37Oban

totally out of areas I'm modelling but I would buy one just for the novelty value! Imagine the aghast looks/laughter if one turned up on St Mungo's! Roja

Hi, my layout, St Mungo's is in storage pending a house move (a long, ongoing story!) and, if we ever get the space, my partner and I would like a roundy roundy based on Keyingham station on the line between Withernsea and Hull in EM. By carefully choosing buildings and having people and vehicles removeable it is possible to have one layout represent several time periods and/or areas. St Mungo's has been designed with this in mind. The chosen periods/areas are: Glasgow Caledonian 1919 - 1921 Glasgow Caledonian/LNER 1935 - 1939 Glasgow British Rail 1950 Glasgow British Rail 1967 - 1972 Tyneside 1948 - 1955 Kilnsea 1960 - 1964 Kilnsea was never attached to the national rail network, but it is in my world as I need somewhere to run the Hunslet railbus as used on the Spurn Head Railway and first gen dmu's. Although the layout is in storage I'm currently building rolling stock for all these periods. Variety is the spice of life, so they say! Roja

Hi, it all depends which breeds you have in your flock. According to the National Sheep Association there are almost 90 different breeds in Britain, so plenty of choice and sizes! Small breeds are some of the native ones, such as Soay, Hebridean, Quessant and Scottish Blackface, and larger ones such as Suffolk, Border Leicester, Lonk, Lincoln Longwool, Cheviot and Herdwick. Why not have a mixed flock? Roja

Hi, people forget just how high trees really are! 100ft is a good average height for mature trees, although some can grow to 150ft or more! That's 600mm in 4mm scale! It's why you so rarely see mature trees modeled to scale, unless you are very careful, or chose the species carefully, as they can easily overpower the scene. Roja

Have a look at the Forestry and Land Scotland site. It lists the commonest trees, both conifer and deciduous, and their uses. Scots Pine is the native species, and Holly often used to grow near it in the days of the great Caledonian forest although it's a lor rarer now, usually found where deer and sheep can't get at it. Oak, Rowan and Birch are also common species, even the west. So consider using a mix of trees, not just conifers. I remember there being considerable areas of oak and birch near the West Highland Line when I travelled between Oban and Glasgow on a regular basis in the 80's. Roja

Once you open the box and start building you'll find yourself committed to a very slippery slope! I've heard rumours there's a support group, somewhere, a bit like AA and such, but no-one has ever found it! Roja

Hi, well, blow me down and call me Delilah! One solution already out there! An elegant solution, from, dare I say it, a progressive group! Now you've posted this on here it there use should become more widespread! A small fee to be able to borrow one of these is a small price to pay to be able to enjoy the layouts, and, if you visit several exhibitions each year then buying one makes sense! The way things are going I shall soon have to buy one! Many thanks for posting this! Roja

Hi, forgot about the operators having mobility issues, with their back and arms. Apologies for that, an oversight on my part. I like the idea of a device on a selfie stick, or a periscope, so that wheelchair users can see the layout! For those not technologically minded perhaps a periscope could be provided at the show, or plans for a simple one provided on sites such as this so that the user can buld their own? I also like your idea for a flier. Perhaps an additional way would be to add this information to posters and other advertisements for the exhibition, such as on here? Roja

Hi, the debate about which height is best for an exhibition layout is an interesting one, and one to which, I think, there is no easy answer. At exhibitions you can see children carting around step stools so they can get, at least some view, of a layout, but what about wheelchair, or motorised buggy, users? Are they expected to stand up to view every layout, bearing in mind that the majority of their users probably cannot stand without discomfort? Thinking about it, actually how many wheelchair users do you see at exhibitions? In my experience it's very few, if any! Is this because they have difficulties navigating around the exhibition or finding some-one to help them around, or it because the height of the exhibits is such they cannot actually see them so it's not worth the entrance fee? I am one of these diasbled people. I now need a buggy to go around town shopping, although I can use a stick to help me walk some distances. When, not if, I need a buggy full time then I'll no longer be able to visit shows because I won't be able to view some of the layouts. That'll be sad day, as part of the exhibition experience is meeting and talking other people and traders. As I said, it's an interesting, and difficult debate. As for an acceptable solution, or solutions, I'm not sure there are any that don't involve costs. Perhaps an area could be set aside for layouts at a height for kids and wheelchair users, or maybe, although, at the moment I can't see how this could be implemented, especially bearing in mind health & safery legislation, some sort of portable ramp/stage that could be positioned in front of the layout? I honestly don't know. There's another thing to consider. Although I'm disabled I am not what one would call a disabled activist, although I can some times sympathise with them. So, how long would be before one of these, who's a modeller, goes to an exhibition, can't see most of the exhibits and decides to be a complete axxx and sue the organisers? You may think I'm being a bit of a scaremonger, but just because it hasn't happened doesn't mean it won't happen. Roja

Hi, both are equally valid! In industrial areas the Victorians crammed as much housing into a given space as they could to give cheap, affordable housing for the mass of workers that industry needed. Just look at photo's of industrial areas of any city from the middle Victorian period to the 1970's and you'll see what I mean. Houses were small, with small backyards with an alley between them and gardens non-existent! Roja

Interesting bookshelves! Do you live in a library?😄 Roja

Hi, only having a minimal, very, knowledge of Gailic, and also being English (not my fault!) you are correct! Loch nan Uamh is Loch of the Caves. According to Scotrail the viaduct has the alternative name of Gleann Mama viaduct after a nearby glen. The caves, four of them, are found in a limestone cliff above Allt nan Uamh. Roja

Importing alumina into Mallaig and then transporting it to the smelter at Fort William could be a viable option. A smelter is extremely unlikely given the problems of transporation due to the terrain in the area and the two smelters at Kinlochleven and Fort William. That's not to say it would be impossible, but smelters need a good head of water to provide hydro-electric power for the smelting process. It's really worth researching the history of the two smelters and the areas their water supplies came from. Both, and especially the one at Fort William, had extensive networks of narrow gauge lines. The one at Kinlochleven used overhead electric locos! The importation of alumina is a good excuse for more of the hoppers, and don't forget aluminium ingots could then be shipped to other parts of the country or even Europe as a cheaper alternative to rail bearing the distances involved so more opens and vans too! Roja

Mm, this a tricky one! One possibility is that they've been converted to carry salt for a fish curing plant. Or maybe the salt is for further shipment to the western isles for a similar purpose. Roja

You could always say the smart acceleration is because the train is running seriously late and is trying to make up lost time! Happened to me a couple of times from Queen Street to Oban in the mid-80's! Roja

I think he's still got a bit of a way to go before he should worry about the lack of oxygen! 15,000ft was a practical altitude for pilots in WW1 although there are a lots of records of some reaching 20,000ft, and even hgher, without oxygen equipment, but only for short periods of time! Although the lack of oxygen is a problem, at those sort of heights the cold is a serious issue, especially considering the slipstream from the prop at over 100mph! Roja

God forbid his plane is in the tree too!

Hi, I dream in full colour with all the other senses involved, such as taste, and all emotions! However, I have total aphantasia, which means I cannot see anything in my imagination. All I "see" is a blank, grey screen. Never stopped me, though. I can describe things, just can't see them. Roja

Hi, did you use an airbrush or just brush painted the model? Vallejo have become my "go to" paints as I prefer acrylic to enamels as I prefer their ease of use and quick drying time, although this can be altered with a retarder. I only brush paint and are very impressed with their coverage and lack of brush marks. Roja

Hi, I live in Barton upon Humber, and unless you go to the Humber and sail away you have to climb hills to get out of the town whichever way you go! They may not be big, in the grand scheme of things, but when I used to cycle around the area you knew you'd had a good workout! Roja

Hi, in the past I've used fine, 1000 or 1200 grade wet & dry, glued to a lollypop stick, or a similar grade flexible sanding stick, on such assemblies, making sure the assembly is well supported and with plenty of patience! Roja

Hi, there are some videos on Youtube, MikesMovies Lima Loco Service guide is quite comprehensive, but I did mine serveral years back and added a TTS sound chip at the same time. I can't see the video I watched, but it was a fairly simple process. It has to be for me since I have effective use of only one hand after a stroke. IIRC I didn't remove the gears but carefully cleaned them in situ and used a small piece of wet & dry to remove any pips from their backs, then they nwere lightly lubricated. I did remove the rotor and cleaned it and all the contacts and pickups. I didn't touch the wheels as I fitted some Ultrascale EM sets at the time. However, if you don't fancy doing a motor strip down, there are several companies offering alternative motors that are a direct replacement for the Lima, and other pancake motors, and offer superior performance. I didn't need this as my current layout is only 1.6 metres long, but I may try one one in the future if my roundy roundy ever gets built! Roja

I have a Lima 20 which I've sound chipped. Before I did this it sounded like a bag of spanners falling down the stairs, but, as you've done, I stripped and cleaned the motor and now all you can hear is the sounds provided by the chip, even at low volume. In my humble opion I think all Lima locos benefit from a really good service and clean, irrespective of whether you use dc or dcc. Roja

Maybe a mix of mat and satin or gloss varnish? Apply the mat varnish first and then, befoe fully dry, apply the other, but only a very thin coat? Or maybe I'm just spouting nonsense, wouldn't be the first time! A little experimentation on some scap plastic or wagon body may be the way forwards before commiting to the model. I agree with MrWolf, it's a great bit of painting and it would be a shame to mess it up at this stage. Roja

Hi, did you use a pva type glue for the water? I use a contact adhesive to attach paper overlays to card as, with a little pressure it dries flat. The water in pva can cause paper to swell and stretch, causing bubbles, as you've found. It is possible to correct, but it's very tricky not to leave ripples or creases. Much quicker, and easier, to strip the water off and replace it using contact adhesive. Roja