Well... another "Brain Explosion" has taken place here over the last few days. Ever since a layout was planned, i had struggled to decide on a location & an era for the proposed empire. The location issue was eventually resolved when i decided to just freelance & not concern myself too much with the question of modelling a true representation of a certain location & just concentrate on the elements that hold my fascination & attempt to blend them into a feasible layout that would test my skills & hold my operational interest for many years to come. The initial trackplans basically looked like bowls of spaghetti that just filled the available area with little thought to operations & any real prospect that i would ever be able to come close to a reasonable layout completion in my life time. While i have modified the trackplan many times the current more sensible plan is still a fluid thing & as i slowly progress i can see changes occurring just as they do on the prototype.
Era was another thing altogether. I am sure i am not alone in finding all NSWGR eras have some features that attract interest & to single out a 5 or 10 year period to model is severely limiting with all the goodies on the market nowadays. While i am tolerant of mixed era layouts.... The thought of an NR dragging a rake of S & K trucks around is just not for me... So what era???
I guess the transition period would have to be the most interesting for me. Certainly this does limit the use of diesel locomotives to 1st & early 2nd generation units....but if the truth be known i knew that i would gravitate to that period at some time or another... & so it was that during a stocktake of rollingstock & locos, i realised that i now had a substantial collection that spanned many eras & now was the time to thin out the fleet & consolidate to that era. This process will also have other benefits....but not limited to:
1) Hopefully discourage impulse buys ( Yeah i know...sounds like a croc!!!)
2) Free up funds to purchase within specified era
3) Include latter period steam... Now that they are arriving with sound etc...
4) Minimise what will have to be detailed & weathered
5) Allow better selection & placement of lineside items & buildings
6) More time for the layout??? Hopefully
7) Give my brain a rest...
So with the decision made i have wasted little time in grabbing the camera & ebaying the first lot of items that do not fit into my chosen era & thought i would dedicate a couple of piccies of some of the so far "retired" rollingstock.
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| While i love the jumbo...A bufferless FreightRail Blue unit will not cut the mustard. I guess i could send it to the paint shop....but i think i will wait for it to be re-released some day & buy up on Tuscan units....maybe??? It is DCC & Loksound sound fitted....but if it was staying i think i would convert to Tsunami... Farewell old friend... |
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| At the other end of the time scale is a KA Camden Tram Car....Sadly... long out of service by transtion time... Can someone tell me who produced these kits??? |
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| 4701 in candy is a no no.....I still have the DCC 4714 in candy ( the one supposedly with DCC & Sound ) I will sort 4714 out & i guess it will go to the scrappers as well... |
Talk Soon...
Rod,
ReplyDeleteThe KA is most likely a Far North Hobbies AKA "Old Buggers" limited run kit. You can get the Old Buggers Kits at the Early Days convention though the era of these kits is about 100 years before yours :-)
Cheers,
Rob
Rob,
DeleteThank you for solving the riddle...
Rod
Well Rod, what era should I model?
ReplyDeleteI assume that we all ask ourselves this question at some time. I ask myself this question on a regular basis.
My era is generally the 1950's, but I can break loose when the "what if" bug bites. The 1950 era allows me to run green 38's, tuscan and russet carriages (arguably the NSWGR's best colour scheme), D57's, oily D59's and D55's and the first generation DE's (amongst others).
However, and this may label me as a "collector", I dabble in early days, eg; M40's and Cleminson carriages, and some modern era. I have an NR, two CFCLA EL's and numerous container flats and containers. Why? Because I like them, that's why, and I can (and do) run these at exhibitions and on others layouts. These would see little use on my home layout (if I had one). This allows me to partake in the social side of our hobby. I can fit in almost anywhere.
As you can see my Modellers Licence gets a real thorough workout.
I don't know if I would have the determination (or is that courage?) to send any of them away to an uncertain fate on ebay.
Happy timelining,
John
John,
ReplyDeleteWe only live once!!!...I am just tired of asking myself the same question.
I was planning a post about ebay & other stuff...will do it soon.
Now when are we going to have our next cuppa & talk crap for a couple of hours???
Rod
Comfort in what one wants to do is the prime for me, also once a choice is made I try to stick to the decision, it takes a lot of will power & not go outside the era that is chosen in the end. Believe me it has tested me big time with firm resistive powers & fighting with my self to stay the course.
ReplyDeleteMy resolve is not helped by my diversion in modelling Chinese Steam along with a mid 50's NSWGR era, & so I have placed more of those items on the back burner & thankfully the China factory dramas have affected those interludess as well.
My overall thought though is if we have the will power to stay the course of our decisions, then we stand a better chance in garnering the real satisfaction we desire. My period of modelling does allow me to model loco types that did operate in that period but non the way I like them, such as a 57/58, & coal burning 59cl together in the same area & working trains, or a 35cl also crossing a big engine along the way, & thats my little move into modellers licence
To sit back & annalise what ran where & how, can give us the better circumstances to decide just which models we both need & want, is the want needed, the answer is well did it operate then & in my chosed area/era.