Category: Uncategorised
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The straight, the curved and the pointy of LEGO-compatible train track
I’ve probably written enough recently about the scale of LEGO trains, so my only nod in that direction here will be to note from the outset that LEGO track elements, and even the best LEGO-compatible curves and points from third parties, are wildly tighter and wigglier than anything you’ll find on most real railways. …… Read more
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Tie-ing myself in knots – more LEGO track, briefly
Once more returning to the theme of sleepers (or ties) on LEGO track (see The art of LEGO railway track), I wondered whether I could make a passable representation of modern concrete sleepers, which frequently have a narrower, dipped central portion (and in some cases replace the centre entirely – with a steel bar connecting… Read more
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Choosing a scale for LEGO trains
This is a follow-up to my post a couple of weeks ago, The art of LEGO railway track. I’m coming back to the topic because I had a small problem with a platform I’d built (from a Blue Brixx set) – it’s not quite compatible with my short 8-stud-wide train (also from Blue Brixx, modelled… Read more
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The art of LEGO railway track
[2024-03-14: I’ve since written a longer and nerdier post on this topic, which calls into question the decisions I made here.] For me the most satisfying LEGO models manage to capture the essence of the original while staying within the confines of the regular grid and the standard range of available pieces. There are always… Read more
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This is so hard (2020 edition)
By this, I might simply mean writing this blog post, but I could be talking more generally about writing anything, or communicating with people in any way, or doing anything much … or even just existing. It’s been that kind of year. *sigh* It’s been a year when I haven’t managed to blog much at… Read more
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The photographer’s error
I could get my phone out and take a picture. But I realised in that moment that looking at the photograph later would never conjure up the sense of being here. Never again would I feel the same warmth of the sun on my face and body, or the same cooling breeze as its counterpart.… Read more
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Prospecting for employment
This can be thought of as a companion piece to my earlier post To PhD or not to PhD. I haven’t made a firm decision yet on whether to continue with my doctorate, but I am leaning in the ‘not to PhD’ direction at the moment. However, whether I choose to change track completely at… Read more
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To PhD or not to PhD?
In 1997, I abandoned a PhD in mathematics, which I had begun in 1993. It had started to go seriously wrong in 1996, if not earlier, but I persisted for a ridiculously long time with the illusion that I could still finish. I was completely unaware at the time that a combination of anxiety, depression,… Read more