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Wright writes.....


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1 hour ago, timbowilts said:

I have found this a very different sub-thread at the moment. I spent my whole working life in Railway Signalling Engineering until retirement eighteen months ago. I was also a member of a small gathering of like minded modellers for several years.

The common factor between the two was the high percentage of divorced men involved in both activities. In the case of the modelling group it was 75% divorced!

I must have done something right as I’ve been married for 31 years (though how much longer remains to be seen now that I have to spend so much time with ‘er indoors :biggrin_mini2: )

Tim T

Thanks Tim,

 

Wright Writes does go off at tangents at times, but I hope it's always seen as supportive; either with regard to modelling projects or life's issues in general.

 

I think railway modelling can be a therapy for many of the ills surrounding us. I do try to convince myself of that when I solder a set of valve gear up solid for the umpteenth time! 

 

Regards,

 

Tony.  

Edited by Tony Wright
typo error
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I do agree with that - I decided to have another crack at modelling as a de-stress project at work. In early and at lunch times. However work is so manic at the moment I've not had a chance to do much for months so not really de-stressing much at the moment.

 

So much so I've been put on tablets now to try and sort things out a bit. Not expecting much out of them as I refused ones that help you sleep as I have the littlun and don't want to be in a position I can't wake up in an emergency. As Blur said (and the album cover is most appropriate) - Modern Life is Rubbish.

 

 

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1 hour ago, Atso said:

 

Apologies to those who do not wish to read about such things, its really very long and complicated and I don't think I fully understand all of it myself. I'll draw a line under my own self pity here.

 

Hi Steve,

In my book your recent posts (and those of others in a similar vein) have been most helpful and informative; they certainly don't come across as being self-pity in the slightest. Many thanks for posting them.

On a slightly different note (though related): It's only a mystery to me just how much self-control and anger management some railway modellers (and lego collectors) are capable of.....

Cheers,

Brian

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Modelling can be both a blessing and a problem. When I was recovering from my heart bypass back in the autumn of 2007 dabbling with simple card models was a great help.

 

The problem, I subsequently promised a layout for an exhibition, even though it was a small project I got burn out from working to a deadline due to several things not working as intended. (Poor designs by me). That specific layout, whilst not scrapped, has been stuck in the garage, in store and untouched, for far too long. Moral of the tale, for me at any rate, is don't promise something if it isn't already finished or can be shown as a work-in-progress. Everything takes longer than you think it will and rushing is not the answer. 

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2 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

 

Firstly, I assume (at least I hope) those ghastly couplings on the Deltic are not long for this world?

 

Secondly, why are the platforms so high on the layout? 

 

Thank you Tony. The tension lock couplings will be removed in due course and all the wiggly pipes will be added when I get the time. I am doing so much building work for the layout between our Sunday club days that I have very little time for personal projects. That is however my choice for the time being because the layout is, we hope, to be exhibited at Model Rail Scotland 2020. 

 

I will check the platform heights on Sunday but given the stage the layout has reached in that respect it would be very difficult to do anything about their height now without a great deal of work which would possibly mean we could not meet the show deadline.

 

Archie

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I too am very lucky. When we were moving house eighteen years ago one of the criteria was space for a workshop/railway room and we've ended up with a large brick building with central heating in the garden. It's mainly for my modelling but Mrs. H has an art and crafts section in it as well. I'm just starting a large S7 layout of a Midland MPD loosely based on Hellifield and I manage to spend a fair amount of time working on it as well as my other models, all with wifely approval. The tales told by Blackrat and Atso make me thank my lucky stars that I obviously married the right girl all those years ago (50 in August) but I also have to say that nearly all my railway modelling friends are in the same position so in my circle the harridans seem to be firmly in the minority. 

 

I can completely understand those who have suffered from depression, having gone through that black hole back in 1982 and had a couple of minor recurrences since. When I was in the care of a psychiatrist in 1982 it turned out that he was a Railway modeller and he told both me and Jill that it was one of the best things I could do to get me out of the depths. At first I had trouble getting motivated to do anything worth while but eventually I got there and realised that he was absolutely right. Of course, I had the support of my lady too so I got every chance to get better.

 

Dave

Edited by Dave Hunt
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19 minutes ago, Manxcat said:

 

Thank you Tony. The tension lock couplings will be removed in due course and all the wiggly pipes will be added when I get the time. I am doing so much building work for the layout between our Sunday club days that I have very little time for personal projects. That is however my choice for the time being because the layout is, we hope, to be exhibited at Model Rail Scotland 2020. 

 

I will check the platform heights on Sunday but given the stage the layout has reached in that respect it would be very difficult to do anything about their height now without a great deal of work which would possibly mean we could not meet the show deadline.

 

Archie

 

Ah yes, the eternal dilemma.  As time goes by, I keep finding new things with my layout that irritate me.  I have eased curves out, lifted and relaid a section of track, re-aligned a platform edge... and much more.  Fettling things is an integral part of the hobby.  There’s a lot of other stuff that still niggles, but I have decided to leave them be.  Life is too short, and absolute perfectionism can overwhelm simple enjoyment of the hobby, if you’re not careful.

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25 minutes ago, Manxcat said:

 

Thank you Tony. The tension lock couplings will be removed in due course and all the wiggly pipes will be added when I get the time. I am doing so much building work for the layout between our Sunday club days that I have very little time for personal projects. That is however my choice for the time being because the layout is, we hope, to be exhibited at Model Rail Scotland 2020. 

 

I will check the platform heights on Sunday but given the stage the layout has reached in that respect it would be very difficult to do anything about their height now without a great deal of work which would possibly mean we could not meet the show deadline.

 

Archie

Thanks Archie,

 

How are the platforms made? Are they proprietary products at source? If plastic, they're too high. 

 

I understand the problems of exhibition deadlines - I've been involved in many. To be honest, most won't notice, but I'm a bit of a zealot in such matters. 

 

If you've got a green Deltic running, it must be an ECML depiction. If so, some real platform heights......................

 

118247932_platform01.jpg.3823f1844622bcb7bd6bfa6f41734ce8.jpg

 

Wood Green; height about a quarter of the way up a buffer. The super-elevation will mean the platform is apparently lower. 

 

1891425409_platform02.jpg.f46f1b81bf9b472c78552990604b4dde.jpg

 

Grantham; very low on the Up fast. The Down slow platform was even lower.

 

1763605941_platform03.jpg.3e68d0e654b1e158d20edbee395160be.jpg

 

Retford; Up platform, about a quarter of the way up a buffer.

 

1400185890_platform04.jpg.9f7131c1912ecf991be8a8ae2410d70a.jpg

 

Retford; Down main platform. Because of the pronounced super-elevation, the platform here was very low.

 

478103306_platform05.jpg.4c17deed0b09628e192e428a4212b7f7.jpg

 

Same again; to board trains, small steps were provided. 

 

48312914_platform06.jpg.724db8b6783152c2d8889422f4b0795e.jpg

 

Doncaster: about half way up an A4's buffer - about the same as Little Bytham.

 

1763598958_platform07.jpg.5cbb0358ec66c162262f025b7e088f72.jpg

 

York; Up through platform - very low at the Scarborough end.

 

617464442_platform08.jpg.a032d2e2f28462fc94f9d74d7e05ed6d.jpg

 

York again: Down side bays. A twitch higher than LB's platforms. 

 

None of these is anything near the height of the platforms in your clip. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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35 minutes ago, Chamby said:

 

Ah yes, the eternal dilemma.  As time goes by, I keep finding new things with my layout that irritate me.  I have eased curves out, lifted and relaid a section of track, re-aligned a platform edge... and much more.  Fettling things is an integral part of the hobby.  There’s a lot of other stuff that still niggles, but I have decided to leave them be.  Life is too short, and absolute perfectionism can overwhelm simple enjoyment of the hobby, if you’re not careful.

I'm entirely in agreement, Phil,

 

But surely it's just as easy to put a platform at the right height (as an example) when making it? 

 

In the piece I wrote for the Railway Modeller earlier this year, I was castigated (at least in part) for suggesting that observation of prototype practice (beforehand) is paramount in any model making. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

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It seems to me that it is massively to the credit of this thread and its contributors that people feel so willing and able to share their innermost problems with others, most of whom they cannot know. What I get is a great sense of mutual support and goodwill which contrasts strongly with what one hears so often about the "interweb and social meeja".

I have never suffered depression in the way that others have described it, but I certainly find strength through sharing life's problems with supportive friends.

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I too have been very lucky. My wife's first Christmas present to me was Hornby (it may have been Triang/ Hornby) set some 49 years ago. She has always been supportive, as I have off her interests.

I feel very sorry, if not horrified by some of the stories told in the last few days.

Edited by westerner
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A couple of shots showing the relative platform heights on Little Bytham..............

 

310521575_platformheight60113.jpg.aea91debc5c74da3ac9323dbf4b4b65a.jpg

 

Thompson's unloved and disliked A1/1 bowls southwards through the station on an Up express. Platform height just about at the bottom of the buffer, and just below the base of the solebars on the stock. 

 

I'm still waiting to capture that perfect picture! 

 

378847354_platformheightD9021.jpg.51edf7e3db51b984e9b26bade3035949.jpg

 

Out of time, I admit, but I couldn't resist this as D9021 (modified Bachmann) bombs through LB on the Down 'Flying Scotsman'. 

 

As an illustration of way-too-tall platforms, there's a diesel-era layout featured in the current RM. It's very well photographed. Please, have a look. 

Edited by Tony Wright
to clarify a point
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4 hours ago, Atso said:

 

Thanks Tony,

 

While I've never been admitted onto a psychiatric ward, I do wonder if that is because I stopped talking to my (at the time) doctor about things. This came about because the anti-depressants I was prescribed (ciltalopram) had the unfortunate side effect of making me physically very ill. When I told my doctor of this, I was told that that they didn't believe me, it was all I was going to get and I had a choice: either take the tables or do without. I chose the latter and never went back. Kate has recently convinced me to give things another go at my new surgery and seek another course of counselling.

 

I do remember sitting at a friends funeral in 2012 feeling very envious. He had recently committed suicide and, at the time, I really wished that I had had the conviction to go through with my own attempt a few months earlier - I truly believed that he was the lucky one. That led to my conclusion (in a bizarre twisted logic that I cannot explain) that I'd failed completely and there was nothing I could do to keep my marriage going any longer. It wasn't until sometime after we split that I realised where (in hindsight, only some of) the problems really lay. It was then that my remaining friends came forward and told me that they had seen this long ago but didn't know how to broach the subject.

 

Apologies to those who do not wish to read about such things, its really very long and complicated and I don't think I fully understand all of it myself. I'll draw a line under my own self pity here.

I can completely relate to most of your story, I was with someone for 9 years which almost ruined my sanity by the end, it finished when I had finally had enough. She took me for £18000 through various means and ruined a few friendships for me, although I have them back now. Looking back it's the most bizarre episode in my life and I cannot explain how I stayed so long but such is life.

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6 hours ago, Atso said:

 

For me it was a combination of desperately trying to make things work despite always being told you're not good enough, etc. You love somebody and you'll try and do anything to make life better - I took the vows and did everything I could think of to honour them. Eventually you loose track of what's really going on and who you really are. Before you know it, you're accepting that you are the person always in the wrong and that your opinion/needs are somehow lesser than your partner's. That creates a situation where you can be taken advantage of and you'll accept it; for a time at least.

And sadly these controlling types (male or female) are extremely good at identifying victims and the effects of their techniques are very pernicious.

 

My sympathies to all those here with unhappy stories to tell.

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9 hours ago, Manxcat said:

 

Tony,

 

Given your comment above, I thought you might like to see a short video of my DCC sound equipped Deltic which I filmed on our club layout yesterday. The layout is still under construction and the fiddle yard has not yet been completed so I could only run the loco up and down the scenic section.

 

The sound chip is an ESU Loksound Version 4 with a sound file recorded from the real thing by Legomanbiffo. To get that distinctive Napier engine rumble I used an "Earthmover" speaker which, because of its size, required the chassis milled away to create a hollow in which it sits. I am grateful to my fellow club member Andrew Campbell who did that work for me.

 

The chip is programmed with numerous sounds ancillary to the engine noises but I have only included the start up and horns. 

 

Regards,

 

Archie

 

 

 

 

 

Archie,

 

I love the Deltic - It sounds superb. I also have a legomanbiffo sound file in mine, but I don’t get that bass, which really does the distinctive sound justice. I’m tempted to upgrade to one of your earthmover speakers, but I think I’ll wait and see how the accurascale one comes out. I already have a sound fitted one on order, and they’re promising plenty of bass.

 

Andy

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I've known personally 4 suicides. Two had work related problems, one was in a failing relationship and the fourth was a combination of work and relationship stresses.

Personally I had a very black period when we had a dispute with a company which had done some work on our house. We had to get someone else to put it right and it took us two years to get redress. Finally when it got to the day before a pre-trial meeting with a judge they capitulated and made us an offer which covered the remedial work and our costs. One thing which helped me greatly at the time was talking to others. There was a woman nearby who Anne called my 'Morning Girlfriend'. We commuted by train together for several years and are still in touch over 40 years on. At the time of my problems she was in the middle of a messy divorce after her husband had left. She had been involved in some horseplay at her place of work and had got pregnant. The wife of the baby's father had found out somehow and gone ballistic. All in all she was in a far worse state than me, and it made me realise that my situation wasn't so bad after all.

Later I was off work for a while with a mystery illness which the doctors eventually decided had been triggered by stress. Strangely this helped me a few years later when I was completely overdoing it work-wise. I realised that I was getting close to the edge and was in danger of imploding, so I had a long chat with my boss who I had known for about 25 years. We decided that my assistant would take over and I would move to another section which had a more stable working pattern for a break. As it happened the head of the section resigned about a month later and I took over his job.

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7 hours ago, thegreenhowards said:

Archie,

 

I love the Deltic - It sounds superb. I also have a legomanbiffo sound file in mine, but I don’t get that bass, which really does the distinctive sound justice. I’m tempted to upgrade to one of your earthmover speakers, but I think I’ll wait and see how the accurascale one comes out. I already have a sound fitted one on order, and they’re promising plenty of bass.

 

Andy

I'm looking forward to the Accurascale one, Andy, though the one I'll have won't have sound. Why not?

 

Because, no matter how good a speaker system in a model loco might be, how will it aurally replicate the approach of a Deltic on Little Bytham? May I please explain? 

 

I first visited Little Bytham (the real place) in the early-'70s, when the 'box and the remaining semaphore signals were still in operation. After a quick pint at the Willoughby, I stood on Marsh Bridge, just south of the station (it's on the model), camera at the ready. The Down fast board came off and I waited in anticipation. For near four/five minutes before that great snout appeared underneath Careby Bridge (the next one south of LB), I knew it was a Deltic coming. That wonderful drone became apparent as TULYAR went through Essendine. Then, as the throttle was pushed wide open to 'attack' Stoke, that familiar hum became more and more distinct. No other class could give this effect. 

 

I'm happy with the pure mechanical sounds my trains make as they negotiate the layout. Two friends came round yesterday and we drove the Deltic in the picture I posted yesterday, flat out. It sounded good, though not quite a Deltic. But neither were the twin plumes of smoke present.

 

No matter, as an antidote for the blues, what more could one ask for? 

 

Regards,

 

Tony.  

Edited by Tony Wright
to clarify a point
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9 hours ago, robertcwp said:

There have been some very thought-provoking, honest and open posts here in the last day or two which touch on (or more than touch on) topics not often discussed.

 

One of the best decisions I have ever made was not to marry. I was 28 when I broke things off and have never regretted it. I feel I would have ended up on a similarly difficult position to some others who have posted here recently. Perhaps if someone else had come along, things might have been different. Another very good decision I made was to get going on my layout project, which involved having a building constructed to kick things off. That was 23 years ago at a time when, without knowing it then, I was suffering from depression. The layout was built a couple of years or so later by Brian Kirby. It's been fully operational for 19 years now and still going strong.  Life has its ups and downs and for me that included another period of depression in the mid-2000s, again without at the time having a clue what it was. The big thing I did then was to set up my Yahoo group on coaching stock, which has succeeded far beyond what I had imagined it could do. It's cost me a fortune in collecting carriage workings, though.

 

I have come to understand a lot more about mental well-being in the last 9 years, much of which stemmed from a colleague having a breakdown. He called me into a room and said "I have been diagnosed with depression." That was the first time anyone had said anything like that to me. It took me about the next five years to really process the things that had happened to me and others in my family but now I understand it all much better. I also know the power of doing things, especially hobbies. If you used to enjoy something, try doing it again and it might help you out of a bad spot. 

 

A few years ago the late and much missed Roy Jackson gave a talk at Expo EM when he opened up about his mental struggles. The key thing that helped him to recover was to build 'Retford'!

 

It's also important I think to have a few different angles on a hobby, or even two or more separate ones, so you can mix and match and not get too bogged down. It's also important not to let perfectionism become a curse. In my job, that can be a major issue too. Plus, have some downtime to just relax. I have taken to watching train videos on YouTube to help with that - much better than television. And, there is always someone to talk to, message or whatever. Mental ill health affects lots of people. You are not alone. In extremis, the Samaritans are there 24/7. Do not underestimate the power of talking and of listening to others without judging or mocking. You may not know how close to the edge they are.

Thanks Robert,

 

Though it's clear your decision not to marry was one of the best you've made, in my case the decision to marry was the very best one I've ever made. 

 

Roy also told me the story about Retford's Genesis, and the decision to actually build it. It really is amazing how therapeutic this great hobby can be, especially with so many wonderful and supportive folk in it.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

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21 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

I'm looking forward to the Accurascale one, Andy, though the one I'll have won't have sound. Why not?

 

Because, no matter how good a speaker system in a model loco might be, how will it aurally replicate the approach of a Deltic on Little Bytham? May I please explain? 

 

I first visited Little Bytham (the real place) in the early-'70s, when the 'box and the remaining semaphore signals were still in operation. After a quick pint at the Willoughby, I stood on Marsh Bridge, just south of the station (it's on the model), camera at the ready. The Down fast board came off and I waited in anticipation. For near four/five minutes before that great snout appeared underneath Careby Bridge (the next one south of LB), I knew it was a Deltic coming. That wonderful drone became apparent as TULYAR went through Essendine. Then, as the throttle was pushed wide open to 'attack' Stoke, that familiar hum became more and more distinct. No other class could give this effect. 

 

I'm happy with the pure mechanical sounds my trains make as they negotiate the layout. Two friends came round yesterday and we drove the Deltic in the picture I posted yesterday, flat out. It sounded good, though not quite a Deltic. But neither were the twin plumes of smoke present.

 

No matter, as an antidote for the blues, what more could one ask for? 

 

Regards,

 

Tony.  

Tony,

 

I could have guessed that you would not go for the sound one! Without DCC it wouldn’t work very well anyway.

While DCC would clearly be inappropriate for your layout and fantastic collection of kit built locos, I think the reasons you give for not having sound are a case a ‘the best being the enemy of the good’. OK, it won’t recreate every aspect of a Deltic’s presence, but for me, the Deltic sound was their greatest attribute and if I can get (say) 80% of the way to recreating that, then that’s 80% better than nothing.

 

As for the twin plumes of smoke, never say never. I suspect we’ll see a system for recreating that in my lifetime. Here’s hoping!

 

Andy

 

 

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Re: relationships, I am one of the lucky ones.  Married for over 40 years, we have worked on the principle that if we support each other in our hobbies and interests, both our needs are met.  We both have hobbies that demand space and time: whilst I model of course, she paints expressively and does art stuff that I don’t always get, but it makes her intensely happy.  Funnily enough, she has the same view about me and my modelling.  For a long time we have shared a hobby room (thankfully a reasonable size) but both of us now need more space to fulfil our ambitions, so an architect has been called in.

 

A happy and lifelong relationship is not depression free of course: work and family pressures take their toll, and our currently very happy relationship has had its pronounced ups and downs in the past.  The extra time available following retirement has made a huge difference though, we are currently in that ‘sweet spot’ of still enjoying good health and being time rich with enough time for each other and our hobbies.  I know it won’t last forever, but hopefully in this period of life I can build a good layout that will serve me well into the more doddering years that hopefully still lie well ahead. (Fingers crossed).

 

Regarding Deltics and sound, I have both Legoman and SWD fitted models, and each has their own strengths.  Legoman’s is much richer in the low revving and start-up phase, capturing the characteristic Napier sound beautifully.  SWD’s however sounds a more intense note travelling at high speed, it captures that drone very nicely.  Isn’t that so often the case, where alternatives each have their own strengths but neither is best at everything?

 

I have tried the deep base ‘earthmover’ speakers and they sound great outside the model, but I can’t get them to work when installed without everything in the model rattling in a very annoying way.  Good bass tones are accompanied by big vibrations that are very difficult to mitigate against even at lower volumes, in my models at least!

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