A new, NMRA affiliated Special Interest Group has been formed. It is the S Scale SIG, and can be found at http://sscale.org/. The executive has already created a nice website and forum for discussion of "scale" related, as opposed to "gauge" related (American Flyer, et al), topics in 1:64.
The site is also intended to become a directory of all available equipment and material for S scale, and will electronically publish a SIG newsletter.
Showing posts with label media. Show all posts
Showing posts with label media. Show all posts
1.28.2012
12.18.2011
mystery multiplication
Earlier this year I set out to clear some space on the book shelves. Duplicates & the merely unwanted were to be done away with. This newly freed space would allow for the excavation of boxes containing my long buried books. There were more books than free space, I'm afraid.
The first batch was easy; about 3 cubic feet of duplicate Model Railroader & Railroad Model Craftsman magazines, mostly from the 50/60/70's timeframe. They went to a single mum's 12 year old railroader. Apparently the first thing he did was start sorting them into the correct date order...
The next batch was a whopper; about 10 cubic feet of MR, RMC, Model Railroading and Railmodel Journal. With the pending release of the MR DVD set, there was no need to keep the paper versions on-hand despite a preference for the tactile experience of reading the real thing. These all went to a young pastor who's just starting out in the hobby. I thought this was the last of them.
Early last week a pile of boxes were shuffled to reveal another 3 cubic feet of MR from the 80/90's time frame. These went off to the first young recipient, who by now has finished perusing the older issues and passed quite a number of them on to an 80 year old modeller who has a decided preference for the older columnists and authors.
Just today, a final pile of boxes was moved to reveal yet another cache of MR, RMC, and miscellaneous railroad titles. Oddly enough, I have no real recollection of these arriving on site. Some of the RMCs have taken residence on the shelf to fill in the gaps, but the rest are going to have to go. 4 more cubic feet; 20 in total.
I am not about to calculate the remaining (wanted) publication's space consumption; questions you don't want to hear the answers to shouldn't be asked...
The first batch was easy; about 3 cubic feet of duplicate Model Railroader & Railroad Model Craftsman magazines, mostly from the 50/60/70's timeframe. They went to a single mum's 12 year old railroader. Apparently the first thing he did was start sorting them into the correct date order...
The next batch was a whopper; about 10 cubic feet of MR, RMC, Model Railroading and Railmodel Journal. With the pending release of the MR DVD set, there was no need to keep the paper versions on-hand despite a preference for the tactile experience of reading the real thing. These all went to a young pastor who's just starting out in the hobby. I thought this was the last of them.
Early last week a pile of boxes were shuffled to reveal another 3 cubic feet of MR from the 80/90's time frame. These went off to the first young recipient, who by now has finished perusing the older issues and passed quite a number of them on to an 80 year old modeller who has a decided preference for the older columnists and authors.
Just today, a final pile of boxes was moved to reveal yet another cache of MR, RMC, and miscellaneous railroad titles. Oddly enough, I have no real recollection of these arriving on site. Some of the RMCs have taken residence on the shelf to fill in the gaps, but the rest are going to have to go. 4 more cubic feet; 20 in total.
I am not about to calculate the remaining (wanted) publication's space consumption; questions you don't want to hear the answers to shouldn't be asked...
12.03.2011
a new blog
The S Scale Workshop, returning victorious from their recent trip to Milwaukee's Trainfest, thought it would be nice to have a group blog to collect progress reports, share information, make product announcements and so on. I've set one up here -
http://sscaleworkshop.blogspot.com/
- so please drop in and say hello if you get the chance...
http://sscaleworkshop.blogspot.com/
- so please drop in and say hello if you get the chance...
11.01.2011
space, man
As in "making some".
Finally divesting myself of all my Model Railroader magazine back issues. The disappearing paper spans the 1957 through 2009 timeframe. This equates to about 10 ft³ of volume that can be used for other things or, indeed, for nothing at all. I may obtain the entire MR collection on DVD at some point in the future. The Trains! collection on DVD is a useful reference, but I don't find myself accessing it as much as I had thought.
I still obtain the Kalmbach Special Issues and Model Railroad Planning annuals; they are good distillates of theme-based material.
The recipient of the magazines is looking forward to browsing the many articles and photographs. He's new to the hobby and is eager to devour any information he can find. I will have to point him at the searchable indices online in order to help him find articles by topic. His plans at the outset seem fairly modest; focusing on the 1950's era with no particular prototype in mind (yet).
I've offered to cast an eye over the 5'x9' hand-me-down layout that he recently obtained; may be better for him to start fresh than try to resurrect it - I get the impression this pike has seen better days. I know he'd like to have a train running sooner rather than later.
Finally divesting myself of all my Model Railroader magazine back issues. The disappearing paper spans the 1957 through 2009 timeframe. This equates to about 10 ft³ of volume that can be used for other things or, indeed, for nothing at all. I may obtain the entire MR collection on DVD at some point in the future. The Trains! collection on DVD is a useful reference, but I don't find myself accessing it as much as I had thought.
I still obtain the Kalmbach Special Issues and Model Railroad Planning annuals; they are good distillates of theme-based material.
The recipient of the magazines is looking forward to browsing the many articles and photographs. He's new to the hobby and is eager to devour any information he can find. I will have to point him at the searchable indices online in order to help him find articles by topic. His plans at the outset seem fairly modest; focusing on the 1950's era with no particular prototype in mind (yet).
I've offered to cast an eye over the 5'x9' hand-me-down layout that he recently obtained; may be better for him to start fresh than try to resurrect it - I get the impression this pike has seen better days. I know he'd like to have a train running sooner rather than later.
9.21.2011
blog roll
New blogs to watch:
I've mentioned Trevor Marshall's new adventure story at:
Port Rowan in 1:64
Now Jim Lincoln has begun a record of his Proto48 efforts;
Deleware-Lackawanna in P48
I subscribe to many more blogs and, for the most part, enjoy the content. Better than traditional magazines in many ways because the material is likely to match my interests; after all I hunted down the blogs by keywords in the first place.
I've mentioned Trevor Marshall's new adventure story at:
Port Rowan in 1:64
Now Jim Lincoln has begun a record of his Proto48 efforts;
Deleware-Lackawanna in P48
I subscribe to many more blogs and, for the most part, enjoy the content. Better than traditional magazines in many ways because the material is likely to match my interests; after all I hunted down the blogs by keywords in the first place.
9.17.2011
spatial opportunity
The impending release of Kalmbach's Model Railroader DVD set bodes well for the volumetrically challenged. Experience with the previously released Trains DVD set indicates that the useage pattern is reference and research, not relaxing reading. The intergrated ability to search the content is invaluable; offering an improvement over the online database searches which require you to then paw through the pulp stacks looking for the elusive issue. Switching to digital in this case should save me between 6-8 cubic feet of shelf space; a valuable commodity. If RMC, Mainline Modeler, and the NG&SL Gazette were similarly offered, a further 8-10 cubic feet could be reclaimed.
11.26.2010
service survives
Again, I've had two excellent customer service experiences...
1) Broadcast Systems & Equipment - John Waling of BSE took the time to understand the type of hardware I needed to add extra functionality to an audio mixer. He deals with much bigger customers all the time, but he still made the effort to locate, hook-up, test, and allow me to hear for myself the hardware in question. Brilliant.
2) Long & McQuade - the staff at the shop helped me to quickly locate the cables I needed to hook up the new piece of hardware (BSE makes cables to order on a per-project basis) and had me on my way in minutes. No wasted time, no blank stares in response to my questions.
1) Broadcast Systems & Equipment - John Waling of BSE took the time to understand the type of hardware I needed to add extra functionality to an audio mixer. He deals with much bigger customers all the time, but he still made the effort to locate, hook-up, test, and allow me to hear for myself the hardware in question. Brilliant.
2) Long & McQuade - the staff at the shop helped me to quickly locate the cables I needed to hook up the new piece of hardware (BSE makes cables to order on a per-project basis) and had me on my way in minutes. No wasted time, no blank stares in response to my questions.
10.19.2010
podcast premier pending
The Model Railway Show launches November 1st
Free podcast engages model railroading enthusiasts in thought-provoking, fun-filled journey
(Toronto, Canada) – November is National Model Railroad Month, and we’re celebrating with the launch of The Model Railway Show. The first episode will be available November 1, 2010.
This free podcast follows the classic radio newsmagazine format, featuring the hobby’s best-known enthusiasts, along with the hard workers and innovators that keep this exciting hobby moving ahead.
Each episode of The Model Railway Show will run approximately 20 minutes, with quick yet informative interviews with a pair of guests. Topics will cover the full spectrum of the model railroad hobby – ranging from interviews with authors, editors and publishers, to chats with officials at the various organizations that keep the hobby growing, in North America and around the globe.
The Model Railway Show will broadcast twice a month over the Internet as a podcast. Listeners can subscribe at no cost via iTunes and have shows automatically delivered for listening on their computer, iPod or other digital music device. Alternately, listeners can monitor the show’s web site and RSS feed for new episodes, which can be download directly from the show’s servers in mp3 or m4a/AAC formats.
Details on how to listen by either method are provided on The Model Railway Show web site:
www.themodelrailwayshow.com
The Model Railway Show is hosted by Trevor Marshall and Jim Martin. In addition to being lifelong model railway enthusiasts who have worked in a wide variety of scales and gauges, Trevor and Jim both bring professional journalism, writing and radio backgrounds to the show.
Free podcast engages model railroading enthusiasts in thought-provoking, fun-filled journey
(Toronto, Canada) – November is National Model Railroad Month, and we’re celebrating with the launch of The Model Railway Show. The first episode will be available November 1, 2010.
This free podcast follows the classic radio newsmagazine format, featuring the hobby’s best-known enthusiasts, along with the hard workers and innovators that keep this exciting hobby moving ahead.
Each episode of The Model Railway Show will run approximately 20 minutes, with quick yet informative interviews with a pair of guests. Topics will cover the full spectrum of the model railroad hobby – ranging from interviews with authors, editors and publishers, to chats with officials at the various organizations that keep the hobby growing, in North America and around the globe.
The Model Railway Show will broadcast twice a month over the Internet as a podcast. Listeners can subscribe at no cost via iTunes and have shows automatically delivered for listening on their computer, iPod or other digital music device. Alternately, listeners can monitor the show’s web site and RSS feed for new episodes, which can be download directly from the show’s servers in mp3 or m4a/AAC formats.
Details on how to listen by either method are provided on The Model Railway Show web site:
www.themodelrailwayshow.com
The Model Railway Show is hosted by Trevor Marshall and Jim Martin. In addition to being lifelong model railway enthusiasts who have worked in a wide variety of scales and gauges, Trevor and Jim both bring professional journalism, writing and radio backgrounds to the show.
8.14.2009
eMedia
It's difficult to accurately categorise the newest generation of online "publications" as direct replacements or even competition for traditional magazines. They exceed the capabilities and features that mere paper can offer. As such, they may not replace the old ways very quickly or completely.
Both Model Railroad Hobbyist and The Modeler's Guild (sic) offer a familiar format of articles, reviews and photos but also provide streaming video, user conversation/interaction, and reader feedback options not possible following the print paradigm.
Both Model Railroad Hobbyist and The Modeler's Guild (sic) offer a familiar format of articles, reviews and photos but also provide streaming video, user conversation/interaction, and reader feedback options not possible following the print paradigm.
11.25.2008
audio tracks
Some interesting material on the Model Railcast Show. Think of it as Model Railroad Radio. A number of episodes are available for on-demand listening.
They've had some great guests on for "Roundhouse" discussions regarding planning and design issues that are typical hurdles for modellers of all scales.
I was fortunate enough to be asked to speak about S Scale in show #40.
They've had some great guests on for "Roundhouse" discussions regarding planning and design issues that are typical hurdles for modellers of all scales.
I was fortunate enough to be asked to speak about S Scale in show #40.
11.30.2007
customer service
No, this isn't going to be a faerie tale. I want to make sure that two very worthy vendors get some public credit for doing a damned fine job.
1) Books for Business - This all sounds a bit unreal, BUT... Recently I wanted some books on machining techniques. I found a company in Toronto, Ontario called Britnell Books that had two of the three volumes I was after in stock at a terrific price. I called the phone number on their website and Books for Business answered. Turns out that they are co-located in the same building, and B4B answers the phone for Britnell after hours. Once I explained what I was looking for, the B4B staffer said she would pop into Britnell in the morning to see if the two books I wanted were still there. The next day I called to check if they were present. The lady said, "Yes, and there was a third volume by the same author on the shelf so I picked it out too, in case you wanted it." Brilliant! I had looked to see where they were located - right in the middle of the financial/legal district downtown. When I asked about parking in the area I was told, "We could just curbside it for you." ??? "Just pre-pay now and, as you are approaching the store in your car, give us a call and we'll step out onto the sidewalk and hand them to you." Absolutely amazing! B4B handled the transaction, was thoughtful enough to think ahead for my 3rd volume needs, and smart enough to come up with a lateral pass at the curb! All this for books that were not even in their own inventory and for a new and unknown customer. Frankly, I'm still stunned by it.
2) S Helper Service - I was looking for some components for a locomotive conversion project. I needed quite a bit of an SW9's running gear and realised I should go right to the source. Their product comes with a thin, but useful, illustrated instruction book/catalogue with all parts clearly laid out. I was able to contact their very responsive staff via email for answers to my questions, phone at a reasonable time to place the order, and received the parts with great speed via the US and Canadian postal services. At the time of the order, they were unsure of the shipping cost. When I received the parcel, I noted that the actual postage was $5 US. The receipt in the box indicated $15 Shipping & Handling. I had no problem with that whatsoever - I've been charged a much higher premium for attrocious service. HOWEVER, the very next day I received a letter from SHS with a refund of $10 US for the excess postage. Unbelievable!
Could it be that there are more companies like these two paragons of purveyance? I certainly hope so. This level of service demands some recognition and commendation. I heartily endorse them and wish them continued prosperity.
1) Books for Business - This all sounds a bit unreal, BUT... Recently I wanted some books on machining techniques. I found a company in Toronto, Ontario called Britnell Books that had two of the three volumes I was after in stock at a terrific price. I called the phone number on their website and Books for Business answered. Turns out that they are co-located in the same building, and B4B answers the phone for Britnell after hours. Once I explained what I was looking for, the B4B staffer said she would pop into Britnell in the morning to see if the two books I wanted were still there. The next day I called to check if they were present. The lady said, "Yes, and there was a third volume by the same author on the shelf so I picked it out too, in case you wanted it." Brilliant! I had looked to see where they were located - right in the middle of the financial/legal district downtown. When I asked about parking in the area I was told, "We could just curbside it for you." ??? "Just pre-pay now and, as you are approaching the store in your car, give us a call and we'll step out onto the sidewalk and hand them to you." Absolutely amazing! B4B handled the transaction, was thoughtful enough to think ahead for my 3rd volume needs, and smart enough to come up with a lateral pass at the curb! All this for books that were not even in their own inventory and for a new and unknown customer. Frankly, I'm still stunned by it.
2) S Helper Service - I was looking for some components for a locomotive conversion project. I needed quite a bit of an SW9's running gear and realised I should go right to the source. Their product comes with a thin, but useful, illustrated instruction book/catalogue with all parts clearly laid out. I was able to contact their very responsive staff via email for answers to my questions, phone at a reasonable time to place the order, and received the parts with great speed via the US and Canadian postal services. At the time of the order, they were unsure of the shipping cost. When I received the parcel, I noted that the actual postage was $5 US. The receipt in the box indicated $15 Shipping & Handling. I had no problem with that whatsoever - I've been charged a much higher premium for attrocious service. HOWEVER, the very next day I received a letter from SHS with a refund of $10 US for the excess postage. Unbelievable!
Could it be that there are more companies like these two paragons of purveyance? I certainly hope so. This level of service demands some recognition and commendation. I heartily endorse them and wish them continued prosperity.
1.26.2007
over compensation
Current projects (on hold due to "real life" getting in the way) are to build or re-build three locomotive powertrains using proven methods of equalisation from the "Flexichas" booklet by Mike Sharman and "Principles of Locomotive Suspension" by Russ Elliot.
The first will be an 0-4-0 tram chassis in 1/2" scale on 1" gauge track in order to get my feet wet and prove a few points, the second a scratchbuilt chassis system for an 0-4-4 Forney in 1:24 scale on 32mm gauge track, and the third a rebuild of a solid framed MDC 4-4-0 kit in HO scale. There's an awful lot of work involved, but the predicted improvements in operation will be well worth it. Increased traction for a given weight, improved electrical pickup, and proper tracking through special work are all laid out in the texts.
I've also managed to acquire the following Wild Swan reference books:
Don't let the "4mm" reference in the titles fool you; the techniques are applicable in virtually any scale or gauge. These books go a long way towards demystifying proper locomotive construction.
I highly recommend Bott Books in the UK for their price and exceptional customer service.
The first will be an 0-4-0 tram chassis in 1/2" scale on 1" gauge track in order to get my feet wet and prove a few points, the second a scratchbuilt chassis system for an 0-4-4 Forney in 1:24 scale on 32mm gauge track, and the third a rebuild of a solid framed MDC 4-4-0 kit in HO scale. There's an awful lot of work involved, but the predicted improvements in operation will be well worth it. Increased traction for a given weight, improved electrical pickup, and proper tracking through special work are all laid out in the texts.
I've also managed to acquire the following Wild Swan reference books:
- Whitemetal Locos - A Kitbuilders Guide (Iain Rice)
- Etched Loco Construction (Iain Rice)
- Locomotive Kit Chassis Construction In 4mm (Iain Rice)
- The 4mm Engine - A Scratchbuilder's Guide (R. Guy Williams)
Don't let the "4mm" reference in the titles fool you; the techniques are applicable in virtually any scale or gauge. These books go a long way towards demystifying proper locomotive construction.
I highly recommend Bott Books in the UK for their price and exceptional customer service.
5.20.2006
Free-Mo (S and On30)
It looks as if we made enough of a favourable impression with our S scale Free-Mo layout that it warranted a mention in the Editor's Notebook section of the June, 2006 issue of Railroad Model Craftsman. I can't express how wonderful it was to see that write-up in print, especially in that magazine.
There was also an inquiry for our Free-MOn30 modular group to exhibit at the 2007 show in Copetown, Ontario. For that to be successful we'll need to make some significant progress on the modules themselves in terms of scenery...
Free-MOn30
The modellers in this region have not previously produced or displayed a Free-Mo style modular layout (except for a hybrid arrangement from the Ottawa area). However, the showings at Copetown (S) and Schomberg (On30), seem to have stirred some local interest in the format itself - if not the scales or gauges modelled. I would not be at all surprised to see more than one HO Free-Mo at an upcoming show.
In looking for Free-Mo standards for S scale, I did come across the following Yahoo group Free-MoS. There aren't many members yet, but at least it's a place to go and discuss the future possibilities.
There was also an inquiry for our Free-MOn30 modular group to exhibit at the 2007 show in Copetown, Ontario. For that to be successful we'll need to make some significant progress on the modules themselves in terms of scenery...
Free-MOn30
The modellers in this region have not previously produced or displayed a Free-Mo style modular layout (except for a hybrid arrangement from the Ottawa area). However, the showings at Copetown (S) and Schomberg (On30), seem to have stirred some local interest in the format itself - if not the scales or gauges modelled. I would not be at all surprised to see more than one HO Free-Mo at an upcoming show.
In looking for Free-Mo standards for S scale, I did come across the following Yahoo group Free-MoS. There aren't many members yet, but at least it's a place to go and discuss the future possibilities.
9.07.2005
WWI + industrial
I've finally received the two major books on WWI trench railways that I've been trying to locate for some time. "Narrow Gauge to No Man's Land" by Richard Dunn and "La Voie de 60 Militaire de la Guerre de 14-18 en France" by Dr. Christian Cénac. These are terrific reference works that greatly expand upon the contents of "Narrow Gauge at War" volumes 1 and 2 published by Plateways Press. Dr. Cénac's book is nearly 400 pages with many scale drawings (1/35) and illustrations.
Even more drawings and photos of WDLR equipment can be found in recent issues of "Narrow Gauge and Industrial Railway Modelling Review" magazine published in the UK. This magazine is a must-have for critter enthusiasts and those desiring detailed information of industrial operations and equipment.
Even more drawings and photos of WDLR equipment can be found in recent issues of "Narrow Gauge and Industrial Railway Modelling Review" magazine published in the UK. This magazine is a must-have for critter enthusiasts and those desiring detailed information of industrial operations and equipment.
4.27.2005
preferred materials
Mt. Albert Scale Lumber (except for one type of Northeastern - the 3/64" z-brace) & Mt. Albert sugar pine ties. Evergreen styrene strips and sheet stock, including scribed panels of different widths. K&S brass rod, sheet stock, and "special shapes" will suffice for heavier work.
Ambroid Pro-Weld solvent for the styrene; Weld-Bond PVA for the wood. Pacer's "Zap-A-Gap" CA for other combinations of this-to-that. 63/37 solder and various 2-56 through 0-80 fasteners for the brass hold everything together.
For the most part, paints are Polly Scale acrylic. The odd Badger ModelFlex bottle is used when specific colour is needed. Weathering is done with Bragdon Enterprises powders and dry-brushed white paint. A couple of Floquil's wondrous, now discontinued (and terribly toxic) Flo-Stain bottles are hidden away for a rainy day. Paint is applied by sable hair brush or shot through an old Badger XF-150 double-action airbrush.
Dana Nield used to have a webpage called "the Tamiya Model RR Paint Project". It talked about using armour-modeller style underpainting and washes on railroad subjects. If anyone has that content archived, please let me know.
Ambroid Pro-Weld solvent for the styrene; Weld-Bond PVA for the wood. Pacer's "Zap-A-Gap" CA for other combinations of this-to-that. 63/37 solder and various 2-56 through 0-80 fasteners for the brass hold everything together.
For the most part, paints are Polly Scale acrylic. The odd Badger ModelFlex bottle is used when specific colour is needed. Weathering is done with Bragdon Enterprises powders and dry-brushed white paint. A couple of Floquil's wondrous, now discontinued (and terribly toxic) Flo-Stain bottles are hidden away for a rainy day. Paint is applied by sable hair brush or shot through an old Badger XF-150 double-action airbrush.
Dana Nield used to have a webpage called "the Tamiya Model RR Paint Project". It talked about using armour-modeller style underpainting and washes on railroad subjects. If anyone has that content archived, please let me know.
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