GarrettTheThief

Thanks for your feedback. “All over the place” is very apt, but my main concern was workability and it increasingly looks like this plan doesn’t have it. You’re correct on your second point. I wanted to have various servicing points with the sheds on the right hand side for overnight storage. The mini-turntable is intended primarily for the shunting locos. I want a bit of both but primarily a goods yard with numerous drop-off points and switching puzzle elements, with *some* loco servicing facilities. I forgot about that, but my 4F/3835 class might be the only black loco I plan I having, and the only freight-only loco too. I went with it primarily because of RTR availability and quality (snagging a Bachman model at a fair price) with no need to repaint, only rebrand and maybe re-detail in parts if necessary. I also have a somewhat “recent” Hornby 3F I plan on repainting, and a couple of small 0-6-0 locos (one of those is a Jinty) where I’m applying a mix of scratch building and repainting to get them looking like two classes of shunters. I've recently been working on an old Hornby Midland Compound model. I don’t expect it will ever come close to accurately representing the prototype or hold a candle to the Bachmann model (which was out of my hands due to rarity AND price), but by using bits from a static scale model of the same loco and sourcing similar brass parts off eBay to replace the broken components, I’ve been working on improving it. The model itself has various issues I don’t have the skill to fix, but I can try to disguise with creative weathering. One precarious feature is the thick yellow lining! Ultimately, this project is intended more as a pilot for crafting methods, so I can deal with a less than stellar result, and I’m very happy with how it’s turned out so far. I’d happily start another thread showing what I’ve done so far and welcome criticism/tips. I’m aware of the London Road models web site and have my eye on a couple of kits, especially the Spinner! The only thing putting me off is the need to source wheels and a motor, unless I decide to double-head. I have my eyes on that Bachmann model and want to run it a couple of Slaters suburban coaches. I’d willingly forgo a month of adding to my savings to buy this! Anyway, digression over.

Thank you for this, that's very useful to know. And real locations so I have a starting point for research would be helpful

It's a valid observation, though you're right that it doesn't tell me much! No offense taken from Tony's post, though. I think you've highlighted something that might end up being a serious shortfall of the layout; too much with too many sidings randomly added, giving me a complicated switching puzzle where I've tried to give each siding some purpose. You're right that I want that balance of authenticity and operating potential (one reason why I've not considered modelling many through stations). I've clearly worked the wrong way round here: patching together multiple track plans and scenery (which itself is a fun and interesting exercise) and trying to make MR themes fit in some way or another, instead of looking into the real thing first. I've sourced a couple of Midland Record issues that appear to extensively cover the basics of goods operations, so I'll start there when I have a tenner to spare. I'll then see where I can incorporate some of the interesting track elements if I feel I can do so without frivolously adding spurs for the sake of it. This is what happens when you quickly read through a track plan book that details operations and don't fully internalize them, which can happen when you're keen to build, but you fall into that tunnel-like focus and end up forgetting the basics... but that's why we need a second pair of eyes, I guess! Thanks for your feedback so far!

Hi all, I've spent a lot of time putting this together and frankly, it needs picking apart by people who are familiar with Midland Railway freight operations and/or shunting operations in general. In fact, I welcome all criticisms and suggestions, especially when it comes to the arrangement of scenery and key structures. But before I get to that, here's a bit of background for anyone curious: Despite my desire to accurately model the East Midlands region from late 1986 to 2003 for nostalgia, I also started taking an interest in the Midland Railway period. Just because. I mean, just LOOK at those beautiful crimson locos. My primary focus and interest has been passenger stock, partly to feed my nostalgia, and more recently due to constraints on my time and space which limits the number of projects I can line up. Or so I thought, until the MR period caught my attention and I saw that as an opportunity to pilot/develop my skills before focusing on the more modern-era stuff, which will be a more serious endeavour. Off that, I've acquired a number of Griff coal wagons (which I plan on running through my planned layouts full/empty from/toward the general Nuneaton/London direction), and some garish private owner stock. This actually offers me a creative outlet! By applying creative weathering (that doesn't completely conceal the logos and colour) and "MR" decals, I can find some way of making them fit aesthetically and even run them with actual MR vans and wagons. I have my eye on a few Slaters kits! The fact I'm running certain freight because I want to rather than need to for variety/complete accuracy has changed how I view that aspect of modelling. This brings back a "fun" element I could blend with my main planned layouts in some way or another (that's a slightly different discussion). From this, I started looking at switching layouts and picturing each siding as a goods shed or warehouse drop-off point for various types of domestic and industrial goods, giving my private owner and MR wagons purpose, with the opportunity for some if these vans to move across sidings as each area would be owned by separate private distributors. I've drawn inspiration from Castle Wharf Yard by Richard Peake as you can see from the upper right corner especially (Plan 9 from Peco's compendium of track plans) and track/crossing arrangements from other plans in that book, and the Closet Switching District from Iain Rice's book on shelf layouts. This is the most recent revision I've come up with: This is OO, so measures about 3.2x1.6m. Midland Railway serves the basis of the scenery, locos and at least half of the freight stock I'm using. It's not meant to accurately depict a MR goods yard down to the last detail, but key characteristics of MR freight operations can be considered. The main rake for breaking down will be about 14-16 short wagons long. As I only plan on running one large-ish loco (Bachmann 4F which will be rebranded and slightly detailed as a Midland 3835 Class), the rest is served either by 0-6-0 shunters or small locos. Final note: I purchased a black Marklin 0-8-0 DB steam loco and I have my eyes on a 0-6-0 (due to their body proportions, I've called them the "DB chonks"). As there's no way to converting them to two-rail AND I want to keep them after drawing inspiration from modellers who have run HO stock on their British layouts and made it work, I've settled for creating an extra 3-rail section that's powered separately and insulated from the rest of the network, but still connected so wagons can be transferred. Originally, the "scene transfer" was going to be situated where I've placed the cassette as per Peake's plan, but now it's the large blue warehouse. I've always wanted it to be a distinct, separately-owned sub-network of its own that still serves a part of the bigger layout. Thanks for looking/reading! - Kim

Thank you! Back then, I saw both an LGBT+ counselor and a psychiatrist at Sheffield GIC (I asked for a referral just for the specialist psyche services). The general takeaway was to take more time exploring my presentation as it was largely limited to trans gatherings and the odd late evening. It wasn't until I moved out of my parents' two years ago and actually got a chance to do that regularly and present in online communities as Kim I knew I needed to transition and it was what I really wanted all along. I've also had a chance to reflect on a lot of my feelings and experiences from growing up, largely by following other trans people on Twitter, and come to the realisation that many of my feelings can be chalked down to gender dysphoria. I got re-referred to Sheffield GIC to go down the NHS pathway but I have issues with their process which, from what I hear and partially experienced when I last went just for the psyche services, is very rigid and unaffirmative (though I hear there have been improvements in the most recent years). Plus, I can expect to wait for a minimum of two years before my first appointment. As a result, I've gone through an online private clinic, whose process is driven by the patient and informed consent. In a nutshell, the NHS pathway involves a few appointments months apart with a different analyst who then come together in a panel and the majority have to conclude that you do indeed have gender dysphoria. If they can't decide, you refer you to a psychiatrist for a deeper examination (the service I specifically sought the first time round). Otherwise, you'll get an official diagnosis before they put you down the transition pathway. The process at this stage involves limited assistance for the patient besides a checklist of things they are expected to have done before the next appointment. Among them is living "full time" as your true gender which involves social and legal transition. For some NHS clinics, it's a requirement you've socially and legally transitioned for a year before they put you on hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Sheffield are a bit more lax on that. They can reject a dysphoria diagnosis if you are suffering from other mental issues (including those *caused* by gender incongruity!). It's worth noting that this pathway was not primarily designed by trans people (the people actually living this). It's an extremely conservative one-size-fits-all approach to something that will look different for every trans person. A part of me can understand why that is when we live in a litigious society. I'm also aware that the downsides of the NHS pathway are sometimes overplayed (besides waiting times), and yes, an official diagnosis makes sense for obtaining prescriptions. But they put you through that pathway only to *then* put you through an informed consent process anyway. Now consider that many trans people get referred in the first place because they know full well they are trans and need to transition! What you said about men in dresses is interesting. The question I usually ask when it's brought up is where do we draw that line between a trans woman and a man who has no intention to transition, and for that matter, what constitutes "gender reassignment"? Because that answer seems to vary for many people, if they even come up with one. In my experience, the end result is policing what "looks/is acceptable enough to be in women's spaces" which not only alienates trans people with physiology out of their control, but also (more frequently) alienates gender non-confirming and "traditionally unfeminine" cisgender women, who have reported recent spikes in abuse for using ladies' spaces thanks to anti-trans hysteria. I can understand the fear when not fully informed on the issue, but it falls apart when you look at the reality of what constitutes self-identification, who and how assaults are carried out etc.

Me: Did you steal my thesaurus? Horse: Nope. (stolen from Twitter)

Sorry to bump this a year and a half after the last reply, AND to get quite dour. I logged in for the first time in years to check my followed topics now my interest has been reignited and I've made some headway on projects I've put aside thanks to the lockdown. I decided to have a gander at this thread and I'm pleasantly surprised to see continued civil replies. Times have moved on and it turns out I had gender dysphoria all along and now I'm undergoing transition from my assigned birth (male). Despite the hostile political climate, media onslaught against trans people and friction with my mum, hormone replacement therapy and this real sense I'm finally coming into myself has been a massive godsend. I'm also fortunate to have an extremely supportive workplace. Going through replies since 2015, I see we touched on TERFs (also known as "gender critical feminists", the equivalent of a "race realist" but for gender). You got ahead of me as I was going to reference an older post about "so-called feminists" calling "men in dresses" "perverts" which on re-reading reminded me of that toxic subset of feminism. Unfortunately, the GC movement is far more insidious and their anti-trans narratives have very nearly become public policy. There's a risk they still can, but the overwhelming pushback to the government's proposed rollback of our civil liberties seems to have kept them in check. It's wholly screwed up that the lack of *bad* news on that front rather than much-needed reforms is considered a success, but here we are. I guess I can hold off on emigrating to Ireland* with my model collection for now. I also see we touched on "deception". This is not intended to be an attack on users who have expressed this view, or on anyone who agrees with them, and I'm aware people here have addressed this quite well already, but I think the perspective I can offer is important, and I'll start by asserting that we are not deceiving you. I don't just mean deliberately to trick heterosexual men, I also mean that our identities are very real. You might have a different view of what constitutes gender and we can debate the metaphysics of gender and biological sex (discussions which I think have the potential to be interesting when not approached in bad faith or from the angle of completely unshakable metaphysical skepticism that's only shifted by hard evidence or a concise definition). All it takes is to acknowledge that our declarations about our gender can be true and should morally and legally be taken very seriously. The root of this is the same root of many of the transphobic myths we face: the aforementioned metaphysical skepticism i.e. the idea that being trans isn't a real thing and asserting that we aren't really the gender we say we are. It's easy to see how this plays into transphobic narratives flying around (we're just men making fraudulent claims to gain access to women's spaces for nefarious purposes or steal their olympic medals and university scholarships, or we're trying to fool heterosexual men, or trans men are really just women trying to escape misogyny). This is not to say you're automatically transphobic if you hold any skepticism (and there is a healthy amount to have, even when discussing gender!), just that it's worth being mindful of what you do when you bolster that extreme skepticism. Even if you don't mistreat trans people yourself, you can still end up planting that spore in someone else where it can grow, or embolden them if they already had an anti-trans bias. And remember: your belief is just that and I'm happy to offer the courtesy of leaving that be as long as they don't undermine our dignity and safety, but our existence is a reality. Final note: I tend to opt out of discussions on the metaphysics of gender or the infuriating and pointless meta-debates about discourse surrounding trans issues. This is because my energy is directed towards ensuring our civil liberties are protected and in some cases actually written into law, normalising our lives in the way non-heterosexual relationships are (we still aren't fully there on THAT front either, but we've come a long way) and sharing our experiences and perspectives, since that tends to do a better job of swaying people who are on the fence. However, you've all instilled a trust that as a community we can approach topics in good faith and I'm still open to answering questions and all that jazz. - Kim * A far LGBT+friendlier place than the UK with legal self-declaration and a fully inclusive feminist community that hasn't been poisoned by GC feminism.

Heh, I only just got round to opening her today and she's an absolute beauty! I'll have to find the time later to properly assemble her and build my test track. Ideally, I'd store her in the factory-made box but if constant coupling/de-coupling could risk ruining the model, I'll have to find some alternative storage (I don't have a metre-long tube of sorts handy at this very moment). I went with the DC option as DCC isn't a strong likelihood for me. Though I plan on going down an alternative route for sound, I do wish I shelled out for the sound option! I heard it still works and sounds awesome on DC operation. I'm spending the next hour reading the book and instructions. I've caught a glimpse of the humour they've added, so I'm gonna have fun doing that.

Mine arrived earlier this week, I've yet to open the package! I'm dead excited.

I finally got an email from Sandra. It turns out she had difficulty finding a matching deposit payment for my order. I got back to her quickly with the order number and date for the initial £50 and she said she'd get mine out ASAP. I can't wait now!

I like Windows 10. I have no issues with compatibility or performance. It's the same on the other PC connected to the printer (we had to manually download the drivers as the CD wouldn't run, but we got them installed and got the printer up and running). The upgrade process on my work computer was surprisingly smooth and I was able to continue without any major hitches. I guess I got lucky, though. Our neighbour sorted out the upgrade process on my gaming rig for me, sourcing new versions (or better alternatives) for the software I was currently running. I'm also running Classic Shell (but hell, I did that with Windows XP and 7 anyway). As I've taken an interest in 3D modelling, sticking with an OS more suited for the job which I also already know how to use is really a no-brainer.

After reading that people here have been assigned a number, I called up Rapido a few weeks ago for an update. I paid the entire balance last year (just in the nick of time). The lady on the phone said that not all orders are numbered but she confirmed that Rapido got my payment last year. As for the rest, they have just been hit with several delays, but knowing my order is processing has given me enough peace of mind. So I'm patiently waiting this one out.

Brilliant! Reminds me of this classic: An Italian, a Scotsman, and a Chinese fellow were hired at a construction site. The foreman pointed out a huge pile of sand and told the Italian guy, "You're in charge of sweeping." To the Scotsman he said, "You're in charge of shoveling." And to the Chinese guy, "You're in charge of supplies." He then said, "Now, I have to leave for a little while. I expect you guys to make a dent in that there pile." The foreman went away for a of couple hours, and, when he returned, the pile of sand was untouched. He asked the Italian, "Why didn't you sweep any of it?" The Italian replied, "I no hava no broom. You said to the Chinese fella that he a wasa in a charge of supplies, but he hasa disappeared and I no coulda finda him nowhere." Then the foreman turned to the Scotsman and said, "And you, I thought I told you to shovel this pile." The Scotsman replied, "Aye, ye did lad, boot ah couldnay get meself a shoovel! Ye left th' Chinese gadgie in chairge of supplies, boot ah couldnay fin' him either." The foreman was really angry by now and stormed off toward the pile of sand to look for the Chinese guy. Just then, the Chinese guy jumped out from behind the pile of sand and yelled... "SUPPLIES!!" (Note: I'm half Asian)

I think Windows 10 is pretty awesome, but I can't comment on the upgrade process as my neighbour did it all for me - there's no guarantee your software will work. Luckily, most (if not all) of mine does.

Just to point out that those ElectroStars are absolutely fab. I wish I had your time, money, patience and expertise to make one myself (not that I can justify runniong it on any of my layout plans anyway). Chopping the reconnecting the motor drive is a wholly adventurous feat for someone like me.

I'll say this: there are so many compelling arguments which have switched by view to pro-HS2. On second thoughts, I think it would be a great idea.

I like your viewpoint and I pretty much agree. It depends on source/situation for me, but I don't consider myself a TV since I actually identify as female on some days. So I'm not sure how I'd react to the word. As for this: That is absolutely poignant and 100% true. Not to mention, being part of a group that's less privileged, I only have the energy to fight for my own issues but that doesn't mean I don't support the rights of other demographics.

I didn't know that "tranny" was used to refer to transvestites. I know some people in the TG community have reclaimed that word despite a history of being used in a derogatory fashion. DW, do your friends in the community use "tranny" for the same purpose as you?

Well, I want to legal system to abolish the idea of "trans panic" and stop treating it as a valid defense for beating the crap out of a trans/gender noncomforming person. I want the legal system to allow these people to use the toilets corresponding to the gender they are comfortable with. I want the legal system to acknowledge that gender dysphoria is an issue and thus increase funding to help people seeking treatment and make it more readily available (currently, the NHS doesn't spend enough on transpeople, but a discussion on where that money can come from is another one entirely). I want the legal system to treat abuse of LGBT people with the same gravity as abuse of those who don't fall under the umbrella. Because currently, despite slow progress, we've yet to reach the stage where we have a same rights as people who don't fall under the LGBT umbrella. We still have to fight for this. EDIT: just to clarify, we want EQUAL rights and privileges (which we have still yet to have). NOT supremacy. NOT entitlement.

I agree with station master. I think it's due to how boys and girls are socialised. I don't there is anything innate when it comes to preference for toys. I hope there's a shift in attitudes towards them because kids should play with what they please regardless of who it's marketed to (as long as it's not for adults!). Target has removed gender markers despite a lot of resistance from people who still live in the past. The idea that men should be breadwinners and women nurturers harms everyone.

I've been thinking a lot about getting back into jujitsu and taking up boxing, but that would mean doing intense physical activity after tiring days at work.

To be fair, there's a time and a place and I'm not one to tell people how they should feel when their physical appearance is brought up, but publicly humiliating him like that was uncalled for and wholly unnecessary. People like her tend to devalue real issues with harassment and sexual objectification. Frankly, they're both fools. EDIT: what saddens me is that people in the comments ARE discussing issues with harassment and sexual objectification, something which happens disproportionately more with women, but those points are being dismissed with either "women do it to men too!" or "misandrist!". Thankfully, my online peers are more sensible than that.

MJI and others: thank you for the comments and support on my photos. On shaving: if I go clean shaven then doing that every day is very, very bad for my skin and worse when I put foundation - I can feel the spots forming. Shaving every two days is incredibly uncomfortable. Weekly is the best for me and I try to time them so that a shave before my meetings with other transfolk is a comfortable one. I can use Veet for Men all over my body as long as I haven't recently scratched the area (owing to the nasty rash I got on my arms). However, at no point did it cross my mind to use it on my face (and frankly, due to the toughness of the hair, I'd never see it working). I know some guys who learned the hard way that their manhood is sensitive to hair removal cream owing to lots of funny reviews on Amazon (one guy even wrote a poem). My personality doesn't actually change when I present as female, but my mannerisms are a bit more feminine. If a guy offered to help by offering a seat or opening a door, I'd happily take it and read it as nothing more than politeness, but I won't lie - there's a lingering worry he might want something in return. I hate to say this because most men are decent people but it can take a few self-entitled guys (and learning about the experiences of other women, especially my sisters) to ruin things. Though it isn't 100% proven, there's strong evidence to suggest that the main cause of clinical transgenderism is an incongruity between the brain structure and the body/gonads. A fetus will develop gonads first (according to genetic chromosomes) which release small amounts of hormones. This affects how the brain develops, and male and female brains are structurally different. In over 99% of cases, a male fetus (i.e. with male gonads) will develop a male brain and a female fetus a female brain. In under 99% of cases, this process can be disrupted. In this instance, the brain expects your anatomy in one way and needs more of the main hormones, testosterone and estrogen, but is receiving the other. For example, a MtF transperson has a female brain but is starved of estrogen because of male gonads. The brain also expects you to have certain body parts, but you don't. This incongruity is often distressing for transpeople and can range from discomfort/jealousy of members of their preferred gender to a strong desire to tear themselves out of their skin. This is called "gender dysphoria". Thankfully, there's treatment for gender dysphoria: hormone replacement therapy, top/bottom surgery (natural breasts can develop with estrogen but some choose to go for augmentation too, but top surgery is more used by female-to-male transpeople), facial feminisation surgery and going full time (which involves living as your preferred/true gender and getting your name changed among other things). Overall, satisfaction rates are very high (MtF gender reassignment has three times the dissatisfaction rate of hormone replacement therapy and top surgery, but the figure is still 91%. I need to dig out that study). Sadly, society isn't always tolerant of transpeople owing to conversion therapy which has resulted in suicide. Additionally, accessing the healthcare isn't easy either. You can transition on the NHS, but you better wait a long time before you even get hormones. I've never heard of this condition being caused by genetics, but I imagine it's being studied (and I don't see why not). A male person can have XX chromosomes, a woman with XY chomosomes or you can be born intersex (XXY etc.). I know these are outliers, but they also explain why is makes no sense to me to gender someone according to their genetics, something you don't see. How do you gender a guy who socialises as a guy, lives as a guy and is perceived as a guy but has XX or XXY chromosomes? And everything Dave White says is 100%. Thank you! And no, complimenting someone on their looks isn't sexist. Seriously, thanks for the kind words! I got a chuckle out of that one! Nicely played FINAL EDIT: I just want to say thanks to everyone who has provided support and/or other perspectives. It makes me happier to be part of this community!

I'll link to a few photos here (they SHOULD work). These are from my other Facebook account. https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xtf1/v/t1.0-9/s720x720/11702674_1613820225566619_4365950509085907349_n.jpg?oh=5df808a9a51fd015f64095363b732e61&oe=56910D6B https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/s720x720/12009573_1638257209789587_7764509787433399494_n.jpg?oh=5e0a7550a572a420cfc8cdc304aa6954&oe=56604600 https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xat1/v/t1.0-9/s720x720/12006362_1638257229789585_7851433805518532416_n.jpg?oh=8fb25364fccacf28e62157a2e3f00978&oe=569E6553 MJI: I have to shave incredibly closely and against the grain. I have actually started using a straight razor alongside my five blade for stubborn areas like my stubborn lip. My gender identity can actually change on a weekly basis so I say I lie somewhere in between male and female. I like to go all the way when I dress up and frankly, I'd be fine to do away with facial hair altogether. On my female days and when I present as female, I definitely want to make sure all the stubble is covered as I don't like being reminded that I have masculine features. I sometimes experience a bit of jealousy towards other women (in retrospect, I experienced that during puberty alongside strong sexual attraction) so I think I might have a bit of dysphoria after all.

Shortliner, I think you raised a fair point and I've taken no offense to anything you've said. I frequent places online where certain "hot topics" are discussed freely and responsibly, but I haven't fully adjusted to this forum so this didn't cross my mind. I understand this can be a divisive topic and the last thing I want is for other members to end up fighting over this. I hope this doesn't happen, but I'll definitely take this into consideration before posting another "hot topic".