sigtech

Whoever phoned you only had to contact a vet and take her to be scannned for a microchip. I question why they did not do this? Sorry for your loss, take care.

Right, managed to order a pkt of Peco r8 fibre washers (50) from' Derails' - seems there is not much demand for them, anyway will wait there arrival from the Postie. Regards, SIGTECH Steve. Further to the above- to cut a long story short. attempt to fit washers was only a partial sucess but did not improve running . Resorted to DCB's suggestion. new 64xx purchased from K.L. model shop- runs like a Rolls Royce. Old 64xx sold along with a S/H Bachmann 53xx mogul and Hornby BR/SR passenger brake van (van C) in Maroon. ttfn Steve.

Hello again Keith, The cleaner I use is made by RS components cat no. 691-909 and comes in a blue and white can, it is especially for removing dirt,oil and grease from electrical components, and then deposits a thin conducting film on the back of the wheels.I apply it with a long neck toothbrush.. I should have added that I also use the 'Woodlands Scenics' Tidytrack cleaning system, along with the 'Woodlands Scenic ' Wheelcleaner. Regards, SIGTECH, Steve.

Hello David, That is one option,- however I want to try some of the other less expensive ones first! I clean the wheelbacks each time I run the layout - but in this weather that is infrequent...I use switchcleaner on a small nylon brush, which was originally for dental use. This loco gets more attention than all the others due to its poor running. The pickups never get a chance to become dirty... Regards, SIGTECH. Steve.

Hello Stu, all points are Peco live frog small radius, powered using below board mounted. 'Seep' pm 3 point motors, track is Peco code 100 track (flexi) with a Gaugemaster HF track cleaner running from a Gaugemaster 100 controller (analog DC) cab control .Hence the question re coreless motors -( I didn't think the 64xx had one, but that nagging doubt came with all the poor running). Regards SIGTECH, Steve.

Thanks Simon - will give it a try - once i get some from either Peco, or my local modelshop (if he has any in stock). Regards SIGTECH , Steve.

Thanks Simon - can you fit these fibre washers without removing the wheels from the loco? would hate to have to try to reset the quartering... Regards, SIGTECH ,Steve.

Thanks for that Keith - do you have a special way of adjusting the pickups on your locos? I find that if I bend them all to make a firm contact on one side of the chassis they then make poor (very light) contact the other side- there is very little wear on them. The problem seems to be excess sideways movement of the wheelsets (I have checked all the b to b's with a gauge). The other thing noticeable on this loco is the amount of slack movement the gear wheel has before the wheels move. Regards, SIGTECH, Steve.

Hello Ms P, Yes, but how to cure it? I have adjusted (bent) the brass pickups numerous times, but it seems that however they are moved, there will be a time when one of them will lose contact with the rear of a wheel as the loco negotiates the curves on the layout, due to the sideways movement of the wheelsets. The problem does not occur with my other (earlier build) panniers from Bachmann, hence my question on whether the specs for the model had been altered. It also runs a lot noisier than the other two locos....Do they fit these with coreless motors ? Regards, sigtech, Steve.

Hello, I have a Bachmann 64xx pt ( no.6412 in lined green and with late crest ), along with two much older Bachmann models a 57xxpt and a 8750 pt, both in black. The 64xx runs like a bag of proverbial spanners! stop- starting despite scrupulously cleantrack and wheels - whilst both of the black panniers run fine - no problems at all. The 64xx is the newest by about six years. Does it have a coreless motor?- there appears to be lots of slack in the drivetrain from the motor to the wheels and lots of sideways play in the movement of all the wheelsets, it is almost impossible to maintain good electrical contact through its brushes, especially when negotiating any reverse curves over pointwork, or around the 22"curves on my layout. (Sproston). Has Bachmann changed the spec on these locos, and is there a cure for the erratic running I am experiencing? Do any other people have the same problems with this particular model? More importantly - have i just got a duff one - Friday afternoon model?? My local modelshop (Kings Lynn ) has a brand new model from Bachmann ( same livery. Early Crest no.6421 ) sitting on his shelves and I am sorely tempted to bin the one I have and purchase anew. The only problem being that testing it in the shop, on a couple of yards of Peco Streamline track with no points or curves will not show any defects... Regards, SIGTECH, Steve.

Quick question - to Mike Walker (or anyone else who may know) what is the geographical location and date of the photo of the propelling autotank with single trailer. ( looks like loco is either very dirty, or in unlined black possibly unlined green, and there appears to be a name on the side panel of the trailer which is in faded ,unlined BR red) . Regards, SIGTECH Steve.

Yes, it makes you wonder? The Whirlwind gained the nickname 'Crikey' after an advert for the time for Shell petrol. showing a man attempting to look both ways at once trying to follow a speeding car. The advertisement strapline read; 'Crikey, thats Shell that was!!' Regards SIGTECH. (Steve)

Lovely model, This is my favorite aircraft. only two squadrons were operational during the war,and no.137 sqdn flew from RAF Manston in Kent - which was my local airfield for many years. As you said if only they had fitted them with Merlins... They were however good for ground attack and at low level, very well armed. Replaced by the HawkerTyphoon. Regards,Sigtech' I still have a 1/72 scale one (Airfix) to make one day!!

Hello Ray, - sounds like you lived very close to where i grew up in Kent. (1956-1973) My parents house was located near the bottom of a small cul-de-sac that overlooked the main BR.(SR) lines between Margate and Broadstairs. These are in a cutting between the road overbridges at St. Peters roundabout and the next one down by the old East Kent tram/bus sheds and the gasworks. I spent many hours sitting on the platforms of Margate, Broadstairs and Ramsgate stations, train spotting - and to start with everying was in green. Your proposed layout ideas sound interesting, and most of the places you mention, I have wandered around when young and on the lookout for railways. The Elham Valley line was one of my favourites - and I walked most of it in the early 70's. With regard to the ' Trainflow',programme mentioned, it is still available - I have purchased a copy only just recently,but have yet to try it out!! Regards. SIGTECH Steve.

The oo gauge model of the van' c' in BR red, R4347C as produced by Hornby has black painted ends I believe this is correct for mid 50' s- early 60's. I have one of these models running in one of my parcels trains. Regards Steve SIGTECH.

Thanks Miss P that was a speedy response... . I was sort of hoping for that answer, as I've cheated and already painted them that colour along with the wheels and roof, - have also just found a second one on the web, again in BR crimson and with black ends. Knew I'd get the info on here, it never fails!! Regards sigtech Steve.

As above really, I have been searching on here for a definitive, or shall we say the most likely colour that Fruit D end walls were painted when in BR red livery. As it comes the ends are same as body, I've seen a photo of one with black ends as per other npccs during the mid BR period. Question is which is correct? Any advice gladly received, Regards, sigtech Steve.

Hello again, problem with adverts is now solved, re-read my previous entries, along with the replies from Martin Wynne - he of 'Templot' fame, then altered Firefox security settings, regarding cookies, from Normal to Strict, along with change to HTTPS only and clearing out of cookies, Result, once more I am add free, and as a bonus the computer is generally running much faster (all that extra rubbish now removed at source...) Regards. gog ( grumpy old git )... SIGTECH. Steve.

After an excellent two months WITHOUT adverts - I switched on the computer, clicked on RMWEB... and they're back! everywhere, just annoying - tried to get rid of a few - and they just pop back up again - I consider advertising easily the the most annoying evil of the modern so called 'smart' online world, it's a form of brain washing and there is no escape from it, on tv, radio and online ( I believe that Firefox has had an 'update',( that depends on your point of view - it seems to me that an 'update' is always a step backwards when it comes to computers ) , and that has carefully removed any settings that I had inadvertently managed to install to wipe out the little *(*&^^^!). So back to square 1 - this is turning into a war...I have to say that it is certainly a strong incentive to reduce my browsing on rmweb to a minimum!!! If I could only have it back as it was previously. Annoyed. regards, Sigtech.

Thanks Martin, although it was only about 3 weeks ago that this happened, before that, using Firefox I still got all the adverts!! Regards Steve (SIGTECH.)

This is the first post I have made under this topic, it's not a gripe ,- just amusement.. I have always been plagued by adverts on RMweb, - at least since they changed over from the old site software and I have attempted to remove/reduce them by resorting to antisocial tactics - not signing in to the site, reporting ads as intrusive/not appropriate/unwanted, deleting them constantly,reducing my time on the site, not posting anything etc. That was until a two or three of weeks ago - then something strange happened. ( I am a luddite and don't care much for the modern world... My pc still runs windows 7 - perfectly o.k. and with no annoying updates from Microsoft now... I still use IE 11, with Firefox and no additional software pop-up blockers as my machine is 10 years old.) I turned the machine on, checked for any new emails, then went to RMWEB site and there were no ads!!! NONE just blank squares on the sceeen where they would be... i logged in and checked out this new phenomenon, still no adverts, just empty spaces!! and this is how it has remained to this day,everything else works as normal. I have no Idea if I inadvertantly changed some pc or cookie settings, or if something was altered at the Website/Provider, BUT I HAVE NO ADS ! and that suits me fine... Regards SIGTECH Steve, (now advert free...)

Howdy folks, It's been a long time (well over a month ) since my last missive about the goings on in Sproston, - my only excuses are 1. it's been cold in the loft, and 2. I have had a bad cold. The major project which had been ongoing for at least a month, and had been held up by a lack of available parts ( Bachmann 14mm dia coach wheels ) was the improvement of the Dapol Stove R. This has now been completed successfully, by carefully following the steps outlined in Ray's ("Silver Sidelines") RMWEB blog entry entitled "The Dapol Stove R - a show stopper or half baked?" I now have a Stove R that is running on the correct size wheelsets, closer coupled than before and with a rigid conventional underframe that behaves itself on points without the "anyway it feels like going" chassis arrangement that was originally fitted by the manufacturer. UPDATE 30/10/20 : Stove R wheels, (both sides) and roof gutters repainted using Humbrol matt black enamel 33. Frosted window (one side only) added using Humbrol matt light grey 147. as per Coachman's article on rmweb detailing his attempt to improve the model, see "Stoking up a Stove R". from 29th Jan 2011. I have also been busy increasing the population of Sproston - the main street no longer resembles a ghost town!! At last the signalman has a decent garden he can be proud of, and the occupants of numbers 1-3 Cider cottages (who are now all Railway staff ) also have their horticultural skills on show, which brightens up the view from the platforms. Even so, not to be outdone the station staff have resorted to a colourful display of plants in large pots, arranged beneath the station running-in board. The owner of the hardware shop in Church Street obviously has less time to spare, but still keeps his small garden neat and tidy .Everyone tries to grow a few veg wherever possible- it's a sign of the times. The Pway gang are busy sorting out a pile of sleepers next to the signalbox - it keeps them out of trouble I suppose. There appears to be a disagreement in the goods yard, concerning the 6 ton mobile Coles crane, and a couple of very large crates - I suspect someone is being told exactly where to put them...! Another Bachmann BR (ex SR) PMV has turned up- (I don't know where that came from Guv - honest...!) this time in BR Maroon, we seem to have quite a strong ex SR influence in the npccs stock.. The local coal merchant,Trevor Compton surveys his domain. A consignment of machinery parts for the creamery has recently arrived, it looks like the BRS driver is re entering his lorry cab again for the paperwork. So there you have it- more news later... Regards, SIGTECH (Steve).

It looks like there is also some kind of capstan arrangement for hauling individual tanks along. I see four bollards equally spaced between the running line and the siding, with a larger, possibly motorised drive between the second and third. Regards Sigtech Steve.

You could be correct Karhedron. There is evidence of water all around the wheels of this tanker (which is also chocked at its wheels) and it is standing on a concrete apron, so obviously has had a washout. Regards, sigtech Steve.

I tend to agree with John - the only photo i have seen of this, is one at St Erth, where the creamery worker is seen standing on the access catwalk of a tanker and is holding a thin vertical flexible white pipe connecting to what appears to be a run of stainless steel pipework routed into the building.There seems to be some sort of cover over the open tank filler, with the white pipe inserted through a small aperture in it. Regards SIGTECH Steve.