but quite pleased. I've also been working on a signal box but not sure its quite right though with the trees added it doesn't stand out quite as much.

Its at about 1min in the video you get a sense of the scale of the layout as the train really does shrink in to the distance for that shot. Think how far you could get if you ignore the golf clubs this year (I'm sure you mentioned that game some time back in the thread and I'm guessing where ever you play is in good nick as it hasn't been hammered for the winter)

If I convert to mm, lets say it travelled 600mm. At 4mm to a ft in 10 seconds it travelled 150 ft (600mm/4mm) which in turn is 0.03 of a mile as 1 mile contains 5280 ft, so that's a pretty slow speed that in turn converts to around 10 mile per hour. (0.03 * 6 to get distance travelled in a minute and then * that by 60 to get mile per hour) I think my logic is correct as it seems to align to the calculator in Knapper blog.

And how often do you think you give her cause to have to check up on your little hobby?

Whilst I like using scalescenes kits and papers, I have often found the roof tiles don't come out that well and stain quite badly. So had a look at Scalemodelscenery and bought a pack of their pre-weathered roof tiles. As well as giving a bit more depth to the roof, the random moss / bird poo brings things out better. So first up was to redo the cottages that sit behind the line. I need to add a bit more detail around the chimney bases but happy with the result so far Then I ripped the roof of the scratch built station building for Norton Rd and replaced the tiles. I need to look at capping tiles for the apex of the roof and barge boards nut again happy with the change so far. Its time I sorted the doors out for this building and wondering whether or not to have some form of canopy. I might just add a shelter further down the platform.

Ian, a couple of thoughts. Firstly have you thought about using code 100 for the lower level? The plan below is part of my Dinfield to Norton Rd and as you can see using set track curved points opens the fiddle yard far quicker and enable me to have 4 8ft tracks. You will also avoid storage bends where I think you will find the fiddle yard radius will actually get to tight for the coaches. I work on the principle in a straight line it should be possible to get 6 lines per foot which means you could narrow down the board. That leads me to the other observation which is the 9 dead end storage roads could then be moved to run inside the main circuit but running down the 11ft side of the storage area. I was thinking the could simply be connected via a point of the inner most line of the fiddle yard. Hope that helps.

Been a lazy slob today and decided to crack on with thinking about the timetable. One of the key aims to run everything in a pattern that returns the fiddle yards back to the same positions and the conundrum has been how to track that. So over to trsty Microsoft Excel and I have come up with he following format. The Fiddle yard table represents the end state after the move. You may also note I have added the various platforms and sidings to show where a train may terminate. In terms of reversing I have 3 options 1. Run to the sidings at Norton Rd and reverse 2. Run to the sidings at Dinfield and reverse 3. Run to the sidings at Dinfield and then send to the branch. Then have the choice of running back from the branch to starting position in FY or reversing. Think this will be a job to do in stints. I've done the 1st 12 moves for now. I may do a weekend version as well if I feel mad enough.

I remember looking back at that regularly in my dads collection of Railway Modellers. Might have a search to see which issue it was in and see if there is second hand copy for sale as I am now of the age when reminiscing can be consider good use of my time.

More work on the terraced buildings. I've settled for the classice design of a small bedroom and kitchen off the back. Again the design was drawn in power point and glued to 1.5mm mount board. I have various sets of scaleglaze windows so these have been used for the whole building along with scalescenes doors. And finally we get a view like this. Next step will be to create the garden/yard walling whilst I think about roof options.

So lots of pottering in the last month and currently distracted by taking up the gold offer to get access to all the BRMs since 2007 (been a subscriber for a about 18 months now). The only thing to show for this is the Mk2 version of the houses. The initial idea as you can see was a single story kitchen off the back but this doesn't quite fit with the window sills. So plan mk2.5 is to mock up the back piece at full height so it will more resemble the house I used to live in years ago in West Reading. I've also found a little tripod gizmo that holds my phone meaning I can get better pictures of the layout as I can hold the camera better. In trying this I have taken a couple of down the line shots which I think work OK and are useful in working out what I need to do to add detail. I think weeds for sure are missing. I've also had a go at taking a few more arty shots. which haven't come out to badly. Need clear up after a recent storm blew through at the garage. Think I need someone on this path walking a dog, and a fisherman. I like this one the best but I do need to figure out the scene behind the station platform. is it a building or do I just need a better backscene. Now off to play with Excel as I think I have the fiddle yard loaded with 8 trains in the way I want them, but what sort of timetable to run. The aim will be that each train runs to a point where it can be reversed, and then have the 2nd part of the timetable to put everything back where it started for the start of the next session.

As long as you have suitable attire over the top i would imagine so. To each their own after all. I do wonder how you made the leap to this and i did check the thread to see if i had missed this.

And not sure its been on topic since you explained the definition to the world so concisely. I wonder what the record is for number of posts before wandering of topic. Be interesting to see where this goes over the coming months though I am disappointed to find it was you who stopped Brunel perfecting his atmospheric railway as an aside. Now about getting some new shorts for the summer.......

In other news, any other long standing London Irish fans remember when they were in the top 6 of the table. Exciting times (for now)

A fast paced novel then

Whilst I am fed up of working at home, the advantage is that I have spent a lot more time in the shed. I often spend a couple of hours in the shed after everyone else has gone to bed as I don't have to get up to commute anywhere. Over the last 5 weeks lots of trying things out has gone on on the Dinfield side of the layout. First up was to figure out how I want the yard area. I tried mocking up a few building ideas which in order were Small yard shed Larger yard building Or even have a go at making a provender store. I may have another go using thinner card for the concrete framing But in the end I simply went for a concrete area. This has been extended since I took this phot so it fills the area up to the 2nd siding. I need to in fill a few small ballast gaps and then its time for weeding but in reverse so it doesn't look like they spray weed killer every week. In an earlier post you may have seen an office building, but I decided I didn't think it worked so another warehouse building has appeared. I may actually redo this so I don't have the gaps in the brick framing of the building at the edges. However before I do bin this I will have a play around with the roof to look for something better that the scalescenes strips. Looking down the layout, the warehouse has gained a canopy and I have started adding dirt to the ballast so it doesn't look so clean. At the other end again playing about with ideas and wondering if a set of terraced houses will work better. The design I came up with should have a brick shed on the back of the building but I think in the space I have I will make 2 changes which are to add the missing upstairs window, then not fit the brick shed and put the back door below the window on the back of the house. There will then be a small yard area leading to the back wall. Again I will keep working on these though to get my head round mistakes I need to avoid. One of the changes I made is to wrap the brick paper rather than have each piece papered. This means there are no joins in the paper at the edges giving a cleaner build. At some point I really much play trains. maybe later.

Whilst I haven't been on here for a while managed to spend a fair amount of time in the shed. When not binge watching Greys Anatomy or The Man in the High Castle on my tablet, I have managed to get most of the external work on the warehouse done. The roof has come out OK given its just a grey paint stippled on the card with a darker colour the dry brushed on to it. I've also fitted the last point motors which led to everyone's favourite task, BALLASTING. Only issue is I am a small amount short of being able to complete the job and I cannot remember which brand it actually is. Its been sitting in a tin labelled fine grey ballast. I'm pretty sure its Woodland Scenic's but is it the grey or light grey? Guess I need to order both bags.

Before I type anything else, I just want to say I understand the challenges railway workers face dealing with the lovely public at the best of times and I cannot begin to understand what they face when people are stupid enough to trespass and the consequences that leads to in some cases. I think the key here though is 1 picture on the website and this thread being about the BBC is condoning this as a result. Having done a couple of searches I found Railway Trespass returns 26 pages worth of results, and a random click on links seems to be they are all pretty much articles about the stupidity of people and don't do it. Railway Photo as a search term also returns 7 pages of which some are about people doing daft things including the couple who decided to have wedding photo's on the line some where in Yorkshire. We live in a world these days where a single piece of information can be taken as being the statement of how things are. In this case I don't think the article means the BBC condones trespass and personally I am ok with the labelling as it states its a cycle route in France, but I do understand why some say that in a perfect world, the caption would be clearer.

Can I throw in the mix the idea of something that can grow in chunks such as stage 1 being fiddle yard and a station that on its own makes a complete layout, but the feeds in to further stages that can evolve over time. I think it was Little Long Drag by David Jenkinson that got torn up after 2 years as he had only run things once or twice. That as in 32 * 16 if my memory is correct.

Does she have spotify on it? It has a cache that needs cleaning and if my memory is correct does not show up against the apps memory usage. I've cleared a 5GB cache recently off my tablet. if she does, on the home page there should be a settings wheel, so press that, and then scroll about 2/3rds of the way down and you will see the option to clear the cache. ------------- Please - ignore as I was wrong about Spotify having just checked.

So had a google for 1970s industrial office buildings and found a picture of the Record Electrical Co in Altringham that gave me the idea for a simple building to fill the remaining space. The template was put together in good old powerpoint and below are a couple of sheets of card with the idea of the building. That was then simply wrapped in brick paper and the windows which were also created in powerpoint added in. As its quite visible I do plan to start to fill the space and have some office furniture packs from Scale Model Scenery. What I don't have is people to sit at those desks but that can come later.

Sorry, not an exhibition manager but I have always stopped to watch Beijiao when I have seen it because as Colin said, its an interesting prototype and 2004 still had steam hauling coal trains. I wonder if your challenge is because its not a UK layout so you have to up your game a bit to sell it to exhibition managers. So to any exhibition managers out there, if you have space, think this is a good layout to have as its not from the usual 4 of UK, French, German or US layouts which tend to make up the most common.

Of all the things achieved in the last few weeks, the best is the fact I have a better way of heating the shed. I always ended up with cold feet so I now have 1 heater running under the controls and a 2nd heater when needed part way down the shed. Neither run above 50% power and as such I'm consuming less power than having 1 on full blast, but the shed heats up far quicker. Once at temp is up, then just leave the one at my feet to keep by toes warm. In the mean time been thinking about the fencing for Norton Rd and used some Scale Model Scenery 4ft wooded as I had it left over. Not fitted obviously as the debate now is how to paint it / weather it or do I just leave it as the card its made from already gives it a bit of a grimy worn look. Over the other side there is now a bridge over the end of the layout. You'll notice the weird platform under the bridge but it needs to be that shape due to the radius of the curve. Its more to give the impression the platform runs under the bridge anyway. What I do with the space next to the station is still to be worked out. It will be a factory building of some sort but just not sure what. The other building has come on quite nicely and it sits over the station platform well. What I really do need to do next though is stop making buildings and paint the baseboard brown. Nothing is fixed in place yet so no issue with that. Looking forward to Christmas and getting more time out there.