Controversial tip

I liked the LGB Club magazine because it had photographs showing what was possible.

I disliked the LGB Club magazine because it had photographs showing what was possible, and I was never going to achieve!


When I see photographs of some garden railways I feel inspired to do better. Mainly they are the ones where I think (to myself) great, but if that little bit was different it would be better. I do not think this forum would be enhanced if only 'realistic' photographs were posted. There is nothing realistic about G scale as others have already pointed out. Quite often I have an idea that I am considering implementing and then I see a photograph where someone has actually excavated the tonnes of soil required and I realize its not for me.

At the same time I think its fantastic (and I am hugely envious) when I see 'realistic' photographs.


I do not wish to offend anyone's religious sensibilities, but if I were the Pope, it would be 'Saint Mike' as Rule 8 is a miracle! Since the forum is considering becoming (partly) bi-lingual, I would appreciate any comments on that last sentence being written in Latin!

Oooh Paul, you are awful, but Dick Emery likes you. (I meanwhile love your pix!)
 
I would like to see an unadulterated pic of garden trains that don't give the game away :thinking:

Put the Photoshop away and prove me wrong :bigsmile:
 
some say adding scale figures adds to the realism

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Best pic so far :thumbup:
 
never used photo shop ...
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Nice pic. Mike.

I don't use photoshop either. Not that I object to it, I'd love to replace my garden fence with a background of green fields and blue sky, but I don't have access to photoshop and if I did I wouldn't know how to use it.

In fact I've not noticed many photoshopped pics on the forum. Perhaps they have been done so well that it's impossible to tell?
 
I can sort of see both viewpoints here. There's no doubt that the inclusion of Prieser or Bachmann figures will enhance the "realism" of your chosen scene, particularly if you're looking to publish in the Garden railway press.

However I also get a bit of a giggle from some of the tongue in cheek piccies on here which include the odd Wallace and Grommit or Postman Pat in the scene (as long as they're pretty much in scale - a personal peve of mine which you may disagree with, but that's fine too).

I strive for some hint of realism in most of my piccies but unfortunately a huge garden fence usually gets in the way.

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Yes its a very nice photo of a very nice railway but is it "serious" modelling? It all depends upon where you ae coming from but to a scaleseven modeller it certainly wouldn't be.

I stick with my point that G scale just isn't a very serious format from modelling point of view. I do belive it is a serious art form and as such both realistic and surreal railways (and photos) are equally valid.

The scaleseven boys I know look down on my efforts as being just toy trains but that doesn't worry me because I enjoyed building it.

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I did try to make the indoor one look realistic and did quite a bit of real modelling. So far as the garden railway is concerned the really imortant thing (for me) is that it looks pretty. I have done little modelling in the garden but I have tried to make the railway fit into and be part of the garden. Is Paul suggesting that, because my gadrden railway makes little attempt at being realistic I shouldn't post photos?

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Like Chris M my railway is intended to enhance the garden whilst giving me the opportunity to run trains. I aspire to "scale" but there is no chance with 3 young grandchildren charging about and kicking balls around that anything delicate and to scale would last five minutes. Although to date nothing has actually been damaged it is inevitable. I want to build a large station but I may have to build a fence around it!
I tried the scale stuff in 00 and to a lesser extent N. I wasn't very good at it but admired the layouts of those that were, just as I do in G Scale.
 
The hobby needs to be promoted on two levels at least : 1. Toys to encourage kids to participate 2. Realistic models in near realistic settings which you can still have fun with.
Click to expand...

May I suggest a third level - as an enhancement to a garden adding movement, interest and colour.

My non railway friends like what I have done because it blends in with the garden. I have a garden wich includes a railway. If I had built a proper model railway in the garden my non railway friends would think I was barmy. Worse than that I think SWMBO would not be impressed. I also believe that this approach is the most likely to encourage others into the hobby.

And, although I don't use LGB myself, I have to say that most LGB locos and stock appear to have been designed for my sort of railway rather than for serious modelling. They have charm, look very pretty, will last a long time and are robust which is great for the garden but they just ain't scale models.
 
railwayman198 said:
Nice pic. Mike.

I don't use photoshop either. Not that I object to it, I'd love to replace my garden fence with a background of green fields and blue sky, but I don't have access to photoshop and if I did I wouldn't know how to use it.

In fact I've not noticed many photoshopped pics on the forum. Perhaps they have been done so well that it's impossible to tell?
Click to expand...

I'm not saying all or any pics on this forum or the old GSM are/were ever photoshopped.

What I'm trying to get at is......when you play trains in the average garden with the
run of the mill models most of us have, it will never quite look real......something always
gives the game away.
If we want realism we goner need to buy a real railway.

I could'nt careless what people have in their photos, in my small garden just about everything gets in the way of good pics.

If Rule 8 is for the railway it's for the pics as well.
 
Chris M said:
May I suggest a third level - as an enhancement to a garden adding movement, interest and colour.

My non railway friends like what I have done because it blends in with the garden. I have a garden wich includes a railway. If I had built a proper model railway in the garden my non railway friends would think I was barmy. Worse than that I think SWMBO would not be impressed. I also believe that this approach is the most likely to encourage others into the hobby.

And, although I don't use LGB myself, I have to say that most LGB locos and stock appear to have been designed for my sort of railway rather than for serious modelling. They have charm, look very pretty, will last a long time and are robust which is great for the garden but they just ain't scale models.
Click to expand...

I concur with all that Chris states. I would add that whilst I deal with railway matters my wife looks after the horticultural side of things: a joint effort so to speak. ;)
Running mainly freight trains (American) - coal trains in particular - I have not found it necessary to have townships or many structures. A depot and station, tunnel portals and one or two cameos are in situ: hopefully one or two industrial structures will be built in the near future.
 
Chris M said:
And, although I don't use LGB myself, I have to say that most LGB locos and stock appear to have been designed for my sort of railway rather than for serious modelling. They have charm, look very pretty, will last a long time and are robust which is great for the garden but they just ain't scale models.
Click to expand...

Obviously, some compromise is always neccasary - after all, look at the number of fantastic 00 models there are around and that is a compromise. I suppose it all depends on your interprutation. My opinion is that (sometimes with some fairly minor tinkering) they can certainly come pretty close to being a fair representation. Really all the G scale manufacturers are bending things to a greater or lesser degree ........ as do manufacturers in other scales / gauges.

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I think that this is a really interesting debate. Some appear to get perhaps a little defensive, but it's all a matter of opinion isn't it? And we should be able to discuss such matters in a sensible and adult way.
 
Can I just lob in another little "gem"? If you have a copy of the December 2009 copy of Garden Rail to hand, turn to page 31. Now here we have a really nice railway with plenty of lovely (and expensive) loco's pulling rolling stock built from kits which must have taken many hours and great care to build. The stations and other buildings fit in really nicely with the rest of the railway. All in all this chap has obviously spent years making a beautiful garden railway which not only looks realistic, but also enhances his garden...........

And yet his little diesel is being driven by Captain Scarlet. Now, to me, that is the sort of thing that is going to result in our non railway friends (and fellow modellers) thinking we're "barmy".
 
yb281 said:
I think that this is a really interesting debate. Some appear to get perhaps a little defensive, but it's all a matter of opinion isn't it? And we should be able to discuss such matters in a sensible and adult way.
Click to expand...
Aye!
Sensible debate.

One thing though.....
How far do we go, if we are so inclined, to get the special shots.
 
I like to use the scale figures but they arn't cheap and some peoples budgets restrict them from populating thier railway with such figures, although just the odd figure here and there can add greatly to the atmosphere.

I do have the odd Simpsons figure on my railway, visitors young and old delight to see them and try to spot them all, although they don't appear on pics posted on here, the majority of visitors to my railway are non modelers and in fact you can count on one hand the number of members from this site that have visited my railway. So its lack of authenticity isn't really a problem

At the end of the day rule 8 rocks. My railway & I will run what I Like and populate it as I like, This pic says it all

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Brilliant Rick , well put :bigsmile:
 
spike said:
yb281 said:
I think that this is a really interesting debate. Some appear to get perhaps a little defensive, but it's all a matter of opinion isn't it? And we should be able to discuss such matters in a sensible and adult way.
Click to expand...
Aye!
Sensible debate.

One thing though.....
How far do we go, if we are so inclined, to get the special shots.
Click to expand...

For me Spike, about as far as Philip went earlier in the thread. Cos for me, they're spot on.:thumbup:
 
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