Crossed wires.

Several days ago I posted a comment on a post detailing my tribulations with acquiring photos of Paekakariki for the journal.

'The problem I have is that its not just stuff to stick up on the blog, its things that get seen by hundreds of people. Thus we need excellence.'

Comments posted have revealed that I should probably have qualified it a bit more. Its what comes from posting on the Internet from the tail end of a 6-pack of beer. What I was intending to say was;

'The problem I have is that its not just stuff to stick up on the blog, its things that get seen by hundreds of people. Thus I need excellent pictures for the journal.'

 It's been a theme around here for a while, that I can snap a picture or 2 (of a small size for those on slower connections), write things up and post. Its fast and up to the minute. Print media just doesn't do that, the photo files required are larger. I also don't feel that my 'that will do' style of modeling is a fit for the journal as it stands today. I also struggle to write long coherent articles, and forget a logical 'how to do it' version.

Now for another point, I don't think I've ever expounded that we should aim for excellence. Indeed I've posted cruel close ups of my models to show that anyone can do it (1200 posts can't be wrong). Personally, I just want (and have always just wanted) people to build models and layouts. With the recent (and continuing) deluge of RP tops its never been easier. My inner perfectionist frequently gets in my way, to the point where its often hard to keep going on projects that I don't think look right. I would get a lot more done if I could ignore the wee nagging voices in the back of my head.

We now return you to the regular drivel

With an impending house inspection by the landlord, its time to tidy the Man-sion. This of course is full of distractions (as you would imagine).

One of these was the 'sudden' discovery that I could direct the lights where I wanted them in the room. I have no idea why I have not noticed this before.

With the adjustments its a vast improvement.

'No close ups please'

After sending off A stack of pictures (well, 2, but they did contain very heavy electrons) to the Journal of a general layout overview, I got a reply back for some staged pictures, possibly featuring a signal box and the loco depot. First I had to knock up a roof for the south end signal box.

'Wow thats really not that great is it'

I'd been avoiding this job for too long now (over2 years), mainly because I wasn't sure about whether I needed to add interior detail. This shot shows that I should at least think about it.

I then tried a couple of shots from track level.

After shooting these plus a few more around the loco depot, I retired to the Schloss to look at them on the big screen. I was picking several out without being overly inspired by any of them when I had a 'WTF!' moment. I was taking detail scene shots like you would with the larger scales, and they were only demonstrating to me that my modeling skills were not quite up to it. back out to the mansion and back to what the scale does best.

These were the pictures that I have sent off which I think show an NZ120 view rather than a view imposed by modelers in larger scales.

Oh, and Amateur fetler hits the big 43 today. Happy birthday.

A First

I arrived home tonight to a parcel from Europe (via Wellington).
Inside we find this item. Its an Ab from Kiwi Trains scaled specially for the Summit model at the Fell museum.

Its my first chance to see a Shape ways model up close. Well, its sparkly. The resin seems to be rather brittle (though I have yet to attack it with a knife or file). There are striations from the printing process on most of the surfaces. I'll give it a coat of paint which should give me a better idea on a plan of attack to get it onto the layout.

So it was off out to the Man-sion and time to grab what seems to be a useful article from the local rag.

'Tally Ho chaps'

Questions for the peanut galley

I've been asked to take some photos for an upcoming journal article on NZ120. Several will be of the bush tram locos and wagons (which is easy). The other request is for some photos of progress on Paekakariki. Now, here is where I would like an opinion from the peanut galley (ie you lot).
What angles do everyone think show 'progress'? And what am I showing progress from?

Here is a selection for discussion.

'An early shot showing the naked base boards. Impossible to get at a high enough resolution for the journal.'

'Looking north showing some of the track making up close'

'Maybe not the best choice'

'An actual area of detail'

Or something along the lines of the following.

To compare with the historical photos

I'll leave it to you, I'm really not sure.

(Oh and as another question, Do the Priesler seated figures have workmen in sitting poses other than 'on the way to work on the bus'?)

Saturday Morning

My where have all my other writers gone?
people just keep shuffling deadlines at work. I should really draw a line in the sand but the sand bucket has been moved as well. So for the last week or 2 I have not been out to the man-sion much.

So, not a lot of modeling going on unfortunately. Maybe if there was a local NZR modelers group meeting once a month it might work better. However I still have no idea how many active NZR modelers there are in this neck of the woods.

So, some ponderings for the morning.
-Amateur Fetler stayed last week (ON in palmy for work) and wide ranging conversations were had (he also scored poorly in the coffee making stakes). One point that did come up was that with current technology as it stands, it is now possible to model any prototype you want in any scale. Also that unlike a larger scale, NZ120ers have actively embraced these technologies to produce a wide range of models. I'll stand by this comment unless someone can point me to a spot on the Internet where I can see some evidence (Oh, and I'm not on Face book btw). I'll exclude NZfinscale from the list (otherwise he'll bend my ear)

 I'd love to see more pictures of these new NZ120 models built up and running on layouts guys. Chop chop, less readey, more dooey. :v)

I also found myself being referred to last week as an elder statesman of NZ120. Will have to trace how this state of affairs occurred.

Right, off to lunch and then there is beer to be bottled and projects to be managed.

Yay holidays

Well, with the country's national day off, along with the national prescribed indifferent weather, I managed to get a couple of hours in the man-sion.
And what did I achieve in this time?

Pretty much sod all.

'This took 90 minutes?'

-And I have no idea why. I had a piece of stripwood cut to get the gaps between sleepers right. Maybe it was the 'doing sleepers one at a time' rather than placing them on double sided tape as I normally do.

The other 4 joining tracks will have to wait until I get the turntable done so that the tracks line up correctly. I guess that that job leaps further up the que than it has been previously.

Saturday Morning

Haven't done one of these for a while. The unseasonably (unPalmerstony?) weather has meant that not much time has been spent in the shed, or indeed thinking about railways much at all.

One thing that has come across the desk (well through the mail box, though its a good question how much longer that will happen) is the trackmaking tome from the 2mm society.

 Its well illustrated all the way through its 138 page.I only tend to read it in small bursts as there is a lot of information to digest, and it is scary. Its shown me that despite me building 35 odd points, there is still a lot I need to learn. I would recommend it only if you were very very keen to make your own track to finescale standards. Having said that, I'm glad I did pick it up. I can use it to frighten small modelers with late night horror story's round the soldering iron.

Must get out into the shed at some point this week, but the electrics beckon, which enthuses me about as much as trotting up to a dentist and saying 'I'd like a root canal please, possibly 2'.