What are your other hobbies?

[Dorsetmike]

OK, Mat asked for pics of the model railway [N gauge, scale of 1:148 = about 2mm:1 foot ]I'm working on, so I thought why not a new thread for other hobbies.

Pics as requested Mat, first lot show progress from the start in September 2010 up to yesterday. It's being built in the bay window of my bedroom, and is considerably smaller than some previous layouts (largest was about 8M x 5M in the loft of the house we were in before this one.

https://picasaweb.google.com/107343264059948197611/LayoutProgress?authkey=Gv1sRgCOSDzd7X0IbnMQ#

I've drawn on part of another of my hobbies, photography, to do the backscenes, I downloaded some free landscape photos intended for a larger scale and resized them and made a few alterations in a photo processing application to get the colours and contours lined up then printed with my colour laser printer on banner paper, 900mm x 210mm so there are only 3 joins. I wish now I had fixed them before installing the layout as my back objects to leaning over 1M of layout to reach over and fix them!

The next lot of pics are some of the locos that will run on it,

https://picasaweb.google.com/107343264059948197611/MikeSModels?authkey=Gv1sRgCP6UndrNhuWrZA#

some bought or built recently some I've had for over 35 years. I haven't uploaded pics of all of my locos, have about 20 with more being built or planned, not got many pics of coaches and wagons as yet, many are still waiting to be built, I will also be printing my own transfers(decals) for those, also using a photo processing application..

Another hobby, until I decided at age 70 that crawling over and under a car was no longer fun

 

[Mat]

That's impressive, Mike. I won't even try to imagine how much time it's taken you to put together all these models. I'm guessing it's an expensive hobby?

As for me, I'm sure I've mentioned flashlights already and photography (VERY amateur), too. But did you know about lightbars and beacons?

 

[Dorsetmike]

It can be expensive yes, but there are also a few ways to keep costs down. Building from scratch can save quite a bit, also making up kits is usualy cheaper than buying a ready made item. Typically ready to run models of steam locos can be anything from about £60 to over £200, even more in the larger scales.

For most of those I build, where possible I use chassis and/or mechanisms bought second hand off Ebay then build the body. That is always assuming I can find one with the correct number and size of wheels.

 

[methodistgirl]

My hobbies are nintendo ds, knitting, crochet, and most of all
music. Anything I can pick up and play even if it's nothing but
a comb.
judy tooley

 

[Art Rock]

Apart from music:

Photography.

Art.

I used to play chess and bridge at reasonable level until about 20 years ago, but did not have time to keep it up.

 

[wljmrbill]

I have afew part-time ones.. Gardening ( flowers and Veg ), Bird watching and animals in the wild, painting ( watercolor and arcylic ), needlepoint, knitting and crochet..mainly in winter times, Hiking with the dogs through the woods and mountains. as I get older some of these get harder to do I noticed...LOL

 

[Dorsetmike]

Apart from music:

I used to play chess and bridge at reasonable level until about 20 years ago, but did not have time to keep it up.

I too played bridge, the company I worked for had a team in the local business houses league, we did quite well, won a cup in the Southern area (of England) competition. I still play on the PC, but not on line since MSN games area folded and got taken over.

I had a brilliant partner, we all agreed he could make 3 no trumps with "tram tickets"

Bill, I mainly limit my gardening to roses, much of my photography is wildlife, particularly feathered ones. Agree as to the age comments!

 

[teddy]

Up to last year I shot clays, but my eyesight has now let me down. I love messing about in boats,my last one was a two and a half ton Bermuda rigged ketch. Intend to build one.....when I have time. Reading and music are my main interests although photography still figures high. I practised martial arts when younger, and an seriously considering Tai Chi, partly for pain relief. Gardening. I am not sure if that is a hobby or a drudge. I have just grown 50 lavender plants from seed to replany a border. Haveing an old cottage, on which I built my own extension a few years ago DIY is an ongoing thing.
My biggest problem is I am interested in so many things, and do not have enough time. And them of course there is the forum.......

teddy

 

[Dorsetmike]

And them of course there is the forum.......

Er yes we noticed

 

[teddy]

At least I can enjoy this at any time. And there is always something of interest. Your layout has really come on since you sent me the last pictures Mike. I did suggest a garden layout to me wife. I can not print the reply for fear of the MODS.

teddy

 

[Corno Dolce]

Sailing a Catamaran.

 

[Krummhorn]

Most impressive N gauge layout there, Mike. A long time ago I dabbled in an N gauge layout on a 4'x8' piece of plywood. Had laid the tracks, switches and controls. Even cut out a center piece for my son to sit and be able to operate it from the middle.

In the course of several moves since the late 90's, it got wrecked when the whole board fell off the truck ... bummers. Still have the two engines and some cars somewhere here or with my son.

So ... my other hobbies ...

Composing music I guess tops the list ... I've been doing a lot of improvising at the organ console lately, and recording those ... trouble is I can't find a program that will convert the MP3 file into a music score. Oh well - perhaps some day.

 

[Contratrombone64]

I ring church bells, does that count?

 

[Krummhorn]

Absolutely ... are you a carillonneur perhaps or do you participate in change ringing, David?

 

[Contratrombone64]

Well yes, I am quite adept at "call changes" and just started learning to "plain hunt".

 

[Dorsetmike]

Composing music I guess tops the list ... I've been doing a lot of improvising at the organ console lately, and recording those ... trouble is I can't find a program that will convert the MP3 file into a music score. Oh well - perhaps some day.

A thought Lars, does your console have a Midi output (or could a Midi interface be added)? Alternatively could you invest in a a midi keyboard, listen to your MP3 improvs and replay them on that and record the Midi files to PC then import them to Noteworthy (or Finalé etc) for further work and/or print out.

I know Finalé can import direct from a MIDI keyboard, suspect Noteworhty should do so as well. Of course if you had a set up like Panos and others with Midi keyboards and GrandeOrgue software you could improv at home and feed your notation software at the same time.

I found 2 applications that claim to convert MP3 to MIDI

http://www.brothersoft.com/dream-mp3-to-midi-converter-362023.html

http://www.brothersoft.com/intelliscore-ensemble-wav-to-midi-53835.html

I did try one, probably the first (and cheapest) it struggled with anything other than a single instrument, so maybe an organ with say reeds on one manual and a flute on the other could be a problem. the Intelliscore one claims to be able to cope with multi voiced music, but not having $149 going spare I didn't try it!

It may be that somebody with your musical knowledge could weed out the errors on the files produced by the cheapy, but I passed on that.

EDIT, I see from another thread that we've had part of this discussion before!!

 

[teddy]

I also play chess. Hardly a strong player, and not so much these days, but I used to carry a pocket set when I travelled across Europe by train. One only had to get it out and you would soon be in a game, even if you could not understand each others languaue. Truly an international game.

teddy

 

[marval]

I like to read, do crosswords and write poetry. (What an exciting life I lead.)


Margaret

 

[wljmrbill]

Margaret If itmakes you happy then that is the main point. might try to find a hobby for exercise too then you have the best of both worlds. Take care my friend

 

[teddy]

Margaret. What a little devil you are. You'll be telling us next that you knit.
Seriously I wrote a complete book of poetry when I was young (yes, quill pen days). Unfortunately long disappeared. Have you ever had any published? Or even made a book up.

teddy