stephenashton

Chaz - Thanks for taking Dock Green to Telford. I really enjoyed seeing this layout 'in the flesh'. It's an absolute gem and looked really engaging to operate too.

Chaz - May I echo the comments above. It really was worth persevering with the YouTube uploads. Both All three videos were great. I really wish I'd been to Basingstoke or Warley and seen this in the flesh. Edited to rectify the cross-post with #1401 above!

Do you think the Markits smokebox darts are a bit long? I reduced the length of the 7mm version I used on my J71 -- at least it wasn't too short!

A few points to add to the comments above: Don't model the scaffolding based on modern practice, there would not be any toeboards and minimum of handrails. 1940s health and safety: if you fall off it's your fault for not looking where you were going. Don't give the workers hard hats or florescent vests. What's wrong with a tweed jacket and flat cap? Do give at least supervisors ties. Do show cement being mixed on site, probably by hand on boards rather than in even a rudimentary cement mixer. Do show loads of sand, bricks etc. being wheeled up a ramp formed from one scaffold plank. Do show waste materials being thrown from scaffold without a chute or hoist. Don't show too much support for the sides of deep excavations. Working in areas as risk of collapse was known and accepted. Do show a supervisor (with his hands in his pockets) stood on the edge of an excavation just where he himself could cause a collapse. Lifting equipment would have been much more rudimentary and you might have some fun building a Heath Robinson-like hoist system. Don't be tempted to show the site office as much more than a wooden shed, certainly no portakabins, welfare facilities, etc. Do show one small wooden WC hut, but perhaps with luxurious weed growth behind it ... ;-) Don't show health and safety warning notices. Don't worry about fencing the site: if anyone strays onto site and hurts themselves it's their own stupid fault. Do show nightwatchman's hut and brazier. A guard dog or two wouldn't go amiss.

No problem. As I said, I hope it works for you. Looking forward to the video.

My worry doesn't relate to the accuracy of the motor, but the reliance on the magnetic field to maintain a reliable and predictable relationship between the magnets in the traverser and the magnets moved by the stepper motor. I really hope it works for you, but it seems to me that: the momentum of the traverser will prevent it from stopping precisely enough, and the inertia required to start the traverser moving will mean that small adjustments made by the motor won't translate into the movement intended. I hope I'm wrong. I love the concept of the model and the techniques you are using.

Alan - I'm really enjoying watching this model develop. There's some lovely work here and I really like the way you're using modern methods to create the model. I like the design of the traverser but how are you going to stop it accurately enough?

Hi Ken - I've been following your thread avidly over the last twelve months or so. There's some lovely modelling here. I've stuck my head above the parapet today because these posts are really useful. A fret saw is virtually at the top of my wish list for new tools and these details will be invaluable, plus you've provided some useful tips as to how to use it too! Thanks for sharing this information. I'll be watching the rest of the build with interest ... Stephen

Scalescenes works better for me. Somehow the textures on the Smart Models kits seem a bit unreal. It's hard to put your finger on why, it's just the Scalescenes kits look more 'right'.

The more I see of this thread, the more I wish I'd gone to the NEC last weekend. It looks absolutely great.

Based on these photos: yes and yes, again. It's looking much, much better ... watching with interest!

George - It looks like you are doing a superb job of breathing life back into this model. It's fascinating to see how resilient the brass is. Seems as if you'd have to work really hard to ruin a model so badly that it cannot be rescued!

Great work, Steve. I'm planning to start a (small) O Gauge layout with an (even smaller) diorama. So I'm watching this with interest. Regarding your current dilema, I'd go for Concrete Wall No 2 toned down with black weathering powder.