rue_d_etropal

As there is no flush/paved surface across nearside track, it would be impossible to back a lorry up to the platform. Would not want to be working there having to carry all those items across the track. Continuing the cobbles up to and between the rails would make the whole scene look more practical in reality. In fact there is no reason for any cobbles unless they continue across the track. They are there for a reason, and everything has a purpose. Money would not have been wasted in an industrial area. The thing about small displays like this is that it is possible to put the little details in. A goods siding is not just somewhere to shunt a few wagons. Otherwise nice looking.

I have kept all mine, I might go and see which ones I have not got, as I gave up getting RM for a few years as it felt like everything was being repeated, but no find it is always got something interesting. Up till then I was only missing a handful of copies, and had even the original Ian Allan ones(many picked up at manchester exhibition) I used to get MRJ and BRJ from initial issues, but eventually I could not take any more of the repeated elitist articles telling me the only proper model railway was this or that. I sold them to a well known book seller . Only copy of MRJ I have now is the one with the superb Pempoul. I tend to only buy specialist books or magazines if there is something I actually want in them. Quite often when something does not interest me at the time, I find I want to go back and search out something for a new project, in particular scale drawings. Even with so much info online there is a series shortage of scale drawings. Even something as simple as a BR 16t coal wagon. I need to check thorough my collection of magazines, but I have them stored at my house in France. At least that will be something to do when I get go down there. I agree with charity shop idea, at least it might mean another enthusiast gets them.

On checking, found I had not updated my website fully, and so I had a look at my first 3D printed lorry body, the French FAR CM62 , and did a couple of mods as well as doing a 1/64 scale version. Just a cab body for a start, to give an idea. Chassis to follow, then I want to tackle the Scammell versions.

I was going to start one project in S scale, but two things stopped me. It was for a French metre gauge , so 16.5mm gauge was close enough, but I could not fit motor in the loco I wanted, so opted to go slightly bigger , up to 1/55 scale. I was also struggling for accessories in S such as figures and vehicles. I am not so sure about the early Lledo ones as the slightly later French vans actually measured out at nearer to 1/55 , This is not as odd as it might seem, given that Siku have a big range in that scale and there are a lot of diecast cars in 1/54 scale. The final thing that persuaded me was the closeness of wargaming 28mm stuff, and there is a lot, and getting more. 25mm is getting a bit left behind , which is a shame for you S scalers. It might be worth while talking to some wargaming companies, as there might be projects which can be shared. 1/64 did used to be a popular scale for diecast vehicles, especially American. I would be wary though, as like with 1/32 manufacturers don't understand scale, and use the scale term as a marketing thing. I am not sure why companies such as Siku opted for slightly bigger scale, but maybe that tempted others in, so they could be used with the Siku models. Some manufacturers will put the scale on base of model. Not sure why, maybe it was something one did so others followed. Matchbox were often in a mixture of scales, so it was a good wy to boast that theire model was a scale model not just a toy. The future should be bright for anyone modelling less common scales. I have been working on a variety of 3D printed models. I include S in my range, already for some and intended for others when I have the time or someone asks. I am also looking at road vehicles. My only one so far(pun not intended) is the French licensed version of the Scammell Scarab mechanical horse, the FAR. Only done the cab body so far, but intend to complete it. Done in various scales(not sure about 1/64 without actually checking).As I have a family connection and interest in Scammell, I intend to do the British versions. The post war models were different, but the only visible difference on pre war models was the cab roof. The big advantage of 3D printing is that I can do models in virtually ANY scale. I doubt if I will do any cars, as they often have complex curves. I am open to suggestions, especially if drawings can be supplied, but I am a bit busy working on another range at the moment. Talking of which, this could be offered in 1/64 scale, just. It is a modular building system for houses and shop fronts. It can get a bit pricey for bigger scales but both 1/55 and 1/64 are within range I think.

detheridge said I can confirm, although I have no independent proof, that GEM were considering something for 16.5mm gauge as I was told this by the person on the GEM stand at Manchester exhibition back in the 90s. They were selling off lots of unused Triang TT bits, some in boxes, and I presume they were left over stock for kits to use. Not sure why they would have had the Triang tenders boxed, but I think I bought a GWR castle tender and the French loco tender, both boxed, including the cardboard O ring to keep them in place in the box. Sold them off a few years ago, I think I could have used the French tender, but then that would be yet another project!

I really must get started with my metre gauge project, but so many different projects planned. One thing about this scale is the way modellers have to look around for what can be adapted. This results in more individuality, although still too much Welsh influence. Surprised there have not been more Irish layouts in the scale, given its ease to use 16.5mm gauge. If I was not more interested in French metre gauge I might be tempted. When I started out designing a few models for 3D printing, it was described as an aid to scratch-building by someone I know. I dismissed the comment, but as I progress with my designs, I am finding I am thinking 3D print first, instead of either scratch-building or even building a kit. All the wonderful r2R OO models have slightly spoilt it for me. I need a bit more of a challenge, although anything I have to paint will be in rough condition, which for me matches a well worked proper railway, rather than a preserved one running museum condition stock. For me, if you can read the loco number, it is probably too clean. Well that is my excuse, but I would rather do what I can do ell, rather than attempt to do something and end up with something not right(looks wise). I suspect that any layout I do build will have a lot of 3D printed components, and that is not just on the tracks. I have acquired quite a bit it suitable diecast vehicles, and some laser cut kits, but I will use 3D printing for other items including buildings. To be a bit controversial, I prefer couplings that work easily on a working model, and ill probably use standard continental couplings. One well know modeller happened to mention to me that even though he did use other better looking ones, he found the continental types more reliable.The old metal Triang ones also had a big advantage as they could easily be bent to get height right. Again operating is more important than pure looks. At least the Triang TT one was smaller.

I would build the layout so it fits in upside down for storage. It should then be possible to turn it over to fit on top of box. I have seen many container type layouts and have tried a one using portable barbecue bases.

Time to bump this up. I am now thinking about building something in British HO. two reasons, one is it is different, and track is nearer to right gauge. Secondly is that Jack Nelson used to model LNWR in HO. Now given the link to these units, it seems this would be right scale to model it in. Just need some drawings to get started. If I do build a model of a real station it is likely to be Rickmansworth branch, for personal reasons, and obviously these units ran there. Is there any news on 2nd part of the book yet?

The French one suggests it was built later, so presume production either continued or there is confusion between build date and conversion date. I had to look carefully, and it does look more like the 50hp version, the 35hp one being smaller, but similar cab with deeper windows. As a narrow gauge loco I was not that interested for a 3D printed model(especially as there are kits), but for standard gauge I think it might get me designing it for 3D printing. One person has mentioned that would interest him as well.

Dave, I am not a member of NGRM, because it is members only. Sorry but I don't support members only forums. I have joined some Yahoo ones which are, but no more, and Yahoo has only one password entry. There should be no reason to hide behind locked doors. One thing I just noticed in photo of French one, is that the coupling rods are in effect the inside frame ones, but just fixed to wheels. If it is the same loco as the NG one then I might be tempted by a model. Would have to see which version 35hp or 50hp.

from the website, it says it was converted from a narrow gauge version, and intention is to convert it back. One part of me says that is good, but one part says to keep it as standard gauge. Both versions have historical importance, and the ability to convert narrow gauge to standard gauge is important, and should not be lost . As far as I know it is the only one. Having looked at those pictures, I am now wondering. Presumably some were built for standard gauge, and even 'built; elsewhere and for many years after WW1. This actually looks like an even bigger subject, and like the post WW1 8ton Simplex originally designed for narrow gauge, used a lot as standard gauge and preserved as such, then maybe a working standard gauge Baldwin would be valuable in itself as standard gauge, not narrow gauge.

now if someone could find a way of moving the man to , say, the other gate on a level crossing! I wonder if the magnet under baseboard and a figure on a pin(transparent), with legs dangling, could give impression of walking. The track might get in the way, but has got me thinking if it could be used for figures moving around on roads etc.

It is simpler just to go to the shop page, you can then see just many designs Tom has done https://www.shapeways.com/shops/tebee I have also modified most of my own designs into 5.5mm/ft and started out as just a way to produce a WW1 themed layout in 1/35th scale. I started resizing the models when people started asking, as they always will. I am only really interested in designing locos and wagons that interest me, but I may design something freelance one day. I have some of Tom's stuff, some in 5.5 intended for a 9mm gauge layout, when I get round to it.

I think I will have to start building something, even if it is small, maybe a boxfile, just to have something.

this does seem to have generated a lot of discussion, but I still don't think most people actually appreciate how much money gets tied up in the average retail shop. How often do you find model shops successfully changing hands, most will shut down and sell off remaining stock at clearance prices. Years ago it was possible to sell a business. The shop I ran(?) was on its 3rd and final set of owners, but it was pretty obvious it could not continue . One of the biggest problems over the past 10 years is not the increased price, but actual availability. I had been suggesting ideas for groups of modellers to club together to start up a shop, but there is no point if it can not get the models. I am not talking about the items which probably keep the shop going, the boring things like track, rail joiners, wood, metal, plastic, paint and glue, but the glamorous items such as locos. Getting the latest locos is essential, not for the profit on them, but to draw people into the shop. If it is difficult to get those then it is difficult to get people into the shop. That comment about quality of advice in a real shop. I have a broad base of knowledge, and I used to find that my customers appreciated that. I also did try to find out and try out things I knew less about, such as electrofrogs and DCC, so I could then advice based on real experience. There might be plenty of advice available online, but I would question some of it. I would rather talk to someone at an exhibition or in a shop who can show that they have actually done what they are talking about. As well as the doing, I observe, I observe how well models run, I observe how others look at layouts. I mention exhibitions, which are becoming even more important as alternative to real high street based shops, but trade is still being viewed by some as a source of income, not an attraction in its own right. It is also not helped that some companies won't supply these traders, simply because they do not have a real shop, but they are becoming the majority in the market. There does need to be a good look at the way trade is actually done. A balance between real and virtual is necessary.

plastic is ok as long as it is stored properly. If in sunlight a lot the UV will have an effect. Also possibly depends on glues and paint used. I have found that sometimes too much glue(liquid) ill continue to react with plastic so can do damage, but usually noticed very quickly, so anything that has survived 30-40 years will probably last a lot longer. Card, yet, and I find it even better now with cheap superglue, as it sticks to 3D printed WSF plastic very well. Will have to wait a few years to see long term effects though.

I have just waded back into this discussion. Having been one of those who pre-ordered the loco when it was originally announced. Having worked in finance, I know that banks will try and charge for what ever they can, until someone stops them. It is always difficult, especially when it takes a long time for a product to come out. For companies they insure against exchange rates making costs go up. I wonder if the answer is to change the way people do pre-orders for new models. One problem for me, and possibly others, is that when I originally made the order, I knew I had enough money, where as now I am not so sure. I would have been happy to have actually paid at the time(interest rates are so low that I would not lose any money), and now crowdfunding is in full swing, so combining pre-ordering and a crowdfunded scheme could make it a hole lot easier. The other benefit is the guarantee that enough people will 'buy' the model, and having ability to return money if there are not enough. Ironically, since the loco was originally planned, many similar projects are being done this way. One reason for the higher charges now from banks and credit card companies is because interest rates are so low, and they can't make money just by delaying a transaction by a day(which did used to happen when interest rates were a lot higher).

I have started to search out various suppliers for 28mm wargaming. There are a lot of laser cut kits, which look very good. List is on Facebook, but I can post it here as well if required, as not everyone uses Facebook(similarly I don't use NGRM forum as I don't want to join any forum where you have to be a member). 5.5mm/ft has probably never had it so good, but must make best use of what is available from wargaming suppliers. Scratchbuilding might be popular for some, but having kits available can persuade some to have a go.

keep finding new sources for buildings and road vehicles, or more likely I had forgotten, then I remember . Anyway, for rustic buildings(Wales?) the buildings produced by Pocket Bond, now under Bachmann umbrella, and Bolt Action do some nice WW2 era utility Bedford lorries. 28mm is often referred to as 1/56, but that is close enough. http://www.pocketbond.co.uk/Product.aspx?ID=1981 Some of their military things like Pill boxes might also be suitable http://www.pocketbond.co.uk/Product.aspx?ID=1958 Granted many can and do make their own buildings, but these r2p ones might be a way to tempt new people in, possibly wargamers. When I get the chance I will start building up a list of suppliers/manufactures. There are a lot out there, and they don't seem to network as wll as railway modellers. http://www.warlordgames.com/new-bedford-30cwt-trucks/ I have seen a picture of one with glazed windows, so assume they can be modified.

the comments above possibly reflect what many in the hobby feel, but then they are seasoned railway modellers, and don't necessarily understand the process of starting in the hobby these days, when there is so much else to do. I enjoy making things(not really kits as I don't like instructions until something goes wrong), mainly layouts and scenery, I was never a train spotter or interested in that side of the hobby, but suspect a lot of people in the hobby at the moment have come from that background. Nothing wrong in that, but maybe in future railway modelling will be seen as a creative hobby, rather than one where people are trying to recreate their youth. Many here probably first experienced model railways as a circle of track on the sitting room floor. Fine until it has to be packed away, and these days houses have far less spare room.Manufacturers still seem to offer starter sets which have to be 'played with' like this, and I don't think people these days have space or time for that. Maybe the 'Thomas' stuff does work for the very young, but it is then a big jump to the next step, and many don't make that jump. One thing I do when I have one of my small layouts at exhibitions is observe reactions from people. I have found that a simple shuttle service, running out of one tunnel and going into another actually appeals to younger visitors,so possibly explains popularity of rabbit warren type designs. A shunting yard does not interest those younger visitors, unless you off a 'drive it yourself' option, but I suspect that is for the slight older ones. I have started suggesting to visitors with small children that all they need is a bookshelf, a length of track, and trains appearing and disappearing on a timed control. This also solves the space, or lack of it, problem, found in man houses these days. The crowdfunding concept might be a popular way to promote and support the project from less old people intere4sted, not to everyone's taste, but at least a start in the right direction, 21st century style. I wasn't suggesting this project was inspired by the Hachette partwork, but think it has come from people who have been observing and thinking up neww ways to get people into the hobby. As I said, just wish I had known about the partwork earlier, as some of the buildings are novel, and I did wonder where they got the road vehicles as the UK ones were Oxford Diecast, and if someone is produced similarly priced French HO vehicles, I want to know where to get them.

it does look interesting, and a quick scan(and rough translation in head) came up with roughly what you have posted. M only doubt, but then that is because I am not so keen on card kits, is the use of the laser cut card kits, as I have mentioned on another thread. The similarity between Loco Revue and Peco is well known, and has been discussed on another thread relating to track. Basically the founder of Loco Revue as more interested in what ran on the track, so they focused more on that over the years and Peco's interest was in the track. Maybe they should be working together, possibly on this project. When I saw the webpage, I knew it was crowdfunding, which is catching on in the hobby. Not sure if what they offer as a 'prize' is that good, but did not look through the details. The English sounding name is interesting, and I also wonder if it has been partly inspired by the partworks produced in both France and UK by Hachette. I just wish I had known about the French version when it started as there were a few interesting items. In fact I wonder if the buildings could be marketed for starters in the hobby. Those card kits look complex. The other thing I noticed was the Electrotren/Jouef/Horny loco, and hopefully those will still be available when they start producing the sets. I think the crowdfunding is mainly to get a working proposal up and running, then the real backers know what their money will produce. It is possibly a more typical use of crowdfunding, where as in the hobby it has been used to fund a manufacture of a particular loco, which you then get for the money put into the fund. This tran set/layout startup crowdfunding has different options, with different rewards depending on how much you put into it.

I am working on a new loco design, based loosely on the Chinese C2 080 , I say loosely because there were so many variations(might even be possible to do European version as well), and they were not treated that well, so if it is not battered it is not authentic(unless you want a nice preserved museum one). As with other designs, I start with 1/35 then rescale the models. I think Berliner Bahn or similar chassis might fit, or possibly tender driven. Possibly more accessories available thanks to the wargamers.

Wargaming probably owes more to military figure collecting than modelling. look for 1/32 scale figures and you will find them listed as 54mm figures. Thing about people is that they come in all sorts of sizes, and the 28mm is only really a rough guide. It just opens up another avenue to try and find accessories, and one reason I opted for 1/55 instead of 1/64(S scale) for my project, the other reason being that the loco was too small to fit the chassis and I found the increased size gave me so many new options. Siku off 1/55 scale vehicle(including modern tram) and Norev do quite a range(mostly modern, but some old French ones) vehicles in 1/54 which is close enough. Lledo(now Corgi) do a Citroen and another French van in very near 1/55 scale. I had thought they were 1/64 then measured wheelbases . I think some of the other older Lledo models(and figures) might be suitable. As 1/64 is one scale that is marketed by diecast vehicle manufacturers, there might be other ones which are are very close. Some cheap railway coaches offered as tos, sometimes with a loco, loook about right size. As a mathematician there is something about having the scale 1/55 matching up to the Greenley term 5.5mm/ft. Sounds like it could have almost been designed that way! I suppose we could try and market the scale as the only perfectly balanced one, but it would probably go over the heads of many people in the hobby, some of whom thing N gauge and OO9 are the same!

there is a big range from 'Old West', said to be for 28mm and 25mm wargaming . Arcane on ebay have them example here http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Old-West-Cowboy-Building-RAILROAD-STATION-25mm-28mm-Terrain-/400963293675?hash=item5d5b4651eb

Just had an email from LR Presse about a crowdfunded project called TRAIN'IN BOX http://fr.ulule.com/traininbox/ interesting the English sounding title, but if it gets off the ground then a novel way to get something new into the hobby.