Hi Guy's
Well sorry I haven't posted for a while. It has been a hectic time. So much going on. I will get back to it soon. A few things have happened over the last bit that have made me sit down and think. This hobby as a whole is starting to lose people. I was very saddened recently at the loss of some big names in this hobby. John Eassie from Austrains was one and more recently, Allan Brown. These people were great contributors to Australian Model Railways in many ways.
Over time Allan and Myself have shared quite a bit of information and my modelling has benefited greatly from this. He was a great character who was really getting out there and supporting young modelers. He would be at Exhibitions conducting workshops, go to club running days and countless other events. More recently on the internet and many of the chat groups sharing his knowledge. I always seemed to aggravated him when I would point out issues with some Auscision models. I don't know why? I do this to any model producers stuff that I have an interest in. Allan will be missed.
Now the sitting down and thinking part. I think I should be more like Allan Brown? I need to make the time to get out there and support this great hobby further in the future. I am not sure how that is going to look but one thing is for sure, I could sure start blogging again. Share the information I have. I am now 48 years old. I am not the healthiest being. I have a number of health issues. The most concerning is Diabetic Retinopathy. This is degenerative and can only be managed. I get regular Laser Treatment for this. At present my Maculars are stable but I am on the books of the Sydney Eye Hospital in case I have a serious bleed that effects my Maculars and eyesight. In any case I have allot of anxiety and heavy depression mostly around this issue that I am trying to manage and resolve this. It is truly amazing how counseling can work and get you pointing in the right direction and you realize just how ineffectual you have been in life.
So I have allot of things to catch up on. My modelling pursuits for one. Also my photography. I have been left behind greatly in this field. My equipment is getting old and needs replacing and I need software as well. I look at what people are doing now like image stacking to get better depth of field and I really have no idea? Anyway more on this as it comes to hand.
I want to leave you with a couple of images. These were taken back in 2005. I guess my thoughts on these images go along the lines of how far Australia model railways have come. I want you to have a close look at the rolling stock on these trains. These represent the best available for that time. Many kits make up these trains, Ian Lindsay Models, Broad Gauge Bodies, AR kits and others. I am going to retake these scenes soon with the same consist but with all the latest models available. Should be interesting.
Nice words Justin. I've long admired your weathering and detailing, so can understand the anxiety your eyes might be causing. In any case, I think the past year has made a lot of us question what we can do to put back something into the hobby, and blogging the progress of our model layouts is something that is at most of our fingertips. In any case, it at least provides an element of conectivity within the hobby. Its sad to hear when someone within the hobby passes away, even if the only connection is having met them at an exhibition or trade stand, or simply through reading their blog. It makes you think of what happens to all the skills we've learned over out lifetime if we fail to pass them on. I look forward to your next post mate, and am keen to see your before and after shots showcasing 15 years of advancement with our Australian models. Cheers!
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