Wright writes.....

[Corbs]

Good evening Tony et al,

 

I had another go at doing some sky and sound replacement using Jesse's gopro footage (Jesse - I hope this is ok. I've set it so you cannot view it unless you already have the link)

 

I was doing it on my laptop so it's not as polished as I would like, but as a bit of fun for a few hours I think it's ok, I hope you like it!

 

[westerner]

Brilliant!!!!!!!!!!. Love the moving clouds.

[Anglian]

It's amazing how much atmosphere the sound bring to the whole presentation. It greatly adds to the anticipation of what's to come. As trains pass the sounds add that sense of drama of significant mass at speed. If I could make a suggestion: I'd slow the clouds down to a gentle creep.

 

I'd love to see more!

Edited March 5, 2017 by Anglian

[Focalplane]

If I could make a suggestion: I'd slow the clouds down to a gentle creep.

 

I thought much the same though as my apartment faces La Tramontane, one of those Mediterranean winds that funnel low level air from the Atlantic, such a rapid cloud movement is quite common.  However, when that happens the foliage moves a lot too!

 

Paul

[Corbs]

Yes you're right, the right amount is probably somewhere in between the first one I did (too slow) and this one (too fast).

[lee74clarke]

Good evening Tony et al,

 

I had another go at doing some sky and sound replacement using Jesse's gopro footage (Jesse - I hope this is ok. I've set it so you cannot view it unless you already have the link)

 

I was doing it on my laptop so it's not as polished as I would like, but as a bit of fun for a few hours I think it's ok, I hope you like it!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sMUZipjN0A&feature=youtu.be

 

I like this, gives an amazing atmosphere.

Any chance you could spend a few more hours on PC to do some more?!

Well done

Lee

[APOLLO]

Good evening Tony et al,

 

I had another go at doing some sky and sound replacement using Jesse's gopro footage (Jesse - I hope this is ok. I've set it so you cannot view it unless you already have the link)

 

I was doing it on my laptop so it's not as polished as I would like, but as a bit of fun for a few hours I think it's ok, I hope you like it!

 

 

Well, for a model railway video that is about as real as it can possibly be. Brilliant.

 

Brit15

[great central]

Well, for a model railway video that is about as real as it can possibly be. Brilliant.

 

Brit15

Indeed it is, I especially like the decent speed the trains move at somewhat more reminiscent of contemporary film, like they have a purpose and urgency about them

[Corbs]

Thanks for the kind comments. Here's one I did this morning. The same disclaimer about the 'join' applies but hope it is enjoyable. Ones like this are more difficult as masking around the trains as they move is very fiddly.

(with the same apologies to Jesse for using your footage, and Tony for removing him from the background!)

 

 

Here's the one I did a few months ago, previously posted in this thread.

[Corbs]

Last one for now, I promise!

 

[Anglian]

Fantastic! I could quite happily watch the entire contents of the Little Bytham fiddle yard steam past. It really is amazing how the sound 'dislocates' the eye and the whole presentation becomes really very real.

Edited March 5, 2017 by Anglian

[TrevorP1]

Excellent work on those film clips. I like them a great deal and it really compliments the layout. Much better than any sound chip.

 

I find the first and last ones most convincing and with the first one in particular you really have to do a double take to see it's not real.  I can easily see myself climbing over the fence to sit on the top of the embankment with my bottle of Tizer and the fabled Lyons fruit pie. 

[lee74clarke]

Last one for now, I promise!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHrALp4yYpY&feature=youtu.be

Love this, nice touch with the birds singing.

Just need a chimney stack in the background now for the brickworks!

[mullie]

Thanks for the kind comments. Here's one I did this morning. The same disclaimer about the 'join' applies but hope it is enjoyable. Ones like this are more difficult as masking around the trains as they move is very fiddly.

(with the same apologies to Jesse for using your footage, and Tony for removing him from the background!)

 

 

Here's the one I did a few months ago, previously posted in this thread.

These are superb!

[The Johnster]

 I have occasional moments operating my layout when I think 'you know, that looks, and sometimes sounds, pretty real, Johnster my boy!'  You might have occasional moments when you think it doesn't, but none are in these videos.  Stunning!

[Guest Brighton_JunctionLNER]

Good evening Tony et al,

 

I had another go at doing some sky and sound replacement using Jesse's gopro footage (Jesse - I hope this is ok. I've set it so you cannot view it unless you already have the link)

 

I was doing it on my laptop so it's not as polished as I would like, but as a bit of fun for a few hours I think it's ok, I hope you like it!

 

TRYING TO TAKE MY BUSINESS?   

 

 

nah nah, it looks amazing. Good camera angle as well, looks like your actually standing on the fence. 

[StephenB]

Quality modelling and modern technology have produced the most realistic representation of the real thing that I have seen yet - it's just like the real thing!

 

Stephen

[Tony Wright]

Depends on your period. The Thompson FK and SO was replaced in at least one rake with a mk1 FK and mk1 RUO(basically an SO with restaurant car branding) in 1960. And for further variation a Gresley RF replaced the Thompson RF due to fire damage.

Not sure how long the Gresley RF lasted as part of the rake..

David,

 

A Gresley RF was still in one of the sets during the last, Deltic-hauled (though not non-stop), summer of 1962. 

[Tony Wright]

Afternoon, Andrew

 

The Southern Pride sides make up nicely. One of these days, I'll tackle the underframe details. But here is the SO branded as a Rest. Car, along with the FK and SK with Ladies Retiring room. I think, strictly speaking, the SK should be a standard by 1958, but I like the distinctiveness in the rake, and unless one is modelling a very specific year, it's obvious that the consist changed almost annually, certainly after 1955,

Good stuff John, well done.

 

Though it's been seen before, here is my own Elizabethan; the very first? Certainly, from SP components because I built up the train from the test-etches. 

 

 

 

 

Considering the rake is now over 20 years old and has seen many (probably actual) miles in service, it's not looking too bad. 

[Tony Wright]

Good evening Tony et al,

 

I had another go at doing some sky and sound replacement using Jesse's gopro footage (Jesse - I hope this is ok. I've set it so you cannot view it unless you already have the link)

 

I was doing it on my laptop so it's not as polished as I would like, but as a bit of fun for a few hours I think it's ok, I hope you like it!

 

Dear Corbs,

 

What a fantastic job you've done. My most grateful thanks. 

 

Tom Foster, Stephen Roberts and I plan to do another DVD of Little Bytham later this year (with more of Jessie's footage if he comes back over). Do you fancy getting together and adding your stunning 'realism'? 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Corbs]

Yes of course! That sounds fantastic.

[MikeTrice]

With the new Bachmann Thompson coaches becoming available, thoughts invariably turn to the original versions launched many years ago which form the basis of many of Tony's carriages. It is over twenty years since Tony advocated the simple "dodge" of reprofiling the errant roof profile with a large file.

 

For some reason I cannot explain the result always looked odd to me and I wondered what would happen if the whole roof was cut off and replaced with a MJT LNER Aluminium roof. Well I have finally gotten around to it and the result is not as I expected.

 

Cutting the old roof off was tedius. I cut above the cornice then scraped and filed the height of the sides down until all the cornice was removed. The end part that remained was snipped off:

 

To fit the new roof I had to (surprise, surprise) file that sharp corner away but other than that the roof was a pretty good fit. I used filler to fill the joints with the sides and gave it a quick blow over with Halford's Primer:

 

I was not expecting such a good fit so the obvious next step was to try a Tony modification on its own, so a large file was produced and one side of a second coach treated. After spraying with primer the result can be seen below. The treated side is on the left, the untreated on the right. Again the left seam has been filled:

 

In all honesty the reprofiled roof looked pretty good so I went ahead and fashioned a 10thou styrene cover strip and glued it in place. In this view the untreated side is on the left and the reprofiled one on the right:

 

This close up shows how much of the original roof needs to be taken back to form the correct profile:

 

So in future I will not be bothering fitting an Aluminium roof (but had to get it out of my system) but will stick with Tony's much simpler option of filing back the errant corner to improve the profile.

 

 

[unclebobkt]

       Tony, it does seem a common failing with many boats in harbours on layouts that they are not tied up properly.    ...

 

      Oh dear!

  Only parcels are 'tied up.' - ships are moored.

 

  Being ultra-pedantic, if I may,  the only 'boats.' of which I'm aware are 'Flying boats.', Life-boats,  rowing boats, ships' boats in a general sense, (Admiral's 'barges..', launches and suchlike.),  & submarines.

 

        

[Tony Wright]

Just to keep folk up to date, I can reveal that I've now sent a cheque off to Cancer Research UK for nearly £350.00. This is as a result of Mo and my loco-doctoring at recent shows (I'm the 'doctor', Mo's the accountant). May I please thank all those who've donated so generously? 

 

We've just spent a great weekend at the Preston Show. Thanks to Les and all Preston members for putting on such a good event and making us feel so welcome. May I please thank all those with whom I spoke? 

 

Having done seven consecutive shows, perhaps it's time to note down a few observations and personal comments. That some of these will be contentious will be no surprise. 

 

Overall, I've not been entirely impressed with the running on many layouts recently (and that has nothing to do with scale/gauge). In my view, there have been far too many hands of God needed, far too many derailments and far too many instances of operators not being entirely sure of what they're doing. If 'we're' putting on a 'show' for the paying public, it does not give a good impression if things don't work properly. It is, as intimated, my view, but 'perfect' operation and running are the two principals for me. 

 

Why do folk choose things they don't understand, have no idea how to use them and are incapable of installing bits and pieces of systems into models? It will come as no surprise that I'm talking of DCC. As part of my 'doctoring', quite a few items which were DCC-equipped were brought along to be 'fixed'. Since I only have an analogue test track, I could only do a most-basic test. At this point I must express my most grateful thanks to Jeremy of Digitrains who is one of the most knowledgeable, decent, helpful and totally-honest traders I know. Why would one choose a system of operation when one is incapable of even installing a decoder into a loco? Even I can, so it beats me. Why use a system where, if it goes wrong, you're totally stuffed because you don't understand it? Why are so many RTR locos so hopelessly-wired? Because the chip (or the fitment for it) is in the tender (on steam-outline, big locos), then there's a fragile (very-fragile) plug and socket system. One loco was brought along with some of the wires just pulled out of the plug (thanks again, Jeremy, for taking on its fixing). Why is it that, having fitted a chip in a loco I'd made for a friend, does it not work as well as it did (previously perfectly) before? This is after the decoder has been 'programmed'. In all honesty, other than if you wish to have noises and smells, I cannot see any merit (from the loco point of view) in using DCC. All these last few weeks have done is confirm my absolutely right decision in having nothing (personally) to do with DCC! I await hostile responses.

 

 

 

This was part of my stand at Preston. I've now lost count of the number of folk over the last few weeks who've asked of me 'How much is that?' or 'Will you make this or that for me, please?' All the questioners have been (late) middle-aged men. In spite of Coachman's observation that the 'chequebook/gentleman' modeller is dying out, I'd say the opposite. Without wishing to appear to 'bite the hand that fed me', are we seeing an increasing number of folk in the hobby who are really 'collectors'? Not collectors of battered tinplate, but collectors of models; good models? Can they not model for themselves? Though, I admit, because I can't paint to the standards I demand, I farm my painting out to those who can. That said, it would count for nothing if I hadn't made what was underneath the paint. Every time I look with pleasure at my working signals, it's in the knowledge that some locos I built are running on Grantham. When I admire Ian Wilson's buildings or Bob Dawson's buildings on LB, it's with the personal satisfaction that Ian has several locos and carriages I've built and Bob has a portfolio of pictures. Though it's not a great analogy, if all one does is commission models, isn't that like sitting by a river alongside a good fisherman and then taking home what he's caught? I know not all have the necessary skills, but surely railway modelling (or at least it is to me) is about personally making/modifying things, not just buying/commissioning things? What happens when things go wrong on a system where everything on it is the work of others? Do the professionals have to return at regular intervals to service it/look after it?

 

On the theme of making things, I was astonished how much some RTR wagons are these days - above £20.00 and more in some cases. They're good, but kit-alternatives are much cheaper. Could that generate a resurgence in folk making things? I hope so. 

 

As for layouts at Preston, there was a very good selection.

 

 

 

 

I thought Phil Greaves' Ellesmere was visually beautiful, though it didn't always have 'perfect' running. In OO, particularly, this should be possible. What was most meritorious was that it was all his own work. 

 

 

Llwyn Grug in N Gauge was very pretty, with space for features to breath. I've photographed it for the RM. 

 

There were several other most-interesting layouts - I'll post some further pictures, later. 

[jacko]

Tony.

On the subject of derailments, I couldn't help but notice the potential for one on Little Bytham. On the video at around 7' 09" , a pair of conflats have locked buffers with the leading wagon's rear wheels up in the air. Might be worth checking the rake out in case something goes awry on future runs.

 

Graeme