conversations.from: human
conversations.value: What could be a title for a book about DIV>the, Peter, West with the genre: Crafts, Hobbies & Home, Crafts & Hobbies?
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: A title for this book could be 'Practical Garden Railways'
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: the first three paragraphs for this book
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: Practical Garden Railways
  If you want to run narrow gauge trains on N gauge track then the trade is also very kind. 009 is the narrow gauge version of 00 gauge (4mm to the foot). There is good trade support, particularly in kit form. Closely allied with this is H09. This is the narrow gauge alternative to H0 scale (3.5mm to the foot), and there is considerable continental ready-to-run equipment available. Incidentally, it is worth mentioning that I am using simple terms to describe these narrow gauges. With US and continental railways in particular there are more elaborate codes. For example, H0n2 describes a railway that is built to a scale of 3.5mm to the foot and modelling 2-foot gauge track in that scale. But let's not complicate things for now. A nice little challenge would be a 009 layout in an urn-shaped planter.
  So that I am not accused of leaving anybody out, I will mention TT scale (3mm to the foot). Triang made a commercial system at one time and it still has its adherents today – many of which are excellent modellers in their own right and need no advice from me. There is also some continental product to be had. It is a minority sport but one which can be enjoyed out of doors.
  So we come to the 4mm to the foot scale of 00 gauge and its chum next door H0, at 3.5mm to the foot. You can buy anything from a North Staffordshire Railway buffer shank to a Pullman train without denting the wallet too much. Much of the trade uses durable plastic mouldings and reliable mechanisms. This is an excellent scale for those that hanker after running a busy mainline timetable with long trains sweeping over complicated layouts. The advent of digital control opened up a much wider field of operation. Being able to bring a train to a stop in a station and then fetch another loco out from a siding to double head it is rather a tempting concept. But even so, complexity is not mandatory. Not only does a simple branch line have its own rural charm, it is cheaper to build and easier to maintain. A line that wanders several hundred feet around a garden from station to station is a restful thing to watch in action. It is another way in which we can make good use of the space that a garden railway has to offer. Because of the rugged nature of much low-priced commercial 4mm equipment, it is possible to use the garden for complex layouts in this scale.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: five more paragraphs
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: As mentioned earlier, I prefer to leave my buildings out all year round. But now is a good time to refresh them. Chimney pots get knocked off for a variety of reasons. Those merrily singing birds leave their calling cards on the roofs. Maybe there is some peeling paint on woodwork. However, a nice steady throughput of these background maintenance jobs means that the railway will keep the fresh sparkle of newness into the coming year. The icy winds may be blowing outside but I am snugly working away, setting the scene for another successful year. Needless to say, if I wake up to a mild sunny morning, then I am not slow to run something.
  If the track is in good running order, a sudden snow squall can be followed by running something – instead of getting cold trying to get things to work! (Photo: Phil Beckey)
  This is also the time to be thinking about travels. In early April I enjoy the annual major meeting of the 16mm Association and other dates are going in the diary. The structure of the coming months is starting to shape up. Meanwhile, the general maintenance is quietly going on in the background. In the workshop it may be something as simple as going through all the goods wagons making sure that the wheels are clean of the crud they have accumulated, and that the couplings are all intact. Outside, with the chances of frost rapidly receding, I start to think about any concrete work that needs to be done. On a long stone wall, maybe there are one or two small repairs to attend to. If a concrete building has cracked, make sure it is absolutely dry and then I may well be able to repair it with ordinary waterproof PVA glue. Masonry paint may have flaked off here or there. It is all a process of freshening up.
  The weather doesn't stick rigidly to the clichés of the calendar. In late February or March there can be beautiful April days! When the rain has cleared away in late afternoon and as yellow sun streams down, a blackbird can start singing and the world seems fresh and clean. It is then that a steam engine can be at its best. In the still-damp air the steam itself is prominent and the whole train becomes a living thing. We are glad that the track is in good order and that everything runs well. One small landmark in the year is the British institution of the clocks going forward one hour. It means an extra hour of daylight to be in the garden, after a day's work. There is the time for enjoying a very personal pleasure.
  Those first meetings and get-togethers are starting to happen. Although I am not as much of a social creature as others, I still enjoy seeing the hobby from a wider perspective, meeting old friends and making new ones. Garden railways are something you never stop learning about. Some newcomers to the hobby can come up with thoughts and ideas that are really interesting. Fresh eyes can see things differently. For those of such persuasion, there are also modelling competitions to sharpen the focus. The high-precision model engineers will always inspire us but just as valuable are the simpler models. This hobby needs breadth as well as depth. If I restrict myself to my own boundaries too much, I find it easy to go stale. So at this time of year, exposure to other people's thoughts and hardware seems to give an extra zip to what I am doing in my own garden.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: the last two paragraphs
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: There may be opportunities for one or two special effects. Perhaps I could quote a couple of my own examples. In a model of a Victorian waterworks, as well as the existing mechanical gubbins to circulate water, I have a modern pump house. This is lit inside and also contains a substantial electric motor, mounted on a sounding-board and driving a fan. Its sole purpose is to produce a scaled-down sound of the real thing. On a more ambitious scale, my steelworks features a coking plant. Inside this is a bulkhead housing containing a fireglow bulb, together with a small disco fog machine. At night, the sky over that part of the garden is lit up with great fiery clouds of steam. It is both splendidly theatrical and silly at the same time.
  I happen to enjoy inventing such things but understand that other people may not share my eccentricity. However, if you want to try something unusual, then go ahead and do it. Being conventional all the time is a dull option. Remember: it is your imagination that will contribute to the broadening of this hobby.