The Brits do everything differently ...

[ereimer]

i was flipping through a UK model railroading magazine while waiting for my wife at a local bookstore and i came across an ad for a UK dcc manufacturer
https://secure.ztccontrols.co.uk/

neat looking controller . remember that many layouts over there are much smaller than we're used to so walkaround control isn't high on the list of must-haves

it was also interesting to see a british digitrax ad ... with pictures of english loco models , and a MRC prodigy advance system with a different manufacturers name on it . unfortunatly i don't remember the name

the magazine had tons of how to articles , detailing of locos , scenery etc. to the point that i'm surprised they can come up with enough articles to fill the magazine every month . perhaps model railroading as a hobby is healthier in the UK then it seems to be over here

[simon1966]

It is neat isn't it! I really enjoy going to UK train shows when I am visting family back home. The modelling quality on the display layouts is very high. The concept of having very well detailed central scene with trains exiting left and right into different types of staging is completely different to the linked module approach seen over here in the US most of the time. For the size of the country, there seems to be a lot more MRR activity than here.

[reklein]

a good place to see british and scottish railways is at the Lynden WA show in the fall. There are quite a few expatriate brit model railroaders in southern B.C. Lynden WA by the way is about 25 mi north of Bellingham WA and about 4 mi. south of the Canadian border.

[CNJ831]

QUOTE: Originally posted by ereimer

i was flipping through a UK model railroading magazine while waiting for my wife at a local bookstore and i came across an ad for a UK dcc manufacturer
https://secure.ztccontrols.co.uk/

neat looking controller . remember that many layouts over there are much smaller than we're used to so walkaround control isn't high on the list of must-haves

it was also interesting to see a british digitrax ad ... with pictures of english loco models , and a MRC prodigy advance system with a different manufacturers name on it . unfortunatly i don't remember the name

the magazine had tons of how to articles , detailing of locos , scenery etc. to the point that i'm surprised they can come up with enough articles to fill the magazine every month . perhaps model railroading as a hobby is healthier in the UK then it seems to be over here

Not only are there apparently more model railroaders (and railfans as well) per capita in Great Britian, their modeling abilities are typically head and shoulders above what the average modeler in the States are capable of. In my experience, it is not unusual for images of a British modeler's module/layout to be difficult to differentiate from pictures of the prototype, a situation that occurs very, very rarely over here.

Then again, hobbies are taken more seriously by the British.

CNJ831

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by ereimer


it was also interesting to see a british digitrax ad ... with pictures of english loco models , and a MRC prodigy advance system with a different manufacturers name on it . unfortunatly i don't remember the name

That would most likely be Gaugemaster - they've been one of the big names in analog control for many years (their Model D twin-track power pack is excellent).

[steveblackledge]

CNJ831

QUOTE: their modeling abilities are typically head and shoulders above what the average modeler in the States are capable of

There is no difference with what American modellers do and what we do, both have there very skilled and novice modellers. The only magazine i buy is Model Railroader.

[Tracklayer]

I don't model it, but I do read about and have a great deal of interest in it.

TL

[BR60103]

UNABASHED PLUG:
The Great Briti***rain Show
April 29 & 30 2006
Brampton Ontario (NW of Toronto)
The biggest and best all-Briti***rain show in North America.
http://www.theplatelayers.org/

[edkowal]

QUOTE: Originally posted by CNJ831

Not only are there apparently more model railroaders (and railfans as well) per capita in Great Britian, their modeling abilities are typically head and shoulders above what the average modeler in the States are capable of. In my experience, it is not unusual for images of a British modeler's module/layout to be difficult to differentiate from pictures of the prototype, a situation that occurs very, very rarely over here.

Then again, hobbies are taken more seriously by the British.

CNJ831

Very interesting observation you've made there. Especially that part about images of British layouts being difficult to differentiate from the prototype.

-Ed

[CNJ831]

QUOTE: Originally posted by edkowal

QUOTE: Originally posted by CNJ831

Not only are there apparently more model railroaders (and railfans as well) per capita in Great Britian, their modeling abilities are typically head and shoulders above what the average modeler in the States are capable of. In my experience, it is not unusual for images of a British modeler's module/layout to be difficult to differentiate from pictures of the prototype, a situation that occurs very, very rarely over here.

Then again, hobbies are taken more seriously by the British.

CNJ831

Very interesting observation you've made there. Especially that part about images of British layouts being difficult to differentiate from the prototype.

-Ed

Actually, ed, that was true all the way back into the 1950s. Some of the most realistic trackwork shots MR ever ran were done way back then by a British hobbyist. The quality level of the work they are capable of today, from my model railroad photographer's standpoint, continues to simply amaze me.

CNJ831

[tomikawaTT]

QUOTE: Originally posted by edkowal

QUOTE: Originally posted by CNJ831

Not only are there apparently more model railroaders (and railfans as well) per capita in Great Britian, their modeling abilities are typically head and shoulders above what the average modeler in the States are capable of. In my experience, it is not unusual for images of a British modeler's module/layout to be difficult to differentiate from pictures of the prototype, a situation that occurs very, very rarely over here.

Then again, hobbies are taken more seriously by the British.

CNJ831

Very interesting observation you've made there. Especially that part about images of British layouts being difficult to differentiate from the prototype.

-Ed

The same can be said for model railroaders in Japan, and I suspect that the basic reason is the same - space (lack of).

If the typical layout is either a module or something that will fit on the kitchen table, it is possible to hyperdetail every square centimeter. Trying to do the same thing to my 135 square feet of layout would take about as many decades as I expect to spend years. I sure wish I could reach that level of detail, but reality intervenes!

[DSchmitt]

QUOTE: Originally posted by ereimer

the magazine had tons of how to articles , detailing of locos , scenery etc. to the point that i'm surprised they can come up with enough articles to fill the magazine every month . perhaps model railroading as a hobby is healthier in the UK then it seems to be over here

Many British model railroaders build modular or sectional layouts to display at train shows. These layouts are often small and built quickly by US standards then retired or sold to another modeler in a relatively short time (My observation from reading Railway Modeler and Continental Modeler, often 5 years or less) They then build another layout. So many of the writers do a series of articles on one layout then are back within a few years with a different layout. American layouts tend to be very long term projects.

Also many British modelers appear to enjoy model building, kitbashing and scratchbuiding more than Americans do and so spend more time doing it..

British scenery building techniques are very effective, and are also usually simple to do and usually can be done quickly. Many of their techniques have only recieved wide spread recognition in the US quite recently (mainy through articles in Model Railroader and Kalmbach books)

[bikerraypa]

Please forgive my mild thread hijacking [:D]

I've been working on building a PRR G5, but nobody produces an N scale ten-wheeler in a US prototype, so I've been looking at British models. I found a Farish 4-6-0 chassis to start from, but all the looking around has now gotten me interested in modeling a UK scene. Just a small coffee table or "operating diorama." Is there anywhere in the states to purchase UK-prototype equipment, or online dealers that you UK modelers would recommend? Thanks!


Ray

[Anonymous]

I'm not sure if there are any dealers that side of the pond, but www.ehattons.com is a decent UK-based store that will ship anywhere. Just beware pre-Bachmann Farish locos and stock as they were truly dire (Bachmann bought the old Graham Farish brand and have since upgraded a lot of the equipment - locos now have blackened wheels and improved drive units). Also worth a look are Dapol and Peco, the latter have very good value freight stock (and have a GWR 2251 0-6-0 tender loco on the way) while the former have an excellent small range of locos and stock. Their 14xx Autotank and matching autocoach (a push-pull set) are superb and well worth the money if you want to model the GWR or BR periods.

[CNJ831]

QUOTE: Originally posted by DSchmitt
Many British model railroaders build modular or sectional layouts to display at train shows. These layouts are often small and built quickly by US standards then retired or sold to another modeler in a relatively short time (My observation from reading Railway Modeler and Continental Modeler, often 5 years or less) They then build another layout. So many of the writers do a series of articles on one layout then are back within a few years with a different layout. American layouts tend to be very long term projects.

Also many British modelers appear to enjoy model building, kitbashing and scratchbuiding more than Americans do and so spend more time doing it. Many of their techniques have only recieved wide spread recognition in the US quite recently (mainy through articles in Model Railroader and Kalmbach books)

I tend to agree, having perused the same magazines you have. However, I find that British modeling efforts seem to produce more believable, authentic-looking and photogenic scenes than do 99.9% of American attempts. There almost always seems to be that difficult to define Lionel or circa 1950's Model Railroader-flavor (too much "forced" into a given scene) to U.S. layouts that clearly brands them as models, rather than the real thing. The only current marked exception to this that comes to my mind are some of the modules of a midwestern group (Ken Patterson's outfit - from St. Louis, perhaps?) that depict middle America and used to pop up in the pages of MR from time to time...and Vic Roseman's scenes in the Walthers Catalogs. However, like myself, they have generally employed "real" scenes as backdrops, rather than modeler-created vistas like the British do.

CNJ831

[tatans]

including drinking warm beer in pleasant pubs, warm, I say , warm ! ! ! and steering wheels on the wrong side, and locomotives with no headlights, and locomotives with 3 cylinders, they dumped the English system of measurement, but the Yanks still use it, and, and, and,- - - - -

[ereimer]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Railroading_Brit

QUOTE: Originally posted by ereimer


it was also interesting to see a british digitrax ad ... with pictures of english loco models , and a MRC prodigy advance system with a different manufacturers name on it . unfortunatly i don't remember the name

That would most likely be Gaugemaster - they've been one of the big names in analog control for many years (their Model D twin-track power pack is excellent).

yep ! that's it , thanks for filling in what my memory had left out . it was hard enough for me to remember to look up ZTC when i got home [:)]

[ereimer]

QUOTE: Originally posted by bikerraypa

Please forgive my mild thread hijacking [:D]

I've been working on building a PRR G5, but nobody produces an N scale ten-wheeler in a US prototype, so I've been looking at British models. I found a Farish 4-6-0 chassis to start from, but all the looking around has now gotten me interested in modeling a UK scene. Just a small coffee table or "operating diorama." Is there anywhere in the states to purchase UK-prototype equipment, or online dealers that you UK modelers would recommend? Thanks!


Ray

it sounds like your modeling interests were hijacked !

[wilsonbrucea]

QUOTE: Originally posted by bikerraypa

Please forgive my mild thread hijacking [:D]

I've been working on building a PRR G5, but nobody produces an N scale ten-wheeler in a US prototype, so I've been looking at British models. I found a Farish 4-6-0 chassis to start from, but all the looking around has now gotten me interested in modeling a UK scene. Just a small coffee table or "operating diorama." Is there anywhere in the states to purchase UK-prototype equipment, or online dealers that you UK modelers would recommend? Thanks!


Ray

Ray:

Take at look at the suppliers section on the BRMNA site

http://home.ca.inter.net/%7ebrmna/prodser.htm

You might find something there. I have had sucess mail ordering from Britain so if you strick out at the BRMNA pick up a copy of Railway Modeller or British Railway Modelling and look through the ads.

Bruce Wilson
Barrie, Ontario

[edkowal]

QUOTE: Originally posted by bikerraypa

...Is there anywhere in the states to purchase UK-prototype equipment, or online dealers that you UK modelers would recommend? Thanks!

Ray

While it's not in the States, it's not too far away. I ran across this website a few weeks ago. It might be worth a try. Britannia Models. in British Columbia (naturally enough), Canada http://www.britanniamodels.com/

-Ed

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by bikerraypa

Is there anywhere in the states to purchase UK-prototype equipment, or online dealers that you UK modelers would recommend? Thanks!

Hattons, mentioned earlier is good. Also for lots of small-manufacturer detail bits and a good selection of custum wagons is the memebers shop for the N Gauge Society
http://ngaugesociety.com/index.htm

Cheers,
Maureen

[pedromorgan]

it is interesting that many of you are saying that the standard of kitbashing is higher over here than it is in the us. over here we often notice the opposite.
i think some of your views of brittish modelling are skewed buy a particularly good photographer named Tony Wright. he does many pictures for Brittish Railway Modelling and often does pictures for railway modeller too. he has a nack of really bringing out the detail of a railway in a manner i have not seen from anyone else.
i actually dont like his work. i often think his pictures took too clinical.

if you read railway modeller you will probably have the impression that evry layout is all very twee and has trains going throught he countryside! this is not the case. there are alot of tailchasers too and the odd modular layout. there is also alot of pretty lousey layouts out there. i hate walking round an exhibition centre and seeing the same superquick card kit signal box on about 6 different layouts!

i had the plesure of knowing a nam calle Alan Butcher before he died. he was a real master model maker and i learnt alot from him. he made buildings for Pendon museum. if any of you are in the uk i would recommend a visit. dont expect tail chasing trains. but you can expect the finest model railway in the uk (and quite possibly the world) it is brittish countryside in miniture.

"Then again, hobbies are taken more seriously by the British" i totally disagree. i think anyone with a hobby in this country is looked upon as a freak! it is actually very unusual in the UK these days to have any hobby at all. it just dosent seem to be in fashion.

there was a TV advert about 5 years ago that had a train spotter sat on a station going "there's one!.....there's another....." that advert did nothing to help the image of the hobby and i think put many youngsters off the hobby through the fear of peer pressure.
however many people who are in this hobby tend to be VERY interested and once over the peer presure find it a very good hobby as we all do.
i often joke to freinds when they find out i am a railway modeller that very few people wuld admit to being a railway modeller to the people at their work but come the warley show in december 20,000 railway modellers all come out of the woodwork and convine on the NEC in birmingham!

i think we all often forget that there are more railway modellers in Japan than there is in the whole of Europe!

Retailers;
our version of NWSL is branchlines. they do good gear sets and motors and gearboxes.
as for buying trains from uk i would try "the old toy shop" http://www.parktrains.co.uk/ he is certinatly not the biggest but would spend the time in packing your models for their long journey that some of the bigger retailers might not. the proprietors name is trevor.
(usual disclaimer)

It is also worth noting that you should be able to save 17.5% on most purchases from the uk because you wont have to pay VAT this should make your purchases more afordable! (chat to Trevor at the old toy shop about it.)
Peter

[wjstix]

I've been interested in British real and model railways for years. I would tend to guess from what I've seen that the UK modellers have the edge on the Americans...but I'm sure talent isn't dependent on where you're from. (After all, one of the best baseball players of the 1980's was the son of one of the best cricketers of the 1950's.) [:D]

I do the British have taken a disadvantage - much less room to work with - and turned it into a plus by building smaller but extremely well-detailed layouts featuring one scene. I've seen a track plan in MR where a 4' x 6' layout had four depots in it !!