Tricky

This rings true with me also...I think I was about 3 or 4 weeks into my nervous breakdown and our lawn mower (which had snapped the rear roller about a month before) really needed fixing as spring had well and truly sprung. Not something that would have bothered me before but I couldn't work out either how to do it, or work up the enthusiasm or energy to do it. It sat there for quite a while taunting me. I was about to get my son in law to fix it for me but somehow managed to muster the energy to do it myself. In the end it was easy and immensely satisfying and rewarding - way out of proportion to the task itself, but it proved I was still capable and the real Richard was still in there somewhere.

Hi Robert, Welcome to the wonderful world of 7mm. Moving up from 4mm will immediately give you the pleasure of having rolling stock that has 'weight' and inertia. The way even just a wagon trundles over pointwork is a joy...anyway my pennyworth is to buy a couple of Slaters plastic wagon kits and a yard or two of flexi track. No need for a soldering iron but will give satisfaction in a short space of time and will build confidence rapidly. Slaters kits are easy to put together as is, but can be upgraded with more detail if you wish. Best, Richard

Great, thanks Rob. Message sent...! Richard

A very productive evening in my workshop; it may not look very impressive but all of the beams are glued up one side, the other sides will be glued on tomorrow and then trimmed up and hopefully put together over the weekend. I didn't fancy glueing up both sides as there's quite a bit of slippage with pva.

This photo and others of St Phillips are in Midland Record No 30. Very atmospheric and modelogenic indeed. The photos of the Docks, however are my main inspiration for this, also very atmospheric. Any ideas where I might be able to find details of the Midland barges...?

Or vice-versa, 2.4M in 4mm equates to 4.2M in 7mm. That would be quite some cameo...

If you're allowed then so am I...! 2.4M in 7mm equates to 1.37M in 4mm. Surely there must be some correlation between the layout's scale and maximum size allowed?

Thanks Rob. I still can't work out how to do that on an iPhone, or alternate text and photos.

I wish I knew how. Doesn't seem to want to on an iPhone...

So, after a bit of 'radio silence' due to a rather major diy project on the house, I have now resumed operations and have made a start on the boards. The first pics show the main board (not including traverser) in 6mm birch ply with the front profile cut out and the outline of the dock basin also cut out. The off-cut will form the bed of the basin. The next pics show the start on the main beams which are laminated 6mm ply either side of 18mm mdf spacers. All scientifically worked out so that joins with cross braces coincide with an mdf block. Confused? All will become clear, I hope.

Yawn.

I agree. What's the big deal? No-one's died, it's not exactly a third-world problem! No-one's being forced to take part...!!

Thought for a minute there that 'Monk's Gate' may have been reconsidered...what's 400mm between friends?!

Us 7mm boys are going to steal the show...

Yes I do like it. Beautiful. Like everything the Midland did...! Thank you.

I don't understand a word of that. I'm a simple soul!

Yes, I have a feeling they will be very similar...

Right - here's a pic of the back of my envelope. A few fudgy areas but basically there I think. Comments welcome...!

I've taken another plunge and started a new thread over on the 7mm section entitled 'Midland in Bristol'. It's about the Midland in Bristol...

So, seeing as Monk's Gate (aka Midland in London - which was in London but is now in Birmingham- keep up...), has been disallowed from the MRJ Cameo Competition, I've decided to start another layout that will conform to the Cameo Rules, i.e. Scenic section under 2M. It is at the moment a twinkle in my eye and hasn't even made it on to the back of an enevope. However, inspiration acknowledgements go to nhy581, for posting some enticing photos of the Midland Railway in Bristol, with further photos to be found in Midland Record No 30. Hopefully the envelope sketch will appear over the next few days.

Ok, so I have an idea festering in my head for another go. The idea kindly lent to me by nhy581 is based on the Midland in Bristol, with the beautifully atmospheric photos found in Midland Record No 30 as inspiration. I shall ponder on and see what germinates...

As Monk's Gate is too big for the cameo comp, my thoughts are slowly turning to maybe a smaller railway to have another go at entering. Midland Record No 30 has some very atmospheric modelogenic photos of the Midland in Bristol. Rob, would you mind if I maybe pinched your idea?!

...I could always start another one...

Monk's Gate is too big....ho hum.