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The Night Mail


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Having looked at the video, I'd suspect this thing is about the size of the old German V2 with a range to match.

 

The wagon it was launched from is probably in the same category as my idea for a cheap live steam boiler...

 

Cast in resin, use once and throw away!!:laugh_mini:

Edited by Happy Hippo
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5 hours ago, simontaylor484 said:

 

Someone been watching GoldenEye?

 

Described as a Soviet era "missile train". It's even got the tunnel....

 

 

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15 hours ago, polybear said:

I'd almost bet a slice of LDC that the glue secures some extra ballast weight - lead usually, though depleted uranium would work better.....:laugh:

I agree on the depleted U. I do, now, see the weights under the glue.

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The shop is now on Category-6 Ethernet. Works fine, lasts a long time :)  I'm tempted to "hard-wire" the PC in the house again. I have some spare "direct burial" Enet cable if anyone needs some (you'll have to collect it.)

 

Not sure if Amazon Prime works the same way in the UK but because we are a bit far from the nearest town we tend to use it quite a lot - free shipping and extremely quick delivery. It also includes unlimited photo storage and it's currently uploading my entire digital photo library. This will allow MrsID to access the library from her tablets etc.

 

I finally got around to scanning and enhancing a lot of old photos recently. Many of them were taken with an Instamatic and the colors were changing to the extent that they were not nice to look at all. I bought an inexpensive program that does a pretty good job. They are still just holiday snaps but at least they are enjoyable to look at, particularly those of MrsID :wub:

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6 hours ago, AndyID said:

The shop is now on Category-6 Ethernet. Works fine, lasts a long time :)  I'm tempted to "hard-wire" the PC in the house again. I have some spare "direct burial" Enet cable if anyone needs some (you'll have to collect it.)

 

Not sure if Amazon Prime works the same way in the UK but because we are a bit far from the nearest town we tend to use it quite a lot - free shipping and extremely quick delivery. It also includes unlimited photo storage and it's currently uploading my entire digital photo library. This will allow MrsID to access the library from her tablets etc.

 

I finally got around to scanning and enhancing a lot of old photos recently. Many of them were taken with an Instamatic and the colors were changing to the extent that they were not nice to look at all. I bought an inexpensive program that does a pretty good job. They are still just holiday snaps but at least they are enjoyable to look at, particularly those of MrsID :wub:

Come on Andy you've got to post at least one of those photoscon here, just to show how well the software works of course.

 

Jamie

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Off to see No. 1 son and offspring in Chesterfield tomorrow so this morning will be devoted to the manufacture of Grandad's chocolate cake for us to take - once muggocoffee #2 has been consumed that is. This afternoon Jill has decided that she wants to visit Dorothy Clive gardens again with me in tow then it's my turn to make dinner so that's the day gone without any more cobbling. Speaking of which, I haven't forgotten that I promised to post some photographs of progress on the cobbling front and will do my best to do that at some stage today.

 

After yesterday's session with DAS and various other materials forming some vehicle crossings on the layout I ran a couple of locomotives over the developed section to check that clearances etc. we're OK. The good news is that after a minor bit of fettling they were. The bad news is that my 0-4-4 tank was hesitating and even stalling over one bit of pointwork so some investigation is required when I can get the chance. Since none of the other engines I tried out had any trouble I suspect pickup is to blame. Oh, well, the ABS* syndrome strikes again.

 

TTFN

 

Dave

 

*Allus Bl**dy Summat

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Apart from an N gauge railway in a 9' x 6' shed when I was a teenager, all my model railways have either been temporary, or very portable.

 

The temporary lines consisted of a station area built on some ply boards, which moved from married quarter to married quarter, were then plonked in the garden, and connected to some single track that was precariously laid around the garden.  On average about 18 months later, it would be pulled up and off we'd go again.

 

The same is  still true today, although I do have space for a permanent line should I wish it; the trouble is that the space is only suitable for something in the 4mm scale or below area of interest.

 

Now that is not a complaint to elicit sympathy but an observation because although a vary large room for dedicated use would be a fantastic ideal, I am well aware that I would then have to build something suitable to put inside. (Please note I did not say fill!) The other factor that I then have to take into account is the amount of extra motive power, coaches and freight wagons I'd require to stock this masterpiece. (Bottomless black hole money pit more likely.)

 

So by choice I am restricted in what I do:

 

  • My chosen scale, 7 mm standard gauge is quite space hungry.

 

  • It has to be portable and reasonably easily stored between uses.

 

  • Train lengths, by necessity, have to be quite short, yet still be capable of maintaining interest.

 

  • I'd prefer to create an illusion of realistic operations.

 

The first three restrictions are pretty self explanatory, but creating the illusion of realistic operations can be quite challenging given the space restrictions I have.

 

Through many hours of procrastination meticulous research, I still have not found the ultimate solution, although I feel that I have found that point at which the art of compromise and historical fact and prototypical practices seem to be in balance with each other.

 

How I compromise will follow later.

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There was a street on part of my layout that I thought might look good cobbled but after a few attempts I redid it with something that looked like tarmac. I have wondered if anyone ever makes individual cobbles and fixes them down. 

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8 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

There was a street on part of my layout that I thought might look good cobbled but after a few attempts I redid it with something that looked like tarmac. I have wondered if anyone ever makes individual cobbles and fixes them down. 

 

I'm looking forward to a cobbling competition: on your marks, get sett, go!

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1 hour ago, Oldddudders said:

Ok - so how do you start a pudding race ? Sago!

When we bought some herbs at the plant show  a few years ago, the young woman operating the stall said one of our purchases was the fastest herb. We asked which one, she said “Ta-rah, Gone!” It amused me for ages. 

Edited by Tony_S
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9 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

Come on Andy you've got to post at least one of those photoscon here, just to show how well the software works of course.

 

Jamie

 

I can tell you are very interested to see how effective the enhancement is, so strictly for comparison purposes, before:

 

scan0025.jpg.dfdf6750426a7a6386181a2db65c35be.jpg

 

and after:

 

scan0025_edited.jpg.fe825b895623e6cc04a18c61f664779a.jpg

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39 minutes ago, J. S. Bach said:

I prefer the original in this case; the color balance seems to be more appropriate for the scene.

 

Except originally it was nothing like that. The color shifted considerably over a half century.

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I was 'persuaded' that a trip down the M54 and M6 to IKEA would be in my best interests.

 

I went and pushed the trolley around as various essential items were purchased. 

 

It was interesting to see how many customers are now not concerned about wearing face masks, and if the hygiene standards displayed by some in the 'Gents' are anything to go by, whether some are not bothering to wash their hands let alone use hand sanitizer.

 

On returning home I was released outside and decided that a good plan would be to get all the repetitive cuts done for the cassette tables.

 

So all the side frames have now been cut out of 12 mm ply.

 

The end plates will need trimming to size prior to fitting and the tops have all been cut down from the old SG boards.  These have faced sides and ends but have been left slightly oversize.

 

This will enable them to secured in place on the frames, and then a trim routing cutter used to bring everything into neat and tidy flush edges.  Obviously not needed if the boards were new and cut using a panel saw.

 

Providing the weather holds, tomorrow should see the four frames made up ready for tops to be applied.

 

After that it will be a case of making up some cross bracing  bars, again cut from some 12 mm thick ply.

 

Once they are all done it will be onto the legs.

 

I have spotted a slight issue with the two boards that require a leg at each end (as opposed to the piggy back type).  they need to be secured at differing heights otherwise they will not be able to fold and line up properly due to the cross beams on the legs fouling each other.  The height difference is the thickness of the legs, so no great shakes. With 100mm deep side frames there will be plenty of room.

 

I now have to consider my compromises that I mentioned earlier.

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On 16/09/2021 at 09:00, Stubby47 said:

 

Do you have any photos of said cobbling?  I'd be interested to see what it looks like.

 

Here are a couple. The first shows the cobbles outside the old goods shed and the second about eight feet further down the layout where the road from the entrance by the goods shed turns to cross the tracks to the offices and stores. As you can see, the DAS takes quite a while to harden and settle down to an even, lighter colour. The dark stuff by the bend had only been laid a few hours before the picture was taken whereas that by the old goods shed was done several days earlier but even then still had some way to go in places. This evening the earliest sections are a more even colour and are quite hard. In the process of drying, a few cracks have appeared where sections are joined but by wetting the area around the cracks and then rubbing in some wet clay they are fairly easily fixed.

 

IMG_0097.JPG.2c7b29d99a608007260dffa2506c615a.JPG

 

IMG_0098.JPG.78d463a8e58ca66b9365c5a74cc965ec.JPG

 

 

One of the best tips I can offer is not to lean over the baseboards and put your elbow into a recently laid stretch of cobbles. There are no prizes for guessing how I know this......

 

As well as having the track crossing to finish and some more cobbles to lay, I'm now experimenting with painting and finishing the cobbles. My original intention was to paint them dark grey before adding various mucky stuff but I think that simply varnishing the dried DAS may darken it to something like the colour it is when first laid before it dries much lighter. We shall see.

 

TTFN

 

Dave 

 

Edited by Dave Hunt
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43 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

I was 'persuaded' that a trip down the M54 and M6 to IKEA would be in my best interests.

 

Ah yes - the ol' "Do it or you're dead" routine.....

Rarely a good idea not to comply.....

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Not neat PVA but a thinned coating then brushed over lightly with water before laying on the sheets of clay. I do use neat PVA when using DAS on the sides of buildings but not for road surfaces or similar. 

 

Dave

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8 hours ago, AndyID said:

 

I can tell you are very interested to see how effective the enhancement is, so strictly for comparison purposes, before:

 

scan0025.jpg.dfdf6750426a7a6386181a2db65c35be.jpg

 

and after:

 

scan0025_edited.jpg.fe825b895623e6cc04a18c61f664779a.jpg

 

 

BTW, extra credits for correctly guessing the location.

 

Clue: The year was 1971.

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