Angst Lesspork

[clayliner]

I'm even more impressed that anyone can make any sense of all that spaghetti underneath...!

David.

[Scottish Modeller]

Hi Hugh,

That looks like the sort of box I have been trying to find.

Do you remember the source it came from?

Thanks

[Graeme Dunbar]

Very nice indeed. I'm impressed!

[Hugh Norwood]

Hi Hugh,

That looks like the sort of box I have been trying to find.

Do you remember the source it came from?

Thanks

Hmmmm. it was a long while ago... It might even have been the dreaded Maplins (although a quick look at their site doesn't show it now)
Rapid do something similar (under instrument enclosures)

[Scottish Modeller]

Hi Hugh,

That looks like the sort of box I have been trying to find.

Do you remember the source it came from?

Thanks

Hmmmm. it was a long while ago... It might even have been the dreaded Maplins (although a quick look at their site doesn't show it now)
Rapid do something similar (under instrument enclosures)

Hi Hugh,

I tried Maplin and they no longer do the larger box - just the smaller one.

I will see what I can find from rapid and ebay.

Thanks

[Hugh Norwood]

Rapid is my go-to supplier these days, although it can take some searching to find what you want. I've always found them reliable and prompt. Usual disclaimer of course!

(I use Maplins if I'm in a hurry...)

[jimowers]

I have also found Farnell excellent although finding the right item out of their huge lists is often a challenge. Their customer service is excellent.

[Hugh Norwood]

Back to "front of house"

Duckman, Ron and Gaspode by H Norwood, on Flickr

Here are Foul Old Ron and his Thinking Dog, Gaspode with Duckman.
I decided I'd have to attempt to make Gaspode myself and eventually remembered I had some oldish Fimo lying around. That seems to have worked.

[Jeff Schumaker]

Is Duckman's duck made from Fimo, too?

Jeff S.

[Hugh Norwood]

No - it's a white metal one from Langley

[Hugh Norwood]

Well, we got back from a great show at Calne, and I have to report that the point was still giving problems - so I'm going to have to change it, I think. Shouldn't be a big problem, thankfully. I took the opportunity of purchasing a couple of SEEPS from Squires' stand at the Calne show. It'll have to be next week now as I've too much else on the timetable, what with Burns' Night and all!

Many thanks to Garry Whiting for co-piloting and navigating!

[Hugh Norwood]

It got busy at times at Calne!

A busy day by H Norwood, on Flickr

[Hugh Norwood]

A vsitor to the Calne Show asked me how many figures I had on the layout. I answered "A couple of dozen or so!" He had a quick head count and told me he thought it was around 100.

Well, I had to do a census.

I tried a head count on the boards when I had them separated for some work, but kept losing my place. Some aerial photographs were taken and I am surprised...

117 including 1 wizard, 1 Librarian, 1 witch on a broomstick, 1 werewolf, 1 troll

This does not include people on the trains (drivers, passengers), people on or in  vehicles or the crew of the big ship. Neither does it include Foule Ole Ron and the Duck Man as they have yet to be placed.


{edited 22 May 20 as part of the text had disappeared...}

[Hugh Norwood]

I have succeeded in motorising the witch on her broomstick. Up to today she has relied on the operator pulling a string at the back of the layout to make her take off, then letting it go carefully down again.

I have used a PicAXE microcontroller to drive a small servo motor, which raises and lowers the broomstick at pseudo-random intervals (although it can be overridden)

Here are a couple of videos of it in operation.
The mechanism behind the scenery:
https://youtu.be/4sFe2h0o2kk

and the witch herself:
https://youtu.be/fjQ5KP02sWg

[Jeff Schumaker]

Simply amazing. Nice work.

Jeff S.