No internet to guide us?

Posted on May 26, 2021 by snitchthebudgie

From the “Micro/Small Model RR Layouts” Facebook page, with permission. Attributed to Al Judy, On30 Railroading.

‘Some very wise words from a long time modeler.  It is a very fair assessment of things by someone who has “been there and done that.”‘

I am often asked “how did you learn to do that” in reference to my modeling. I started to model seriously in the early 1970’s. Stripping, painting, lettering and weathering locos and rolling stock. Back then many of the products used today were not available or even thought of commercially so we had to improvise. Trial and error, creativity, repurposing and thinking outside of the box were everyday routines of the day. No internet to guide us or share techniques.

I started scratch building and kitbashing in the mid-80’s. I got my first airbrush for weathering and painting. As I got older and started traveling to train shows and hobby shop I began using more and more commercially produced products such as add on detail parts and specialty paints. But I still use, some of those early homegrown techniques that had proven to consistently produce good results. As my modeling skills developed, I continued to find and try new ways to advance my modeling. Using articles from model railroading magazines, tips from other modelers and so on but still No internet to guide us or share techniques.

It would still be another 20 years until internet sites like YouTube and Facebook would come into the modeling world as a source of information. Today, for many, especially younger modelers these are the go to sources for modeling how-to information. A useful tool but it has removed the hands on learning process which allows the modeler to develop skills and find what works best for them. To often modelers watch videos that profess “their way” to be the “best way” but in many cases this is just not true. It could be what works best for them, could be they are pushing a product for finical gain or could be they just think their opinion is the only opinion.

This is where the blessing of modern technology can also be a downfall for many modelers. Many that have not been exposed to the experience of hands on modeling in order to find their way and develop in the hobby end up abandoning model railroading. Why, you might ask? Well, for many reasons. The first being if the person making the video is advanced enough to be making a video then he more than likely has a skill set way beyond most of the modelers watching his video. Next they may be using materials and tools that are too advanced or too costly for their viewers to obtain. Finally, and this is my biggest pet peeve, some of the on line information being dispensed is just bad advice. Things that just don’t work well in a real world setting or really just don’t work at all. So a newbie modeler follows this advice, spends their money on tools or product, to imitate what they have watched or been told on the videos and when it does not come to fruition they become discouraged with the hobby and leave model railroading all together.

So I guess the point here is if you have all of the skills, materials, tools, money and time required, and you trust the source of the information then I say go for it. But if you want the hobby to be a lifetime of enjoyment, like it is for so many, then step back, take a breath and realistically consider what you have been told. One of the nice things about today’s internet is you can easily get a second or third opinion before making a choice. A choice that may not work, may drain your budget or possibly not even be necessary. Most discouragingly… it may not work at all.

Being a modeler for 50 years and currently the admin of modeling groups with over thirty thousand members I see this on a daily basis: Modelers disgusted with the results they are getting, modelers buying anything and everything under the sun with no direction or purpose in their modeling, modelers that have been told they are doing it wrong or not good enough.This is all misfortunate because everyone has to start somewhere and develop their skill from that starting point. Find what you love about the hobby and work towards a goal instead of hop-scotching all around the hobby. Be patient, much of what you see in posts and videos is the end result of years or decades of modeling experience. Someday you could be one of those people if you just take you time and enjoy the learning process that is model railroading

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A Swiss layout under way

Posted on May 24, 2021 by snitchthebudgie

Not mine, I hasten to add!!!!  I thought that I had better email Ian Milroy and tell him what I had done with his original Kuritu.  Fortunately he was complementary about the changes, and also sent me some pictures of his new layout….

Have dodged through the Covid crisis here thank you and railway modelling has saved my sanity. Thank goodness for the fifth emergency service, the delivery person. My supposed 8 year shed project seems to have accelerated in the last 12 months and is fairly complete although still plenty of room for detailing. I attach a few hastily taken photos, excuse quality. There are two main routes, a standard gauge sweeping through the foreground and of course an incorrectly gauged narrow gauge but I have tried to keep them far enough apart so it is less noticeable. The Rhb narrow gauge allows for my pet love of street running. Anyway thanks for the kind update and I really hope we can get back to Exhibition visits (myself, as a punter) in the near future and mayhap our paths will cross again. Ian. ps, my friend Robin who built San Maria Gandia with me, is progressing well with a spare bedroom layout set in Norway.

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All this lockdown time has generated quite a few new railways!

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The Flying Scotsman visits Redhill

Posted on May 22, 2021 by snitchthebudgie

It was all of five years ago when I watched the Flying Scotsman pass through Redhill.  Well, I remembered to revisit that same car park today to wait for the train to pass through.  I was there a little early, so could do a little trainspotting.  

A GWR Gatwick-Reading train enters Redhill.  My last employment was on the top floor of the building on the right.  It still looks very empty today, with my ex-colleagues still mainly working at home. 

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Last time I was here, these two blocks of flats weren’t.  And another new building is growing under that tower crane.  And I’m sure there were less trees and buddleia in the way last time.

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Let’s get all these units out of the way before the main event arrives.  We don’t want any Virgin-style embarrassments of boring EMUs blocking the view. 

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And here’s the Scotsman, coming around the curve from the Reigate line.  Heretical statement – BR loco green really suits this – and indeed most other – express locomotives.

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The West Coast rake was mainly of Mk1 coaches, plus a couple of Pullman cars.

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And the Class 47 on the rear of the train is presumably to heat and light the train, not just to keep an eye on the steam loco?

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And Brian caught the train on film further west at Betchworth…..

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ESNG meeting – 19 May 2021

Posted on May 20, 2021 by snitchthebudgie

As the UK escape from lockdown continues, we were delighted to hold the first ESNG meeting for over a year.  Only six people allowed to attend, and we kept the windows and doors open, and were largely masked through the evening.  But it was great to get things back underway.

We did manage to run a few trains, although not everyone had brought trains along.  We just about remembered how to put it all together, and after a thorough track clean, amazingly, it all worked.  I brought along my container train and my Blue Spot fish train, and both happily ran around all evening.

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Michael brought along a couple of panniers and some stock to run, as well.

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And Chris tested his excellent scratch built Sandite unit – including directional lights at both ends.  A very nice model of an unusual unit.

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And of course, there were the usual suspects!  It was good to meet up with Derek, Derek, Michael, Chris and Ian again, and we hope that these meetings, even with a few people each evening, can continue.

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We finished fairly early, but it was so good to meet up again and play trains!

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Potpourri #1026

Posted on May 18, 2021 by snitchthebudgie

The great railway room tidy-up continues.  Today’s task, sort out the odds and end box of screws, nails and bolts.  All the odds and ends go in here, and sorting a little should stop me going out and buying a new box of fixings!

Out and about today.  We start in Australia.

I do like sugar cane railways, having had a glimpse of a steam line in Java, and plenty of diesel action in Queensland.  But has anyone modelled a drawbridge railway level crossing?

No real reason for this one, but I do rather like these early Australian electrics.  An excellent preservation job – and the steam trains passing are rather interesting, too.

North to Japan.

An interesting little article on driving the first bullet trains in 1964.

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And this layout looks like Mr Rowlatt’s lounge on steroids!!!

Across the Pacific to the USA.

I really liked this layout.  3-rail O gauge, but the trains and scenery are so good, that you barely notice the third rail.

And we come in to land in the UK.

HS2 may be unpopular in places, but it’s going to be interesting engineering.  Here’s a report on the start of tunnelling north of London.

And at Kings Cross, they’ve reopened the third tunnel at the station throat.

Finally, this link looks very useful with today’s weather!

And you know this is true…..

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On my workbench – a little TLC

Posted on May 16, 2021 by snitchthebudgie

My focus this week has been to tidy up the railway room, and get a little bit more order into things – that has resulted in two black bags of junk going in the dustbin.

But I came across some interesting odds and ends, some of which I’d forgotten that I had.  Including some replacement PC boards. I realised that I’d ordered those for my Atlas Baldwin VO-1000’s, nearly ten years ago.  This was necessary after one locomotive had made a short sharp trip onto the Methodist Church floor at an ESNG show, and the following year I’d managed to blow all the boards in my DCC fitted locomotives (and I still don’t know why that happened.)  I’d also bought a replacement locomotive for the one that went flying, as I do very much like the prototype.

I took them apart, replaced the PC boards, and got them back together again.  An instant success, and they are now nicely running under DC.

Here they are ready for action.  They run a lot better than the little Life-Like SW9 switchers I was using before.  They represent two out of the five owned by the Lehigh Valley.  I may go back and have another look at the broken one that still won’t move in due course, as it looks repairable.

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Emboldened by my success, I then looked at my Atlas Central Rail Road of New Jersey Fairbanks-Morse H-15-44.  This line paralleled and rivalled the Lehigh Valley in a number of places, and had some interesting locos like this one.  The model revved up like mad and only moved in one direction.  This seemed to be a mechanical problem, as current was getting to the motor, that was happily spinning in both directions.  Again, I took it apart, and carefully put it back together, making sure that the bogie drive trains were in mesh.  It now runs perfectly.

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Finally, this Atlas EL Trainmaster.  One of my first N gauge locomotives – so it must be nearly 20 years old – but it still looks good.  This seemed to have blown its DCC board, but fortunately one find this week was a mysterious Atlas board, and it turned out to be the DC one removed from the Trainmaster.  A quick replacement, and this locomotive, too, is running again.

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All in all, a profitable morning’s work.  And it has given me the confidence to take N gauge models apart – and put them back together again.  However, this probably only applies to some brands……

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Covid-19 diary – Kuritu II – 11 – Finished!

Posted on May 14, 2021 by snitchthebudgie

Well, the Kuritu rebuild is finished.  There might be a few little things to do, but the layout is definitely ‘substantially complete’, as they say in the trade.  Overall, I’m very happy with the results – one of the best things that I’ve ever done, I think.

Last time out, I left you, gentle reader, with this overhead view.

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Since then, I strung the overhead, and built the frame for the lights.  Really another baseboard, but strengthened by an aluminium section along its length.  And then LED strip attached and wired up.

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This is the end result.  The photos aren’t too kind on my woodwork, but hey, you’re meant to look at the layout not the baseboard….

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And the next job – a massive tidy up before returning to Minories.

And to close, a string of photos of the layout.  Photographs of ‘N’ are never kind on the models, but overall, these could be a lot worse…..

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Potpourri #1025

Posted on May 12, 2021 by snitchthebudgie

Signs of age yesterday – forgot that Clan Line was passing through Reigate and Redhill.  But naturally, Brian got there.  What a lovely locomotive!

Steam Locomotive 35028 Clan Line at Reigate on a loaded test run on the Surrey Hills circular, with Belmond British Pullman rake of coaches, from London Victoria and back again. Taking it at a leisurely pace through Reigate station and right on time. Just avoided being bowled by a Class 165 on its way to Reading.

Two from the BBC.

There’s some debate as to whether the new Kato model will include the prototypical cracks.  They’ve captured everything else perfectly.  I keep telling myself – I don’t need one, I don’t need one!

High-speed rail services cancelled after cracks found in trains

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This is a good BBC report – good to see the hobby being taken seriously – and an excellent picture of the old Great Central.

‘My model railway is my little dream world’

A man who has painstakingly recreated a lost railway line says he has been surprised by the positive reaction on social media.

Keith Pell spent 1,500 hours rebuilding a model version of part of the Leicester section of the Great Central Railway in the garage of his home.

He posted a film of his tribute to the railway, which closed as part of the 1960s Beeching cuts, on Facebook, where it has had thousands of views.

Mr Pell, who used to go trainspotting with his dad in the 1960s, said his line was about “recreat[ing] that kind of atmosphere of watching trains go by”.

Switching over to ITV, at the end of this program (go to the last advert break) is an interesting report on DJB models.  Again, taken seriously (apart from the Thomas quotes) and an excellent ‘O’ gauge model featured as well. 

Made in Britain

RMweb noted it:

The ‘Made in Britain’ series shows a selection of British manufacturers across all industries and this week they showed DJH building 0 Gauge locos.  All done quite seriously without any hint of ‘playing trains’ – even when they showed Neil Corner’s lovely 0 gauge layout. Worth a look as and when it is repeated.

And Swathling station in LSWR days.  Truly a different world!

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Stewarts Lane – sort of

Posted on May 10, 2021 by snitchthebudgie

Amongst all my other projects ongoing, I have two N-club boards that need some railway on them.  So how about squeezing a quart into a pint pot?  Stewarts Lane lay just south of the River Thames in Battersea and was founded by the London Chatham and Dover Railway in 1862, to serve London Victoria railway station.  It was sited in the midst of a maze of railway lines.  The main LSWR main lines to Waterloo pass just to the north-west and the yard complex is crossed by various inner-city link lines, as well as some of the main lines to Victoria.  The massive LSWR Nine Elms shed is not far away to the east.  I never saw (as far as I can remember) steam at Stewarts Lane, but on a visit to London into Victoria there was always a chance of spotting one of Bulleid’s Co-Co electric locos, numbered 20001 to 20003.

This is what the area looked like in 1950 or so (taken from National Library of Scotland mapping.)  Not much chance of modelling this, even in N scale (though RMweb has in the past reported on a very nice P4 layout of the electric shed here.)

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But tucked away at the western edge of this very large engine shed and yard is this relatively small area.  There’s a 60′ (scaling off the map) turntable that served the whole complex, and an odd little shed attached.  The sidings adjacent probably were mainly used for coal stacks.  Running above on arches, the line above is the old LCDR Ludgate Hill branch, forming a natural backdrop and scenic break to the area.  Just to the east of this line is the LBSCR South London line, that you can see in the first map crossing both the engine yard and the main Waterloo line on a high viaduct.

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In 1900, it was a lot simpler, but a less interesting track layout.

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Although both of these yards could be modelled to scale, a little redesign to keep the character, but store locomotives rather than coal could give an interesting little layout.

And just to the north there’s the old Battersea loco shed.  It lies under one of the lines into Victoria.  Battersea Wharf and the Thames are just off the map to the north.  The water works became Battersea Power Station.  And you’ll note the famous Battersea Dogs Home bottom right – already there in 1900, and probably one of the few bits of this scene still in place (apart from Battersea Park, and the main rail lines.)  Stewarts Lane took over from Battersea in 1934, but I remember the buildings still in place in the 1960’s.  Maps from that era show the left hand roundhouse as a vehicle maintenance shed, and the right hand one as a roundhouse.

Both loco sheds were totally enclosed, including a small – perhaps 50′ – turntable, so they wouldn’t make a good model.  But this area is another interesting bit of railway history.

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And this is the sort of scene one might be aiming for – a Schools 4-4-0 somewhere in the Stewarts Lane complex.  Perhaps I’ll sketch this up at some point as a future project.  But for now, it had better be back to Minories!

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Links for the weekend

Posted on May 8, 2021 by snitchthebudgie

Nick Falconer posted this on NGF, but it bears repetition – especially for the amazing vertical fiddle yard.  Ladies and gentlemen, please don’t try this at home…..

American based, but a good primer on freight yards….

British Railways, 1959 style….

https://youtu.be/lHEJTskBfug

BBC says that Titanic-linked train carriages discovered in yard.  They appear to be old LSWR boat train coaches, that pre-dated the ‘Ironclads’.

And and interesting site, looking at making mainly plastic aircraft and armour kits. Modelling Weekly – YouTube.  Not quite our thing, but what I found interesting is the painting methods, airbrushing the models with black and light grey primer to give shadow and wear and tear effects.  Easier watched than explained.  Try this one.  Does it have any railway applications for weathering models?

Have a good weekend!!

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