 |
| Moderated by: . |
Page:   1 2 |
|
| Posted: Wed May 26th, 2010 08:34 pm |
|
11th Post |
Huw Griffiths
Registered
|
teetrix wrote: Woodie,
if you wanna see a REAL blower, how about this?
http://www.fotocommunity.de/pc/pc/cat/4408/display/10504298
Its the engine of a MIG-17 jetfighter, used in open pit mines for blowing snow and ice from the tracks. Maybe a model is even useful against giant birds and cats 
Now that's what I call "subtle" - engineering at it's best.
I wonder how long it will be before someone offers a "G scale" version, for getting rid of weeds.
I also wonder how long it would take before some "elf-n-safety" merchant bans it.
Oh well, I can but dream ... !
|
|
|
| Posted: Thu May 27th, 2010 01:31 pm |
|
12th Post |
W C Greene
Moderator
|
Huw-all it takes is money! A G scale model of the jet blower could be made with a JET-CAT model jet engine. They are only $3,500 and up. These fine little engines could produce enough thrust to propel the G scale locomotive(s) backwards through the fence. But a resourceful modeler should be able to construct a nice replica and it would surely (don't call me Shirley) melt any snow on the layout. It may also melt plastic ties, buildings, and turn those G scale brass rails into puddles of molten metal. I say "try it, you'll like it". Send us photos when it's built.
Woodie
____________________
It doesn't matter if you win or lose, its' how you rig the game.
|
|
|
| Posted: Thu May 27th, 2010 01:59 pm |
|
13th Post |
Huw Griffiths
Registered
|
Somehow, I think I'll pass on that one - a bit out of my budget!
The truth is that I wouldn't actually have the use for one anyway. I've never even modelled in G, but this doesn't stop me being interested / amused by the concept.
I know a few firms are producing some "off the wall" kits in On30. However, these have nothing on some of the stuff that used to appear in LGB catalogues - some of them were hilarious.
This is why I was "thinking aloud" about what might appear in G.
I am an engineer, after all. I also spent years working in higher education - so I often needed to chuck loads of ideas in the air (not all of which would be workable), to try and get students thinking. Sometimes, old habits can be hard to "shake".
Perhaps I should have worded my comment slightly different - "I could just imagine someone coming out with one in G" - or something along those lines.
Still, at least you know where I'm coming from.
Last edited on Thu May 27th, 2010 02:46 pm by Huw Griffiths
|
|
|
| Posted: Thu May 27th, 2010 03:22 pm |
|
14th Post |
W C Greene
Moderator
|
It's OK, Huw...I am from the old "lower edu-ma-cation" school myself, I tend to see most everything as being fanciful and wierd. LGB doesn't have the lock on craziness, Lionel has released pink "girls'" trains, rocket launching flat cars, and Mickey Mouse pumping a handcar with Santa Claus! I am sure that many "fine scale" model railroaders have such "collectors' items" stashed in the closet. And while we freely admit to owning such things, they will continue to look over their reading glasses with disdain for our "non-scale" efforts. Just remember that one of the real pioneers in this hobby-John Allen-had a diesel salesman hanging from a trestle, a compressed space plant, and work bronto #13. Mr Allen actually modeled a steagosaurus (?) rather than a brontosaurus (?) but none of that seemed to matter.
I must go now, I need to measure the diameter of some truss rods and ponder why my new trucks (bogies) have a 3'6" wheelbase instead of the correct 3'7" WB. Somebody is wrong here, but it ain't my fault.
Woodie
____________________
It doesn't matter if you win or lose, its' how you rig the game.
|
|
|
| Posted: Thu May 27th, 2010 03:30 pm |
|
15th Post |
| Posted: Thu May 27th, 2010 05:22 pm |
|
16th Post |
| Posted: Thu May 27th, 2010 08:06 pm |
|
17th Post |
Huw Griffiths
Registered
|
Gentlemen,
Thanks for your kind comments.
Like (I suspect) a number of people here, I have mixed feelings about some of the really wacky "models" on the market.
I'm drawn to them - as I'm interested in finding out about what makes them tick, how they were made and stuff like that.
However, if they're too way out, I'm also repulsed by them - I think of them as ridiculous, toys if you like.
In other words, I think this stuff is great fun, but I wouldn't want most of it in a month of Sundays.
This is probably why I really like unusual protoypes that actually exist(ed), or look like they might - they're unusual, but credible.
For example, some of the early (about 100 years back) experimental petrol railcars impressed me so much that I'm currently working on drawings (and who knows what next?). I could also say the same about some designs of steam trams.
When I saw the loco-mounted jet engine, earlier in this thread, the thought of a weed burner went straight through my head. I sometimes see hand held versions being sold in my local Aldi or Lidl - even though the idea strikes me as cool (and I really hate old-school weeding), I wonder how many people would really be capable of using the things safely.
John Allen's thoughts about Diesels would probably strike a chord with a number of older UK rail enthusiasts and modellers - many of whom openly refer to Diesels as "Diseasels".
I don't - and I like steam (especially small stuff - Pannier tanks - and narrow gauge, for that matter).
It's quite possible that steam would have been on the way out, even if Diesels hadn't come along. With all the hard, unpleasant, work required to keep steam engines running - and the need to reduce pollution in a number of cities - the writing was probably already on the wall for steam. By about the 1980's, I suspect that a giant hand might well have finished its soot-laden "finger painting" routine.
It's a shame that so many serviceable steam engines were scrapped - some of them only a few years old. Some people have never forgiven Diesels for this - but I wonder if they might be going after the wrong "villain". Would these people have wanted to spend most of their lives working as loco cleaners or firemen? I doubt it.
Being in my mid 40's, I'm young enough to see why this change was inevitable.
Although I worked in higher education, I've always had more time for old-school "rule of thumb" engineering than the utterances of certain "PhD plus post-doc" types. This isn't snobbery (qualifications like these take a lot of work - and would be way above my head) - but recognition of the fact that it's often us old-school types who get called on to make things work.
I needed to encourage engineering students to think for themselves (using a mixture of "kite-flying", questions about "why do you do this?" - and a lot of dry humour) - but I also got frustrated when some of these people (and some others who really should have known better) came along with "pie-in-the-sky" ideas and expected me to make them work.
This is why I try not to make extravagant claims about what I've done (or what can be done). It irritates me, so I wouldn't want to inflict it on other people - a point that would be lost on most of the "trolls" and "know-it-alls" we've all encountered. The guy who runs RMweb has a great name for these jokers - especially the abusive ones - he's forced to waste loads of his time dealing with them, so he calls them "time bandits" - fair comment.
Most of the time, any suggestions I make are based on experience - even if it comes from the outside world. Occasionally though, we all resort to "kite flying".
Even though I've never used emoticons, I'd be quite happy if there were one to show if I'm just chucking ideas in the air - perhaps a kite, or a "Monty Python" style foot ("and now for something completely different") - I don't know what, but I'm sure you get the general idea.
Anyway, that's more than enough waffle from me.
Regards,
Huw.
Last edited on Sun May 30th, 2010 04:25 pm by Huw Griffiths
|
|
|
| Posted: Fri May 28th, 2010 01:53 am |
|
18th Post |
W C Greene
Moderator
|
Well Huw-you should know that "if it ain't Scottish....it's crrrrrap!"
And now for something entirely different....
It's......
the Outlaw troublemaker
____________________
It doesn't matter if you win or lose, its' how you rig the game.
|
|
|
Current time is 10:59 am | Page: 1 2 |
|
|
|
