bmthtrains - David

That would explain why the hunt couplings pull out on corners - the magnet holding them together seems stronger than the coupling pocket, which if basically jammed at an angle will tug them out. David

I’ve found the Hunt couplings have made things slightly less horrific overall but still there seems to be only 1 specific combination of wagons in a particular order, facing a particular direction, on a particular track that allows them to run more than 1m without dramatically leaping off the rails… David

I’m a little confused by both the comment being criticised and the criticism of the comment, and add to that some of the posts that have followed. A few of my own general thoughts: 1: No one should be trying to act as a gatekeeper - there is a whiff of the idea that ‘true’ modelling involves a specific level or application of skill lingering in the background here. There is nothing wrong with buying everything RTR or RTP. The hobby is railway modelling and not railway modelmaking after all. 2: In some respects I would say it is actually easier to work in N gauge than in larger scales. You simply don’t need to include as much detail. 3: Rule One. Do what you enjoy doing and let other people do the same. I personally have no interest in making loco kits but that doesn’t relate to any of my skills or the challenges of the scale. I just prefer to apply myself in other areas. David

Slightly terrifying first experience of standing the boards up on end (it’s how the live when not in use) after the ROC has been stuck down. It’s quite heavy but thankfully the liberal amount of superglue under it seems to be holding. David

Impressive work and I look forward to seeing what will be a spectacular model develop. If this were my own project I’d not be relying on 3D printing so heavily though - there is a lot of waste going into the supports as John new has noted above. Those wall column details could be made much more efficiently out of layered flat sheets using a laser. Or I’d be printing one and then casting it in duplicate. A shame so little of this detail will be seen as well, except by the plastic passengers in the platform of course! David

I’ve decided to bid for the national lottery licence when it next comes up. The new game will be everyone in the country, all 70 million people, will be given a rake of Dapol wagons and anyone who can run it around a layout twice without it either derailing, uncoupling in random places, spontaneously bursting into flames or otherwise, will win the jackpot. The odds of winning will be lower than the current game of course. Potentially the last photo of my Dapol stock before I hurl it out of the window below: David

A couple of running videos:

A little bit of delicate glueing today has meant the ROC and the signal gantry are both now permanently in place. If I have time over the next week or so I’m hoping to build and add the three OHLE portals for this board and then the background and track areas are complete. Lots to do in the foreground after that! David

So sorry to hear this. What a wonderful long life to remember though. Best wishes to you and your family. David

To correct the OP, there isn’t a lack of EMUs in the hobby. Perhaps in OO gauge (which all general discussions seem to assume is the only scale anyone models in), but there are plenty in N: 319, 320, 321,350, 390, 800 and soon the 313… Would I accept less detail though? Probably. But it is more the (to me unnecessary) features that I could live without. Cab lights, rotating fans, opening doors, etc. I want robust models that run reliably with a good level of detail and nothing more. In the recent N gauge news poll a lot of people were madly requesting new models of the Farish 37 and 47. Quite what they wanted adding to them is beyond me. The smell of diesel fumes? I doubt having less detail and features would affect prices though, I think it’s more manufacturers adding features to help justify today’s high costs. Less ‘extras’ would probably improve reliability and robustness though which I am all for. Models are too fragile and too complex for the quality control processes of most manufacturers in my opinion. If I pay £200 for a model I want it to work for more than 30 minutes no matter how detailed it is… David

The next project is now underway - the twin industrial units that will sit at the front of the layout. The basic parts have been primed ready for painting, but I need to wait for a second copy of my etch sheet to arrive - when I drew it up I had only planned on having a single building and didn’t include enough spares to make two. It means I’ll have plenty of spare window parts and OHLE details for any future projects at least. David

Has there been any word on the minimum radius for these? David

Thanks everyone! A bit of a break from modelling now, but next week the February issue of BRM arrives with an article from me on how to model realistic trackside details in N. I go into more detail than I have on here so hopefully it will prove useful or inspirational to some readers. David

I did wonder if Bachmann had air freighted some of their new releases in for Christmas - both the 90s in N and the new 009 locos seem to be in very limited supply. Perhaps a bigger boat load is to follow in January. I am still waiting for the Feb quarterly announcement in the expectation that EWS/DB and FL green 90s will be released. I’ll have several of those! David

The buildings are now finished and have been added to the layout. The fit in places isn’t 100% but as these are at the rear of the scene it shouldn’t notice. Getting the etched window frames in place without leaving glue marks everywhere was a challenge but I’m pleased how these have come out. The help give a real sense of place to the right hand end of the layout. Next job is making the final 3 OHLE portals up and adding the signal gantry and then it’s on to the front buildings. David

Construction commences! David

That is a welcome surprise! I never managed to collect a full rake of RT ones when they first came out so I may have to take the plunge. David

I couldn’t resist. David

Here’s how they will start to come together. David

The next project to be worked on over the Christmas break is the Royal Mail building. I’ve primed the laser cut pieces and the metal etches ready for painting. It’s quite a simple pair of buildings but there are over 50 separate parts. David

Expect the opposite - massive disruption as a huge wave of covid cripples the county. Hardly anyone has been vaccinated. We can all wait for models, hopefully the deaths aren’t too high. David

Having stumbled into the thread as I’m being increasingly tempted by the new 009 locos being released, I have to say I am utterly staggered by the quality of your modelmaking. Just that last photo is an absolute masterpiece in recreating the real world. I’m off to buy Railway Modeller… David

Thanks Simon, your book helped along the way, so the joy of RMWeb is that everyone’s skills get put to use! David

All the people using the car park have learned to disregard any rules that conflict with the intentions of The Big Hand in the Sky. I mean, wouldn’t you if giant fingers kept turning your cars around? David

I’d noticed the parking procedure on an overhead photograph, but when populating the car park with cars I’ve gone for a more mixed approach as it looked a bit odd even though it’s correct. Here is the finished car park scene. David