With great age, comes reading glasses

I am getting old. This was confirmed by two things recently.

First, I need reading glasses. I've noticed for a few months that small things are slightly easier to read without my glasses than with. I've worn specs since I was 8 years old, but this is the first time I'd noticed the close vision going.

Apparently presbyopia — meaning "ageing eye" describes the loss in elasticity of the lens of the eye that results in the inability to read small print and focus on objects up close. It's perfectly natural and can occur from 35 years old onwards. Having managed more than a decade beyond this, I suppose I ought to be glad to have lasted so long. It's still a bit of a shock though, not least because that's another pair to buy.  Close-up work is kind of important to me.

I supposed I could just take my glasses off, but I like the protection offered by a plastic lens. Having once whacked myself in the face with some pliers while retrimming a car seat hard enough to gouge the lens, I am acutely aware how vulnerable these important organs are. 

Yes I know you can get something from Poundland, but Boots were doing a deal and I feel a bit more confident letting a professional assess something as important as my eyesight.

Which brings me on to the other sign of ageing. My optician appeared to be 12 years old. It's not just policemen getting younger!

Bressingham 2018

This year provided the perfect summer for a visit to the East Anglian Garden Railway show at Bressingham. Sunshine all day ensured that photography outside the somewhat dark model hall would be perfect.

After spending the morning chatting to people among the models, I was able to enjoy a ride on the 2ft gauge railway and a quick look at the miniature traction engines and steam lorries in the area.

I suppose the place is the ultimate garden railway, or collection of railways. I was pleasently surprised how long the train ride was and just how interesting the scenery it passed through would be. Once a market garden, it's all a bit run-down now, but you can see what was there years ago. 

As it is, there is plenty of small railways interest to entertain the enthusiast while the rest of the family goes for one of their 3 free rides on the gallopers.

Much as I love shiny steam engines, the scruffy locos used to do the work when the public aren't around hold just as much appeal to my eyes.

Anyway, more photos over on Flickr.

Saturday Film Club: Shunter Blacks Night Off

There's no need to say much about this film. It's a wartime piece with a heroic story and happy ending. 

Early on there is some terrific footage of railway wagons and shunting activities. Aside from bravery shown in the film, you have to be pretty gutsy to work a yard. 

Shunting was the most dangerous job on the railway and you can see why here. Leaping on a stick to ride down the siding with the wagon pinning the brake down?  I'd like to see some of the health and safety moaners today having a go at this - they would pretty quickly decide that maybe some rules aren't such a bad thing...

Malcolm Mills Isle of Man loco kit

How did this happen? An Isle of Man loco kit I'd never heard of? 

Found in among some second-hand goodies for sale at the Groudle Glen Railway a few weeks ago, I snapped it up for a tenner just to know more about it. 

Back home, looking inside the bag, I find a plastic boiler unit along with side tanks and cab from the same material. There's a frame front and cylinders too plus sundry other parts, many cast in whitemetal. 

There's no chassis, but this could be ordered from 3SMR - although it's no longer on their website. I guess the Branchlines version could be used though.

Compared to the GEM whitemetal kit, the body is a bit basic. I'd say it covers the early small boiler locos rather than the middle versions in use nowadays. For the moment, this will remain a curiosity on the collection, there are enough white metal models awaiting building for anything Manx I might require. 

Of course, Malcolm Mills is still producing models - his website is here - but now it's very reasonably priced O and G1 engines. I dropped him a line to find out more about the kits - apparently, there was a Caledonia as well as a Peacock. Sadly, they made no money when produced 25 years ago so he moved on to the larger scale models which have been much more successful. 

Commlock complete

Job done. With all the stickers and transfers in place, a good coating of satin varnish completes the commlock replica. The finish isn't perfect, but then the paint job on the real props appears to have been pretty tatty, so this is a compromise between the rose-tinted memories of a small boy watching TV and the reality of a hard-working piece of special effects kit.

It's been an interesting project. Digging into the real props reminds me just how crude these things can be, at least in pre-HD TV days. I remember seeing some real Star Trek pistols and being amazed that they were little more than poorly shaped lumps of wood, nothing like the sleek devices I saw on the screen.

The Century Castings kit is easy to assemble and nicely complete. A bit of a bargain too really.

Will I be sporting the commlock as I strut around town? No. I'm not that much of a nerd. If you go to a sci-fi convention, that's great, but I don't feel the need to dress up. Besides, those nylon flairs wouldn't suit me. 

Warehouse Wednesday: Ferodo's Bridge

Once upon a time, railway bridges adorned with advertising were quite a common sight. Nowadays, Network Rail seem happier to cover them with bright yellow stripes in a desperate attempt to stop idiot truckers driving all lorries under them and causing a "bridge strike" requiring the closure of both road and rail while engineers work out if the bridge is going to collapse. 

This rare example is on the London Road, heading into Coventry. Photography is normally difficult as you are hurtling toward the ring road of doom, but a few days ago, I was on the top deck of a bus which pulled in to a stop, allowing me a decent shot. 

According to an article in the Coventry Evening Telegraph, this is one of only two Ferodo bridges left, from 12 originals. They stopped paying for the sign years ago, and now can't re-start as Network Rail no longer sells advertising space on them.  

For modellers, this would be an eye-catching bit of scenery and pretty easy to do. The letters could be grabbed from a photo, cut out and drawn around on a white-painted bridge side. Then paint the black bits carefully. 

You can see the bridge on Google Streetview. 

In case anyone is wondering, Ferodo isn't a character from Lord of the Rings, but a brake shoe manufacturer. 

It's MY commlock

One important detail on any commlock is the picture on the side. This shows the owner and presumably indicated the access they have to various parts of the base.

At least it would had the producers been hotter on the detail. Many photos exist of people using a commlock with someone else's photo on the side.  Even if the photo was right, there wasn't a guarantee that it would be the right way up. I'm guessing that there weren't that many props available and so the photo panels were removable.

In the kit, a couple of panels are included - Commander Koenig and Dr Russell, plus a blank one for personalisation. Stick your own photo on the blank bit and write in your name.

I went further and scanned the Koenig one in and then using some graphics software, added my mugshot to his shoulders along with some new text. I think it looks pretty convincing, and probably marks me out as a real nerd. 

How railway modelling changed the world - Part 2. Hackers

Back in 2010, I explained how railway modelling gave us the World Wide Web. Now it seems, the hobby was also responsible for the concept of "Hacking".

I shouldn't be surprised that the Massachusetts Institute of Technology(MIT) has a model railroad club, or that the club first formed in 1946. After all, you can't expect such a large group of nerdy, technical people not to include a goodly number of railway fans.

It seems that the one thing they don't like doing is operating layouts - prefering to build complex devices to do this automatically. No suprise there, these guys work at the bleeding edge of technology, so why wouldn't the build control systems?

Anyway, somewhere along the lines, the concet of "hacker culture" developed. Presumably this was down to the "Signals and Power Subcommittee" developing control systems and having to bodge or develop innovative new methods of making things work.

Mind you, they can't make their website work, or has it been hacked?

Tech Model Railroad Club, 1946–Present | The MIT 150 Exhibition

Tech Model Railroad club at MIT Edgerton Centre

Tech Model Railroad club on Wikipedia

Jurby Transport Museum

Jurby Transport Museum has been open for several years, but my first visit was a few weeks ago. It's not the easiest place to get to, especially on a Sunday which is the normal opening day. With a car available though, this time we could do the Groudle and head up to the airfield at the top left of the island. It was worth the trip.

Housed in a hanger, it's stuffed with interesting exhibits in various stages of restoration. There are a lot of buses and road vehicles obviously and you might not consider these remarkable, but all are worth a look, even if it's not obvious why at first. Labelling is good for a start and the volunteers are very helpful.

In one corner is a very well laid out display of Manx airlines and other small bits of memorabilia. It surrounds a OO gauge model under construction which will be a crowd pleaser one day.

Tucked away in the back are one of the highlights for me, pleasure boats from Onchan Park.

Both a 2 and 4 seater boat are on show. These tiny motor boats were available for hire. They are in reasonable condition although the petrol(?) engines aren't in them at the moment but stood beside them. A quick bit of measuring puts the 2-seater a 9ft long - a bit small for a 1/12th scale model, but I am looking at possibilities. I've detail pictures if anyone needs them.

The most amazing thing on show, and only just as it's currently tucked away on top of the toilets, is a prototype monorail designed by Peel Engineering. I knew this had been designed after reading the excellent history of the company, but didn't realise anything was ever built. If I'm honest, it looks a bit crude - more like something I could build in a shed - but I'm probably missing something. Restoration is possible, but in a new display in dedicated to the company which I'm told is on the way. 

Free to enter, if you like transport, well worth a visit.

Jurby Transport Museum website. 

More of my photos on Flickr.

Saturday Film Club: Hot Wheels "Rapid Transit"

Regular readers know I'm a sucker for really hideous things that are sort of train shaped, so when I  found out about the Hot Wheels "Rapid Transit" range of diecasts, I wanted to know more. 

There is a full listing on this Wiki. 

Basically, sort of train shaped toy cars with carriages that can be coupled up. Every single one is a travesty. Fortunately, they are long out of production so I have to be satisfied with this video review:

Seriously, what sort of meeting was it where these designs appeared on screen as a presentation and everyone around the table nodded and thought they were a good idea?

A big, red locomotive for the garden

I do my best to resist buying things sometimes. When I saw this G scale Disney locomotive for sale on a second-hand stall, I managed to drag myself away.I really did. But a couple of hours later, it was still there. For £20. A proper Walt Disney loco. Now MY proper Walt Disney loco. 

There is a little method in my madness. The loco does come with waggly bits on the outside. Overall, it's not a bad looking thing if you ignore the gold. And red. There are a sensible number of wheels including the pony ones at the front. It runs on 45mm gauge track.

Oh, and it makes noises. And smoke if I top up the reservoir in the chimney with baby oil. The light on the front works too. 

OK, it's a bit kitsch, but I might have a use for just such a loco later in the year, or perhaps next year. Long term, I think some basic detailing work, sorting out the tender chassis which I don't like, LGB couplings and a repaint will make for a fun beast. Radio control would be nice too, but nothing expensive. 

Oddly, a few days after I got this back home, an article arrived for Garden Rail which included photos of one of these on the authors layout. I'm not the only one!

Dangling and painting

Painting the commlock is a bit of a challenge. There's no base to sit it on while spraying, or at least nothing that isn't supposed to be covered in paint. I suppose I could have worked one side at a time, but that takes time and I'm doing this between other jobs. 

A little experimenting showed I could wedge some garden wire (I spray in the garage, this stuff is handy) in between the fold-out plastic bits of my spray hood. Then bend a noose and hang the somewhat heavy model on its belt clip.

Jiggling around avoids any unpainted "shadows" and if the inside of the clip doesn't get a proper coat, I can live with that. 

First up is spraying with grey car primer. This isn't a bad match for the TV version, but I prefer to top coat with paint that I can apply with a brush for touching up, so the choice is Humbrol 64, the same as unfitted 16 ton mineral wagons. (It's probably wrong for those too, but I don't care)

After drying, comes masking time. 

Loads of tape to try and get the sides of the buttons, a coat of matt black and then the chance to do the touch -up thing as my masking was back to its useless self. Still, I'm getting quite good at cutting colours accurately with a brush...

Warehouse Wednesday: Narrow gauge shed

Chatting to a fellow modeller the other day, I mentioned that I need a photo that sums up the scene I'm intending to model before I can really get into building a layout. The picture doesn't have to show anything planned to be modelled, it just needs atmosphere. 

I think this might be just such a picture. It's taken at Bressingham around the back of the sheds. The buildings are unprepossessing, but serve a purpose. You can really see this as an estate railway doing a proper job. Perhaps even a real industrial line. There's certainly nothing pretty about it. 

If I turn the camera around a little bit, there is an open sided shed which is even less pretty, but even more interesting to the enthusiast. 

If you want to model engine shed clutter, here it is!

Modelling summer grass

Damian asks: 

I’m just making an English seaside summer model railway, and i have a problem with grass colour. My colours assortment is limited to Woodland Scenics turfs. I don’t have a static grass applicator. I tried to make a turf mix to match the grass colour to the photographs, but wasn’t successful in recreating the nice green. Knowing that you have experience in modeling, which WS colours would you recommend to mix to get that summer grass colours.

This has taken quite a lot of thinking about, and I'm still not sure I have a definitive answer. In fact I'm not sure there is a definitive answer.

My first suggestion is to forget the idea that you can mix a single grass colour. Grass, like so many other surfaces, varies a huge amount on anything other than the most manicured of lawns. Assuming you want "normal" grass then you need to adopt a slightly random approach to sprinking flock powder around.

I tend to work with Woodland Scenics green blended turf. I use it everywhere, on the grass, over static grass, on hedges, as tree foliage. My layouts are set in an idyllic UK countryside full of sunshine, kids having their ears clipped by smiling bobbies and village nurses cycling between patients. It's always sunny because that's how we like to imagine it.

But I don't use it on it's own. I'll lay down a base coat but then quickly sprinkle both lighter and darker shades around the place. There's not pattern to this, it's random. I might aim the darker stuff where there should be shadow and the lighter version on the top of hedges, trees and into the middle of fields.

Extra hold hair spray is your friend when adding extra flock. Blast it around, throw the flock willy-nilly and you'll get a more natural result.

Beware though, summer grass isn't green. It often bleaches out. This video from the BBC shows the effect it has revealing buried buildings. For this you'll need some yellow grass or earth (better still a mix of the two) and work this over the areas that will get most sunshine.

Sorry if this isn't the perfect answer, it's an area where art plays a big part.

I'd also suggest that while an electric static grass tool isn't essential, a £4.95 puffer bottle is very useful. Get mid green and beige fibres and mix poorly so the tufts blasted out are random shades. For summer, 50% or more beige is the way to go. Finish with more hair spray and a sprinkle of you flocks for undergrowth.

Colours on a model are subjective. You need to consider the lighting too, incandescent bulbs make things look warm, as do warm LEDs and florescent tubes. Cold tubes and lights make things look blue.Work under the lights the layout is to be displayed under if possible.

I'll admit to aiming for a consistent colour palette as ultimately, this will look much better than widely differing greens.

Final thought - don't forget to sprinkle a few white and yellow flecks in there for daisies and dandelions. A simple job, but one that really catches the eyes of people looking at the model.

Garden Rail 289

September's Garden Rail doesn't open with a layout, we kick off with building a steam engine out of Roundhouse components. Steve Howard is taking us through some of the rolling stock for his excellent Hambledon Valley Railway. Many will have seen this 16mm line operating at "normal" shows and it's truly impressive. All the locos run at scale speeds and look like proper, dirty engines.

We do have a layout, the Seahaven Railway, a simple line but the sort of thing many can find space for in their gardens. It shares it's plot with a 7 1/4 railway and some entertaining RC rock crawling track too.

Then it's back to construction with a G1 BIL, 16mm Corris brake, 3D printer Terrier and a camera wagon among other delights for readers.

Buy Garden Rail 289.

Manx Aviation and military musem

Down beside Ronaldsway airport, is the Manx Aviation and Military Museum.  

Housed in a couple of large and interconnected Nissen huts, at first glance the place doesn't look that big, but once inside, Tardis-like, there's loads to see. 

Now, I'll admit that military stuff leaves me cold. Worse, there is a lot of WW1 detail and that I really don't like. The number of memorial plaques in cabinets attests to the pointless slaughter of this conflict and all the time I'm thinking that if I'd been born a hundred years ago, that would have been me. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing but admiration for those involved at the sharp end and the exhibits are well staged. It's just that I feel uncomfortable. 

Elsewhere, there is a nice civil airlines display which appealed far more as my first flight was with  Manx Airlines in the days when you got fed in the 45-minute flight. They cover other airlines that have served the island too. 

Some of the display is given over to RAF training, the north of the island carried out a lot of this as the area was considered safe from German aircraft. Not safe for the crews themselves though as the first thing you see is a map showing crash sights. I know how low the cloud can get and sadly a lot of pilots didn't find out about the mountains until the bumped into them. 

In one section there is a restored Bofors gun on its carrier and the information on its history and restoration is interesting and impressive. 

Overall, if military stuff is your bag, then this is an excellent museum and well worth a visit. It's free to go in and even has a shop selling a really wide range of aircraft plastic kits. 

Details from the Visit Isle of Man website. 

Saturday film club: Behind the scenes on Space 1999

Since I'm building a prop from Space 1999, it seemed appropriate to have a quick look to see if there was anything on YouTube covering the special effects. This first film is interesting showing how basic a the "in camera" shooting techniques were, and how effective the results.

Mind you, how long is it since you could "buy a kit for a pound"!

Interesting that there were many railway models in there. The girder bridge? Sounds Airfix to me.

There's also this film, which I've shown before, but it's worth a second look.

Social history

While my model of The Hellingly Hospital Railway might be retired from the exhibition circuit due to my lack of time to be a "proper" exhibitor, I'm still interested in the history of the line. There keep being little surprises along the way and it is a fascinating subject.

The latest "news" is that the hospital had a football team. I find this from the November 1955 issue of Lewes FC News - bought via eBay for a couple of quid.

Unsurprisingly, the hospital didn't have many people to chose from when picking a team. I'm assuming the list was limited to staff, inmates being ineligible to play.

Despite this, playing in Red and White, they beat both Burwash and Hastings Civil Service. Well done lads!

Huts and holes in BRM

It's the skills issue of BRM this month, so a couple of slightly different articles from the norm.

Soldering is one of those things that scares people and especially structural solder - that is making things rather than just joining up bits of wire.

I've tried to de-mystify the process of building an etched kit by using a simple shed from Roxey Mouldings as a test piece. At a fiver, it's disposable enough, but if you look at many sheds, the end result doesn't have to be well made to look right.

Then I look at the job of making holes. Not just holes in models, and not just with drills, although of course we cover both in the piece.

Awngate by Michael Campbell is featured and makes use of a set of photos I took a few months ago at the lancing show. Not a big layout, bagginenough interesting shots was a challenge, but I'm pleased with the results on the page. It's nice to spread my wings a little doing this sort of thing. 

Nothing on the DVD from me this month, but digital readers get an "extra" where I look at bending bars to supplement the etched article.

BRM September 2018.

Warehouse Wednesday: Four roads crossing keepers hut

If you are going to be left looking after a level crossing on the Isle of Man, you will want the company to provide you with some shelter from the rain. 

This they did with this lovely little stone hut. Now superfluous thanks to the automatic gates, it has been restored by the Steam Railway Supporters Association.

Sadly, the limited parking on a main road precluded me from taking a few measurements, that and I'd have had to stroll around on the railway to get at it. With the pie'n'mash train due not long after the picture was taken, I could have made the news as a casualty, not something I wish to do. 

A tidy and and tiny building that would look great modelled in a larger scale in anyones garden, or perhaps the centrepiece of a Manx diorama style layout.