corax67

As soon as I saw Kadees when I worked in America I was hooked and set about converting my UK stock. Over the course of the years I have come to find that they are as robust as anything you will ever get - my shunting puzzle wagons will get coupled and uncoupled hundreds of times during a 2 day show and have never needed replacement, repair or adjustment during such operations. As I am happy to let anyone have a go at operating the puzzle then shunting operations are not always of a slow motion, feather light variety but can see a rake crashed into a buffer stop at full pelt and keep coming back for more. NEM pocket height adjustment can be made with plasticard shims or flipping the coupler holder over to match the height gauge but conversion to #5's is the other option f the difference is too extreme. I would still go down the Kadee route (with trip pins removed) for situations where non-magnetic uncoupling is required simply due to the fact they are so darned good and reliable and easy to separate with a light lift of the wagon. I have a set of Bachmann Mk2 coaches hauled behind a 37 all fitted with #19's and they negotiate first radius curves with care & second radius with ease provided the speed is not too silly.

I recall seeing a huge tunnel gun kit made up in the window of a model shop (I think it was Leatherhead) as I drove past and it was so impressive I actually slowed to stare. It would be a fabulous centrepiece for a layout.

It's not a necessity but it is a nicety. I always fit a length of flexi-track onto a fiddle yard as a programming track having seen a layout full of loco's reprogrammed at the same time in error many years ago. Costs nothing but saves a whole heap of heartache in the long run.

Really late in on this post I'm afraid but I booked my NCB one from Invicta Models today. Had to have one as I have such fond memories of driving the one up at the Pontypool & Blaenavon Railway - there are plenty of pics of this loco as well as the society info page here at http://www.pontypool-and-blaenavon.co.uk/pages/enthusiasts/StockItem.aspx?id=31 Dedicated decoder sounds like a pain but I will fit a Lenz Gold Mini somehow, probably remove any socket & hard wire.

Even if you do not like the track plan I think that this is worth a grand of someone's money. I would go for it if I had the cash knowing I could re-list the bits I didn't need. Karl

I remember reading that the 'optimum' weight for rolling stock was 0.4g per mm - I just cut out strips of lead flashing to go under the seating moulding or fit liquid lead onto the underframe until it feels OK on the track, especially through a set of points. Karl

Hi Martin - like John I would recommend checking the BTB distances on your wheel sets as a first port of call. i use a C&L Finescale brass gauge on all my stock. As for replacement wheel sets I fit a lot of Hornby ones as they are relatively inexpensive and give excellent free running once they have been tweaked for BTB. Karl

This looks like there may be a bigger problem than your seller simply not responding - up until 22nd June this seller had 100% feedback and had sold a wide variety of items including many higher values lots. It does not look like the account of a poor quality eBayer, rather it looks like someone who has suddenly been unable to complete the transactions - possibly due to accident, illl health or maybe even death. Open a case with the Ebay resolution centre and I am sure they will be able to arrange a refund.

Just in from London and it is very, very tense up there. I had my monthly platelet donation session booked in the blood donor centre at St George's Tooting this morning -and trollied up by javelin with no problems & the underground had some disruption on certain lines but Northern was clear. The only topic of conversation on the trains and at the unit was the riots and how they have absolutely nothing to do with the death of the man in Tottenham but are just mindless thuggery and crime. A lot of people were being released from work early to avoid any possible resumption of last nights terrible scenes and the hospitals have drafted in extra cover just in case. There is a bit of a siege mentality forming in the minds of Londoners - justifiably so - and I hope everyone remains safe until normality returns.

I haven't worked out how to embed YouTube links but these 3 are easy to find: Jeff Buckley - "Hallelujah" - even though I love the Leonard Cohen original and have heard countless covers over the years there is something about this version that just makes it perfect. Marilyn Manson - "Tainted Love" - I know this is going to be very subjective. The Soft Cell version from '81 that everyone knows is itself a cover of the '65 original by Gloria Jones but Marilyn Manson transforms it into something very dark and heavy & I like it a lot. Stevie Ray Vaughan - "Little Wing" - an awesome instrumental cover of a Hendrix masterpiece which has been covered by at least 10 artists I know of. If you have never heard of SRV then I recommend you rush out and buy a copy of "The Sky is Crying" released just after his untimely death in 1990 as it is a masterpiece of guitar work.

Sad that someone should die so young but given her lifestyle choices it was not to be unexpected.

6mm isn't too thin for what you intend - you will need to watch out for the protruding points of track pins though as they will stick out through 6mm ply. Good thing about 6mm ply is you can re-use it when you change the track to a more permanent layout by simply gluing & screwing 2x1 or 3x1 battens underneath as a frame.

Oops, forgot - Squires tools used to sell "liquid lead" which was jars of incredibly fine lead shot (or some lead substitute) that could be poured into any suitable spaces on a chassis or bodyshell and sealed with epoxy resin. I bought some from them at a show years ago, probably Bristol show, and still have loads left as it goes a really long way so that might be an avenue to explore too if you need to fatten up your loco's.

If retaining weight is an issue (isn't it for all of us hehe) then you could always open up the back of the smokebox and pop in a small chip like the TCM MC1 or a Lenz mini silver/gold - could also drop it into the bunker and run the wires through the cab floor but that involves a bit more surgery.

Hi Bob - you could go for a Lenz Silver or even a Lenz Standard dropped into the space where the front chassis weight is fitted, just drop out the weight and off you go.

There is a section relating to animation on the Carl Arendt site http://www.carendt.com/scrapbook/page64/index.html

Unfortunately it is rarer than rocking horse poo - I have been looking for a copy for over 2 years and the cheapest I have seen in that time was £220 on AbeBooks which I couldn't and wouldn't ever jsutify spending. If you can find a source for one of these then please let me know.

Don't you just hate talented people That is an incredible piece of modeling.

For 7mm you could take a look at the neat stuff from Smallbrook Studio Kits range http://www.smallbrookstudio.com/page_1201118902437.html

Turned brass replacement chimneys are available from: http://www.modelsignals.com/4mm_scale_frame.htm ref: LYRC001 about 3/4 down the page for the grand sum of £2.50

It would appear that some drawings are available from the South Western Circle here at: http://www.lswr.org/core.asp?Page=34&Id=687407 Hope this helps

If you are looking to fit Kadee to UK stock then the following articles which appeared in Modern Railway Modeling magazine are a very useful starting point http://www.modernrailwaymodelling.co.uk/articles/pdfs/issue3.pdf http://www.modernrailwaymodelling.co.uk/articles/pdfs/issue4.pdf