The Night Mail

[Oldddudders]

So nice to read of the Christmas Spirit being alive and well in the modelling community.....

[Happy Hippo]

17 hours ago, pH said:

CBC have done an item on some model railway layouts in the Vancouver area:
 

https://www.cbc.ca/newsinteractives/features/Hidden_Museums

 

My wife used to work in Moscrop school mentioned in the article, but says that that layout wasn’t there in her time.

It only goes to show the differing approach to the way model railways are perceived each side of the pond.

 

I suppose a lot of modellers look at what we do over here and shake their heads in disbelief.  Looking the other way, after the room envy has subsided, we see complete railroad operation on a divisional level, rather than our more familiar 'Pottering in the Dales', and it's small wayside station modelled to the 'N th' degree.

 

 

 

 

[PhilJ W]

49 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

It only goes to show the differing approach to the way model railways are perceived each side of the pond.

 

I suppose a lot of modellers look at what we do over here and shake their heads in disbelief.  Looking the other way, after the room envy has subsided, we see complete railroad operation on a divisional level, rather than our more familiar 'Pottering in the Dales', and it's small wayside station modelled to the 'N th' degree.

More a case of horses for courses. Few of us here in the UK have basements, something quite common in suburban North America. Also exhibitions are few and far between because even with the Freeways it can take hours to get to a venue. Thus we have portable layouts which with the exception of events such as Warley do not take journeys of more than a couple of hours. In North America many of the layouts as portrayed in the article have open days when the public can view them. 

[Happy Hippo]

2 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

More a case of horses for courses. Few of us here in the UK have basements, something quite common in suburban North America. Also exhibitions are few and far between because even with the Freeways it can take hours to get to a venue. Thus we have portable layouts which with the exception of events such as Warley do not take journeys of more than a couple of hours. In North America many of the layouts as portrayed in the article have open days when the public can view them. 

I totally agree, but the difference between 'us and them' is the difference in the way model railways are operated.

 

In the USA, even a modest short line built into a box room, not dissimilar to  Cyril Freezer's 'second smallest room in the house', is not built on the single terminus to fiddle yard arrangement.  It will be built as part of the route, featuring multiple locations and industries.  The US modeller is not scared off by overly sharp curves and the right angle/straight/right angle approach to laying track if it allows  the operational aspects of the railway to be modelled.

 

Tom Klimoski's  Georgia North Eastern does  a little bit of this, but that should not detract from some great modelling:

 

https://www.thomasklimoski.com/georgia-northeastern

 

The late Iain Rice applied the 'American' concept with his UK version called Tai Bach:

 

 

 

 

Yet when you look at some of the larger model railways that have been built in the UK they do tend to be a single location, and sharp curves and arrow straight lengths of track are the work of the devil.

 

I am sure that we could all go out and trawl through endless magazines and web sited to find exceptions to this, but it is worth thinking about.

 

No doubt someone will carry out PhD level research in this and come to the conclusion it is all down to the British fanaticism of the buffer and chain link coupling that is to blame.  Certainly we appear to have more coupling systems in 4 mm scale market to cater for all variations of modeller from the pre teen child all the way through to the masochistic short sighted grumpy person.  In comparison the Americans with their few variations on the Janney centre coupler, must feel slightly bemused by it all.

 

Perhaps those who promote 3 link couplings and therefore either very straight layouts or, those with more generous curves, make those modellers who are less inclined to high blood pressure and short fuses, sub-consciously inferior, with their reliance of other 'less scale' systems.  We'll not go off down the sub route of correct lamps on locos and train ends, or the DMU driver that never changes ends when he should etc.

 

However, looking at the way that a number of Americans are operating their model railways, it is noticeable that they are tending to trip the Kadee couplers not with magnets, but with a type of shunter's pole made from a wooden skewer.  This smacks of copying the 3 link brigade, so perhaps a bit of British influence is heading westwards.

 

I on the other hand trip my 3 link couplings with a hand held magnet in an attempt to get the best of both worlds.

 

Should I ever indulge in  4 mm enterprise, purely for the grandchildren you'll understand, something along these lines, from Peco's set track plans might not go amiss.  Not quite in the complete line league, but it is only  a tad over 6' x 4'!:

 

 

 

[SM42]

We have arrived in Ladek Zdroj and have WiFi 

 

Stopped off on the way in Wambierzyce  to see some animated scenes from the bible,  built in 1850. 

 

They are wound up with a big handle and make the traditional winding up noise.

 

One has the workings on show, all made from wood. Fascinating, but photos weren't allowed so can't show it on here. 

 

The fire is lit and lunch is cooking. 

 

Cake is a distinct possibility later. 

 

Andy

Edited December 26, 2023 by SM42

[Dave Hunt]

No. 1 son and friend left today so I was looking forward to escaping to the shed for a while but on waking this morning I found that I have turned into a snot monster with a sore throat and headache so have spent the day wrapped in blankets and hot water bottles in front of the haunted fish tank instead. Rats! I now have five days to get rid of this lurgy (not the wuflu) before our next lot of visitors arrive for new year. What fun.

 

Dave 

[Flying Fox 34F]

22 hours ago, pH said:

CBC have done an item on some model railway layouts in the Vancouver area:
 

https://www.cbc.ca/newsinteractives/features/Hidden_Museums

 

My wife used to work in Moscrop school mentioned in the article, but says that that layout wasn’t there in her time.

Just read the article.  Some impressive work to be seen.  The two system style railways I recall from my youth in the UK, were Crewchester and the Sherwood Section of the LMS.  Curiously, both clockwork powered at the time, built to O gauge coarse standards.   The late Iain Rice always dreamed of creating bits of the Sherwood Section in 4mm scale.
Currently, there is a OO gauge system under development called Hills of the North on here, featuring Carlisle, parts of Shap, The S&C, part of the Waverley Route and a representative version of Manchester Central.

I did notice the usual comments about fears for the future and not enough space available.  Sounds familiar as I’ve heard this multiple times in the last 40 odd years!

Finally, the images of the couple with the model railroad in the Apartment Living Room, got my attention.  The wife doesn’t look impressed at all!!!!!

 

Paul

[Happy Hippo]

Watch out chaps!

 

[Oldddudders]

Too much beaver can really limit your energy and modelling time. 

[SM42]

49 minutes ago, Oldddudders said:

Too much beaver can really limit your energy and modelling time. 

 

Play havoc with the layout legs. 

 

Andy

[Flying Fox 34F]

1 hour ago, Happy Hippo said:

Watch out chaps!

 

Reminds me to watch the Naked Gun movie again.

 

Paul

[PhilJ W]

Making The World Busiest Station Shinjuku Station in 1/150'

 

[Hroth]

2 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

Watch out chaps!

 

 

Definitely Post-Watershed...

 

[Dave Hunt]

2 hours ago, Oldddudders said:

Too much beaver can really limit your energy and modelling time. 

 

Especially eager beavers.

 

Dave

[Happy Hippo]

I thought that it was Evri, upping their delivery schedule for my new Christmas  lights.

 

 

It was Shropshire Fire and Rescue delivering fire safety notices to the lane.

Edited December 26, 2023 by Happy Hippo

[Happy Hippo]

28 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

 

Especially eager beavers.

 

Dave

I loved driving an Eager Beaver.

[Happy Hippo]

44 minutes ago, Hroth said:

 

Definitely Post-Watershed...

 

I thought Watershed Down was about rabbits.

[Winslow Boy]

1 hour ago, Happy Hippo said:

I thought Watershed Down was about rabbits.

At Christmas that's not very nice is it.

[AndyID]

I was a Cub Scout. I'm not sure there were Beavers back then.

[pH]

View from the cafe at lunch today:

 

[jamie92208]

Good moaning from a rather wet part of Bradford, wifi has been found though.  No beavers here that I know of. 

 

Jamie

[SM42]

Its a beautiful sunny day here in southern Poland with the temperature hovering around 4c 

 

Not sure what is planned today so anything could happen in the next 6 hours. 

 

Andy

[Flying Fox 34F]

Nice sunny start in Romania.

 Apparently, we are going to purchase appliances for the new kitchen.  Fortunately, the Deltic fund is not involved, it’s a Christmas gift from the Outlaws.

 

Paul

[Winslow Boy]

41 minutes ago, SM42 said:

Its a beautiful sunny day here in southern Poland with the temperature hovering around 4c 

 

Not sure what is planned today so anything could happen in the next 6 hours. 

 

Andy

Are you International Rescue? My beavers got stuck under my shed. Can you come and rescue it please.

[Happy Hippo]

46 minutes ago, Winslow Boy said:

Are you International Rescue? My beavers got stuck under my shed. Can you come and rescue it please.

I presume it's your tool shed that you are referring to.