tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44522066691649066612024-03-04T20:52:38.442-08:004mm scale agoniesThe trials and tribulations of building a 4mm scale model railway layoutIan Holmes http://www.blogger.com/profile/06278490690234299793noreply@blogger.comBlogger87125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4452206669164906661.post-74917337759893108162010-11-02T17:39:00.000-07:002010-11-02T17:40:08.755-07:00A little diversion...http://ians76mgb.blogspot.com/Ian Holmes http://www.blogger.com/profile/06278490690234299793noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4452206669164906661.post-89963191159881841392010-09-12T17:31:00.000-07:002010-09-12T18:11:53.033-07:00Exhibition report<div>Yes, that's right. A model Railway exhibition report. A British model railway exhibition report to boot! </div><div>I was recently in the UK visiting family and I discovered that my visit coincided with the Grantham Rail show. I needed to see a good old British model railway exhibition. See what I've been missing all these years. As luck would have it the show was even being attended by some old friends from Mablethorpe and district Model railway club. So we had a meeting behind the layout. Overdue membership fees were mentioned...</div><div>So to the show. Even though it was in a smallish hall, the organisers fitted 13 layouts in there and as many trade stands. </div><div>Every layout had something to recommend it, from N scale to O scale. All the layouts were well finished and presented. Even my American wife mentioned this fact.</div><div>So to my three favourite layouts.</div><div>3: Cromer (00 scale). A very atmospheric depiction of Cromer railway station in North Norfolk. The builder had got the modern atmosphere spot on even though it was a very simple track plan the standard of detail gave you a lot to look for.</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAozfv-kzyYc84K6tXFrhIhA9JSKXyPu_zu2JtCQH-WSvREE-IyXMTIqTi8cP32Xkwbsegp3Gh0L8UB6Lx5MaJ317u2KWlP1FDnvr8F-yg3zCIgwDDhvIRmNlxQJKIN1ElPjGdpXZPlZbM/s1600/cromerlayout.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAozfv-kzyYc84K6tXFrhIhA9JSKXyPu_zu2JtCQH-WSvREE-IyXMTIqTi8cP32Xkwbsegp3Gh0L8UB6Lx5MaJ317u2KWlP1FDnvr8F-yg3zCIgwDDhvIRmNlxQJKIN1ElPjGdpXZPlZbM/s400/cromerlayout.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516189776901420802" /></a>2. Winterschlaf (0M scale): OK, so it's Bob's layout from the M&D MRC but it really is a cracker. The scratchbuilt buildings are super and the detailing is great. Oh and he let me operate the trains as well... :-D. My first experience with DCC and it all ran very nicely.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrJjmU7ZJfFRVghE4DBWvCxlN2g87tf8Yxy3HKKa1wYAcWaApd85EDeZRVOEDdY6-gSUzlbs_4Q9Znji3J-K7zzskFR7K0JOKXm-zKbpVjJFwDzgQv9F_lDuwsMNjJ8xChupc3uUJObRlN/s1600/winter02.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrJjmU7ZJfFRVghE4DBWvCxlN2g87tf8Yxy3HKKa1wYAcWaApd85EDeZRVOEDdY6-gSUzlbs_4Q9Znji3J-K7zzskFR7K0JOKXm-zKbpVjJFwDzgQv9F_lDuwsMNjJ8xChupc3uUJObRlN/s400/winter02.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516189774841516658" /></a>1. Rowlands Castle (00 scale) What can I say? This layout blew me away. A depiction of Southern England in 1944. Excellent running and once again a staggering level of detail. Perhaps everything was a bit too clean.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvhMMGbsP75CGLUKRacx4OSWekdSE9kwV5Ov3obqO8DYF5P1o66pjdCH9cFlt3pGsxn141yVVynmkWpI-fRV4eV9E1o_AoAW1HAVcrauKJZz3RfUhUaTtUdmfnLe0vF8jhRqrPcMQHv4mb/s1600/rowland01.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvhMMGbsP75CGLUKRacx4OSWekdSE9kwV5Ov3obqO8DYF5P1o66pjdCH9cFlt3pGsxn141yVVynmkWpI-fRV4eV9E1o_AoAW1HAVcrauKJZz3RfUhUaTtUdmfnLe0vF8jhRqrPcMQHv4mb/s400/rowland01.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516189769024280162" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidO3eQ5qgOPc996iTpPSSKqUDD9SqyKHRwRt_OdE445lm2Nu0L9wLqmZFuco3oyd-kjGqnPA9JDrJwQtHQkwJvAAkMjHTSMcFayuy9WLOr6xS7qZ8N9KWJWzjA55TUeSW18xxFSM35NjkL/s1600/rowland02.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidO3eQ5qgOPc996iTpPSSKqUDD9SqyKHRwRt_OdE445lm2Nu0L9wLqmZFuco3oyd-kjGqnPA9JDrJwQtHQkwJvAAkMjHTSMcFayuy9WLOr6xS7qZ8N9KWJWzjA55TUeSW18xxFSM35NjkL/s400/rowland02.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516189762227482402" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfu_c7uWB2SyTzHOdUpAp9mLGMUR94R_ojIS99rnPaaLmMaYNxolB_m_nfXpSA9AcDerikEylmjDCCZF768x2BnyY5QKNZixa7yOvFN_FJc4-R5Nvm5guDMlLzCmcsFUrv2rJowHd8bNYb/s1600/rowland03.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfu_c7uWB2SyTzHOdUpAp9mLGMUR94R_ojIS99rnPaaLmMaYNxolB_m_nfXpSA9AcDerikEylmjDCCZF768x2BnyY5QKNZixa7yOvFN_FJc4-R5Nvm5guDMlLzCmcsFUrv2rJowHd8bNYb/s400/rowland03.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516189733904562194" /></a>The show was so refreshing to attend. Compared to the US shows I've attended it pretty well beats them all. The sheer variety of layouts for a start. UK modellers seem to have more imagination about subject matter for their layouts. Here we had French and Swiss layouts, a model of a steelworks and a wartime England layout. Most US shows centre around large modular layouts or Lionel. Also the layouts are invariably modern image. I'd like to be proved wrong on this. Perhaps its just the Midwest.<div>My only criticism of this show was the amount of motive power depot layouts. No less than three of the 13 were TMD's. One in N scale and the others in 00. In my memory I can't tell the two 00 scale TMD layouts apart now. Alas there does seem to be a plethora (or plague) of TMD layouts on the British exhibition circuit these days.</div><div>No P4 layouts unfortunately but that didn't matter. I enjoyed myself anyway. I even came way with a book of layout plans for inspiration and ideas but that's a story for another day... </div>Ian Holmes http://www.blogger.com/profile/06278490690234299793noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4452206669164906661.post-82927471258082670992010-05-07T12:05:00.000-07:002010-05-07T12:31:55.226-07:00It's time...... to do something. Don't you think?<div>It's not that I haven't been busy railway modelling. I took my <a href="http://7daymodelrailroad.blogspot.com/">H0 scale layout</a> to a local show and was very well received. I've been dabbling in T scale still. On top of that I bought myself a <a href="http://ismypenmightier.blogspot.com/">new camera</a>. </div><div>While I was working on some T scale stuff I became aware of the UK outline kits and bits that are being produced in T scale including a <a href="http://www.tgauge.co.uk/product/71/2/english-electric-deltic-kit-due-may-2010">Deltic</a>, of course that got me thinking about my UK outline project - this one. I've got to get started and kill this inertia that has built up.</div><div>Taking the 7 day layout to the show taught me one thing. Saltfleet Haven CANNOT be 4'6 long. It won't fit in the back of our small car. Four foot is the maximum length. No two ways about it. All previous sketches and designs have been based around a 4'6" length that will have to change, hopefully it won't kill the atmosphere of the design though.</div>Ian Holmes http://www.blogger.com/profile/06278490690234299793noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4452206669164906661.post-85161128670985063652010-03-02T04:02:00.001-08:002010-03-02T04:06:14.197-08:00Quiet on the 4mm scale frontJust in case you're wondering if I've dropped off the face of the earth . No I haven't. I'm working on some stuff in T scale 1:450 including the worlds <a href="http://more-t-please.blogspot.com/2010/02/gondola-progress.html">first scratchbuilt piece of T scale freight stock</a> this 65' mill gondola is only 45mm longIan Holmes http://www.blogger.com/profile/06278490690234299793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4452206669164906661.post-10906126508473304962010-02-23T11:52:00.000-08:002010-02-23T11:57:57.622-08:00Field Trip!Anytime you can find a return plane ticket between the USA and the UK for under $1000 you snap it up. So I did.<br />Got to wait 6 months for the flight mind. But for sure one thing I will be doing will be heading up to Saltfleet Haven and taking some pictures for atmosphere.<br />We arrive August Bank Holiday weekend. Well it'll be raining then. global warming or no global warming. One thing you can be fairly sure of is rain on August Bank Holiday. We even used to plan the Mablethorpe & District Model Railway Club Exhibition for August Bank Holiday Monday because of the rain and folks wouldn't be on the beach. Didn't we Yan?Ian Holmes http://www.blogger.com/profile/06278490690234299793noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4452206669164906661.post-8948123353947851002010-02-19T11:24:00.000-08:002010-02-19T11:27:14.766-08:00Paid upIronically, I was working on a 1:450 scale (T scale) model of a midwestern grain elevator and I realised that I hadn't renewed my subscription for the S4 society yet. <div>So I quick as a flash got online and did it. </div><div>Got to love being able to do these things online. Two minutes and it was done just like that.</div><div>Another years worth of S4 help and inspiration is mine.</div>Ian Holmes http://www.blogger.com/profile/06278490690234299793noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4452206669164906661.post-88806119542835908972010-02-11T17:50:00.000-08:002010-02-11T17:52:04.260-08:00Something differentMore T Please is the name of my blog about my activities in T scale. The worlds smallest model railway scale. <a href="http://more-t-please.blogspot.com/2010/02/enthused-again.html">Pop over there</a> to see some inspirational examples of work in this tiny scaleIan Holmes http://www.blogger.com/profile/06278490690234299793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4452206669164906661.post-20766649794127306922010-02-05T12:13:00.000-08:002010-02-05T12:21:58.471-08:00Something Tangible<div>I'm sure there are some of you out there in P4 land that think.</div><div>"That Ian, he's all mouth and trousers. He'll never get that Saltfleet Haven layout built".</div><div>I don't blame you I do tend to run off at a totally unrelated tangent and go modelling somewhere else for a time. But it keeps me fresh I feel and skill that I develop in the other scales, I can use here. But to prove there is some tangible progress being made towards the layout. Here is a progress shot of the tin chapel.</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidZ0xy8c9LuECGHqSALoB6I-BNAY10LQ6qJkPRGAnDTrtImgcQWsIPiHujZIMf1_-Uap_lG5ZcfnaxJPuJIs2gLIe1uIPYTyK9sL3k3AtH5bMdmZcqvw9T0z0mIWBR32onMiZ88FUqBH6T/s1600-h/chapel.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidZ0xy8c9LuECGHqSALoB6I-BNAY10LQ6qJkPRGAnDTrtImgcQWsIPiHujZIMf1_-Uap_lG5ZcfnaxJPuJIs2gLIe1uIPYTyK9sL3k3AtH5bMdmZcqvw9T0z0mIWBR32onMiZ88FUqBH6T/s400/chapel.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434855239511186562" /></a>Still a ways from being completed but I'm feeling pretty good about it.Ian Holmes http://www.blogger.com/profile/06278490690234299793noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4452206669164906661.post-67486873734381263912010-02-02T07:44:00.000-08:002010-02-03T08:20:25.549-08:00Scalefour News Day!Indeedy!<br />Scalefour News No. 166 lay inside my snow covered mailbox on my arrival home from work yesterday. It had been a long slow commute home. So I was in the mood for a good read and News 166 didn't disappoint.<br />How to convert a Jinty to P4. A good solid beginners article. To show just how easy it is to re-wheel stock to P4. Having just done my own Class 08 re-wheeling. I can testify that it really is that easy.<br />I also enjoyed reading about converting a Bachmann loco to Irish P4 standards. Not something I'd even thought about before. Irish broad gauge for model railways that is.<br />This is the Scalefour North issue so there's lots of lovely photos of the layouts to be on show there to drool over in the pull out guide section in the middle. Being 4,000 miles away from Scalefour North good quality photo's of the layouts in question are always appreciated. Super.<br />There was one photograph that really intrigued me. Page 29 the snow covered scene from Ian Everett's "Royston Vasey" layout. I like snow scenes. I've tried (and failed miserably) to create my own snowbound models. This looks really neat. I want to see more.<br />So there you are, another grand issue of the News.<br />If I have one criticism. It's the front cover. It looks like the typography was just thrown on there. I'd like to have seen the "Scalefour News" title at the top so it didn't obscure some of the very nice cover photo. I don't think we needed the date and issue number bar on there both horizontally and vertically. But that's just me. Actually I don't even like the title's typeface. But I'm an out of touch graphic designer who hasn't done the job for 5 years so what do I know about current trends. I'll go and do some model making....<br /><br />p.s I found some more pictures of Royston Vasey on <a href="http://clecklewyke.wordpress.com/">Ian Everetts blog</a>.Ian Holmes http://www.blogger.com/profile/06278490690234299793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4452206669164906661.post-50426210383121693352010-01-25T09:12:00.000-08:002010-01-25T18:21:41.079-08:00Green Paint!I never thought that I would be happy to see a bottle of green acrylic paint. But there you go strange things happen in the model railway world.<br />Why was I so happy to see such an insignificant thing?<br />Well, over the past couple of weeks I've been doing a bit here, a bit there on the Wills tin chapel kit. Steady progress in small increments barely worth reporting until the kit was finished. It is such a simple kit. "I'll have it finished in no time."<br />Or so I thought. I reckoned without the purchase of some green acrylic paint to do the outside of the structure.<br />It seems that there are still hobby shops that persist in the misguided ideal that enamel paints are the only sort of paints. They've never heard of acrylics. Even in shops that do stock acrylics, the water based paint is outnumbered 3:1 by the oil based stuff.<br />Acrylics are so easy to work with. Barely ever needing thinning in my experience, a bit of water does the job. They brush on so easily <em>(spraying is a topic for another day)</em> . Enamels you always have to thin, If you don't it's like painting with treacle.<br />Don't get me started on clean up. Water people! That's all you need...<br />So all in all it took about 3 weeks to find a colour of paint that I thought would be suitable. I hope to gosh it is suitable because the lighting in the paint aisle was so poor it was difficult to tell. Even looking in the daylight was risky as it was a very overcast , grey day. I'd paint the structure tonight except the "new" series of Top Gear starts on BBCAmerica.<br />So there you go "4mm scale agonies" come in all forms<div><br /></div><div><i>p.s. The episode of Top Gear concerned the race between Tornado, a Jag and the Vincent motor cycle</i></div>Ian Holmes http://www.blogger.com/profile/06278490690234299793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4452206669164906661.post-41330234127778969192010-01-13T11:54:00.000-08:002010-01-13T11:56:02.215-08:00Ice to see you...Some of you will have seen this already if you're on your toes.<br />Otherwise <a href="http://railwayeye.blogspot.com/2010/01/ice-to-see-you-to-see-you-ice.html">http://railwayeye.blogspot.com/2010/01/ice-to-see-you-to-see-you-ice.html</a><br />What I find fascinating is that the icicle is pretty much shaped to the loading gauge...Ian Holmes http://www.blogger.com/profile/06278490690234299793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4452206669164906661.post-68980233999406061422010-01-07T17:02:00.000-08:002010-01-07T17:09:07.654-08:00The Proof<div>Here we go then following requests for a picture <i>(usual apologies for the wallpaper)</i>. A straight out of the box Bachmann 08 converted to P4. Yes, the tension lock couplers are <i>still</i> there. But look, you can barely see the wheel flanges as it should be.</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGxzOzwu1wOsbzNzhtvFATxob839VIlkTnUzqclVscFOoTBP5_JK4r9J2u-A_SglKk9ZYyWGcqLgdfMG40YfsDQfe87kjWmKLP4ZWHRf6MQ3xkTbsfxqJjtFB-w3G_H7HIlzIXgbSfGYlp/s1600-h/08_P4.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGxzOzwu1wOsbzNzhtvFATxob839VIlkTnUzqclVscFOoTBP5_JK4r9J2u-A_SglKk9ZYyWGcqLgdfMG40YfsDQfe87kjWmKLP4ZWHRf6MQ3xkTbsfxqJjtFB-w3G_H7HIlzIXgbSfGYlp/s400/08_P4.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424168301127491538" /></a>So after a bit of weathering, some detailing and some new couplings. I'll have a very nice P4 loco.Ian Holmes http://www.blogger.com/profile/06278490690234299793noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4452206669164906661.post-42911579007274947922010-01-06T19:13:00.001-08:002010-01-07T05:59:20.373-08:00First P4 Loco!Yes that's right. <div>I now have my first P4 converted locomotive. My Bachmann 08.</div><div>I've had the Ultrascale wheels for long enough and there was nothing on the TV so, spurred on by Yans progress with <a href="http://grogleyjunction.blogspot.com/2009/12/gw-pannier-tank-4666-1.html">his first P4 conversion</a> with the thought that my 6 coupled 08 couldn't be any more difficult than his 6 coupled Pannier Tank. I pulled the model out of the box.</div><div>The P4 wheels are just a straight replacement for the old ones. It's as simple as that. You don't have to do any major disassembly of the chassis. Just pop out the plastic strip that holds the brake gear in place and unscrew the keeper plate that hold the wheels in place. Take the old wheels out. Put the new ones in and swap over the connecting rods. Though you do have to drill the crank pin holes out to 2.1mm to fit over the new crank pins. Not a difficult task just be careful. Pop the keeper plate back in place and the brake gear strip and put it on the track turn on the power and...</div><div>Oh.</div><div>It doesn't go.</div><div>Why?</div><div>DOH!</div><div>Because these wheels are narrower and further apart than the old ones the contacts on the backs of the wheels for current collection don't. Contact the wheels that is. So you have to undo everything you just did. Remove the wheels bend the contacts so that they touch the back of the wheels.</div><div>Reassemble everything. </div><div>Pop it on the track. Turn the control and...</div><div>BINGO!</div><div>It works! it runs just as smoothly as before. </div><div>Got to admit to feeling pretty pleased with myself tonight.</div>Ian Holmes http://www.blogger.com/profile/06278490690234299793noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4452206669164906661.post-65543985785484442422010-01-05T07:23:00.000-08:002010-01-05T07:28:51.606-08:00Interesting videoThe following video at the link below came to my attention.<br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7KHkp0oJd4">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7KHkp0oJd4</a><br />For those of you who think that P4 layouts are slow running terminus to fiddle yard layouts that have trouble with stock staying on the track.<br />This video of the "Mostyn" P4 layout disproves all that.<br />The trackwork is excellent and the running is outstanding.<br />There is nothing more to say.<br />Enjoy.Ian Holmes http://www.blogger.com/profile/06278490690234299793noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4452206669164906661.post-16241843261731715782010-01-04T11:48:00.000-08:002010-01-04T11:57:06.442-08:00The Rev. Peter DennyI'd thought that the first post of the new year on here would be about some modelling. But alas no. I am saddenned to report the passing of the Rev. Peter Denny age 92. Railway modeller and pioneer of finescale railway modelling.<br />His EM gauge Buckingham Great Central layout was an inspiration to us all. He was a founder member of the EM Gauge Society.<br />I can still remember how taken I was by the pictures of his Buckingham Great Central in one of my first issues of Railway modeller that I bought in the late 70's. The layout had everything, detail <em>and</em> atmosphere.<br />Reflections of the man and his legend will fill the model railwaying internet soon from people more knowledgeable about him than I.<br />I'm just going to remember a huge influence.Ian Holmes http://www.blogger.com/profile/06278490690234299793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4452206669164906661.post-9474141599486023382009-12-31T14:12:00.000-08:002009-12-31T14:21:04.339-08:00What Ho 2010!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.<br />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?<br />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.<br />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.<br />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.Ian Holmes http://www.blogger.com/profile/06278490690234299793noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4452206669164906661.post-45941078275086691792009-12-28T07:05:00.000-08:002009-12-28T07:13:15.824-08:00cross bloggingI've just made this entry over at the protocrastinator <a href="http://protocrastinator.blogspot.com/2009/12/time-for-moan.html">http://protocrastinator.blogspot.com/2009/12/time-for-moan.html</a><br />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.<br />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.<br />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.<br />I'd certainly be interested in any points of view.Ian Holmes http://www.blogger.com/profile/06278490690234299793noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4452206669164906661.post-13876123232260502972009-12-18T10:49:00.000-08:002009-12-18T11:02:31.805-08:00It's workingIt'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.<br />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.Ian Holmes http://www.blogger.com/profile/06278490690234299793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4452206669164906661.post-78702856895381063682009-12-07T06:15:00.000-08:002009-12-07T06:35:11.793-08:00Welcome the Protocrastinator...<em>(n) Protocrastinator is a person who puts off finescale Railroad (and railway modelling) for no good reason.</em><br />That would be me then, and by some incredible co-incidence <a href="http://protocrastinator.blogspot.com/">Protocrastinator</a> is the name of my new blog.<br />Why another blog?<br />Well, my sucessful US outline layout <a href="http://7daymodelrailroad.blogspot.com/">Seven day model Railroad</a> 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.<br />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.<br />"I should have built this in P87" But It wouldn't have been a 7 day layout then.<br />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.<br />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.<br />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.<br />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 <a href="http://protocrastinator.blogspot.com/">Protocrastinator</a>.Ian Holmes http://www.blogger.com/profile/06278490690234299793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4452206669164906661.post-72830944322744351132009-12-03T08:02:00.000-08:002009-12-07T06:14:22.300-08:00I'm such a Luddite...I have now read through the latest copy of Scalefour News.<br />DCC operation of Alex Jackson couplers. Mind boggling.<br />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.<br />DCC. Technology marches on. I suppose I should at least try it out somewhere.<br />But why should I fork out an extra $100 for a locomotive just because it has a computer chip in it <em>(then lets not forget a new controller for another $150)</em> 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. <em>(Was there a pun there? Sorry)</em><br />What about other features like digital sound? Someone will chime in.<br />What about it? Say I. Surely the sound coming from our 4mm scale locomotives should be 1:76.2 scale too.<br />How loud is a class 31 throttling up? 90 decibels?<br />What's 1:76.2 of 90? 1.25 decibels. How loud is 1.25 decibels? Would you even hear it?<br />Just a thought from a Luddite. I'm sure that the subject has been hacked to death somewhere already.<br />Ironically the one DCC feature that interests me the most is the one that boggles my mind the most. DCC operation of couplers...Ian Holmes http://www.blogger.com/profile/06278490690234299793noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4452206669164906661.post-67103209492779147762009-12-01T05:38:00.000-08:002009-12-01T05:56:45.555-08:00Thought for the day (2)This is one of those off the wall sort of things so bear with me...<br />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. <em>(You really are wondering where the heck this is going aren't you)</em> 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.<br />See? It all comes together in the end....Ian Holmes http://www.blogger.com/profile/06278490690234299793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4452206669164906661.post-34682508186537763112009-11-25T11:26:00.000-08:002009-11-25T11:27:23.747-08:00Thought for the dayWhere is my latest copy of Scalefour News? It can't be far away.<br />I'm really in the mood for a good P4 read...Ian Holmes http://www.blogger.com/profile/06278490690234299793noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4452206669164906661.post-50006969504151011842009-11-21T19:01:00.000-08:002009-11-22T18:18:26.408-08:00Get off yer backside and do something!It's tempting. The 2010 <a href="http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/">RMWeb</a> challenge has been announced. The competition is to build a layout in 2010 square inches by 20th October 2010. 2010 square inches is just under 14 square feet. Way way more than what I have planned for the Haven layout. But it might just be the catalyst to get me going on the scheme at long last. I have plenty of stock waiting to be converted all the track I need. But (and this is a pretty big but) no baseboard. Have to see if I can get around to building a baseboard after Christmas. <div>I always seem to end up building baseboards in January, one of the coldest months of the year when its flippin' freezing in the garage. Haven't quite worked out why it seems to end up that way. You'd think I'd learn my lesson after all these years...</div>Ian Holmes http://www.blogger.com/profile/06278490690234299793noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4452206669164906661.post-58390504719178577932009-10-21T12:03:00.000-07:002009-10-21T12:31:28.345-07:00No news is not bad news...I feel the pages of this blog are long overdue for and update.<br />So what has happenned in the last month to this layout?<br />Well not a lot really. I'm encouraged to see that Ultrascale charged my credit card for the Class 08 conversion unit I ordered a few months ago. Perhaps that will be here soon and I can get a locomotive running that would really fire things up.<br />I have started assembling various wagon kits as well as the Wills Chapel that will grace the layout. I had forgotten how well made Wills kits were and how easily they go together, it's such a long time since I had one.<br />The piece of wood referenced in an earlier post ended up getting used on a <a href="http://7daymodelrailroad.blogspot.com/">totally different project</a>. Something totally off the wall and diametrically opposed to the P4 layout in so many ways. But it was great fun though a part of me wishes I'd built that in P87.<br />One final thing I got my wish in the end and wasn't accepted for the London Marathon so perhaps next year I can time my visit back home with a visit to Scaleforum...Ian Holmes http://www.blogger.com/profile/06278490690234299793noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4452206669164906661.post-27196042001784147332009-09-04T13:05:00.001-07:002009-09-04T13:16:11.253-07:00Mystery Baseboard<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv7p-q130QmYbxD2wRE1SRPpBIYkLTkCegyvQOHk10q6LikSJ9pyLHqvOkMRir36YxhDtZct_Eqz46pj2n5NyzOr436R1-0AItA01rCsXZfgvgGGIQduP0-7KnQgkShBDIQzZre_PtVULv/s1600-h/mysterybaseboard.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv7p-q130QmYbxD2wRE1SRPpBIYkLTkCegyvQOHk10q6LikSJ9pyLHqvOkMRir36YxhDtZct_Eqz46pj2n5NyzOr436R1-0AItA01rCsXZfgvgGGIQduP0-7KnQgkShBDIQzZre_PtVULv/s400/mysterybaseboard.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377705974864766962" /></a>Sometimes something just hits me. This offcut of 1/4 ply has been lying around unnoticed in my garage for a long time. Yet today when I came back from a 15 mile run (should have been 20 but it got too hot for me) and saw it there I was struck by the curved edge. <div>"You know what? That looks like a riverbank" I thought to myself. Immediately I started to think about if this was a possible baseboard for the Haven layout. No matter that I was totally jiggered from running 15 miles in upper 70'sF heat. I had to think about it. Deliriium perhaps. The wood is 5' long x 12" deep at the deepest point. I'm not saying that this would be the baseboard for the layout. But its certainly useable for part of the quayside I think. Anyway I've not posted for a while so I thought I'd just throw this out there. Just to show I'm still actively engaged in this project even though there are other things on my plate. </div>Ian Holmes http://www.blogger.com/profile/06278490690234299793noreply@blogger.com0