I have a great level of respect for how much you explain to people that things don't have to be perfect and that they should build what they want. I think people beginning in the hobby get overwhelmed when they're told they need to pick a date, location and build it to those exact specs. I've told countless people before: You get into the hobby for fun, so just as long as you're having fun you're doing it right.
Hi Mike and Doug,this truly is a beautiful subject.Ive told you before i am a return visitor to this great interest after a 40 yr break.and ive always been interested in modelling. ive also told you that before i decided to have another go at this,i watched a few videos one really put me off,this chap was talking about building a new layout,i thought id follow him and learn,then he started talking about costs,he got to £10.000 and i thought i cant do that! Then thankfully i found this channel and i thought that looks more of the type of thing i want to do.You are right about the building side of things,some of the most enjoyable things on my layout are my scratch built items,i was trimming a rather rough thorny shrub the other day and a few bits came out and they looked like dead trees,so they are on my layout now,im always picking bits and pieces up now which i can use.Its also great that my girlfriend has taken an interest,she can look at my layout (im lucky enough now to have a 'train room') and say you could put this and that there.I also get enjoyment out of buying second hand items and using them.But it truly is a fantastic hobby or interest and thank you for all your help and hints and tips over the past years :)
Thanks for your comment. I had similar experiences with videos, Inc one 'cheap' shunting layout where he started with a 'cheap' £80 loco and £60 of track Inc motorised points, so £140 and he hadn't even started! Glad we could help and as always, thanks for watching.
Totally agree with you. I found myself becoming bogged down with my hobby which includes scale model making because I was getting tied up with seeking accuracy and worrying about what scales to build in etc. This resulted in loss of "mojo". I was made to realise I was actually getting stressed and forgotten the reason the doctor advised me to take up a hobby in the first place. I no longer worry and just get on and make things that appeal to me. I use some advice given by a model maker to counter any negative comments "I didn't build it hoping for your approval -- I built it because it meets mine!" which also fits in with the no. 1 rule.
You're quite right. I am always saying it's "your layout, your rules" - you can run what you want and it can be as detailed or as basic as your skill level allows. And as for "it's just a loop", I always suggest to people wanting to start out to get a "train set" - you get a track, loco and rolling stock, and usually some structures, all in one. Cheers
Budget Model Railways this is exactly where I am at now. I am simply designing a tri-oval tail chaser, it will encompass a high line, a low line and a tunnel & single line fiddle. It is not a model of anything, and my Flying Scotsman and freight will do loops. The inner loop will have a “run-off” to the engine shed and turntable, simply because I love the idea of a turntable and the “On Shed” aspect. The whole thing will only measure 2400 x 1800mm made up utilising 4 modules latched together. It is my first time back into the hobby for over 40 years and at 70yrs of age I just want something to keep me Happy. Just as though said. Ps. Love watching your channel, heaps of interesting and inspirational information. Keep up the good work. BTW I am in Perth Western Australia
Thanks for this article! I’m a gran and in the last few months I have begun building a tiny layout like the one you have shown.during the Covid times it has been a wonderfully positive way to escape and use hours that would have been spent worrying.a bit of radio, a few paints,glues and bits... stone walls made from kitty litter and pvc, hedges made of trimmed sponge and painted, simple models and my grandson thinks he is the luckiest little boy when he comes over. Mental health is proving to be a big component of the battle. I will share your article. Blessings.
Hi Heather,if you put a sponge in a coffee grinder chop it up into small pieces,with a little paint and i do mean a tiny amount,it makes great ground cover.
For me the quintessential English freelancer was William Shakespeare. The way he made a small stage become a battlefield, mountain terrain a forest within minutes of an in place scene change. Thanks for reminding us to not willingly accept the constraints set in place by others .... that advice made this video worth watching. 😃
Excellent reference. I always consider a layout like a stage, with rolling stock as actors, landscape as stage set, and sessions as plays. Another one who had used the analogy, and even the techniques of stage plays is the american modeller John Armstrong. His motto was creating the illusion of a real railway with stage tricks. As a former amateur stage actor, I had taken ideas from him.
When I began work, pre-digital, as a film planner in the printing trade creativity skills were essential as I would be tasked to produce images that were often altered, enhanced, or montaged. That sphere of work is gone and I now work in a pre-programmed tick box data producing department. Stress producing (through boredom and lack of challenge) even before COVID after years of this I revel in the freedom my 'newish' pastime gives me. A shunting yard, with a cardboard base, (think you BMR) has kept me ticking over, populated by buildings from any era/region, locos from any era/region (love the Hornby freelance) rolling stock the same. A place that was based on a 'how about this' location from the noggin. It gives me the pride and satisfaction I once enjoyed at work..... sorry getting a bit sentimental. A great video stay safe everyone.
I don’t spend as much time model railroading as I’d like, but I love watching your videos. It’s your videos that got me interested in the hobby again. Many other model railroader sources are very stuffy. Keep up the great work guys!
I agree with your views on the freelance aspect of the hobby. Much more fun and enjoyment for me! And your little loop is telling me "well, why not start one like me??"
Spot on Mike. I never even conformed in the work place, I always looked for a way to do things easier but better, it suited me, didn't always endear me to bosses but eventually they come around when they see it works better. Same with modelling, I do it my way and if somebody doesn't like it then tough. Your layouts and ideas are something to behold and I enjoy your videos every time and I always get something out of them. Keep up the good work you two and keep well. Frank
Hi Frank, I am the same work wise, some employers embraced it, most didn't. If you do what you have always done you get what you always get. Stay safe and thanks for watching and commenting
Just when my interest in the hobby was flagging a bit along come Mike and Doug with this truly amazing video. When I was an artist and painted mainly abstract pictures people would be interested and spend hours talking to me about technique inspiration and my thinking behind my work (there wasnt any thinking, pictures seemed to evolve on the canvas as I worked). Now when I say that I make model railways the reaction is something along the lines of 'oh how nice' end of conversation. Why is it that if one were to skillfully paint a beautiful landscape with a railway running through it they would be respected and lauded as an artist, but if one were to skillfully model a landscape in 3d with little trains running round it one is dismissed as a nerd or an anorack? Thanks Mike and BMR for the wonderful job you do in validating the art we create as railway modellers 👍😊👏
Absolutely one of the best vids you've made! Next time I start to worry about how my model railway looks, I will remember this vid and think "stop doing that, you're ruining your health (a bit)."
I loosely based my layout on the 70s (era 7) but have locos and carriages from slightly earlier too albeit the overlap is pretty slight; my boy saw the HST next to a green British Railways shunter and even he commented "Dad, that can't be from the same century" but he was a bit shocked when I told him it was introduced in 1976! Point being do what you enjoy and male the most of it as you quite rightly point out. Always enjoy your videos and your enthusiasm.
I started a layout on a hollow core door just before lockdown began, but the vast majority of the work has been my COVID project. It's been good to have something to do that doesn't involve a screen. I will say one thing in defense of having a specific time and place in mind, rather than purely freelancing: if you're just starting out, it can help cut through decision paralysis. You have *so many* choices when you start out and, at least in my mind, no matter how many times I tell myself there's no "wrong" decision, when you're looking at spending between $70-$100 on a single locomotive, the fear of picking the "wrong" one can stop you from picking any of them. There's still plenty of space to be creative even if you've narrowed down to a single railroad in a single decade (or year, or month, or day); unless you have an airplane hangar to work with and can exactly replicate a real world city or town in miniature, you will have many hours of designing and building a track plan and scenery that capture the "essence" of a place (even if it only exists in your imagination) in the limited room you have (I imagine it's something like being a set designer for a stage play and carefully balancing what you show, what you suggest, and what you leave to the imagination against your time and budget).
You are right about what you said Mike it is your hobby do what you want and i have always gone by do what puts a smile on your face dont let anybody get the best of you you do what you want it is a hobby do what puts a smile on your face and most importantly enjoy it and have fun.
such simple, practical and sensible advice - again! I'm impressed you're detailing your viaduct brick by brick almost that's a labour of love right there
Best video yet!! I watch every video you and Doug create. As it turns out, I stumbled (mentally) upon the memory of a hobby I had years ago--leatherwork. How did I forget it? I am collecting the tools and can't wait to work on my first project. At some point I would really like to make something for Budget Model Railways. Maybe coasters or a wallet; who knows? Your message in this video really hit me personally. I have struggled mightily the past few years trying to be a model railroader. But leatherwork is something I plan to keep doing from here on. Your video message emphasized what I needed to do. Many thanks!
Finally, someone comes up with evidence that is actually relevant to the majority of railway modellers. We mostly model to please ourselves and freelancing it apparently is the healthiest way of doing that. That's actually an amazing, completely innovative way to look at the value of the hobby.
your words in this video are pretty powerful and so so true. i tried the "way too serious way" and i did find it stressfull and costley but still enjoyable. Then my grandson came along and i've never had so much fun with it. There are NO RULES!, he says Bampy lets do this with it it, because he thinks it will be fun ,lets pretend Aliens come down and shoot the pub on it's side and we do it and he's so happy . all rules are out the window we love it,whatever Loco he wants to run goes,NO RULES ....thank you for your vids
Absolutely right! I'm currently restoring some old Triang 2-BIL EMUs. I don't care that the rivet counters say they're all wrong. They remind me of the trains that took me to and from school every day back in the early sixties and that makes me happy. If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck...
Well said, you make some very good points about being restrictive ,era, class, industries etc. Unless you've got a firm idea and follow that specifically, where you can still achieve a great pleasure from achievements, you should run what you want. That's what I enjoy about your channel, anything goes, as it should. It really helped free me up mentally, to push on with my layout and not worry if everything was 'correct'. thanks again Mike.
Hi Guys, long time watcher, seldom commenter. I do enjoy your "comment/editorial" videos. This subject of freelancing is very topical for me as I'm struggling to move forward with the "constraints" of realism and the stress that generates too the fear of creating something that is a box of Junk and the time and money that has wasted. Thanks for another thought provoking video for the average modeler.
Thanks for watching and commenting. Its your layout, make and run what you like, as long as you are enjoying it and having fun thats all that matters, no one else's opinion is relevant
Well said Mike, nothing wrong with a loop, the smaller the better lol. Also nothing wrong with working in a mess....it's my default setting! Glad you're enjoying working in 'N', Can't wait for you to start your first Narrow Gauge as it's even more 'freelancey'...yep that should be a word.
I enjoy the hobby immensely,it's satisfying relaxing and peaceful!! Furthermore I retain the ability to scratch build,kitbash and a host of other things,I have always had a big warm heart for the hobby that dates back to my childhood!! However.....on a personal note,I Iive for myself and I think for myself!! I am living my life according to me!! Moreover.... through all the chaos and crap that's going on in the united states right now,I refuse to give up my sanity or to accept insanity!! I have a huge old-time VIRGINIA & TRUCKEE collection of ho model railroading equipment,a and I'm having the time of my life!! So virus or no virus my trains don't stop!! Furthermore........value your life!! (WEAR A MASK )!!!! I do!! because I plan to be around for awhile so that I can continue to enjoy my trains and a lot more!! And....... last but not least,Modelrailroaders are a unique breed of individuals,i should know.......... I'm one of them.........🚂🚂🚂🚂...........
I love your advice! As a young modeller, spending a lot of money is not my type of thing, and I love watching your videos as they are very helpful in giving inspiration and ideas for my layout. I also have an idea, which would be incredible if you could pull it off! You should try automate the trains to stop and start at stations by using an Arduino or raspberry pi. It something I’m more interested in, and it would be great if you could give it a try.
The famous BT advert screened a number of yrs ago,the final scene "It's good to talk" young people especially males do not engage when they have a problem should it be physical or mental health.During my 36 yrs working in mental health I have encountered that issue so many times.My interest in model railways has kept me going especially through this difficult time. Stay safe and keep those videos coming.
Sadly having worked with young people for 20 years I have to echo your comment, esp about boys, though to be fair they had poor role models in my generation of men who are just as reluctant to open up. Model railways has been great therapy for me, esp being able to do it with my son, a bonding experience we would have missed, esp now he is a teenager.
The only way that shunting in N makes sense to me was when I stole a BMR idea to attach a Dollar Store torch to a stick to help me see the uncouple point. Makes a difference.
Totally agree. Take the stress out of the hobby, I’m a Brit living in Canada, I can’t find OO gauge buildings for love nor money. But HO is close enough. Bit of kit bashing and I can make it look kinda British. Even downloading free printable models, paper here is “letter”size not A4 so it prints a bit smaller, but again close enough. Keep up the great work gents.
This has turned into a great discussion some really great comments coming through.I forgot to say about the health benefits of this great interest,i dont know about anyone else,but i know if i get stuck into making something or running trains it takes me right back to a happy time in my childhood.So its got to be good for you.
Quite agree honestly! I'm a big advocate of "Rule 1"; your layout, yoyr rules! My railway has helped me immensely, especially now given everything going on. I personally like having a vague 'basis' for my layouts, for example mines set in rural Norfolk in the 50's & 60's. I know a lot of my rolling stock is not 100% accurate (I've got far too many MK1's...), but it looks & feels like the era I want to model, and is somewhat historically accurate. I personally found a lot of joy making it look like the pictures from the stacks of books I have on the railways of that time & location, even if some wagons have GWR on them lol. Yes sometimes it's been stressful getting to that point, but I feel the payoff was worth it. It's important to do what you want imo, just have fun & enjoy the hobby. Just my 2 cents really, sorry about this rambling blogpost hahaha!
Absolutely spot on sir. I think that everyone, either at a singular or multiple points in their life suffer from mental health related issues. Be that depression, anxiety or whatever it may be. It's so important to have a healthy escape and release from that "issue" you might be facing.. I started my model railway a week into lock down and I have wanted for so long to start one for many reasons. It's so very relaxing and therapeutic just scattering grass and what have you. Maybe running a train around the loop or shunting in the Sidings. Invention scenarios as to why things are happening. Essentially, playing! As adults we stop playing, we become miserable synical sods! My layout it's 8x4 OO Gauge and I have to lift it up and down from the wall whenever I want to use it, because of that I only get chance to model and use it on my two days off. Along with everything else I need to get done! So it won't be long before I buy a cheap door from Wickes and have that as a baseboard for a secondary day to day layout I can just run trains on.. like you have here.
Well said. Stay safe. I started my model railroad in March as a lockdown interest with a box of Lima bits I bought 20 years ago. (It has grown a bit in the last 4 months with on line ordering.)
another great video. ive been inspired to make a round and round layout, by you. its good fun watching trains going round. no points. just as circke. thanks
Thanks, glad we could inspire. I think complex track plans and all that goes with them probably stall a great many plans, better to have something simple than nothing at all
Just came across this video and. Well! Can categorically say that this is backed up medically. I had a Stroke 14 years Ago and since then have suffered unknowingly with MH issues. I wheelchair roll / race but at the moment I'm injured so means I cannot train for challenges next year. :-( My psychologist found out during therapy about my Railway layout and mentioned that it is the best way to keep my mind from my MH issues and Demons. Plus I speak to guy's like yourselves for advice occasionaly. So just wanted to say thanks and keep doing what you do.
Yep, couldn´t agree more. The other night I got some track and just built a layout! Running trains round a lope doesn´t work for me so I just got all 8 of my points, some curves and all my straights and just built a mega shunting layout! no scenery apart from the superquick hut I found in a charity shop, an old triang station with metal footbridge, a few old matchbox cars and some various boxes for a town scene, then I got out all 9 of my locos and all of my rolling stock and just ran trains! P.S have you considered doing an N gauge tanker/cement wagon?
I agree wholeheartedly with your sentiments, and thanks to lockdown have got back into the hobby after a 20 year gap, also discovered the delights of N gauge. Am also looking forward to my first order arriving from BMR, so clear that mess up and switch on the 3D printer LOL... stay safe and keep up the good work.
Your words are so true and like what others have said in reply to watching this enjoyable movie are all in one way or another spot on. I've been railway modeling for some years and have had moments of big smiles and alas a few of anger when either I couldn't do it or it simply it looked awful. Most of the time its full of smiles but my biggest gripe at the moment is my enjoyable hobby is getting far to expensive and even ebay prices are getting to costly grrrr.......now to go upstairs into the loft and run a few of my trains :-)
In your area, are there any groups that do modular layouts like N-Trak, T-Trak, Fre-moN, etc... In the US, most of the layouts at conventions are these type of modular setups.
Totally agree with your comments,I have just completed an N scale layout on a hollow door very much inspired by photos in a magazine but I have made it my own and the satisfaction is huge. All of the layouts I have done in N scale have been loops of one description or another as like you I just enjoy watching it go round. I have also found it difficult to shunt as the N scale connections on the running stock are just to small for me anyway.
GW stations weren't brown and cream, they were light and dark stone. The Bodmin and Wenford Railway repainted the station in brown and cream. When I told them it was wrong I was put in my place. "We are a heritage railway, we choose own own colours." There you have it, an excuse for anything. Regarding hobbies, I'm a lifelong aeromodeller. It has saved me from bullying at school, a bullying father, two failed reationships and clinical depression. After 13 years of therapy I realised that the only person who can help you is yourself. As a fellow aeromodeller (now gone) once said, "Everything else is just waiting."
Whole-hearteldy agree with you! I'm sure when Lethbridge (my fictional station set on the border of Dorset and Devon) is done, it will not look 100% accurate to any period or locale, but it doesn't matter. I'll be running GWR, Southern, Network Southeast, GWR modern, Regional, SE&CR... the list goes on. If its your layout, you make it and run it how you want. Conforming to constraints and getting negative critique from the PAs (Period-Accurates) is worse for your mental health and can stress you out.
Agreed. As I say : do your stuff first and your stuff is the one that pleases you. I always say that, to make a good photograph, there is only two basic rules of framing to know (thirds rules and vertical/horizontal), and everything else is the total and absolute subjectivity of the photographer. In model railways, it is even simpler : pick what you want and decide which level of compromise suits you, and go on.
Thank you for sharing that. A nice surprise. Yes, mental and physical activities, which lead to positive thoughts, trigger the release of chemicals which make us feel good, which is good for our health, and the reverse is true for negative thoughts. Freelance, I shall be keeping that in mind. I can see how that is the most beneficial approach. Just getting into ‘Trains’, my main pastime up to now has been music, and I’m happiest when writing and noodling about, not when studying theory (which is important, I add). So yeh, I guess I’m freelancing, and it makes me happy. For those who just wouldn’t consider freelance modelling, that’s ok, but I would say, try to put as much creativity as possible into what you choose to do, otherwise you could actually be damaging your health, and relax, concentration is a form of stress, and that’s on the negative side of the equation. Again, thanks. The most relevant and useful video, for the strange times we are in. Cheers Mike.
Absaletely Brilliant.....I still have letters missing an my keybard.....hence typing errars !!! LAL...Ardered a new lap tap....Great Vid..I have been Pattering abat in the garden taday with the railway....bilt a Haynted tannel !!!! Great Fan !! Great Therapy....Sarry abaat e mail..ha ha...Ade
Those are my sentiments towards the hobby exactly! There IS no RIGHT way to enjoy model railroads. There is only the way that is right for YOU! I'm working on my third layout at the moment. The first two were very simple. The only electrical components were the trains. For this layout, I'm going to use point motors, put lights in some of the building, have some exterior lights, etc. Simply because that's what I chose to do for this layout. Someone else may choose not to do any of that, someone else may choose to have all of that plus block signals and computerized train control. Who's right? Everyone. Who's wrong? No one. It's what each person decided they wanted to do. There is a UA-cam channel by a guy who belongs to a club where you will see modern diesel locomotives roll past scenes populated by 1950's vehicles. Can't run a locomotive because the era is wrong? Run what you wish to, and if someone else doesn't like it, they don't have to be invited back. Their loss.
Have you tried expanding foam for hills, slopes and fields. There is a book called Modelling Irish railways by Alan O’ Rourke and Stephen Johnson. It features instructions on how to convert second hand British outline coaches to Irish coaches. Layout plans. And pictures of model or real life stock which you could use as inspiration for you 3D printing, lets say a cement tanker heavily inspired by the CIE four wheel bubble cement tanker. I have found that my Newish Bachmann class 37 and Hornby railroad mk2E coaches (three of them), can go round first radius curves.
Yes your right there Mike in just doing as you like. You missed a trick, why not put your modelling work bench in the middle of a layout. 2 loops 1 in say 00 and the other N? Like to see how that viaduct is made?
Thank for this , I’d thought of taking down my UA-cam channel as I get so down looking at a lot of the Railway channels as they are all so protypical and mine is a bit random . I just love to create , also now adding matchbox customising for the layout . Regards fred
Keep going there are more people like us out there than you realise. We thought no one would watch our unconventional approach, now we have 18k+ subscribers!
Progress isn't always measured in tangible results. Model railroading is a hobby that spans the spectrum of arts and crafts. It's 3D art. You're absolutely right...just having fun in the hobby is liberating and a great method of decompression and not having to worry about the proper arrangement of rocks 3 miles outside of Nowhereville makes it even more so. I see the stress that exact prototype modelers deal with...I don't get it. Stress doesn't translate to enjoyment. My idea for the minimum space is whatever space you can accomplish your goals and enjoy the hobby. I have an N Scale layout that's a 28" × 15" town scene and an O scale single siding shutter that's in 3 boxfiles and I enjoy them as much as I do my friend's 30' x 80' multi-deck O Scale layout with only a minuscule amount of the maintenance or cost. Some do yoga, some listen to chanting, some meditate and some take pills to relax. I watch trains running round my small oval. Just as effective.
I agree that its better not to completely restrict yourself to a perfect recreation of a specific place at a specific time.* If you like a loco then just run it! That said, because of how my brain works everything needs to be justified (even if the justification would not satisfy many experts) which is why I have hybrid layout. It's in a real place (roughly the site of the North Pole IEP depot) but I have completely changed the history of the local area to suit me. What if rather than waiting indefinitely for Crossrail, a similar project had been completed after similar proposals were put forward in the 1940s? This is hugely significant as it opens up the possibility of locos which were ECML only in real life operating through the centre of London and heading to the West Country (pretending the GWML was electrified alongside the ECML if necessary). I also have a fictional chord connecting the GWML to the West London Line in both directions (and therefore the WCML at Willesden Junction) to provide an excuse for WCML locos. If I find a cheap Eurostar for sale I can run that too - my layout is set at a time when the Eurostar ran to Waterloo** and then used the WLL to reach what is now North Pole IEP depot. On the model, trains would bypass Waterloo and head up the WLL to North Pole Junction. They could then reverse and run a Regional Eurostar service (never realised in real life) along the WCML. Express steam locos run regual 'railtours' and I had the idea that most traffic on the Acton-Northolt line could be diverted via Greenford or the Dudding Hill lines - providing the opportunity to 'close' the line and run it as a preserved railway where I can run smaller steam locos. * That said, I'll probably build a small layout of a real place one day just for a different type of challenge. ** Because my interests are mainly modern image but rolling stock for privatised liveries which I like (other than EWS) are absurdly priced. On the other hand, there is an abundance of cheap Lima/older Hornby rolling stock covering BR Blue and sectorisation available second hand for much more reasonable prices - so the era doesn't guide the stock I buy - it is defined by it. The only things that I add specifically to conform to the era are signs, etc. which can be printed off for free.
With my layout originally I wanted to model 1960s British railways western region and I was getting fed up as I wanted to run modern stock and other trains so I scraped the idea and decided to a heritage railway that means I could run trains that I wanted and enjoy it.
My Ngauge layout ( 9 X 4feet ) went from an oxford / bristol type area in the 1960'2 to a preserved railway . Its good to sort your brain out sorting out bad connections. derailing rucks and scenery ..
Ha ha ha. GWR 1926! 😅 I must share that, I find it easier & happier the freelance way. Though as an overseas viewer from India; I try to get the admirable British architecture on the other hand as much as my scratch building skills permit. (I hvnt baught any scenery items till date. Will be trying readymade static Grass-shortly for the I time- as it can't be "made in home"- wld u believe this!) Not much model stuff available here...
I love your layout, I'm planning on making a layout for my Lego trains, as in foam mountain on a table (basic I suppose) for my Express train (that isn't finished at the time). Got any tips?
All agreed, Hurrah! Of course, I add in context which is covered at The Equality Trust and The Spirit Level book but that's for a work day, not a Sunday. Very best wishes to you all, Grandpa Quaker John 😊
Also, don't know what the minimum size people say you need for N gauge oval is, but I'm working on an oval upon an A2 sized canvas from hobbycraft. A fair few locos work fine on it.
Matthew Hobbs Im astounded at how well they run. Picked them up second hand off eBay. And the run so slow even over point work. Am so impressed with them
I agree with you. Roughly, for modelling, you have two extremes : the "anything goes" where you take what please you regardless of network, period, traction type, and even scale, and the strict reproduction of a reality, when you take a place at a certain time, and you reproduce it exactly as it is or it was, including strict traffic pattern and rolling stock. What people are doing is something between the two... For me, I have deciced, by historical and technical choice, to model something UK in OO scale between 1946 and 1956. That's a period that can provides me possibilities to use any kind of interesting british steam engines, and make traffic patterns with them and zero diesels. I have bought five sets of steam engines : one for each "big four" and one for BR 1948-1956. I take one and use it following my inspiration. The layout ? Well, totally freelance, I'm not interesting to model something precise, even at a network scale. That should only look like Britain between 1946 and 1956, every other consideration, I don't care... Simple consideration of reality, signals and trackside should be british-looking. Modelling is always a question of compromise, physically with putting a OO or N gauge track into your home (I am very space-constrained myself), and also by choosing the setting of your layout, the lancscape, and the roster you use. I wanted to have an example of some typical UK engines, from tiny 0-4-0 to typicals 4-6-0 and freight 2-8-0, more a collector's/historian choice than an operational one. Especially when modelling a single track branchline like me, for practical and fun reasons. That would put toghether engines which have never been used at the same place at the chosen time I picked, but I don't care. I want a sample of UK interesting engines running on my layout, everything else does not interest me. My first real layout will be a simple loop like your. I have taken a plan for N gauge and adapt it in OO, it is the N scale Littleton curve : smallmodelrailways.moonfruit.com/#/littleton-plan/4521622827 . It is simple, even simplistic, but I would have two staging track plus cassette pluging tracks, a little station where I can deliver wagons and stop a short local passenger train. And simply run trains around. I will start with it and think larger after that. I have found my logic, you have found yours. On modelling, the best rules are the one you make for you on purpose. Every other consideration is superfluous.
Budget model railways have you ever scratch built a locomotive out of anything you can find it’s a cheaper way of having locomotives you can buy parts like wheels and motors for it or you could make it yourself that’s the fun thing about it
One of the first locos we had was a scratch built diesel on an old triang 0-6-0 chassis. I have built a couple since, and of course we now have a big range of 3d printed freelance locos in 3 gauges
I have a great level of respect for how much you explain to people that things don't have to be perfect and that they should build what they want. I think people beginning in the hobby get overwhelmed when they're told they need to pick a date, location and build it to those exact specs. I've told countless people before: You get into the hobby for fun, so just as long as you're having fun you're doing it right.
Spot on
My sentiments exactly for the last 32 years. If people do not like my layout then they can always leave the house and find another layout.
Hi Mike and Doug,this truly is a beautiful subject.Ive told you before i am a return visitor to this great interest after a 40 yr break.and ive always been interested in modelling. ive also told you that before i decided to have another go at this,i watched a few videos one really put me off,this chap was talking about building a new layout,i thought id follow him and learn,then he started talking about costs,he got to £10.000 and i thought i cant do that! Then thankfully i found this channel and i thought that looks more of the type of thing i want to do.You are right about the building side of things,some of the most enjoyable things on my layout are my scratch built items,i was trimming a rather rough thorny shrub the other day and a few bits came out and they looked like dead trees,so they are on my layout now,im always picking bits and pieces up now which i can use.Its also great that my girlfriend has taken an interest,she can look at my layout (im lucky enough now to have a 'train room') and say you could put this and that there.I also get enjoyment out of buying second hand items and using them.But it truly is a fantastic hobby or interest and thank you for all your help and hints and tips over the past years :)
Thanks for your comment. I had similar experiences with videos, Inc one 'cheap' shunting layout where he started with a 'cheap' £80 loco and £60 of track Inc motorised points, so £140 and he hadn't even started! Glad we could help and as always, thanks for watching.
I always think (like DCC) the more complicated something gets,the more it can go wrong!
Totally agree with you. I found myself becoming bogged down with my hobby which includes scale model making because I was getting tied up with seeking accuracy and worrying about what scales to build in etc. This resulted in loss of "mojo". I was made to realise I was actually getting stressed and forgotten the reason the doctor advised me to take up a hobby in the first place. I no longer worry and just get on and make things that appeal to me. I use some advice given by a model maker to counter any negative comments "I didn't build it hoping for your approval -- I built it because it meets mine!" which also fits in with the no. 1 rule.
What an enlightened doctor. Enjoy your hobby, your way
You're quite right. I am always saying it's "your layout, your rules" - you can run what you want and it can be as detailed or as basic as your skill level allows. And as for "it's just a loop", I always suggest to people wanting to start out to get a "train set" - you get a track, loco and rolling stock, and usually some structures, all in one. Cheers
All good advice thanks
Budget Model Railways this is exactly where I am at now. I am simply designing a tri-oval tail chaser, it will encompass a high line, a low line and a tunnel & single line fiddle. It is not a model of anything, and my Flying Scotsman and freight will do loops. The inner loop will have a “run-off” to the engine shed and turntable, simply because I love the idea of a turntable and the “On Shed” aspect. The whole thing will only measure 2400 x 1800mm made up utilising 4 modules latched together. It is my first time back into the hobby for over 40 years and at 70yrs of age I just want something to keep me Happy. Just as though said.
Ps. Love watching your channel, heaps of interesting and inspirational information. Keep up the good work. BTW I am in Perth Western Australia
Thanks for this article! I’m a gran and in the last few months I have begun building a tiny layout like the one you have shown.during the Covid times it has been a wonderfully positive way to escape and use hours that would have been spent worrying.a bit of radio, a few paints,glues and bits... stone walls made from kitty litter and pvc, hedges made of trimmed sponge and painted, simple models and my grandson thinks he is the luckiest little boy when he comes over. Mental health is proving to be a big component of the battle. I will share your article. Blessings.
Hi Heather, how fantastic, sounds great, indeed what a lucky grand son to have you as his gran.
Hi Heather,if you put a sponge in a coffee grinder chop it up into small pieces,with a little paint and i do mean a tiny amount,it makes great ground cover.
Or you can buy herbs and use them, then your layout even smells aromatic!
You are spot on. I'm just getting started with railroading for the reason to create something that I am dreaming up, and to think outside the box.
For me the quintessential English freelancer was William Shakespeare. The way he made a small stage become a battlefield, mountain terrain a forest within minutes of an in place scene change.
Thanks for reminding us to not willingly accept the constraints set in place by others .... that advice made this video worth watching. 😃
Thanks, great comment
Excellent reference. I always consider a layout like a stage, with rolling stock as actors, landscape as stage set, and sessions as plays.
Another one who had used the analogy, and even the techniques of stage plays is the american modeller John Armstrong. His motto was creating the illusion of a real railway with stage tricks. As a former amateur stage actor, I had taken ideas from him.
Nothing wrong with just a loop and also I am a member of the messy club !!!!!!!!!!!!!!...............Cheers Kev
When I began work, pre-digital, as a film planner in the printing trade creativity skills were essential as I would be tasked to produce images that were often altered, enhanced, or montaged. That sphere of work is gone and I now work in a pre-programmed tick box data producing department. Stress producing (through boredom and lack of challenge) even before COVID after years of this I revel in the freedom my 'newish' pastime gives me. A shunting yard, with a cardboard base, (think you BMR) has kept me ticking over, populated by buildings from any era/region, locos from any era/region (love the Hornby freelance) rolling stock the same. A place that was based on a 'how about this' location from the noggin.
It gives me the pride and satisfaction I once enjoyed at work..... sorry getting a bit sentimental.
A great video stay safe everyone.
Thanks for the comment, very thought provoking
I don’t spend as much time model railroading as I’d like, but I love watching your videos. It’s your videos that got me interested in the hobby again. Many other model railroader sources are very stuffy. Keep up the great work guys!
Thanks for watching and commenting
I agree with your views on the freelance aspect of the hobby. Much more fun and enjoyment for me! And your little loop is telling me "well, why not start one like me??"
Spot on Mike. I never even conformed in the work place, I always looked for a way to do things easier but better, it suited me, didn't always endear me to bosses but eventually they come around when they see it works better. Same with modelling, I do it my way and if somebody doesn't like it then tough. Your layouts and ideas are something to behold and I enjoy your videos every time and I always get something out of them. Keep up the good work you two and keep well. Frank
Hi Frank, I am the same work wise, some employers embraced it, most didn't. If you do what you have always done you get what you always get. Stay safe and thanks for watching and commenting
This is a lovely layout and some great details. Especially like the wooden logs on the open freight car.
Just when my interest in the hobby was flagging a bit along come Mike and Doug with this truly amazing video. When I was an artist and painted mainly abstract pictures people would be interested and spend hours talking to me about technique inspiration and my thinking behind my work (there wasnt any thinking, pictures seemed to evolve on the canvas as I worked). Now when I say that I make model railways the reaction is something along the lines of 'oh how nice' end of conversation. Why is it that if one were to skillfully paint a beautiful landscape with a railway running through it they would be respected and lauded as an artist, but if one were to skillfully model a landscape in 3d with little trains running round it one is dismissed as a nerd or an anorack? Thanks Mike and BMR for the wonderful job you do in validating the art we create as railway modellers 👍😊👏
Thanks Nick, a great comment
Absolutely one of the best vids you've made! Next time I start to worry about how my model railway looks, I will remember this vid and think "stop doing that, you're ruining your health (a bit)."
Thats kind thanks.
I loosely based my layout on the 70s (era 7) but have locos and carriages from slightly earlier too albeit the overlap is pretty slight; my boy saw the HST next to a green British Railways shunter and even he commented "Dad, that can't be from the same century" but he was a bit shocked when I told him it was introduced in 1976!
Point being do what you enjoy and male the most of it as you quite rightly point out. Always enjoy your videos and your enthusiasm.
I started a layout on a hollow core door just before lockdown began, but the vast majority of the work has been my COVID project. It's been good to have something to do that doesn't involve a screen.
I will say one thing in defense of having a specific time and place in mind, rather than purely freelancing: if you're just starting out, it can help cut through decision paralysis. You have *so many* choices when you start out and, at least in my mind, no matter how many times I tell myself there's no "wrong" decision, when you're looking at spending between $70-$100 on a single locomotive, the fear of picking the "wrong" one can stop you from picking any of them. There's still plenty of space to be creative even if you've narrowed down to a single railroad in a single decade (or year, or month, or day); unless you have an airplane hangar to work with and can exactly replicate a real world city or town in miniature, you will have many hours of designing and building a track plan and scenery that capture the "essence" of a place (even if it only exists in your imagination) in the limited room you have (I imagine it's something like being a set designer for a stage play and carefully balancing what you show, what you suggest, and what you leave to the imagination against your time and budget).
You are right about what you said Mike it is your hobby do what you want and i have always gone by do what puts a smile on your face dont let anybody get the best of you you do what you want it is a hobby do what puts a smile on your face and most importantly enjoy it and have fun.
such simple, practical and sensible advice - again! I'm impressed you're detailing your viaduct brick by brick almost that's a labour of love right there
Best video yet!! I watch every video you and Doug create. As it turns out, I stumbled (mentally) upon the memory of a hobby I had years ago--leatherwork. How did I forget it? I am collecting the tools and can't wait to work on my first project. At some point I would really like to make something for Budget Model Railways. Maybe coasters or a wallet; who knows? Your message in this video really hit me personally. I have struggled mightily the past few years trying to be a model railroader. But leatherwork is something I plan to keep doing from here on. Your video message emphasized what I needed to do. Many thanks!
Finally, someone comes up with evidence that is actually relevant to the majority of railway modellers. We mostly model to please ourselves and freelancing it apparently is the healthiest way of doing that. That's actually an amazing, completely innovative way to look at the value of the hobby.
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it
Well said that man, I couldn’t agree more. The hobby is to be enjoyed and not a strict regime where you can’t have a single rivet out of place.👍
Thanks
your words in this video are pretty powerful and so so true. i tried the "way too serious way" and i did find it stressfull and costley but still enjoyable. Then my grandson came along and i've never had so much fun with it. There are NO RULES!, he says Bampy lets do this with it it, because he thinks it will be fun ,lets pretend Aliens come down and shoot the pub on it's side and we do it and he's so happy . all rules are out the window we love it,whatever Loco he wants to run goes,NO RULES ....thank you for your vids
Sounds great fun, enjoy and thanks for watching and commenting
Absolutely right! I'm currently restoring some old Triang 2-BIL EMUs. I don't care that the rivet counters say they're all wrong. They remind me of the trains that took me to and from school every day back in the early sixties and that makes me happy. If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck...
So true, a passable likeness is better than nothing at all
Model railroading can be a form of 3 D painting - a sculpture, with stuff chuffing about. Then it is art - too!
Well said, you make some very good points about being restrictive ,era, class, industries etc. Unless you've got a firm idea and follow that specifically, where you can still achieve a great pleasure from achievements, you should run what you want. That's what I enjoy about your channel, anything goes, as it should. It really helped free me up mentally, to push on with my layout and not worry if everything was 'correct'. thanks again Mike.
Thanks for watching
Hello you two, I appreciate your craftwork and artistry. I look forward to seeing more of your curved viaduct bridge. See ya next time.
Thanks Norman, it will be a long job but worth it.
Yes, agree completely. I like to have my n gauge layout running now that I'm working in same room these days. Very relaxing.
It is your railway. Run what you want. "A clean desk is a sure sign of a sick mind." lol
Lol, so true, where 'there's muck there's brass!'
I have just started model railwaying at 65 and I totally agree do what floats your boat
Hi Guys, long time watcher, seldom commenter. I do enjoy your "comment/editorial" videos. This subject of freelancing is very topical for me as I'm struggling to move forward with the "constraints" of realism and the stress that generates too the fear of creating something that is a box of Junk and the time and money that has wasted. Thanks for another thought provoking video for the average modeler.
Thanks for watching and commenting. Its your layout, make and run what you like, as long as you are enjoying it and having fun thats all that matters, no one else's opinion is relevant
Well said Mike, nothing wrong with a loop, the smaller the better lol. Also nothing wrong with working in a mess....it's my default setting! Glad you're enjoying working in 'N', Can't wait for you to start your first Narrow Gauge as it's even more 'freelancey'...yep that should be a word.
I enjoy the hobby immensely,it's satisfying relaxing and peaceful!! Furthermore I retain the ability to scratch build,kitbash and a host of other things,I have always had a big warm heart for the hobby that dates back to my childhood!! However.....on a personal note,I Iive for myself and I think for myself!! I am living my life according to me!! Moreover.... through all the chaos and crap that's going on in the united states right now,I refuse to give up my sanity or to accept insanity!! I have a huge old-time VIRGINIA & TRUCKEE collection of ho model railroading equipment,a and I'm having the time of my life!! So virus or no virus my trains don't stop!! Furthermore........value your life!! (WEAR A MASK )!!!! I do!! because I plan to be around for awhile so that I can continue to enjoy my trains and a lot more!! And....... last but not least,Modelrailroaders are a unique breed of individuals,i should know.......... I'm one of them.........🚂🚂🚂🚂...........
We are indeed! Have fun and take care
I love your advice! As a young modeller, spending a lot of money is not my type of thing, and I love watching your videos as they are very helpful in giving inspiration and ideas for my layout. I also have an idea, which would be incredible if you could pull it off! You should try automate the trains to stop and start at stations by using an Arduino or raspberry pi. It something I’m more interested in, and it would be great if you could give it a try.
The famous BT advert screened a number of yrs ago,the final scene "It's good to talk" young people especially males do not engage when they have a problem should it be physical or mental health.During my 36 yrs working in mental health I have encountered that issue so many times.My interest in model railways has kept me going especially through this difficult time. Stay safe and keep those videos coming.
Sadly having worked with young people for 20 years I have to echo your comment, esp about boys, though to be fair they had poor role models in my generation of men who are just as reluctant to open up. Model railways has been great therapy for me, esp being able to do it with my son, a bonding experience we would have missed, esp now he is a teenager.
The only way that shunting in N makes sense to me was when I stole a BMR idea to attach a Dollar Store torch to a stick to help me see the uncouple point. Makes a difference.
Totally agree. Take the stress out of the hobby, I’m a Brit living in Canada, I can’t find OO gauge buildings for love nor money. But HO is close enough. Bit of kit bashing and I can make it look kinda British.
Even downloading free printable models, paper here is “letter”size not A4 so it prints a bit smaller, but again close enough. Keep up the great work gents.
Have you tried 3dk?
its not a mess, its just a room full of great ideas! Nice vid.
Love that idea, thanks
This has turned into a great discussion some really great comments coming through.I forgot to say about the health benefits of this great interest,i dont know about anyone else,but i know if i get stuck into making something or running trains it takes me right back to a happy time in my childhood.So its got to be good for you.
So true, I'm very humbled by some of the kind comments about my waffling
Always great to watch a new video. So appreciate your words and all the effort in keeping things fun!
Thanks for watching and commenting
Quite agree honestly! I'm a big advocate of "Rule 1"; your layout, yoyr rules! My railway has helped me immensely, especially now given everything going on. I personally like having a vague 'basis' for my layouts, for example mines set in rural Norfolk in the 50's & 60's. I know a lot of my rolling stock is not 100% accurate (I've got far too many MK1's...), but it looks & feels like the era I want to model, and is somewhat historically accurate. I personally found a lot of joy making it look like the pictures from the stacks of books I have on the railways of that time & location, even if some wagons have GWR on them lol. Yes sometimes it's been stressful getting to that point, but I feel the payoff was worth it. It's important to do what you want imo, just have fun & enjoy the hobby. Just my 2 cents really, sorry about this rambling blogpost hahaha!
Your layout sounds great, have fun with it
Good friends,good books,and a model railway........this is the ideal life!......( with apologies to mark twain!)
Absolutely spot on sir.
I think that everyone, either at a singular or multiple points in their life suffer from mental health related issues. Be that depression, anxiety or whatever it may be.
It's so important to have a healthy escape and release from that "issue" you might be facing..
I started my model railway a week into lock down and I have wanted for so long to start one for many reasons.
It's so very relaxing and therapeutic just scattering grass and what have you.
Maybe running a train around the loop or shunting in the Sidings.
Invention scenarios as to why things are happening.
Essentially, playing!
As adults we stop playing, we become miserable synical sods!
My layout it's 8x4 OO Gauge and I have to lift it up and down from the wall whenever I want to use it, because of that I only get chance to model and use it on my two days off.
Along with everything else I need to get done!
So it won't be long before I buy a cheap door from Wickes and have that as a baseboard for a secondary day to day layout I can just run trains on.. like you have here.
All model trains are just 'playing' and those of us who realise that have the most fun as you say
Good to see you again - every little helps...like your attitude because as a kid I had many creative hobbies, now music,,,
Thanks David. Sadly I am tone deaf, otherwise I would love to play n instrument
Well said. Stay safe. I started my model railroad in March as a lockdown interest with a box of Lima bits I bought 20 years ago. (It has grown a bit in the last 4 months with on line ordering.)
100% Right. If you are happy I must agree. Less is more rule applies. 👍👍😎
another great video. ive been inspired to make a round and round layout, by you. its good fun watching trains going round. no points. just as circke. thanks
Thanks, glad we could inspire. I think complex track plans and all that goes with them probably stall a great many plans, better to have something simple than nothing at all
Yes, if you are happy with it then it's all good.
If it looks right, then it is right.
What a lovely message and so beautifully communicated.
Many thanks
Another great video guys with simple and sage message, stay safe.
I have suffered mental health since my early teens
So I can relate to your input
I play guitar and play trains also collect die cast
Whatever brings you peace is important
Just came across this video and. Well! Can categorically say that this is backed up medically. I had a Stroke 14 years Ago and since then have suffered unknowingly with MH issues.
I wheelchair roll / race but at the moment I'm injured so means I cannot train for challenges next year. :-( My psychologist found out during therapy about my Railway layout and mentioned that it is the best way to keep my mind from my MH issues and Demons. Plus I speak to guy's like yourselves for advice occasionaly.
So just wanted to say thanks and keep doing what you do.
Thanks for watching and supporting glad we can help
Yep, couldn´t agree more. The other night I got some track and just built a layout! Running trains round a lope doesn´t work for me so I just got all 8 of my points, some curves and all my straights and just built a mega shunting layout! no scenery apart from the superquick hut I found in a charity shop, an old triang station with metal footbridge, a few old matchbox cars and some various boxes for a town scene, then I got out all 9 of my locos and all of my rolling stock and just ran trains!
P.S have you considered doing an N gauge tanker/cement wagon?
I love shunting too, just not in N!
Excellent advice Mike, I totally agree.
I agree wholeheartedly with your sentiments, and thanks to lockdown have got back into the hobby after a 20 year gap, also discovered the delights of N gauge. Am also looking forward to my first order arriving from BMR, so clear that mess up and switch on the 3D printer LOL... stay safe and keep up the good work.
They will be in the post tomorrow, thanks
Oh wow... thank you
Great video...very therapeutic!
Andrew👍🙂
Thanks
Thank you for this lovely wholesome video guys. Very inspiring
Thanks your welcome
Your words are so true and like what others have said in reply to watching this enjoyable movie are all in one way or another spot on. I've been railway modeling for some years and have had moments of big smiles and alas a few of anger when either I couldn't do it or it simply it looked awful. Most of the time its full of smiles but my biggest gripe at the moment is my enjoyable hobby is getting far to expensive and even ebay prices are getting to costly grrrr.......now to go upstairs into the loft and run a few of my trains :-)
Sadly even second hand is now getting very pricey, as you say
In your area, are there any groups that do modular layouts like N-Trak, T-Trak, Fre-moN, etc... In the US, most of the layouts at conventions are these type of modular setups.
Totally agree with your comments,I have just completed an N scale layout on a hollow door very much inspired by photos in a magazine but I have made it my own and the satisfaction is huge. All of the layouts I have done in N scale have been loops of one description or another as like you I just enjoy watching it go round. I have also found it difficult to shunt as the N scale connections on the running stock are just to small for me anyway.
I gave up with shunting in N but its great for watching trains run
Great message and well said. Thanks for that.
Thanks for that
GW stations weren't brown and cream, they were light and dark stone. The Bodmin and Wenford Railway repainted the station in brown and cream. When I told them it was wrong I was put in my place. "We are a heritage railway, we choose own own colours." There you have it, an excuse for anything. Regarding hobbies, I'm a lifelong aeromodeller. It has saved me from bullying at school, a bullying father, two failed reationships and clinical depression. After 13 years of therapy I realised that the only person who can help you is yourself. As a fellow aeromodeller (now gone) once said, "Everything else is just waiting."
I love your expression 'its my GWR not the GWR,! Take care of yourself
Love it! So very true.
Whole-hearteldy agree with you! I'm sure when Lethbridge (my fictional station set on the border of Dorset and Devon) is done, it will not look 100% accurate to any period or locale, but it doesn't matter. I'll be running GWR, Southern, Network Southeast, GWR modern, Regional, SE&CR... the list goes on. If its your layout, you make it and run it how you want. Conforming to constraints and getting negative critique from the PAs (Period-Accurates) is worse for your mental health and can stress you out.
Markus Malice 👍
Agreed. As I say : do your stuff first and your stuff is the one that pleases you. I always say that, to make a good photograph, there is only two basic rules of framing to know (thirds rules and vertical/horizontal), and everything else is the total and absolute subjectivity of the photographer. In model railways, it is even simpler : pick what you want and decide which level of compromise suits you, and go on.
Thank you for sharing that. A nice surprise. Yes, mental and physical activities, which lead to positive thoughts, trigger the release of chemicals which make us feel good, which is good for our health, and the reverse is true for negative thoughts. Freelance, I shall be keeping that in mind. I can see how that is the most beneficial approach. Just getting into ‘Trains’, my main pastime up to now has been music, and I’m happiest when writing and noodling about, not when studying theory (which is important, I add). So yeh, I guess I’m freelancing, and it makes me happy. For those who just wouldn’t consider freelance modelling, that’s ok, but I would say, try to put as much creativity as possible into what you choose to do, otherwise you could actually be damaging your health, and relax, concentration is a form of stress, and that’s on the negative side of the equation.
Again, thanks. The most relevant and useful video, for the strange times we are in. Cheers Mike.
Thanks for a great comment
Absaletely Brilliant.....I still have letters missing an my keybard.....hence typing errars !!! LAL...Ardered a new lap tap....Great Vid..I have been Pattering abat in the garden taday with the railway....bilt a Haynted tannel !!!! Great Fan !! Great Therapy....Sarry abaat e mail..ha ha...Ade
Those are my sentiments towards the hobby exactly! There IS no RIGHT way to enjoy model railroads. There is only the way that is right for YOU! I'm working on my third layout at the moment. The first two were very simple. The only electrical components were the trains. For this layout, I'm going to use point motors, put lights in some of the building, have some exterior lights, etc. Simply because that's what I chose to do for this layout. Someone else may choose not to do any of that, someone else may choose to have all of that plus block signals and computerized train control. Who's right? Everyone. Who's wrong? No one. It's what each person decided they wanted to do. There is a UA-cam channel by a guy who belongs to a club where you will see modern diesel locomotives roll past scenes populated by 1950's vehicles. Can't run a locomotive because the era is wrong? Run what you wish to, and if someone else doesn't like it, they don't have to be invited back. Their loss.
Well said thanks
Have you tried expanding foam for hills, slopes and fields. There is a book called Modelling Irish railways by Alan O’ Rourke and Stephen Johnson. It features instructions on how to convert second hand British outline coaches to Irish coaches. Layout plans. And pictures of model or real life stock which you could use as inspiration for you 3D printing, lets say a cement tanker heavily inspired by the CIE four wheel bubble cement tanker. I have found that my Newish Bachmann class 37 and Hornby railroad mk2E coaches (three of them), can go round first radius curves.
Yes your right there Mike in just doing as you like. You missed a trick, why not put your modelling work bench in the middle of a layout. 2 loops 1 in say 00 and the other N?
Like to see how that viaduct is made?
Sadly the two book cases prevent that. The viaduct is just foam board, cereal pack card and card stone sheets
Thank for this , I’d thought of taking down my UA-cam channel as I get so down looking at a lot of the Railway channels as they are all so protypical and mine is a bit random . I just love to create , also now adding matchbox customising for the layout . Regards fred
Keep going there are more people like us out there than you realise. We thought no one would watch our unconventional approach, now we have 18k+ subscribers!
I’m really liking this series
This will be great help for when I make my detailed layout In the future
Good video
Progress isn't always measured in tangible results. Model railroading is a hobby that spans the spectrum of arts and crafts. It's 3D art. You're absolutely right...just having fun in the hobby is liberating and a great method of decompression and not having to worry about the proper arrangement of rocks 3 miles outside of Nowhereville makes it even more so. I see the stress that exact prototype modelers deal with...I don't get it. Stress doesn't translate to enjoyment. My idea for the minimum space is whatever space you can accomplish your goals and enjoy the hobby. I have an N Scale layout that's a 28" × 15" town scene and an O scale single siding shutter that's in 3 boxfiles and I enjoy them as much as I do my friend's 30' x 80' multi-deck O Scale layout with only a minuscule amount of the maintenance or cost. Some do yoga, some listen to chanting, some meditate and some take pills to relax. I watch trains running round my small oval. Just as effective.
So true
Your completely right. I like all stuff from The Rocket to Hst 125 so why not run all time.
I agree that its better not to completely restrict yourself to a perfect recreation of a specific place at a specific time.* If you like a loco then just run it! That said, because of how my brain works everything needs to be justified (even if the justification would not satisfy many experts) which is why I have hybrid layout. It's in a real place (roughly the site of the North Pole IEP depot) but I have completely changed the history of the local area to suit me. What if rather than waiting indefinitely for Crossrail, a similar project had been completed after similar proposals were put forward in the 1940s? This is hugely significant as it opens up the possibility of locos which were ECML only in real life operating through the centre of London and heading to the West Country (pretending the GWML was electrified alongside the ECML if necessary). I also have a fictional chord connecting the GWML to the West London Line in both directions (and therefore the WCML at Willesden Junction) to provide an excuse for WCML locos. If I find a cheap Eurostar for sale I can run that too - my layout is set at a time when the Eurostar ran to Waterloo** and then used the WLL to reach what is now North Pole IEP depot. On the model, trains would bypass Waterloo and head up the WLL to North Pole Junction. They could then reverse and run a Regional Eurostar service (never realised in real life) along the WCML. Express steam locos run regual 'railtours' and I had the idea that most traffic on the Acton-Northolt line could be diverted via Greenford or the Dudding Hill lines - providing the opportunity to 'close' the line and run it as a preserved railway where I can run smaller steam locos.
* That said, I'll probably build a small layout of a real place one day just for a different type of challenge.
** Because my interests are mainly modern image but rolling stock for privatised liveries which I like (other than EWS) are absurdly priced. On the other hand, there is an abundance of cheap Lima/older Hornby rolling stock covering BR Blue and sectorisation available second hand for much more reasonable prices - so the era doesn't guide the stock I buy - it is defined by it. The only things that I add specifically to conform to the era are signs, etc. which can be printed off for free.
With my layout originally I wanted to model 1960s British railways western region and I was getting fed up as I wanted to run modern stock and other trains so I scraped the idea and decided to a heritage railway that means I could run trains that I wanted and enjoy it.
My Ngauge layout ( 9 X 4feet ) went from an oxford / bristol type area in the 1960'2 to a preserved railway . Its good to sort your brain out sorting out bad connections. derailing rucks and scenery ..
Ha ha ha. GWR 1926! 😅
I must share that, I find it easier & happier the freelance way. Though as an overseas viewer from India; I try to get the admirable British architecture on the other hand as much as my scratch building skills permit. (I hvnt baught any scenery items till date. Will be trying readymade static Grass-shortly for the I time- as it can't be "made in home"- wld u believe this!) Not much model stuff available here...
I love your layout, I'm planning on making a layout for my Lego trains, as in foam mountain on a table (basic I suppose) for my Express train (that isn't finished at the time). Got any tips?
Have a look at our videos. Card board is good, paper mache and green paint or flock or even grass mat
hi yes i have to agree with that.i have a question.what is the best oil for locos and rolling stock ?.thanks tom
We use 3in1, its not the oil thats the issue its that people use too much, a pin drop is all you need. Sewing machine oil is good to
@@BudgetModelRailways hi guys.a big thank you for getting back to me so soon.looking forward to your next videos.cheers tom
All agreed, Hurrah!
Of course, I add in context which is covered at The Equality Trust and The Spirit Level book but that's for a work day, not a Sunday.
Very best wishes to you all,
Grandpa Quaker John 😊
Also, don't know what the minimum size people say you need for N gauge oval is, but I'm working on an oval upon an A2 sized canvas from hobbycraft. A fair few locos work fine on it.
My current N gauge layout uses A2 foamboard from hobby craft. Update out Tuesday
I’ve just tested using peco n gauge flexi track into a 6 1/2” radius. And I’m amazed I can get my trix class 27 and a coach round it without trouble
Trix class 27s are fantastic for small curves - they’re my best runners for my tiny layout
Matthew Hobbs Im astounded at how well they run. Picked them up second hand off eBay. And the run so slow even over point work. Am so impressed with them
Paul Brennan you can certainly pick them up at good prices as well
you could have N guage on your 00 loft layout as a narrow guage railway and 3D Print some rolling stock for it
We already have a big range of both N and 009 3d printed. Sadly no room left on the loft layout
@@BudgetModelRailways upper level?
Already has a double loop upper level and mid level branch line!
Or z scale, it's even smaller, so more space! Problem is, it's expensive
@budget model railways you could do Hon2 on the loft it runs on z scale track.
Great advice
Well said.
"Real life" - hmm - I vaguely remember "real life".
Look after yourselves guys, good to hear from you.
😀rwo thumbs up
I agree with you. Roughly, for modelling, you have two extremes : the "anything goes" where you take what please you regardless of network, period, traction type, and even scale, and the strict reproduction of a reality, when you take a place at a certain time, and you reproduce it exactly as it is or it was, including strict traffic pattern and rolling stock. What people are doing is something between the two...
For me, I have deciced, by historical and technical choice, to model something UK in OO scale between 1946 and 1956. That's a period that can provides me possibilities to use any kind of interesting british steam engines, and make traffic patterns with them and zero diesels. I have bought five sets of steam engines : one for each "big four" and one for BR 1948-1956. I take one and use it following my inspiration. The layout ? Well, totally freelance, I'm not interesting to model something precise, even at a network scale. That should only look like Britain between 1946 and 1956, every other consideration, I don't care... Simple consideration of reality, signals and trackside should be british-looking.
Modelling is always a question of compromise, physically with putting a OO or N gauge track into your home (I am very space-constrained myself), and also by choosing the setting of your layout, the lancscape, and the roster you use. I wanted to have an example of some typical UK engines, from tiny 0-4-0 to typicals 4-6-0 and freight 2-8-0, more a collector's/historian choice than an operational one. Especially when modelling a single track branchline like me, for practical and fun reasons. That would put toghether engines which have never been used at the same place at the chosen time I picked, but I don't care. I want a sample of UK interesting engines running on my layout, everything else does not interest me.
My first real layout will be a simple loop like your. I have taken a plan for N gauge and adapt it in OO, it is the N scale Littleton curve : smallmodelrailways.moonfruit.com/#/littleton-plan/4521622827 . It is simple, even simplistic, but I would have two staging track plus cassette pluging tracks, a little station where I can deliver wagons and stop a short local passenger train. And simply run trains around. I will start with it and think larger after that.
I have found my logic, you have found yours. On modelling, the best rules are the one you make for you on purpose. Every other consideration is superfluous.
Sounds great have fun
Budget model railways have you ever scratch built a locomotive out of anything you can find it’s a cheaper way of having locomotives you can buy parts like wheels and motors for it or you could make it yourself that’s the fun thing about it
One of the first locos we had was a scratch built diesel on an old triang 0-6-0 chassis. I have built a couple since, and of course we now have a big range of 3d printed freelance locos in 3 gauges