Model railway builders love level crossings, but the prototype hates them and will put a lot of effort in to avoiding bringing roads and rails together on the level.
By far the majority of crossing now are "occupational crossings". Intended for farmers moving animals and machinery. The rules are less exacting, but then they aren't on public roads.
I've built just such a crossing using the Ratio kit as the basis. One of the problems with this is that the kit has to try and cover a lot of options so you can't just blindly stick bits together and plonk in place. It helps to know what you are doing, or at least read the words of someone who spent a bit of time trying to work things out.
Pretty different as it turns out. Starting with a standard build, I gradually add to the work to produce 3 variations on a theme. None of the jobs I do is difficult, but several make huge differences to the finished model. I suggest that most modellers can adopt a pick'n'mix approach to the tasks for their versions, so I'm sure that many more options are possible, but this will give everyone a starting point.
On the DVD, I'm trying different methods of making flower for the layout. Adding a bit of colour to otherwise drab scenes is one of my favourite tasks and there are lots of opportunities to do this. I'll admit that demonstrating them on video wasn't the easiest job I've had, but you'll get the idea.
Andy York and I took a trip to Tracks The The Trenches and a short version of the film we made is on the DVD. There's a lot of looking as oddball little locos and some interesting layouts too. Digital readers get the full 45 minute version of this film with some extra interviews and trundling train footage.
Talking of digi, there are a bucket load of extras on there. This month was particularly good for content we'd got in store, AND you receive free back issues of Garden Rail and Engineering in Miniature magazines.
2 comments:
Hi Phil,
The cottages you build in the article are based on the Metcalfe kit given away as a cover gift on the magazine. Can digital subscribers get hold of one of these kits? If so how.
Thanks
Colin Murdoch.
Send an e-mail to the editorial address and they will put one in the post.
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