Argos

Another taker here for some 2mm scale NBR wagons if available.

Thanks Nick, That's what I understood also. I was just contemplating investing in the etch to add to the gloat pile before NBrass disappears at the end of next month.

Hi Nick, Are the 2mm etches the onez currently available from Brass or are they from another source? Thanks Angus

Hi Jazz, The Caledonian used route indicators (two short metal blades mounted on the smoke box). There are various diagrams in the published literature but I can't see a link online. https://www.crassoc.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=1509&p=10148&hilit=indicators#p10148 If you can access a copy of Caledonian Railway Locomotives - The Classic Years, there is a photo on Page 188 of 904 outside Carlisle with indicators showing it will heading to Perth. Other images here: https://www.hattons.co.uk/directory/vehicledetails/3143119/4_6_0_cardean_class_cr_ https://www.railwaywondersoftheworld.com/famous-expresses3.html

I bought a coil of the code 30 rail which I never used so should still have at home somewhere (on my hols at present otherwise I would check). Happy to post it on if the OP still wants some (assuming I can find it......) Another vote for code 30 flat bottom here Mark. It would be ideal for my Irish modelling. Sadly probably a bit niche to make it worthwhile producing.

Hi Yaxxbarl, Have you tried submersing the print in white spirit? It hardens up the print making it easier to sand and smooth whilst also turning it opaque white.

At the risk of inflaming what has obviously become a personal argument: I welcome Jerry's warts and all reviews. No kit goes together perfectly, especially in our scale as the tolerances are so fine. A slight over or under etch can affect many elements and each contributory error adds up. Combine that with any ham fistedness in building, my inability to follow instructions, I may chose a different construction method or errors in the kit itself will all all lead to issue to resolve. Jerry's articles show the problems he found and how he solved them to produce an excellent end result. This gives me confidence that I could also produce something worthwhile from the kit. It certainly doesn't put me off purchase. Our product base for 2mm finescale is small and specialised, any product that can produce such good results is welcome! Angus Higgins (just so I'm not hiding behind an avatar)

And what is missing from the "value" conversation is my half Yorkshire half Scottish genetics.......

Ah! so you won it! I did bid on it but not with any seriousness given my lack of 7mm modelling of late, so missed it by about a tenner. It meant I had money to spend on a more relevant project to my current modelling so all worked out. I'm glad it turned out to be a good one. Angus

Thanks VRBroadgauge, I have looked at those gauges before but with postage and import tax I'm looked at in excess of £25 which feels a bit rich. I might try and make my own, or fudge something up using my crossing nose gauges and a shim.

A slight cock-up in planning has meant I have a sharper then planned curve on my Irish Broad gauge (10.5mm gauge) layout currently under construction. I was always planning to use gauge widening as the minimum "standard" curve I had design to was 20" so well below the recommended 28" minimum in the society's track standards: For the 20" curve I was intending to use the 0.1mm 0.004" widening recommended in the table above. My sharper curve is down to 16", should I be widening beyond this or stick to 0.1mm widening? Or is it a case of some trial and error required?

Exquisite workmanship as ever Mike, and setting the standard for us mere mortals to attain!

Hmm... May the forth be with you? My first 2mm point was built in less than an hour with no jigs on a basic template. I just got stuck into some rail butchery with some files. It worked fine, so convinced me there was nothing to this point building malarkey. What was all the fuss about? Sadly it was all downhill from there. I am hoping to be back on the uphill slope now. What I have learnt is that the throw it together approach can work, however if you want consistency a more structured approach is needed (and ultimately more satisfying).

Absolutely, already checked, double checked and checked again, and will be checked once droppers are soldered on and again when glued down and at each stage until I'm watching the DCC controller flash for short as I connect it and switch it on.........

A couple of hours at the workbench saw the pointwork finished off with the check rails soldered on and the PCBs all gapped (bet I've missed a section somewhere!). With that done a couple of tight spots were identified by running a six wheeled tender chassis through the assembly. These were gently teased out with the soldering iron (a great advantage of PCB soldered rail for point work). Removing the assembled unit from the board then pealing off the templates after a year was quite satisfying. The baseboard has now been drilled for power feeds and point motor slots. Despite careful planning I've still managed to get a cross beam in the way of one the tie bars so some thinking required. Hopefully next weekend should see it all glued down

Thanks VRBroadguage that's very kind of you, In conversations with Caley Jim we suspect his McNee point throw etches will fit the bill with a modicum of alteration.

I don't unfortunately, mind you I haven't tried to track one down yet either. The levers I'm referring to are the Sommerson type (the models below are taken from the Roxey Mouldings website where they sell the old Southwark Bridge Models range in 4 and 7mm scale): The type can be seen of this picture at Loughrea on the MGWR (note the sleepers extending under the parallel track running rail!: and again at Kilfree junction:

In all honesty I haven't worked that out yet. There are various etches of the straight lever type around but as far as I am aware the ball ended kick-over type aren't available. I've had a couple of false starts at learning Fusion 360 with a view to 3D printing, maybe that will be the route, or some sort of scratch built concoction, I only need two (one of the points on the picture needs the sleepers trimming as it would controlled by the signal box).

More progress has finally been made now I've built up my switch rail filing jig. It took a couple of orders to get the right materials due to measurement errors on my part. All switch rails filed up nicely, I gave up using the recommended wooden block with grit paper and just used masking tape over the teeth to blank off the end section of a long file. that worked much better. Rolling various wagons and chassis through the pointwork reveals only one area with an issue. The lead into the Carriage siding has aa wheel drop issue creating a slight bump. Given this is only going to be used by multi axle stock (six wheeled and bogie carriages) which should reduce the issue I'm inclined to leave well alone. I'll probably regret that though! I know the below base board turnout units are available but I've never been convinced by this approach and prefer the tried and test moving sleeper method. The problem is in 2mm scale the PCB moving sleeper is narrow so significantly weakened by the hole for the point motor level. The result is that I had several tie bars break. The solution came following a conversation with Keith Armes. His method was to use a piece of thin double sided PCB (0.25mm) laminated to a piece of thin strip brass. The PCB can still be gapped to provide electrical isolation and the brass strip adds strength for the point motor level. These are now ready for installation, albeit I have to remake one as I've managed to de-laminate one of the PCBs, probably by using too much heat. All that is left then will be to cut and fit the check rails.... the bank holiday weekend beckons!

Hi Ian, Yes, it is the August 1994 edition, the title on the front is "Killin Pugs and their territory" so not immediately apparent that it will contain building drawings. Angus

Hi Macduff, Killin, the junction and the railway is well served with details thanks to an edition of Modellers Backtrack which has plans for all the major structures. From that it is possible to estimate the size of the platforms. I did work it out a while back. I also imported the OS map into Templot so could scale from there. I'll take a look later when I get home. Angus

Thanks MacDuff, The module still lives alongside a pile of parts to create the fiddle yards, but like any stalled model baseboard it is buried under the detritus of life that seem to naturally collect on such items... The plan is the module will form part of a larger layout depicting the Callander and Oban running around the garage. Several attempts at making the garage water tight have failed and I am currently waiting for planning permission connected with the next attempt. The long term plan is for the module to emerge and get finished, that is probably years rather than months away given my modelling focus is elsewhere at present. I did think that the Thompson compartment brakes had been produced in OO R-T-R a while back? Angus

Hi John, I believe it's recently been re-published in paperback form by Peco: https://www.amazon.co.uk/LNWR-Portrayed-Jack-Nelson/dp/B0BKRZJ1GB/ref=sr_1_1?crid=19PB5S98WC4Z1&keywords=LNWR+portrayed&qid=1678994930&sprefix=lnwr+portrayed%2Caps%2C73&sr=8-1

Hi Richard, Actually my experience is different. Which speaks volumes on the quality of my previous track building. On my Glencruitten layout I got the crossings working reliably if a little bumpy but not the switches. This was down to not understanding the relationship of the plaining and the set with inevitable consequences. Reading the Association's track book was a real light bulb moment. Interestingly, I had read some of the other published books on track building but hadn't picked up on this.

As someone who had a labouring job on a building site whilst at university and expected to carry 2x 25 kg bags of cement, or occasionally one 50kg bag, it is not that we've gone soft. It is that we have recognised the impact on health and well being of regularly manually handling heavy loads.