Here’s a little modeling project for the Christmas break. If you have a siding that’s just too short for the wagons you need to park there, take a few old sleepers and hang it over a nearby stream.
And when someone at the show points out the folly of your ways, show them this picture (photo source unknown).
A full selection of the Stuttgart 2013 photos are now posted on the website, in the gallery. But here are a few samples to whet the appetite….
Great modelling….
People….
Eric….
Duncan’s T-track Westminster….
All track (except the short line and siding) laid on the second board. Wiring still to do, but I think I will get on and complete the third, 1200mm board, before wiring them both. The short line and siding will be added last of all.
Our Swiss layout, Dreibruken was donated to the club, and already 25 years old when we took her over. ESNG completely renovated the layout, and Dreibrucken has been a firm exhibition favourite. Unfortunately, the old lady is now a bit past it and has been retired. In 2005, Dreibruken appeared in the Continental Modeller, with some lovely photographs by Len Weal (one shown below)
The Continental Modeller has generously allowed us to reproduce the article on our web site, and sent us a copy of the text and the original photos on a disk. Have a look on the ESNG web site to read the full story.
A fairly quiet evening again tonight – cold weather and Christmas coming soon, I guess. Still, we did get a circuit running, as these photos show….
Trains running included Derek’s Kowloon Canton Railway train, a Kato model with double decked coaches and a loco at each end, that ran from Hong Kong to Canton. This took me back a bit, to 1992, and driving on the Tolo Highway in Hong Kong. If you timed it right, you could track this train for a couple of miles, as it was travelling quite slowly to find a path between the local Kowloon to Lo Wu stopping trains.
And that took me back further still, to 1985, and standing on Mongkok station with my 2 year old daughter. Mongkok is in a tunnel, and in those days, the pig trains were still running from China. Imagine a train of stock cars full of rather upset pigs at the end of a longish journey. The smell lingered for at least 20 minutes after the train went by.
Never mind, there would be fresh sweet and sour pork available the next day….
You thought that brown plastic rerailer was unrealistic? (Photo, source unknown).
As I mentioned in the last post, the design ideas in the ‘Missing conversation’ got me thinking about my LV modules.
As originally planned, the short line interchange had a loop and two more or less equal length sidings. One would be for interchange of cars between main and short lines and the other would have industries set out along it.
But I although I liked this plan, something was not quite right about it visually. I didn’t like the fact that I would have two or three buildings set along the back siding. A bit of thinking and doodling came up with the modified plan below.
If I got rid of the short spur on the loop (saving a point), the first siding could be lengthened as shown above. The second siding could remain as before. This revision has, I think, two benefits. Firstly, the industries and freight house (sketched in brown above) are now staggered and visually more interesting. Secondly, the long siding will be more interesting to operate. The left hand end will still be for interchange, but the right hand end will serve an industry. To get to this industry, the cars in the interchange will need to be moved. This is common on the prototype, but less so on our model railroads, where we tend to keep our shunting / switching simple. This looks like a good modification to me.
Luckily, I have only got as far as laying the left hand end of this board….
I have recently discovered a series of digital (PDF) books that have provided new inspiration in modelling. Mike Cougill models in P:48 (American O gauge 1:48, but with prototype gauge and standards). He writes on the O Scale Trains magazine blog at http://www.ostpubs.com/. His ‘Missing Conversation’ digital books can be purchased there give a fresh look at scale modelling including layout design. Recommended even for N gauge modellers.
Some quotes that I particularly liked were:
If you don’t have enough space for a layout, stop adding track.
When it comes to a layout, what’s most important to you?
Exploring the questions of “why” in the planning of a layout takes us to a different place. A place where we might just discover what really matters to us about prototype railroading and the ways we represent that with this hobby.
Starting with the question of why instead of how begins to clarify the deeper meaning the hobby carries for each of us and once we’re clear in our understanding of that, choosing how to express that meaning becomes much simpler.
The reasons given for tearing out an existing layout center on issues of boredom. The challenge has gone or it was never there in the first place. The question acknowledges there are turning points in this hobby.
His latest publication, ‘Composing a scene’ describes how he removed sidings from an already small and sparsely tracked layout to improve its visual composition and its realistic operation. It got me thinking about my modules – more in another post.
There are so many resources available at present to inspire realistic modelling. And less track doesn’t necessarily mean less operational potential – again, that’s another post!
We unloaded the fiddle yard and corners and other bits and pieces from the van on Monday night, Duncan having returned from Stuttgart. Wednesday night we got it all out again to put up a (small) N-club circuit.
We were slightly low on numbers, but there were plenty of trains running. A number of new purchases from Germany did the rounds, as did Paul’s Japanese stock.
Jon, Derek (the Apps) and Ian made a quick trip to St Joseph’s school to look at the options for catering at next year’s exhibition. Derek will measure up this week, and I hope to get a first plan out soon. Our new venue has the advantages of being on one level, with an on-site car park, and rooms that are probably easier to plan than at the Methodist Hall.
We will be meeting again next Thursday, as this meeting was put back a week. We will also be holding meetings on the planned dates of 18 December and 2 January – the members present felt that few of us would be away, and we should keep to the same dates.
(Photo source unknown)
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