[Chinahand]

Have just joined MRF today so thought I would introduce myself to you all. I'm an absolute beginer at this Forum lark so please forgive any transgressions I might make.

My name is Trevor and I am presently living and working in Dubai. With retirement looming (3 years from now) I decided that it was time I started doing something about that 'dream layout' I have been promising myself for the last 20 years. Due to space limitations I am going down the N Gauge track, if you will forgive the pun, and have designed a 3m x 3.5m layout which will run round 3 sides of the spare bedroom. The spare bedroom, by the way, is located in an apartment in Guilin, SW China which I have recently bought. My wife is Chinese and this is her home town.

Getting back to the layout, I have already purchased quite a bit of equipment during the course of trips to the UK, all of which has had to be hand-carried back here to Dubai. I will be using DCC Control with an ECos ESU Command Station and a Bus system which, so I am advised by Digitrains, is current 'state-of-the-art' stuff. My era is Post war GWR though not even they could have envisaged trains running this far East.

I look forward to chatting with all you guys and girls and, hopefully, being able to pick your brains when I hit a problem.

Regards to you all,

Trevor.

P.S. Help request No. 1. I tried attaching a jpeg file of my intended layout but it keeps asking for a URL address. All I want to do is attach a picture from my PC. Any ideas ???

 

[80class]

Hello Trevor and welcome to the forum!

Good to see another fellow ECoS user on MRF. Keep this up and there will be more of us than DC'ers!

Rob

 

[signal trainer]

Hi Trevor
and welcome to the forum, I myself have only been on here a matter of a few weeks, but already have found that the people on here are very helpful and friendly to each other and help with any queries. My special subject is signalling as I am a signal engineering instructor for network rail (southern area , not great western unfortunately) but if you encounter any problems I will try my best to help with the research and contacts availiable.
Signal trainer

 

[pedromorgan]

hello there

I have been to dubai many times but i have only ever seen the airport!!

for ataching pics you need to use a third party picture library. i use photobucket. as it does all the work for you.
here is the thread on posting pictures
http://www.modelrailforum.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=25

Any more problems dont hesitate to ask.

regards

Peter Morgan

 

[Chinahand]

Thanks for the information Peter.

I have already uploaded some pics to Photobucket so all I need to do now is make the 2 talk to each other.

For those that are interested I am thinking of starting a Blog to diary my progress. At the moment that consists of building a 1/5th scale model of the layout using 1mm & 2mm mounting card but it is helping to give me ideas for landscaping and resolving any potential clashes between point motors etc. and baseboard formers. Hopefully I will get the pics linked to MRF in the near future.

 

[pedromorgan]

BTW i also spend alot of time in china. mostly around beijing but i have ventured a few times. my girlfriend lives there. if you are ever in the area try and spend a couple of hours at fengtai. you can see literally anything from ramshackle freight to CRH2 shinkansens!! trains evry 4 or 5 minutes. also lots of international stock.

you will notioce under each picture in photobucket there is a line that starts ........... just click on that line (it will automatically copy) and paste it into the thread.

Peter

P.S. i will deleate your duplicated posts to keep the thread neat

 

[Chinahand]

Thanks for the information Peter.

I have already uploaded some pics to Photobucket so all I need to do now is make the 2 talk to each other.

For those that are interested I am thinking of starting a Blog to diary my progress. At the moment that consists of building a 1/5th scale model of the layout using 1mm & 2mm mounting card but it is helping to give me ideas for landscaping and resolving any potential clashes between point motors etc. and baseboard formers. Hopefully I will get the pics linked to MRF in the near future.

 

[Brian Considine]

Hi Expat & welcome to the forum.

Like the plans - looks like a lot of operational interest too.

 

[neil_s_wood]

Hi Trevor, welcome tothe forum. Good choice of controller, probably the best option on the market at the moment.

Dubai must be an interesting place to live. I stopped off there for a few days last year. I found the choice of restaurants pretty good. Awesome carpets in some of the malls too. Summers pretty warm though.

 

[7113]

Hi Trevor and welcome aboard,

I like the look of that layout plan, loads of potential there. Iwas wondering what the Chinese will make of someone modelling the GWR?

Regards

 

[Chinahand]

QUOTE (BRITHO @ 28 Jan 2008, 21:14) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Hi Trevor and welcome aboard,

I like the look of that layout plan, loads of potential there. Iwas wondering what the Chinese will make of someone modelling the GWR?

Regards

Hi BRITHO,

I can tell you in 2 words - "Mad Gwailo". My wife, however, is very enthusiastic about the idea and keen to help with the scenery/landscaping. The Chinese are, after all, the original experts at papier mache.

Glad you like the layout plan. The 1/5th scale model of it is coming along nicely. I now have the viaduct and tunnel portals built and am working on the landscape contouring. Have you ever tried photo reducing N Gauge card kits to 20% of their original size and then then building them. Talk about microscopic!! A tunnel portal has 23 separate pieces and ends up being 2cm x 2 cm x 1.5 cm. Is that dedication or what ?

Cheers for now

Trevor aka Expat.

 

[Kimbo]

Impressive layout, did you make it on DRail?

 

[Chinahand]

Hi Kim,

No. I used Winrail 7. To give you some idea of the evolution process I first started designing it on Winrail 3.

Cheers,

Expat

 

[john woodall]

Hi Trevor,

Have you thought about putting in Hidden Storage yards?

A useful thing to plan at an early stage, putting them in in hindsight is a real pain.

John

 

[Chinahand]

QUOTE (john woodall @ 10 Feb 2008, 08:19) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Hi Trevor,

Have you thought about putting in Hidden Storage yards?

A useful thing to plan at an early stage, putting them in in hindsight is a real pain.

John

Hi John,

Not sure I could fit any hidden sidings in as most of the space below the visible high level boards is taken up by the hidden return loops. Anyway I like to have everything where I can see it and it makes for operating interest when you have to organise incoming rolling stock for an outgoing train.

Thanks for the input anyway,

Regards,

Expat (aka Trevor)

 

[Noggins Friend]

QUOTE (BRITHO @ 28 Jan 2008, 17:14) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Hi Trevor and welcome aboard,

I like the look of that layout plan, loads of potential there. Iwas wondering what the Chinese will make of someone modelling the GWR?

Regards

I would have thought not too much surprise. Most models seem to be made there!