Truthful door hanger

 

Picked up at Smallspace - this double-sided door hanger made me chuckle. 

Well worth a donation to Models for Heroes, who do such amazing work using modelmaking as a treatment.  

Saturday Film Club: Cat in films

I know it's not modelmaking, but these videos have been amusing me a lot recently. Basically, take a popular film and replace some of the cast with cats. A simple idea, and technically amazing. There's even a behind the scenes video to explain it all.

Saturday Fim Club: Sleepers in a model shop?

Time for a bit of a laugh with this Fry & Laurie scketch set in a model shop. 

Taking those kits apart really is a long project...

Is it time to revolutionise the exhibition experience?

From Montignac Model Boat show report in Model Boats magazine:

I was aware of a large table being set up at the front of the hall and shortly after the hall opened to the public at 10:00, we exhibitors were summoned for a small glass of the local honey wine and some locally baked biscuits. Quite a start to the show!

What an excellent idea. Some libations and a little sustenance for those who have been setting up and will man the stands during the event.

The report continues:

A typical French touch was that the show closed for lunch between 12:00 and 14:00. 

Now that is a good idea. Imagine everyone being chucked out of Warley for a couple of hours so the exhibiters can get a bite to eat. 10,000 people head to the on-site 'spoons while those of us inside the barriers can have a stroll around the hall, chat and perhaps a bit more local drink (probably not honey wine in Birmingham)!

So civilised. I hope it catches on...

I've been to hell, and it was brillant!

I've been to hell, and it's in Leicestershire...

We've been filming at Bachmann UK's warehouse recently and this allowed me to have a mouch around the shelves full of models. The problem is that as well as the UK railway stuff, they have the Pocketbond range of kits, tools and accessories.

So much stuff!

So much temptation!

So many projects I'd like to have a go at!

I kept looking at boxes and thinking how much fun it would be to assemble the contents. Then I remembered my existing stash of potential projects.

If a lottery ticket comes up, I'd happily bring a lorry load of these goodies home with me. Sadly, the same ticket wouldn't buy me enough time to build them all. All this temptation is both terrible and (I think) wonderful. After all, if you can't look through this lot and find something that interests you in this amazing range, then there's something wrong with you!

Now, please excuse me while I try to think of a reason I should build a 1/32nd scale burger bar complete with rotating sign...

When I am King...

All ready to run locomotives will have their quartering set very slightly out so they lump along the track as badly as most chassis I build the first time the power is turned on.

They will NOT be allowed to run as sweetly as this 65 quid Hornby loco straight from the box.

Grrrrrr.

Dress code slippage

 

I discovered something shocking recently. Apparently ties are no longer a requirement for those working at Railway Modeller magazine. It seems that Peco are "moving with the times". Before long they will be wearing baseball caps back to front!

A bit of me quite likes the idea of dress codes that are slightly old-fashioned. When working in an office, I wore ties long after others had given up on them. My vast collection needed an airing and anyway, it was the only bit of colour I could be bothered with. When your tie has character, wearing a white shirt each day isn't noticed. 

I'm not sure this is always a good thing however. Look at this illustration from the 1960 Hobbies Annual. The lad is sawing away while dressed in a suit!

Is this either safe or clever? My guess is that his Mum would appear very shortly and administer a clip around the ear for getting his good clothes dirty. Sawdust gathered in trouser turn-ups must have been difficult to shift in those pre-washing machine days. 

The grass REALLY IS greener

 

As we struggle out of the EU, perhaps a word to those keen to leave. It seems that the grass really is greener in Europe. At least it is if this stuff from Germany is in any way accurate. I found it in a pile of bits and have since thrown it in the bin.

Why is it that the continentals seem to favour shades of green best described as "nuclear"? 

Do they think that layouts should be visible from space?  

How to annoy an "enthusiast"

So there I am, shunting on Clayhanger Yard and a wagon derails.

It's never happened at this spot on the layout before and there's nothing obviously wrong so I quickly pop it back on the track and carry on.

My crowd, both of them, run off with their noses in the air.

This isn't the first time I've had this happen. I know that they are thinking:

HOW VERY DARE YOU HAVE A DERAILMENT IN MY PRESENCE? YOU BRING THE WHOLE HOBBY IN TO DISREPUTE WITH YOUR SLOVENLY WAYS! IF I HAD A MODEL RAILWAY THERE WOULD NEVER BE ANY DERAILMENTS! I HATE YOU PARKER!

Which is probably fair enough. After all, I have ruined their day and probably their entire month with my derailments.

Of course, if I were a proper modeller I'd stop running and have an extensive post-mortem to work out exactly what went wrong. I've seen it happen and the crowd can enjoy watching modellers poking at trackwork with magnifying glasses for half an hour or so.

My take is that bad things happen. All derailments have a cause but sometimes getting on with the show matters more than sorting it out. If there is a regular problem with a bit of track or vehicle then it's worth a look after hours but most importantly, entertain the punters.

Punters - stuff happens. Get over it. We aren't doing it deliberately, in fact we like problems less than you as we have to fix them. Putting wagons back on the track is annoying and we don't like doing it so we do our best to avoid problems. However, bouncing a model railway around in a van and then installing it in a hall will a wobbly floor and variable heating can upset the best maintained of models.

To the gentlemen who huffed off - Sorry to have ruined your day. I appreciate that you are probably busy burning your collection as I write. A funeral pyre of old Railway Modellers doubtless blackens the sky. I didn't do it deliberately I assure you.

30 Shades of Grey

Full marks to Humbrol for this brilliantly funny bit of viral advertising. For those who don't get the joke, it's a play on the title of EL James book "Fifty Shades of Grey" - a novel that seems to be getting people a bit over-excited.

Some of you will know that in addition to my model-making writing, I'm dabbling in fiction and looking for a book deal - you can read all about it my other blog. Hence I am aware of the genre know as "Mommy Porn", thanks to my writing colleague banging on about it in a blog post.

I just hope the bandwagon jumping doesn't go any further. Can you image the plastic kit of scenes from the book ?

Too late, the Germans have done it already (NSFW). What sort of weirdo wants this on their train-set ? And can anyone who reads "Mommy Porn" on the train to work really claim to any less of a freak ?