Kenokie

Quote "The club urges people to get used to the vagaries of the old Hornby Controller before making the change over to the hand-held push button" For a very good reason. If you have learned to drive the loco using the Hornby controller when you then try the Live-Drive controller you will realise just how good it is . . . . Its a secret plan Chris O

Ron It may seem like a stupid question to you, but I find the whole thing both fascinating and informative, so yes please Chris O

I will be there exhibiting with the OO Live Steam Club. If you make it please call and say hallo. I would be nice so meet some of the people behind the posts. Chris O

Scott I have trundled over behind the others to see what's going on ... good to see you back in action Chris O

Al Just out of interest have you worked out roughly how much you will have saved by making your own "bits & bobs" for the platform? Also you asked the question so I think you should weather the sacks .... it will definitely improve the way they look. Great work Chris O

Andy I am reasonably computer literate, knew that this stuff could be done and partially understood most of the terminology and can even manipulate simple stuff in Paint Shop Pro. What I lack is experience, and its amazing what a difference (leading to confidence) a couple of hours of watching someone else explain and "do" in few videos, can make. It appears that ultimately I will need something a bit better than a phone (even with its 12 megapixels) to take the pictures with, but to begin with it will be interesting to see if I can now improve new photos in comparison to the ones I already have, and used to consider acceptable. Producing the tutorials must have taken up quite a bit of your time, so I for one would very much like to say thank you. Chris O

Robert It was good to meet you on Sunday, and thanks for your time with answers to my questions. I have come away with some useful photos and info for consideration for our OO Live Steam Layout plans. If you get time off from your money collecting duties at York come and say hallo as I will be there with the OO Live Steam club roadshow layout, happily playing trains with A3's and A4's Chris

You said the aim is is believability ...... the "silhouette against the fading light" shot .......... I believe! Incredible modelling Chris

Al Yes I'm fine, but time out for the Doncaster show, a couple of days up at Shildon for the great goodbye, a daughter's wedding, especially when its around 125 miles away, immediately followed by a three day "near death" experience whilst suffering from the dreaded "man flu" has seriously interrupted my RMWeb thread reading time Its taken me a couple of hours to catch up with Bakewell, so I know KL2 and the lounge will turn into a marathon You sure about those badges ??? Chris

For reasons beyond my control (family) I have been unavoidably distracted for a couple of weeks and then return to the fold to find an amazing story involving a couple of bits of plastic offcuts being used to create the equivalent of a sheet of etched window frames and a complete station canopy complete with support and bracketing systems. Al, correct me if I am wrong but right at the beginning of this thread, in post #24, I seem to remember you saying (and I quote) "as I am a complete novice at scratch building" ...... If you can go from a standing start to a "wiz" in just under 12 months ...... I wonder where you will go next ........ I bet you have one hell of a stash of Blue Peter badges hidden under the stairs Brilliant ! Chris

This is bit of one of those "if I hadn't seen I wouldn't have believed it" moments ..... amazing modelling Its a shame we "missed" at Doncaster but as you say, another time Chris O

Peter Do you have a timetable for the expansion works? Chris

Jim If you keep posting the good stuff then I will keep hitting the like button as it makes more sense than repetitively typing "brilliant modelling" after nearly every modelling photo you post. I will be at Doncaster with the OO Live Steam Club roadshow layout so if you get chance please call and say hallo. Chris

Ron said NOTHING is going to stop or slow down the layout build , not even threats from SWMBO Now there goes a very brave man ....... SWIMBO's who think you are overdoing it at any time during the recovery period can be very dangerous people ... trust me .... I know !!! The viaduct window frames look amazing. It looks like the cutting machine is going to become one of those "have to have" aids that can really help to improve modelling standards. Chris

Ron Another one of my modelling hero's almost struck down ..... a timely reminder that non of us are getting any younger. Thirteen years ago I went to the docs with a bit of indigestion, and 18 days later our (currently much maligned) national health service turfed me out of a hospital sporting the scars that go with a full blown quadruple heart bypass... and a rather surprised expression on my face. At the time, as I was a serving fire officer I thought my world had ended or at least changed forever. Not so. Nine months later I resumed full operational duties and continued with my career till retirement late last year. So, based on first hand experience, if you think I am going to accept the installation of a few little stents as an excuse for not finishing a layout that makes my jaw drop every time I tune in, you can think again. Get well soon and crack on with the modelling Chris

Jeff You can't give in that easily Re the 90 degree turn …. I have been following this thread from the beginning, and here is how it works You say you will compromise … You build it … We discuss it … You agree it could be better … You take it apart … You rebuild it with NO compromise … How do I know …. Re-read the thread Listen to Bodgit .. .. you will save yourself loads of extra work. Course, it’s your layout, and you must build it as you see fit, but at least at the moment you are only at the planning stage, not actually cutting wood... Chris

Jeff Rotating the layout is interesting and as suggested it does seem to help with the access problems. However, to me it as also highlighted something I hadn't actually noticed in the previous incarnations. The change in orientation seems to accentuate the fact that the bottom right corner, between the station and the bridge over the NER line is actually a 90 degree turn, and the problem with visible 90 degree turns is that they always seem to suggest “train set”. This is usually dealt with by providing some sort of “view blocker”, such as the cutting and overbridge that occur on the other side of the NER crossing, on the curve back to the fiddle yard. Unless I have misunderstood the plan for the bottom right corner is more of an embankment style, which will allow the fact that it is 90 degrees to stand out. Just a thought …

Al I love the office detailing that you and freebs have pushed each other to create .... BUT .... in the last photo .... the open filing cabinet drawer ........ there are NO files in it. Come on ..... standards Chris

Robert Yet another brilliant "how to" step by step series od photo's - most of the "how to" sections in the magazines would benefit from following your style - Its all so simple - when you know how ..... and now I do Thanks Chris

Strikes me John has got it right .... that's the proper way to build a railway .... get a team and then supervise them .... from a chair ..... with a cup of tea .......... luv it Chris

Wow, 12 months. Blink and it gone! Well in that 12 months I have definitely seen enough to ensure that what I had in mind for when I get going again will no longer be anywhere near good enough. Viewing what you and others do has raised my standards before I have even bashed in my first nail. I planned to continue the layout I started around 35 years ago, but have come to the conclusion it will not do cos I would now never be happy with it. A fresh start in the new year is the way to go, based on the principle that if you can do it ....etc. Of course, that doesn't necessarily follow, but at least it will be fun trying Here's to the next 12 months Chris

Jeff "Look guv, I wasn't lurkin, honest, I was just catchin up" ... but catching up has actually taken up over 3 hours of my Sunday afternoon/evening. I would post more but the problem is by the time I have thought of something useful this damn thread had has moved on two pages, so its not relevant any more, so all I can do is click on the like buttons, and to be honest I am even struggling to keep up with that Thanks to you all - its great entertainment Chris

....or is it? ..... can you absolutely certain? ....

Well I never. You miss a couple of days, and drop back in to discover the world you have grown to love is about to be "ripped asunder" to be replaced at a later date with the bigger, better, shinier , all singing, all dancing new version. It's like something out of the "Hitchhikers Guide". Or is this really just a case of "anything Bodgit" can do ............ :sungum: etc. Seriously though, good luck with your plans, and I am another who will still be visiting daily (well, most of the time) to catch up with the goings on. Chris