Atlantic's works: Portable layout - Scenic details next

[Atlantic 3279]

That remains on the "try to do if time allows" list.

[Atlantic 3279]

Spurred on by Paul's enquiry I have pointed a compact digital camera with very basic video capability at both the A5 tank engine and the Stirling 0-6-0 goods engine, on a demo run on my neglected loft layout. Neither the camera quality, the lighting or the skill of the camera man have done many favours to the result, but it may be better than nothing. I'm not sure that the frame-rate in these videos is high enough to convincingly confirm the slow smooth running abilities of the two locos.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIY1b9yfYCI

Perhaps somebody with better skills and equipment will be in the right place to produce some video clips of these locos in the future, but that won't be at an exhibition any time soon unless the Covid pandemic vanishes or show organisers operate much more rigorous Covid safety rules.

[nzpaul]

Thanks Graeme, very good of you to take the time to do that. They obviously run as well as they look. Interesting that each "half" of the Stirling 0-6-0 seems to be quite powerful in its own right with the tender taking the train alone. I assume the loco has similar ability, the combination must be capable of 60 wagons or so?

I gave up on digital cameras after I bought my first decent cell phone about 6 years ago. I've got a Nokia 6 at the moment and that has far better video camera capability than either the Olympus or Fuji digital cameras I still have lying around somewhere and it was significantly less expensive than either.

Paul

[Atlantic 3279]

It's funny that you should mention 60 wagons. I've tried another of my cameras here, although the result is not markedly better than the earlier one when seen via Youtube, even if it is noticeably sharper as seen at home playing from the original file. This camera is actually supposed to be for outdoor sports photography and video!
The tender drive of the Stirling loco was beginning to polish rails and wheel treads in places, and the lighter wagons in this un-planned mixture were beginning to misbehave on curves if the adjacent wagons had marginally higher couplings...

https://youtu.be/vnyLQDpolm0

[nzpaul]

The second video is much clearer than the first, it can be viewed in 1080p as opposed to the 480p so that camera is better.
That's an impressive train for a small engine to deal with.

On the subject of neglected layouts, I wonder how many substantial efforts like your layout get built, only to see occasional of very little use.

Paul

[Atlantic 3279]

Thanks Paul,

As you'll see if you look for my other videos, it is several years since I put anything on Youtube so I'm well out of practice, and I don't think I've ever tried to tinker with playback settings until I was prompted by your comment to try that out - just a few minutes ago.

At one time, apart from being busy with other things and thoroughly dis-heartened by events that I don't want to describe here, I seem to think that I was deterred from further use of Youtube by a new requirement to manually sign-in to a Google account whose log-in details I had long forgotten. It seems completely straightforward again at present...

[Atlantic 3279]

There are a couple of snags with the camera I have that produces the higher resolution 1080p video: Designed for outdoor use, it has no setting for close-up / macro and it doesn't appear to adjust automatically to truly close-up tasks, it doesn't give best results in the lower light levels indoors, and there's no ability to pause during a video recording, so if you only want to capture parts of the action without a load of rubbish in-between, the result is series of separate video files rather than a single item. Of course, as far as I'm aware I have no ability to edit and compose the bits and pieces into a single result...
I think I therefore have to rule out trying to re-make the original video using the better camera, but I might do something new to just show the starting, stopping and slow running characteristics of the two locos.

[Atlantic 3279]

Best I can do without making it into a major task:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAB_umpszWA

Remember to use the Youtube settings to get 1080p playback.

The annoying squeaking from the Stirling 0-6-0 has since been traced and eliminated, one of the phosphor bronze pick-up wires in the tender being the culprit...

[nzpaul]

You've done well to drive them around and point the camera at them at the same time. Best I can do is set a train running and catch it on the way past.

Paul

[Atlantic 3279]

I think I should limit my claim. I managed to point the camera in roughly the right direction for most of the time. Two previous takes went in the bin when I failed to set the road correctly and either had a loco stop dead, or had both setting off at once!

[S.A.C. Martin]

Try this: https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index ... 66935_menu

Thank you Mike. Great stuff Graeme, they look superb. I will have to show a few pics of my GNR single in due course. Nowhere near as pretty or complete as your 0-6-0 of course!

[Atlantic 3279]

Do please show us Simon.

I did mention a short while ago that I had another loco to deal with, which I was going to do side-by-side with the 174 series paint-job, until I changed my mind. Well if you have phenomenal memory of events in October 2017, or if you cheat by having a look back at the bottom of page 308 of this thread, you'll see the loco to which I have now started to give attention while I continue to contemplate the final details to be added to the Stirling loco. I've already found that black paintwork can suppress minor defects in surface appearance that simply won't do in grass-green...

[Atlantic 3279]

Deplorably blurred as this little image may be, I think it helps to show that the loco in question looks far better with a very incomplete green livery applied earlier toady, than it did in black with an alien lining style:

I've been further attempting to shrivel up my eyes and exhaust my patience by attempting to fit safety chains to the front buffer beam of that Stirling loco too .

[Mercator II]

That's looking tasty Graeme, 3403 maybe?

[Atlantic 3279]

Thanks Brian, well it will certainly be another "Cock" of some sort...