298

Bring it to the show Jack and we'll have a competition to see who can repair it!!

Can I put trolley poles on it...?

Having bought mail order through his web site and telephone, I can reccomend him for service and competitive prices, worth keeping an eye on his web page, not dealt with him via ebay. Other vendors are available ...

I brought an item from them last month, can't fault their service at all and the next day delivery was excellent value.

It's not like they're selling a limited edition model from the Collectors Club or one that was supposedly limited to one per customer, as more unscrupulous sellers have done in the past.

Also got me confirmation email today for me this is the the most eagerly awaited model Ive been over a model since DELTIC

Ive always wanted one of these beauties since I read Graham Clark's article in Practical Model Railways March 86

I've built a couple based on Graham's article, but using a Hornby 86 instead of the leftovers from an 86/1 conversion (Hornby 86 body on a Lima 87 chassis).

Incidentally, the diorama used in the series is in storage in my railway room, and will be making an appearance when my AL5 arrives...

£79 sounds like the Hattons pre-order price. You pays your money, and takes your choice...

Was this area lit up on the real thing when running?

Only when on fire....which could be another use for a redundant bodyshell.

Incidentally, the only preserved AC ever to be lifted (in my knowledge) is the 89, I'm pretty sure 85101 hasn't been up in the air. You could always butcher and lengthen some Hornby or Heljan 86 bogies to fit back under it. Although I like the idea, a fire damaged one would be more plausable than another preserved one.

Having contributed to this thread earlier, I have been enjoying this thread and people's inventiveness.

 

However, comments made elsewhere about the commercialisation of the 2012 Olympics (especially about how athletes and visitors have to give up their "non-sponsor" items whilst at the games) made me think about the extremes of modern sponsorship...

 

You set up your layout at the exhibition, with the sign stating it's a LMS/GWR/SR/LNER/BR/etc layout and do a few test runs with regular stock for the exhibition organisers. When the punters arrive, then put up an additional sign "brought to you by Burger-O, Fizzy Stuff and Trabant" (whatever your choice of sponsor...) and start running your LMS/GWR/SR/LNER/BR rolling stock all emblazoned with LARGE logos of Burger-O, Fizzy Stuff and Trabant.

 

Of course, if you really want to go to town, refuse to run the layout if anyone either (a) wants to take photos without a sponsor sold licence or ( b] is seen eating or drinking a non sponsor provided foodstuff.

 

And when, probably inevitably, the exhibition organisers tell you to either get rid of the sponsorship stuff or get out, turn around and sue the organisers....

 

I doubt you'd be getting any further exhibition invites...

 

F

 

p.s. You'd also need a sign changing the layout name from, say, "Little Cruxley Village", to something like "CheapoAirburg - Proudly Sponsored by CheapoAir"

Didn't a manufacturer produce some shipping containers with ficticious names because they couldn't obtain an authority to reproduce the correct company insignia...? You could go one step further an have "Virmin" and "DR5" liveried trains (the real companies didn't always licence their image to modelmakers), suitably inspired by the artwork on some supermarket own-brand products that the lawyers say isn't a copy but is close enough to fool you into picking them up after a quick glance.

Since my layout features the Armour Yellow of "Onion Pacific", I might have to charge punters the equivalent of ten dollars to look at it at a show....

Dear 298,

 

So, despite appearances of a mass thread hijack, has the discussion inpired you to get a roll on your own version of the OC Switcher?

 

Happy Modelling,

Aim to Improve,

Prof Klyzlr

Well, the Walthers 2-lane cantilever grade crossing signal arrived today, and the Cornerstone Rivoli Theater and Logic Rail Grade Crossing Pro are on order. I thought I'd start with a simple photo-diorama based on a grade crossing (inspired by the photo of the SW1500's next to the 505), but that quickly developed to become a 2' module, I did think about a 4' one with two crossings and a section of street running between, but I'm not sure I have enough buildings in store in order to finish it by June...

It crossed my mind!

No wonder he said "No more layouts...."

Hey, Andy - do I detect a pinch of Peter Norths influence in there?

Just a bit, the initial idea was to do something in his "style" but set at night in Seattle in the 1990's.

BTW, since his latest layout has wires on, do you think he's suffered a bit of Andy Gautrey influence....?

Well I don't know where they went. Maybe it's something I've done....? Here's another go, some from Yakima WA during the YVT Centenary Celebrations:

Is this a "Le Mans" style start...?

Line Car A:

Ex-Porto 1976 and 298:

Being chased by the Line Car:

And here's a video from the cab of 298:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpDemzoKez8"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpDemzoKez8

And the Centenary Parade:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWbVaYzkHZY"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWbVaYzkHZY

I was uploading these just before RMweb had a wobble, so hopefully it'll work this time. Here are a few of mine from locations from the Street Running DVD, although sadly not featuring my favourite, the UP GP's in Modesto.

Jack London Square, Oakland, CA:

Santa Cruz, CA:

Now RMweb is back I can show you the results of a quick play with a bit of stock, some Bachmann track (to try to place curves), and a box of leftover buildings. The base is about 4' long and about 17" deep, first up is an alignment 45 degrees to the City blocks, and the route entering from the right, crossing over the Main Road, then turning for some street running along the next road with a short spur. The idea behind this was to try to not have roads dissappear into the backscene, and the angle and limiting the viewing positions prevents this, even if it does hide alot of the buildings:

Then this is more of what I was initially thinking, even if the grid pattern isn't exactly square. The cardboard box in the Northwest corner is the proposed Walthers "Ravoli" Theater, I was thinking of Street Running and a 4-way light controlled intersection but having a Railroad RoW on the right and an access road to the industry might work out a bit better:

The Trolley Car shell on the roof of the Southeast corner building is a proposed "Old Spaghetti Factory" Restaurant, with a cutaway in the wall so you can see the Trolley inside

And here are some quick eye-level shots, I had to edit out the backgrounds to try to close the scenes a bit better....:

So what am I thinkng now...? As much as I like the prototype OC Inglenook, I still think a freelance single spur with run-thru traffic would be operationally better, but if all I want to do is model a railroad crossing a street scene, I might as well build a small module to RS Tower standards....

Dear 298, Just some random thoughts that come to mind as extreme tiredness sets in... - RE providing the OC Switcher pics and links : Sorry for the "push" In the same way that "Brooklyn" took advantage of it's 1999 timeframe to level the rave party tracks of UltraSonic and Scooter :music: , I could definitely see a layout set in the Pac NW, levering SoundGarden, Nirvana, and Foo Fighters...

Music-wise you've hit the nail on the head, Soundgarden are my favourite band..!! I did think about setting the layout in Olympia and calling it "Sleater-Kinney" after the road and band of the same name.

:music: - Remember that _properly_deployed_ "LayoutSound" can give all the Grunge the 505 Tavern could deliver in the wee hours as UPs SW1500s switch Herron Paper http://lothes.blogspot.com.au/2011/02/last-switch.html _without_ having to exceed 60dB SPL, and drift from "atmospheric" and "in the style of" into flat out "too dang loud"... - Strongly reccomend picking up a copy of the Kalmbach "Trains Special Annual : Locomotive 2011", it has a 7-page article on the OC Switcher's last nights, and is where I first learned abou this "local" http://www.kalmbachstore.com/loc110901.html - There's a significant ammount of RR interest in the Pac NW, even leaving the loggers out of proceedings. (With Weyerhauser and Simpson still going strong, and both using EMD switchers, http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6183/6132748682_649b80737d.jpg

Thanks for the links, I'll try to find those mags (also have a Trains article on "Pugetopolis", Pacific Railnews on the Oregon Pacific and another featuring Aberdeen & Hoquiam, we went there in 2004 but nothing really struck me as modellable until I decide to model a NP branch with lots of Pine Trees.

Music-wise you've hit the nail on the head, Soundgarden are my favourite band..!!

Andy - you've confused me slightly - why does the Ballard Terminal have to involve ships? AFAIk There are no ship-served industries involved with it Must admit I like Blue Heron on the Profs link though - Oh, for the space!

I dunno, It's just a random thought I had. I had thought a Tugboat at night with all it's lights on would make good scene against the backdrop, and then Martyn posts that photo of the BN switcher loading a car float. If only there was somewhere where I could combine a street crossing with the downtown Seattle backdrop from Elliot Bay.

How big are you talking in scope? Space for a bit of scenery too, or is it a 'one perfect scene' type of thing? The Peter North ones being mentioned were all small roundies IIRC?

I'm thinking something that's a cross between a Peter North roundy-roundy and Prof's 3am Brooklyn of around 4'6" in length and 18" deep. That'll give room for a Street crossing and a short spur to an Industry, plus a bit of variety in run-through traffic. My previous layout had a 5-lane Avenue on it and I could re-use the buildings....:

I also have quite a few Boxcars lettered for shortlines in Oregon and Washington.

Thinking about it, the space currently occupied by Wiley is just less than 8' long (It could have been longer but the choice of having an American width fridge/freezer when we were building the kitchen dictated the size of the study/layout room), so I could run it with a short fiddle yard at one end at home and as a roundy at shows or in the garage. Also, laying the road out at an angle would mean the buildings block the view down it so there's no need for a view blocker at the end, as I've not yet thought how to make an urban road disappear at night...

Thinking of a location, Seattle seemed like an obvious choice but there isn't alot of street running outside of non-industrial areas and the Ballard Terminal would have to involve Ships at some point, so heading south down the I-5, Tacoma seemed possible, there's alot of trackage in Olympia that could be used or suitably twisted to make up a plausable senario, and then we arrive in Portland with the Oregon Pacific Shortline:

http://www.oregonpacificrr.com/

And then there is Oregon City with the photos posted by the good Prof. above. Claiming to model an ex-Interurban line seems like a good idea, but might only lead me onto stringing up overhead wire and running modern Streetcars on shared trackage with a switching job. In actual fact I quite fancy having a certain freelanced feel as every layout I've built or been involved with for a long time has been based on a real location.

Surely this has to be a model....? http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=337927&nseq=0 Look!, there's even a Chevvy pickup and boat straight out of the Busch catalogue...

There I was, quite happily dreaming of a layout idea that probably won't get past the armchair modelling (or swivel chair when I'm at work) stage, when along come Prof Klyzlr and Ozexpatriate with some more photos and video from prototype locations that have inspired me to do something slightly different from my usual norm.

Many years ago I saw one of Peter North's layouts and was so impressed with how a complete scene could be modelled and was seen to be alive through nothing more than background music and a flashing Neon sign in a cafe window (tumbleweeds blowing across the layout were optional), I thought my first foray into US modelling would have to be something similar but based in a City in the Pacific Northwest in the early 1990's and featuring music from the Grunge bands of the era which is more of my scene. Coupled with the fact that I like having a layout on the go and with Wiley City just about finished, I started some scribbling...

Here are the posts from the other thread:

On 17/04/2012 at 00:44, Prof Klyzlr said:

Dear 298, Hmmm, you want to be very careful what you wish for... ;-) UPY and OPR ops around Portland and Oregon City, Ore

http://www.railpictu...d=337927&nseq=0

http://3.bp.blogspot...00/loverain.jpg

https://lh5.googleus...gon+City+OR.jpg

http://2.bp.blogspot...2BCity%2BOR.jpg

http://1.bp.blogspot...at+Canby+OR.jpg

http://2.bp.blogspot...2BCity%2BOR.jpg

http://4.bp.blogspot...Portland+OR.jpg

http://1.bp.blogspot...2BCity%2BOR.jpg

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89JxeL-8dMg

 

I have a small fleet of SW1500s here that are just itching to be deployed on a layout of such... (Did someone say "Oregon : 3AM"?) Happy Modelling, Aim to Improve, Prof Klyzlr PS for those who may want to get a railroader's "cheat sheet" on the proto ops of the area, try this... http://www.fogchart....OC_Switcher.pdf

On 17/04/2012 at 01:34, Ozexpatriate said:

Sounds like last night - except for the 1990s bit. Oregon City - with the vertical cliff right above the old SP mainline, it's one of those "prototype for everything" locations and even if there wasn't enough fog, the paper mills create their own atmosphere. The intersection of Hwy 99E and Main Street is here. The immediate foreground of the image is on top of the cliff. The mill, downtown and railroad is at the bottom. This reverse view might be clearer.

Theres some gorgeous stuff in that search but its our old friend Gostude selling.

That name came up this afternoon when I was with my Dad when we were looking at Frog Aircraft kits. It seems this seller's optimism knows no boundaries...

An 85 is rated at 66, more than enough for a decent Mk3 rake. I'm still looking for photos of them on Mk3 rakes or documents to say they were restricted.

I have seen Class 85's with Mk3s on several occasions, With the about pic it seems a bit strange as the 1st class is at the non Euston end and most trains ran with a BG then the 1st class at the Euston end?

Gary

I can think of a few possible workings (such as part of Liv+Man to Gla+Edin that combined at Preston and split at Carstairs) or a diverted Euston, however I reckon the 85 only brought the ECS in from Edge Hill and is in a hurry to return there.

How do you know if you're made it as a railway modeller...?

When you spend 10 minutes trying to explain to someone why not every layout has to be stocked with RTR models, and if you've finally decided to have some degree of prototype fidelity, might have to accept that at some stage you'll have to build an item of stock or renumber an existing one to suit instead of moaning about manufacturers not supplying you with everything you'll need.....

Yes its a Chrysley Voyager short wheelbase (Town and Country in USA). We get 4 people layout and overnight bags in it so a great vehicle. They only do the long wheelbase now and the local dealers for servicing have not been good plus there aren't that many dealers about within a sensible distance. So looks like next vehicle will be a Volkswagen transporter unless we go for a Voyager that is three years old so we dont have to worry about warranties, and go to our local garage which now services our vehicles.

 

I do like the Voyager as it has been a good workhorse but parts arwnt cheap.

 

Ian

I had one as a loan car for a few days when the dealer proved once again they couldn't fix my PT to an acceptable standard (It had to have new clutch cylinders but they forgot to reconnect the speedo sensor and clutch pedal). Unfortunately for them they phoned to say my car was ready 2 minutes after I set off for York to exhibit Deepcar at the NRM, so I had the Voyager for the weekend.

I know what you mean about Chrysler dealers, better marques and cars are available...

What is your vehicle, Ian? It looks vaguely familiar to me, i.e. American market?

 

Love Santa Barbara btw!

 

Best, Pete.

Is it a Chrysler Grand Voyager....?

As an NMRA member I've been asked why I won't submit anything to the contests or work towards the achievment program. The simple answer is I don't want to turn my leisure into something that has to be graded, reviewed, and dissected. If I'm not enjoying it, I'm not doing it, end of.

I used to be involved in that kind of thing, until like yourself I realised a model was finished when I said it was, and not when I compiled a nice little folder with scale drawings and photos and stood back whilst someone with little knowledge of the prototype argued white was indeed black and despite the prototype evidence, your effort is unlikely in the real world. Plus of course the programme is little more than painting by numbers (US style), and has little relevance to the UK scene or the merits in gaining said certificates or adding MMR after your name.

I do agree that you have to recognise the definition of "Railway Modeller" as someone who builds things, rather than buy a collection of items and throw them together with some kind of resemblance of the prototype. Unfortunately, today's RTR is so good that I'm sure some people may never build a loco, piece of rolling stock, or structure, and still produce a quality layout. And I'd rather see decent RTR (not a Lima Collectors society layout )at a show than a "nice try, could do better "effort of the same prototype.

And as for covers, I've got one on the shelf at the moment so can't really speak, except that despite having a couple with my stock on club layouts in the past, there's something to be said for it being all your own work. It's just the icing on the cake and wouldn't expect anyone to be downhearted if your layout gets into print but doesn't make the cover.