john new

Nice bit of press news about the Rowntrees version.  https://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/24251609.york-normandy-veteran-ken-coke-presented-model-his-train/

So another one to add to the NYMR’s run something into the ground then dump it list. 

8 hours ago, papagolfjuliet said:

Re: an earlier post the NYMR has now puy the New Bridge steam craen up for sale. That should keep certain people in the manner to which they are accustomed for a while longer. Page 10 here.

 

"Buyer to remove from railway" of course means "You may not keep that thing on my train set."

 

https://www.tractionads.co.uk/TRACTION_-_ROLLING_No_151.pdf

What is the background; is it just the NYMR needs the money it will raise or is it a basket case job? Do they have decent non-steam cranes as alternatives for lifting in the civils yard where cranes are useful, arguably essential? Seems yet another potentially useful asset just ignored by the NYMR. 

3 hours ago, caradoc said:

 

Nonsense, the local buses on which I travel do not, never have had and probably never will have seatbelts. 

 

Trains do not have, and do not require to have, seatbelts, because the frequency of incidents in which they would be of benefit is extremely small, whereas the cost would be extremely high, and therefore unjustifiable. 

 

Possibly the few that double up as school transport. My memory is that school buses need to have them fitted but I could be wrong.

12 hours ago, lmsforever said:

When you think how many years we used these coaches day in day out and thought nothing of it but now people have become so sheltered and basically ueselless  they cant think for themselves and have allowed people who should  know better.  It seems as though the organisations who carry out these witch hunts are representing groups who are totally not in the real world and are constantly looking to make trouble for anyone .Surely  people are able to be safe and be responsible  but we are living in real  nanny state .

I think there are two factors here:

1) if it is a daily risk in widespread use you know about it/how to avoid it. Still catches a few but …

2) same risk problem, but rarely experienced by most people nowadays as life has moved on, will catch a higher % of those exposed to it. 

Some risk assessments may invoke over zealous responses (the one’s the press love to mock) but in general the vast majority of Health & Safety reactions do improve safety and work place environments. CDL has grown on me and I have changed my attitude to it, same with window hanging now so much of the network, including heritage lines, is festooned with things like trailing brambles etc. Even back in the day if I was standing at an open drop light my hands would be on the frame part of the coach not the door. My own risk assessment similar to ORR’s = doors are dodgy, ameliorate the risk. 

 

Summer weather must be getting closer, the first outdoor modelling session of the year done. I have a feeling it is psychological as when I worked on the full size railway (about 12 years volunteering on the NYMR) it was most often outdoors. Two tasks completed.

One a sprat and winkle measuring jig based on the one @mullie showed on his thread. Link here as per my post of 4 Oct 2022. That added to my programming track. First step use some hardboard strips to make a flat platform at rail height level then two bits of 6mm ply, the top one incorporating the 20deg slot.

The second adding what I intend to be a small loading platform/buffer stop. Ideally it needs a fixing screw adding once the glue has fully set. A bit of sanding, shaping and adding paint and scenic coverings still needed. 

The project keeps getting sidetracked but it isn’t dead.

2 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

When I was involved with a model railway club on the South Coast, we reckoned that cloudy, cool and damp was "good exhibition weather". If it was too wet, the families wouldn't go out at all.

From doing shows and events, not just model railway related, for three or four decades fully concur. A nice sunny day and people make their leisure trips to an outdoor attraction; a dull and damp one they still come out but do an indoor attraction; if it is scything down or blowing a hoolie they stay at home.  
 

I have done several events over the years where if I hadn’t been “on the team”,  and therefore committed to being there, I wouldn’t have gone myself. 

2 hours ago, Jol Wilkinson said:

When I did the York MRS regularly over the whole weekend (as a trader's assistant) it seemed that the attendance by families was largely weather driven. Nice weather, go to the seaside or around York. During poor/wet weather then there were more families at the show. Our trade stand was on the 2nd mezzanine facing the stairs and we were often asked "where are the loos/lifts/restaurant" by families who were unfamiliar with the facility and presumably not regular visitors. Despite discussing putting up a notice  stating "This is not the exhibition information desk", we never got around to it.

We have added improved signage and still get asked! 

14 hours ago, Jol Wilkinson said:

I agree with you Tony, but I do know of one group/society where the demonstrators can be so engaged in model making that it deters anyone from interrupting their activity. I even saw a post where one of their demonstrators said they were looking forward to manning the stand at a particular show as they hoped to build a particular loco kit over the weekend.

 

For demonstrators, Society representatives, layout owners/operators and traders there is a careful balance to be struck between being welcoming /helpful or off putting/disinterested. The former can put people off (as well as attracting those who want to tell you their modelling life story), as much as the latter.

Fully concur. 

When I do my watercolouring weathering demo I have a stock of completed projects on show. On the Saturday morning I have a set of wagons primed only and also some unprimed ready to do. I can then show how easy adding the over layer is and/or depending on what they have asked prime one. That can dry to join the stock later and I can then move on in best Blue Peter fashion to do the one I primed earlier for phase two. If necessary at a two day show prime a few more late on Saturday to dry off overnight ready for Sunday. I am demonstrating the technique, which is what I am there for, so that the person asking the questions might then go home and have a go themselves. I am not there to do up a string of wagons or whatever for my own layout. Any I do finish in the quiet hour towards the end of the day are a bonus.

I think I am there to show people how it can be done and if they want a go let them, rather like a teacher in a school class, I am not there to be head down and actively doing it with no interaction, with no explanation of the whys and wherefores  We have all seen examples of the head down working on the project demonstrators - they are not actually showing anybody anything to learn from as they do not provide context or guidance to those wanting to pick up the knowledge. 

12 minutes ago, Jol Wilkinson said:

... snipped ....

 

The former can put people off (as well as attracting those who want to tell you their modelling life story), as much as the latter.

Many also always seem to have a grandfather who drove or fired (the) Flying Scotsman. They never seem to know whether that was the locomotive or the train. I suspect also even where it is true (the locomotive) it was something like 50 yards up the shed road to say they've done it or some other move around the shed as a just passed out fireman or similar.

At the risk of thread drift. I worked on the clerical side in the Police Garage 55 years ago straight out of college as my first job, I did once drive a police car a short distance up the car park to move it as it was in the way - I can legitimately say I drove a police car at work, but a big difference between that small yard shunt and being a traffic cop. 

20 minutes ago, nightstar.train said:

 

Is it this one?

 

 

Yes that’s the one.

19 hours ago, Matt37268 said:

If you’ve ever read ‘Railway Adventure’ you’ll find how Mr Rolt makes a comment on about how much a 2 or 3 minute delay in somewhere like Manchester or Birmingham could have a knock on delay at Twywn when trying to arrange a connection with the Talylln.
More recently the same points been made regarding the NYMR with their services to Whitby, if something cocks up there apparently the ripples can be felt back as far as Leeds and Manchester. 

There is an excellent BR era film on YouTube about accumulating delays. Sadly I can’t remember the name so can’t post a YT link.

On 09/04/2024 at 15:55, jonhall said:

 

Frankly that isn't a display , and in *my* opinion should be missed out entirely. If its not worth doing properly, don't bother at all, I certainly don't want to pay to see it!

 

Whilst I totally take your point about individual societies controlling what they put on show, I think the show organisers are acting as 'curators', they should be assessing what is in their show, and making choices about the societies that they invite, and perhaps a bit of competition  for the space available might improve whats shown? 

 

Jon

I’ve pondered replying for sometime. The area we had for the SLS was unsuitable for a crewed stand but ideal for a static stand, think roadside advertising hoarding for an equivalent. The stand that was usually there was merely relocated slightly (the leaflets drop spot). By taking it we didn’t displace any actively crewed stand of whatever type and gave the show some income. Due to lack of volunteers to crew an active stand an advertising slot was all that was possible. Not ideal for us either but you can only have a Society stand with a crew if they are available. 

Just discovered that a track joint has moved and will need a tweak. I think it might be some shrinkage of the chinchilla dust ballast as it dried out after the PVA application. Hopefully a drop of boiling water on the spot and a tweak with a screwdriver will fix it. The joint  is formed with one of the plastic, insulating, fishplates. The 4mm version of a ganger or two with crowbars or in the modern era a tamping machine. It wasn’t there before ballasting.

Update - fixed yesterday (11 Apr) as per thoughts above.

4 minutes ago, adb968008 said:

There are other reasons legit ones didnt make it here..

Full pallet, full container, the factory could have over estimated their own failure rate and made too many, any number of honest reasons.

 

But warehousing costs money, takes space.. 4 years is a long time to hang on..of course it could be a disagreement between the warehouse and the factory that saw them spill out… 

 

Theres hundreds of possible reasons, not all nefarious, but unfortunate.

 

They will either soak up quick if theres a few, and dissappear, or there will be a price war if theres hundreds.. that i’m confident…. They arent high demand models, though i reckon the murphys ones will go first.

 

 

 

Also add - 

Warehouse detailed stock check with new staff finds the mislabelled/misplaced lost container etc., having done stock checks in the past where lost stuff has turned up (and deficiencies too) it does happen.

36 minutes ago, pete_mcfarlane said:

BuT wHy WoNt Dapol pOsT tHe LiNk To ThE cHeAp FaKeS sO i CaN aVoId ThEm? 

Isn't the answer blindingly obvious? More will go for the low prices via the link than then avoid the site. Just buy via the normal UK retailers or from Dapol direct. As others have mentioned it is a bit down the line when the issue will really bite, these grey area purchases have been sold on, and need a repair of some kind. I have said grey area as I don't know whether they are unauthorised overruns or "replicas" made with alternative parts and QC standards. Either way Dapol lose out which isn't good news.

In the case of the SLS (so responding with my non-YMRS hat on) we probably fell into the category you were disappointed by as our presence this year was a show guide advert, plus a self-service and information flyers only stand. Some one has to volunteer to crew the stand (they couldn’t this year) perhaps you would like to join as Promotions Officer (role currently vacant) and do that next year at York and other shows and events?

Your comment regarding the Societies with a team present would be best addressed by an email direct to them letting them know, that in your opinion, the stand crew they had volunteering failed to attract your attention. Did you ask them anything or go close enough to their stand to indicate you wanted to ask? I’ve done many years on show stands; it is a difficult balance between being pushy (alienate the punter) or seemingly ignoring them as you await their first approach.

Perhaps a thread topic in its’ own right on how people on stands should interact/await being approached would be appropriate. 
 

A reminder that we still have the unclaimed item of ladies jewellery. The other items are probably sentimentally valueless but not this item.

Thanks for that. I have the Scalescenes equivalent in the Scratchbuilders yard bundle. I hadn’t thought of using it for such a long run. Something to trial.

On 07/04/2024 at 11:05, andyman7 said:

 

The Airfix moulds have been to various places, for many years after Haldane Place closed the kits were made by Heller in France. Nowadays most Airfix kits are made in India but there are other locations that get used (occasionally UK as well). Making plastic kit is vey different to making an RTR loco, the process consists of moulding, breaking down the sprues to 'box' size (newer moulds generally have the frames set to the box size to aid this) and boxing with instructions and transfers. There isn't the skilled assembly and soldering requirement so kit making is still pretty well dispersed across the globe.

 

Frankly if you need some screws and they're 99p shipped 'shopping around' is likely more effort than its worth

Until you try tightening them up.

On 09/11/2023 at 08:39, Max Legroom said:

Here are a few shots showing progress. Thanks to various distractions (new type 3s, 4s and 5s) things have taken longer than planned but the ground cover should be going on shortly.

 

 

 

What source did the corrugated iron for the fences come from? Particularly impressive looking.

19 hours ago, BluenGreyAnorak said:

Thanks. There are a million ways to do this sort of thing so the key really is to decide what you want out of it. For example, I decided very early on that I wanted LED indication of how points are set and for that indication to be driven by the point motors rather than just the panel. It's a belt and braces approach that results in even more wiring, but makes me happy.

 

One of the things that I found really helped was to keep detailed notes. I spent an age planning the wiring, using a combination of Excel spread sheets and hand drawn diagrams of individual circuits. Given the timespan (first panel built about 8 years ago, final one under construction now), these have proved absolutely invaluable.

 

 

 

How you do it has got to suit you but don't skimp on this stage.

I cannot fault the statement above about not skimping on record keeping to aid future fault finding etc. As you are a beginner with regard to layout electrics though the main point from everything above is adopt the KISS principle - by that I mean don’t add in the need to learn other new things over and above the minimum circuit(s) for each device. Good luck with this.

9 hours ago, Coach bogie said:

Now where is that K's bodyline kit and the block wheel Triang Jinty chassis to make things more scale?

 

Mike Wiltshire

The lost mid-way house between advanced beginners moving into kits and those with enough skill then become expert builders. I agree that was a past era, and yes the results had deficiencies, but it is the baby and bath water scenario.  Taking out that progression layer took out the associated learning curve for building and then painting kit built items. The key aspect once white metal bodies using adapted r-t-r chassis disappeared was building valve gear. The stopper item.

Sadly in my impression of it since first getting involved as a volunteer in 1973 the NYMR has a history of running things into the ground. They then get another item, repeat and the original asset just slumbers on. Love the line, am a life member and a former volunteer in the 13 years I lived close enough. I just hope the new head honcho is able to turn things round. The new marketing magazine style Moorsline does not give me confidence that the upper echelons know how to keep the membership sweet.

1 hour ago, TEAMYAKIMA said:

That's a question that I've been dreading. 

 

Western photographers like me tended to visit China in deepest winter in order to photograph dramatic stem effects - I think minus 40 was the coldest I experienced. But most figures you can buy don't come wearing suitable clothing and I even have a workman with his top off. So let's say it's early Spring. 

 

A personal thing but as there are not smoke machines to produce those dramatic steam effects layouts featuring steam look best set in summer.