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Hornby: A Model World


Phil Parker
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3 hours ago, Georgeconna said:

Their Flexi track aint that great either. 

Certainly the offerings from other manufactures are considered better, but flexytrack & a little imagination would go a long way to moving away from the trainset trackage look.

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2 hours ago, Captain Kernow said:

 

In terms of timescales alone, I found the Pete Waterman and team layout impressive and I believe that they have raised a lot of money for charity through displaying it at Chester?

Plus people and exhibitors seem to have enjoyed themselves, possibly actually having fun, Pete is a very good ambassador in person having chatted to him at a couple of shows. 
 

 

2 hours ago, Captain Kernow said:

 

However, I have never, ever heard of anyone else taking a blow torch to model railway scenery!

 

 
well you’ve heard of two now . . .

 

49013A5E-DC81-48A8-A20E-2D2576FBF716.jpeg.4d4df89a2da6f48bc5e980b740a8b4c8.jpeg

 

I might have overdone the shrinking?

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2 hours ago, Captain Kernow said:

However, I have never, ever heard of anyone else taking a blow torch to model railway scenery!

 

Are you just jealous because you hadn't thought of it as a technique or had reason to? Anything on Callow Lane need a big of a singe effect?

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21 minutes ago, SamThomas said:

Certainly the offerings from other manufactures are considered better, but flexytrack & a little imagination would go a long way to moving away from the trainset trackage look.

Why would they want to? The last thing Hornby want to do is alienate their core market 

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5 hours ago, PaulRhB said:

But do scale modellers form the majority of visitor centre patronage? The centre is designed for enthusing those to enter the hobby and delight kids with bright wow layouts that they can pester the parents to buy a set and achieve ‘Blue Peter’ style when they get home. You don’t want to scare them off it’s more about play value and selling their basic sets and scenery. 
It could have an example of more advanced modelling using the more expensive resin buildings etc to show that but the focus is on selling the toy end as it’s a family attraction. 

I doubt if "scale modellers" form the majority of visitors to the VC.

 

To an extent I do agree that if the display layouts were all to a high standard then maybe some Joe Public may be scared off.

However, they could easily have a number of layouts from a simple trackmat to a trainset & through to something more of a model ?

Maybe even show a few locations where it wouild be possible to store/use a layout similar to those people in the south west ?

 

Surerly, start with  train set & once "captured" nuture the customers so that they start buying the more expensive items in the range.

 

I have said elsewhere that many people attend the VC & are dissapointed.

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6 minutes ago, SamThomas said:

I have said elsewhere that many people attend the VC & are dissapointed.

Where do you get that data from? “Many people” would suggest you have access to a largish survey result?

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6 minutes ago, Jol Wilkinson said:

 It wasn't in the LNWR years.

Nor in the LMS days and BR days up until the point of DVTs and trains no longer splitting at Carstairs, then it all went downhill and now it is just an efficient machine transporting people north and south.

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18 minutes ago, SamThomas said:

I have said elsewhere that many people attend the VC & are dissapointed.

 

Where do you get your ludicrous generalisations from?

 

20 minutes ago, SamThomas said:

similar to those people in the south west ?

 

Have you now invented a strategic reserve of layouts in Box Tunnel?

 

Any more rot and I'll just remove your access to the topic

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1 hour ago, SamThomas said:

 

Be very interested  to see what sort of actual distances Hornby loco motives would run.

Pete Waterman demonstrated how good modern locomotives including Hornby are with the Chester Cathedral layout - those locos were doing real mileage without casualties.

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1 hour ago, SamThomas said:

They could just show the start, finish & then the distance covered.

 

I don't think they do that much work on the VC. Some years ago a friend of mine carried out some testing for a company that manufactures HO European Outline locomotives - they would often rack up 1,000+ actual miles before wearing out the wheels or pickups. I have in my own collection & that still runs well after a new wheelset. The test track was a monitored figure of eight with a 1 in 50 gradiant pulling 10 x coaches.

 

Be very interested  to see what sort of actual distances Hornby loco motives would run.

 

I understand the lifetime of the locos used at Pecorama is measured in weeks....

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9 hours ago, russ p said:

I'm not sure putting the blow torch thing in the show was a good idea even if PW said don't try this at home .
snip

I couldn't really see what the heat achieved 

The ‘grass’ is teddy bear fur, and the application wasn’t as good as it is on Leamington, which may be down to time/filming constraints. Pete’s been using the technique for many years and it does give an effective result.

 

The ‘fur’ is plastic based and too long for 4mm and quite a bit of 7mm applications too. Out of the box it stays in straight strands which look too regular, once it’s been painted and clipped, a waft of the torch across it makes the grass curl/curve/wave and if you get close enough a variety of brown scorch marks.

90EC28C3-BCD4-4245-9B0E-A6DDBB0F6F8B.jpeg.2cbeed68c8be17e43842fb6d11556970.jpeg

Having been shown the technique by Pete, I used the technique on the foreground parts of Albion Yard for anyone who may have seen it at a show. It’s also been used by John McRea on quite a bit of Retford.

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7 minutes ago, PMP said:

The ‘grass’ is teddy bear fur, and the application wasn’t as good as it is on Leamington, which may be down to time/filming constraints. Pete’s been using the technique for many years and it does give an effective result.

 

The ‘fur’ is plastic based and too long for 4mm and quite a bit of 7mm applications too. Out of the box it stays in straight strands which look too regular, once it’s been painted and clipped, a waft of the torch across it makes the grass curl/curve/wave and if you get close enough a variety of brown scorch marks.

90EC28C3-BCD4-4245-9B0E-A6DDBB0F6F8B.jpeg.2cbeed68c8be17e43842fb6d11556970.jpeg

Having been shown the technique by Pete, I used the technique on the foreground parts of Albion Yard for anyone who may have seen it at a show.

Just as long as no teddy bears were hurt in the process.

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3 hours ago, pirouets said:

Are you just jealous because you hadn't thought of it as a technique or had reason to?

No not jealous, just dumbfounded at the idea of introducing a flame to a model railway.

 

1 hour ago, PMP said:

The ‘grass’ is teddy bear fur

 

Pete’s been using the technique for many years and it does give an effective result.

 

a waft of the torch across it makes the grass curl/curve/wave and if you get close enough a variety of brown scorch marks

Having been shown the technique by Pete, I used the technique on the foreground parts of Albion Yard for anyone who may have seen it at a show. It’s also been used by John McRea on quite a bit of Retford.

Thanks for that Paul, good information from a knowledgeable and experienced person.

 

So, no, I'd never have thought of it in a million years, but I respect the excellent results achieved by Paul and also by PW on his Leamington layout.

 

And no, I have no plans to use the technique any of my layouts, past, present or future, thank you. Apart from the fact that I wouldn't trust myself with one, I doubt that I would be allowed to bring a blow torch into the house!

 

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45 minutes ago, Captain Kernow said:

No not jealous, just dumbfounded at the idea of introducing a flame to a model railway.

 

Thanks for that Paul, good information from a knowledgeable and experienced person.

 

So, no, I'd never have thought of it in a million years, but I respect the excellent results achieved by Paul and also by PW on his Leamington layout.

 

And no, I have no plans to use the technique any of my layouts, past, present or future, thank you. Apart from the fact that I wouldn't trust myself with one, I doubt that I would be allowed to bring a blow torch into the house!

 

 

I'm not advocating their use. But you can get those small ones that chefs use for things like Crème Brulee.

 

A lot less brutal than the type that workmen and DIYers use.

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kitchen-Blow-Torches/b?ie=UTF8&node=11713221

 

 

 

 

Jason

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