MRJ 283

[Regularity]

1 hour ago, drduncan said:

Smiffs?

In Tod?

1 hour ago, 4630 said:

From where you are in Todmorden, your best bet heading further into West Yorkshire would be WH Smith in Halifax or Huddersfield.  I know from first hand experience that it’s available in Huddersfield. 

Thanks.

Have a visit planned to ‘Alifax on Sunday, and ‘Uddersfield some time soon to see a friend.

[corneliuslundie]

Re David Geen, see this thread, though no very recent posts:

Jonathan

[drduncan]

1 hour ago, Regularity said:

In Tod?

Thanks.

Have a visit planned to ‘Alifax on Sunday, and ‘Uddersfield some time soon to see a friend.

I told you Smiffs...

[Compound2632]

12 hours ago, corneliuslundie said:

Re David Geen, see this thread, though no very recent posts:

Jonathan

 

The piece about David Geen (on p. 300, for those who like me, struggled to find it) is very strange. It asserts that his products have continued to be available - in flat contradiction to the statements made by Mike @Coach bogie Wiltshire - and even that the range has expanded, that David purchased Haye Developments in 2019, and that an entirely new kit has been produced. That at least seems real, since there's a couple of photos of a test build by Gerry Beale. In characteristic MRJ fashion, there is no statement of scale* - though from the price one might infer that it's 7 mm. Even more peculiarly, there is no indication of how one can buy Geen's products, or obtain more information about what is available. Is his range only available to some mystic circle of the initiated?

 

Of course what many people want to know, myself included, is: what about the 4 mm scale whitemetal wagon kits?

 

*I have searched in vain for any statement of the scale of Simon de Souza's splendid Cavan & Leitrim station building.

 

For the avoidance of any doubt of my affection for MRJ, my cheque for the next four issues is in the post.

[NHY 581]

Order placed with Simon today.......took the opportunity to order a couple of small extras.........

 

Rob. 

[queensquare]

A full account of Gerry Beale's build of the K22 will be appearing in the very near future in MRJ. In the meantime below is the last paragraph of Gerry's upcoming article. 

 

Jerry

 

When circumstances permit – covid and all that! – David is intending to return to attendance at selected exhibitions, but his kits are available by mail order.  Contact David Geen by email at davidgeen111@gmail.com or by post to David Geen Model Railway Kits, 30 Silverwood Close, Hartlepool, TS27 3QF to obtain price lists and ordering details for the new Diagram K22 kit.  Please include a SSAE with all postal enquiries.

[Bonafide]

6 hours ago, Compound2632 said:

I have searched in vain for any statement of the scale of Simon de Souza's splendid Cavan & Leitrim station building.

I, too, searched in vain. 

 

As the walls comprise ". . . a three-layer lamination of 40-thou Plastikard . . . ", I guess it is likely to be 7mm scale, but it would be helpful for the scale to be stated. 

[mike morley]

There was a mention of scribing a wall that was all headers, with each brick being 1mm by 1.5mm.

That's 4mm scale.

[pete_mcfarlane]

7 hours ago, Compound2632 said:

 

The piece about David Geen (on p. 300, for those who like me, struggled to find it) is very strange. It asserts that his products have continued to be available - in flat contradiction to the statements made by Mike @Coach bogie Wiltshire - and even that the range has expanded, that David purchased Haye Developments in 2019, and that an entirely new kit has been produced. That at least seems real, since there's a couple of photos of a test build by Gerry Beale. In characteristic MRJ fashion, there is no statement of scale* - though from the price one might infer that it's 7 mm. 

The 4mm Toplight I bought in 2011 was about £85, so I wouldn't be surprised if one of David's 4mm coach kits is now £110. 

 

It was by far the most expensive 4mm coach kit I have ever bought, and it was worth every penny. 

[queensquare]

18 minutes ago, Bonafide said:

I, too, searched in vain. 

 

As the walls comprise ". . . a three-layer lamination of 40-thou Plastikard . . . ", I guess it is likely to be 7mm scale, but it would be helpful for the scale to be stated. 

 

Its 4mm scale.

 

Jerry

[Captain Kernow]

Excellent issue and I do like Iain Rice's comments at the end of his editorial about poor operation of layouts. 'Operator error' - been there, done that!

 

[NHY 581]

My MRJ 283 arrived safe and well today accompanied by a couple of charming bookletesque little volumes which will prove to be very satisfying. 

 

Also enclosed was what will undoubtebly be a terriby useful piece of the stoutest of stout card. 

 

Once again though it is the personal touch supplied by Simon in the form of the enclosed note that is so very nice. 

 

A lovely touch. 

 

Thank you. 

 

 

Rob

 

 

 

Edited June 9, 2021 by NHY 581

[Chas Levin]

As others have said, delighted to see Iain Rice's name in 283, which arrived a day or two ago.

 

The 'Stratford Survivor' article is very interesting; having returned to this hobby less than a decade ago after a gap extending back to my childhood (like many on here) I do sometimes think it strange that there isn't more interest in the earlier eras of railway modelling, given how much of the hobby is rooted in nostalgia generally.

 

I guess we all get caught up in the continuing march towards ever finer finescale (undoubtedly a good thing, which we all enjoy of course) but I also enjoy spending time with older models too, so this article was very welcome: thank you, Iain and MRJ .

[DLT]

On 05/06/2021 at 10:17, Compound2632 said:

*I have searched in vain for any statement of the scale of Simon de Souza's splendid Cavan & Leitrim station building.

 

I sought this as well.  He does mention taking the model to a meeting of an 009 group at one point. 

But surely that's the mark of an excellent model, you can't tell from the photos what scale it is!

[Captain Kernow]

6 minutes ago, DLT said:

 

I sought this as well.  He does mention taking the model to a meeting of an 009 group at one point. 

But surely that's the mark of an excellent model, you can't tell from the photos what scale it is!

Having read the Simon de Souza article and having been very impressed by the high quality of the workmanship and astonished that he scribed all the bricks, I ordered an Olfa scriber myself, as I need to scribe some pavements for 'Callow Lane'. The tool arrived this morning (I only ordered it yesterday) and I am very impressed by it.

 

[Gilbert]

On 05/06/2021 at 15:38, NHY 581 said:

....took the opportunity to order a couple of small extras.........

 

Rob. 

As usual I feel...

[t-b-g]

Mine only arrived this morning but I have had a skim through.

 

A nice enough issue although I don't seem to get quite the same "buzz" of excitement nowadays that the arrival of an MRJ used to give me.

 

Is the building in question one of those "less common" scales, using 16.5mm track to represent 3ft gauge?

 

So perhaps 5.5mm:1ft, or something similar.

 

Not having read much recent by Iain Rice I had forgotten his skill at using several paragraphs to say what most of us would have managed in a couple of lines but his ramblings are always entertaining and highly readable.

 

I agree fully with his comments about layout operation in the editorial. Running a layout for a video should be much easier than running one at a live show as if it goes wrong, you hit "delete" and do it again.

 

Operating is indeed a skill, to be learned and developed just as much as soldering, painting or lining.  

[corneliuslundie]

Jerry has already answered the question about scale: 4 mm/ft

Jonathan

[t-b-g]

1 hour ago, corneliuslundie said:

Jerry has already answered the question about scale: 4 mm/ft

Jonathan

 

Apologies and thanks. I did read through the thread and must have somehow missed it.

[NHY 581]

11 hours ago, Gilbert said:

As usual I feel...

 

Its the risk one takes I'm afraid. 

 

On the subject of the comic itself, Iain raises a point close to my heart. 

Though perhaps in the minority of MRJ readers, I am reliant on offerings from our RTR 4mm manufacturers for my motive power. 

Increasing, I find myself frustrated at their inability to produce a mechanism that will slow smoothly to a halt. That last quarter of a turn of the wheel is what matters.

You might have a smooth runner, you might have one that will smoothly run slow, you might have one that will start and slow to a halt smoothly. Rarely will you get one that does the lot. 

 

I have returned six examples of two different prototypes to my local shop over the last couple of months and an example of neither was acquired in the end. 

 

At an exhibition a smooth runner which will come to a halt is essential. 

 

The detail and fidelity to prototype is probably better than ever. However, it seems more of a lottery now in terms of actually acquiring a rtr locomotive which will run to the standards required, both for home use or that at an exhibition. 

 

Rob

Edited June 13, 2021 by NHY 581

[Gilbert]

26 minutes ago, NHY 581 said:

 

Its the risk one takes I'm afraid. 

 

On the subject of the comic itself, Iain raises a point close to my heart. 

Though perhaps in the minority of MRJ readers, I am reliant on offerings from our RTR 4mm manufacturers for my motive power. 

Increasing, I find myself frustrated at their inability to produce a mechanism that will slow smoothly to a halt. You might have a smooth runner, you have one that will smoothly run slow, you might have one that will start and slow to a halt smoothly. Rarely will you get one that does the lot. 

 

I have returned six examples of two different prototypes to my local shop and an example of neither was acquired in the end. 

 

At an exhibition a smooth runner which will come to a halt is essential. 

 

It seems more of a lottery than ever in terms of actually acquiring one. 

 

Rob

Nail on the head Rob...

[NHY 581]

13 minutes ago, Gilbert said:

Nail on the head Rob...

 

Thanks Chris, I have expanded my original post as I was a tad rushed earlier and hopefully put things more in context. 

 

Rob. 

[Gilbert]

1 minute ago, NHY 581 said:

 

Thanks Chris, I have expanded my original post as I was a tad rushed earlier and hopefully put things more in context. 

 

Rob. 

I think the message is pretty clear!

Law of s*d also prevails - I got a cracking running "Dutch" Class 31 last week ( don't ask..) but out of the box a handrail was absent...I await the replacement with baited breath...and bizarrely the loco contained a set of head code discs for a headcode loco that did not need them..doubly frustrating as its not long since I got a replacement set for a green 31 I bought over  a year ago which did need them but did not include them...ho hum...

Chris

[NHY 581]

7 minutes ago, Gilbert said:

I think the message is pretty clear!

Law of s*d also prevails - I got a cracking running "Dutch" Class 31 last week ( don't ask..) but out of the box a handrail was absent...I await the replacement with baited breath...and bizarrely the loco contained a set of head code discs for a headcode loco that did not need them..doubly frustrating as its not long since I got a replacement set for a green 31 I bought over  a year ago which did need them but did not include them...ho hum...

Chris

 

 

Perhaps the MRJ thread is not the place to debate this but then again, perhaps it is. 

 

RTR locos and stock have made huge advances in terms of accuracy and detail ( though obviously not infallible } over the last ten or even five years. 

That means increasing numbers of modellers like myself who perhaps do not possess the ability to make things, feel more able to produce something able to grace the pages of MRJ. Debatable of course but with the minimal amount of additional detailing and some careful weathering, something quite presentable can be produced. 

 

But being mass produced there is the perhaps inevitable variation in quality. My own experience suggests a good all round example is more of a lottery at present. 

 

My go to locos for quality running are a Dapol B4 or a Hattons P class. They very much look the part and nothing seems to stop them. Crucially, both run smoothly and come to that all important gradual halt, seemingly replicating a large lump of metal slowing down. 

 

Contrast that with my recent experience of the Hornby Peckett B2, of which I tried three examples. All ran nicely, slowed amicably but crucially halted in such a manner to either throw the crew against the bunker or backhead respectively. Running in did not change this, in either direction. Not on. 

 

Of course, there is the option of building an etched chassis etc. But I'm not that clever. Therefore I have to make do with what RTR chassis are available. Then stop moaning about it and get on with making do some might say. Maybe rightly so.

 

I do understand that point of view but the manufacturers are increasingly producing small shunty steam engines and small shunty diesels.

 

Its of course not confined to these prototypes but sticking with them for now, is it too much to expect that they be capable of doing small shunty things at slow shunty speeds...............? 

 

 

Rob. 

 

 

 

 

[t-b-g]

I think there is a distinction between mechanisms that cannot give the sort of movement that Iain Rice is talking about and those which could but don't because of an over heavy hand or lack of care in the driving.

 

I have seen many occasions were locos that I know can move off and stop smoothly do not simply because the operator isn't fully on the ball.

 

Iain was specifically talking about watching film from "virtual" shows. If I was producing one, the locos that cannot run well enough would not be the ones appearing before the camera.