dibber25 Posted August 26, 2015 Share Posted August 26, 2015 Theme: 'Organic' or 'hidden' railways inspirations 24pp of reviews including Bachmann S stock, Heljan 05 and Park Royal railbus, Dapol N 'Grange', Graham Farish 'A2' Layouts: Gas works 'O', Heworth Sidings 'N' How to do overgrown track and weeds, build better baseboards, order a bespoke baseboard, build and urban canal, build a signalbox with all the trimmings. Regulars including Show & Tell, Q&A and Backscene (what's Chris Leigh doing eating a chilli-dog at Coney Island?) Want to know what's in the issue? Head over to the Model Rail website for the MR213 summary: http://www.model-rail.co.uk Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
edcayton Posted August 26, 2015 Share Posted August 26, 2015 Sorry Chris but I won't be buying this one-28 pages of reviews I don't want/need and only 2 layouts? Ed Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dibber25 Posted August 26, 2015 Author Share Posted August 26, 2015 Sorry Chris but I won't be buying this one-28 pages of reviews I don't want/need and only 2 layouts? Ed No need to apologise. We're trying to offer choice and it's inevitable we won't please everyone. Currently working on a layout bookazine that will be nothing but layouts. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Griffin Posted August 26, 2015 Share Posted August 26, 2015 I got mine yeaterday, very enjoyable article on hidden railways. I was especially inspired by your canal article chris, considering im building one on my layout. Top job. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dibber25 Posted August 26, 2015 Author Share Posted August 26, 2015 I got mine yeaterday, very enjoyable article on hidden railways. I was especially inspired by your canal article chris, considering im building one on my layout. Top job. I enjoyed doing the canal scene but it was a project which developed as it went along and some concessions were made to get a lot of different features in a small space and to allow for photography. In particular, I used the printed water which is lock-width, and consequently not wide enough for two boats to pass. Also, the area where the lock gate and the railway conflict needed different treatment. However, the main purpose was to show how to make the different features individually, rather than how to bring them all together and, I suspect, in most layout applications there will need to be a lot of compromises to fit space. My next project is an airfield, so the problems are even worse! CHRIS LEIGH Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwealleans Posted August 26, 2015 Share Posted August 26, 2015 Mine beat this posting by two or three days. Enjoyed what I've read so far. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Chris116 Posted August 26, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 26, 2015 My first glance through the magazine left me unimpressed but on reading further it is a very good issue. Lots of interest and while I doubt if I will buy many of the reviewed items it was still good reading about them. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted August 26, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 26, 2015 Some interesting stuff - with some lovely 'bucolic byways' for inspiration. Mine actually arrived today via the anonymous personal delivery service (seem to be a different person delivering it every time, this one had a van ) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steamport Southport Posted August 26, 2015 Share Posted August 26, 2015 Normally I would agree with the "too many review pages" viewpoint. However most reviews in this issue are of major new models and potential "game changers" (a new manufacturer's first RTR railway model and London Underground stock). I don't think it could have been avoided to be honest. Any lack of quantity of layouts in the issue is overshadowed by the quality in my opinion, especially of Gas Works. Just my type of layout. Lovely. Jason Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jongudmund Posted August 26, 2015 Share Posted August 26, 2015 This is the issue I got free for replying to an email. (No complaints there!) I haven't read much of it yet but the workbench about an overgrown railway stopped me as I was flicking through it. That was nicely done, I thought. Also the bit on weeds and how to model buddleia with a picture of one of the sodding bushes growing on a station roof. Those triffids grow any and everywhere! I've often wondered how many odd comments would be made if modellers stuck bushes on roofs and the tops of buildings. But they should on urban decay lay outs because they are everywhere. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dibber25 Posted August 27, 2015 Author Share Posted August 27, 2015 This is the issue I got free for replying to an email. (No complaints there!) I haven't read much of it yet but the workbench about an overgrown railway stopped me as I was flicking through it. That was nicely done, I thought. Also the bit on weeds and how to model buddleia with a picture of one of the sodding bushes growing on a station roof. Those triffids grow any and everywhere! I've often wondered how many odd comments would be made if modellers stuck bushes on roofs and the tops of buildings. But they should on urban decay lay outs because they are everywhere. This was Saltash station, too. Pretty much the first building you see as you enter Cornwall on the train. The station is open but the building was palmed off by BR onto the local authority, who let it fall apart. The picture was taken several years ago when the station was surrounded by building site fencing, so I presume it has since been demolished. It was a Brunel design, to which the GWR had added a canopy. CHRIS LEIGH Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isambard Kingdom Brunel Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 I found the Hidden Railways Article very interesting and inspirational, although my time is taken with building my current layout without imagining another. I also enjoyed the article on weeds and the (I wish I had known that) baseboard article Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
grahame Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 Some interesting pics, if a few are rather hazy/fuzzy, of the hidden lines and some of which I'd like to have seen more of. Puzzled by the Farish A2 review - had it got mixed up with an OO review? Does it really have sprung buffers? (perhaps a first for N gauge) and there were repeated mentions of the accessories bag of contents. Also it appears to have solid tender wheels - I wonder if they should be spoked (I don't know the prototype) but that was mentioned as a black mark in the Dapol Grange review. G. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rue_d_etropal Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 Just got a copy in shop tonight. Nice to see my inset track on a proper canalside model. Thanks for using it Chris. The range is expanding and hopefully getting better, and I am testing out something for those who prefer code 75 rail. Interesting I have one of those Walthers warehouse kits waiting for next module I think, now I have seen it with track under it. I wasn't sure whether to continue the inset track under the warehouse, but I think it looks better. No one would guess the warehouse was a different scale. I originally chose it as it was different to the brick and stone ones, showing that new buildings were being built. Love the overgrown tack in other articles, difficult to get the extreme effect in a model and still have trains running. There may be too many pages of reviews. I still prefer it to be only one page max, per item. One magazine I know does not go over that maximum usually. It woiuld also be great to have some regular drawings pages, one of the things most people fondly remember about Model Railway Constructor. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dibber25 Posted August 27, 2015 Author Share Posted August 27, 2015 Just got a copy in shop tonight. Nice to see my inset track on a proper canalside model. Thanks for using it Chris. The range is expanding and hopefully getting better, and I am testing out something for those who prefer code 75 rail. Interesting I have one of those Walthers warehouse kits waiting for next module I think, now I have seen it with track under it. I wasn't sure whether to continue the inset track under the warehouse, but I think it looks better. No one would guess the warehouse was a different scale. I originally chose it as it was different to the brick and stone ones, showing that new buildings were being built. Love the overgrown tack in other articles, difficult to get the extreme effect in a model and still have trains running. There may be too many pages of reviews. I still prefer it to be only one page max, per item. One magazine I know does not go over that maximum usually. It woiuld also be great to have some regular drawings pages, one of the things most people fondly remember about Model Railway Constructor. It is rare, these days, to find anyone who is drawing proper modellers' drawings of a publishable standard, because so few modellers scratchbuild. It is not practical to commission drawings because of the cost. In the days of MRC we got by on drawings which people had drawn for their own purposes and who welcomed the fact that publication could earn them a few extra £. In the early days of Model Rail, we commissioned some drawings but soon found that very few modellers made any use of them. It is also impossible to guarantee the accuracy of drawings and they invariably result in post-publication disputes about accuracy. CHRIS LEIGH Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jongudmund Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 Just read the 26 hidden railways bit and delighted to see the oil depot at Abbey Foregate in Shrewsbury featured. I remember that still being in operation when I was a kid. My Dad went down and took some photos of it just before it got demolished. It's all a car park now. I've thought about it as a modelling subject. The backscene with a picture of the abbey church and behind it the old Gay Meadow football ground (also demolished now) could look really good. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rue_d_etropal Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 Chris, thanks for the explanation, I suspected that might be the reason. I suppose it is because my other railway interests are across the Channel, that I not only see what the French magazines do(Voie Libre has large pullout pages of drawings), and CM here does quite often have drawings (certainly current issue), but then I can see that the way some in the hobby seem to take pleasure in downing anything published, and drawings would bring them out in large numbers. It is a sad reflection on society these days. One other(UK) magazine, until the other long serving Chris(Ellis) decided to hang up his editing pens, Model Trains International, had a regular 2 page wagon drawing spread. I wonder if maybe , republishing drawings which have not seen the light of day for many years. The thing about drawings is that quite often they are not of interest when they are published, but then you have a frantic search though old magazines because you remember there was a drawing you now want. One of the technologies that is growing, is 3D printing, and there are quite a few people having a go at using it to produce a model . I am currently searching for various drawings online, but am having trouble location what I need. Granted these are not UK items, but when I see a drawing in one of my magazines, I tend to stop and think if I could produce a model design for 3D printing. Experience has taught me that I will also need to search for some photos, as not everything is clear in the drawings, however good they are. In fact all I really need is an outline drawing, some measurements and some good photos in many cases. Railway items can be difficult, but road vehicles for some reason are a lot harder, unless they are military. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PhilJ W Posted August 28, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 28, 2015 I obtained my copy yesterday. I thought the 'Hidden railways' item was very good but a couple of types of lines could have been added such as military lines such as Shoeburyness and hospital railways such as Hellingly. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rue_d_etropal Posted August 28, 2015 Share Posted August 28, 2015 maybe military railways will make a good feature on its own . I had not thought I would be interested in getting one of the devises to make the grass stand up, but long grass definitely makes it more likely. With all that grass, the coupling hooks will be nicely bobbling along, but it might mean it is possible to uncouple anywhere, as long as there is a 'clear' stretch to couple up on. That has got me thinking. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Budgie Posted August 28, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 28, 2015 I was disappointed to see in "Build better baseboards" that the wood list includes Sundeala. I was under the impression that people who know about making baseboards avoid Sundeala, for two reasons; (1) it's only really fit for making notice boards, and (2) it's expensive. In fact my local timber merchant will sell you a sheet of Latvian Birch Plywood cheaper than the same-size sheet of Sundeala. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dibber25 Posted August 28, 2015 Author Share Posted August 28, 2015 I was disappointed to see in "Build better baseboards" that the wood list includes Sundeala. I was under the impression that people who know about making baseboards avoid Sundeala, for two reasons; (1) it's only really fit for making notice boards, and (2) it's expensive. In fact my local timber merchant will sell you a sheet of Latvian Birch Plywood cheaper than the same-size sheet of Sundeala. Sundeala K board - the 9mm thick board - is a good baseboard topping material. I've seen it used satisfactorily on many a layout and have certainly used it on club layouts that took a lot of wear and tear at shows etc. Dave is certainly a person who knows about making baseboards. I suspect he's lost count of how many he's made, and those he's made for me have tended to be pretty much 'elephant proof'. CHRIS LEIGH Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewartingram Posted August 29, 2015 Share Posted August 29, 2015 Not sure about the screws in that baseboard framing though - screwing straight into the grain of the wood. Stewart Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rue_d_etropal Posted August 29, 2015 Share Posted August 29, 2015 Everyone has their preferences on what material to build their baseboards, and it also depends on whether it is transportable or fixed and where it is. A few years ago the club I was with was olanning a new layout. I suggested a lightweight ply frame, based on ideas used for O gauge layout in Model Railway Journal. The others did not think it would be strong enough(depite being OO not O gauge) and doubled up everything. This was strong but heavier. For some reason traditional ply on 2 by 1 was used for fiddle yards, and guess which part warped!! Granted it was a damp room, but where a layout is has to be taken into account. Also effects of change of temperature. I tend to build my small layouts from rough timber. It actually works OK, partly because I tend to use a base of pink(?) insulation to support track, which is obviously flat. I find I can easily level off anu unevenness, and more importantly I build light weight scenery. Some people make the big mistake( I have done it as well) of putting heavy(plaster based) scenery on top of a good(often open plan) baseboard. This may be OK for a permanent layout but definitely not suitable for a portable one. My current experiments use mashed paper(no glue), which does dry OK eventually, and is the texture and weight of a cardboard egg box. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve1 Posted August 29, 2015 Share Posted August 29, 2015 Actually bought a copy this issue. The hidden lines idea is great but I would have preferred more detail and pics and less locations, or maybe spread over more than one issue. I agree about the point about the (excessive number of) reviews BUT I also see Chris's point about different interests. steve Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dibber25 Posted August 29, 2015 Author Share Posted August 29, 2015 Where ready to run is concerned, it's the luck of the draw with reviews. Sometimes we're scratching around trying to find something to review, other times every post brings something, and that was the case this month. If manufacturers are good enough to supply samples, it's only fair that we review them as quickly as possible, so if something arrives in time for review, it goes in the next available issue, regardless of whether it makes the review pages 'excessive' or not. We rarely hold anything back because of space issues. CHRIS LEIGH Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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