Jump to content
 

Looking back at 2020 with Simon Kohler


AY Mod
 Share

Recommended Posts

Having talked to Simon Kohler at various shows this confirms my view of him as an extremely nice guy.    Hard to imagine one or two of his competitors being so open.

 

Excellent viewing (despite Zoom limitations..)

 

Les

 

  • Like 2
  • Agree 7
Link to post
Share on other sites

Setting up a layout was much easier when I started.  I laid my uncle's 0 gauge Hornby track on the lounge carpet where I ran his clockwork train.  I could put the head and tail lamps on the locomotive and brake van which had opening doors and put milk churns in the milk vans.  Dinky Toys cranes could lift loads from lorries into wagons.  My grandfather made a simple wooden station and bridges made of painted wood.  The semaphore signals had transparent green and red aspects. No need to spend hours building a baseboard and legs and fixing the track.  The engines were not scale models but they had the feel and weight of the real thing but the goods wagons were not bad representations of real wagons.

  • Like 3
Link to post
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Robin Brasher said:

Setting up a layout was much easier when I started.  I laid my uncle's 0 gauge Hornby track on the lounge carpet where I ran his clockwork train.  I could put the head and tail lamps on the locomotive and brake van which had opening doors and put milk churns in the milk vans.  Dinky Toys cranes could lift loads from lorries into wagons.  My grandfather made a simple wooden station and bridges made of painted wood.  The semaphore signals had transparent green and red aspects. No need to spend hours building a baseboard and legs and fixing the track.  The engines were not scale models but they had the feel and weight of the real thing but the goods wagons were not bad representations of real wagons.

Hope Simon used all Hornby Products.!!!

  • Like 1
  • Funny 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

It is an attractive layout.  It would take a long time to ballast the track and it highlights the need for some ready ballasted track so perhaps Hornby could introduce some Fleischmann ready ballasted track into Hornby's range. There are also no signals so I would like to see Hornby reintroduce the Hornby Dublo electrically operated signals that had a compact mechanism which was mounted above the baseboard.

  • Like 3
Link to post
Share on other sites

13 minutes ago, Robin Brasher said:

There are also no signals so I would like to see Hornby reintroduce the Hornby Dublo electrically operated signals that had a compact mechanism which was mounted above the baseboard.

 

Thing is, signals that Hornby still have in their range used to be remotely operable using the above board point motors they had in their range back in the late 70's/early 80's so perhaps that is the easy win?

  • Agree 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

Its true . Everyone remembers their first trainset . I was three/nearly 4 when I got mine .  A Tri-ang Freightmaster Remember it well. I still have some of the stock and recreated the bits that didn’t make it ,through eBay . A fantastic gift to give someone . A lifetime of interest . Ok not everyone gets smitten, but many do . 

Link to post
Share on other sites

On 31/12/2020 at 12:25, AY Mod said:

 

Here we go, Simon accepted the challenge.

 

IMG_1440.jpg

 

 

That is a very attractive layout! Well done Simon! It resembles a very pretty rural branch line. The two sidings are perfect for little ones to shunt wagons etc with a small steam tank engine or diesel shunter. I love that this layout has a lot of thought gone into it. Especially when you zoom in again  you notice the smaller details you missed the first time including the road works! The children's play apperitace climbing frames slides etc in one of house gardens. The particularly rural feel about it and alot of typical railway features tunnel, level crossing, station halt. With the two sidings for shunting wagons, little ones could easily learn the basics very fast to engage them into the hobby. I'm sure new people discovering the hobby, or for his or hers first layout, this can be a basis similar to any size layouts in the Hornby Track plans book this would easily engage small children into the hobby, with any of of the analogue train sets to vegin with. I'm sure there is a small five year old who travels on HSTs who would ask for the R1230M GWR High Speed Train set that would look fantastic whizzing around this base board layout or layouts similar to this design or they could use the midi or full trackmat.

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

On 31/12/2020 at 12:25, AY Mod said:

 

Here we go, Simon accepted the challenge.

 

IMG_1440.jpg

 

 

That layout reminds me of my first Train set, the Triang R3D Goods set with the black 3MT, bogie bolster, bogie well wagon, UD tank wagon, a guards van and an oval of Series 3 track. http://www.tri-ang.co.uk/r3dset.html

 

For Christmas 1960, Mum & Dad bought me a point and the "yard of track, equal to 5 Series 3 straights, and a Tiang P5 Controller. http://www.tri-ang.co.uk/OONew/Power2.htmBut there wasn't space on the dining table to use the "yard", unless it was a siding outside the oval. I used to drive the loco in slowly so that it didn't overrun the end of the Yard straight, but several times I turned the controller knob the wrong way in my excitement and the loco smashed through the buffer stop and along with the wagons took a flying leap into the unknown and landed on the floor. The front buffer beam was damaged repeatedly and part of it broke off, as did some of the hooked ends on the metal Mk3 tension-lok couplings, and after several such flights to "infinity and beyond" the loco didn't run so well. I still have the loco and al the rest of the set, plus the box, apart from the red plastic Triang button badge, 60 years later. It was my OO gauge admission ticket to our wonderful hobby, and I wouldn't part with it for anything. I still use the P.5 controller at times even now, and please don't tell me that it's not safe, I check the power cord regularly for any signs of deterioration.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...