jukebox

This. x100. I figured out some time ago that I can spend hours working on the layout, doing the most repetitive, tedious tasks, so long as I have a soundtrack. I had acquired an el cheapo powered speaker system somewhere along my travels, and it now sits under one end of the layout, and a cable with a 3.5mm plug attached lies atop. I come in, plug my iPod in, and hit shuffle... The catch is, when you are doing ballasting, that you get a song with a faster beat, and you tend to want to eye-dropper the PVA in time to it, and it gets too fast for you to do the cribs. Other than that, it works a treat. Cheers Scott

Please be very careful in propagating some of the "facts" being thrown around - of those 200 people, it's my understanding from more thorough commentary that the majority were more careless or brain dead, than malicious - people still lighting campfires, or tossing cigarette butts and the like. The number 24 of actual deliberate lighters does ring a bell. And sadly, it's an occurrence we have every year - there have not been significantly more d*ckheads around this Christmas. In fact it seems most of them were holidaying in Hawaii, Europe, and Bali.... (local joke for the rest of the Aussies here...) Our Firefighting Chief has been on the media today, trying to, if you'll pardon the pun, hose down some of the mis-information doing the rounds - such as the role of back burning, the size of the fuel load, and the sources of ignition. As many have pointed out, this is not a simple "blame x, y, or z" problem - it is a combination of many factors. However it is a scientifically agreed position that the way Australia's climate has changed has created longer, hotter, drier, summers, and this has been the primary creator of the disastrous events this last three months. Longer summers leave less opportunity for controlled burns in winter, create a drier, more combustible fuel load, and that generates intenser fires that spread faster - through ember attacks and even lightning strikes created by clouds generated by the firestorm. The thing that shocked me was that this summer's fires (and we're not even halfway through it) are so bad, they are worse than the worst "worse case scenario" modelling the firefighting experts did last winter. Just think about that: worse than the worst case model. So moving forward, there will need to be new, more fiercer, and more destructive models to take into account the horrible possibilities... Stay safe everyone.

Interesting that (1) Loveless missed the tender top being black and (2) in the last two views on that linked page, it seems they tried a light and a dark shade, too. I'd be well pleased with the dark - it seems like a very defendable interpretation. Cheers Scott

Hi Julian - I have been snooping around and see your work on the DCC Concepts page, as well as that of the Gold Coast club here in Oz. No rush for now, but it's clear the Peco motorising kit is not good value for money, when the Locomotch one that indexes can be had for the same pennies (pounds!). Let's revisit the topic in a few months. In the meantime, not as an "I told you so", but rather, a "this is what I was thinking", here's an example of the sort of decay and dilapidation I am trying to suggest with my fence: I've now got 5 (!) Volumes of NE Steam Memories on Shed, and can recommend them to any NE/LNER modellers looking for inspiration or wanting to get a feel for the neglect of the region in the 1950-60's. Curiously, I'm thinking my coaling stage will use West Hartlepool as a basis, simply because I've more views of it than the one at Stockton. Cheers Scott

Someone has certainly been there before - I saw this Proscale P2 on eBay a few years back:

Deleted per photo owners request.

Ah... s*d it. If I don't do this now, I'll end up paying more in the middle of the year. Peco turntable ordered from MRD, along with a Maroon RU to provide some catering on my rake of mixed Mk1's that are in transit. I'll revisit the motorising options in due course. Cheers Scott

And a last thought... How about today's Hornby announcement? Wow. Not a fan of Thompson at all. But there's a strong argument if I am modelling the NE region, I probably should have one come visiting. Much more mouth watering is the W1. Especially in original condition in battleship grey. That's certainly on my radar. And yet the dearth of teak continues... meaning that second hand and used prices will remain inflated. It is such a minefield buying online and trying to avoid the releases that look like Ikea pineboard... Cheers Scott

And for a little colour, inspired by Gordon's show-your-mess-and-tell over at Eastwood Town, and to put a pin in the balloon of an idea that this scenery caper is all neat and tidy... That is the just palette of static grass materials I use to decorate the fence and allotment areas. I've got another collection of tubs set aside for the "lush" side of Stockrington, with greener hues of SG. And then there's the large box of foliage foam and flock in tubs. Oh, and another box of coal and ballast shades in tubs and jars. And then there is the space I lay out all the tools... This last shot is significant, as it's the site of Northmoor MPD, which I'm thinking will be my focus for 2020. Using the magic of Photoshop, it will take on a look something like this... If I do decide to focus here, it will be the bulk of the remaining tracklaying knocked over. There's a number of challenges that come with it - the worst being the restriction it will place on access to that turnout on the mainline; it's going to be "challenging" if I need to maintain it (tho' I'm thinking some form of board placed over the MPD throat will allow me to climb in there, if that is what is required...). I've also not selected a turntable - MRD have a sale right now where the Peco one at £38.99 was as low as I've ever seen it ... which is very tempting. The motorising kit for £53.13 is less appealing, and I do admit I wish the Metalsmith's Cowans & Sheldon 70ft ki actually came to fruition... I've only had my eye on it for 10 years now. *sigh* But before I get carried away, I have to finish that corner... Cheers Scott

Ah, yes, that was what I described as "outbuildings" They are underway... Good spot on the fence to the bridge Alan - I agree - and well add some post and rail fencing down that slope as suggested. There's actually two places where the local oiks have kicked in fencing panels - one at the end of each lane. It was deliberate, as it breaks up the monotony of the slab faced fence. You've now got me on a mission to see if I can see any such dilapidation in any reference material, to justify it. Worse come to worse, I might add some fresh unpainted wood planks to board those holes up! Cheers, Scott

And so here it is Sunday afternoon in Perth. My self-set target from the end of October was to complete the terrace corner by 31st December, but it proved a touch ambitious. I *did* get the houses done, but then as I looked at them in place, I was left with some odd shaped pieces of land bordering the curve of the railway. I had flocked them with some base cover, but it just looked *wrong*. And I also wanted to fence the railway, but couldn't decide between a fence following the railway, or one that mirrored the houses... In the end, I started by setting the fence, opting to follow the railway alignment. Being a masochist, I made a paling fencing using individual planks. A lot of them - turned out I needed almost 1500mm of fence to cover the corner. Once the fence was up, I decided it looked too bare, so set to adding long grass growing up against it. This was a bit stark, so I then applied some layering glue and static grassed it with dead grass. Much better. My eye then turned to the open space behind the fence... a dumped car body? Abandoned playground? Shopping trolleys... The I had another idea, and in my research, came across these two images: The first is brilliant - Newcastle (Gateshead), and some manky, poorly kept allotment gardens. The second showed me some larger allotments, on slopes, with partial or poor crops. Inspiration! I spread PVA down in rectangles, and covered it with coffee grounds, to represent the allotment areas, then went back on some of them, and added a thick bead, and covered this with Woodland Scenics "Earth" to represent the rows of tilled soil. I still have some work to do, but will eventually plant some greenery in these beds. In the others, I am planting weeds and tufts of grass. There's little outbuildings to be made, and a few other details. These extras are what blew my schedule, but they need to happen now, while reaching into the corner is easy. The tufts are made using the recovered static grass that I vacuum up - it tends to be dirty, or blended with base material, so I collect it up, take it, and roll it between my fingers, then cut one end of the "cigar" square. This is stood in a drop of PVA on a take away container lid. I make 50 or so at a time. Once all the tufts are place, I sprinkle a little "Earth" on the lid and flow it around, so the glue dots are all covered. When the glue is try, they slide off the container with the tiniest of nudges from a blade, and being PVA, are flexible - just dab some PVA on and plant. I started by taking fresh tufts of grass and planting them into the layout, but they look too clean and tidy. This way works better for me.... I still have a few dozen more tufts I want to plant, and have no people, but do want to add some to bring the area to life. But it's close to finished, and here's the state of play: Cheers Scott

This. I have (or "had", as it were) a soft bristle brush I used to clean out my Greenkeeper static grass applicator. Somehow during one of my sessions six months ago, it got put down in a less-than-logical location, and I've not sighted it since. There will be real joy in the air, on the day that it finally remakes my acquaintance! Happy New Year, and nice to see the steady progress, Gordon. Cheers Scott

Warm and cool are *exactly* the terms to use, Gilbert. It's the colour temperature of the light. I know you don't use it, but in Photoshop, you can even apply a simulated photography filter - in this case an 82 (blue) to remove the colour cast: Cheers, Scott

Excellent, Brian!

Picking email arrived overnight. All is good with the world!

Hmmmm.... I succumbed to temptation and ordered 6 Mk1's on 30th Dec. Not seen a picking slip yet.

Happy New Year everyone. No update just yet - just a note to say I didn't meet my target of finishing the terrace house corner by 31st December. Sadly, too many life events got in the way... But I'm close, and will post an update toward the end of the coming weekend. Best wishes to you and you loved ones for 2020 Regards, Scott

Hi Scott, yes it is. Fictional Stockrington is set right in the middle of the area referred to in that song, which is a favourite of mine. So hence the gangster's cars parked in the street, and indeed both the current thread title and Christmas message. I'll switch themes in the New Year once I finish detailing the terrace house corner - there's a paling fence, some static grass, and a few other bits and bobs to go. Regards Scott

Brilliant Video - a credit to the producer, and to your hard work!

Could have been worse: could have been a box of King Browns...

Gilbert/Tim - can you gents just confirm that 60003 has only been renumbered, not repainted, and that the transformation above is solely down to the "Tim"™ treatment? If that is the case... it really is amazing. Cheers Scott

Bl**dy colonials and their larrikin ways. Lucky FS even made it back home in one piece, eh?

I have been quietly waiting for your "philosophy" post, Gilbert; I had expected it to delve into the human nature of group-think, recalcitrant "members", and the dealings with factions at your golf club, and how those issues manifests themselves in the railway modelling community... but I was well off target. Your windows. I agree with what others have suggested, that there is an engineering solution to getting access to those fixtures to add/subtract/alter the soft furnishings. It may not be simple, and finding someone who can work with you to develop something might be hard, but if I understand it correctly, the 11" you have in front of those windows would allow some form of support to reach the floor and bridge the layout to temporarily gain access. It probably comes down to making a call as to how much the excess of light coming in those windows really bothers you or affects your enjoyment. Train sequences and "reality". And train formations. Your pondering here is really the same issue: you have created the "chocolate box" version where all trains run to the timetable, there are no interlopers, and the formations are strictly "by-the-book". And from what I understand, that perfection is starting to bother you. I believe this second slice of philosophy is actually harder to solve than the first (the first is pure engineering/economics; but "satisfaction" is harder to nail down). The advice I would offer you is to take a little time to contemplate what it is you now what to achieve with PN. You have the majority of the layout sorted; you are steadily improving the representations of the "chocolate box" formations and timetable. Anything beyond that strays into the world of supposition... not quite fiction, but recreating operational anomalies that generally are only recording by photographs in passing. Where does that search end? - do you only place cars and motor vehicles in the station forecourt if you have evidence they were parked there? Do you check the weathering on all your top link fleet to make sure that there is a record of each loco in the state of weathering you currently run them in? It really could go to the n-th extreme... So here's a question: are you wanting to try and recreate things seen in a photo, but not a timetable? More importantly, would that make you happy? That last question is truly the key: PN is your miniature world. We are just grateful bystanders, watching the recreation you are responsible for with envy via the photos you post. The photos you take, and spend so much time editing, keep us happy. But what about *you*? If you run representations of those anomaly services you mention, or run a train out of sequence, the only way we would know you didn't just swap the order of the photos you took, is if you told us. I truly hope there are times you go into the layout room, bring a train out from the storage tracks, and just let it circle the room a few dozen times, and sit back and enjoy it's progress around the layout. No camera to think about. No photoshop to wrestle with. No directional light spills to worry about. Just you and a train. Work out what makes you happy. Do that. We will celebrate whatever your "that" is. Cheers, Scott

Commerce 101: There are wants and needs. Relationships 101: Your partner *might* need some realignment - if not now, in the future. Good luck with the house!