lights...

I took that video last night in the dark, whilst a blizzard raged outside. The main source of light being from the LEDs on the layout. 

With added sunshine, and a quick fiddle with the camera (just a basic compact), I took a couple of test pictures this morning to see if they look a little more natural.. not applied any after effects or anything and they seem better..

Brett progress video..

Another video posted today - just a short one. Mainly because I've installed some LED lights on Brett.

Scarily I thought I'd step outside the comfort zone and get in front of the camera! (Note to self - don't scratch legs whilst recording - it looks dodgy)

Anyway, as I mention, the lights look great.. although the video does make them look a bit more blue than they do in 'real life', I shall try to get some pictures posted soon.

opening the box.. Gnice things!

Much as I am enjoying 'Brett' at the moment, and wargaming is taking up a lot of hobby time.. I have an unscratched itch.. it's ages since I built a 'micro'.

I got into railway modelling fairly late in life.. in fact 2003 to be precise. And my entry into the hobby was probably a little peculiar in that it was through the world of micro layouts and Gn15. I wonder if I hadn't discovered Carl Arendt's site and the Gnatterbox, whether I'd still be playing with trains now?

Lately I started thinking that I'm missing the creative process that goes into planning (I use the word in it's loosest sense of course!) and creating a micro layout. I've been doodling the odd thought down here and there but not got much further really. However, on the question of scale, it has come down to two real choices. I'd really like to do something else in 3mm.. but I'm thinking of perhaps doing that in something a little larger than a 'micro'..

Anyway - generally I tend to try something out and then sell it on in order to finance the next thing - N scale, OO9.. but my Gn15 stuff has a special place and I can't imagine ever letting it go. Last night I dug out the boxes in which Mister Manning and the Southill Light Railway is stored to do a little stock-take and remind myself what I had. It turned out to be a rather pleasant little trip down memory lane :-)

Sam the driver on 'Pluto'

So.. whether anything will come of this, I don't know, but I am reminded of Gnomes and link and pin couplings, making my own figures, shunting around impossible curves and charming little scratchbuilt 'critters' bashed from swapmeet finds..and it's made me smile!

planting trees on Brett

Brett has had a rather temporary feel for some time. I've been enjoying playing.. er.. operating the layout but have been meaning to get around to a few jobs. All the scenic stuff has been rather loosely 'plopped' up till now and I figured it was time to start doing some of those jobs.

My other hobby has been keeping me occupied lately, but I just finished a rather intensive training course as part of my search for paid employment and needed some modelling relaxation -  a change from painting wargames figures.

I've made a bit of a list which, apart from sorting out the lighting and fascia, includes a number of scenic jobs - fixing the buildings and adding weeds to their bases, the track ends, weathering the chainlink fence, sorting out the vehicles and getting a couple of figures.. number one though was those trees.

I'm happy enough with the trees themselves. Although they a look a little 'generic pointy evergreen' that seems to be exactly what I was looking at on Streetview in the area where Brett is located. However, they needed properly fixing. 

Anyway - It only took half an hour or so with powerdrill and glue, some clipping of bases.. I added a few younger trees too - I forgot I had these in a bag in the loft - removed from an old N scale layout. 

Overall I am quite pleased with this area now.

I've started on one or two of the other little tasks, including adding some depth to the Northwest Lumber warehouse and sorting out track ends (bumpers and the like). What I have to remind myself now is to take it steady. Just do one job at a time and enjoy it, and not rush to get it all done and end up cutting corners.
(Can you tell that I was on a project management course?!)