SJS

Well I just noticed its been 6 mnths since I last logged on and that everyone has been very busy. I alas have made no progress on the modelling front. However, the room in which the Sutton Dock resides has been completley redecorated so I can finally get back to work on the 517 running problems and finishing off the track layout. So wish me luck!

I have been busy trying to solve the running problems on my 517. thanks to help on one of the forums I managed to get the thing rolling freely - so all seemed well. Until.....I realised I had manged to strip part of the idler gear in the gearbox which made it lurch as teeth engaged then didn't. Ah well - new gear on its way thanks to Chris at High-level kits. To compensate for the slow progress I made a few more card buildings. The more I do of these the more I enjoy them but at the same time see the problem with the last one.....ah well they are cheap and quick to build. Anyway here is another photo - sorry for the poor angle and lighting, I haven't really got the hang of taking photos yet!

Thanks everyone - I did introduce some more slack into the rods and things are moving much better now. I think I am somewhere between a finely-crafted model and an RTR in terms of the slack! Hopefully I will get it running in the next few days! Thanks again, S.

OK so I took everything apart and noticed a bent crankpin - so rebuilt it. Its now much better - in fact it runs fine if I loosen one of the locknuts so the coupling rod is out of the bush. This would suggest to me that I need to loosen off that coupling rod a little? Thoughts before I do this? Thanks, S.

thanks Spitfire - I took the rods off and it doesn't seem to curve although I must admit it perhaps doesn't roll as freely as it should....

Dear all - I am hoping someone can help me. I am attempting my first EM gauge loco using a High-level kits chassis and Gibson wheels. My first attempt was a disaster - lack of general skills I believe and although it looked good it didn't run at all. So I made a second go. Now it seems a lot better (doesn't look quite as nice though!) but the wheels bind when turned by hand (its a 0-4-2) so its only one set of rods. I believe they are quartered correctly but the binding continues. The odd thing is that it seems to change where it binds depending on how I try turning the wheels. I.e., if I turn the rear pair it binds somewhere different from turning the front. I have looked online but being a newbie at this kind of building I am not sure what to do and in what order. I don't want to make things worse so any thoughts? S.

Dear friends - those of you who keep track of my blog may have noticed a few (un)subtle difference recently. The most obvious of these is a change of username and the second is the way I have started to sign my comments. The reason for this is a personal one but briefly I have suffered for most of my life with severe depression caused by gender dysphoria. After many years of suffering in silence I have (finally) decided to take action. As a small step I am changing all my online accounts to my new name. I would really appreciate it if you use it. With thanks, Samantha

Hi Mike - will be interesting to see how you get on with the coach side. Samantha

Hi Mike - sorry if you have answered this elsewhere. How did you do the original drawings? I have contemplated getting a 3D printer but what has always concerned me is getting everything to scale.

Hej Mikkel, amazing! You are so fantastically creative. I am in awe!

All I can add to this is that we now have a (minority) Government here in Sweden - didn't really notice the difference from when we didn't have one. Things worked (well not the railways very well but that's another story), nobody panicked, people talked and somehow it all got sorted without resulting in anyone shouting at anyone else. Ah I miss the UK parliament.....

Hi - I am not sure if this is correct place to post this. But is there a way to change your username? Thanks.

Thanks its good to be here as myself.

Thanks again - I think I have already gained more from this forum that I could have imagined.

Thanks Katy. I think I was probably prejudace somewhat in thinking that the model railway community would not be welcoming for which I apologise to everyone. I learn new things each day.