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Ian Holmes

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Blog Entries posted by Ian Holmes

  1. Ian Holmes

    Blog Schmog...

    By Ian Holmes,

    Good Grief!
    Not another blog from the deranged mind of Ian Holmes I hear you think.
    There's about 6 of the darned things out there already covering T scale, 009 Narrow gauge, P4, HO layouts built in a week, Great Lakes shipping and Taconite train modelling... What's that you don't know about those last two?
    Well I didn't think that anyone would be interested in Great Lakes shipping and as for the Taconite Train modelling. Well you're just going to have to wait on that one...
    So what do I do here?
    Build 5 blogs here that link to external blogs outside RMWeb or build 5 new blogs here?
    Decisions decisions...
    At the moment I'll just use this as a "catch all" to let you all know what fun and exciting things are going on in my part of the blogosphere. Then as I get more comforatable with this new RMWeb layout, which is still pretty scary. I'll probably do more over here.
    You have to admit you're now more than a bit curious about what this Taconite Train modelling blog is aren't you?
     
    Ian
  2. Ian Holmes

    A pile of junk...

    By Ian Holmes,

    No I'm not talking about the new look RMWeb but something I bought the other day for the 7 day layout that I am very impressed with.
    The Shredded Scrap metal pile #2103 from Monroe Models. They produce a range of scrap metal piles for different uses. It comes as a ready painted resin casting. I was really impressed with the look of the pile and the quality of the detailing in the casting. I had some fun scrutinizing the pile seeing what I could recognize. Some nice lattice work, oil drums, ladders, corrugated iron and girders for example. A persons opinion of the "ready painted rust" can vary. But the pile has shadows and highlights worked in there. So overall it's a very reasonable representation of a pile of rusty metal. The detailers amongst us would likely work a few more colours in there and I think a coat "dullcote" to take the slight sheen off would be advantageous. But I really do like it and I would definitely consider Monroe Models again if they produced something that I was looking for on my next modelling project.
    Do we have a products review section? Because this should probably go there as well...
  3. Ian Holmes

    Catching up

    By Ian Holmes,

    A week without RMWeb is a long time, we've all come to realise.
    What has gone on in the Ian Holmes Model Railway world in that time?
    Firstly on Friday there was the sad news of the demise of the Athearn Blue Box kit of Rolling stock. I started in HO Scale with them. in fact my fiorst ever layout 72nd Street yard was filled with athearn blue box kits. the term kit was a misnomer really as they were nothing but disassembled RTR models that you put together yourself. Didn't Corgi do something similar with their range of die cast cars many years ago?
    Times move on and the quality of kits has improved. Still it was a sad day to think they won't be on the shelves in the future.
    Layout wise I started on spray painting the Walthers dumpsters for the 7 day layout. Better to have them all the same colour I thought. So I found an old can of dark blue in my paint box and gave them a coat of paint next up I'll weather them and put them on the layout.
    Finally I added yet another blog, this one www.awe-docker.blogspot.com is not directly concerned with railroad modelling though there's no tellings where it might end up. Its more a personal discovery of Great Lakes Ore docks and wether it is possible to convincingly model one in a small space. Pop over there and discover Ore docks why don't you?
  4. Ian Holmes

    What you've missed

    By Ian Holmes,

    Still not totally sure on how to deal with the blog on RMWeb with 5 blogs out there already covering my layouts/projects.
    Anyway there has bee some activity at http://7daymodelrailroad.blogspot.com/ that includes a rather nice scrapyard vista, some rusty wheels and a railbox model review and an exhibition outing coming up for the layout. So you should get over to http://7daymodelrailroad.blogspot.com/ and check it all out.
     
    Ian
  6. Ian Holmes
    Time to report some more progress to the 7 day layout as it approaches its first exhibition appearance
    http://7daymodelrailroad.blogspot.com/2009/11/almost-there.html
    I'd post a picture here but I'm at work and the firewall won't let me do that...
     
    IAn
  7. Ian Holmes
    This is the latest blog entry from 7day model railroad. Everyone needs to read it.
    ...Todays post was going to be about the same steady performance of the layout at day two of the Princeton show and what tweaks I need to do to the layout before the next time I show it. Sure enough the layout performed as well as yesterday. But that's not important.
    Today was one of the most rewarding days I have ever had exhibiting a model railway and it was all down to two small children. Jeremiah and Brandon.
    First was Jeremiah. He stood at the layout for around 45 minutes studying the layout and its operation. He read the blurb attached to the model and knew what it was all about. He studied the details of the models and even noticed some details that I hadn't completed on some of the freight cars. He knew exactly what he was talking about. It was a pleasure to have someone like that to watch the layout at work. Jeremiah models in N gauge. I'm going to watch out for you because I'm sure that one day you will produce a truly excellent model railroad.
    All through the two days of the show another small child had been making periodic visits to watch my layout from helping with his older brothers S scale trains. So at 2:30 half an hour before the show closed I said to him.
    "Do you want a go?"
    He looked at me rather disbelievingly and said.
    "Are you sure?"
    "Absolutely" I replied and gestured for him to step behind the layout.
    We found him a chair to stand on so he could see over the top and I familiarised him with the controls. Though as he'd spent two days watching the layout I don't think he needed much in the way of familiarisation. With that I guided him through the operating sequence and in no time at all he was aware of all the quirks and oddities of the layout and apart from me placing stock on the track he was operating the layout all by himself. Mom got a picture I'm happy to say.
    I was amazed at how quickly he had picked everything up and he declared that he was going to go home and start on a similar sort of layout based on a mining scene.
    Well Brandon, if you build that layout then you can show it at the Princeton train show next Thanksgiving. I bet it will be great.
    In these days when the computerised "Playbox-X-three-sixt-wii" is the big thing It was great to see such young children taking an active interest in the hobby. These kids are the future of the hobby and if there are more Jeremaihs and Brandons about then the future of the hobby is pretty secure.
    Thank you very much guys.
  8. Ian Holmes

    Catching up

    By Ian Holmes,

    Not posted to this blog in the longest time so here's a quick update of the salient points of the past year.
    The Layout continues to be well received at shows in fact I was interviewed on Saint Cloud, MN local radio with it at Easter as the layout is based on an industry there.
    I've also been approached by folks who actually work at the prototype and have shared inside information with me that helps me to understand the models operation.
    The layout received an invitation to the Worlds Greatest Hobby on tour show in Saint Paul, MN in November. So I'm sprucing the layout up. I've relaid the front siding as the uncoupler magnet was giving me some grief. I finished fixing the ballast yesterday. Today I treated myself to the ExactRail 50' waffle sided boxcar in Southern colour scheme. ExactRail are fantastic models.
    That's it really plenty of other bits and bobs to keep you updated with between now and November. I may even (gasp) start some serious weathering....
  9. Ian Holmes
    So, to expand on the idea outlined earlier here's a couple of sketchbook pages to illustrate what I'm talking about.

    The above sketch shows the wide open backscene typical of forest country in new England perhaps

    This is exactly the same layout sketch with the backscene changed to something more like the Midwest .
    The scribble below each layout concept illustrates how the sloping backscene would look in profile. I'd bolt the backscene onto the back with a few coach bolts and wing nuts. There shouldn't be too much of an issue with the tree backscene. Perhaps the extra depth of the prairie might be an issue but this only needs to be made from the lightest thinnest ply so it wouldn't weigh too much and throw things off balance.
    As another note I checked my stock of baseboards and I have a frame ready made that is 54" x 14" Almost the perfect size.
  10. Ian Holmes

    Confirmed

    By Ian Holmes,

    Confirmation arrived in the mail this morning for the World greatest Hobby on Tour Show.
    November 20-21st 2010 River Centre, St Paul, MN
    See you there.
    OK probably not for most of you...
     
    Ian
     
     
  11. Ian Holmes
    Once in a while I'll drop in on the Hattons website,to see what is what in the UK R-T-R scene. Boy I got a shock this time!
    That Heljan class 17 looks great, the 14 looks brilliant, I have to have one of each and then there's the Railbus. I so have to have one of them. It really fires a person up to come back to 4mm scale UK outline in a hurry...
  12. Ian Holmes

    Some sketches

    By Ian Holmes,

    (please excuse the shadows on the drawings my scanner is playing silly beggars and it's too much fuss to set up my copy camera arrangement at the moment as the lights are in use on Wingetts recycling ready for it's forthcoming exhibition)


    As I started to sketch out my "visions" I began to realise what was drawing me to the plan.
    It's that arrangement of buildings. Perfect for a small layout, obstructing your view and forcing your eyes to move around as you follow the train in the scene thus making the layout seem large than it is.
    Then for some reason I started thinking about the Cromford and High Peak railway. It started to "speak" to me though the drawings (Oh this making me sound really wierd isn't it? Ian Holmes the Model Railway clairvoyant...) All those atmospheric photographs of the stone buildings. Then I started thinking snow and Ian Everetts "Royston Vasey" layout... Then I needed to go and lay down in a dark room for a while.
    So what we have in my mind for a layout right now is a small, snowbound goods yard somewhere on a fictitious line somewhere in the peak district.
    That's a long way from the West Somerset Mineral Railway....
  13. Ian Holmes

    Taking Stock.

    By Ian Holmes,

    As you can see from the previous blog entries pictures. I am in the unenviable position of having enough track stock and structures to hand to build this little layout should I want to. The track I have is Code 83, Micro Engineering flex track and #6 switch as well as an Atlas #4 switch. The track will do fine. its all actually brand new. Stuff that didn't get used on previous projects. Though the two switches have different operating systems. The ME switch has a centre spring to lock the blades in place much like PECO products from the UK whereas on the Atlas one the blades have to to be locked in place by an external mechanism. I'm not a huge fan of the Atlas product myself. But I have the switch so I'll use it. I more than likely have an electric motor for it in my spares box too.
    I'm not going to use any of the structures used in the mock up on the layout at all. Making structures is one of my great passions so my first preference is to build them myself. Plus all I have to do I look out of my office window and see plenty of modern buildings suitable for this layout.
    Speaking of buildings, this morning, over breakfast, I downloaded the latest issue of Model Railroad Hobbyist which featured an article by Lance Mindheim detailing his method of using photographs to clad styrene shells to make quick highly detailed structures. Impressed as I am and as much as I'd like to use the method I'm not to sure that it would stand up well in the close confines of an APA box, what with the lighting mounted in the box lid being a few inches away. I'm sure the photographs would fade very quickly. Lance himself even cautions readers about this fact in the article. So it will be back to my standard method of foam core shells clad with styrene. These ubiquitous modern warehouse structures are pretty simple so they shouldn't take long to knock up. So there we are, everything sorted. Every modeller has a good supply of ground covers and scenic doodads so I don't think that my favourite local hobby shop will be getting much money out of me on this project.
    Oh and as this layout blog has been outed by Micro Model Railroad Cartel members on Twitter It looks as if my hand is forced and I'll have to build it. In that case you can see the layout at the Granite City Train Show in St. Cloud, MN in April. See you there!
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