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BRM September + BRM Bumper Pack


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I've just taken a teabreak and watched the Bachmann DVD which will come with all copies of the mag and (although I could be considered to be biased) I'm really impressed; over 40 minute run-time and genuinely interesting as Bachmann's David Haarhaus illustrates the impacts of economic changes referring to specific models; the platefuls of parts for the autoballaster are a bit eye-watering. Add in the DVD with the bumper pack and I'd say this magazine issue has involved more production time and effort than any other I've seen.

 

A small correction I'd like to raise is that the Foston Mills images aren't of my doing, all I did was a little extra work on them before printing; the credit should be to Michael Russell.

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40 minute teabreak ???  I want your job !

 

I work some odd hours. ;) I think it's fair to say most people in the hobby do with some very early morning and late night email exchanges, phone calls at odd times but then it's nice to wander up to the shop to make a phone call when opportunity permits when 9 to 5ers are stuck at a desk!

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I've just taken a teabreak and watched the Bachmann DVD which will come with all copies of the mag

 

I need to put my glasses on; I read that as "and watched the Batman DVD".

 

One thing on the mag, coming from the coast it was great to see an article about seaside trains. I remember as a kid in my grandad's fields waving at the trippers on their way to and from Skegness.

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I know what you mean :) I have a handbill for an excursion from Sheffield to Wainfleet and Skegness. Skegness I can understand, but Wainfleet? My home town isn't known for being geared up for tourists - being mainly agricultural- maybe they were after a few pints of Bateman's XB?

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I had the 'pleasure' of an early start to  photo Monks Bay for last month's mag early one May morning. The layout's based on the funfair at Mablethorpe and a brisk easterly was bringing in some horizontal Danish rain. It's got to be a hardy holidaymaker to stomach a bank holiday week like that!

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:P

 

I'll have you know I popped out to do something useful for half-an-hour this evening that was actually some modelling.

 

Modelling - what's that?

 

Some of us have forgotten - we're too busy visiting sites like RMweb - FreeRails - and doubtless others too numerous to mention.

 

Joking aside, a few hours ago, I was working on a new floorplate, so I can fit a homebrew (and freelance) On30 railbus body to a Bachmann Underground Ernie multiple unit chassis.

 

Does this count as modelling - or only if / when the thing gets finished - and if it actually looks like something other than a random collection of bits of plastikard?

 

 

Huw

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I had the 'pleasure' of an early start to  photo Monks Bay for last month's mag early one May morning. The layout's based on the funfair at Mablethorpe and a brisk easterly was bringing in some horizontal Danish rain. It's got to be a hardy holidaymaker to stomach a bank holiday week like that!

Hi Andy,

 

I've just bought the September BRM and was very taken with the "Over Peover" layout even though the LNER/ER is not really my bag. When you visit layouts that the general public don't generally get to see, there must be certain feelings/trepidation about what you are likely to find and whether you'll be able to do it (and the builder) justice by way of your photographs. So what did you feel when seeing Over Peover for the first time? I can hardly begin to imagine what your first impressions would be on seeing a layout of that size and magnitude? Furthermore, how do you begin to convey what is there when the layout exceeds what most clubs or individuals could put together? As a builder of small/micro layouts I was staggered by the facts (and pictures) relating to OP and just wondered how you manage to live up to the expectations of the builder, editor and magazine readership?

 

Linners

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So, it's Thursday.....I remember from last time I checked that the issue date for the paper version is Friday 15th, tomorrow, so no problems, I can wait.....

 

........ provided I don't injure myself at football tonight I should be able to walk to the shop......

 

........ hang on, Linners has just bought his copy, how come ? 

 

Best check those dates again, not that I'll have been wrong twice..... Aaaagh, it IS available today..... so a quick trip to the shop (no injuries !!) and I have the magazine - but no lunchtime left !!!!!

 

B*gger !

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So what did you feel when seeing Over Peover for the first time? I can hardly begin to imagine what your first impressions would be on seeing a layout of that size and magnitude? Furthermore, how do you begin to convey what is there when the layout exceeds what most clubs or individuals could put together? 

 

It's an interesting question Linners and I'll try to tackle it stage by stage.

 

As with many other exhibition goers we've all seen major masterpieces from clubs, groups of modellers or even individuals which are beyond the skills, resources and time that we as individuals may have and they can be quite literally awe-inspiring. My first encounter with Over Peover was a couple of years ago. When I first met John Ryan he was on a work 'phone call in his beautiful office at home, whether the caller knew that John was painting Mark 1 coaches on his desk during the call I wouldn't know of course. I politely sat and waited for John to finish the business but this was no uncomfortable hardship as there was much to study on the walls whether it be railway memorabilia or football paintings including some fantastic portrayals of the late, great George Best. In a sense I was already distracted from the main reason for the visit. After a good chat (he's a very amiable and down to earth chap) I went to the railway room and all was still; a cathedral without the choir and organ is still impressive which is a parallel to digesting how much work will have been expended on such a major work. I'm sure lucky visitors to Pete Waterman's railway experience the same initial impact that here is something that I could never afford to do but at least I'm lucky enough to have seen a seminal piece of work.

 

I haven't taken a picture which can convey the scope of the whole project as there's no single perspective which can summarise the project; the same as no-one can stand in the Vale scene at Pendon and capture the enormity of it in one shot; although I did try once.

 

Panorama3s.jpg

Click to enlarge to 1920px wide

 

As any visitor to Pendon can testify it doesn't do it justice; it's not possible to. Although I've not seen the DVD footage I'm sure that will give a better opportunity to consider the scope of the layout but in the meantime here's a trip around the outer oval(s) behind a superb Lee Marsh Patriot thanks to Cliff Williams camerawork. The terminus and engine shed then sit within the centre of the layout room with connecting junctions to the longer runs of the ovals. There's some interesting visiting aliens within the video!

 

 

On my previous visit I was left to 'get on with it' and take photos which involved positioning trains, locos and stock and to jump in at the deep end on the controls of such a leviathan starts the blood draining to your feet. To position a Loveless DP1 and its train in place my only option (as I couldn't work out the fiddleyard controls!) was to carefully reverse a train of substantial value around the outdoor section of the layout, somewhat unsighted. I breathed a sigh of relief as I brought the last of the train back inside and could get the shot I wanted.

 

OP13_mini.jpg

 

All I can hope to bring in still images is a flavour of a given portion of the layout or features within it. John's recaptured a flavour of his boyhood in the layout; I'm sure some would comment that it's 'cheque book modelling' but I'm glad that some people can and do bring together some fascinating projects and choose to share some of that with readers in the hobby and good luck to them to be able to do so; it doesn't make them any less of an enthusiast and flag-waver for the hobby than any of us simply because it pools the talents of several people.

 

Do I do such layouts justice with the camera? No; you can't. No matter if you're a person who doesn't like DCC sound or smoke units you can't help but smile in the presence of a logical extension of the 'boys toys' we grew up that started us on a modelling path.

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I had the 'pleasure' of an early start to  photo Monks Bay for last month's mag early one May morning. The layout's based on the funfair at Mablethorpe and a brisk easterly was bringing in some horizontal Danish rain. It's got to be a hardy holidaymaker to stomach a bank holiday week like that!

I think it was also one of the few piers where you could jump off the end and not get your feet wet!

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You should take it up professionally Andy.

 

Actually, one of the reasons why I like the photography you do in BRM is that you don't over process your photos - the processing you do do makes the scene more real rather than more painterly. Each to their own, but I'm afraid I'm not keen on HDR style photos.

 

Processing can go too far at times.

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Processing can go too far at times.

 

I love a good Turner; maybe folk will stop grumbling about my fake exhausts when I'm dead and gone. ;) Mind you I think Turner suffered when experimenting with the Render Clouds button in Photoshop.

 

1280px-Turner%2C_J._M._W._-_The_Fighting

 

Still one of my favourite classic paintings.

 

I'll be giggling at the back of class in next month's RMweb Special BRM when a very fake is image is revealed in one article. ;)

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I know this is not really the point under discussion, but I don't think anyone is missing anything by not having the DVD. It covers ground that is already well exposed (upcoming products and the cost increases in China), and it would have been better  as a properly written and edited article. Whatever David Haarhaus's strengths are, elocution and public speaking are not amongst them. It's a long, unscripted ramble which I found very hard to hear because he swallows so many words.  And the background music is ghastly and unnecessary.........

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