Modelling mojo and state of mind

[Northmoor]

6 hours ago, westernviscount said:

I realise I will never be into the changing parts of the hobby. I like old, cheap and familiar...althought the whistle is 3d printed by Modelu ;-)

I don't think anyone, anywhere on RMWeb would tell you that to be a railway modeller, you must have all the latest products.  But as for Facebook....

[john new]

On 19/04/2023 at 17:33, Coldgunner said:

Some good news finally, the person who seems to still be gainfully employed at work might not be for much longer!

Have you ever had someone who you would benefit from not having them and being a pair of hands less, than keeping them on? We have one of those. She creates more work, half-arses tickets and never accepts criticism. Unfortunately these people have to go through performance reviews etc before being given the elbow, but I think we're nearly there.

Yes, and had the problem of having to work with them whilst going through the “get shot of them” process. 

[Coldgunner]

Came back home on Saturday after spending a week in Northumberland with mum, was a nice week away. Visited the Holy Isle, took a boat trip to see the puffins and seals, spent a day in Edinburgh, went to the museum of flight etc etc. You never know how much time you have left with them, so best to spend some good time together.

 

Back to work with a bump this week though.

Edited May 22, 2023 by Coldgunner

[AVS1998]

I've got a lot of mounting issues cropping up in my life recently (personal and professional), and I wish I had some modelling 'bits' to do here in Belfast, but aside from a pair of Keyser carriage kits I bought recently, I haven't got anything with me, and no space in my house to do anything. All I want is a distraction for a few hours that isn't Netflix (or other streaming sites), food, or sleeping. 

[Coldgunner]

What about an Airfix starter set or a lego kit, might just be a bit to keep the black dog at bay?

[Phil Parker]

10 minutes ago, Coldgunner said:

What about an Airfix starter set or a lego kit, might just be a bit to keep the black dog at bay?

 

I'd vote for either - something that you can be confident of building and have the "I made that" pleasure. Nothing that needs fiddling with, the model should be built straight out of the box.

[Talltim]

2 hours ago, Phil Parker said:

 

I'd vote for either - something that you can be confident of building and have the "I made that" pleasure. Nothing that needs fiddling with, the model should be built straight out of the box.

To add to this, something that won't be part of your layout, so you don't feel the temptation to modify it to suit a particular prototype or date. Maybe something that doesn't even exist, so it can't be wrong.

[Coldgunner]

I recommend the Lego Aston Martin, took me about an hour and a half to do. There's two, the cheap speed champions and a bigger, premium one. The Speed Champions one was a joy to do.

https://www.lego.com/en-gb/product/007-aston-martin-db5-76911

[33C]

Go on a "Treasure hunt"! Walk round the antique/charity shops and markets and see whats about. Ask if they have anything not yet on the shop floor that may interest you and don't forget to haggle!  A card kit is good fun, eg. Titanic, the Rocket, Golden Arrow train are fairly common. A cheapo, battery train set, some cereal packet card, UHU glue and your imagination can produce a whacky model layout. You like Pullmans so find one cheap coach and detail/weather it to within an inch of its life and then,bung a light in it...

[CKPR]

It's at times like this that I get an AFV kit, preferably  an old Tamiya one from the 1970s, and just build it out of the box. No correcting major faults, no aftermarket etch and certainly no resin additions, but I might add a few details using plastic card, wire and scrap brass. 

Edited June 4, 2023 by CKPR

[96701]

On 31/05/2023 at 12:48, Phil Parker said:

 

I'd vote for either - something that you can be confident of building and have the "I made that" pleasure. Nothing that needs fiddling with, the model should be built straight out of the box.

We needed a break, so me and Jen went to one of them chalet parks in Devon. I wanted to do something to relieve the work stress (you know how it is, first few days of holiday worrying about how things might be going, then the last few days worried about going back to work) and I took a Dapol Evening Star plastic kit, some glue, a needle file and a Swiss Army knife (also used for removing bottle tops).

 

I built it then bought some black and green paint and a couple of brushes and painted it. A few months later I threw it away and with it, it would appear,  some of the stress that led me to build it in the first place.

[PaulRhB]

On 30/05/2023 at 17:20, AVS1998 said:

I've got a lot of mounting issues cropping up in my life recently (personal and professional), and I wish I had some modelling 'bits' to do here in Belfast, but aside from a pair of Keyser carriage kits I bought recently, I haven't got anything with me, and no space in my house to do anything. All I want is a distraction for a few hours that isn't Netflix (or other streaming sites), food, or sleeping. 

Paper aeroplane book, trying out various designs and adjustments is quite therapeutic to see how far you can get them to fly. There’s a ring one they had on QI which can fly miles.  There are various paper engineering books too and you can always make bridges and beams out of bbq skewers and thread to load up and see how they perform. It’s quite interesting to do and relevant to modelling too. 

[33C]

These are very good, and simple too. The two photo's show models made from the book on the far left.

[MrWolf]

That's a blast from the past! I had that book when I was about ten, it taught me a lot about working with card. I made most of them more than once and had the red triplane hanging off the mirror in my first car as a sort of mascot.

[Schooner]

Bit late to @AVS1998's low-tech modelling party, but my go-to are kits from these guys

https://www.diagram3d.com/index.php?route=common/home

 

Handy for when you want to turn out a 'proper' wagon straight from the box (wheels included) but are not in the mood for using more than pritstick and PVA wiped on with a finger. Guess how I know... :)

 

[33C]

Cereal packet card is a great material. This whole, battery powered train is from various tea bag and curry boxes.

[MrWolf]

Very impressive.

 

If it's made from tea boxes, is that a Darjeeling locomotive?

 

Sorry, couldn't help it, not been well...

[33C]

12 minutes ago, MrWolf said:

Very impressive.

 

If it's made from tea boxes, is that a Darjeeling locomotive?

 

Sorry, couldn't help it, not been well...

No, Kalka Shimla loco. This is a Darjeeling loco...Get well soon! (Check out my "Cheapo train sets....get creative!" thread for other models from recycling materials.

Edited June 5, 2023 by 33C
added photo.

[MrWolf]

Now that I like a lot. I think that I have only ever seen Darjeeling locos in 009.

[33C]

2 minutes ago, MrWolf said:

Now that I like a lot. I think that I have only ever seen Darjeeling locos in 009.

"Train set in a tin" to Tipong colliery class B.

[33C]

Going back to AVS1998 quandary, The tinned train is a superb starting point for all sorts of modelling ideas. If you just use the circle of track, or in the slightly larger sets, the piece with the points in, the whole "layout" will fit in a pizza box!

Edited June 13, 2023 by 33C
add letter

[skipepsi]

Well that made me smile!

[33C]

1 hour ago, skipepsi said:

Well that made me smile!

That's the spirit! Railway Modelling is fun!

[woodenhead]

Cant decide if this is mojo or just a clear out.

 

Not played with the trains in ages, they are sat there on the layout, no locos on track because last time I was messing about with the acceleration to stop some motors acting jerky on DCC.

 

This past week I've been thinking about the OO stuff and come to the decision I might as well sell it all, it's just the GW themed stuff left after selling all my LSWR stuff a year or so ago - bit annoying that I purhased a Hattons generic set last year which has not and will not now see any use.  If I do want anything in OO now it might just be for a little set of exchange sidings, a small stabling point and firmly diesel, so a clear out whilst I make up my mind what I actually want in OO if anything - it's those dang Western class 37s see, they're my Deltic or class 50.

 

The N gauge box is still overflowing, I think a clearout of the Hydraulics, some Bulleid coaches, MK1 sleepers and Mk1 Pullmans is in order plus freight stock that isn't BR vans and minerals.

 

This is years of collecting slowly being cleared down, even now with the reduced N gauge lot I still have too much but I have everything I need and the only items I plan to add currently is a RevolutioN Parcels DPU, a RevolutioN class 120 and maybe a Rapido class 44.  I am rather glad I didn't jump into pre-ordering a Kernow Steam Railmotor, a 44xx from Rapido, a B-set and a Dapol Autocoach because I very nearly did

 

All told it is 87 items to photograph, locos to video and documents onto the Bay of E, but none of this will motivate me to play with what I actually have, this is just reducing the stress of having too much and feeling guilty that it's just in boxes and I am not getting any younger.

 

The one good thing here is that apart from the Hattons generic coaches, they've all given me pleasure on a layout, so it's not like I've bought stuff and never used it, just not using it anymore.

[Coldgunner]

I'm questioning the affordability of the hobby lately. With the price of everything skyrocketing and finding kits difficult (and still expensive), I'm struggling to add anything to the collection. I feel the days of nipping to the model shop because I fancy a new toy are starting to disappear. Wages haven't been keeping up, bills are skyrocketing etc and the people living alone and working full time seem to be last in the pecking order for assistance. The job doesn't pay enough for how much I truly do too.

 

OO has just become too expensive, and O gauge was always expensive anyway. 16mm seems to be a little easier to pick up stuff for, and I get better 'value' out of it, but surely I'm not the only one.

 

The skyrocketing cost of living is having a knock on effect. People don't have disposable income for leisure, which in turn affects small businesses. Its not sustainable.

Edited June 12, 2023 by Coldgunner