Garden Railway Forum

Hi folks
I've put together a beginners' guide to creating battery locos from kits. It's very much an intro. I'd appreciate some feedback from experienced and less experienced modellers alike. Is anything missing? Is it easy to follow? Is it too basic? Anything els?
https://riksrailway.blogspot.com/2022/1 ... -your.html

Rik

I think it's pretty good and captures all the key points...I like that there are links to various example builds too. The only thing that I can think of for a beginner guide is details of where to get things like the low melt solder / best epoxy glues etc. But that's being very picky.

Garethep wrote: ↑Thu Dec 22, 2022 3:33 pm I think it's pretty good and captures all the key points...I like that there are links to various example builds too. The only thing that I can think of for a beginner guide is details of where to get things like the low melt solder / best epoxy glues etc. But that's being very picky.

That's a useful point. Until now, I'd have recommended Eileen's Emporium for all that sort of stuff, but I hear it's now bitten the dust - more's the pity.
https://scalefour.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=40&p=94876

Rik

ge_rik wrote: ↑Thu Dec 22, 2022 4:06 pm Until now, I'd have recommended Eileen's Emporium for all that sort of stuff, but I hear it's now bitten the dust - more's the pity.
https://scalefour.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=40&p=94876

Thanks for posting that Rik. That is terrible and sad news, both for the people and the hobby. I must admit to not using them as much as I once did ( in my 4mm days) but they have been a constant in the hobby since the days of the original 'real' Eileen and Jim Pitchforth.

Now added Part 2 about conversions and modifications

https://riksrailway.blogspot.com/2022/1 ... s-for.html

I've given Tony Bird an honourable mention in the section about converting toys - I can't think of a more worthy exponent (unless there's someone else??)

Rik

Late to the party here Rik, but I have read through your guide and can't think of anything you haven't covered. The links to other, more detailed descriptions, also help to further explain.
The most important thing is simply to encourage people to try for themselves, practise, and sometimes disappointment, is the best way to learn!

Peter Butler wrote: ↑Sat Dec 24, 2022 2:50 pm Late to the party here Rik, but I have read through your guide and can't think of anything you haven't covered. The links to other, more detailed descriptions, also help to further explain.
The most important thing is simply to encourage people to try for themselves, practise, and sometimes disappointment, is the best way to learn!

Thanks Peter
Hopefully that's what I've tried to say in my concluding remarks in Part 2. The best way to learn is to try, make mistakes, and learn from them. Mind you, considering the number of mistakes I've made, I ought to be Einstein by now ........

Rik

PS _ Really appreciate you've used the verb form of 'Practise'. The 'ice'/'ise' noun/verb dichotomy is one of my pet foibles (not just from my primary teaching days but when I taught at university). It's surprising and disappointing how many journalists confuse the two!

Yet more valuable contributions to garden railway modelling lore Rik.
Your blog is a treasure trove for everyone interested in garden railways. I'm looking forward to the next episodes.

just read the first two Rik and they are very well written. I have always loved to read your Blog, but I don't get any notifications now. Still you always post on the forum when you have done something on it.

Thanks Rod. Not sure what has happened to the notifications system on Blogger. I no longer get notifications to the blogs which I subscribe to on there either. I also don't seem to get notifications from YouTube subscriptions either for some reason.

Rik

ge_rik wrote: ↑Sat Dec 31, 2022 8:37 am Thanks Rod. Not sure what has happened to the notifications system on Blogger. I no longer get notifications to the blogs which I subscribe to on there either. I also don't seem to get notifications from YouTube subscriptions either for some reason.

Rik

Rik,
I received a message from Blogger a fair while back that the notification system was being discontinued I believe it stopped on 1 July 2021
Something involving "Feedburner" of which I have no idea what it is.
https://support.google.com/blogger/answer/10477563
Not sure if this is what causing your issue.

It's Google messing about with things again. It's just like all those annoying boxes that pop up with disagree or agree/accept setting, even if you come out of a website and then go back into again....

Still like I say, you always post on the forum when you have done something on you Blog Rik, so I don't worry about it much.