In from the cold... Pete's new (not just) N Gauge adventures

[Pete]

Hi all
Some of you may have noticed I’ve been sniping around for the past few weeks. I thought I should be more constructive and post some modelling. I’ve not really modelled railways for 2 – 3 years now, but the bug is back and I’ve returned to my roots, and dusted off my collection of German N Gauge. Those of old will remember I first posted back in 2005 with a Bavarian pre-war terminus (as clichéd to the Germans as a GWR terminus is to the UK). I’m going to build another terminus, though much simplified from my original one, and in parallel I’m going to re-visit a small module I built of a tiny passing station with a siding. This latter exercise will allow me to get my eye back in and to experiment with some ideas I’ve had recently. Photobucket has expurgated my online presence with an efficiency worthy of Stalin, I’ve managed to track down a few old pics of the module to give you an idea of what I hope to do.
So now a shameless exercise in posting an old pic:

I always liked the way the light caught this view.



And the prototype



I think I’ll post here in Workbench before I start the proper layout.
Hope you find it of interest.

(I am a luddite when it comes to modelling so no DCC or anything, just analogue and manual points, at best you might get an LED illuminating a building, sorry folks).

Pete

[Dad-1]

What no scary lighthouse ?
I suppose many of those Grim fairy stories come from
Germany - So will it be SCARY .......??

Geoff T.

[Mountain]

Looks good. Well, the simpler you make things the less time you spend trying to fix faults or setting things up etc, so simplicity can be a huge blessing in this hobby of ours!
I have been both with DC and DCC and with manual to electric point control, and while both have their advantages and disadvantages for each situation, given a choice, these days I prefer manual methods and DC for my narrow gauge. So much more rewarding! (Dont ask me why I feel this as I dont know! I have DCC for 00 gauge. Just missed DC!)

[Pete]

What no scary lighthouse ?

No, no scary lighthouses on this one, Geoff you know more of my stuff than most, scary lighthouses are on a different workbench...

If you want your world to be scary embrace the Unheimlich that's where the Grimm tales come from, inner angst of your surroundings.

https://uncanny.la.utexas.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/freud-uncanny_001.pdf


As Geoff can attest, on occassions my workbench is a bad, dark place, so be prepared for philosophy, poetry, bias, ignorance, prejudice and cool scenery

I have been both with DC and DCC and with manual to electric point control, and...

Mountain

Thanks for your comments.

I enjoy the modelling predominantly, and the challenge of how to make something, I understand for many it's one of the pleasures to dive into the electrics and electronics and with great effect, there's some clever stuff being done no doubt about it. I have a trusty Gaugemaster controller that suits my needs, I rarely actually run the trains anyway, no time I like to spend my time worrying about making N Gauge runner bean plants and stuff. My day job is full of complexity, at home I like to switch off.


P.

[Dave]

Good to see you back Pete

[carnehan]

Can't wait to see this materialise. We are blessed with a wide range of modelling themes and eras on this forum.

Paul

[Pete]

Today finds a very untidy workbench.



I'm trying to reduce the board to rail head height, I've never been completely happy with the look of code 55, but I'm not building my own track, therein lies madness. So I'm trying to set the track fractionally into the board. To this end I've routed a shallow slot to run the track in:



Watch this space...

(For this small diorama I'm recycling some old track, so it's a tad scruffy.)

Pete

[Pete]

N Gauge fun has drawn to a halt, too cold and wet to be up and down to the shed, I'm also waiting for a couple of German reference books that I thought were lost (rather than loaned to someone) to be returned in a few weeks.

In the mean time I thought I'd make some buildings, just for the fun of it. Combining my interest in German cinema, I thought I'd build one , and a shut one at that in H0.

The prototype:



I love making things from card, this is from a textured mounting board:




Loads more to do, but it's taking shape.

About a year ago I made some tatty and closed up French shops and a workshop, I don't think I posted them here (if I did photobucket ate the images), so a couple of shots, these are made entirely from card, with some micro copper tube for drainpipes.









They all need roofs and a bit of finishing, they've been sat on a shelf gathering dust, which is where the cinema is likely to end up too

P.

[railwayjim]

The cinema is looking really good Pete, looking forward to
it progressing, will the model have weeds in the gutter, as
the real thing?

Jim.

[Dave]

I like the finishes on the shops, they have been around a while

[Mountain]

Those buildings are fantastic! It it the way you paint them that brings the extra atmosphere to them.

[Bufferstop]

Another boots for the buildings, waiting to see more. I agree entirely with your sentiments

My day job is full of complexity, at home I like to switch off.

I know just how you feel, I retired from two or three hundred users at any one time who all thought they knew exactly what they were doing, with a significant number who's goal was to cause chaos. So my current layout is DC with mechanically operated points and signals. If I need the complexity and technology I have a retirement job, providing the technology for Mrs W who writes exam papers for international exams in IT and Computing, as well as the occasional text book.

[carnehan]

Brilliant cinema build and the shops are fantastic. As said previously, its the paint finish and added details that set them off. The torn advertising hoarding, for example, an observation of the things around us that many would just look past.

Paul

[Dad-1]

Pete, you're going to lead carnehan away from track laying .......
All I can say is just keep building what catches your eye !!
As always super work.

Geoff T.

[Pete]

Hi all

Thanks for the kind comments.

I spent an hour or two this morning, working on the foyer and guttering:



The guttering, which isn't shown that clearly in this pic, is made from split bamboo skewers, you just cut the ends square, insert the blade into the end across the diameter and they split easily in half, they don't look too bad once painted.

I know just how you feel...

It's each to his own, I totally understand why people get into the electronics and now 3D printing/laser cutting etc. it's moved the hobby on leaps and bounds, there's some fantastic work being done (as seen in many threads on here); I just enjoy the tactile nature of making things by hand.

Anyway, that's probably my last post on this until next weekend, a busy week ahead.

Pete