Modelling Competition Idea.

[Mountain]

It came to my mind, after a couple of years ago I saw someone do this on one of these forums and made a lovely job of it with a Christmas scene... That it would make an ideal subject for a model railway competition. What am I talking about? Those cheap battery little trainsets which can be bought from £1.99 to around £10 (In "Train in a tin" form).
I will take a photograph to show the sort of thing I mean...

It will be up to the individual how they want to proceed with the project. The goal is to build a little model railway using the set as a base. So one could completely re-model the loco and stock, or leave them as they are and just concentrate on the scenery. It is all a fun little project idea which does not cost too much if things don't go to plan!

What does everyone else think about the idea? I have not run mine yet to see how good the loco is, but I had one of these little sets as a child and it went on and on and on!

[heda]

Well as it was me that built that Christmas layout and I have another two of those train sets sitting in the cupboard I welcome the idea.
My sets cost either £1 or £1.99, I can't remember now but I did but a couple thinking at that price they are good cheap fun. And they do run very well, 1 x AA battery and they go on for ever, the only issue, if it matters as that they are quite fast but for my Polar Express layout it is static anyway.
Dave

[flying scotsman123]

To be honest it doesn't really appeal to me I'm afraid mountain. Being realistic the only modelling competitions that have really taken off on forum of recent years have been ones where there hasn't really been a theme to keep it as broad as possible. Otherwise we just don't get enough people taking part.
That said, with the nights drawing in now might be a good time to have a general modelling completion; I've certainly got a couple of suitably sized projects on the horizon that would work quite well for such a contest.

[End2end]

Me neither I'm afraid. If I was to enter a competition it would be to make something for my layout.
Thanks
End2end

[Mountain]

Well as it was me that built that Christmas layout and I have another two of those train sets sitting in the cupboard I welcome the idea.
My sets cost either £1 or £1.99, I can't remember now but I did but a couple thinking at that price they are good cheap fun. And they do run very well, 1 x AA battery and they go on for ever, the only issue, if it matters as that they are quite fast but for my Polar Express layout it is static anyway.
Dave

I tried this little set. (It was £2.99). The loco ran at a sedate pace. I won't exactly call it fast. It trundled along nicely at a similar pace that I used to run my little H0e (009) locos at. I don't call it slow but it is not fast either. It is actually not too far off the size of a typical H0e loco.
The only issue was that one of the track pieces that holds the two points was slightly bent so it may have had something heavy resting on its box. It will work fine if glued onto a board.
To those using 00 gauge. This would make an ideal little holiday camp type background railway. It seems made for it.

I do have an idea about making some extra track. It looks easy to make though it depends what track one needs. Ooh. My mind is churning!

[heda]

That's intereting about the train running at reasonable speed, maybe the quality control (if it exists) is such that motors run at different speed, I was thinking about soldering in a resistor but not too much room.
Making extra track should be quite easy, I have got a couple of spare sets to get rid of but the postage would be more than the £2.99 you paid.
I'm planning to make a couple of mini layouts for Granddson, cheap, easy to run and hopefully introduce him to model railways.
Be sure to post updates if you make extra track.
Dave

[Mountain]

Yes. We could make a start.

Budget modelling at its best! (Or that's the plan anyway! Haha!)

I already have my other layout in the half way stage. I need to do something more with that as well.

I wonder how much track I can fit on a small board?