vitalspark
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Posts posted by vitalspark
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Advised by email that my late crest will be delivered by DPD tomorrow Wed19th.
Pressy from the missus so I won't be able to open it for a week!
Dave.
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I can only agree with the opinions of others.
An excellent day out.
Quality layouts.
Thought provoking, inspiring demonstrations. Especially the “ski jump” to determine haulage capability!
Nice venue.
Ample parking.
What appeared to be a good turnout to support the event.
Friendly atmosphere.
A superb credit to the organising team.
Samples of the points and track being produced by PECO for the EMGS looks very good.
Well worth the trundle down the M74 in Vitalspark’s next jalopy!
Im sure you fell asleep in the back in your leather heated seat as you were so quiet..or perhaps in shock in reaching Glasgow in under 2 hours?!
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Might I venture to suggest that when the Larbert layout currently under construction by the fine gentlemen of the Scottish Region Study Group reaches the stage where it can be exhibited, in a couple of years or so, it will rank amongst the best in the country.
Vitalspark has sent me photos of the progress on that 45 foot endeavour and even the hand built trackwork takes my breath away.
Perhaps he might post one or two here.
My goodness Mr B you have certainly put us on the spot now...but thank you for your kind words and endorsement of what we are trying to achieve.
Progress continues albeit slower than we would like partly due to two members own very fine EM layouts being worked on simultaneously however its not about speed but quality so I hope that when the time comes we don't disappoint.
Tasks like building the many scale signal components and kit building the required catering cars are taking place behind the scenes so progress continues even if it doesn't always look that way.
Latest task is Modelu point stools and stainless channel rodding being laid prior to ballasting.
Chas is muttering something about how it surprised him that these scale components are so tiny..we are having a whip round to send him to Specavers!
Previous posts have mentioned inaccurate train formations on exhibition layouts however Larbert will be formed as accurately as possible with train formations taken from records of the day.
Goes without saying you won't see an unweathered loco or an unrealistic gap to a tender plus of course all corridor coaches will close couple and have no daylight between and be sensibly weathered..Mk1s even on named trains had a certain amount of
grime on roofs coach ends and underframes.
A fiddle yard with 84 x 4ft sections will allow flexibility to accommodate anything from two coach trains to 50 wagon minerals and will accommodate the huge variety of trains that could be seen at this location on a typical day in the 60s including the A4s
on the 3 hr trains and on the interregional services Duchesses and Clans and really just about anything else from Duke of Gloucester to the original named Peaks.
A Duchess with ten on looks lost and takes a decent scale time to pass front of house so thats very encouraging and justification of the layouts' 40 ft length although its been suggested that some exhibition managers are reluctant to afford this amount of
space when they might have say three smaller offerings..this has certainly been the feeling we received from our home show!
A little licence will be taken with the period to allow local services to feature Caley 0-4-4 tanks and 4-4-0 Bogies but which can be updated to Gloucester 2 car dmus and Railbuses.
The classic central Scotland mineral trains of the time will be well represented with the many NB 0-6-0s first seen on Alloa plus the WDs both 2-10-0 and 2-8-0..yes Tony all kits!
The inevitable RTR locos will also be a part of the operation but all will be detailed weathered and hopefully look much more like a scale model than a shiny toy for a train set so hopefully Tony wont be offended by these.
If we all live long enough and remain strong enough to 'humph' this monster downstairs and transport it south we might if invited once again experience the immense pleasure we enjoyed exhibiting Alloa at the many great shows south of the border.
Thanks again Manxcat
Dave.
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Tony,
Would there be any possibility of seeing a couple of close up photos of one of the ground signals on LB please? I am particularly interested in how they are operated and the linkages to the disc that make the movement happen. Thanks.
Archie
Will send you a mail Archie with details of our working discs.
For Larbert they are LMS pattern of course.
We use Palatine etches which are dead scale and work well with minor modification.
Dave.
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Davy Dunns patter and great catering ..who could resist.
There'll be at least a couple of us traveling down ..looking forward to it.
Dave.
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We went on Saturday and ended up parking up the road a bit as the car park was packed.
Excellent show.
Enjoyed “Pathhead” especially liked the sound fitted locos, added another dimension to the layout, its a shame Blair Atholl hasn’t gone down the sound route.
I do think that DCC sound really makes a layout stand out.
Neil
Its not DCC but there were a few locos on Blair that were sound fitted.. a 20 whistled past me with convincing sound.
Big Mike B told me it was witchcraft.
Dave.
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Ayr MRG consistently put on a good show and attract quality layouts which is all important.
This years show was excellent with some fine layouts not least the groups own Pathead which impressed with some beautifully weathered locos.
Blair Atholl I was pleased to see again because I was a bit unimpressed with the running when I saw it at Perth last year but it performed well at Ayr and the attention to detail on the trackside is superb.
Always nice to come home having learnt something new..and I did just this when the secret of the superb lineside post and wire fencing on Blair..about a scale mile no doubt when its added up..was revealed.
Thanks Simon for imparting to the inquisitive what is a simple but very effective way to construct such things.
The other fine layouts and some good trade completed a nice quality show which is an example to others.
I spent over £100 on items that I apparently needed..always a sign of a good show.
Well done.
Dave.
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Dunne is spelt without an E & Wilcock is spelt without an X but in some circles he is better known as Barry to avoid confusion when he is photographed with his twin.
https://www.scalefour.org/scalefournorth/2017/aroundtheshow/show-032.html
Dunne..Duune..Dunnie..aye that sounds about right!
He's been called worse I'm sure..
No offence Davy
Dave.
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I certainly am more selective as I get older....
Herein lies the problem..the average age of the more serious modellers that attend these finescale shows is getting older each year.
Quality finescale shows with specialist trade are the highlight of my calendar and I'm sure many more like me but we are a dwindling bunch given the advancing years.
Personally I would like to think that I'll still be looking forward to these shows in 10 years time but who knows.
Our own group has exhibited at many quality shows over the last 10 years and we are currently building another large finescale layout but the concern is that by the time its ready given the average age of the group will we still have a membership fit enough to travel and exhibit it?
Purely from a personal viewpoint I would rather have a venue west of the Pennines and as said Partington is an easy drive via the M6.
Dave.
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I wonder if the venue the Manchester MRC uses for their Christmas show is available? No problems with transport there.
Great show once again and easy to access once again.
I listen to the comments regarding re locating but Partington is 15 mins traffic free off the M6 at jct 21 ..what could be easier from either the north or the south?
We were 3 hrs down and same home from Glasgow.
If the gates through to the school are secured open then parking is also pretty decent.
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You try and zoooom out of the door, but he's there, waiting...
Blimey Dave they've got your number right enough..
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A contingent from the west of Scotland will be making their way south.
Great show good trade and top notch demonstrators plus the chance to meet up with friends that we don't see enough of..no Mr Franks not you..we see you every week!
Dave.
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Last year we arranged a free vintage bus service to run all day between the main Glasgow stations Queen St and Central direct to the entrance of the SEC for Modelrail Scotland.
It was a great success and even though there is a local station adjacent to the exhibition centre it seems people like the idea of jumping on the old bus and getting a ride straight to the door.
It might be worth considering something similar..it also might encourage a few to leave the car and ease the parking issues although we parked at Morrisons and it was fine.
Railex NE is one of the very best shows around and we would attend regardless but there will be others who might not return if the travelling or parking caused them issues.
Beautifully restored AEC Regent at the entrance of the SEC for Modelrail Scotland 2018.
This free service will be repeated again next year for Modelrail 2019.
Dave.
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Great show as always with some truly great layouts.
Personal favourites were Blackgill South Pelaw and Fencehouses but there were many others too.
The six hours we had were not enough and we left all too soon but suitably inspired to return over the border and 'do better'!
Great craic with Davy Dunn as usual and great tips from Paul Moore on painting and lining.
One of the best shows on the circuit and deservedly so.
Dave.
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..and in different corner a Stanier 2-8-0.
Quite an unusual visitor to the land of WDs
Dave.
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What a cock up..everything freezes then sends three times without attachments!
Above post should have included .."Old Buffers'
..and
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I've always found a decent pair of buffers always improves one's outlook.
P
Another pair of old buffers to go with the ones in the group.
The bigger picture.
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Hi folks,
Not a lot to report really. This glorious weather is keeping me outside at the moment.
Pending the resumption of normal service, here are a few pics from a brief running session I managed to squeeze in last night.
As you can see the weather here is pretty fantastic at the moment. Ideal for a stroll along the river bank. Not surprisingly, the river's looking low.
26025 on a ballast train...
Over at Haymarket, various locos were in for attention...
including 47459
and D200
And some in black and white...
That's all for now folks, I expect to be back once the weather breaks!
Cheers,
Dave
Stunning pics as always.
Love the 26 pan shot..and is that Derek Cross counting his sheep?
Dave.
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I was going to be slightly facetious and say almost all continuous-run exhibition layout seem to be oval/ovoid, because they seem to be based on fixed radius curves (on view) linked by straights, which look unlike almost any stretch of railway anywhere (and I live near the SW Main Line). Railways are generally curves linked by other curves, because it's the most economical route through the scenery.
We find it better to model actual locations with the trackplan to scale and no foreshortening for the main part of the layout which is the station in its entirety and immediate approaches.
There has to be curves eventually of course as the stock has to find its way back to the fiddle but yes you are right in that invariably the track approaches on very long radius curves with in our case the only actual straight track being within the platforms of the station.
One of the downsides of modelling an actual main line location to scale of course is the length required with our layout occupying a frontage of 40 feet but the upside is that there is no head scratching as to what signals are needed and where they go!
Dave.
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Roundyroundies are anathema to me, but this is purely personal preference and I have no intention of criticising other peoples' views. But operation is the most important part of the hobby to me, and watching trains go by, especially the same train repeatedly, is the opposite of that.
Of course, an oval with a station on the front and a fiddle yard at the back, almost the standard club exhibition layout, is not a roundyroundy if it is operated avoiding continuous running, and I have no objection at all to that!
Correct and for a good exhibition layout with a continuous feed of different trains a large up & down fiddle is required and as it would be a long time before a train reappears it couldn't realistically be called a roundy roundy.
Alloa is operated very successfully like this and the new project Larbert has a 40ft frontage with long straights that swallow a 50 wagon train or a pacific and a dozen Mk 1s fed from a 14 road fiddle with 42 sections in each up and down so even with long trains occupying double sections there should be around 50 trains to choose from.
Anyone that stands that long and complains its roundy roundy will have our resident rotweiller Mike set upon them.
Dave.
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I always knew you were a tightwad....
'D2'
..learning from the master!
D.
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I ran out of time with last reply and should really have attached more images.
I can upload step by step images of the build process and the home made jig if its of interest.
Dave.
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Hornby announce the LNER J36
in Hornby
Posted
It arrived tonight when I was out..and its now wrapped up and the German Shepherd instructed to guard it until the 25th!
The invoicing suggests a late crest and thats certainly what I ordered however its no big deal as the period modelled is ok with both and the first thing that will be done when its eventually opened is to weather add detail and renumber..and lose the Haig name!
Dave.