Wright writes.....

[Tony Wright]

Hi Steve

 

It has been known that Tony and I have face to face disagreed about something model railway connected, all the time I was drinking his coffee, from one of his cups with my bottom firmly on his settee, in his living room.  We then went out and played trains in the shed. There is no harm in disagreeing and discussing the differences but keep things in perspective.

 

Talking of perspective, looking at Tony's photos of Wickwar the backscene, and you all know I am not a fan of them, nearly works as it has no major focal points where your eyes are drawn into a perspective view that is not the same as the 3D object in the front. Now I am going to blame the photographers nuclear intensity flash gun, because the shadows on the backscene go the opposite way to those on the front which makes my eyes go all wonky. Well it feels that way.

Thanks Clive,

 

I couldn't agree more, though I hardly used my 'nuclear' flash gun at all. The layout's own lighting created the shadows. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony 

[Clive Mortimore]

Thanks Clive,

 

I couldn't agree more, though I hardly used my 'nuclear' flash gun at all. The layout's own lighting created the shadows. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony 

Hello Tony

 

May be someone with stage lighting or similar experience should share their skills with us mere railway modellers regarding how to light a layout.  My friend Ivan Herne who's layouts I helped on use to use small spot lights and point them all the same direction so that the layouts shadows all went the same way. I have noticed more than one layout where the lighting gives the same effect as 1970s football pitch floodlights use to with four shadows at right angles to each other. Something Hanging Hill could achieve. If the layout and backscene have unidirectional shadows then viewing would be easier on the eyes.

 

Of course with real locations the shadows need to be somewhere between the east and the west on the north side of the layout.

 

Are there any theater or film lighting experts out there in RMwebland that can help us?

 

[Denbridge]

Thanks Paul,

 

Though it must be remembered that my scenic-side trackwork was made and laid by the finest track-maker in the realm, Mr Solomon. As far as I know 71000 is doing it all himself, which is very laudable in my view. 

 

I think it's best that this correspondence (with regard to Basingstoke) comes to an end on this thread, if you (and others) don't mind please. Though, as you all know, I can be very argumentative, I hope I never (and never will) come across as pompous and very self-opinionated (though many might disagree with that statement). 

 

As Anglian has eloquently pointed out, whether we differ in our various approaches to creating model railways is largely irrelevant (except it probably isn't if we want to learn something new).

 

I'd be entirely happy if this thread carried on................

 

Encouraging others to have a go for themselves.

 

Showing a very wide variety of skills, methods and techniques from a very broad spectrum of contributors (whom I thank).

 

Never dictating to others the 'right' way and never being so patronising as to inform folk that they must understand or know something. They'll find that out for themselves.

 

Always offering encouragement but never being afraid to give constructive criticism

 

Never descending into personal enmity and, particularly 'sniping'. 

 

Any other aims or ideals? 

 

It's because of the number of posters on here who do what's on the list I've just presented that I'm encouraged and helped in my own modelling projects. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

Hi,

I have only recently come across your blog, being a 'newbie' to Rm Web. I am finding it both inspiring and hugely enjoyable, having read most of it from page 1, owing to a bout of severe ill health, confining me to barracks. 

Little Bytham is absolutely beautiful in every way. Having always enjoyed Stoke Summit on many occasions, seeing those trains on your current layout has been a joy. Little Bytham and Peterborough North have led me to re evaluate my views of 00 gauge. The trackwork and ballasting are simply amazing. I really thought both of these were EM. A real inspiration. Thank you.

[Theakerr]

Re actual modelling, I suppose it depends on how one defines modelling but I am currently trying to incorporate the vagaries of a Bachmann D11 3 pole motor into my Arduino controlled station stop module. 

[St Enodoc]

Hello Tony

 

May be someone with stage lighting or similar experience should share their skills with us mere railway modellers regarding how to light a layout.  My friend Ivan Herne who's layouts I helped on use to use small spot lights and point them all the same direction so that the layouts shadows all went the same way. I have noticed more than one layout where the lighting gives the same effect as 1970s football pitch floodlights use to with four shadows at right angles to each other. Something Hanging Hill could achieve. If the layout and backscene have unidirectional shadows then viewing would be easier on the eyes.

 

Of course with real locations the shadows need to be somewhere between the east and the west on the north side of the layout.

 

Are there any theater or film lighting experts out there in RMwebland that can help us?

Not my field at all Clive, but your question reminded me of Dave and Shirley Rowe's Catalunya layout from many moons ago, which incorporated theatrical lighting techniques. Did it ever appear in MRJ?

[rowanj]

Re actual modelling, I suppose it depends on how one defines modelling but I am currently trying to incorporate the vagaries of a Bachmann D11 3 pole motor into my Arduino controlled station stop module. 

 

Sounds like modelling to me. Just putting my money where my mouth was, here is the almost completed Dave Alexander Fletcher Cab J77 with the paint still drying.

 

John

[St Enodoc]

Does this count?

 

The Modratec kit for Porthmellyn Road lever frame under construction.

[Manxcat]

at one show I attended, the winner had just about everything going on on it - trains whizzing everywhere, windmills whirling, waterfalls (real water) falling, the aftermath of road accidents, weddings, funerals, buildings on fire, flashing lights, and so on and so on. I thought it was truly ghastly, yet it won by a country mile. Alongside, an exquisitely-modelled, accurate-to-prototype, pre-Grouping essay in EM never got a sniff (it wasn't Buckingham). Such is life. 

 

I resolved a long, long time ago never to have a wedding outside the church on any of my layouts. On my current layout I have clergymen and women chatting outside and a monk laying flowers at one of the gravestones. 

 

Sometimes its good to step off the more well trodden path.

 

Archie

[Manxcat]

Re my previous post, I have found a photo too!

[micknich2003]

Does this count?

 

post-21039-0-76863200-1517122736.jpg

The Modratec kit for Porthmellyn Road lever frame under construction.

A lot of metal there, it mus weigh a pound or two!

[Anglian]

Does this count?

 

post-21039-0-76863200-1517122736.jpg

The Modratec kit for Porthmellyn Road lever frame under construction.

 

It certainly does count. I have some sort of OCD fascination with interlocking. I understand why, and parts of 'how' but I'd love to be able to fully understand signalling and interlocking – how did you learn?

[Lecorbusier]

Hello Tony

 

May be someone with stage lighting or similar experience should share their skills with us mere railway modellers regarding how to light a layout.  My friend Ivan Herne who's layouts I helped on use to use small spot lights and point them all the same direction so that the layouts shadows all went the same way. I have noticed more than one layout where the lighting gives the same effect as 1970s football pitch floodlights use to with four shadows at right angles to each other. Something Hanging Hill could achieve. If the layout and backscene have unidirectional shadows then viewing would be easier on the eyes.

 

Of course with real locations the shadows need to be somewhere between the east and the west on the north side of the layout.

 

Are there any theater or film lighting experts out there in RMwebland that can help us?

Not exactly theatre lighting, but we do a fair bit of gallery and display lighting.

 

Generally speaking if we can't crop a light source down to a particular frame on a flat surface and are looking to avoid discernible shadows we tend to use fluorescent strip continuous lighting with wash baffles from a high angle. This gives a very even and diffuse light much like that of an overcast sky. A way to create an even more diffuse effect is to use this method but uplight bouncing the light down from a hidden surface (much like the infill lighting panels on a photo shoot). Both approaches would I think avoid conflicting shadows with a back drop, where I hazard you are not simply trying to avoid conflicts of direction but also actually casting shadows from the foreground onto the backdrop  (particularly important I would think where the back scene is directly attached to the baseboards). Of course the lighting within the backdrop then also needs to be coordinated.

 

As I say ... definitely not an expert here ... but there may be a degree of technology transfer - I have ideas for my own experimentation but can't speak with any authority.

Edited February 1, 2018 by Lecorbusier

[CF MRC]

Even Lord President is nearing completion, after a very productive spell post-Christmas. Brake blocks, speedometer, ashpan linkage, some other gubbins and whistle remaining.

 

 

Tim

[petrovich]

Not exactly theatre lighting, but we do a fair bit of gallery and display lighting.

 

Generally speaking if we cant crop a light source down to a particular frame on a flat surface and are looking to avoid discernible shadows we tend to use fluorescent strip continuous lighting with wash baffles from a high angle. This gives a very even and diffuse light much like that of an overcast sky. A way to create an even more diffuse effect is to use this method but uplight bouncing the light down from a hidden surface (much like the infill lighting panels on a photo shoot). Both approaches would I think avoid conflicting shadows with a back drop, where I hazard you are not simply trying to avoid conflicts of direction but also actually casting shadows from the foreground onto the backdrop  (particularly important I would think where the back scene is directly attached to the baseboards). Of course the lighting within the backdrop then also needs to be coordinated.

 

As I say ... definitely not an expert here ... but there may be a degree of technology transfer - I have ideas for my own experimentation but can't speak with any authority.

Agree with Lecorbusier I would put a soft box on a photographers studio light and create a diffused light situation just making sure the light mimics the angle and compass direction for the occasion modelled.

 

Regards

 

Peter

[micknich2003]

It certainly does count. I have some sort of OCD fascination with interlocking. I understand why, and parts of 'how' but I'd love to be able to fully understand signalling and interlocking – how did you learn?

Read a few books, practise and ask questions, there are plenty on here who will help.

 Attached a picture of part of a locking frame I made some years, please feel free to ask questions.[

[Headstock]

Sounds like modelling to me. Just putting my money where my mouth was, here is the almost completed Dave Alexander Fletcher Cab J77 with the paint still drying.

 

John

 

Well that's a first. I shall come back in an hour and see if it's dried yet.

[jamie92208]

Modratec frames are brilliant and Harold who runs it is a very helpful guy.   I built my frame for my previous layout Long Preston with 24 levers and 6 locking bars. When I built Green Ayre I realised that I would only need 22 levers and contacted Harold to see whether I could re use the basic frame and levers.  With Harold's help a new interlocking was designed that only needed the same number of locking bars.  Harold then supplied a new set of tappets and locking bars which I installed and the frame is now controlling it's second layout.   Unfortunately I don't have a decent photo of it that I can upload.  The only one I've got is copyright to Railway Modeller.

 

Jamie

[micknich2003]

Jamie, is there any "Conditional Locking" on your frame, is it possible using Modratec parts?

[St Enodoc]

A lot of metal there, it mus weigh a pound or two!

The complete kit as delivered weighed 12 kg!

[St Enodoc]

It certainly does count. I have some sort of OCD fascination with interlocking. I understand why, and parts of 'how' but I'd love to be able to fully understand signalling and interlocking – how did you learn?

I didn't - with the Modratec kits you don't need to. You draw up your signal box diagram using their SigScribe software and Modratec converts that into a full kit of parts for you (usual disclaimer).

[St Enodoc]

Jamie, is there any "Conditional Locking" on your frame, is it possible using Modratec parts?

Mick, yes it is possible. Some of the locking bars are sprung to allow conditional locking. Examples in my photo are bars B and C, which have turned spigots on the left end for the springs to fit over. The springs are retained by side plates that aren't fitted yet. The only fundamental thing Modratec can't do at the moment.is sequential locking.

[t-b-g]

Even Lord President is nearing completion, after a very productive spell post-Christmas. Brake blocks, speedometer, ashpan linkage, some other gubbins and whistle remaining.

Tim

Simply gorgeous! It is very difficult for my poor brain to compute just how small that is in real life. Hopefully I will get to see it in the flesh before too long.

 

Tony

[Tony Wright]

Even Lord President is nearing completion, after a very productive spell post-Christmas. Brake blocks, speedometer, ashpan linkage, some other gubbins and whistle remaining.

 

 

Tim

Pictures from Stevenage, Tim,

 

Apologies for not as yet sending you the disc.

 

 

 

[jwealleans]

There are times when you look at what other people are capable of and think 'why am I bothering'?

[Tony Wright]

Hi,

I have only recently come across your blog, being a 'newbie' to Rm Web. I am finding it both inspiring and hugely enjoyable, having read most of it from page 1, owing to a bout of severe ill health, confining me to barracks. 

Little Bytham is absolutely beautiful in every way. Having always enjoyed Stoke Summit on many occasions, seeing those trains on your current layout has been a joy. Little Bytham and Peterborough North have led me to re evaluate my views of 00 gauge. The trackwork and ballasting are simply amazing. I really thought both of these were EM. A real inspiration. Thank you.

Thanks Denbridge,

 

Interestingly, both scenic-side track-makers on both Little Bytham and Peterborough North are called Norman, Solomon and Saunders respectively. It is both their professions. 

 

 

Norman Solomon's work on LB.

 

 

Norman Saunders' work on PN.

 

From these low angles, I think it's fair to say that it's evident they're both OO. The ballasting on PN turned quite Saharan in colour over time, because of penetrating sunlight. It's since been toned down to a more realistic colouring.