paulprice

Jez thanks for the kind comment, and bringing to everyone's attention that I cannot type lol :)

Its official the Domestic Overlord has confirmed that at the grand old age of 38, I am now a "Grumpy Old Man", and I am almost at the stage you can set your watch by one of may rants. I don't think they are rants just mild essays into the areas of life that are beginning to grind my gears, and can range from the so called "Pull to open" tabs on anything from Ginger nuts to Washing powders which don't actually work, just leave you with a pointless piece of packaging in your hand, and the products still securely wrapped taunting you........... Anyway one of my modelling rants I relates to model locomotives, especially ones you see either at exhibitions or in the modelling press, that have either one of the or all of the following 1. No crews in the cabs 2 Multiple locomotives of the same type with the same running number or name. 3 No lamps showing, So in attempt to make sure I can't rant at my own locomotive fleet, I set out with my modelling arsenal of Doom (yes including my favourite Superglue) to improve the situation. My hit list composed of 3 x 4-4-0 compounds, 1 x 8F and finally 3 x Jubilees, which passed through the works to get the treatment. Was I successful in my aim, not really to be honest, all require lamps as the one I have in stock are actually GWR pattern (yes I have GWR stock too ) and one of the Jubilee's needs a new number and nameplates adding (once I get them ordered as the ones I thought I had I have miss placed), but I do now have Galetea and Trafalgar ready for action. After all the effort am I happy with the results, not quite but then again I am a "Grumpy Old Man", the grubby Jubilees look ok, but I need to do something about the moulded coal, the coal loads in the other tenders could doo with a little tweaking, and they could to with a little more weathering, but for now they will pass muster I think? All I need to do now is get some LMS lamps from Sringside and decide on the name for the 3rd Jubilee and get the plates, oh and remove the headlamp accidentally glued to my hand, though its been a couple of days and I'm getting use to it now, as ever until next time Happy Modelling

Brilliant just brilliant, it makes me want to get my three rail out and play (conduct serious tests) if only the Domestic Overlord would approve

wow

All I can say is they can drink............

One of the benefits to having feet the size of a Yeti, is that my shoe boxes are great for hiding (sorry storing my N gauge stock in) the only problem is I have lots of shoe boxes. I'm sure the Domestic Overlord must think I have some sort of shoe fetish Anyway a couple of weeks ago I was looking for something, I cant remember what now, so had to search through a few of the boxes, which I always find is an enjoyable process, and its good to find those items you have forgotten buying. What I did find was a few doodles created a couple of years ago for a layout I was thinking of building which bear a remarkable resemblance to Foster Street. Does this mean I have some form of super natural clairvoyant capability? Should I rush out and buy a lottery ticket, and place wagers on various sporting events, or does it actually just mean, for once I have actually planned something, and then followed that plan? (the scary thing is I was not even aware I was doing it ). I have decided the most likely explanation is that I have developed the Super human ability to see into the future, so in an effort to stop these powers falling into the wrong hands and safe guard humanity I have decided to hide under the duvet. Until next time as ever Happy Modelling

Mikkel Thanks for your comments about the street, I think it will start to look a little better when a few of the "locals" are added. I keep meaning to get the model filler out so I can sculpt (hack is a better terms) a few of them worst for wear as they leave the pub. I think you may be right about the local Mayor, from the stories I have heard he is a bit of a card, I'm not sure about the spacing of the lamps, so I many leave it a few days before looking at re-spacing them? As for you kicking the lamp post's your nearly as bad as that "Billy Grimes", we really need to keep you two apart. Paul

Mike Thanks for the information, when I get chance to do a little more modelling I will complete a little civil engineering and get them moved to a more realistic distance. Plus it may save me from having to make more of the things (well I say making, I really mean gluing to my fingers )

Mike thanks for the interesting comment, I just hope Billy does not read this and picks up another bad habbit. Do you think I should increase the distance between lamp posts? Im not sure about a realistic distance between them so I would appreciate the advise. Paul

Well the good news is this will be a very short update, in fact it will probably take me longer to type this than I have actually spent modelling (I can use multiple fingers - the problem is it multiplies the mistakes ) Anyway I have made a little progress on the streets around Foster Street and as you can see the Street lights are starting to go up, even though with the advantage of the camera (pesky thing) some of them appear not to be totally vertical . I have even started to add a little more interest to the area that climbs up over the tracks to the left of board 1, by modelling a scene of the railing being removed from the front of the stepped terraces. There is a war on you know and metal is metal (I got bored of cutting strips of plastic to made the railings) all I need is so obtain a suitable lorry, so more on this may appear in a future entry. I really need to improve some of the backscene too, another thing to add to the list I suppose the time is approaching, when the population of Foster Street start making appearances around the layout, so this will be one of the next tasks to be completed (started at least), speaking of the locals I have not seen that scamp Billy Grimes........I wonder what mischief he has been up to?? Until the next time Happy Modelling

What is all this old fashioned stuff your on about, some of us were only ickle kids in the 80's

Cool the Elephants are taking an early lead, I must admit I do like some shunting, all I need to do now is work on the auto coupler problem

It even looks like me in the train, mummy always said I was special

Why am I visualising Margaret Rutherford in a nice knitted one piece, please, please, please for the love of mick will someone put some nice Choo Choo pictures up

We want trains we want train we want trains, I would even settle for those SR kettles

But ideal for filling a pair of good old fashioned Apple Catchers

now you know where you are with pebbles

beaches are horrible places sand gets everywhere

He has been quiet over the last few weeks, which must mean he had been plotting.......

Cool I will make sure they are added to the stock box, any more requests?

Well the good news is that this post has no pictures (I can hear the cheers from here ), I've not done much modelling over the last few days, as with the demands of work and being a little off colour I have spent more time on the more "theoretical" projects. As you know Foster Street in a continuous run layout, in an attempt to portray a secondary line somewhere in the Northwest, leading up to the dreadful day the LMS was nationalised . The layout is approximately 11 foot long, but because its under 3 foot wide, once the scenic area is taken into account means I have around 12 inches of width to play with, which is where I need some help. I reckon I can get 4 loops in each direction fitted into the space, if I use settrack point this means they will be a considerable length, (even if I use medium radius points they will be pretty long). I suppose like most modellers I have far too much stock to be used on the layout, and the storage yard will never really be big enough form my ambitions, but I need some help reining in my thoughts and ideas. The other thing is that I have accepted a very kind exhibition invite to the Weston Show (Andy what have you let yourself in for???) so I need suggestions on what type of trains people would like to see running. So I need suggestions or help on the following... 1. What sort of trains would you like to see running through Foster Street (I know I need suburban/local trains, but I also like running big long coal trains, and my Elephant train too, would the exhibition visitors be happy with, if not what would you think they would like to see? 2 At least one of the tracks in each direction will be used for a long train (express, or freight still to be decided), the other loops I am thinking of splitting into smaller sections to hold more "local" type trains. Obviously this means that on these lines through running would not be continuous because as a train leaves the ones behind would have to be edged up. My experiments with this have shown that the two, or more trains slowly edge up the yard, as the first train leaves, but as I isolate the loops when they have reached the correct position, the train on the visible section gets a higher voltage and then goes like a bat out of hell. Is there a way round this, or should I just isolate the loops and move the trains up manually as the one at the front makes its way around the visual section?? 3 I still have not decided on some form of auto coupling for the branch line freights, so as to avoid the hand from the sky, in the past I have added staples to the "elsie" type peco type couplings and used magnets under the track for this, but is there a better option. 4. Can you ever have too many trains? Obviously I think you can never have enough but I think the Domestic Overlord is getting suspicious of all the shoe boxes around the house, he must think I have a footwear fetish (the boys a fool ) everyone knows shoeboxes are ideal for N gauge. Could not resist a picture of my favourite train (well for today at least) until the next time as ever Happy Modelling

you have all gone mad, mad, mad I tell you as I was reading this blog out to my friend Ruffus, who just happens to be a very rare lesser spotted, invisible, Icelandic dwarf Elephant and he said you were all a bunch of weirdo's, at least Ruffus and I bring a little normality round here.

Never mind that football stuff and nonsense what is all this Tennis rubbish going on now?