Page 27 - November December 2014

and assembled the train for its return journey. With sound- equipped, smooth-running locomotives, these things take a satisfyingly long amount of time to achieve accurately.
The detached Burlington Northern power idles on the main
All too soon, a highly enjoyable hour had passed, and Pete descended back into the real world. Shortly afterwards, and following another cup of coffee and some nibbles (don’t tell Pete that we indulged in a few Tunnock’s Tea Cakes, the prince of biscuits), we then ran a local freight, hauled by a single SP SD9, which switched some industries, including exchanging a couple of newspaper boxcars at a distribution facility.
SP SD9 4343 pulls two empty newspaper boxcars, and will replace them with the two loaded cars seen spotted on the main line on the right
Finally, we got around to filming our accurate version of South- ern Pacific’s Permanente Local. When posted onto YouTube in the late afternoon, it immediately began to receive some gratifying feedback from the Californian contingent as they emerged from their overnight slumber – the world wide web has truly revolutionised our hobby in so many ways.
“Very enjoyable and authentically created!” said one. Another commented: “Very nice. I used to work in Cupertino and the Permanente line went right past my office. Your train matches what I used to see.”
That’s good enough for two guys playing with American model trains a stone’s throw from Brunel’s main line, and a third of the world away from where the action that really interests us took place; happy days indeed.
Build me a Diorama – sharing know-how Allan Dobson
This was the call from Nobby Clarke at the NMRA Convention last year, and was taken up by only five people. So it seems that not many people realised what powerful tools they can be as an introductory push on the way to getting you modelling. Here is just a thought – you can start, and even finish them, quite quickly! Actual completion, without a great deal of time or expense. They are ideal for all those folk who are always moan- ing that they haven’t got the room for a railroad. I defy anyone to say that they haven’t the space for a “one foot square diorama”.
So let’s get started, first off why not have a poke around in that scrap box to find something that might fit the bill and this may produce the very idea that you are looking for, or there is probably that box or cupboard full of all those kits and stuff for that railroad that you never did get started, remember? You never had the room for it!
So what do you need? Well, something one foot square, any- thing from a piece of hardboard to a lump of chipboard from an old kitchen cupboard, all of which can be found in a convenient skip, or to take on the American view, a dumpster. Next an idea, mind you that could have come first and helped you to look out for that skip. When we hold our competitions there are only two main rules:
1. One foot square. 2. It has to have a piece of track on it.
The extra rule being, if you won last year, you can’t use it again this year.
Every railroader I know has a spare foot of track lying about somewhere, and would be very willing to give it to you when they hear that you are getting up off your backside and doing something, in fact your good cause.
You cannot kid me that you do not have a drop or two of some sort of glue kicking around, so use it to stick the track to the board, find some old paint and give the board a coat to seal it. How about ballast? Sweep up the front path or along the gutter outside the house and put it through the kitchen sieve (don’t tell the wife about this) and you will have loads of free ballast. I am hoping that the glue that you found was PVA; if so, it will need thinning with water and a little detergent (this is usually found free under the sink). Look, you are nearly halfway there and you have not spent a penny yet!
Rough ground and rocks are next, you know that you have a bit of polystyrene knocking about somewhere, which you knew
one day would come in useful; now is that day. If not, there is always the bin behind the local electrical shop or local supermarket, which should provide plenty. You can break it to suitable shapes or cut it with an old bread knife; once again I am sure that you must have one lurking in the drawer that is never used now. (Watch out, the wife is coming.) From now on things might get a little bit iffy free-wise and you might need to spend a few pence about now.
We now could do with a bit of plaster. If you haven’t done any DIY lately and do not have any Polyfilla left in the cupboard under the sink or in the shed, this is where if you have some kids they might come in handy. They might own some plaster casting powder, also while they aren’t looking you could grab their poster paints or watercolour paint box; no problem, they will be busy on their iPads or whatever.
Assuming you now have the polystyrene stuck onto the board, you will need to cover it with plaster, mix it up like cream and apply with about a half-inch paintbrush, brushing and poking it about; you will soon develop a knack. Also at this stage you could do with some ground cover, can’t really see a way of getting it free unless you go back to the guy who gave you the track in the first place, or have got some hidden away in that cupboard.
Now we also might need some trees; these are easy if you have a garden, nip out and cut some bits of the plants or shrubs. These will probably be fine for an autumn or winter scene, but for summer you will need something to stick on them, green sponge or ground cover of some sort.
No garden? – nick a few small cuttings off someone’s hedge.
If you have dug out some odd rolling stock by now you have got yourself something of real interest – how about an old neglected siding or even something a bit modern with a building if you found one of those kits?
Get out the kids’ paints and let yourself go, it’s just like painting by numbers, but without the numbers, just how hard can it be? Well it isn’t that hard really – that’s why I can do it, and so can you, give it a go. As you can see, it doesn’t cost the earth to build a diorama, takes very little time and gives you a great deal of satisfaction and pleasure knowing that you have finished something worthwhile, and you could take it to your club or group or even take it to work and show your workmates, who might just end up being amazed just how clever you are!
DEcEmbER 2014 27