Bored-Things you can do
Now that the summer modelling malaise is here, the workshop is too hot and there are better things to do other than playing with trains. However, with a little thought there are a few things that can make your modelling that much better when the cooler months return.
1. Take photos of the real thing. The chosen season on my layout is the height of summer and yet I do most of my modelling when all the vegetation during the cooler months when the vegetation has withered and died. Although you may not be living in Germany there is nothing to stop you taking photos of trees, overbridges, railway embankments, streams etc. Surely, the rose bay willow herb in the UK looks pretty much the same as the German variety and why not take a photo of those lupins that crowd your local motorway cutting?
2. Take the modelling outside, daylight is much better than squinting under low energy fluorescent lighting. I often do my best weathering sat in a deckchair in the garden, and the subsequent mess doesn't matter.
3. Go to Germany/Poland/Czech republic. A weekend with Easy Jet shouldn't cost much more than the latest whizzo model from Brawa and you really need that inspiration.
Me? I heading off to Wolzstyn to smell real P8's.
Any other ideas?
I'm working on a small diorama project with my son over the summer hols. The idea is to learn some landscaping skills and encourage the lad to do some modelling.
It's based on the Woodland Scenery-Noch Scenery Kit. I haven't bought the kit itself as I have most of the stuff anyway. And the great thing is, if I make any mistakes it doesn't really matter.
In early October we're off to Franconia; how much railfanning will get done depends largely on SWMBO!
There's never a dull moment in summer:
1. The garden: The weeds are claiming more territory. The toilet for the neighbour's cats needs mowing.**
2. Every weekend, lots of railway festivals and all the museum lines are running - impossible to see all that I would like.
3. Life may be a beach for most people, but I'll be looking for the nearest railway or industrial site while the family laze.
4. Several of my friends switch to model boats and planes during the summer months. I prefer to watch the real ones in Hamburg.
5. As promised, I'll be visiting some of the spots you requested (
http://germanrail.8.forumer.com/viewtopic.php?t=999 )
If only it wasn't too hot to enjoy these things.
** PS maybe I should borrow one of these:-
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=464486&in_page_id=1770 :?
Now this is unfair :(
It is 2 degrees C outside at the moment :shock: , thank goodness for central heating a nice 20 degrees inside. :8)
Germany is only 36 hours away by plane (one way!) :?
Its to wet to mow the lawns/weeds :D
The local preservation railway runs every weekend (5 minutes away) but no new trains to look at! :? and they don't have german trains there :!:
Definitely to cold to take the girls to the beach :shock:
Who cares about boats in Hamburg, Valencia is the place to be if your not a Swiss Kiwi :evil: (I have no comment about certain Kiwis who became swiss nationals a few years ago. Butter would not melt in some mouths).
John
John,
In six months you'll be laughing while I'm shovelling snow again. :(
And later this week you'll be smiling when that trophy returns home. Since when has Valencia been either Swiss or Kiwi ? Or is it another British rock ?
Maybe my subtleness has led you astray.
The swiss defenders, who stocked up on kiwis in 2000, to steal the cup in 2003 from NZ and are now trying to keep it, are struggling. The head sailor for awingy namely the butterworth fellow appears to have a few issues at the moment.
Two many boats on the water
Wind not suiting them
Personally I think the Rugby world cup is a safer bet!
Does that mean that:
a) New Zealand is not civilised?
b) Australia is not civilised?
c) only europeans are civilised?
We are afterall the country that gave the world semi-soft butter.
Another thing you can do is take the day off work because it is your birthday, with the expectation that a box of trains will arrive. :D
Imagine the disappointment when instead of the box of trains, a letter from the customs department arrives requesting that you pay duty on the box of trains. :cry:
Maybe the box of trains will turn up tomorrow :?
John
Not wiser, just older :8)
Happy birthday mate, sod the customs!
Dave.
Dave,
If I told customs to sod off, they would send my trains back.
These trains are now a need, once purchased, there is no such thing as a want!
John
Will take pictures of the new Brawa coaches at the weekend
Re: Bored-Things you can do
why not take a photo of those lupins that crowd your local motorway cutting?
Great idea ! Armed with my camera, I have been out searching for lupins ever since Tim suggested this.
On Tuesday evening I was enthusiastically studying every verge on my way home from work. But alas there were no Lupins to be seen.
On Wednesday I had the pleasure of travelling up through Germany by train. Bound to see some there, I thought. Leaving Basel with great enthusiasm , I kept an eye on the trackside ... Vineyards, trees, dandelions, fox gloves, buttercups , daisies and a host of (mostly green) stuff, which I couldn't name, could be observed slowly at first as we wound round the bendy route between the Black Forest and the Rhine beyond Haltingen. Nice rake of preserved Eurovapor coaches at Haltingen, BTW. All the way to Freiburg the track side was fascinating, but no lupins. Just before Freiburg a fine rake of CIWL liveried coaches caught my attention, so it's possible I may have missed something growing there. Between Freiburg and Offenburg there are many fields, some full of flowers , yet nothing like a lupin amongst them. Thanks to the gathering of dark rain clouds, the Black Forest, on the right side, lived up to it's name that day.
Beyond Offenburg , speeding up to 250 km/h between concrete walls, there was hardly any more vegetation to study.
No luck so far. Perhaps lupins only grow on the motorway ?
Yesterday, I was able to test this theory because I was a passenger in my colleague's BMW for the return journey. During a 6 Km traffic jam on a stretch of the A5 between Karlsruhe and Baden Baden, I was able to carefully observe every detail of the vegetable life forms on the verge of the autobahn. But nothing remotely like a lupin could be identified. Afterwards I might just have missed one during the occasional bursts of 230 Km/h. Thanks to the heavy holiday traffic, we were unable to maintain such a tempo , so I was indeed able to survey the greenery flying past at a lowly average of 90 Km/h. But all this was in vain. I am now convinced that either the lupin season is over, or they are very late this year. :waaa
Alan,
Methinks at the moment the Kiwis are slightly more worried about another piece of silverware which they thought would be returning home yesterday. Saturday's results may also change some thoughts on the William Webb Ellis trophy...
Greg
Yesterday, I abandoned the quest for lupins and enjoyed a day out amongst the alpine flowers instead.....
http://www.furka-bergstrecke.ch/ger/aktuell/pdfaktuell/Grimsel_Wasserschloss.pdf
Although nothing happened in Valencia, yesterday, it looks like Switzerland still rules the waves. :P
Greg,
Australia still need to beat the Mighty ALL BLACKS in NZ to win the trophies.
Do you now think on the strength of one game that Australia will be world rugby champions by the end of the year?
John