richard i

photo worked i will try here for some more I like all buildings to have an interior, this is the signal box This is a start i hope to have more once i can resize the pictures from my newer camera so that i can put up shots from the last 4 years

first photo from the early stage of building, it is of the scratchbuilt station.

thanks i will try that.

My first question is how do you get photos in here from a camera? The only way i can make them appear is to take the photos then screen shot and then pasted into word before being copied across. A most labourious process. then the system will not let them be uploaded. Help Richard

I am starting a post on my layout as friends back in the UK wanted to see its progress and i am finding without a club i need a sounding board for my ideas and problems and RMweb is a great place to do this. My layout is set on the GCR London extension and is mainly sratchbuilt for the buildings and the stock is mostly kit built. It could not be done without the help in the UK before it came out to the States of three great friends, Andy Bell, Clive Mortimore and The now sadly deceased John Cluro. This post is short just to get it up and running there will be photos to follow. I look for and welcome any constructive critisism. Richard

we are off for a week but i will get back to after thanksgiving

That is excellent, i will find out tolerances of the machine from the book of words, i should off said that i was in the states, though my brother lives in Sydney, hence the posting issue.

just found the thread, love what you are doing, fury sounds really interesting, would be great to get hold of one if it ever reaches the printing stage. Out of interest i have a 3 d printer here to save postage would you be open to sending the file? Richard

the coaches look nice but i do not remember the blood and custards being painted up in that way, and the custard was more yellowy than white. Richard

told my wife the marxist joke - nothing registered, then i explained the meaning of erstatz............... and marxism, and we were away. She blames the American education system for not teaching about communism.

i really like the weathering you have achieved on those last two pieces. I dead to think how much space the 3 9Fs will take up once completed. richard

18+ lego now that is something i have not seen, is that because it is sold in plain pagaging on the top shelf due to the nature of its content? Richard

There are the other issues for getting kids to join model railway clubs, which are, the time that most meet is late for any other than older teens to be allowed to consider on a week night, you also need supportive parents, most, like mine, will see it as a fad and hope you will grow out of it. I was given such little encouragement that i was never given a train set even though it was top of my christmas list for years. Also parents might be reticent to drop off their kid with a bunch of men who ware strangers to them, the only alternative is Dad staying and if he is not interested then he is not going to want to do that. So this means many have to wait until they have the freedom and ability to get themselves around before joining a club, hence the 25yr old bottom line in a lot of clubs. Chelmsford club have put on an afterschool activity at Moulsham School which Clive refers to and that is well attended. Incidentally one of the builders is my nephew so his father understod, if you like trains, you will like trains and you are unlikely to grow out of it. Luke will be pleased/ flatered to know that the layout was the equal of others there. I am by necessity a go it alone modeller now but certainly would not be able to do half of what i have without the help and advice from my two clubs, Wolverhampton and Witham.

I was lucky enough Monday to get to see Angloshire in the flesh. It is as well done as the photos suggest on here. However the best bit has almost been overlooked, how it is stored. The system is ingenious, the wheels and stacking system make for a practical and simple way to move it. Thanks for a great evening Richard

The time taken to park a train in the fiddle yard is why the front operators need to work in concert at exhibitions so that one is bringing their train on scene while the other is taking their last train off. After all exhibiting is showmanship. People leave when nothing is moving on the front.

I agree with Alan's sentiments in the main but have two caveats to consider. Firstly can a layout be too long? I always felt that Charwelton was just too long as the trains became a bit of a dot to the operator for the last bit of the run down the front, where as on stoke Summit the train detail could be picked out by the operator for its entire length. So is 30ft good 40ftish too much in 4mm? Secondly can too short depend on which mainline, where and when it is operated? For my personal layout I do not have this space, but because I am modeling the GC in the pre-grouping era I only need to model 5 coaches to be realistic for expresses and the coaches are not as long as mark 1 coaches either additionally the locos are shorter too. So my layout is 16ft and the trains still travel for 3 times their length making, (in my eyes), it just as convincing as a BR era mainline of greater length. Also this has the "Benefit" that I have to build more of the stock because it is not available r-t-r and this gives me more(?) pleasure in making it. Richard

3D printing can work but you need to pay extra for the finer printing as on the cheeper versions you can see the lines of printing and so the model surfaces have grain lines on them. This is less of an issue on matchboard stock but when representing smooth metal would detract from the appearence. Richard

thanks i will give it a bash, i will start on the light side i can always put more on. heres hoping it comes out as well as yours

i am weathering a GC fish van which has a plain roof with no rain strip or vents for gunk to deposit around, any suggestions for how to achieve a convincing look on the totally smooth surface? Thanks Richard

i am amazed Mr. Wright could be tied down to a layout to operate it. He would normally "oversea" stoke from the end natering with everyone. i hope it was opperated at a prototypical scale speed and with correct headlamps codes.

yes it is Pensylvania, but still a GC modeller at heart, though the penn electrics are quite fun.

this looks nice, never did get a chance to see it before i crossed the pond, it is good to see it here.

I can certainly agree that learning in the wright way is an excellent start to loco building and wish Jack all the best in his progress, though do not get disheartened if you have not mastered it in ten years time, i still consider myself to be learning and i was lucky enough to start out in the wright way coming up for 15 years ago now. It is easier for a teacher to be up front about interest in the hobby, but it is amazing how many youngsters are interested once you mention that you are. Richard