Norm81

It's a rug so thankfully easier to replace than a carpet would be. Unfortunately I don't win every interior design decision. Unfold is the idea. When folded up it will fit in the standard cake box, not be part of it. I am aware it is contentious though, many may agree with your assessment and I do know I am most certainly pushing the boundary of what would be acceptable at best. That's what happens when apple put the ' and " keys next to each other on the keyboard, will duly correct. Or maybe it was wishful thinking with regards to the size of cake that would be contained...

After carefully reading the rules several times, which are (if I've picked them all up correctly): 8" x 8" x 6" A diorama that can fit in that size envelope, but doesn't have to be displayed in the box. The whole model has to fit in the box with the lid on. The model just has to fit in the box, it doesn't need to live in it. The box is not structural. Two railway related items I must have watched far too many George Clarke programmes (amazing spaces etc) and I had a brainwave that might be stretching the rules, or the spirit of them, a bit too far (which would be fair enough). It starts out as this template: IMG_0250 by N W, on Flickr Which then folds up into this: IMG_0251 by N W, on Flickr Which will fold back out to this: IMG_0252 by N W, on Flickr The 2cm depth is just to represent the height above the base the hinges will be, the some areas may be lower. Total available base area is now 42cm x 18cm. There also won't be gaps between the three sections, that's just due to my one-piece accordion fold approach to make the proof of concept. I just need to decide what to put in it with careful planning of heights, so more CAD (cardboard aided design) to follow. I quite fancy a length of track diagonally across with maybe a road bridge across it in the middle section, bus on bridge of course... maybe a signal box somewhere if possible. Next step is probably to make the base module from a sheet of ply I have in the garage and some piano hinges I was wondering what to do with.

If you're willing to go for a different material I've just ordered 2mm ply to do a curved backscene. I think Chris Leigh has successfully used it on one of his layouts (Calcott?). If I can't quite get the bend I want I'll be sticking the wallpaper steamer on it...

The same happened to my local shop, new owner didn't seem a people person or understand the market or hobby at all. It's not always the internet to blame.

Modelling Grassland and Landscape Detailing by Gordon Gravett

Good things come to those who wait...

I agree, I would expect if the item listing expired it's time and went unsold, then you sold the item off-ebay a week later they couldn't do anything about it. It's fair enough for them to stop people dealing off-ebay for active listings, but I don't think they could act on non-active listings.

Chocolate (mmmm!) and cream for me.

I chanced upon this earlier today, definitely a good offer!

So once it reached V1 as it left her hand there was no going back, she obviously didn't realise it would end in CFIT...

It might depend on the reason for the partial completion, if I run out of time or materials I don't have a problem going back to it at a later date. However the usual main reason I stop and move on to the next project is I get stuck with a problem I can't solve. That's exactly where my parkside VEA kit is at, I couldn't work out from the instructions or pictures where something went. Just had another thought, my lack of layout progress might be as I really enjoy the carpentry, that's not to say I don't enjoy the rest, just not as much. So I'll happily woodwork away.

I find those two first ones particularly difficult, you're right though if you totally stop for a day or two it's that much harder to get going again.

Good day out, the only problem being I browsed a book in the museum shop and somehow forgot to go back and buy a copy! There were two from the same author that looked interesting, still, it's an excuse to go back...

It can be either relaxation or a Martial Art, how you practice and use it is upto you. Either way the idea is to balance mind and body etc. I very strongly identify with this - only not with just scenery. Dare I say it's fear of doing it incase it fails to live up to our own personal standards we want to achieve (but may not be able to until we practice/try a few times/learn by doing?).

Sealed beam peaks do come up for sale second hand, if you're very very patient or have deep pockets. Took me ages to get mine.

I am reaping some benefits, in that I've taken the little one to far more exhibitions than I'd usually attend. Plus I have started indoctrinating inintroducing him to Thomas and Friends. I have actually started planning and doing a bit more research, as I seem to find a half hour before bed to read a railway related book. I need to rediscover those bite size projects and find a safe place that keeps them away from little hands but not fully packed away. I have scaled down my ambition and the three 2' x 3' boards will be packed up for now. I've ordered a Tim Horn self contained 5' x 1 1/2 display type baseboard with sides and opening at the front. So one of the next smaller jobs is to build it. I'm already in a club, that I haven't got to in months. It's about a 30-45 min drive each way so by the time I get in from work, eat, drive there it's about 8pm. 2hrs max as it closes 10pm then the same journey home. The problem being I spend a good portion of the available time travelling, others who go can get there closer to 6pm for various reasons so make more out of the trip. You're absolutely right about our culture, to me it seems to be a "race to the bottom", pay the minimum but work your staff to the maximum (or beyond). I'm sure my grandfather worked much more physically hard down the pit, but wasn't taxed half as much mentally as I am.

I don't know if there might be any information or colour pictures up at Woodhorn Colliery Museum, might be worth a try?

My mojo, along with any scrap of energy left after work, ends up ploughed into a toddler now. Don't get me wrong I love him to bits, but after work and the little one have taken their pound of flesh there's little left! No "state of mind" issues here, any "can't be bothered" feelings are down to being plain old tired. Mind I do think employment has switched from being more physically exhausting to mentally exhausting, which is more difficult to notice. I'm just permanently exhausted and agree if you're tired or not in the right frame of mind don't try and do any modelling. Recipe for something going awry. I have a pile of unfinished projects of varying sizes, as I'll scope it out then one of two things happen: I get plain stuck on how to do something (as happened with a VEA wagon kit) The task "grows arms and legs", so the job becomes too long for the time available So they get stuffed away to languish somewhere for goodness knows how long! Then there's the "unknown unknowns" you come across, my Hornby 56 that after taking the bodyshell off won't run even though without cardan shafts with worm drive attached motor and bogies turn. Fine before I took the body off. My Hornby 31 which runs off certain wheelsets with a 9V PP3 battery touched to them, but won't run on the track. Drives me up the wall when loco's just break when you've done nothing to cause it. Then frustrates me even more as the hobby is supposed to be relaxing, not me sat tearing my hair out!

Have a copy winging it's way to me, hopefully I can make sense of it!

The only NER goods sheds I can think of are further north, Morpeth is still standing and smart models do a downloadable Alnwick goods shed. Not sure how much the architecture varied across the region.

Ficticious location and track plan, but recognisable in terms of geographical location and era, is the plan. If I ever complete it and it's recognisable as North East in the 1980's I'll have succeeded.

Newcastle Central still has two double track bays at the same end of a platform - not an island though - and had even more than two at both ends in the past. http://www.nrm.org.uk/ResearchAndArchive/drawing?group=OPC&objid=21288-2-NewcastleCentralTrackplan The most western bays were for parcels I think. Maybe just apply just a little "modellers licence" ? Darlington is a single bay in the island, but was four tracks with each platform face having it's own release road, so quite a bit wider than your double track bay (second picture down on the link). http://www.railwayarchitecture.org.uk/Location/Darlington/Darlington%20Bank%20Top%20Station.htm

Given the large amount of "unpredictable" human drivers on the road, navigating around them will be a considerable challenge I would think. To get a benefit from "drafting" the truck in front you'd have to be so close that if the wireless automatic brakes didn't engage on the second/third truck it'd have probably rear-ended the truck infront before a human could react.

Be interesting if taken to an exhibition, as everyone would have to stare at the layout... I scrapped my approach to building an ironing board layout in 00 and bought traditional baseboards. It got too heavy quite quickly, so watch the weight of wood and other materials etc.

If they are already spoken for, any chance of some copies of these somehow? I'm modelling the Newcastle - Carlisle line in 1984!