With the old year drawing to a close and a new one appearing over the horizon, it is customary to offer up some sort of resolution. Something to do in the new year.
Quite why you need the arrival of a new year to resolve to do something is something that I've never quite understood. You can resolve to do something anytime you like. You don't hear of many folks offering up a birthday resolution though do you?
So I might as well jump on the bandwagon, even though it is probably very full with well meaning overweight, unfit, smokers etc: and offer up something.
By this time next year. I'd like to see track down and trains running into Saltfleet Haven. I'm not going to make any rash promises about a full detailed working exhibition layout. For 25 years of this idea have taught me that that is extremely unlikely.
So a Happy new year to all of you. Old friends who have turned up out of nowhere and new ones I've made. May your new year turn out to be as successful as you wish for.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Monday, December 28, 2009
cross blogging
I've just made this entry over at the protocrastinator http://protocrastinator.blogspot.com/2009/12/time-for-moan.html
Take a read of it and tell me if you think that if a British Model Railway magazine were to do something similar that they would fail to mention finescale track standards.
I tend to think not. But then again I've been out of touch of the UK model railway press for 10 years or so.
I think finescale standards are more readily embraced by the model railway mags in the UK than they are in the US of A. Perhaps its just me.
I'd certainly be interested in any points of view.
Take a read of it and tell me if you think that if a British Model Railway magazine were to do something similar that they would fail to mention finescale track standards.
I tend to think not. But then again I've been out of touch of the UK model railway press for 10 years or so.
I think finescale standards are more readily embraced by the model railway mags in the UK than they are in the US of A. Perhaps its just me.
I'd certainly be interested in any points of view.
Friday, December 18, 2009
It's working
It's working. Already. The cross-pollenation of ideas between 4mmscaleagonies and Protocrastinator is already hapenning after only a few short weeks of the two being up. Planning ideas do seem to pass between the two. I have even considered having both layouts exactly the same size and shape with the same trackplan.
I've always believed that "Its not what you've got it's what you do with it" and the idea of producing two vastly different layouts with the same trackplan does certainly appeal. We'll have to see where that particular "train of thought" (sorry about the pun) takes me.
I've always believed that "Its not what you've got it's what you do with it" and the idea of producing two vastly different layouts with the same trackplan does certainly appeal. We'll have to see where that particular "train of thought" (sorry about the pun) takes me.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Welcome the Protocrastinator...
(n) Protocrastinator is a person who puts off finescale Railroad (and railway modelling) for no good reason.
That would be me then, and by some incredible co-incidence Protocrastinator is the name of my new blog.
Why another blog?
Well, my sucessful US outline layout Seven day model Railroad is nearing the end of its journey. It was planned as a seven day layout and that's pretty much the time I've spent on it. So it fulfilled all my dreams. There are still things to do with it and there will still be a couple of model railway exhibitions it will attend as well as being written up in the model railway press. So there is a lot of life left in the old dog yet.
But it's not finescale. There is nothing that disappoints me more when I look at it than looking at the wheels. Those Steamroller wheels. Then there's the pointwork, those flangeways. They are nothing like what they are on the real thing. As I was building it several times I thought to myself.
"I should have built this in P87" But It wouldn't have been a 7 day layout then.
You could ask why I don't re lay this layout with P87 track and turnouts. It would have to be a bigger layout then. Turnouts would have been longer and the layout would have lengthened. Besides I am very attached to it and I don't want to tear it up.
So as I've already nailed my colours to the mast here with finescale 4mm modelling I decided to set up a new blog for a finescale 3.5mm scale project.
The two should go hand in hand quite comfortably. Progress on it might well be quicker than on here as ordering finescale bits and bobs will be easier and not subject to the vagaries of exchange rates.
So pop over there and check it out. Hopefully it will grow to be as much fun as here and you certainly shouldn't forget that name Protocrastinator.
That would be me then, and by some incredible co-incidence Protocrastinator is the name of my new blog.
Why another blog?
Well, my sucessful US outline layout Seven day model Railroad is nearing the end of its journey. It was planned as a seven day layout and that's pretty much the time I've spent on it. So it fulfilled all my dreams. There are still things to do with it and there will still be a couple of model railway exhibitions it will attend as well as being written up in the model railway press. So there is a lot of life left in the old dog yet.
But it's not finescale. There is nothing that disappoints me more when I look at it than looking at the wheels. Those Steamroller wheels. Then there's the pointwork, those flangeways. They are nothing like what they are on the real thing. As I was building it several times I thought to myself.
"I should have built this in P87" But It wouldn't have been a 7 day layout then.
You could ask why I don't re lay this layout with P87 track and turnouts. It would have to be a bigger layout then. Turnouts would have been longer and the layout would have lengthened. Besides I am very attached to it and I don't want to tear it up.
So as I've already nailed my colours to the mast here with finescale 4mm modelling I decided to set up a new blog for a finescale 3.5mm scale project.
The two should go hand in hand quite comfortably. Progress on it might well be quicker than on here as ordering finescale bits and bobs will be easier and not subject to the vagaries of exchange rates.
So pop over there and check it out. Hopefully it will grow to be as much fun as here and you certainly shouldn't forget that name Protocrastinator.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
I'm such a Luddite...
I have now read through the latest copy of Scalefour News.
DCC operation of Alex Jackson couplers. Mind boggling.
Blimey Charlie! I haven't even got around to the installing of AJ's on my stock let alone DCC operation of my locomotives yet.
DCC. Technology marches on. I suppose I should at least try it out somewhere.
But why should I fork out an extra $100 for a locomotive just because it has a computer chip in it (then lets not forget a new controller for another $150) when my straight DC loco's work fine as it is. You should have seen my FDT trackmobile on my US outline layout at the weekend. Ran to a perfect crawl. Same with my Athearn Genesis MP15-AC. So I just don't see the need currently. (Was there a pun there? Sorry)
What about other features like digital sound? Someone will chime in.
What about it? Say I. Surely the sound coming from our 4mm scale locomotives should be 1:76.2 scale too.
How loud is a class 31 throttling up? 90 decibels?
What's 1:76.2 of 90? 1.25 decibels. How loud is 1.25 decibels? Would you even hear it?
Just a thought from a Luddite. I'm sure that the subject has been hacked to death somewhere already.
Ironically the one DCC feature that interests me the most is the one that boggles my mind the most. DCC operation of couplers...
DCC operation of Alex Jackson couplers. Mind boggling.
Blimey Charlie! I haven't even got around to the installing of AJ's on my stock let alone DCC operation of my locomotives yet.
DCC. Technology marches on. I suppose I should at least try it out somewhere.
But why should I fork out an extra $100 for a locomotive just because it has a computer chip in it (then lets not forget a new controller for another $150) when my straight DC loco's work fine as it is. You should have seen my FDT trackmobile on my US outline layout at the weekend. Ran to a perfect crawl. Same with my Athearn Genesis MP15-AC. So I just don't see the need currently. (Was there a pun there? Sorry)
What about other features like digital sound? Someone will chime in.
What about it? Say I. Surely the sound coming from our 4mm scale locomotives should be 1:76.2 scale too.
How loud is a class 31 throttling up? 90 decibels?
What's 1:76.2 of 90? 1.25 decibels. How loud is 1.25 decibels? Would you even hear it?
Just a thought from a Luddite. I'm sure that the subject has been hacked to death somewhere already.
Ironically the one DCC feature that interests me the most is the one that boggles my mind the most. DCC operation of couplers...
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Thought for the day (2)
This is one of those off the wall sort of things so bear with me...
Christmas is coming (I'm sure I'll ramble more on that at some point) and in order to prepare the front room for our magnificent tree things have to be moved out into the basement. Including the exercise ball that I do a brief regimen of crunches and sit ups on in a morning as part of my marathon training. (You really are wondering where the heck this is going aren't you) So this is now in the basement and as luck would have it it is placed directly in front of the "mock up" of the Haven layout. So every time I come up from a sit up I get a marvellous eye level view of the layout. I have to say it still looks good. The Chapel appears to be perfectly placed and the goods yard looks pretty natural. So I'm still feeling pretty good about the whole concept. Perhaps I will get started in the new year after all.
See? It all comes together in the end....
Christmas is coming (I'm sure I'll ramble more on that at some point) and in order to prepare the front room for our magnificent tree things have to be moved out into the basement. Including the exercise ball that I do a brief regimen of crunches and sit ups on in a morning as part of my marathon training. (You really are wondering where the heck this is going aren't you) So this is now in the basement and as luck would have it it is placed directly in front of the "mock up" of the Haven layout. So every time I come up from a sit up I get a marvellous eye level view of the layout. I have to say it still looks good. The Chapel appears to be perfectly placed and the goods yard looks pretty natural. So I'm still feeling pretty good about the whole concept. Perhaps I will get started in the new year after all.
See? It all comes together in the end....
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