IanStock

I believe this was the original purpose of the Campbelltown & Macrihanish Light Railway?

I think there are several Tarbe(r)ts - including another one further down Kintyre. It just means a gap/low point through a range of hills. Useful for rail routes, of course.

Thanks for your comments! The fishing boat isn't the card kit - I used the Scalescenes printout as a template to make it from plasticard. There's a post on it on the blog https://trainsandtrad.wordpress.com/2020/06/16/something-distinctly-fishy/ and I've just written up an article which I hope will appear in RM in due course. I have one of the Artitec ones pending building - it looks good, nice castings, but lousy instructions - and it's a lot smaller than the Scalescenes one. I don't post on MRweb simply because I've followed too many people for whom it became a lead weight around their neck, to the point that it ruined their modelling. The bigger the crowd, the greater the risk, it seems to me. There is an FB group that I moderate with Paul Sherwood - Model Railway ReaIism and my blog links to that - some great workers on there, about 1500 people in all. Private group, but if you send me your details... Slight shame you've changed your mind on Moray, but it's a free(-ish) world!

Hi, I wonder whether you might be interested in my current project. We seem to share influences. Not a lot of GNSR modellers out here... https://trainsandtrad.wordpress.com/category/gnsr-in-4mm-scale/

Any use? I assume the class 22 sounded very different, though....

It can't be so long ago, as the colour light signal gantry is standing (well, at least one of them is...) and the track layout is pretty much as now. Unfortunately it almost perfectly duplicates one I took myself, though this is clearer. Editor of CM said that Peco would love me forever if I can persuade anyone to model that yard!!!

Peter, Wikipedia doesn't actually have many really good pictures of a resolution needed to publish. Thanks for the suggestion, though. I would certainly be interested in any you were able to take, there is no immediate hurry for them, though CM does already have the article. Some general views of the station, one of the outside of the station building and if possible one of the river bridge would be really helpful. Obviously there would be a payment in it....

Many thanks for those suggestions - will explore them all, Apologies for the delayed reply - things suddenly got very busy round here....

Good afternoon all... I haven't posted here for a good while - have been 'away' from railways for the best part of a year while dealing with various health issues.... Glad to say there is a bit of modelling being done again at last.... I'm preparing an article for Continental Modeller on Capdenac Gare. Unfortunately, when I visited a couple of years ago, my camera was playing up, and I ended up with only a few usable pictures. Just wondering if anyone has any of either present or past at the station and environs, of a suitable resolution for publication. Or whether any of the France-dwelling members on here are close enough that they could go and take a few. There would be appropriate recognition and recompense from either me or Peco Publications! I can be reached at ian[at]sandistock.plus.com if you would rather go off-group. Many thanks Ian

May I offer some thoughts and observations? Beautiful work Andy. https://trainsandtrad.wordpress.com/2017/02/23/home-made-photographic-back-scenes/ Ian S.

Hi, I've been enjoying your work for a little while now... ;-) Just wondered whether you have tried Redutex? I've recently started using it and it strikes me it would be very good for that stonework. regards Ian

I'm building a model using 2mm assn code 40/copperclads and running French N scale stock. Standards similar to Cav's. Can be done if you're careful about flange depth. See my blog (link in footer) Regards Ian

Excellent work - that is 'feeling' very right already.... Ian

No, I drew a blank on that too, so I made my own. Just used some brass strip. Wrapped some masking tape round it, used some Peco track, marked the tops of the rails with marker pen, pushed the brass down onto it and then carefully cut slits with a mini drill disc where the marks were. It seems to have been good enough! Very few problems so far. I made three point jig in a similar way by cutting across the arms of a V folded piece too. Check rails are possible though I found that the thickness of a piece of brass strip was just as reliable. Hope that helps. Ian

Hmm. Each entirely to their own of course. Most of the points made above probably have traction. It is true that finer scale track is less sturdy and probably less durable in the long run. It is definitely true that it requires more work. But I can't agree with parity of appearance. Each will have their own priorities and tolerances, but if there were no difference in the appearance, I don't think I would have persevered. Sad though I may be, I still sometimes just sit there looking at my layout (so far) and just soak up how much better code 40 rail with decent sleeper spacing and track geometry looks :-) I thing that is more apparent that minute variations in gauge - and it's worth remembering that you can use code 40 rail, with care, without ne eding to go the whole hog into 2mm FS.

Hello David, entirely reasonable decision. Fine scale is not for everyone, and I nearly made the same decision, though in the end I decided to plough on. It's definitely true that there are hidden issues fine fine/hand built track, in terms of longer term reliability, and even getting the electrics right can be difficult. I had not expected, for example, the hours spent tracking down multiple stray short circuits between sleepers and in turnouts that kept bringing the whole thing to a halt. It is clearly better to build a little and get such things right, rather than build a lot and then discover the problems, as I did. I've seen some of the French guys doing interesting things with Peco track. They seem much more prepared than us to cut out the whole sleeper web and spring mechanisms around the switch blades and re-do them with Tortoises or similar, while retaining the reliability through the crossing. Might be worth a try? Ian

Hi David, yes you're right, but my reasons were different... I got as far as building about ten lengths of FineTrax plain track and three turnouts. I was having problems with the getting the blades to take to the tie bar, but that's all. My real issue was the size of the flanges on some continental stock - much bigger than on modern UK N gauge. That's why I switched first to 2mm Soc flat bottomed Easitrack - which is also nice to make up - and eventually to soldered track as it was the only way I could avoid having to re-wheel the stock. If/when I go back to UK modelling, I will certainly give FiNetrax another look, though you're right, if you want custom turnouts there is still no substitute for building your own. I haven't found it too difficult, and the FiNetrax ones were definitely good practice for scratch building. I have so far done about fifteen and no failures... I will probably use either FiNetrax or Easitrack plain track in future too. I'd urge you to stick with it - or even give a full scratch build a go. I'm using my FiNetrax jigs for that too... cheers Ian

Hello David, I had exactly the same doubts when I was at the point where you are now. In the end I allowed Cav Millward to nudge me in the direction of the finer scale option, I haven't regretted it. Cheers Ian

Hello David, I've just discovered your thread - interesting project, as I've considered building FW myself several times, but looking out to the loch instead... Regarding track, I've been conducting similar experiments to yours. I found the Finetrax points difficult at the switchblade end, though recent changes may have improved the matter. I've built Scottish recently but I've set myself a different challenge now, with a French layout. There is an additional problem there in that many continental flanges are still larger than current ones on UK models. A combination of the two problems led me to join the 2mm Soc and use their components to build all my track that way. It works fine to N standards, and I was able to make the necessary gauges by hand. I can give more details if you want them. While they may not be as accurate as commercial ones, they seem to have produced a track that is working fine for me. I also struggled with Templot but eventually got enough sussed to print out my track plan and build everything straight onto it - gives lovely sweeping track which I fear no unit track system will ever replicate. I would suggest that FW probably does need a similar approach if you want to retain the character of that station throat. You can see more of my trials and tribulations on my blog, the address of which is in the footer below. Regards, Ian

Yes I agree, I found them very fragile too. Those that I built that were then stored have not endured well, which is no criticism of the product - but it does mean that the track is probably single-use only. Those using it probably know that anyway. I built some turnouts and some Easitrack on Templot printouts away from the layout. The copper-clad turnouts supported the plain track rather better. But my new all-soldered track is being built straight onto the baseboards. I think that if/when I use FiNetrax again, I will stick things down immediately. Your idea sounds workable - just not sure whether two layers would be needed.

I guess so, Simon - but in which case why not just stick with the cork? The two together would be 4 or more mm thick.

I'm currently laying copper-clad code 40 and finding that artists' mounting board makes a good smooth base - can be cut for ballast shoulders etc. and can be bought coloured brown or grey which is helpful. Perhaps not as quiet as foam or cork though - it remains to be seen. Ian

Well as another beginner in the track-building business, it was easier than I expected. I have been modelling for forty years, but my only soldering experience was basic wiring, as I don't like doing the electrics. But making track is rather different. Having the right tools helps - a temperature controlled, fine tipped iron (from Maplin) makes all the difference, as does using solder paste or flux. I actually rather enjoy it. As for the FiNetrax kits, again not as difficult as expected - except for getting the crossing to lie flat once a wire is attached, and soldering the blades to the tie bar. At least that second problem seems to have been addressed in the mark 2 kits. Definitely easier to thread chairs and sleepers while they are still attached to the sprue. A magnifier helps a lot, too! I also think a bit of lateral thinking helps, when compared with using commercial track. For example, it's not so easy to attach a wire to code 40 track unobtrusively and in just the right place - then I came across the idea of fixing the wires to or through copper-clad sleepers, which makes a lot of sense and can partly be done retrospectively, once the track is down. The idea of running a pin through the board takes the idea a step further.

Well you still have the option of turning the flanges down. I tried doing do using a file while turning the wheel set at low speed in a variable-speed battery hand drill. Crude, but it did take a small amount off. Not enough for the FB but maybe good for the bullhead, where there isn't also that issue of the extra .42mm lateral slop to contend with. I may be trying the bullhead for sidings yet - so if you can hold on, I'll stick a trial length down in the next day or two and see what happens. Not sure whether the 2mm Assoc. will do wheel re-profiling to anything other than full 2mm standards... What is saddening is that even the latest release CC72000 from Arnold still seems to have enormous flanges. Don't believe that all models are more refined on the continent!

I've not tried the 5BEL but I have used Arnold French outline items. They just about cope given the chairs holding the rail above the sleepers. That said, I thought they were also coping with Easitrack FB until I stuck some down, at which point the rigidity kicked in and the bumping noise told me I was wrong. I haven't stuck any FiNetrax down to know whether the same thing would happen. This is why I've decided to go with soldered/copperclad track now. Ian