john new

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.

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.

We have added improved signage and still get asked!

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.

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.

Yes that’s the one.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Until you try tightening them up.

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

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.

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.

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

As one who previously hasn’t done much modern kit building the reasons why I haven’t are spread throughout this thread. Most recent I recall is Tony pointing out a boiler was the wrong dimensions. A mental barrier was overcome on a recent Missenden course. I am giving it, I.e., kit building, another go as hopefully I now have enough “bloody mindedness” to take on the inevitable challenges.

The cynic in me reading that about train support crew has each pax getting issued with a J cloth or sponge and then they get booked on as essential coach cleaning staff. A finger in the air to ORR.

Not exactly keeping to the booked times. I see it is now 77mins late at Crianlarich. Update. On the move again now and 123 mins late at Rannoch! Not covering themselves in glory.

An early one in railway legislation was the proposed Easton and Church Ope Railway here on the island. Correct spelling of Church Ope is without an H but it got changed by supposedly knowledgeable (Interfering) people in London to the Easton and Church Hope in the approved Act of Parliament. They assumed the local Dorset proposers didn't know their own locality's names!! It is Ope as a short form of opening and there are several such named places in the area. I am sure there are more names elsewhere corrupted the same way and then because of that the error has to stay.

I have never done it but our large club layout in the past had some diode matrix blocks made up by one of our electronics wizards so that you pushed one button and it set up a route. I guess DCC can do the same in today's world. My method is simple stud and probe. A common from the CDU (as described above) plus a single lead running from each side of the solenoid back to a stud on the mimic diagram. Obviously one stud for each direction. The probe can be anything but for simplicity I used the PECO one and that is the single link back to the CDU. The studs can be anything from a brass panel pin upwards in size. I used brass paper fasteners opened out with the to the point wire soldered to one of the legs. When you touch the stud with the probe it fires the point the way selected. Part wired panel. 3-wire Gaugemaster point cable. Green is the common all wired back to a bus bar. Each lead jto the point motor is just number tagged. (Apologies for the top panel shot being upside down) P5 not wired as the dotted track is a possible extension.