Motivation

Lukes comments on a previous post haw got me thinking. I think everyone needs a little motivation at some times. I struggle to get going at the work bench some nights (most, more on that later). While I do have a long term layout plan, Its going to take 5-10 years. Lets face it, Most of us don't have the space to build a large layout. That is what has attracted me to the A3 layout/module concept. I had previously considered T-track as a possibility, but it was just too small to do anything useful. Its been pointed out that an A3 area is a bit small to do much with. I think its part of the attraction. A modeler starting out could say build a scenic feature, say a bridge or level crossing. Along the way there are a few skilled picked up, and various techniques tried. Next up might be a small branch line station on 3 modules, with more scenery,and a few more models. The whole thing can expand 1 module at a time slowly growing into a larger layout. Several modules can easily be carried to a convention to be set up with others to run. This is where the motivation comes in. I've had far more fun modeling as part of a group than on my own over the years, and having others around doing things tends to feed off itself.

Now, where I'm at with the module standard. My plan is to create a file that people can download and have laser cut locally out of MDF. This will ensure that everything is the same size. Electrical Connection between modules will be by USB plugs and sockets, as they are very hardy and easy to find. The standard between modules is to initially be single track. However, people can build whatever they want in a set of modules as long as at each end of the set there is a standard connection. I'm torn between having a connector section between modules, or making the tracks run to the edge, with a wooden jig that sets them in the right place.

The main stumbling block ( to most of my modeling at the moment) is that I've downloaded a CAD program to see if I can teach myself how to use it to improve my modeling. This next bit will come as a shock to those who know me. I'm a closet perfectionist. If I can't see how something will work out in my mind it makes it actually harder to start the whole thing in the first place. So until I work out how to use this CAD thingy then the bench stuff takes a back seat. Another problem with my CAD program is that it does not seem to have come with the wee man inside that does everything I tell it to do. So last nights yelling 'draw me a wagon underframe you bastard' into the mic was not the most productive thing I could have been doing. There are a collection of tutorials that come with it, but upon reading through the first one, I immediately went and poured myself another drink. in fact I poured several. It must have been the fractions of an inch.

All is not lost however as Amateur fettler and his brood are coming to stay at labour weekend, so I'll just trap him in the computer room and feed him my home brew till he gives me all his secrets of this dark art, or until he passes out, whichever comes first.