Model Boat Mayhem

Mess Deck: General Section => Other Hobbies and Interests => Topic started by: radiojoe on August 05, 2018, 11:41:50 am

Title: What I've been up to
Post by: radiojoe on August 05, 2018, 11:41:50 am

Hi guy's not been on the Forum for about four months ( time sure does fly) mainly because after building 6 large warships and various other craft in the 8 years since I retired I thought I'd had enough of boats and wanted a change and after a few car kits etc. I thought I would go back to an old interest and build my forth 00 gauge railway, I had all my old locos and rolling stock stored away and a fair amount of flexi track good enough to reuse, also this time it's DCC instead of DC, as most of you probably know it means Digital Command Control, so I had to fit a chip to each loco so you control each loco by an address number.
anyway I started it just over two months ago, It's on an 8' x 4' base with a hidden area or fiddle yard with a tunnel each end, I'm in no way a rivet counter so I don't bother with trains are running in a particular era or what vehicles are present etc. it's just a working model, and like nearly all scale projects there is always a compromise between what looks right and what works so some of the bends are not quite realistic, anyway if anyone is interested here's a few photos of the layout so far, If anyone is a fan of the TV series Heartbeat there is a one of the photo's should look familiar.


Cheers  guys    Joe.
Title: Re: What I've been up to
Post by: ballastanksian on August 05, 2018, 11:46:00 am

I like the way the depot forced the road to go around it. Very natural in built up areas of the time. Lovely job as per usual Joe  :-))


A lot of my gang at the Yeovil club also do model railways.
Title: Re: What I've been up to
Post by: radiojoe on August 05, 2018, 02:02:40 pm

Thanks for your kind comments Ian,.


Yes it's a very popular hobby and surprising just how many so called celebrities are into it the likes of Pete Waterman etc.


Joe.
Title: Re: What I've been up to
Post by: bgrunes on November 11, 2018, 09:29:34 pm
Excellent layout, like the Heartbeat link. Inspirational stuff never got into railways but this has sparked an interest. Thanks
Title: Re: What I've been up to
Post by: radiojoe on November 13, 2018, 04:12:47 pm

Pleased you found it of interest, one good thing about this hobby is you don't have to rely on the weather,  the layout in the photos is now dismantled I wasn't happy with it, as a model it was ok but wasn't very user friendly, some of the radii were too tight so I couldn't run large locos, the base board is now turned upside down and is being used on my next layout I hope to get it right this time, it's a walk in layout with a flap, didn't fancy crawling under every time, it has approx. 30 metres of flexi track and 22 sets of points with more sidings etc. and probably a bit of land scaping, I post phots of progress for anyone who may be interested.


Joe
Title: Re: What I've been up to
Post by: dougal99 on November 13, 2018, 04:51:45 pm

Looking good  :-))


DCC or analogue?
Title: Re: What I've been up to
Post by: Netleyned on November 13, 2018, 04:54:15 pm
Quote from: dougal99 on November 13, 2018, 04:51:45 pm
Looking good  :-))



DCC or analogue?
See reply 1  %)
Ned
Title: Re: What I've been up to
Post by: dougal99 on November 13, 2018, 05:16:27 pm
That was August. I've slept since then.  8)
Title: Re: What I've been up to
Post by: Netleyned on November 13, 2018, 05:22:48 pm
 :-)) :-)) :-))
Title: Re: What I've been up to
Post by: radiojoe on November 13, 2018, 05:58:37 pm
Quote from: dougal99 on November 13, 2018, 05:16:27 pm
That was August. I've slept since then.  8)



 ok2 ok2 yeah I know what you mean,,   Yes it's DCC and so far I have 3 of my locos converted to sound 2 steam and a diesel, once you've run a sound loco the rest seem so dull so I'll be fitting sound decoders to my other locos when funds permit, though the little class 08 shunter will be a challenge to fit a speaker.


Joe.
Title: Re: What I've been up to
Post by: mikearace on November 13, 2018, 06:14:37 pm
Hi Joe.  How are you? Not sure if you remember me, mainly from the Dean's forum.   I've been out of boats and building for 4 years due to family circumstances and sold a !of of my stuff and not touched a boat for 4 years but time now to open the tool cupboard and getgback jnto it, in a small slow way and start a a new build.
Title: Re: What I've been up to
Post by: radiojoe on November 13, 2018, 06:39:48 pm

Hi there Mike yes of course I remember you, I'm fine thanks how are you, glad to hear you're starting to build again I'll look out for it,  I built so many I kinda boated myself out if that makes sense, I've still got HMS Brocklesby two springers and a sports boat but don't get down the lake much anymore, so I got back into model railways well I've got to be building something.
anyway good to hear from you Mike look forward to seeing what you do.   :-))


Joe
Title: Re: What I've been up to
Post by: mikearace on November 13, 2018, 08:35:03 pm
Thanks Joe.. interestingly my choices were between HMS Mariner or HMS Brocklesby two of my late father's early ships in the fifties. 
Title: Re: What I've been up to
Post by: roycv on November 14, 2018, 04:57:52 am
Hi, two more yachts to fit out for mast and sails, then on to the model railway again.  I had to take out a few set track max radius curves (just 2) to allow for some lovely 6 wheel Milk tankers I fell for. 
They just will not reverse around the curves. 

I am hoping to make a canal boat area my son having downloaded and printed some on line kits for me.
As space is a problem, or more truthfully I am not allowed into the house with a model railway, I have a shelf type layout gradually working its way around my shed / workshop.
I am using the old cab control method with some nice Guagemaster controllers.
regards,
Roy
Title: Re: What I've been up to
Post by: ballastanksian on November 14, 2018, 09:45:19 pm

I would be interested to see your build through to the end Joe. I have been trying to do other things these last few months to get a major project finished and I hope to do so next year, but still keeping an eye out for what you are getting up to!



Title: Re: What I've been up to
Post by: radiojoe on November 14, 2018, 10:31:45 pm

Hi guys,  Started an attempt at some land scaping using polystyrene insulation the dust and offcuts become electro static and stick to everything but it's easy to shape, today I've been making some tunnel mouths using cardboard donated by a cornflakes box I'll have the first ones in place tomorrow when the paint is dry.


Joe.
Title: Re: What I've been up to
Post by: radiojoe on November 15, 2018, 08:18:15 pm

First tunnel/bridge in place should look ok when the scenics are applied around it, started the two track bridge.


Joe
Title: Re: What I've been up to
Post by: andyquirot on November 15, 2018, 11:12:00 pm
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/223229464493?
Title: Re: What I've been up to
Post by: tigertiger on November 16, 2018, 02:34:14 am
I went to a model railway exhibition in Cologne many years ago. I was fascinated by the work that went into the scenery, and some of the dioramas were incredible. There were even very effective night scenes. 
Title: Re: What I've been up to
Post by: BrianB6 on November 16, 2018, 04:42:06 am
It is always a good idea to go to the large exhibitions to see how the "experts' do it.
I used to try and cram as much as possible onto the board but then I  came across Iain Rice's books about small layouts and my whole idea changed.   The look so much more realistic.
Then there's Pendon!
Title: Re: What I've been up to
Post by: radiojoe on November 16, 2018, 11:17:12 am
Agreed I often look at photos and videos of layouts to get ideas and inspiration, some of these guys just seem to have a knack of making their layouts look so real, I doubt I'll ever be as good as them but it's fun trying, I know what you mean about putting too much in the available space I think I made that mistake on the layout at the start of this thread, this one is having less and is more spread out and a lot more "drivable" with only 2nd, 3rd and 4th radii used even my Jubilee loco goes anywhere on the layout.
Title: Re: What I've been up to
Post by: radiojoe on November 16, 2018, 11:19:19 am
Quote from: andyquirot on November 15, 2018, 11:12:00 pm
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/223229464493? (https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/223229464493?)



Hi Andy  Don't think that would work with DCC.
Title: Re: What I've been up to
Post by: Apollo on November 16, 2018, 08:43:29 pm
Have you looked at Hornby TTS range of sound decoders? I’ve picked up 4 for my diesels ranging from £32-£40. Not fitted them yet but with them and my Zomo and SWD chips that should give most of the fleet individual sounds. There is some discussion on steam engines and how realistic they sound (I’m too young to know, hehehe) but they will at least get a few more engines running.

Mark
Title: Re: What I've been up to
Post by: radiojoe on November 17, 2018, 10:50:34 am

Hi Mark,  Yes I bought one of those off E-bay a couple of weeks ago £34.95 and fitted it to my Bachmann Prairie I was a bit dubious but thought I would try one and was pleasantly surprised when I first heard it, quite a nice stationary steam sound a long piercing whistle and some toot toots then the chuffs when pulling away that matched the speed very well, for the price it's very good, however it's not loud enough and my present controller a Hornby select dose not adjust CV's so I can't increase the volume but my wife has got me a Dynamis Ultima for Christmas so I'll be able to sort the volume out then, never been that happy with the Hornby Select but I picked it up cheap I find it rather long winded having to push so many buttons to achieve a particular function, two buttons to activate a whistle and two buttons to reset it unlike the Dynamis that has one button push functions so looking forward to getting that.
Yes there are some people who knock the steam sound all I can say is my Bachmann Jubilee Kashmir with factory fitted sound is superb, crack open the throttle and it has a very realistic moving off sequence, steam rises, a short blast of the whistle and then creeps away with a slow chuff chuff  until you add more throttle,  close the throttle at speed and you get automatic break squeal just can't fault it but I guess it's a matter of opinion,  please let me know how your diesel ones sound.


Joe
Title: Re: What I've been up to
Post by: Apollo on November 17, 2018, 09:58:06 pm
I will do Joe but I’m packing everything for a house move at the moment so it will be quite a while before I’m settled and got modelling bits and bobs out. The last time I was really building anything train related the TTS was just a concept but when I noticed them on eBay a couple of weeks ago I jumped at them. 4 sound decoders for the price of a SWD one. I’ll need to check and see how many class 37’s are still needing sound. It’s been so long since I had a layout big enough to take them all I can’t remember which ones I have. Good luck with your builds and locos.


Mark
Title: Re: What I've been up to
Post by: radiojoe on November 18, 2018, 06:53:44 am
Cheers Mark  hope your move goes ok.


Regards  Joe.
Title: Re: What I've been up to
Post by: radiojoe on November 23, 2018, 06:43:26 pm
Having a flap to enter the centre of the layout dose make it better than crawling under, but I powered up the layout the other day with my back to the flap and had left it open without realising so there was a potential for a expensive train to end up on the floor, so I've now fitted an alarm to the flap via an mini switch and a small alarm from E-bay for the princely sum of £1.95, so now if the layout is powered up with the flap open the alarm sounds till I close it, at 73 I need all the help I can get.   %% O0
Title: Re: What I've been up to
Post by: BrianB6 on November 23, 2018, 10:20:29 pm
Why not put a switch on the flap so that the layout only works when it is down.
Title: Re: What I've been up to
Post by: radiojoe on November 23, 2018, 10:58:26 pm
Quite right Brian that was one of my options, but I decided on an alarm so I have the option of nipping out and leave trains running without interrupting the sound from each loco.
Title: Re: What I've been up to
Post by: radiojoe on November 27, 2018, 06:15:45 pm

A bit more done to two of the corners, shops in one and a hint of the tv series Heartbeat in the other.


Joe
Title: Re: What I've been up to
Post by: ballastanksian on November 27, 2018, 08:18:20 pm
I love the scenery more than the trains and this is gorgeous Joe. But then would we expect anything less than first rate?
Title: Re: What I've been up to
Post by: Neil on November 28, 2018, 02:01:07 pm
 
Quote from: ballastanksian on November 27, 2018, 08:18:20 pm
I love the scenery more than the trains and this is gorgeous Joe. But then would we expect anything less than first rate?





as you say Ian Eddies modelling and detailing is exceptional, but that model shop must be one of the few left trading in this country, lol...…………..wonder I the stock ZAP epoxy and the Model Boats magazine...……..as I cant get them anywhere locally,  O0 ;D %)
Title: Re: What I've been up to
Post by: warspite on November 28, 2018, 02:09:42 pm
Ah, but the model shop is in the old days - so it was possible it had the items from that era available, different story these days, charity shops and coffee shops are prevalent (got to be careful not to get my post deleted - even in humour) even the pharmacy is taking up two different units
Title: Re: What I've been up to
Post by: radiojoe on November 28, 2018, 04:10:10 pm

Ah, the Pharmacy, in the words of Cap't Mainwaring I wondered who would notice that first,  {-) {-) 


Joe.
Title: Re: What I've been up to
Post by: warspite on November 28, 2018, 04:25:37 pm
Yipee - do I get a prize  :}
Title: Re: What I've been up to
Post by: BrianB6 on November 28, 2018, 09:45:14 pm
In those days surely it would have been a Chemist shop  {:-{
Title: Re: What I've been up to
Post by: ballastanksian on November 28, 2018, 10:47:53 pm
I like the name of the Chippy!!!
Title: Re: What I've been up to
Post by: radiojoe on November 28, 2018, 11:09:00 pm

Well Lloyds Pharmacy opened in 1963 and I have no firm time scale in mind anything from 1960 to 1990 I guess,  I'm running locos from a Jubliee class to a 150 class DMU so there is some fairly modern and a few heritage running.
Top marks to Warspite though I honestly hadn't noticed I had made to Pharmacies I'll have to evict one of them. %% %)


Joe
Title: Re: What I've been up to
Post by: grendel on November 29, 2018, 08:23:55 am
I suppose one could be the dispensary, and the other the one selling all the other pharmaceuticals.
Title: Re: What I've been up to
Post by: derekwarner on November 29, 2018, 09:22:10 am
Well.....


On good advice by a person qualified in the pharmaceutical industry......in 1963, not too many prescriptions were <*< with a Mortar & Pestal ..but the counting out of tablets was achieved by a triangular counter tray....then the prescribed quantity placed in a bottle with the appropriate label typed & affixed

A few things have change today & prescriptions are written with the specified number of individual tablets.....so all the Pharmacist needs to do is take the cardboard/plastic container off the shelf & attach a similar type label

So the decision to name the shop as a Pharmacy type is clearly OK...as no clinical chemistry would have been dispensed...

Looking good Joe :-)) ........we at our Illawarra Live Steamers have a Garden Gauge outdoor facility with both live steam and electric models which is gaining popularity day by day

Derek



Title: Re: What I've been up to
Post by: radiojoe on November 29, 2018, 10:01:36 am

Thanks Derek,   Live steam! ooh luvly jubly  O0


Joe
Title: Re: What I've been up to
Post by: radiojoe on November 29, 2018, 12:49:31 pm

Hi Derek just visited your ILS website, looks like a great place and I just love the safety regs   IE. persons in bare feet, THONGS etc. will not be permitted on the trains, just conjures up a great picture  {-) . I'll bet a day spent there just flies by.
Joe 
Title: Re: What I've been up to
Post by: dougal99 on November 29, 2018, 01:27:21 pm
For the avoidance of doubt; Thongs in Australia refer to flip-flop footwear not items of personal apparel.
Title: Re: What I've been up to
Post by: radiojoe on November 29, 2018, 02:25:37 pm
Now that makes a difference, the picture is gone.   {-) %%
Title: Re: What I've been up to
Post by: radiojoe on November 30, 2018, 07:17:25 pm

I closed one of the pharmacies and opened an antiques shop, most towns have 1 or 10 of them,  ;)


Joe
Title: Re: What I've been up to
Post by: BrianB6 on November 30, 2018, 09:20:31 pm
You need a few people around to spend some money or the shops will go out of business.  %%
Title: Re: What I've been up to
Post by: radiojoe on November 30, 2018, 10:06:01 pm
Agreed but I still have a lot to do and I'm constantly using a vacuum so I leave figures till scenics like grass scatter/ ballast etc. are done, figures are too expensive to keep looking inside the hoover  {:-{
Title: Re: What I've been up to
Post by: dougal99 on December 01, 2018, 02:15:55 pm
Quote from: BrianB6 on November 30, 2018, 09:20:31 pm
You need a few people around to spend some money or the shops will go out of business.  %%





It's early morning Sunday and everybody is in church.  :kiss:
Title: Re: What I've been up to
Post by: Netleyned on December 01, 2018, 02:21:34 pm
Ain't built the Church yet :embarrassed:
Ned
Title: Re: What I've been up to
Post by: radiojoe on December 05, 2018, 05:02:03 pm

Having done the track ballast next to the shops area I added some people, not the best figures just some I got on e-bay that needed painting, and as you can probably tell I'm a big fan of TV series Heartbeat, scratch built Scripps Garage, well loosely based on it anyway, just needs a petrol pump.


Joe
Title: Re: What I've been up to
Post by: surfer71 on January 03, 2019, 11:31:31 pm
Elkins?? I thought they where the MOT garage in Stubbington LOL !!


Looks great must be interesting doing all that detail work.. keeping the model shop in Gosport busy :-)

Title: Re: What I've been up to
Post by: derekwarner on January 04, 2019, 12:14:41 am
That little Ford Anglia brings memories Joe...[many that I cannot repeat here :-X ]  .....[it was my Dads second or going to work car]........& I drove it evenings/weekends for 12 months before my first purchase


[I am sure the Anglias were manufactured in the UK...........this one had a very light cream mushroom [purple] body & white roof turret with matching vinyl/fabric upholstery...Dad worked in the Steel Works......so the Anglia was dirty on Monday afternoon......I must have washed that car 1000 times during my borrowings]



Prior to the Anglia, Dad had a Ford ....Prefect Ute  {-) I learnt to drive in that  >>:-( slipping out of second gear & all........


Sorry to get so foo track.....................Derek  :embarrassed:
Title: Re: What I've been up to
Post by: radiojoe on January 04, 2019, 11:10:56 am

Yes detailing is without doubt my favorite part of projects, though the model shop in Gosport closed down two years ago, there is still a kind of model shop but seems to deal mainly in wargaming stuff, so it's sad to say that I get 99 % of materials etc. on line and apart from the postage and waiting for it,  at least you can usually get what you are looking for.


Yes I know what you mean Derek a lot of the cars on the layout bring back memories, my first proper car was a Ford Popular,  0 to a top speed of 60 eventually  {-)   I did have a Isetta bubblecar before that but I won't go into that, suffice to say you can roll one over and back on to it's wheels I know that from first hand  %% {:-{ .


I got around to making the petrol pump for Scripps garage so here's a few more pics if anyone is interested.
Title: Re: What I've been up to
Post by: SailorGreg on January 04, 2019, 06:08:07 pm
Lovely work Joe.  I've been following along from the beginning.  However, I haven't yet spotted the model boating lake with a miniature Springer being driven around by a miniature Joe.  I'm sure it's there somewhere!  %%

Greg
Title: Re: What I've been up to
Post by: radiojoe on January 04, 2019, 06:39:48 pm
Thanks Greg    A boating pond ah I feel an extention being called for   {-)


Joe
Title: Re: What I've been up to
Post by: ballastanksian on January 04, 2019, 08:09:56 pm
Brill  :-))
Title: Re: What I've been up to
Post by: coch y bonddu on January 04, 2019, 11:17:47 pm
i am seriosly JEALOUS of this layout....would love an N guage but finances simply wont allow it at the mo




Dave
Title: Re: What I've been up to
Post by: radiojoe on January 05, 2019, 02:21:37 pm

Well Greg fancy me forgetting a pond, got one now, but a Springer at the scale is only 6mm x 3mm you probably wouldn't tell what it was but thought I may get away with a J class (of sorts) although thinking about it, it looks more like a Victoria  %%


Joe
Title: Re: What I've been up to
Post by: Netleyned on January 05, 2019, 02:40:30 pm
No fast electrics or IC's methinks :-))
I like it!
Ned
Title: Re: What I've been up to
Post by: SailorGreg on January 05, 2019, 04:43:46 pm
Splendid! Well done Joe, I love it, whatever class of boat it is.
Greg
Title: Re: What I've been up to
Post by: Mark T on January 05, 2019, 05:29:46 pm
That layout looks so real - an amazing job yet again  :-))