Haynes "Garden Railway Manual" - a mixed review....

I've just posted an edited version of my review from here to Amazon (without the Trekkie joke, of course!) - first time I've posted a review there, will be interesting to see if there is any reaction! I did seriously consider returning my copy, but CBA* syndrome won out in the end.

Jon.

* "Couldn't Be A***d"...... ;)
 
Try this link for a little bit of interpretive humour on car manuals:rolf:

http://www.mez.co.uk/haynes.html Mick
 
Strange, I thought that was the only way to replace a light bulb (even mains) :impatient:
 
Those Haynes Manuals simply dont work
Dalek-Haynes-Poster-560.jpg

I bought this one and my '74 Attack Drone model is STILL siting useless and dust covered back out behind the garage. The entire plasma drive section is useless, keeps specing part that I simply cannot get at the local autoshop, the electrostatic cannon section is complete rubbish, you should have seen how singed the cat got by an accidental misfire, and the electric eye wire diagram looks like a 3 year old drew it, just worthless!
 
vsmith said:
Those Haynes Manuals simply dont work

I bought this one and my '74 Attack Drone model is STILL siting useless and dust covered back out behind the garage.
Click to expand...
Bet it's because you managed to round off all your nuts. :bigsmile:
 
I bet they didn't tell you you can replace the Telescopic manipulator arm with a sink plunger!
 
Gotta love the Haynes manual for my defender, a nice paragraph pn removing the rear bumper, nice usesful, except defenders don;t have rear bumpers. The exhaust system "many various parts"

and for god sake noooo replacement is not the reverse of removal,
 
vsmith said:
Those Haynes Manuals simply dont work
Dalek-Haynes-Poster-560.jpg

I bought this one and my '74 Attack Drone model is STILL siting useless and dust covered back out behind the garage. The entire plasma drive section is useless, keeps specing part that I simply cannot get at the local autoshop, the electrostatic cannon section is complete rubbish, you should have seen how singed the cat got by an accidental misfire, and the electric eye wire diagram looks like a 3 year old drew it, just worthless!
Click to expand...

:rolf::rolf::rolf::rolf::rolf::rolf::rolf:
Superb!!!
 
toojags said:
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I couldn't agree more with Zerogee. I had awaited the publication of this manual with great anticipation expecting it to be the definitive work on Garden Railroads with lots of advice on planning, roadbed construction, track laying, etc. etc. I ordered a copy at the earliest opportunity but after a few minutes of skimming the pages I felt really disappointed. Just a book of woodwork projects for the smaller 16mm scale and nothing for G Scale enthusiasts. In fact I felt so let down I immediately repacked the volume and returned it to Amazon for a refund. I consider the title and listing description to be very misleading - it would help the unwary if they could have previewed a few of the inside pages as they do with other publications.
Toojags
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Indeed. This is not a garden railway book. It is not even a book specifically about 16mm garden railways. It is about wooodworking and specifically making toys. Four pages on building a garden railway, a walkthrough of assembling a Lady Anne steam kit (the instructions for doing this are on the Roundhouse website) and the rest are the authors' wooden toys. I do 16mm modelling ( as an aside surely a larger scale than G scale!!??) and this book has no resonance for me at all. The tarty additions to an Accucraft steam locomotive look odd to say the least. This book will not help the 16mm gardenrailfarer, let alone the G scale or G1 modeller. Well presented book but not correctly titled or described.
 
Like everyone else, I was somewhat disappointed with the book. I am planning to add some more buildings (engine shed / good sheds, etc.) which is mainly why I bought it. Whilst I might use some of the general guidance on the woodworking, the models in the guide are quite basic. They would need a fair amount of additional titivation to make them acceptable for even the "10 foot rule" (or even the 10 yard rule!)

Rik
 
I wonder how long the book has been in production, I ithnk in thre Garden Railway World of 10-15 years ago it might have ben better received, when there was no where near the range and quality of tiems we have now, would it's basic structures and rolling stock have been seen in a better way?

Making carrage roofs from a single block of wood seems the hard way to doing it to me ,the father-in-law insists it's easy, but he's a time served wood machinist, with a shed full of proper wood working tools (I'm sure he dispairs at my efforts with ip/brandbright kits), he found the book rather interesting.

Perhaps GR album on rolling stock construction with a few beginners projects could be a project for Atlantic?
 
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