Since arriving back in the hobby a few years back now, I've spent a lot of time looking and reading about other peoples layouts and have started to form opinions about what (in my eyes) "works" and what "stinks". With actual modelling time being severly limited, its been an interesting thought exercise and a lot of ideas have been written down in a manifesto, and then promptly locked away in a safe and forgotten.
Now that I have contracted the layout building out to a successful local contractor (Druff & Co) it looks like things may finally be moving on finally having a layout, but the hunt for good ideas continues.
This is the one that really has me thinking. 0-4-4-0T is a bit of a clever chap, and his "Yellow Box" has featured here earlier with Herr Druff expounding its folding virtues:
However, the bit that excited me was the electrics: its entirely run on AA batteries. Cabbage (who plays with ergs for a living) has said that it was an incredibly easy circuit. And now The Don(Druff) has built a couple of similar 9V throttles for Paekak to use with his Digitrax system. What has me aflame is the whole portability factor; Not having to worry about extension leads acting as trip hazards (or fatal harbingers of death, if you read the HSE leaflets) is a big bonus for a layout that could live on a shelf and be bought down to a desk for operation (such as The Forks).
Another thing that has me thinking was the recent silly season and the slowly dying pine branch that took up one corner of our living room. Adorning this vacuum cleaners nightmare was a set of cheap AA powered LED lights....and all I could think of was "lighting rig". Obviously the ones that flash multi coloured in time with a tinny speaker squeaking "Jingle Bells" may not really be suitable, but the long strings of white ones might do the trick. It might be worth looking at.....
And then there was the bit in the Wanganui show post that mentioned running a layout from a Laptops USB port....now the geek in me thinks that would be the ultimate...
4 comments:
Hmm yes and here is another thought if the layout is less than 162cm height + width + length then it can go onto a plane as normal luggage
so imagine if you will waiting at the airport luggage claim to pickup your "box" then just to make sure it survived without any mishaps, unfolding it in the airport cafe and running a few trains
Layout Flash Mob
Wahoo
Complete with LED lighting
Cabbage
On the subject of led lighting: I messed around with just a cheap 3 led torch over a layout. Pointing it up at a white overhead valance scattered the bluish/white light creating a reasonable simulation of moonlight. I guess the yellowish leds would be good for a summer day? Diffuse light wouldn't cast much in the way of shadows so a middle of the dayish time perhaps?
Somewhere on the net is a photo of Cloggy (Mr Alan Monk) on his way to an exhibition with his self-contained layout actually operating it on the train. (It may be that he used the laptop power outlet) That's the ultimate and that was in 4mm to the foot too.
Kev
No, not quite 'off-grid':
http://carendt.us/scrapbook/page75a/index.html
"Alan Monk, from London, England, now exhibits the layout. The photo (left) shows Alan en route by train to an exhibition earlier this month. As many UK trains now provide power sockets, Alan took advantage of the opportunity to enjoy some relaxing operation! "
alright so yes it is a slow day at work...
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