Chuffnell Regis

[Andrew P]

3 hours ago, Graham T said:

As I said, I'm not going to wire it up, but I'm quite happy with it.  I originally wanted some Gaugemaster lamps, but they are like hens' teeth.  These from Layouts4u look similar, and are a lot less expensive if I remember correctly.  As to the customer service - the first set I got from them had much bigger lamps than these and looked odd.  When I asked them, the company provided me with a photo of several different lamps side by side to compare, and also exchanged the first set very promptly.  Good service I thought.

Mine on Trewithen came fro T4U, and as you say, EXCELLENT SERVICE.👍

[Andy Keane]

As I understand it the slightly squatter lamp tops are models of oil fired ones and the taller are gas fired.

Edited April 18, 2022 by Andy Keane

[Graham T]

2 hours ago, Andy Keane said:

As I understand it the slightly squatter lamp tops are models of oil fired ones and the taller are gas fired.

 

You could well be right Andy.  I don't really have time to look in my reference books right now, as I'm getting my a** kicked by work 🙃

 

I did manage to get the lamp painted yesterday though.  Here's a somewhat arty-farty shot of it in place.  I know I should have used some of that focus-stacking magic, but again, time marches on!

 

[Gopher]

1 hour ago, Graham T said:

 

You could well be right Andy.  I don't really have time to look in my reference books right now, as I'm getting my a** kicked by work 🙃

 

I did manage to get the lamp painted yesterday though.  Here's a somewhat arty-farty shot of it in place.  I know I should have used some of that focus-stacking magic, but again, time marches on!

 

Love the engine shed Graham.  The weathered doors are spot on.  Figures are also excellent.  Lovely scene.  You've also got my grey matter going with installing a working lamp but not wiring it in.   I agree that it if you have working lights you really need to have building lights.  I was planning to install some working yard and street lights on part of my layout,  maybe I'll just install them and leave them as a scenic feature.

 

Clive      

[longchap]

1 hour ago, Graham T said:

 

You could well be right Andy.  I don't really have time to look in my reference books right now, as I'm getting my a** kicked by work 🙃

 

I did manage to get the lamp painted yesterday though.  Here's a somewhat arty-farty shot of it in place.  I know I should have used some of that focus-stacking magic, but again, time marches on!

 

 

So not a public holiday n Austria then? Not that I'm idle, as I've been moving the railway room to another building and tidying the gardens, as we have people staying with us tomorrow. I've even had to resort to labelling contents of hastilly packed boxes from the layout and workbench to stand any chance of an easy return to modelling.

 

The above scene is splendid Graham, most impressive, although I'd get the maintenance team to indent Swindon stores for the correct colours when the shed doors are up for their repaint.

 

Best,

 

Bill

 

[Graham T]

1 hour ago, Gopher said:

Love the engine shed Graham.  The weathered doors are spot on.  Figures are also excellent.  Lovely scene.  You've also got my grey matter going with installing a working lamp but not wiring it in.   I agree that it if you have working lights you really need to have building lights.  I was planning to install some working yard and street lights on part of my layout,  maybe I'll just install them and leave them as a scenic feature.

 

Clive      

 

Thanks, but I can't take any credit for the doors - they're the Scalescenes items, straight "out of the box" as it were.  Well, straight out of the printer, I suppose!

[Graham T]

27 minutes ago, longchap said:

 

So not a public holiday n Austria then? Not that I'm idle, as I've been moving the railway room to another building and tidying the gardens, as we have people staying with us tomorrow. I've even had to resort to labelling contents of hastilly packed boxes from the layout and workbench to stand any chance of an easy return to modelling.

 

The above scene is splendid Graham, most impressive, although I'd get the maintenance team to indent Swindon stores for the correct colours when the shed doors are up for their repaint.

 

Best,

 

Bill

 

 

It is indeed a holiday here Bill, but as I've been one of the great self-employed since leaving the Navy a couple of years ago, I'm busy working 🙂

 

I might well have to replace those doors sometime though, as you say...

[BroadLeaves]

29 minutes ago, Graham T said:

one of the great self-employed

Those are the ones that always have the really demanding "boss"!

[aardvark]

On 17/04/2022 at 23:05, Graham T said:

I got some rather nice LED lamps from Layouts4u (very good customer service too btw). 

 

 

Please Sir, which lamps exactly?

[Graham T]

46 minutes ago, aardvark said:

 

Please Sir, which lamps exactly?

 

Hello Mr Aardvark 🙂

 

The one next to the engine shed is LHM612.  Good value at £12.00 for three, I thought.  I also got some barley twist ones (BT1) for the station platform.

 

https://www.layouts4u.net

 

Edited April 19, 2022 by Graham T

[Graham T]

Work has again pretty much stopped play today.  I had a brief fiddle about with the focus-stacking software earlier, but didn't really make any progress, and don't have time to dive in to the software to figure it out right now.  Tried a couple of shots with a real camera instead, but unfortunately I need to refresh myself on the manual for that too!

 

Yesterday I tried putting a bit more static grass around the new boundary fence next to the engine shed, but that feel more or less flat - literally.  I wonder if the metal wire in the fencing messed up the charge in the grass fibres as they were falling?  Anyway, I popped in some chopped up grass tufts instead, and also some rather nice bits of shrubbery (Ni!) that I got in the post today, from MBR in Poland.

 

Here's an attempt with the real camera.  Probably giving myself 5/10 for the photo...

 

[Graham T]

And a couple taken the easy, fully automatic way, using the phone.  So, two more jobs on the to-do list:  learn how to focus-stack, and read the Lumix manual.

 

 

 

Have I overdone the greenery around the fence do you think?

[BroadLeaves]

I wouldn't say the greenery was overdone.

 

It's very plausible that there used to be a hedge marking the boundary, which has been taken out and replaced with a fence. Some of the little roots left in the ground where the hedging plant wasn't fully grubbed out would shoot, and any dormant seeds under the hedge, now exposed to light and water, would sprout.

 

Some taller and bushier plants along the fence line compared to the land going down to the river bank don't, to my eye, look out of place at all.

[Graham T]

Thanks BL.  Much as I think this is a fantastic forum - I've learnt loads from it, and get a great deal of enjoyment too - one problem is...

 

Digital photos.  This is no fault of RMWeb, but more of a (very slightly drunken) observation on, life, the universe, and...

 

... all that jazz.

 

I look at a piece of work I've done on Chuffnell R (and why call it work?  It's supposed to be fun...) and think to myself, yes, I quite like that.  Happy.  Warm and fuzzy again 🙂

 

Then I post a photo online and take a look, and immediately feel like lobbing the entire layout out of the window.

 

Enough already.  Meh.

 

 

[Neal Ball]

That looks very realistic… the land inside the boundary fence would be maintained by the local track gang, probably weekly. Whereas the land down to the river might only be maintained monthly(?) certainly by a different team at least.

 

As for focus stacking, I haven’t yet been able to master it, so you’re not alone 😎

 

Keep up the good work with CR.

[Andrew P]

I see nothing wrong with either your Layout or the pics shown on here. WONDERFUL STUFF.

 

I can't do photo stacking with my camera or programs, so what you get is what you get with my pics, sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't. I do have to admit, photography was easier and sharper with O Gauge.

Edited April 20, 2022 by Andrew P

[Andy Keane]

9 hours ago, Graham T said:

Thanks BL.  Much as I think this is a fantastic forum - I've learnt loads from it, and get a great deal of enjoyment too - one problem is...

 

Digital photos.  This is no fault of RMWeb, but more of a (very slightly drunken) observation on, life, the universe, and...

 

... all that jazz.

 

I look at a piece of work I've done on Chuffnell R (and why call it work?  It's supposed to be fun...) and think to myself, yes, I quite like that.  Happy.  Warm and fuzzy again 🙂

 

Then I post a photo online and take a look, and immediately feel like lobbing the entire layout out of the window.

 

Enough already.  Meh.

 

 

no no no - your stuff is fantastic - that fence line looks really convicing

Andy

[aardvark]

10 hours ago, Graham T said:

Thanks BL.  Much as I think this is a fantastic forum - I've learnt loads from it, and get a great deal of enjoyment too - one problem is...

 

Digital photos.  This is no fault of RMWeb, but more of a (very slightly drunken) observation on, life, the universe, and...

 

... all that jazz.

 

I look at a piece of work I've done on Chuffnell R (and why call it work?  It's supposed to be fun...) and think to myself, yes, I quite like that.  Happy.  Warm and fuzzy again 🙂

 

Then I post a photo online and take a look, and immediately feel like lobbing the entire layout out of the window.

 

Enough already.  Meh.

 

It's been suggested to me that the digital camera is the greatest of all modelling tools, allowing one to see things that the eye glosses over in real life.

 

Rather than toss anything out the window, how about taking a good look at your images before posting?

 

Having said that, I think your greenery job looks quite realistic. Sure wish I had some.

 

[Graham T]

Thanks for all the words of encouragement chaps.  Guess I was just having something of a "black dog" moment.  Must give myself a good talking to!

[aardvark]

I expect that we all have those.

[Graham T]

Yes I'm sure!

[Andrew P]

2 hours ago, Graham T said:

Thanks for all the words of encouragement chaps.  Guess I was just having something of a "black dog" moment.  Must give myself a good talking to!

I find a good spanking with a wet lettuce always helps.😮  🤪

[Graham T]

I think there's probably a different website for that sort of thing...

[Gopher]

18 minutes ago, Graham T said:

I think there's probably a different website for that sort of thing...

Well you might have posted a link 😄.  Your modelling is excellent Graham, so don't be too critical of yourself.   

[Graham T]

I managed to sneak a few minutes of modelling time this evening, so made a start on the home signal for Chuffnell R.  I'm using a Dapol bracket, and adding the signal for the goods yard entrance using bits from the Ratio kit.  Looking at it so far I think I need to make the Ratio platform a bit shorter still.  I'm also planning to use one of the shorter signal arms on that doll, and will add balance weights to all three.  I did have a wild idea of getting another working Dapol bracket, and seeing if I could bodge the two together, but I don't think it's feasible, and they are too expensive for an experiment that doesn't have much chance of success...

 

 

I'm scratching my head a bit about the positioning of it too.  I think I'm right in saying that GW signals go to the left of the running line?  But due to the curve of the track as it emerges from the tunnel that would reduce the time the driver would have to see and react to the signal, so I'm wondering about placing it on the right hand side of the line, just this side of the fogman's hut.  Anyone got any thoughts on that please?