[moped rider]

Just to let folk here know that I do have other hobbies apart from slot cars. This is just one picture of my layout at home and I do like my model trains and have constructed a few building in the past

. I don't construct slot car buildings as I do not have permanent arrangements:-

Moped

 

[Doug]

That looks good. What's the scale?

Is it a big layout or is it sectional?

 

[BEEJAY7]

Excellent work Mope.

The skills you have will come in very handy if you ever get the chance to construct a permanent layout.

Regards

Alan

 

[moped rider]

With the limited space that I have its a small sectional model that can be transported. To tell the truth I worked on it with a few people and when the club no longer needed the layout for exhibitions I inherited it. It was all done using embossed card and the typical modelling sections that you can pick up at any good model shop. A lot of weathering was then done with wishy washy water colours to tone it all down and give it more of a 30's look.

Generally I was responsible for the roofs, chimnies and smoke effect! My smoke effect with a bit of dirty cotton wool stuck on a chimney looks rather good!

I will put a few more pictures here at some point so that you can "oo" and "ah" further.

You will be impressed I can gaurantee it!

I will be offering a few hints and tips on another message board relevent to model trains.

Moped

 

[Monaro]

Here's a idea I use on my train set (into trains a bit myself).
I f you want real smoke, get the fine wire out of a old hand control and then wrap it around a bit of copper wire and then put it in a piece of wood that has been drilled out and fill with a fine oil and then add to a transformer that is not to powerful or to weak, the wire heats burning oil, and you can then slip your plastic chimney over the wood without melting it, the wood contains the heat inside, and with the oil I don't think it gets that hot anyway just enough to smoke, here's a bit of a mudmap, could take real picture, but not really needed.

sorry Image obviously image didn't work??? why?

 

[Monaro]

Image worked that time!!, god knows LOL

 

[JohnP]

Rail racing?

Looks good Moped

 

[moped rider]

That smoke idea. In this internet age it is amazing how much free information people are prepared to pass on.

In 1961 Tri-ang (Owners of Scalextric from 1958 and now of course Hornby) dispatched John Hefford to meet with Mr Cyril Fry of Churchtown, C0. Dublin who had invited Rovex to have a look at his smoking trains.

John Hefford climbed into the loft of a bungalow and there was a huge railway shrouded in darkness. With the click of a switch the lights came on and trains started to move out of their statiions with smoke puffing from the chimneys.

Mr Fry wanted £1000 (a lot of money in those days) to remove the body from a loco to reveal the device to the man from Tri-ang.

Richard Lines, the Tri-ang boss who was also went over to Ireland, felt this was too much money and they decided they would think through the problem for themselves.

As a result Tri-ang invented and patented "Synchrosmoke" on 24th June 1964 recording John Hefford as the inventor.

Sadly John Hefford was killed later that year in an untimely accident. He was one of the founding fathers of Rovex/Tri-ang and a genious with toys.

Later Cyril Fry wrote to Tri-ang congratulating them on their invention.

Hornby still hold the patents for "Synchrosmoke".

Sadly John Hefford suffered an untimely death later that year in an accident. He was one of the founding fathers of Rovex/Tri-ang and a genious with toys.

John Hefford was a great man and many of us who were youngsters in the 1960's owe him a lot.

Seeing the picture above reminded me of this story so this is a mini tribute to him.

Moped

 

[Mr.M]

Oops!!!

Pardon me!!!!

Wrong forum!!!!!

Only joking!!!

For all you cross dressers out there (Moped's term, not mine), here are some pictures of the scenery at the Bolwextric track!

The train track runs from the top "loop" of the racetrack, right down the side of the room and through the wall where it "mingles" with the single lane rally stage.

The pics were taken by my railway enthusiast nephew when he was down at Easter, but I hope that the club racing I constantly bombarded him with while he was with us, and the Argos Carrera set I let him take home on permanent loan, will help to put him "straight"

Mr.M

P.S. BTW, I have quite a few good pics of the track at Bolwextric, and I think Jonny suggested we could perhaps have a club layouts section along the lines of the "members tracks" section! What does the panel think?