TonyMay Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 Hi, Would be interested to see some posts on ranking/rating the difficulty of different aspects of railway modelling in terms of ability and experience. What tasks are classified as for beginners, intermediate, advanced. By tasks I mean things like ballasting, making card building kits, carpentring baseboards, electrics, building signals, making track, scratchbuilding locomotives, etc, etc,) Would be interested in (1) how many different tasks people can come up with and (2) how they rate them in terms of difficulty. And let there be (polite) disagreements because they're fun. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Davis Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 And let there be (polite) disagreements because they're fun. Oh no they aren't :-) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pixie Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 I think it's very hard to pigeon hole each skill into a difficulty rating as different people are better at different things. I'm naff cutting out plastic sheets for example, but I'm OK at weathering for example. I'd say get stuck in and have a go at whatever needs doing - if it's hard going, then it's ripe for persevering. If you nail it. Job done. Pix Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flyingscotsmanfan Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 The thing about this is that every person finds the different jobs on various levels of difficultly e.g I for one find the whole ballasting process easy and enjoyable whereas other members of the club find it hard and boring. But it will be very interesting to read other people's comments on this. So my personal beginners jobs would be; Baseboard building, this is a fundemental part of railway modelling. You don't have to be a fully qualified carpenter, if I can do it anyone can! Track laying, again another fundimental, if you can put settrack together you can easily use flexitrack. As noted above Ballasting, the most important thing is too keep the adhesive away from the moving parts on turnouts. Basic scenery; anybody can build up a hillside from cardboard, newspapers and PVA glue. The actual skill is finding the right colours of scatter, or other chosen grass making materials, to make it look believable. Wiring, you don't need to be a mad proffessor to make the engines move. I can't read a wiring diagram to save my life but the principals usinsg switches to isolate different sections is one the beginner can pick up. That's the basics that I believe a beginner can easily pick up. I shall have a ponder about other levels and jobs. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazz Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 This hobby entails just about every skill you could imagine, from basic carpentry to advanced electrical work (assuming you are into computerised control similar to `Hamburgs Miniatur Wunderland), from artist to engineer. I find it hard to envisage any other hobby that requires such a variety of skills. It impossible to pin point which skill would be classified as the most difficult. That entirely depends on the person. My personal weakness is lining out a model. My most hated task, electrifying the layout. The most enjoyable is building any locos. Followed by the scenic work on the layout. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frappington Jct Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 Some of it depends on what you like doing and what you really want to do, as said above. For example, I've just recently started modifying cheap (ish) RTR stock, and by making sure you know what you're doing and that none of work is too complex it's not too bad. You have to be enthusiastic though! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quarryscapes Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 Well theoretically ballasting should be easiest. I personally struggle with woodwork. Building locomotives can be easy or difficult - a good kit with good instructions and a toolbox with all the right tools works wonders. If all you have is a hammer and a screwdriver and you want to start scratchbuilding, then you're going to find it difficult! The hardest thing I've done railway related was learning CAD, and if I wasn't so fussy on what I wanted I wouldn't need to go anywhere near such things so it's all self inflicted! (plus, by deigning my own etches and 3d printing other bits, the process of scrathbuilding a locomotive becomes a a doddle on the work bench!) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonhall Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 Everything is difficult until it becomes easier with practice, but if you never bite the bullet and try, how will you become any good? Having said that there are jobs I don't enjoy doing! Jon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.