Thomas At Silver Fox Island - one for kids to drive

[Dad-1]

A Long, Long time ago, before I got married I used to do some rally driving.
So while I waited for the plaster along the second quarry cliff to dry I decided
to have a "Thomas Memorial Rally". Why Thomas memorial - simply that the
Thomas we knew has long ago been swallowed by a money grabbing American
corporation (R.I.P Thomas).

Here stage 3 is underway, just a few runners left to start. Brings back memories
as all except the Merc were cars I either drove, or competed against.



Silly old so and so you may say, but it brings back good memories of the mid 1960's !!

Gotta start that grass soon .......

Geoff T.

[Dad-1]

Things slowing down ......

Now started laying turf ....... adding all sorts of scenic scatters around, but it's a slow job as I
prefer to do no more that 200 mm at a time. I do that to prevent too much thinned PVA from
slopping around in any one place. So once I've done around 3 - 4 lots that's it for the day.

Here's Thomas with all the schoolchildrens milk running around the lake ...... which looks
more like a road being in a matt finish at the moment.



2 more days work should see this half finished ......... perhaps !!

Geoff T.

[tom_tom_go]

Looking great Geoff I am enjoying the updates, you should be very proud!

Cheers,

Tom

[NEvans]

Geoff, you've done a great job. Nice idea but your not really going to let all those little darlings get their hands on it are you? Wreck it in hours....

[tom_tom_go]

Geoff, you've done a great job. Nice idea but your not really going to let all those little darlings get their hands on it are you? Wreck it in hours....

The kids are the future of the hobby so you got to get them to spend their future cash somehow

Cheers,

Tom

[Dad-1]

Hi Tom,

I agree with you - kids come to exhibitions and all they hear is :- 'don't touch', 'keep back', 'NO', 'NO !',
Not exactly trying to interest them is it ? All negative vibes.

This is simple, no points, no signals and while it has full scenery I'm not putting anything in the front half that
should suffer from an occasional touching. The hill and road bridge lock together and a few bumps shouldn't move it.
The station is at the back, it should be out of reach so a few people, seats, waste bins, telephone box and couple of
cars in the car park will be included.

Children will also be under supervision, I know only time will tell, but from the very onset allowing youngsters to drive
was the important difference with this layout.

I also relax running GWR freights around it, yep, kids of all ages welcome !!

Geoff T.

[NEvans]

I agree with you - kids come to exhibitions and all they hear is :- 'don't touch', 'keep back', 'NO', 'NO !',
Not exactly trying to interest them is it ? All negative vibes.

I did post that in humour if anyone didn't realise (I'm not calling anyone fick honest ). And I would totally agree, very impressive most of those layouts, but I know how bored my kids get very quickly. Can't remember where but saw a more advanced layout (track plan), still only about 6x4, with a digital controller and couple of engines, showing what could be done relatively easy. As said kids of all ages wanted a go, "Dad get off you promised me I could have a go!!!" Had a charity tin on the side, think it done very well.

Also seen a shunting layout, offering shunting problems for allcomers, surprising how many of the kids could out drive the adults. Seen it on the forum where a club made a layout over the weekend, with raffle tickets to win it at end of the weekend. Not aimed at the children but a very good way of showing just whats possible, sure helped a few children convince dad he had the ability.

[Dad-1]

Hi NEvans,

No I wasn't having a go at your comment, because having had 3 sons, hang on I still have them, I know
how curious kids are. How else are they to learn ? Sticking a finger on the scenic grass, rubbing along
the ballast I think they need to have the chance of a tactile experience.

I agree with you on kids & driving, when my Grandson was about 7 I'd just started my first layout which
was DCC with a Select. Alex picked up the loco numbering system in no time and on subsequent visits
was able to just drive different trains around and change points easily from memory.

Yes kids get bored easily, but at our exhibition we expect there to be a queue and intend limiting any
one child's session to a maximum of 5 minutes. They can of course come back and have another go, but
it's to the back of the queue !! I may allow myself a longer session hauling iron ore, or coal behind a GWR
tank engine, with perhaps a banker to show some adults the benefits of DCC.

It's been fun, thinking of how to make something simple, compact, light, portable, robust, reliable, only
after the exhibition will I know my level of success !!!

Geoff T.

[Dad-1]

I'm as big a kid as any that will ever drive this layout .......
I'm getting very excited as the scatters start bringing the scenes to life,
can't even wait for the PVA to dry out ..... hence all the white splodges !!

Looking across the lake from platform end .......



Greg running along the lake edge with Annie & Clarabell



Oh and I still have 3 area applications to go on this half ....... feeling down now, still along way to go ?

Geoff T.

[Hammy]

This is looking great Geoff!!

love the rally scene, i think most people have scenes that incorperate memories of past times.

[Dad-1]

Hi Hammy,

Thanks for the comment, trouble is now I spend more time looking in the rear mirror (remembering what I used to do)
than looking forward. I wouldn't say times running out, but it's a sure as Hell going faster and I don't want to know what's
around the next corner !!

Geoff T.

[NEvans]

No I wasn't having a go at you

I know you weren't, missus has full ownership of that. With the mother-in-law as stand in if she's busy......

Hammy you need your old layout at shows, let people see just what can be done with a basic hornby trakmat. Although probably be quite hard to set up for public use though.

[Dad-1]

Tried a video on Photobucket, been using YouTube recently as Photobucket seemed
to take ages to 'buffer' enough in to run.

MVI_3113

I've just lost my comments once, so I'm going to put this through, then come back and edit.

MMMmmm - not exactly impressed, next time back to YouTube.

Anyway with my wife out all day I've managed to finish scenics on the first half and started painting the water again by
adding USN sea blue using loads of thinners along the shallows. Can't tell exactly what it'll look like after 6 or more coats
of varnish, but coming along.
Tried adding the last plaster to the other side, but think that may fall off. I put it on in the full sun and it's crazed. Tell
tomorrow, but if in doubt I'll remove and try again.

Geoff T.


Geoff T.

[Dad-1]

It may not look like much difference, BUT
most of the outside turf has been laid, just the lower left corner to do, then ....
Then the hill, I've just realised how much scatter will be needed to cover it.



Tonight at club I've been given the go-ahead to buy out of funds the
Langley boy scouts camping set to place on the hill to add something of interest.

To save some scatter I intend to have a smallish section of hill embankment burnt - just painted
black over the earth colour with a few pieces of blackened growth with yellow/orange edge as it
moves to un-burnt hill. This will reveal a few rabbit holes and perhaps a rabbit .......

Oh yea, did a little scenic work on the steep farm track bankings where a Ford 100E is going
up to the main road.



Those jars of scatter are looking thin .........

Geoff T.

[Dad-1]

Oh My, ..... grass and more grass, will it never end ?



To break the boredom - or should we call it artistic painting with scatter ? (never got a Blue Peter badge)
When wet take a photo just to evaluate the results, looks O.K to me.
That roads too busy to snog in the layby.

After lunch cuppa then back to the grass .... I'm going to be dreaming about grass !!

Geoff T.