Mad or inspired? - layout feature in MRJ #195

Has anyone else seen/read the article about the person building a 4mm (18.83 gauge) model of Kings Cross station circa 1955, even the unfinished track work looks impressive (especially the view 'from Gas Works Tunnel'), what is more he appears to be building it as a one man effort! His only compromise seems to have been in the length of the platforms, not in the track layout or functionality of the station.
Nice to have the space, 13ft x 26ft, *within* the main (centrally heated) house too...

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I wish him well of it. I have a room that size with a vastly less complicated layout which took about ten years to complete (possibly because I was running an etching business in background). I doubt he'll finish it, but if he does he is going to need a lot of rolling stock to go with it. My little effort needs 50+locos, 60+ coaches, and wagons I haven't counted recently but 100+ at least. The stock took longer than the layout to build. The buildings alone will take a lot of time as KX is one of those stations that 'just growed and growed'. There is a similar large outfit in NZ which is a model of Tring cutting AFAIR. It got coverage in the MRJ some years ago, and nothing has been heard since.
The custom built room with temperature control is certainly the way to go if you can afford it. SWMBO got a huge kitchen as a result of this room because it shares the same wing of the house. I never have to clean track, and dust is also less of a problem than I had with earlier loft bound set-ups.
It is however nice to see our MRJ getting back to main stream modelling after several years of wandering. I may even renew my sub if it keeps up like this....
Alistair W

: <snip> : : It is however nice to see our MRJ getting back to main stream modelling : after several years of wandering. I may even renew my sub if it keeps up : like this.... :
Yes indeed, but TBH, I'm surprised that it's still going! I used to have a complete set through to about 1991 and then intermittent copies until I finally stopped taking it in 1994, in a rash moment a few years later I disposed of them together with a full set of "Railway Reflections" and other assorted 'special interest' railway mags [1]. Act in haste, repent at leisure as they say, oh well never mind...
[1] also had the entire MRC run that documented the building of "Bodmin" in P4, can't see any editor these days giving over so much space each month to such an editorial master (and endurance) piece of modelling "How-to". :~(

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Me too. I thought the last editor was a disaster. It may pick up now and get back to what it was.
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Might be able to help you there. I was a member of the club where it was built and did some draft articles for them. I also will have, upstairs in the loft, all those MRC articles and a lot of the original material, drawings etc.. What do you need to know?
Alistair W

: : : > [1] also had the entire MRC run that documented the building of : > "Bodmin" in P4, can't see any editor these days giving over so : > much space each month to such an editorial master (and endurance) : > piece of modelling "How-to". :~( : : Might be able to help you there. I was a member of the club where it was : built and did some draft articles for them. I also will have, upstairs in : the loft, all those MRC articles and a lot of the original material, : drawings etc.. What do you need to know? :
It's not so much what I need to know (a modeller is always learning), it was more a comment about how bloody silly I was to dispose of such a collection. Having missed the original Heckmonwick (sp?) articles that went before Bodmin was what pricked my interest in P4 - it just looked 'correct'.

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Dont worry, am sure theres other people like me that are grateful to find these collections of the older mags ;-)
Cheers, Simon

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I wonder if it will have platform nine and three quarters. ;o)

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Tried to find more info on the net. Failed but came across this http://www.gainsmodelrailway.ik.com / Looks as if he is not the only one. I shall put Gainsborough down as a place to visit one day.

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Just realised that Gainsborough only has a partial Kings Cross but it still look well worth a visit.

">> Tried to find more info on the net. Failed but came across this
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You've missed the point here. Gainsborough is a CLUB layout with about twenty guys working on it. The KX in question here is a one man band. Personally I think solo efforts are best because you get a uniform standard of workmanship and you don't have people standing around criticising what is happening while taking good care not to do any actual work themselves. I haven't been in a club for nigh on 30 years now and I can't say I've missed them. The classic for me was a club in North Hertfordshire where a new layout to OO FS standards was altered with a soldering iron by a 'senior' member to 'coarse' the night before it was due to go to an exhibition. This guy wanted to run his Hornby Dublo stock on it. He claimed all club layouts had to be usable by all members. I tried to get him sacked from the club. I failed, and left the club as a result and I've never been in ons siince.
I hope the KX builder gets it done. I never finished my WCML layout of Weedon and it was a lot less complicated. Solo layouts should not have massive amounts of pointwork - you will spend all your time maintaining it.
Alistair W

: <snip> : : I hope the KX builder gets it done. I never finished my WCML layout of : Weedon and it was a lot less complicated. Solo layouts should not have : massive amounts of pointwork - you will spend all your time maintaining it. :
Perhaps his real interest is building complex pointwork, after all he states that the 'mainline' (continuous running loops) and storage yard - designed to look more like an XP marshalling yard from the looks of the plan - are complete and thus he can 'watch the trains go past'.

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I didn't miss the point. It was just that in the process of looking for more info about the solo one I found the club one and thought people might be interested. I agree with your comments and also hope he gets it finished, although I have to admit that if it were me I'd never make it. ;o)