Our world in miniature, hobbies

Hello, Although nothing like returned to normal, I'm getting out & about a bit, making the best use of precious dry days. I'm not lacking in interests at home, a piano, beautiful organ & of course our model railway. I was having an hour playing trains around noon, the railway well lit & bright from natural sunshine when the post arrived. I admitted to our Postman that even with an acoustic disc playing in the background, I was making squeaky break noises, as well as muttering the conversation between Bramble Lane box & the loco crew, about them detaching a parcel van, where a shunter is waiting to take the detached van on to Bishops Heath. It helps me that the four visible signal boxes are all positioned correctly, so in my mind its all real. I try to ensure that all of the trains link up, so Rob & Helen, are not stranded at Hounds Hill having to stay the night at the Swan. Oh, really!

Hello, The Red Star parcel van, safely in the bay at Bishops Heath. The front of the train, having been reversed from Hounds Hill into Grove Goods platform. The class 37, awaiting its next turn of duty. The crew probably wandered along to the Wheatsheaf, for a pub lunch.

Is that my parcel waiting at the station? I've bought myself an early Christmas present. I won't get excited till it turns up because I made a cheeky offer.

I hope so Helen.

Hello, Now you will know that my corks have popped. I've had it suggested to me to listen to relaxing sounds. So, in the railway room, as well as the CD, playing railway sounds very low volume of course, I've added various YouTube UK ambient sounds of various times of the day, seasons & locations. With all of the rain of late, if been listening to a fast flowing brook. So in my mind, it's coming from Mill Hill, we see it briefly before it later emerges through one of the Penny Park viaduct arches, under my ornamental bridge before disappearing out of sight. Oh dear, what a case. It first emerges here, under Bishops Heath. Then disappears pouring out onto my room carpet. The young couple snogging on the bench, in Penny Park 1965, is my Pam & yours truly. One of the real delights that I enjoy, is rather than scratch building, the big items like the viaduct are better scratch built so as to fit in to an exact location, but I love adapting. Several of our scenes are actually ornaments like the bridge, it's adapted from a tropical fish tank toy. So neons are expected to swim under it.

I've noticed that our friend Three Spires is viewing, because our imaginary junction which is out of sight, where our railway links up with the real world is "Three Spires Junc." That in reality was situated where Bedlam Lane merges with the Arena shopping park nowadays. Please don't send the men in white coats yet. I've still got to have my hot chocolate., Please....

I like a little stream... so long as it's not flooding out onto my carpet. Put the cork back in! I'm liking the autumnal colours in the bushes. Funny, in the spring they looked like spring flowers. How do you do that? I'm upstairs at the moment. Lots of sounds of rain but not so bad this evening. On bad nights I have to decamp downstairs because the noise becomes too loud to sleep. That'll teach me to build a room in what should be a loft.

Hello Helen, We have two flat roof extensions to our home, built over fifty years ago, the roofs, are a Dutch patent design using multilayer glass fibre that doesn't leak. There's a gap between the top roof & the room ceiling which does make a difference, but heavy rain we can hear. One of my ambient YouTube sounds is wild weather with howling wind & heavy rain. Thank you for sharing. With natural daylight, I have a better picture of our ornamental fish tank bridge.

Hello, The snag with pre-recorded ambient sounds is I'm forced to listen right through. The one I've got on the go now, lovely sounds but then a cuckoo shouts out. I couldn't ring anyone to say I'm stuck in Five Field lane, come & get me hey! It's October, not April!!!

If you can hear a cuckoo, it might just be the time travel anomaly of your railway.

Hello, I couldn't simulate the aurora like it appeared last night, hey Helen. Dubbed the Northern Lights of Aberdeen, it might be visible tonight from Northern France.

Hello, By heck! That's good modelling, hey! Anyway, I had a trip into Broadgate to sit & listen to the cathedral bells at 2.30, this afternoon. The bells sounding off the deflection of centre buildings, mostly the Primark building, so mixing in with the street sounds. In amateur drama, it was always an advantage to listen to acoustic sounds in reality, not just relying on patch recordings that might be patch on patch. I've not recorded anything, I haven't stuff of that quality to record on, but my own ears. I did enjoy a warm scone, butter & jam with tea. For less than £5, Cornwall can keep its afternoon teas at needing a bank loan. Good old Coventry. Hip hip............

Good on ya' Philip. Have a nice day

Hello, They've got the green light to Nether Field. Autumn has really took hold on Helens Hill, that the canal disappears under. Using the telephoto on the phone cam, sighted from the town's ceremonial bridge. It's normally £25 to walk over the bridge but all forum members have a free pass. The line on the right is Hounds Hill goods shed & siding. The marker denotes the boundary limit, which in picture shows that the yard is full. This side of the marker is the the bay platform of Hounds Hill town. The line on the the left, protected by the signal goes to Nether Field & Priors mill. It used to continue on to Coundon but that section closed long ago. That photo has highlighted the need for me to remove that screw head. It was only there whilst the plaster set 23 years ago!