Chops

Escape to the Hills of Scotland In days of antiquity, when plagues swept the land, people who could afford it fled the cities to escape Yellow Fever, or the Bubonic Plague. Now, there is no place to run, no place to hide.

Return of Henley The Heljan Deltic was most pleasing- for about an hour, until all the gears simultaneously split and turned into texture of crumpled saltines. Unable to find a repair, it was an easy Franklin down the drain. I will not touch Heljan ever again. Little photo bombs of Nessie crop up here and there.

Nessie Strikes Again. And Again. And Again. Experimenting with just using sound effects to tell the story. No particular story, at that, just more fun with Nessie. The Pacific is a nice old Trix piece.

Nessie on My Mind It is amusing that a number of Nessie sightings were accompanied by quantities of intoxicating spirits. Here, an Electrotren Wine Cask Wagon is employed to underscore the point.

Puff the Bamburg Dragon Assisted by my then 13 year old daughter, who also painted many of the medieval figures. Thank goodness, for that, I'd have rotted the job. Later, I settled on "Henley," as it became apparent that I was seeking to model memories of personal experiences of Britain. Castle Bamburg, a very interesting site, roughly resembles this castle.

See More of Britain Inspired by the British Rail advertisement, "We're Getting There." One of the funniest television adverts I've ever seen. It was so popular that Hornby made a "Police DMU," for a little while. I'd love to get my hands on one. There is this deep irony in British humor that is exquisite. Also, it is fun to use clip art, to liven things up. Sound effects can be downloaded for free on many sites, and easily added to any production. In this case, it is the sound of celery being eaten. At this point, I recollect, the Covid bug was gaining traction, and is thus represented by the metaphorical housefly, or "bug." Like the festering, simmering pandemic, Nessie lurks in Stonehenge.

Where's Nessie? Britain abounds with legends, and the Loch Ness Monster is one of my favorites, and it's been around for centuries, starting with a legendary dragon that guarded this particular loch. In the 1970's, with the pseudo-documentary film, "Chariots of the Gods," there was a renewed flurry of interest, culminating in a determined scientific expedition to capture her on film. Eventually, a murky photograph of something that looked like a fin was obtained, and the fascination became fever pitched. In 1927, a British surgeon on holiday photographed the iconic image of a plesiosauras-like creature bobbing in the mist; it was later explained to be a gag, but for a while was held as proof-positive. In fact, it was a duck decoy. The problem with sightings of Yeti, Big Foot, and Nessie is that, with or without a good glass of Madeira, is that they are always just out of sight. So this video explores the amusing proposition that she is always lurking around the corner, as holiday goers, keen on catching a glimpse, keep missing her. If they would only just turn around!

A Trip Around the New Armadilloville Tyco, and the like, is generally considered passe rubbish, but it is rather delightful, and because it is so cheap (I've had people donate armloads of the stuff, while they try to clean out their garages) that after a while the 4 x 8 couldn't contain it all, so a 4x4 L was hafted on.

The Titville Thunderbolt Frequently, I want the trains to tell a story, as well as doing something. The trick is to cram it into three or four minutes, and make it varied enough so as not to murder the audience. Here, the classic British film is borrowed for inspiration; there is frequently a tension between the need to improve efficiency, and the yearnig of nostalgia.

Catching the Train: 1857 I decided early on that if I was going to run things in a circle, then I wanted them to do something, other than chase their tails. I found my answer quickly in the form of the diamond railway crossing. One has to pay smart attention, or things will bounce off each other. While I strive to avoid it, a moment's inattention while fumbling with camera can lead to a collision. Fortunately, the large buffer bars prevent damage.

A Hasty Tour of Henley A few of the things that appeal to me about Greater Britain. I found Wales to be charming.

In a Rush, Take the Bus It is enjoyable to try different angles in shooting a video. For this one, I filmed it only using sound effects, to see how that felt. There is no particular theme here, the title is one that came to mind from my eldest daughter's role in a church play where she played a camel at Bethlehem, where the lyrics were, "poor us, poor us, next time just take the bus, or a cab, it's not so bad." Having but rarely owned a quality, low speed capable locomotive until recently, the Bachmann Duke Dog and Hornby T9 were acquired. I must pause to note that I do not normally endorse Bachmann, they've made a mixed reputation for themselves by making beautiful models with horrid motoring and transmissions. The Duke Dog, reviewed by Sam's Train's Trains, stirred me to buy one, and it is fabulous, but see for yourself. The T9, also reviewed by Sam's, is outstanding in every regard (but it is not a heavy hauler, but no matter, British trains are often short). They run so slowly, in fact, I was amused by the idea that the public, if in need of haste, might prefer the bus. Having tried that, I repeated it with a sound track of a Medieval Italian Renaissance dance tune, which I like for its slow, rhythmic pace. By adding a music sound track, one can alter the sensation of seeing any given event, whether it be this or Sid Vicious and the Sex Pistols. Same video, different sound track:

Lions And sometimes I just like to run trains. This particular song, by Britain's Dire Straits, is haunting and lyrical. To me, it evokes the ambiance of commuters ensconced in safe trains rolling home to the warmth of home and hearth. Appearing on the B side, it never got the approbation it deserved. I've worked in medical much over half my life, and the sinister threat of the unknown, here the whimsical Nessie-as-Covid Virus is always lurking in the back of my mind. The song is of a young woman making her way home through empty London streets, uneasy in her solitude. How often we feel that way, now, our sense of relative security forever vanquished.

Dawn of a New Age The invention of the practical flue boiler in steam locomotion transformed the world. This piece is Hornby's recent release of the Rocket. Unlike its Triang predecesor, this one is a scale gem (Triang's version was closer to Sn3), and while charming, it had two speeds: full on and full off. This creation is a whole new thing, it is scale, DCC ready, and you can see for yourself how sweetly she picks her way across points without the least hesitation. Pricey, yes, but in my view, worth every farthing. To say I love this piece would be an understatement. The Covid "Bug" makes her appearance, as it, too, is the Dawn of a New Age.

First off, this is by no means comparative to Mr. Ball's masterpiece "Henley-on-the-Thames: 1930." Nor could it, as his work is well above my pay grade. Model railroading is folk art. Model railroaders are creating 3-dimensional paintings of nostalgia typically centered around railways, so as to communicate a mood, a memory or an impression, to those whom might listen. Absolutely all reality is memory. What you had for tea is memory. The heart surgeon, delicately suturing tiny coronary arteries is functioning on memory. The pilot who seamlessly flew you to Portugal is functioning on memory, as is the butcher, the baker, and candle stick maker. Some memories require exactitude, while nostalgia becomes a water color of blurred lines, colors, and scents. When one creates a circle of track around the Christmas tree, or an O scale opus spanning an aerodrome, the effect is to capture an ambiance and to communicate it. My first train set was received with much fascination in 1966, I believe it was a Wrenn wind-up affair, and I still have a surviving Golliwog wagon that came in it. To make a long winded story short, we lived in Shiplake from '66 to'67 whilst father did sabbatical at Oxford. I came to love those green pastures, and the serene Thames, and orderly locks and canals. And most of all, the trains bustling hither and to, on speedy missions, captivated me. So, 5,000 miles and three decades later, tentative work was started on a little 4x8 which grew into what it now called "Henley." There is no Norman castle in the real Henley, nor dinosaur digs, nor "Catford Urns" (a whimsical neolithic brewery), and certainly not the extraordinary Sutton Hoo nor Stonehenge. And of course, the Loch Ness Monster resides well to the North in Scotland, although she is oft seen lurking in the castle moat and the lock, or sometimes pursued by fox hunters. All these peculiarities are facets of Greater Britain which still fascinate me today. "Henley" is but a nostalgic watercolor of a long ago youth, in Britain, far from home, yet, strangely, at home. I won't start at the beginning, nor the end, but rather skip around to whatever strikes my fancy of the day. One of the recurring themes, and photo bombs, is that of the LNS, aka, the Loch Ness Monster, Nessie. It was started before Covid became the new reality, but as Covid slashed across the globe, stopping my plans to revisit the country of my youth, it became clear that a metaphor could be made to the "Bug" and to Nessie, who sometimes stampedes about creating havoc to the denizens of Greater Britain. Britain invented the railway. Before the genius of Stephenson and son, there were the Devonshire collier track ways. Again, the railway did not arrive in Henley until June 1, 1857, thirty years after the Manchester and Liverpool. But, the timeless, and aged, architecture of Britain permits one to roll back the clock as one pleases by simply removing anachronisms like autobuses, and the like, and replacing them with horses, buggies, and wagons. It is with such intent, that "Henley" time travels about from a mythical rail existence from 1827 to 1967, by such means. As the medieval period is of no small fascination, I have installed a jousting tournament replete with spectators in Edwardian costume overlooking a re-enactment of this remarkable event. It gives rise to a bustling tourist industry of holiday goers desperately seeking Nessie, as well as those wishing to see knights clashing inside ancient castle walls. Other things, such as the Waterloo Stables, closely resemble the riding stables where my older sister took her riding lessons, although we are clearly not in Belgium. In sum, "Henley" is a synthesis of pleasant British memories and a few of those aspects of Greater Britain that stroll the fertile fields of my imagination. The fly photo bomb in this video is a satirical metaphor as to how the nasty little Bug going around, Covid, has cramped travel plans, and mine, to tour Britain, by rail, of course. You may spot Electrotren Spanish coaches whirling around, and this was because at the time there were no suitable 4 wheel coaches that I was aware of (Hornby has recently released a fabulous assortment). North Americans, sorry, do not well distinguish that Greater Europe is a land of many railways and gauges, so anything with a buffer is much the same to them. Plus, I really like Electrotren and try to squeeze them in where ever I might. I should also warn you, that in addition to folk art, I am passionate about folk music. A few good souls have allowed how this is vexing to them, much like the sound of a dentist's drill, and would I kindly omit it for the sake of their sanity. Sorry, I enjoy finding obscure artists, in this case Russian, who have a brilliant sound and are not allowed entry into the world stage. After buying the music on iTunes, I then add it on to my videos in vain hope they might achieve a slightly wider audience. I also adore the Celtic street band, "Clanadonia," so be sure to hit the mute button, for that one. In any event, gentle reader, please know that I am red, white and blue Anglophile, who admires the extraordinary contributions of Britain, its monarchy, its civility (it feted early aborigines whilst other nations enslaved them), and most deeply, as a former soldier, its barricade against the advances of fascism and communism. Does Britain have Her quandries, of course She does, but that is a family matter, not mine. And, She always strives to improve. More, alas poor Yorik, to come.

In 1964, at the hottest part of the Cold War, our dear father, a professor of Russian History, working towards his tenure, gathered my brother, sister, wife, and me, for a week's holiday in Moscow. We traveled under Canadian passports. Why he chose to bring along the entire family to this Prison State? I can only retrospectively guess that either he was very naive, or used us as a sort of human shield. It would be one thing to imprison one Canadian, (American by birth, who served as a translator in the Pentagon in and around the time the Rosenbergs were getting fried), but another to imprison an entire family, one supposes. Ostensibly, he was collecting information for a book on the Cossacks, which he eventually published in 1982, and, well, let's just say that it didn't set any sales records. Even at the tender age of four, I have numerous and distinct memories of our brief sojourn. Such as the time when mother and the children were shaken down by a couple of Moscow cops wondering what the Hell a foreigner was strolling about their fair city, in 1964? After that, we stayed in the hotel while Dad went to the library. Also, a commotion when my brother sneezed while visiting Lenin's Tomb. That was a sacrilege. But most of all, was taking the train out of the USSR to Helsinki. There were two classes, a "hard" and a "soft." We traveled by "soft," which consisted of this iron like fabric with little no-slip designs, and all of it the color of mud. But whilst boarding, in the central train station, looking up at this enormous beast of a locomotive, that imprinted on my young four year old mind, and the awe stayed with me ever since. Model railroading is folk art. We take a memory, typically embedded with steel rail, and we go about recreating a three dimensional experience of a time, a place, a memory, or even a feeling that we might communicate that experience with others. This is mine: The locomotives are of Italian heritage, but closely resemble the blurry images of memory. Nothing here resembles much of anything, except water color memories of a youth in England, feeling both strangely displaced, also feeling strangely at home. All my descendants migrated from Greater Britain in the 1800's. The next video I have in mind is to create a series of plain cardboard boxes which will simply cover the existing structures. They will be painted gray, to simulate the poured concrete popular in Soviet architecture, and have various Orwellian signs such as "Big Brother is Watching You," and "The Ministry of Love," and what not. Might be fun. Lucky to live in a country where this can be done, although given the current state of affairs, it is not certain this will last another two hundred years. The observations of some of the other posters in this thread, about Syria, and so on, are most interesting. The average guy is frequently just a hardworking stiff trying to keep hearth and home together, while living under breathtaking oppression. It is the history of the world that most common folk are pleasant enough, but a few sociopaths skillfully rise to power and keep the rest of the people struggling not to be seen or heard.

What an opus! I cannot imagine building something in that size, let alone in O scale.

That was a thrilling ride! Many curves, and the sound of the locomotive alternately cutting its steam or applying it was a charm. The pass-by scene of the ATSF freight was most unexpected; dramatic. Did the train overshoot Lavender Hill, or are the tourists expected to hike it back to the platform? Pacing another train, again with the low resolution Hotwheels Video Racer. The rolling tock is a bit of vintage Tyco, and a bit of not so vintage Mehano. For those of you who dislike sound tracks, the rumble of the wheels gets good play, here.

Well thank you for the suggestions. No, the video was done a while back, and removing the sound track would be onerous. Everyone doesn't like all music, and there are plenty of videos out there where you can watch a model train softly clattering about. Personally, I find many videos to be utterly stultifying, and I like to bring out folk artists, often, that never get any airtime and are essentially unknown, if not forgotten. To each his own. Occasionally, I like to capture the sound of wheel on joint, but more than five seconds gets tiresome. But, thank you anyways. The Waterloo Farm House I picked up at a train show, decades ago, before the Internet was a thing, and finding anything remotely British was a trick. I pressed a couple of Faller kits into service, hoping it might be mistaken for Brighton, good luck with that. The Waterloo thing was appealing as it closely resembled a British riding stables where my elder sister took her lessons how not to fall off a horse. "Vintage Ops," is merely an off hand way of saying, "running old stuff." I, too, am vintage. Old.

Tour Time in Armadilloville See the sights of zany Armadilloville. Tour train leaves daily. Lot of photo bombs. I like paleontology and folk music.

Please don't feed the dinosaurs. Paleontology is fascinating, and I like to do photo bombs with it. The Hornby 0-4-0 pushing the cam wagon has two speeds: full on, and full off. Much like the Sopwith Camel. Diamonds spice up the routine. Whilst I strive to avoid collisions, the large buffer bars prevent damage. Classical Gas I was experimenting with different POV angles with this one. The absurdly long Tyco super tankers, with their hand rails to nowhere and triple axle bogies, made for some interesting running. Ultimately, the HO scale camera man takes a beating.

Oscar Paisley, who may be located on YouTube, is really the grand master of vintage ops, myself, only a casual pretender. I love this old British stuff, it is so durable and unique. The Hornby oafer (0-4-0) is a newer wine in an old skin, and to slow it down I installed a special replacement motor with an improved worm to widen the ratio. It did not make any difference.

Wow, that is quite the layout! Great sound, too. What did you use for a camera?What happened that you had to dismantle it? This has some POV shots taken, with a grand finale, using the Hotwheels Video Cam Racer. It is a satire of the travails of model railroaders everywhere.

Thanks, Jim, I've never heard of Carl Arendt, have to look him up. I've not heard of sector plates, either. Sliding staging tables, but not that.