cgraham

BTW, how did you change your topic title?

Great - we're back on Jaz's figure again?

If those HO figures are next to Corgi OO pieces, the scale looks appropriate and I wouldn't suspect it to be off at all. The character on the knight bus is also HO? He looks just right in these photos as do your intrepid Hogwarts students. I'm encouraged to use HO figures as well.

Jaz, I'm anxious to see how your HO HP figures look on the station platform. I have sized up HO children on my platform before, but next to Hagrid - who is proportioned as O scale - the scale discrepancy was distractingly apparent. (Have since replaced the bad fencing on the ramp)

Jaz, Those are perfect - just perfect! Are you able to identify the orginal cheap plastic HO figures - who made them and what the assortment name is?

Even Sheryl Crow would agree these are tiny wee little bits of bath tissue

I used dampened bath tissue for my dementors painted with black acrylic and it gave me the effect I was after.

With help from Jaz's topic page, I just ordered a set of schoolboys and schoolgirls to modify into Hogwarts students: I'll be sure to show results when done.

C&WR, I'll need to grind the caps off, but these should work - and my North American dealer http://modelrailwayimports.com/index.php has them in stock. Thanks,

I've been looking for 00 children in school uniforms. I'll add cloaks and accessories, but finding kids in uniforms has been very difficult and Hagrid is getting very lonely - any ideas?

Jaz, Beautiful modeling throughout your layout - I especially admire your scenery details and water features. I also envy the fun you're about to have as you work through the station. ...and thanks for the gracious plug above. As a nod to CWR, here's a shot of USAF Sergeant CGraham Cocky at RAF Upper Heyford back in the day...

Here's a wide shot of Hogsmeade Station showing one of the Goathland camping coaches that made a cameo appearance during the show

Memories...

Stunning, beautiful and amazing as always. Someday I hope to see it in person. Perhaps I'll time a visit my daughter in Eugene to coincide with when you show it again. Cheers & Happy Thanksgiving

Thank you, Jaz. I think that some members of the U.S. National Model Railroad Association (NMRA) (particularly older, professionally retired members) believe that model railroads are primarily a medium through which one has a moral obligation to capture and preserve historical scenes depicting both railroad supporting and supported infrastructure. For some subscribers to that code, one’s work is evaluated on how effectively one performs that sacred duty. I saw rapt admiration in judges’ eyes as they noted what they deemed to be correct representation of dull and uninteresting scenes of defunct industry. I noted looks of disdain in the same judges’ eyes for what they saw as fanciful abominations that do nothing to support, but only detract from the pure faith. That’s OK by me. I'm not motivated by a need to preserve railway/railroad history. I'm motivated to create a miniature scene that compels the viewer to wish it real with a desire to enter and become a part of it.

The Mid Eastern Region of the U.S. National Model Railroad Association just posted their quarterly newsletter with a write up of the Convention. They included contest results and a write-up mentioning Hogwarts and Hogsmeade Station. The author is very complimentary, but you may pick up undertones of disapproval paying tribute to mutterings from some of the most conservative old timers - which suits me just fine. Rock the boat, Baby. http://mer.nmra.org/MEReLocal_Files/IssueLatest.pdf -Clay

Sasquatch, You could freak the blokes out by posting a shot of a banana slug threatening Goathland... -Clay

The James River Division guys who took 1st place in the NMRA module contest in Rockville MD last month (October) with their Civil War depiction share a couple of photos of our setup and a nice mention on their blog: "Both MARRS and BANTRAK ran long consists including various steam and diesel prototypes. The MARRS layout featured not only some very long C&O and Pennsylvania RR coal drags, but also some interesting European prototypes not to mention a set of Harry Potter modules that included a gigantic scratch built replica of the Hogwarts campus. Taken together the layout room created a dynamic meeting space to observe operations, talk about model railroading, or just chat about the convention." Here is a link to their write-up and photos: http://jrdnmra.blogspot.com/2013/10/mer-part-3-of-8.html Yes, that's me. -Clay

Excellent photos, S'quatch. I particularly like the last one. Check out the family's Jack-O-Lantern from last night - hope you had a terrific Halloween!

Thanks Jaz. I made the 8' module section to be ambidextrous. That is, water at each end so either end could mate with Hogwarts Lake. On one side, the 1st year students' row boats just beach on the shore by the Wand'r Inn. On the other I gave them the little pier to tie up to. It seems I rarely set up with that side against Hogwarts though.

Here are a couple of YouTube video links to American model trains passing by Hogsmeade Station and Hogwarts at the 2013 NMRA MER Convention - both videos shot on tripod, no hand-held jitter. < > < > -Clay

Thanks - Yes, If I remember right it is a Skaledale pub. A member of a Harry Potter fan group won an informal contest to name it. It's called the "Wand'r Inn."

Just posted a slew of photos on my topic page, but thought I'd pass on to Shaun and his admirers that my Hogsmeade Station version of Goathland Station took 3rd place in the NMRA Convention module competition. -Clay

I took a 2nd place in the NMRA Mid Eastern Region Module competition for Hogwarts Castle and 3rd place for Hogsmeade Station. A U.S. Civil War depiction in O scale took first place and it deserved it. Here are some shots of my stuff from the show:

Here are a couple of photos from the NMRA Mid Eastern Regional Convention in Rockville, MD yesterday: