Scalefour Forum

It's been nearly five years since the Right Track DVD series ceased to be published. However, I'm sure there are many still around.

I while ago, I put together a list of all of the DVDs, for my own knowledge. I hope that posting it here will also be helpful in tracking down what is available:

Right Track 1 - Locomotive Kit Building: Part 1 https://youtu.be/a1DGQsXapFk
Right Track 2 - Locomotive Kit Building: Part 2 [second part of video above]
Right Track 3 - Painting, Lining And Finishing Locomotives And Coaches https://youtu.be/Ne0fBH6zNkQ
Right Track 4 - Detailing And Improving RTR Locomotives And Coaches
Right Track 5 - Modelling Landscapes: Part 1
Right Track 6 - Modelling Landscapes: part 2
Right Track 7 - Building Buildings with Geoff Taylor
Right Track 8 - An Introduction to DCC
Right Track 9 - Practical Aspects of DCC
Right Track 10 - Laying Terrific Trackwork
Right Track 11 - Weathering Techniques
Right Track 12 - Wiring Your Layout
Right Track 13 - Wagons: Part 1
Right Track 14 - Wagons: Part 2
Right Track 15 - Railway Operation and Signalling
Right Track 16 - Development In DC And DCC
Right Track 17 - Weathering Techniques 2
Right Track 18 - Trouble-shooting & Fault-finding
Right Track 19 - Layout and Planning and Design

You can download a zip file of the first twelve DVDS in a single action from https://archive.org/details/RightTrack/

If you go to the right hand side of the screen, and click on "MPEG4" you will be given a further button to download 59 files. I've circled it on the screenshot:



Then select a place to save the file to and leave it to download. For about eight hours, given the speed of my broadband...

When the file is downloaded, you need to unzip it and extract the contents. This is not as complex as it sounds - in most cases, you double-click on the zip file and your computer will do the rest.

Happy viewing!
Cheers
Flymo

Thanks Flymo that's a great list. I have tripped over the full videos on YouTube at time but never "saved" the addresses.
I have the trackwork edition which is very enjoyable and encouraging to get to the workbench.

DougN wrote:Thanks Flymo that's a great list. I have tripped over the full videos on YouTube at time but never "saved" the addresses.
I have the trackwork edition which is very enjoyable and encouraging to get to the workbench.

Well Doug, if you or anyone else comes across copies on YouTube, post the URL here, and I'll update the "master list" on what will be the title page

Simples!
Flymo

A quick search for 'Right Track' on You Tube reveals lots of 'samples' or 'cuts' but no complete videos, just 3 or 4 minutes of each.

I think these are Right Track, the titles don't reflect the content.

Painting and weathering Wright/Rathbone 3hr 38min https://youtu.be/Ne0fBH6zNkQ
Loco builds Wright 5hr 38min https://youtu.be/a1DGQsXapFk

Winander wrote:I think these are Right Track, the titles don't reflect the content.

Painting and weathering Wright/Rathbone 3hr 38min https://youtu.be/Ne0fBH6zNkQ
Loco builds Wright 5hr 38min https://youtu.be/a1DGQsXapFk

Thank you - assuming I've got the atribution correct, I've added them to the table above.

Cheers
Flymo

Does anyone know why these are no longer available and what the copywrite situation might be. I find it odd given modern tech that no one is making them available within the hobby. I would have thought it would be easy to supply copies as a 'cottage industry' and pass on any royalties due.

We started selling these DVD's during my last few years C+L up to 2016. Very few actually sold and they were eventually given away by the then owner. My understanding is that we were allowed to sell existing stock but no further copies could be produced, which I assume was down to a copyright issue. A great shame as they are very informative. Viewing something being done in practice is much better than trying to interpret it from a book. I did acquire the full set over the years but they were snapped up very quickly during my big sell off last year.

Roy

I remember this Roy as I had some e-mail correspondence with Pete at the time.

I think if what you are talking about is making a decent return on the DVDs then you are unlikely to be successful ....even if you managed to get the marketing spot on (I assume that the hard copies would need to be bought in at trade price).

However, having the masters available and being able to burn a disc whenever a request for a copy was made .... passing on a percentage of royalties to the copywrite holder .... would seem worth while as far as the hobby is concerned? - even as a break even opperation. The speed with which Ebay copies tend to be snapped up perhaps supports this view? I still find it odd that that nothing like this has happened as there would be no real upfront costs or need to hold stock .... though I understand why the copywrite holder(s) themself(ves) might not be interested in driving this.

I assume that there is no wish to transfer copywrite at an acceptable/viable price and no vendor/club stores has either approached or successfully negotiated the idea of acting as an occasional distributor. A shame as much time and expertise went into the various episodes and they are a fantastic resource. If nothing else, there is an archive record of some exteremly accomplished modellers at work.

Winander wrote:I think these are Right Track, the titles don't reflect the content.

Painting and weathering Wright/Rathbone 3hr 38min https://youtu.be/Ne0fBH6zNkQ

Thanks for this - only watched a bit at the beginning so far - it explains why some people have more issues than others with fibreglass fibres, I wouldn't brush them off with my fingers! Tony may have done the soak in PVA trick, but even so - without saying that he has done this it is opening up the technique for others to follow without having done so.

PeteT wrote:

Winander wrote:I think these are Right Track, the titles don't reflect the content.

Painting and weathering Wright/Rathbone 3hr 38min https://youtu.be/Ne0fBH6zNkQ

Thanks for this - only watched a bit at the beginning so far - it explains why some people have more issues than others with fibreglass fibres, I wouldn't brush them off with my fingers! Tony may have done the soak in PVA trick, but even so - without saying that he has done this it is opening up the technique for others to follow without having done so.

Tony also has asbestos fingers when it comes holding things when soldering

You forgot the 4 extra Right Track DVD's that focus on particular layouts.
Granted they arn't instructional but still part of the series.

I collected the lot when they were current although the 2nd scenery DVD has a fault on some copies where it won't play all the way through so had to buy a 2nd copy that was thankfully ok.

I know at least 1 other who experienced the same fault.

Would be great if the series was brought back or even continued, even if you know everything they are showing I find them fun and relaxing to watch either way. Quite comical in places too. Bastard file.

I agree some of these videos could be quite relaxing. I recall one in particular was very informative and instructional but the dialogue was so slow and monotone that I kept nodding off then having to rewind.

The 'bastard file' was a term I first came across during the first year of my apprenticeship in Swindon Works training school. It was a fairly coarse tool which was initially used to rough size and shape a lump of metal in the fitting and machining section.. Progressing onto finer files and with the help of the surface plate, engineer's square and vernier calipers produced a very accurate and square piece of bright mild steel which you could almost see your face in, part of a toolmakers clamp.

I also remember our welding instructor Jack Packer (Jumping Jack Flash) who referred to cleaning up a weld by giving it a good 'bollocking' with a wire brush. Not the sort of language you came across in metal and wood working classes at Grammar school, but then this was the introduction into the adult world.

Roy

Well, thanks to my good friend Carlos from CHEAG, I can now provide a link to all of the Right Track DVDs from 1 to 12.

These are available as a single download from a website, and I'll post the details of the link and instructions in the opening post.

One thing I will say is that if you download the whole lot, set your computer running and leave it to it. Out here in the country, our broadband isn't great, and it took around eight hours to download the zip file.

But I've checked one or two of the files, and they seem to work. Thanks Carlos!

Cheers
Flymo

Many thanks. Now I can fill the gaps in my collection.
Tony

Flymo748 wrote: One thing I will say is that if you download the whole lot, set your computer running and leave it to it. Out here in the country, our broadband isn't great, and it took around eight hours to download the zip file.

Took less than an hour with a broadband speed of 37mbs - this is not to rub it in, Paul, but just to give encouragement to those who have faster broadband speeds.

My broadband speed is 110mb, but the download speed from the site is about 2mb!

Currently in my DVD player is a copy of the Railway Channel, part one. I was thinking about this thread, found it on my shelf - then found why I'd bought it - I'm on it!

Tim V wrote:My broadband speed is 110mb, but the download speed from the site is about 2mb!

Currently in my DVD player is a copy of the Railway Channel, part one. I was thinking about this thread, found it on my shelf - then found why I'd bought it - I'm on it!

I get this quite a bit, I suspect the bandwith is restricted by the host website, not your ISP?

Most likely. These 'free' sites tend to have very restricted bandwidths, I really wasn't expecting any better.

I remember downloading a 40mb file (I think it was - big at the time) over dial up! took hours. And then, as always, it crashed. Used to get download managers for that occasion.

Seems they have removed the downloads, shame really. I collected all DVD's as they were released and the files above when they were available.

I'm assuming they were removed for copyright reasons?

Knuckles wrote:Seems they have removed the downloads, shame really. I collected all DVD's as they were released and the files above when they were available.

I'm assuming they were removed for copyright reasons?

Hi Knuckles,

I expect so - probably the hosting company became twitchy, rather than the publisher.

I think you have a YouTube channel? When I last stuck something on mine a couple of days ago, I noticed that there was a "copyright check" as part of the automated process.

Cheers
Paul

When we did the two "Virtual Missenden" events we were given permission by Activity Media and the people on the videos to include the Right Track DVDs that featured tutors past and present from Missenden. These are not available as full length videos, but rather as individual actions on a given topic. They are still available on the Missenden website within the "Reference" menu if there are particular bits that you want to reference.

Thanks Paul for the reply, much appreciated.
Appologies for late acknowledgement, after posting I didn't log back in then forgot.

YouTube has been switching a lot up lately, is awkward in areas.