Cornholio

Whilst browsing the selection of quality periodicals at my local r̶e̶a̶d̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶r̶o̶o̶m̶ WHSmith, I spotted this and thought it would be perfect as the basis for a holiday themed cakebox. Initially I'd hoped to just be able to stick the supplied finescale track to a board, add some jungle foilage and be done. Unfortunately it turns out that the completed circle is actually just over 8", so I now face a dilemma. Do I... A) scratch-build a track to a suitable diameter (bearing in mind the whole concept of scale appears completely alien to the toy maker). Or B) Wing it and throw myself on the mercy of the judging public? This is after-all just a bit of fun. I'm invested in the project to the tune of £6.99, so I don't really want to just ditch it. Your collective input is welcomed!

Inspired by Clive Baker's Layout Planning Article in this months BRM (June 2019), I've had a go at trying to squeeze Falmouth Docks into a glass topped coffee table. The plan as printed in the magazine is 8ft x 2ft. My coffee table is about half that length, so obviously some compromise was required. I primarily model in N-Gauge, with the Hunslet Industrial Shunter from NGS on the horizon, I thought I'd have a go at seeing just how much of the plan I could shoehorn into the coffee table. The actual usable space is 110cm by 50cm (about 3'7" x 1'7"), so I loaded up AnyRail and this is what I came up with: I've used standard Peco set-track throughout with the exception of the 90° crossing (by Atlas) and the 3 way point (Peco Streamline). The tight curve is formed from flexi-track. This will obviously limit the stock that can navigate it, but such sharp curves are at least prototypical. A fiddle-stick connects at "A", other than that, the layout is completely self contained. After costing up the design, it will probably never be built, but I thought I'd share it with you all anyway. Best Wishes Andrew

@sb67 You can find Doug's Metcalfe pub here: Best Wishes, Andrew

Phil, The solution seems pretty simple to me.... Regards Andrew

Have a chat to Mike "Supercast" Pett. He has just the chap!

Your cake box is built to a really nice standard. I'm sure you'll be able to incorporate what you have so far into a future project.

I've followed your thread with interest and I'm really impressed with just how many buildings you've managed to squeeze into the space. In my opinion you've nailed that Victorian/Dickensian squalid look and presented a backstory that meant I didn't bat an eyelid when I saw a giant snail sliding along the street!

Hi Keith, I think the kit would totally work for that. It's built as a free standing unit which you just stick the side walls onto or not in your example. The only thing that might cause you an issue is the fixed height of the escalator (about 2" tall). You could work around that by editing the download though. The stairs are built in the same way, you would just add or remove flights/steps until you reach the desired height. Best wishes Andrew

The all important verification photos. In the interest of full disclosure, the electrical switch (not part of the model) does protrude slightly from the stated dimensions. Rules The model must fit in a standard 8 by 8 by 6 inch cake box It must include 2 items with a railway connection You should follow the theme "Waiting for a train". How you interpret that is up to you.

All done, entry now submitted.

OK, with less than 48 hours to go, I'd better pull my finger out and get this written up. In the mean-time, here's some CCTV footage showing a couple of shifty looking gricers hanging around on Platform 2...

My ticket arrived in my inbox earlier today, so if you've signed up for this offer keep an eye out for it! Andrew

Dan, I had a similar issue a while back. I was able to resolve it by ordering through the PocketMags website rather than the app. Once I restarted the app the back issue was in my library. Hope this helps, Andrew

Bearing your comments in mind, this may not be directly relevant to you Paul, but the shop signs supplied with Scalescenes T008a and T022c kits are a perfect fit for the Metcalfe kits. Just print, cut out and paste on top of the Metcalfe sign. Regards Andrew

As Jason has correctly summised above, I was suggesting that the entry question for this competition is a bit of a cock-up. The question as written is: Q. In which year was Hornby Hobbies Ltd. founded? The factually correct answer to this question is 17 October 1986. That isn't one of the multiple choice options though, suggesting that whoever set the question either relied upon Wikipedia for their research or meant to ask a different question.

The real question is, who has the correct answer, Companies House or Wikipedia? https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/02065081 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hornby_Railways ;-) Andrew

A free programme such as Audacity can easily convert/burn it to audio cd.

The file is in .MP3 format. If you download the podcast using a pc/mac, it can be added to iTunes as you would do for a music file. You can then sync to your iPhone. iTunes will treat it like a song rather than a podcast though, so it will appear in your music library.

Thought this might be of interest... Best Wishes Andrew

Once the mushy ballast has dried, the whole board will be treated to various shades of aerosol paint to tone down the sparkly rails and generally dirty things up.

I did a bit more work on the cake box at the weekend. I've added some tiny led lights to the underside of the platform section. This area will form the subway once I've cut some walls to fit. For the track level board I've modified some code 100 track by cutting away the plastic webbing underneath. Once I had done this, I re-spaced the sleepers to give a better "look". I have attempted to create a forced perspective effect by having larger gaps at the front of the cake box, with the sleepers getting progressively closer together towards the rear.

OK, I've finally got around to starting my 2019 cake box. The name is a play on the fact that there are multiple levels to incorporate into the space. There will be an island platform running through the centre of the board, with track either side of the platform. This will need to be cut to fit within the box, so is more a suggestion of track rather than being usable. The central feature will be the Scalescenes R006 Platform Subway kit complete with escalators and underground section. I intend to fit a Dapol/Airfix canopy to cover the platform. I intend to build the lot using bits from my spares box, chiefly because I have so many bits that I don't have a use for. Please see attached architects blueprint for further details. Andrew

A solitary wagon could be waiting for the day it joins its own train?