A new camera

I hope you all had an enjoyable Christmas, and are having a good break, perhaps even getting some modelling done! 

My main present this year was a new camera - well, new to me. For the last decade I've used a "premium compact" Canon which has served me well, but these days it struggles to better a phone camera. I've also tried a Panasonic bridge camera, but the results are similar to the Canon. Most day-to-day photography uses my phone these days, but a manual-control camera works better for layout and model photos (including magazine articles), and I prefer to use a camera at exhibitions and some holiday trips. My photography student son is a fan of Sony mirrorless cameras, and suggested I look at them. The big sensor makes a lot of sense for model railway photography, but I didn't want a bulky, heavy camera. I decided to go for the Alpha 5100; it's little bigger than a compact, with a sensor about 2/3 of a full 35mm frame, and a barely used one is not too expensive from MPB. 

As with DSLR's the lenses are interchangeable; this is the standard lens which is very compact, and offers 25-100mm equivalent range with power zoom so behaves like a compact, as well as being cheap. I might invest in a longer lens at some point for more flexibility, but this should suffice for model trains. I also got a remote shutter release which is a real boon for long-exposure model photography using a tripod.

I had a play this afternoon, including taking some photos of Hexworthy. This view along the layout is challenging as it is very deep - the loco is about 2 feet from the camera, while the tree in the distance is at least four feet away. This shot has all but the most distant features in focus, little sensor noise, and no sign of barrel distortion which is a real issue with compact and mobile cameras. 

So it works well on a tripod, we shall see how it goes at an exhibition once the season gets going. Don't bet on a big improvement in photos on the blog though, as the mobile remains the most convenient way to get quick progress shots!

Weathering 009 Coaches in BRM

December's BRM magazine has another of my articles. This time it is covering subtle weathering and detailing of ready to run coaches, for which I used a couple of 009 coaches for Hexworthy. 

The techniques are those I've used on other 009 coaches and have described here. I do use an airbrush, but in a very simple way, and the basic tasks include painting details and adding figures as well as adding shadows, smoke, and road dust.

The coaches look so much better for the small investment in time, and remain smart enough for use on a preserved railway, but have lost the box-fresh plasticky look for a more real-life appearance. 

National Festival of Railway Modelling at the NEC

There was quite a large show fitted around the Peco Rail200 stand! It has been many years since I have got to an exhibition at the NEC, and there is certainly enough to occupy a day there. Now run by Warners/BRM, there were a few attractions for kids like the ride-on train and Kato mini-module making, and the get-a-marble-in-the-train game. And why not? There's plenty for older kids too, with around 60 layouts you didn't have to like everything. Lots of trade too, including some of the big RTR manufacturers. I'd like to see more small suppliers/manufacturers able to attend, but there was quite a variety and I picked up a few odds and ends. Rapido took the limelight with a 1:1 model of a future release...

There was also a "theatre" with a schedule mixing videos with live speakers, I was a little cynical but actually found it quite good. I caught part of a panel of YouTubers (not that I spend much time on YouTube), a weathering talk, and a Q&A with Simon Kohler (ex-Hornby). I will admit I found it a useful place to sit and have a coffee or sandwich! Nonetheless, it made it feel more like a convention than just a show. 

With so many layouts I focused on those I liked or inspired me, not that the others weren't good too, but there was something for everyone. Anyway, here are some that caught my attention, starting with the narrow gauge layouts of course. For some reason, the show guide doesn't give the layout owner/builder's name.

Ashover Butts (009) - David Wright

Millthorpe Light Railway (009)

Donnersbachkogel (HO, HOm) 

Shadows of Exmoor (NG7 / O16.5), with both Lynton and Barnstaple modelled.

Penrhyn Quarries (10mm:ft)

Lynnbach (009) - Ian Arkley

Kreuzweg (HOm)

Dawlish Warren (N)

Shepherdswell EKR (OO), modelled on the Colonel Stephens line. 

James Street (N). This is a huge, busy, and finely modelled layout, but for me the harbour stands out. I saw it at Chatham and was impressed then too, though you do feel like you need binoculars to see it all!

Hassel Harbour Bridge (O) - Alsager Railway Association. This bridge must be about 5' tall, and there's a working wagon lift on the right.

Brick Coast Main Line (Lego) with an even bigger bridge!

Stern Point (O) - inspired by Spurn Point it is characterfully bleak, with lighthouse.

Ullapool (O)

Richmond (N) - Peter Brown

Shelfie 2 (OO).

Strood Dock (O). Both loco and Clyde Puffer emitted smoke.

Donaghadee Railway Station (OO), based on a station in Northern Ireland, with a superbly modelled harbour and lighthouse.

Eastgate Harbour (OO), the detailed ship models rather steal the attention from the trains, though there is a harbour station on the right. This layout also had a lighthouse - I made that 3 in one show! 

More nautical modelling, I particularly liked the Jaws reference! In the distance, sheep on the quayside moved in their pen while making sheep noises, and the Lyceum Theatre had a detailed interior with organ and audience. 

Rail200 - The Grand Finale

The Rail200 competition culminated at the National Festival of Railway Modelling at the NEC last weekend. I went along on Sunday to find Whittingly Hospital connected to other modular entries. 

I took a few wagons and a loco to make it look less abandoned. I'd forgotten to take a spare set of batteries for the lights though, which expired after an hour or so on Sunday morning. My calculations of how long they would last were rather optimistic, unless they'd been left on since Friday night!

I have to say the Peco team had done a great job to connect together around 30 modules, which they'd not seen before, complete with 90 and 180 degree corners, for trains to run through. A clever DCC system was able to run several trains at once, detecting their location through current draw, and slowing or stopping trains to keep them spaced apart. Apparently it all worked first time!

Of course, not all the trains were appropriate to all the modules! 

When I started this challenge, it was not just about making a model/diorama/layout, but about taking part in something to celebrate 200 years of railways. That's why I chose to enter the modular category, and so I was delighted that my model was selected to be one of the 40+ (out of around completed 250 entries and 650 boards sold) to be shown at the exhibition. Those who have seen the December Railway Modeller may have noticed that Whittingly even made the shortlisted top 5 within the modular over-16s category!

Congratulations to the winner in the same category, Joseph Laurence, for his Project New Street - a near-scale depiction of a corner of this well known major station. 

And the runner up Mike Tomlinson, for Mind The Gap! A model of an underground station including a section of Mail Rail. Both are highly original, well-modelled and eye-catching!

Congratulations too to the other category winners and runners up. Awards were given out by Pete Waterman on Sunday afternoon. Overall, it seemed well organised and brought enjoyment to lots of people, hopefully getting some modelling for the first time. It was especially good to see the good range of entries from the youngsters in the under-16 categories. 

I intended to take photos of all the entries there, but looking through I realised I have missed some. So, here's an incomplete record of the modular entries in no particular order...

Not all the finalists were in the modular categories, although there were fewer standalone entries on show. One of the attractions of the standalone category was that any scale and gauge could be used, whereas of course the modular entries had to be OO scale. So, here we have narrow gauge, N, TT, and even T scale. Another almost but not quite complete record of those on show...