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Post by robmarsh on Apr 3, 2020 15:19:40 GMT
Thank you Charles and Rene. I won't mention the speed boat I had at one time. I think we make an excellent group. Still need to look at meeting up once this nonsense is over. The clip was for a magazine programme on one of the SA TV channels specifically geared to deaf people. The interviewer and the camera man were both deaf and I had a wonderful four or five hours working with them and having lunch. Sadly I had to sell the railroad when we were leaving for the UK so it is just a memory now but it was fun while it lasted. A never ending project though as Rene will know.
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Post by Carl on Apr 3, 2020 16:31:12 GMT
Hi guys talking about different hobbies, have a look at this from my life in SA. Great layout, Rob! I especially like the detailed and operational running gear on the steam locomotive. My grandfather was a yardmaster for the Louisville and Nashville Railroad and the pocket watch he used to time arrivals and departures was eventually handed down to me. To this day, whenever I see a freight train, I look for the L & N logo on each box car.
 Union Station in Nashville  |
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Post by chrisb on Apr 4, 2020 9:46:17 GMT
Rob, as I am someone who communicates for a living, I am totally bereft of suitable words, words fail me they really do, what a brilliant brilliant video - so sorry to to hear you had to sell it, but there again...that sounds like a good reason to consider starting a new project?
fabulous Rob just fabulous, still can't find the words - oh, speed boat? for someone who enjoys speed, the only water transport I actually wanted was a barge, thank you for sharing that and yes once this nonsense your suggestion is a good one
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Post by robmarsh on Apr 5, 2020 9:14:39 GMT
Thank you Carl and Chris.
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Post by charleselan on Apr 5, 2020 18:35:37 GMT
The one question I have to ask you Rob, is this. Are you going to begin a new railway now that you are in the UK?
It must have been hard to part with that truly fantastic work you had in SA, but to have tried transporting it across the world would have been very difficult so can understand you selling it.
Have you considered doing a slot car track like René, that might be interesting?
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Post by robmarsh on Apr 6, 2020 8:55:09 GMT
Hi Charles, I don't think so. My wife and I have decided to simplify our lives and downsize. Space and money preclude me from going ahead with a project like that again, here in the UK. I have quite a few models and historic figures in my collection that still need completing. At present they are somewhere in England but will keep me busy once I get them. At the moment I am working on a 1/32 Sopwith Camel. I would love a track like Rene has but wont have the space or the funds. Like you guys I have collected all sorts of things in the past, books aplenty, some slot cars, 1/43rds, models and historic figures. I will be further thinning them out here to supplement my pension as they can realise quite a price if sold to the right collector.
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Post by charleselan on Apr 6, 2020 10:07:25 GMT
Hi Charles, I don't think so. My wife and I have decided to simplify our lives and downsize. Space and money preclude me from going ahead with a project like that again, here in the UK. I have quite a few models and historic figures in my collection that still need completing. At present they are somewhere in England but will keep me busy once I get them. At the moment I am working on a 1/32 Sopwith Camel. I would love a track like Rene has but wont have the space or the funds. Like you guys I have collected all sorts of things in the past, books aplenty, some slot cars, 1/43rds, models and historic figures. I will be further thinning them out here to supplement my pension as they can realise quite a price if sold to the right collector. Rob, That is more than understandable and credit is due for being able to downsize. I am sure you will have enough modelling to do with your various projects, I like the sound of a 1/32nd scale Sopwith Camel. When i was a kid I built loads of model aircraft kits which i used to have hanging from the beams in my bedroom on thin cotton. Mostly WW2 stuff from Spitfires & Hurricanes to a Lancaster, probably all 1/72nd scale. Along with motorcycles and racing cars I was mad on aircraft probably as a result of my Uncle Dennis being a fighter pilot in the war years. Back in the late 1970's when Airfix finally released a Hawker Tempest model of the type he flew I actually built one up and still have it boxed away with over half my car collection, I must get some more into display cabinets this year but it is a laborious task unpacking them and repairing any that have got damaged in transit. JC |
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Post by robmarsh on Apr 6, 2020 19:57:14 GMT
I loved the Tempest ever since I read Roland Beamont's book Against the Sun. It was a perfect mix of Spitfire wings and Typhoon fuselage and packed a mean punch. I have a 1/48 scale one I need to build. If you have any photo's of Uncle Dennis' aircraft I will try and build one with his codes etc. It's always nice to build something that has a connection. Hawker Aircraft under the design genius of Sir Sydney Cam produced some beautiful aircraft from the Fury/Demon to the Hawker Hunter and even the Harrier was beautiful in an ugly way though you could see the lineage in the tail. Most of my book collection consists of motor racing or aviation related subjects. I spent a good ten minutes this morning trying to locate the Typhoon that was buzzing around over head but my eyes are not so good anymore and it was hard to determine which of the black dots was the aircraft.
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Post by charleselan on Apr 6, 2020 20:33:35 GMT
I loved the Tempest ever since I read Roland Beamont's book Against the Sun. It was a perfect mix of Spitfire wings and Typhoon fuselage and packed a mean punch. I have a 1/48 scale one I need to build. If you have any photo's of Uncle Dennis' aircraft I will try and build one with his codes etc. It's always nice to build something that has a connection. Hawker Aircraft under the design genius of Sir Sydney Cam produced some beautiful aircraft from the Fury/Demon to the Hawker Hunter and even the Harrier was beautiful in an ugly way though you could see the lineage in the tail. Most of my book collection consists of motor racing or aviation related subjects. I spent a good ten minutes this morning trying to locate the Typhoon that was buzzing around over head but my eyes are not so good anymore and it was hard to determine which of the black dots was the aircraft. Rob, That would be a real pleasure I have lots of B&W photos that he took of the Tempest, he was a keen photographer and did all his own developing and printing back then. Strangely he stopped after the war ended and as with flying never did it again, but he had an extraordinary life and he and my Aunty Bettie are still going reasonably well in their mid 90's. I will have to look the photos out but will get them scanned and put them up here for you. Likewise I always liked the Hawker aircraft, I think they built the Hurricane in Gloucester during the war years and in the 1970's I worked on what was the Gloster Aircraft site for a few years developing my engineering skills. I believe that Gloster built the Hurricane and of course later came the Whittle followed by the Meteor and Javelin. As I mentioned a while back my dad worked for Hawker Siddley (Gloster) in the 1950/60's as a long distance lorry driver delivering parts and complete aircraft throughout the UK. When the company folded and became Gloster Saro lots of things were thrown out, or salvaged by guys like my dad. He managed to get me some truly beautiful aerial photos in B&W mounted on art board of Meteors and Javelins, I really must get them into frames and have them on the wall they are impressive. Going back to the Tempest it was indeed a great looking place and a real weapon as well, fast and with some real fire power. It was said that due to their speed they were used to deal with the V1 Flying Bombs. I think that Dennis wasn't too impressed with he myth that the pilots used to tip them out of control with the wings of the Tempest; I think he said it was the cannon that did the damage to the V1. |
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Post by chrisb on Apr 7, 2020 6:35:31 GMT
oh the folly, I once had a good collection of Airfix kits, airfix motor racing circuits and cars and of course, threw them all out when i was a bit shall we say footloose and vaguely remember massive battleships and cruisers such as the Missouri and Eugen - being amongst my favourites, but aircraft wise the Mossie was always the one for me, then the Typhoons - loved these beasts, and of course the Spit, I can see a temptation starting here, may just have a wee look at ebay... or any other suggestions,
one of my other interests is military history, I have always been fascinated by leaders and what makes them so, my two main 'heroes' ended up as Field Marshals - Alan Brooke and Slim, still the most underrated and unsung heroes, the former complimented the power and prevented the folly of Churchill, the latter whose training principals are still being used today and who made everyone a soldier and beat the Japanese in open battle - not something too many can boast of
wonderful stories JC, thank you
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Post by charleselan on Apr 7, 2020 9:20:06 GMT
Just for starters Rob, and thanks to Carl for reminding me of having placed this in the General Discussion some time back.  |
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Post by René on Apr 7, 2020 14:15:05 GMT
I found the pictures from the track build process so I will try to show and explain (in not too many posts  ) how this project came about. The beginning
The actual track is made from MDF (medium density fiberboard) pieces I had laying around from other projects and the house renovation. I had seen several great 'wooden' tracks on Slotforum so I felt inspired to have a go when we finally finished the renovation of the attic. My wife would get one half (for her dancing stuff) and I would get the other half of this new room for my racing stuff.  The regular way of making a track like this is to use a router to create the slots but to do this the MDF needs a thickness of at least 10mm, otherwise you would drill through it. Unfortunately (it seemed at first) the MDF plates I had were a lot thinner so not suitable for routing. Of course I could buy new MDF but I had so much still laying around it would be a shame not to use it.
So then I thought why not cut/saw the groove and reconnect the pieces leaving a few mm clearance to create the slot. Would this work? And thus I made this first test piece which convinced me it could. And so, after first building a U-shaped table, I started designing a track that has some fast parts but also a Monaco style hairpin and some elevations. The actual space is limited so I decided on not a lot of curves to avoid it becoming cramped. I also wanted to make sure the few bends I do have look realistic. Most plastic tracks have curves that are too sharp and narrow. Understandable from a play/toy perspective but just not realistic.
Another plan was to create the ideal racing line which to my mind looks a lot better. Of course it's virtually impossible to overtake in most places but since I don't have a racing partner this doesn't really matter. Actually, if I had to do it again I would only make one slot that follows the exact racing line. Maybe one day I will redo the track... But anyway, after I finalized the design (roughly) I started cutting and creating track sections which looked like this: Putting my heavy weight book collection to good use after glueing the parts together again... to become this...
... and this...
Painting...
Making the white lines with tape and a self made double knife...
The advantage of the thin MDF is that it bends easily so it's easier to make elevations.
Laying the copper tape.
And filling the spaces around the track.
Using chicken wire and plaster...
... to be continued. |
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Post by Carl on Apr 7, 2020 16:14:19 GMT
Rene, Your careful planning, creative problem solving and execution have inevitably led you to a wonderful result! It's fascinating to see how you started and progressed, so naturally I have an irrelevant question about the brick wall which appears to be quite old. When was your now renovated house first built?
Cheers, Carl
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Post by robmarsh on Apr 7, 2020 16:22:46 GMT
Lovely Rene. I like your racing line decision. Makes it much more realistic, something I always wished with the normal off the shelf track. I never realised that you used copper tape either. Looking forward to part 2.
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Post by robmarsh on Apr 7, 2020 16:23:54 GMT
Just for starters Rob, and thanks to Carl for reminding me of having placed this in the General Discussion some time back. Thanks Charles. Is that Uncle Dennis on the motorbike. Lovely pic. Even in the black and white pic one can see the tonal variations in the paint. Something I try to achieve with my models. |
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) how this project came about.
