Just bought a layout!!

QUOTE (john woodall @ 25 Mar 2009, 22:43) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I have a lot of respect for the modelling skills of military modellers, and they do make some great diorama's but have always wondered why they dont make the turrets turn, or when they have tanks on trucks none of the truck lights work?

John

if you manage to get to germany sometime, please go see miniature wunderland in hamburg john, you'd love it! ... there are so many things apart from trains moving and lighting up and making sounds that this must be the next step up from a layout. someone mentioned diarama - static display, layout - moving display, ... well miniatur wunderland is the next level up - whatever thats called! - short of being real life lol. if only i d had a decent camera when i was there to take movie clips, - the only way to capture the "life" of mw!.

***Dave, I think you should get over having a "hissy fit" about the comments... Read them and accept or read them and ignore, but don't read more into them than others do...

But most importantly, don't expect exclusively polite claps when they may not, to all readers, be warranted. This forum would have no value if that approach was the rule, and nobody would learn more or evolve in their modeling.

Personally I'd prefer honesty every time - patronising efforts when praise isn't warranted in the opinion of the poster is as fair and valid as praise when its due. To do otherwise is to lie, and is no help and does no service to anyone.

I read all of the comments at the original time and again each time its reared its head and while I might have said some things differently, there was some fair and positive advice there too. Even the negatives read gently in fact. Nothing to twist knickers over.

To the core reason I wrote this: Your image that led this thread was a very neat idea... and unique. I thought it a very good idea.

Yes it may have also needed a little more operational ability via a wee bit more track but you clearly have all the basic skills and so needed only the courage of your convictions to make a unique micro layout.

What you then did with detail and realism would have only needed a "want to do it better" attitude.... and a few hours hands on effort.

If you had pursued it with the track maintenance gear and seriously tried to reproduce the worn and couldn't care less about it look of the original track and scenery it'd have been a great model.

I don't think that simply using a plank because its there will ever really lead to a real "layout" though. A simple purpose built board framed tidily costs almost nothing and would allow you a much better potential... as does a sensibly tall backscene or nicely framed viewing area with any micro layout.

There is nothing technically wrong with any of your layouts but I do agree that in all cases a little more attention to some light weathering and a little refinement in the areas of ballasting etc would be a positive evolution....

The new purchase:

I'd have to say that your new purchase underwhelms me massively. Its a pretty average bit of modeling with a single length of track with a poor backscene and has absolutely zero operating potential OR diorama quality. It will go nowhere... your own previous efforts leave it in the shade, at least they had two bits of rail!

Go back to the core of your original idea and prove everyone wrong... it'll be a great wee model!

Richard

Its arrived!!!

It was very well packed in its own timber 'cage' - the only damage being the Fuelling Point roof came off during transit!

The baseboard is a solid 'plank'!!!!

The shed is scratchbuilt and superbly done with excellent finishing.

I'm not sure whether I would go out and buy an OO EWS loco for this 'layout' for British modelling doesn't 'float my boat', but Americanizing it would be very easy - just change a few signs (ASDA, To Let, and EWS), and substitute the two OO figures with HO figures.

Anyway, I took some photos to see how my Athearn SD45 would fit:




I think it looks better than 'Fuel Pad' - my own effort at a diesel loco depot.

Dave

Hiya !!

I can see a great possibility in adding another board to match that, maybe with a set of points on it !!

You could even do the idea you had on the other thread with some track equipment or something !!

Still looks okay, im sure you will greatly update it and make it yours !!!

keep smiling .......... model making keeps you going!

Nikki

Hi Nikki and Nick,

Got an idea from elsewhere: Stick a big tree (or two) by the track end to act as a 'view block' and use Peco Loco Lifts for cassette operation - it also adds another 12 inches to the layout's length!

That ballast is a bit too bright and needs toning down with a sprinkling of weathering powders.

Just as well I didn't sell my pack of Gaugemaster trees and my Peco Loco Lift!!!

Cheers,

Dave

Hi Dave,

Too late to edit my post earlier this morning ........ i have been looking around for references in railyards and got a few ideas .... a car on triangular supports awaiting repairs sat above the rails with the wheels beside it and trucks frames ..... if you wanted to put in another track beside the one there, another small building from plasticard cement rendered could be an office for the shed.

A piece of Machinery on a flat car covered with a tarp or any car on another track would give the impression its waiting to be moved.

Long grass on a front abandoned track with a Peco Code 83 Hayes buffer stop another idea .... if you go with the buffer stop PM me as i have a few spare



Hope it gives you a few possible options.