Briefcase layouts

The time allocated for model railway matters today was completely eaten up by trying to solve problems with my replacement phone which arrived today. Frustrating.

So, here are some pictures from the web of commercially available model railway layouts that can fit inside a briefcase.

They are built to Z scale.

Here is a good diagram comparing the different scales that model railways can come in. Reminder, I'm using HO scale.

And here are the layouts.

They cost approx £1,000 a layout.

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Currently listening to:

Antonio Carlos Jobim

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Currently Reading:

Now that the wonderful autobiography by Tracey Thorn is finished, I'm stuck with nothing to read.

Somewhere in the house there are a couple of novels by the French author, Colette. I was very much in the mood for these but couldn't find them. Frustrated, I went for a cycle around Glasgow.

Colette

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Last night's dinner:

A rather runny but delicious Moussaka.

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Miscellany:

Our Lady of Perpetual Succour

Nothing much to report

Went on a long cycle trip up the west bank of Loch Lomond hence no time for model railway today. So, instead, here are some more pictures of those bizarre HO scale figures from Preiser. (They also come in N scale which is half the size again!)

The figures come ready-painted.

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Currently listening to:

Stan Getz & Joao Gilberto

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Last night's dinner:

Photos of the meal were taken but with my wife's phone camera (mine is broken) and I can't upload them.

Smoked salmon starter followed by sea bass and cous cous. Flawless.

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Just finished reading:

A magnificent book.

I would say that this book is a love story about Tracey Thorn and her husband Ben Watt.

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Miscellany:

No photos available of today's cycle run due to aforementioned phone problems. So here are three random photos from this blog's past 26 months of episodes.

Early days - December 2011

A paper building December 2012

Experimented with violet coloured pavements - August 2013

Preiser HO scale furniture and figures

After yesterday's intimidating arrival of the Scale Link HO scale tables and chairs (God knows how one would assemble their N gauge equivalents):

The pictures in the instructions are bigger than the actual pieces!!

I was looking forward to receiving the Preiser equivalent. They came today.

Still pretty small, but at least the chairs are assembled.

What was impressive, though, was the picture on the back of the box which shows the figures you can buy from Preiser to populate the chairs and tables.

So, I ordered some.

I have to say, I think that the German's are a bit mad: here is just one example of other figures that Preiser make.

No swimming, apparently

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Currently listening to:

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Last night's dinner:

Yet again, I forgot to photograph the meal:

It was vegetable soup plus bread plus a glass of milk.

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Currently reading:

Brilliant.

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Miscellany:

Somebody told me today that just because you possess the facts about someone, it doesn't mean that you know them.

I'd never thought of that.

HO scale cast iron tables and chairs

The laser cut HO scale tables and chairs for the cafe arrived.

The proposed location of the cafe.

I'm not sure I have either the dexterity or the patience (or the eye sight) to assemble these microscopic pieces of furniture, And, I've never seen a photo on the internet or anywhere else of them in other than their flat-pack form.

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Was listening to earlier today:

David Sumner

I haven't heard this 12" vinyl record for almost 10 years because I don't have a turntable rigged up anymore. So, I took it with me to the bongos lesson today: my tutor is also a DJ and has a pair of top notch "decks" and great speakers and a huge room in which to listen to it.

It was every bit as a great as I remembered it being. It is not available on any format other than vinyl and my attempt to convert it to MP3 format several years ago was unsuccessful.

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Last night's dinner:

Forgot to take photograph, but it was sausages and onions. And they did look like this but without the peas.

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Currently Reading:

Switching between:

Sensational

And gave this book another chance - actually, it is a bit more serious than I had given it credit for the other day.

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Miscellany:

Samba drumming class tonight - it was very fulfilling last week.

Some of the intermediate class members

Verdict on LED lights for HO scale model railways

Had a bit of a change of mind regarding lighting.

Whilst the LED lights are good for night club and hotel signs - as are electroluminescent lights:

eg

For the intimate feel of a 1950s/60s French cafe, LED lights are too harsh.

eg the strong light emanating from under the canopies.

I think I'll try out a string of 12 volt pea or grain bulbs instead.

eg

They have the same bulbs as are in the two lampposts that flank the entrance to the Hotel de Paris.

They provide a gentler light.

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Currently listening to:

Because I'm enjoying Tracey Thorn's autobiography so much, I delved into the back catalogue of her first group, "The Marine Girls" using iTunes Preview feature.

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Last night's dinner:

Anchovie and black olive tart.

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Still massively enjoying:

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Miscellany:

Spent three hours being bored to tears at a Celtic Connections concert last night.

Celtic Connections is far too middle-of-the-road for my tastes.