BG John

The prototype assembled and positioned in its "mouse hole" at the back of the layout. I haven't got any countersunk screws, so will need to make holes in the baseboard to take the screw heads, but that's not a problem. The idea is that the units can be unscrewed from behind the backscene and lifted off a bar connecting them to the Peco points. I designed it because once the scenery is in place, it won't be possible to remove screws on the front of the Peco motor. Drilling the screw holes was easy enough, so on the next version I'll replace the holes with a mark to centre the drill on just the top layer. The microswitch needs to be moved back about 1mm, but that only needs a few dimensions to be edited in Inkscape. The assembled unit seems pretty strong, and well up to the job. In this very long thread I don't think I've seen anything created apart from models, and I'm sure there are lots of other uses for it for behind the scenes stuff like this. PS: I saw Jon's post after posting this, and may well alter the layout for the next version.

I finally got round to actually producing something for the first time with my Portrait today. It was better than all this Christmas nonsense, although rather frustrating. The job itself went pretty well for a first effort, but the cutter just wouldn't behave, until I discovered that it didn't like being connected to a USB hub. Plugging it straight into the laptop solved the problem, but is a pain because it's only got two USB ports, and one seems to be faulty after constantly swapping devices before I got a new hub. My creation was the parts for a base for a Peco point motor and microswitch. I decided that doing the job properly on the new layout was better than cobbling something together individually for each point, as I did last time. The base itself is three layers of 20 thou Plasticard, and the microswitch needs to be raised by six layers. I drew up one layer in Inkscape, duplicated it, and joined them all together so a single cut line separated them. Then I edited the result to remove all but a couple of the duplicated lines. The ones I left were too complicated for my addled brain to work out what to do with! On the maximum depth setting, the plastic wasn't cut right through, so I had to snap it all apart. This was easy enough for the outside of each part, but two of the pieces for the microswitch are in the middle of the base, so I had to cut three sides to get them out. The 3mm diameter screw holes didn't come out either. I opened out a few with a knife, but decided to drill the rest out after assembly. I'll either have to cut the rest of them from thinner plastic, or just mark the centres for drilling. Snapping out the pieces didn't produce clean breaks in places, but it can all be cleaned up after assembly. I need seven altogether, so if this one works, it will turn out to be a quicker job than my original plan of sawing the parts from thicker material. and it's a nice straightforward job to get started with on the Portrait, before I go onto the complicated stuff.

Shame it's not 7mm scale, or one might end up converted to 2' 4¼" gauge. I need another O-16.5 loco!

My local post has been naked for quite some time, but today has a rather nice Christmas stocking picture attached to it. Unfortunately I was driving when I saw it, so couldn't stop to take a photo. Hopefully the council will be slow to remove it over Christmas, so it may still be there next time I walk past.

It's listed in Upcoming Kits as "Updated Small Terraced Houses", so presumably just temporarily unavailable until the new version is ready. A bit frustrating if you need it now though. I thought I might need it, but it looks as though I don't fortunately. http://scalescenes.com/upcoming-kits/

Am I the only person who bought blue ones to actually model the K&ESR? Everyone else seems to be planning to do vicious things to them .

I've just discovered that I've got a problem with my van, so it's unlikely I'll be able to get to Lidl before Christmas. I'm not bringing them home on the bus! Fate has made the decision for me, to save me the trouble!!!

Looks like a London phone number at the bottom, or rather, just under the bottom! It's certainly the spelling used this side of the pond.

The equivalent of 1.3 bags of cement being dropped on you (plus the weight of the contents), with the bonus of lots of sharp pointy bits to stab, as well as crush, you! I'm partially experienced in withstanding that sort of weight, due to a certain German Shepherd liking to launch herself at me, but it's something to try to avoid if possible!

The walls in the room where I'd want to hang them are a mix of cement rendered stone with earth mortar, crumbly lime plaster on the same walls, and plasterboard drylining that may be damp at the back. I don't think I'll risk it! I'd rather like some display cases while I've got stock I haven't got layouts for, but the aim is for all of it to be on working layouts, so there's no point spending the money on the cases, then spending time making absolutely sure they won't fall off the walls!

33kg hanging on the wall with expensive models it it? Does the price include insurance? I think that's definitely made me decide not to buy any!

I still don't like the RMweb blogging feature, but thought I'd give it another try. I'd intended to do a lot of modelling during the summer, and have done quite a lot on my O/O-16.5 gauge Cheapside Yard, but getting back into modelling led me to discover lots of interesting stuff about why I'm so disorganised, and not good at starting and finishing jobs, and I've been working on things to help deal with that. So it's been a worthwhile distraction, as it's just possible I may turn into a prolific modeller, although anything has got to be better than the last 20 or more unproductive years! Last Christmas I started building Ingletyme, a OO layout intended to get me started with layout building again, and have something running quickly. It didn't get far for various reasons, and has now been dismantled. So this Christmas I'm having another try, with a similar theme, but a new plan, as a test to see if I really have learned how to get things done. While I've been planning it, I've started on the buildings, that will be mostly Scalescenes card kits. I've been fiddling around with Scalesecenes kits for a while, making mock-ups for Ingletyme and Cheapside Yard, but this is the first time I've made any for real. Unusually for me, I've built the first few following the instructions, so I won't bother with blow by blow accounts. This is what I've produced so far, on my nice tidy workbench that's currently dedicated solely to building card kits: First up was the old free Small Goods Store, that's no longer available. It's quite a straightforward kit, although a bit less sophisticated that the more recent ones. The front and back walls fold up from the floor, and when I came to fit the ends I found I hadn't got the folds in quite the right place, so there will have to be some junk or something piled up around one corner, as the worst bit of misalignment will be on the visible side right at the front of the layout! I think It's probably a good idea to be prepared to make the buildings twice, once for the practice and to find where things can go wrong, and a second time to get it perfect. I want to get on with the layout, so won't build another now, but might some time. The second building was the current freebie Weighbridge & Coal Office, which is pretty small, but very solid. I found a few problems with this one. Following the instructions carefully, but without my brain engaged, I made up two glazed windows, and when it was too late realised there is only one window in the building, and I should have stuck frames on opposite sides of the same piece of glazing! I suppose I could have reprinted it, and tried again, but instead I stuck the two windows back to back, and have an extra thick front wall! I don't think it shows, and may help to hide the strange quirk in the design of the kit. Whether you're inside or outside the building, the door knob is on the right of the door, which is why there's no interior detail, as no one can get in! Strangely, that internal wall also has no brickwork printed on it, while the other three do. The design is quite clever, as the downpipes are part of the inner end wall, that is wider than the outer layer, and the door end is stuck to the side walls with no visible join. But the same method is used at the other end, with no downpipes, so there is a visible join in the brickwork on the front wall. This won't matter to me though, as the front of the building will face the backscene. The badly done join in the brickwork on the chimney won't be seen either! At the back, the corresponding join is hidden by the corner of the chimney, and this is the side that will be at the front of the baseboard. I didn't get the chimney and roof lined up very well, so this is another candidate for a new build some time. I need to find something suitable to make a chimney pot. The last kit where I strictly followed the instructions was the road bridge. This will be at the end of the layout, against the backscene, so only one side will be visible. I haven't made the wing walls yet, as I'm not sure if they will be needed. I bought some magnetic corner clamps while I was building it, and they make getting the corners square so much easier than anything I've tried before. I need more of them! I didn't get the parapets the right length, so may have to get a bit creative with greenery to hide it! It's been a useful learning experience, and I was definitely getting better as I went along. The next building followed the instructions for most of the build, which isn't finished yet, but is now starting to diverge from them. I've got another bridge and a tunnel mouth, or possibly two of one or other of them, to build, and I may have trouble not following the rules for them, but I'll try!

I'll have to keep a lookout. My local post isn't occupied yet.

Who's going to first to build the canal version of Ruston Quays, with working boats moving around on two levels instead of trains?

I think they must have acquired it from Wales!

Just spotted this while searching through some old photos. Oddly enough, I was on the Beer to Seaton land train during a heatwave, so it didn't apply!

Thanks. I'll be having a big baseboard building session soon for several forthcoming layouts, but my supply of materials is dwindling. I'm even thinking I may need to buy some .

Do you still use hardboard for the backscenes? I'm trying to use up the materials I've got lying around, and happen to have some old pasting tables.

Looks like it's a good thing I'll be doing my narrow gauge modelling in 7mm scale then, or I might have to buy a few!

Convert the locos to radio control? I'm sure that bright redness can be cured with a paint brush!

The advantage of a pointless micro layout, with a hidden traverser, or sector plate, is that everything is straight, and anything will run on it! If it's short enough!

It's great isn't it. That's an advantage of modelling pre WW1, as you can hide all sorts of rubbish track under ballast, like the well used stuff I buy on eBay cheap, and knock about!

Surely ornithology is a respectable hobby. Are you suggesting there's something suspect about it?

You did that too late! I had to work out what the parts were the hard way, before placing my order at lunchtime! I've just ordered three kits plus an extra support, to make a big canopy for the front of the Scalescenes Low Relief Factory, that will cover the track as well as the platform. I'm aiming to put the pillars along one side, and support the other side on the wall of the building.

So bigger than the York ones then. Mine are 29mm outside and 19mm inside. I got them to build 4mm wagons as well as 7mm.