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2011 Diorama Challenge Announced


Andy Y
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Just the ticket.

 

We have just put the house on the market which brings my current loft layout to a grinding halt. and along comes a nice little challenge which will keep me relaxed between the crazy moments of buying and selling houses.

 

I'll choose a scene that has captured my imagination of the ex Brecon and Merthyr Junction Railway crossing the Monmouth & Brecon Canal at Talbont on Usk, Brecon.

 

See the Talybont on Usk thread for a contemporary photo.

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curse...

 

thanks for that... now i actually have something physically in the way of me buying new guitar gear!!!!

 

If I start it'll be late july/early august, I know what i want to do, I know how to do it, It's just money at the minute.

 

EDIT: that ruddy filter did it again!!!!!

 

Question:

 

does the project have to be that size or can it be under it?

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Andy, is this size set in stone, I'm tempted but the ideas I have all require a few inches more in length and less in height or width, last year it was an area size that had to be met, could this year, tentitive suggestion here, be volume driven?, I'd willingly loose a little height to gain a few inches in length, the intention is something 7mm based and 20" is cramped, yes I know its supposed to be a challenge LOL. I know that loosens the boundries, but keeping the volume and say one of the 20x11x11 dimensions would allow something like 24x9x11 or other combinations so long as one side is fixed at one of the orginal sizes (20" or 11")and the volume is at or below 2420 Cu". I'll probably pitch in anyway but thought I'd ask first.

 

Kindest

 

Michael

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Thanks Michael,

 

It would be unfair to adjust any of the parameters at this stage particularly as they've appeared in print and not just on here. The 20" x 11" was designed to facilitate certain things (witness ovals in 'T') and limit others (reducing the temptation to make 4mm+ 'work').

 

I know that's not the answer you're ideally seeking though.

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Thanks Michael,

 

It would be unfair to adjust any of the parameters at this stage particularly as they've appeared in print and not just on here. The 20" x 11" was designed to facilitate certain things (witness ovals in 'T') and limit others (reducing the temptation to make 4mm+ 'work').

 

I know that's not the answer you're ideally seeking though.

 

Andy, thats fine, it was a tentative suggestion and I expected the sizes would be locked down due to other agreements/involved parties or this late after the challenge started.

 

Not to worry, I'll have to flex ze old grey cells some more to make a 7mm idea work :), my eyes couldn't possible cope with T LOL.

 

Thanks for the quick reply and clarification it is much appreciated.

 

Kindest

 

Michael

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I'm happy to say that any control mechanisms or panels, power supplies and such like can fall outside the 20" x 11".

So in theory the tortoise motors (a "control mechanism") under the board (4 inches min) can therefore "fall outside" the 20" x 11" therefore contradicting

The baseboard depth should be included within the 11" total height. Good luck!

Just for clarification?

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In theory I doubt someone would be using a tortoise within such a project but that isn't what I intended to mean by a control mechanism or panel.

 

Anyway have you run out of menus and buttons to pick on? laugh1.gif

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Anyway have you run out of menus and buttons to pick on? laugh1.gif

Not quite, but trawling the deep recesses of my mind in a vain attempt to find something I could do to join in the challenge this year, still leaves a big ____________ empty space.

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On a quite selfish note (sorry!), it's a shame the challenge wasn't to build a layout that could fold down into a footprint of 20" x 11" x 11". That way you could theoretically have 20" x 22" x 11" if you had an 'opening layout'. It would still be challenging though because you would have to make sure any buildings missed each other as it was folded up. Anyway, thats enough of what could be, now onto what it is - I'm very interested in taking part. I've got a plan for an oil refinery but all I've been able to get it down to in size is about 20" x 30". I need to keep on trying and I won't give up easily. Thanks for putting this challenge on Andy, and good luck to all entrants! biggrin.gif

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I still am getting the feeling with most of the entries so far that (as great as they all are) some are missing the point a little.

 

It's a diorama, it is not a challenge to put as much track and stock in the space as possible - it doesn't even have to contain any track,

it doesn't even have to "operate"

 

Though I can see the view that it would be nice to take up the additional challenge to cram a working layout in the space it doesn't have to be so, and it doesn't have to be as big as 20" x 11"

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I still am getting the feeling with most of the entries so far that (as great as they all are) some are missing the point a little.

 

It's a diorama, it is not a challenge to put as much track and stock in the space as possible - it doesn't even have to contain any track,

it doesn't even have to "operate"

 

Though I can see the view that it would be nice to take up the additional challenge to cram a working layout in the space it doesn't have to be so, and it doesn't have to be as big as 20" x 11"

 

 

I see your point and I do try and hold in mind that it's a diorama, operating isn't a requirement etc. But I have also noticed that a lot of us already aren't seeing or lose track of seeing this as a stand alone 20x11 project and are already thinking of future expansion and operability. Which isn't a bad thing in my view. I know i'm guilty of thinking bigger too since starting, but sticking to the original plan rather than imagining later operations for now. Part of the problem is probably the fact that we're 'Railway Modellers' of various standards rather than generic static '3d Artists' and we want to include as much of our passion as possible.

 

This challenge has drawn a lot of people out to have a go and it will be very interesting to see the huge range and variations of entries come the October deadline. The 20x11 sizing has been very useful to motivate people into having a go as it's not as daunting or intense as having to build a fully operable layout in the time frame, but allows some type of inspiration or setting for us to try and learn new skills like track building, or provide a home for an item of stock or scenery that otherwise had nothing. After the deadline (and this is why i don't think the way some of us have approached it is a bad thing) we'll probably find that a lot of these 'dioramas' find there way into the layout thread and expand as it will have inspired us to continue building something rather than just sitting back and thinking for yet another day 'I'll get around to building a layout tomorrow'.

 

Hats off to the powers that be for deciding this challenge idea, it's going to go far for a lot of us.

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An excellent challenge and it has motivated me to actually do something. Had a stab at the wedding day challenge when it was on but shelved where that was going for this. Having a size constraint that not even the missus can moan about really focuses the mind. The fact it can be anything railway related and operational or not means there is scope for every budget, ability and interest.

 

As I've taken a piece of Bishopsgate for mine it is allowing me to trial many new things but in a small space with a purpose and hopefully will have a good result at the end of it.

 

Let's be honest who would have done something in a 20"x11" space before this was posted as a 'challenge', except for those with a spare boxfile!

 

The 'go on, I dare you' element is all to much!biggrin.gif

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