Confessional

Narrow Minded · Post by **Narrow Minded** » Tue Jun 25, 2013 3:33 pm

I thought we might need a "Confessional" here on the Forum - you know, for those General Garden Railway dark thoughts or deeds that blight our consciences every now and again

Here's my opener;
I've been thinking for a long time about dismantling the W&LLR, selling off everything but the track and down-sizing but up-scaling to 7/8ths.
Things got worse when the Accucraft Hunslet appeared, and today I noticed the IP Ruston!

tom_tom_go · Post by **tom_tom_go** » Tue Jun 25, 2013 3:42 pm

Ha ha glad it's not only me that is thinking about 7/8ths after seeing David's Hunslet running on my line on Sunday:

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I wish I had started 7/8ths in the first place now that I have little time due to new job, family life, etc as I am finding 16mm too fiddly.

But I guess I made the same mistake when I got back in OO years ago and then discovered DCC and so spent money on that as well

hussra · Post by **hussra** » Tue Jun 25, 2013 3:47 pm

I sometimes wonder if I woushould be modelling the Lough Swilly in 15mm/ft. But I just did the sums, and Owencarrow viaduct would be around 17 metres long.

That's probably a bit much for our garden, especially as it would need really quite a bit of bleak heather scenery to give the context. We'll stick with Welsh slate railways.

Andrew · Post by **Andrew** » Tue Jun 25, 2013 5:07 pm

I have to avoid looking at books about trams... I think I could get REALLY into them... A fleet of 4-wheeled single deckers or open-topped double-decked cars trundling round the garden in ornate liveries would be quite something... Plus the odd quirky service car... And a depot, with the cars all lined up at a traverser... Hmmm...

Yours guiltily,

Andrew.

Narrow Minded · Post by **Narrow Minded** » Tue Jun 25, 2013 6:50 pm

Andrew, you really must stay away from the National Tramway Museum at Crich then!

(It's only just down the road from here!

)

laalratty · Post by **laalratty** » Tue Jun 25, 2013 8:17 pm

Well, would have to say that 1/12th is the scale that would draw me away from 16mm, in fact if I ever somehow came into possession of the 1/12th scale live steam model of the R&ER's Northern Rock then I'm sure it would happen!!
However...

16mm has so much trade support that makes it all a lot easier and whilst 7/8ths is growing in popularity there would still have to be a LOT of stuff that would have to be scratchbuilt, so contrary to what tom tom go says I don't think it would be so good for someone who doesn't have a lot of spare time

The other confession of mine would be taking over the entire garden and/or house and going nuts with the amount of track, however I've got my parents to stop me first...!

laurence703 · Post by **laurence703** » Tue Jun 25, 2013 8:30 pm

Besides owning two mamods... (Not the only one!) I have grown to like the humble Binnie Tipper to the extent of having 9 and a brake wagon... I now have to stop myself from buying more...

That and before long I won't have any 00 gauge or N gauge as I keep selling it off to afford 16mm...

There have been musings of eventually building something in 16mm but that involves a workshop which seems to be becoming my bedroom slowly... wonder if my parents will let me use a lathe in my room???

TTHLRMatt · Post by **TTHLRMatt** » Tue Jun 25, 2013 9:10 pm

My one is that I was bitten by the 1/12th bug when I became a fireman at the SHR and considered selling my fowler and getting someone to build me Lydia or something for a 1/12th scale layout............ 2 months later and the fowler is still here............. with saving fund for a loco, boiler in design and the beginnings of a layout!!!!! The SHR in miniature!!!!

Gremlin · Post by **Gremlin** » Tue Jun 25, 2013 9:26 pm

Well since receiving the Hunslet I am now looking at a couple of my locos in a different light. Chris Bird did Millie conversion to 7/8ths and there are some nice body kits out there from simply 7/8ths.

My real confession is that I have an embarrassingly large fleet of steamers for the time I've been in the hobby.
My wife thought I only had 4 but put a 1 infront of that and add a couple more. As she doesn't have a lot of interest I found if I bought green ones she didn't notice the difference

Dr. Bond of the DVLR · Post by **Dr. Bond of the DVLR** » Tue Jun 25, 2013 9:27 pm

I have far too much rolling stock, some of which I never (or very rarely) use. It wasn't on purpose, it just sort of happened...

steamie1 · Post by **steamie1** » Tue Jun 25, 2013 11:12 pm

Confessions....I said my loco was about 200 lower than it was so as not to shock the missus. I will have to confess as it bugs me when she admires it.....It is so hard when our toys cost so much not to fib..best come clean take the knock and feel better later...
And 7/8ths Love the Hunslet wanted a finescale gave up after 4 years on the list! Brought Tom Rolt instead finding it hard to banish the want. I reckon we have to be thankful and cherish. A good loco is like a good lady. There is lots to admire even with the passage of time. The effort keeping it tip top is the fun and interest on-going. Too many is 'not to keep well' and becomes a material burden. Small can be good in scale a watch is a lovely thing..My locos need me...

AndrewGVT · Post by **AndrewGVT** » Wed Jun 26, 2013 12:24 am

My confession is that once I thought about finishing a model that I star... no, no, no perish the thought.

LnBmad · Post by **LnBmad** » Wed Jun 26, 2013 8:21 am

My confession is that I siphon a small amount of cash from the holiday budget each week to fund the railway expansion....

paullad1984 · Post by **paullad1984** » Wed Jun 26, 2013 10:20 am

Sometimes i come over all Irish and crave a live steam CDR Class 5, but dual gauge 32/45mm.....

Peter L · Post by **Peter L** » Wed Jun 26, 2013 6:08 pm

16mm gauge was my secret! Much happier now that I made the switch.

bazzer42 · Post by **bazzer42** » Wed Jun 26, 2013 7:30 pm

Thank goodness I'm not the only one who siphons. Gross ebay proceeds go in the train fund, fees and postage come out of the joint account

LnBmad · Post by **LnBmad** » Wed Jun 26, 2013 11:24 pm

I hear the fees and postage aswell....

DLRdan · Post by **DLRdan** » Wed Jun 26, 2013 11:54 pm

I have dark thoughts about selling all my 16mm and getting a 3" traction engine..........

DolwyddelanLightRail · Post by **DolwyddelanLightRail** » Thu Jun 27, 2013 10:56 am

DLRdan:85266 wrote:I have dark thoughts about selling all my 16mm and getting a 3" traction engine..........

Here is something that'll make you change your mind:

I'll take the mamods off your hands!

Keith S · Post by **Keith S** » Wed Jul 10, 2013 6:35 pm

I have to confess that I am, hopefully temporarily, finding the whole issue of garden railways in general a bit insipid. I'm still quite proud of my Roundhouse engine that I built from kits, and I like looking at it, but since I don't have a garden and my "railway" is hidden on an island it's a bit of a production to load the engine and wagons into boxes, take a boat to the island, repair whatever damage wind and rain and dogs have done to the tracks, and run the train round several times finding all the places where it will derail and fixing them, and only then am I able to run it. Last time I watched it going around and around and I thought to myself: This is stupid. Also my wagons all get damaged going to and from the railway in boxes and I'm lucky I haven't damaged my engine. Frankly I'm planning on taking the tracks apart and putting the whole works in storage, other than the engine, which will sit on a shelf. It's too much work just to watch a train toddle slowly around a circle in the dirt, getting bitten by bugs and not able to have a cup of tea. It's not an appropriate hobby for where I live.

I think the 7/8ths stuff is great. Rinky-dink little "tramway" type steam trains are why I was attracted to UK-style narrow gauge models in the first place. I love how the Hunslet looks too and can easily imagine weathering one and outfitting it with all kinds of details like buckets and chains and teapots to make it look like an unkempt industrial locomotive at the end of its working life. One thing though is that, if it looks like I am only going to have one live steam railway locomotive, which will be sitting on a shelf in my music room most of its life, I'd rather have an English one than a Chinese one. But that is just my own personal prejudice: I'd like a working model that is made in the sam country as the "prototype" was (even though there isn't really a prototype for my engine particularly)

Sorry if I sound defeatist; I'm just not having any fun with it, and frankly I think I would have to be living in England and be acquainted with you lot in order to have any sense of community in the hobby. I think I give up.

If anyone is interested, here is probably the last time I will be making a video of this train, at least in this location. I don't like it as much as the winter one I did. Although it looks like the train is running OK on these tracks, most of the wagons sustained some minor damage going to and from the location, and after the video it rained heavily and washed out most of the "ballast".

The last time I ran this train it was on the request of one of my friends so their children could see it run. After half an hour or so of watching the train derail, come uncoupled and nearly trampled by two small children chasing it 'round and trying to leap over it, I was getting visibly frustrated. Their mother said "See how much fun they're having? That's the important thing." ...and I thought to myself "No it bloody isn't. The important thing is that I'm standing here in the heat and insects watching a thousand pounds' worth of toys running through sand and getting mauled by small children". I think maybe it's time to pack it in.

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