Kirkby Luneside (Original): End of the line....

[southern42]

Hi Jeff, Lunesters et al,

 

Some interesting comments popping up here.

Here's a little one from me.

 

One of things I've noticed when you see packets of 00/H0 sheep is that they're usually white or some awful grey colour.  In the countryside, I suspect that's not so.  I usually dowse mine with a brownish wash of acrylic paint which not only highlights the texture of their wool (if there's texture on the model in the first place, of course) it makes them look a little more like the sheep we have around here.  And it wouldn't surprise me if S&C sheep had their own particular brand of colour, too.  It adds to the fun and reminds me of the Book at Bedtime some time ago, of a condensed book of Gervase Phinn in which a small group of Infants argued over the breed of a very basic illustration of a sheep.  Don't you just love it?

 

As sheep were mentioned....no hurry to go out and buy/model them yet, Jeff.

 

Luney Bo Peep

[Physicsman]

Scott - where do you buy such things, what do they cost and I assume they are simply pulled round by a loco?

 

Interesting - Dapol invented a cleaning device a few years ago - didn't get very good reviews.

 

Jeff

[Peter Kazmierczak]

Talking of sheep, reminds me of the time when one of my class (who lived on a farm in the Derbyshire Dales) wanted to bring in a lamb for one of our regular "show and tell" sessions.

 

Managed to dissuade her.....

[Physicsman]

Hi Jeff, Lunesters et al,

 

Some interesting comments popping up here.

Here's a little one from me.

 

One of things I've noticed when you see packets of 00/H0 sheep is that they're usually white or some awful grey colour.  In the countryside, I suspect that's not so.  I usually dowse mine with a brownish wash of acrylic paint which not only highlights the texture of their wool (if there's texture on the model in the first place, of course) it makes them look a little more like the sheep we have around here.  And it wouldn't surprise me if S&C sheep had their own particular brand of colour, too.  It adds to the fun and reminds me of the Book at Bedtime some time ago, of a condensed book of Gervase Phinn in which a small group of Infants argued over the breed of a very basic illustration of a sheep.  Don't you just love it?

 

As sheep were mentioned....no hurry to go out and buy/model them yet, Jeff.

 

Luney Bo Peep

 

I think I'm going to end up being an expert in breeds of sheep and their mucky mannerisms by the time I've finished!

 

I suppose I'd better get it right. Imagine if I populated Lune Fell with 300 sheep - only to be told that the species I'd used wouldn't survive a night on the Fells! Unlikely, but you get my point.

 

You are right Polly. Sheep "straight from the packet" are FAR too clean. Cows are even worse!

 

Jeff

[ChrisN]

I think I'm going to end up being an expert in breeds of sheep and their mucky mannerisms by the time I've finished!

 

I suppose I'd better get it right. Imagine if I populated Lune Fell with 300 sheep - only to be told that the species I'd used wouldn't survive a night on the Fells! Unlikely, but you get my point.

 

You are right Polly. Sheep "straight from the packet" are FAR too clean. Cows are even worse!

 

Jeff

 

Jeff,

I think I said a while ago HO sheep would look the part as they would look smaller, as would suit mountain sheep.  I am not a sheep expert but the big fat ones (I think) are South Downs and live there, if you see what I mean.

 

OK  here goes as Polly prompted me

Teacher to class of 7 year olds in a rural communityhaving drawn a picture of a sheep on the board, "What is that?"

Class: Total Silence

Teacher "Come on, what is it?"

Class: Total silence

Teacher, "Come on, one of you must KNOW!"

 

A little boy half puts his hand up,

Teacher, "Yes Johnny?"

"Is it a Leicester cross Miss?"

[jukebox]

Jeff - Digitrains in the UK sell them (I only know, as when I Googled CMX I found their site!).  Check how that compares with buying direct from the USA - it seems a lot of imported kit gets marked up heaviliy in the UK (as it does here in Oz).

 

Sitting down?  You won't get much change from £110 (ouch!). BUT - and it's a huge but - I have not seen a bad review of these things. They are, I understand, as good as it gets for mobile track cleaning.  A different league to the Dapol one - which was a nice mini vac to sweep up dust, but could not comprehensively clean rail heads.

 

Yes, you propel it around - behind a nice big multi-axle powered diesel, preferably (it needs a bit of grunt).

 

I winced at the price the first few days after I saw it - and no one seems to discount them, they sell for full RRP - but then realised that I didnt want to hand clean rails every time I had a session, and that with around 200m of track to be laid on Stockrington, 50m of it hidden/restricted access, a mobile soloution was needed. 

 

You may have better track access than me, so I guess it's just a question of whether you felt the need for that level of investment.  Never mind all those sheep, it's horses for courses, I say!

 

Regards,

 

Scott

Edited February 5, 2013 by jukebox

[Physicsman]

Very good, Chris!

 

I made a slight error on the last layout. I ordered a couple of packets of Peco sheep, along with some other stuff. When I opened the parcel I opened the "sheep packet" to be greeted with supposedly fully-grown model sheep that looked the size of lambs. What!!?.... Then I realised I'd ordered N gauge by mistake.

 

I've still got them somewhere. They are a bit small for KL, even accounting for perspective!!

 

Jeff

[Physicsman]

Scott, what I'm about to say may well cause a few raised eyebrows and a few mutterings under breath. But at £110 it sounds good value, IF it does the job properly. It's comparable to a Static Grass applicator or just TWO of the curved turnouts I've bought.

 

So, relatively speaking, it sounds well worth it.

 

I'll have to look at the reviews first, and wouldn't buy one for a while anyway. I'd like to know how effective it is using IPA as I don't plan to use any solvent stronger than that.

 

Thanks.

 

Jeff

[emt_911]

Jeff

 

If they're the size of lambs, put them with the full size sheep and it would set the time of year.

 

Duncan

[Physicsman]

Btw, change of subject - Billy will love this.

 

At the moment, 8 of the top 20 posters from today are Lunesters - and that doesn't include Mike (Stationmaster) and Larry (Coachmann), both of whom have 100+ posts on this thread.

 

It really is true - THE LUNESTERS ARE TAKING OVER THE ASYLUM!!!

 

Ok - return to normality folks....

 

Jeff

[jukebox]

I think you have summed that up very well!  

 

As I said, my first reaction was "you have got to be kidding!"... but like Cobalts, Grassmasters and other bits of well engineered gear, there are times when if it does what it says on the packet, first time and every time you use it, it is not about the cost - it's about the price you would paying finding out the cheaper option doesn't work, or doesn't work as well as you need.

 

As one of the master modellers over at MRF has opined:  "I am too poor to buy cheap, as I can't afford to buy twice"  (Erkut, of SELCUK fame).
 

[uax6]

I'm not sure if you've seen Ben Alder's set of Layouts (very nice they are too!), but he uses backscenes very effectively. I must say if you've not visited then you must have a wonder over to http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/66265-the-far-north-line/&do=findComment&comment=940036 Then have a look around at all Richards pages, be careful mind, you'll loose a couple of hours!

 

I wonder what IPA (I'm presuming not the Green King kind!?!) would do you the glue that will be holding down you ballast over a period of time?

 

Andy

[Physicsman]

Thanks Andy. I've been a follower of the Great North Line and it's previous incarnations since day 1 of joining the Forum. Richard was the person who responded to my first ever post and welcomed me as a no-longer-lurker!

 

I actually discussed the backscenes a couple of times on his thread. Both he and Jonathan (Rowsley17D) identified them for me. A lot of people use them - look at Unicorn's "Bishopscombe" as an example. I'll get a set when I start work on the station section.

 

As far as I know, IPA won't affect the PVA. In pure form it's not a solvent for PVA and it tends to evaporate rather than sitting on the ballast. The most awkward places are often not ballasted in the first place (eg. tunnels) and the main scenic areas can always be cleaned by hand. I wouldn't use any strong solvents anywhere on the layout.

 

I'm guessing you're on another 12-hour session?

 

Jeff

[Physicsman]

Index updated to include yesterday evening's discussions....

 

I think I'll have to create an Index to the Index the way this is going!!

 

Jeff

[Rowsley17D]

Morning Jeff, I seem to have missed a great discussion on sheep. It was our "Who let the men out?" last night at my local across the way so I do have a good excuse. The speaker was our local retired vet, so if anybody knows about sheep it will be him. Anyway back to backboards. I have to agree with many that the gap between the board behind the fell side and the one on the wall will have to be bridged preferably with a curved section. Have you thought about bendy mdf? I am sure with your woodworking skills you could knock up something that would lift out so that you can access that part of the layout.

[Andrew P]

Morning Jeff, I will pop back in when I get home tonight for a propper read but just one quick question for you.

 

Q = When you get the Mountain finnished will you be able to go DEEP INSIDE and find the Dark Matter?

 

All I ever find is GREY MATTER

 

Old Lune

[Physicsman]

Morning Jonathan.

 

I've just been to have a look at the backscene board in question. The required board isn't very long, but only a slight curve is possible with the geometry available. And I'm afraid the situation is non-negotiable as it's not possible, given the arrangement around the tunnel portal, to make any adjustments to that section of hillside. So I will just have to do the best I can!

 

I've got some more droppers and Cobalts to wire-up today - the ones near/under the curved turnouts near the viaduct. I'll also test the switching. Little bit by little bit I'm getting things done. On the surface it looks like nothing is happening, but underneath...

 

Jeff

[Physicsman]

Morning Jeff, I will pop back in when I get home tonight for a propper read but just one quick question for you.

 

Q = When you get the Mountain finnished will you be able to go DEEP INSIDE and find the Dark Matter?

 

All I ever find is GREY MATTER

 

Old Lune

 

You've sussed out why my mountains take so long to build, Andy!! Underneath Lune Fell there is an art-of-the-state(!!) Dark Matter detector, based on the one under Boulby Potash Mine in North Yorkshire. Just don't tell anyone. When I'm feeling a bit down I go into the bunker, tune in to the Dark Matter WIMPS and Machos and receive a stream of Dark Energy from the Money Black Hole that lives in the middle of the bunker!!

 

Anyone that really annoys me gets the "Go Compare" treatment - into the black hole they go!

 

Jeff

Edited February 6, 2013 by Physicsman

[Physicsman]

I've been crawling under the boards with my trusty power pack, testing the switching of the curved turnout switch blades in situ. So far so good, but a tedious task.

 

I've also got an idea for the slight curve behind the tunnel portal hill - but I want to use 9mm ply for that (rather than the heavier stuff I've used elsewhere) so I'll have to go and buy some. Friday, I reckon.

 

Other than that, nothing exciting!

 

And it's DEADLY quiet on here!

 

Jeff

[jukebox]

Kerfing, Jeff?

[Physicsman]

Kerfing, Jeff?

 

I won't have to do that in order to bend 3mm MDF, Scott. Not for the bit behind the tunnel portal, where I can only put in a slight curve. As for the access corners - well, I'll worry about them later.

 

Jeff

[ianwales]

Other than that, nothing exciting!

 

And it's DEADLY quiet on here!

 

Jeff

 

Hi Jeff

 

having a nightmare of a day in the box, multiple points failures, track circuit failures and drivers who are not vey happy,

 

Ian

Very Tired Signalling Lunester.

[emt_911]

Jeff

 

Totaly agree. I think everyones either gone to work or gone to sleep

 

Duncan - Building Buildings Lunester

[Physicsman]

Hi Jeff

 

having a nightmare of a day in the box, multiple points failures, track circuit failures and drivers who are not vey happy,

 

Ian

Very Tired Signalling Lunester.

 

Ian, it seems that you signalmen take a lot of crap from drivers. Andy (uax6) has remarked about their attitude on several occasions. It's not your fault if the infrastructure breaks down!

 

 

 

Jeff

 

Totaly agree. I think everyones either gone to work or gone to sleep

 

Duncan - Building Buildings Lunester

 

Hi Duncan.

 

It's been like this for a few days now. Then everything goes ballistic in the evening! I sometimes can't draw breath for replying, late evening. Good fun when it's like that!

 

Jeff

[Mrkirtley800]

Hi Fellas,  going on from what Poliy Bo Peep was saying about having sheep of the correct appearance for the Dales reminded me of the times when I had an exhibition layout which I used to hawk arround.  On one occasion when everything was going well, the locos were running reliably, de-railments were non existant, the automatic couplings were 100% and the signals worked as they should.  One chap stood watching the layout for a long time and when he eventually spoke to me it wasn't about the scratch built locos beautifully painted by Coachman Larry, the hand built EM track or the scratchbuilt buildings, oh no!, it was to tell me the cows in the cattle dock were the wrong colour!!.

Derek - a very sad old (no I'm only a lad) Lunester.