RMweb Premium skipepsi Posted January 27, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 27, 2013 As long as it's not the tip..... I thought he was passed that stage now! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordon s Posted January 29, 2013 Author Share Posted January 29, 2013 Sorry guys, I had completely missed your posts. The last couple of months have seen me in the modelling doldrums and that means little has been done, however, I have relaid the junctions completely and now re ballasted them. I'm getting nearer every day to 'getting back in the saddle' and have no intention of this one going in the skip.... I still find this hobby of ours strange in as much enthusiasm/motivation ebbs and flows and I certainly used to feel bad about it. I now realise that could happen in any hobby and take some comfort that others have gone through similar stages in the build process. I think it's even more of an issue for solo builders. At least where you have a team of builders, you can often carry 'passengers' for a short period and others will always lift the spirits of the group as a whole. WIthout that it can get tough at times. Thankfully RMWeb is my cyber group of builders and I'm staggered by the number of members following this thread. The odd nudge you guys give me from time to time does register and I'm grateful for the support and advice that has been given. I'd love to be able to say it will all start tomorrow, but that time is getting nearer and the recent arrival of an 01 and B17 is spurring me on. Thanks for your patience. 14 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelW Posted January 29, 2013 Share Posted January 29, 2013 Good to hear that you have been making some slow progress Gordon. I hope your enthusiasm returns soon. In the meantime, how's the golf going? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordon s Posted January 29, 2013 Author Share Posted January 29, 2013 The golf is going great, so that's not helped at all......If only I could transfer some enthusiasm across.......:-) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PhilH Posted January 29, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 29, 2013 Easy, tiger. See what I did there....... 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian_H Posted January 29, 2013 Share Posted January 29, 2013 I knew a nurse who always reckoned she could tell the age of a guy by the size of the balls he played with? Make of it what you will, anybody up for a game of basketball? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debs. Posted January 29, 2013 Share Posted January 29, 2013 The golf is going great, so that's not helped at all......If only I could transfer some enthusiasm across.......:-) Perhaps a switch to Tee-Tee gauge, in the B.R Green era; would be a Fairway to go! 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post gordon s Posted March 22, 2013 Author Popular Post Share Posted March 22, 2013 Evening all....Yes, it's me and there is some stirring in the loins. The last few months have seen zero progress as every time I wandered upstairs, I had to face the same board with the same lousy ballasting that needed replacing and try as I may, I just couldn't generate any enthusiasm to repair the work and push on. The escape route was golf and it's been great. I've been playing 3 days every week and I have to say it's done me the world of good. Not only am I now playing to my handicap and below on a regular basis, it has given me a lift in more ways than one. A combination of regular exercise and giving up alcohol has seen by weight drop by the best part of two stone and I genuinely feel better for it. No beer or wine for three months has proven to be easier than I thought and whist I may partake of the odd alcoholic beverage again, I'm fine without it right now. What's this got to do with Eastwood? There has been some renewed interest, but as I said the sight of the damaged boards built to date has a very negative effect and I've been thinking of ways to get round it. Start again? Scrap everything done to date? Neither of these options were attractive, so tonight I've made a decision. I'm going to push the damaged board to one side to be revisited later when my mojo returns and make a start on ET terminus itself. This opens up the possibility of starting something new without scrapping anything at all and means I can start laying out some track/buildings and platforms which may spur me on to complete the original plan. If not, the option is then to complete the terminus and drop the continuous run by building a "U" shaped layout with ET terminus one side and the storage roads the other. It will certainly get me back to my first loves of carpentry and track building and eventually will allow me to run trains, albeit back and forth rather than round and round. Hopefully that will be open up the possibility of revisiting the original loops, repair the damaged track and get back to the original plan. Right now nothing is going anywhere, yet others plough on with their masterpieces with unlimited levels of motivation and enthusiasm. Perhaps you could bottle it. You'd make a fortune.. Three months of inactivity have been tough and having to face abandoned work even harder. Golf has given me an out and stopped me scrapping everything and giving up modelling completely. The balance will be to enjoy both hobbies and not feel guilty about either of them. So thanks for bearing with me during this period of absence.... 25 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted March 22, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 22, 2013 Great to hear it Gordon - looks like that alliance in the living room has spurred you to get out of there way and back into action 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
emt_911 Posted March 22, 2013 Share Posted March 22, 2013 Welcome back Gordon Sometimes this hobby requires a little time away and judging by what you have said, it has done you the world of good. Duncan 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Ray H Posted March 22, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 22, 2013 Glad to hear you're on the move again Gordon. I've missed the regular updates. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Kazmierczak Posted March 22, 2013 Share Posted March 22, 2013 So hitting a small ball around the countryside has its reasons then Gordon; to increase enthusiasm for modelling. Good to see you back. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachmann Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 (edited) Ripping up and starting afresh is definitely a consideration for people who cannot live with compromise and things they are not happy with. I feel Gordon is maybe going through the same thought processes as I while enjoying the distracton of golf. In my case, damaging the chest bone joint last November while chiselling cork off the baseboard didnt help, but then neither did the underlying track problems. The enforced break has turned out to be a good thing and perhaps Gordon will view his position in a similar light and return to layout building with a completely new vision. I sincerely hope so. Edited March 23, 2013 by coachmann 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian_H Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 (edited) Hi Gordon Great to have you back, I've been dropping in to the Eastwood Town thread every now and then to see what's happening. I can totally relate with the problems of motivation and some time its best to take a brake Break. It's good news that you're to start on the terminus, is this the modified Bastille plan that you worked on last summer? wonderful design. Good luck Ian Edited for typo error due to faulty keyboard .... that's my excuse anyway! Edited March 23, 2013 by Ian_H 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrkirtley800 Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 Nice to see you back, Gordon. I have missed my fix of reading about your modelling. I can sympathise with you. Over 3 years ago I had a total knee replacement . Unfortunately it didn't work, it had become infected. For 18 months the consultant dilly dallied and eventually discharged me even despite the raging infection. I sought a second opinion at another hospital and they were horrified. The result was I spent the whole of the summer of 2011 in hospital while my knee joint was taken out and replaced by a temporary joint. So I was on a heavy dose of antibiotis, walking with crutches for 10 months and only last May was my knee finally fitted with a proper joint. All that time my interest in doing anything on the model railway was non existant and my layout with it's scratch built locos and stock were left gathering dust. I did tune in to RMWeb occasionally, but otherwise watched endless repeats of Midsommer Murders. So my advice to anyone contemplating total knee replacement, think very carefully. Derek 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordon s Posted March 23, 2013 Author Share Posted March 23, 2013 (edited) Derek, you have my sympathies. My right knee was borderline and eventually I had key hole surgery. It's a lot better but not 100%. I did talk to the surgeon about a replacement and he spent some time talking about the potential problems. Reading your sad tale just confirmed to me I possibly made the right choice. Thanks for the welcome back guys. It's been difficult having no motivation to work on something that used to give so much pleasure. Having seen the pics of Black Country Blues I was very tempted to just go to a simple oval plus yard and less really is more. I loved these pics... Of course I'd need to knock a hole into our bedroom to accommodate the extra length... Edited March 23, 2013 by gordon s 19 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 Yes, I tend to agree, Gordon. Plus it's doable in a reasonable amount of time. Best, Pete. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted March 23, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 23, 2013 Yes, I tend to agree, Gordon. Plus it's doable in a reasonable amount of time. Best, Pete. Important point, Pete. We each have a different motivation for modelling. Some find the act of making and improving is their pleasure - Jim S-W's Birmingham New St layout being the classic example, where he cheerfully states he won't mind if it's never finished because his satisfaction is the creation of replica details of the station, one by one. Gordon has demonstrated an ability to produce beautiful track, but only he knows whether the long list of things before he can expect a full running session is too daunting. RTR plus RTP has certain advantages if your joy is seeing the trains run - and you are not in the first flush of youth, or possessed of perfect health or fitness. 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
islandbridgejct Posted March 26, 2013 Share Posted March 26, 2013 Please don't rip it up again. I couldn't bear it. If it's not up to scratch, move on, do the next piece. Start a list of what you're going to upgrade as soon as you finish, and put the bit you're not happy with at the top of the list. Then, when everything's up and running, you can start weekend possessions to replace the sub-standard sections. That way, you'll never get bored just running trains, but you will get to run trains, and I'll get to admire the pictures. At a certain stage, perfection is the enemy of excellence. Alan 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Rowsley17D Posted March 27, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 27, 2013 Really good to have you back Gordon and you are inspiring me to get my loft sorted so that a layout can begin, I just wish the weather would start to warm up, a least a bit. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Jason T Posted March 27, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 27, 2013 I had a look back a few pages to the ballasting incident and to be honest with you, 99% of people on here would be more than happy with it. Please don't lob it all in the bin Gordon, you'd be doing yourself a mis-service, especially for a section of track that on the whole won't be the key viewing area of the layout. p.s. Good to have you back in the driving seat. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post gordon s Posted May 24, 2013 Author Popular Post Share Posted May 24, 2013 Well, well, six months have been and gone. My golf handicap has improved by three and a few prizes have come my way. Lost 3 stone, but am awaiting final confirmation that a gluten free diet will now be the order of the day. Having lived on a gluten free diet for the past few weeks, it doesn't change anything other than a pint of foaming best is now off limits. Compared to the health issues of others, this is a minor blip and thankfully I'm still breathing. So where does that leave ET? After years of trying and failing, I've finally accepted the wisdom of others and the new ET will be much simpler. Unless you are Superman, the demands of trying to build a large and complex layout on your own are huge. Carpentry, track building, electrics, scenics and then all the issues with stock are just too much for this individual, so something had to give. I recently had a call from Brilliant Baseboards who are stopping production with a one off offer to buy their last five boards at a knock down price, which was a get started or get out decision. Thanks to the inspiration from Tetleys, Great Northern, 92220 and in particular the wonderful work of Coachman that I have been following, the flame was flickering, so the five new boards are sitting on the floor and work will shortly start on a new project once the room has been prepared. The storage sidings will remain, albeit a little simpler and ET will be a through station. Inevitably a few minor bits will go, but overall I will be able to reuse most of what has been built to date and incorporate the trackwork and boards into a new design. Too early to publish any details as I still have a few days work to do on Templot, but hopefully I will have something to show over the next few months. Please note, not days, not weeks, but probably months as I will still continue golfing and ET will fill other hours. Of course that will only happen as long as Mrs S doesn't seize the opportunity for those spare days...:-) Glad to feel good about modelling again. I was so close to selling up and giving up completely... 20 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dseagull Posted May 24, 2013 Share Posted May 24, 2013 Excellent news. Good luck with it Gordon! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
auxie22 Posted May 24, 2013 Share Posted May 24, 2013 Well I am glad you didn't give up Gordon, your previous ET attempts have given me a lot of inspiration even simply the retaining walls (I plan on using the 7mm stone also). love the dark, gritty even menacing atmosphere that you have produced with ET so far. Keep going don't give up as you are an inspiration. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
92220 Posted May 24, 2013 Share Posted May 24, 2013 Great to see the enthusiasm beginning to be rekindled Gordon and I look forward to seeing it develop. If my efforts have been even a tiny inspiration, that's a small repayment for the massive help that you have been to me and no doubt many others. Thank you. And err, see you on the first tee next week..... Iain Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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