Mark Forrest

We use a Worx Hydroshot battery pressure washer to give our bikes a quick clean before loading them in the van after a muddy ride. Makes light work of cleaning tyres and dislodging mud from the frame. Obviously, need to be a bit careful around bearings to avoid water ingress, but the pressure is lower than a mains powered washer so that's less of an issue. After a recent ride in Shropshire we held the bikes in a stream while using the Hydroshot to suck up water from the stream to hose them down - very effective.

I have, in the past, floated a 12v car bulb soldered to a length of wire in the water. This was plugged into a 4.5v DC power supply and seemed to work. Can't remember where I got the idea from.

Maybe true in the past and to some extent now; but in the future who knows. Technology could offer a solution to experience other countries and cultures without the need to leave home. More to the point, the same could be true of model railway exhibitions. Imagine popping on a VR headset and finding yourself standing on the platform of that layout you've always wanted to see rather than leaning on the barriers in an exhibition hall somewhere.

I attend a relatively small number of shows each year, probably 6 as a maximum. The main reason that I chose to travel any significant distance to an exhibition is that there is one the handful of traders attending who I find it easier to buy from in person than online. So, from my perspective, I could reduce my environmental impact by buying from someone else (not always possible), doing without or by those traders offering easier online ordering. Personally if I could get everything I need online I'm not sure I'd bother with the time, expense and inconvenience of attending a model railway exhibition. That said, where travelling by train is an option I do. If I wanted to attend Warley, my local station has a direct service to Birmingham International and that's how I'd choose to get there. I wouldn't (consciously) be making that decision based on environmental factors but on cost and convenience. I looked at using the train for ExpoEM in Wakefield, but cost and inconvenience made it not viable. Scaleforum Crewe I did travel by train (after changing my plans to go on Sunday to avoid a strike). I attended one show this year that was within easy cycling distance of home and did consider riding rather than driving. Concern about there being somewhere secure to leave my bike at the venue was one of the reasons I drove - the same concern often stops me using a bike for trips I end up doing by car. The bigger question though; how sustainable is the hobby as a whole? We're buying lumps of plastic and metal that have been ship halfway around the globe; many of which serve no real purpose other than to take up cupboard space in our homes.

When I first saw @wagonbasher's wagon I had a feeling that it had the look of an ABS product about it. In related news, great to read that the ABS range is going to be available again soon. https://www.scalefour.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=40&t=8915&sid=fb97a05b69c5f985a744db8f9d2bfe21

I tend to build up a common crossing as a subassembly then use roller gauges to gauge it from the stock rail. To use the button gauge you'd need to position the vee first then add the wings rails in situ. Not suggesting that is wrong, just that it's not the way I choose to do it. Thinking about it, I might be more inclined to do it that way when building copper clad point work, but with chaired point work on ply or plastic timbers I like to have the common crossing assembled. In my experience you can never have too many gauges and yes, I think you're right an EM version used as described would be 18.2mm diameter.

Intriguing, not something I've come across when building EM or P4 track. I'm a bit confused though; initially you say there are no dimensions given for the button gauge then go on to say the 2mm FS one is 9.42mm. I wonder if it's for checking flangeway clearance through the common crossing?

A fair point. I'm lucky enough to have the choice of a drop bar gravel bike, a reasonably light hardtail and the full suspension bike to choose from. The gravel bike tends to get used for the lighter end of off road (and quite a bit of road). If the ride is likely to include significant amount of off road (and anything particularly steep), I tend to take the hardtail. I find overall it will cover the ground more quickly and (more importantly) tends to be a bit more fun, although obviously that's quite subjective. Consequently my gravel rides tend to be less climby and tackled at a more relaxed pace.

I don't find cycling to be a particularly time efficient way to lose weight, although I find it more enjoyable than the alternatives. I do find it great for maintaining a weight and improving fitness (and equally importantly mental health) although I need to ride three times a week to see the benefits (typically three 15-20 mile MTB rides per week). This year (for various reasons) I've ridden less often, but still averaging 50 to 60 miles per week by doing longer rides and have gained weight and lost some fitness. I've come to the conclusion that how often I ride makes a difference. Doing a 60 mile gravel bike bimble once a week does not have the same fitness benefits as doing three 15 mile loops around the local trail centre on a MTB throughout the week. That's despite more of the gravel ride being at zone 2 fat burning heart rate whereas the MTB rides would typically include more zone 4 efforts.

Last week, we went up to Keswick to ride the Borrowdale Bash route. Stunning views but hard going. A more relaxed ride today, another section of the Trans Cambrian Way from Llangurig to Staylittle. We started out from Llanidloes and made it into a 25 mile loop. Fantastic weather, felt more like June than October!

Thanks, I (now) see how the vice attaches to the table, I'd missed that. I can see how that would be useful when drilling section or tube. Presumably with strip or sheet material you still need to fix that to a piece of wood that is then held in the vice?

This really is excellent news and very timely. Thank you Bill.

All the gear, no idea.... A few years ago I treated myself to a lovely little Proxxon TBM220 bench drill which I have found to be a very useful addition to my modelling tools. However, I found that the machine vice provided wasn't that helpful when it comes to drilling holes at regular intervals in sheet or strip material. More recently, I've added a KT70 compound table to the TBM220, which helps greatly with accurate spacing between holes. What I'm not sure about is the correct way to securely hold/clamp thin sheet or strip material to the table. I have been attaching ply or MDF to the compound table, than using double sided tape to fix brass or plasticard strip/sheet to this. Is that the correct way or is there something that I'm missing?

I'm facing a similar dilemma with several different projects as my stock of BB axleguards runs down to zero. I understand that Masokits axleguards can be ordered with different springs to suit either 3' or 3'7" diameter wheels. I have no experience of using them though. Specifically for your 6 wheeler, there is the Brassmasters Cleminson underframe (not sprung though) https://www.brassmasters.co.uk/cleminson_underframe.htm

LED ceiling panel lights might be an option, I use one to illuminate my workbench and it works very well. Something like these: https://www.ledpanelstore.co.uk/led-panels.html

@2ManySpams has some previous experience of this subject. https://www.westernthunder.co.uk/threads/polsarrett-br-s-n-cornwall-clay-the-final-countdown.9266/post-219897

I guess that depends on what the pantograph is made of and how strong it is, and also the amount of friction between the pan and your electrified ceiling. Only alternative I can think of is to connect the pan to a jump lead while it's on the traverser, but seems like a lot of faffing.

Yesterday Mrs F and I took our bikes over to the area that inspired Iain Rice's Bringewood Tales. We started out at the Forestry car park near Pipe Aston then rode to Leinthall Earls. Passing the entrance to Gatley Quarry we reached this field which (if I've interpreted what is written in The Surveyor's Tale correctly) is where Iain imagined the station would have been. Here we're looking towards the quarry and the end of the line. Looking in the opposite direction the line would curve around to the right and descend down to reach Leinthall Starkes. We followed the course of the route as closely as public roads allow, at this point we'd be up above the line between Burrington and Leintwardine. At Hopton Heath, we arrived in time to see a class 153 heading for Swansea slowly pass through the request stop. Looking south from the end of the platform to towards the area where the junction might have been. There is a nice little tearoom adjacent to the station where we refuelled before cycling back to where we started.

Degla today, for a couple of loops of the red and black graded trails. Not my favourite place to ride, but convenient and a good opportunity to test a couple of recent upgrades on my bike. The 10-51 SLX cassette has been replaced with a 10-52 from Garbaruk. The SLX had a couple of damaged teeth so made an annoying clicking noise. Also I've fitted a chainstay protector from a Nukeproof Digger gravel bike. Self adhesive and very reasonably priced as a spare part from CRC. A perfect fit on my Starling Murmur. At last the drivetrain is virtually silent!

Yes - sorry about that

I've used threaded inserts like these on my last couple of layouts (and several other DIY projects; I also use them to fix a pillar drill and mitre saw to my workbench). https://www.amazon.co.uk/Threaded-Flanged-Furniture-Carpenter-Project/dp/B09N1Q6V56/ref=asc_df_B09N1Q6V56/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=570420064276&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=1609350159466634588&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1007103&hvtargid=pla-1620588124454&psc=1 Have had no problems with them working loose.

I’m planning to travel down from Staffordshire for this and am very much looking forward to it.

Looking forward to spending some time at the exhibition this morning. A mixture of helping Andy with Tackeroo, soaking up some (much needed) inspiration and maybe just a little bit of retail therapy. Possibly a swift half at lunchtime too. Sounds like a great way to spend the day.

How wonderful that this 40 year old layout design has not only inspired so many of us but continues to inspire new layouts. I'd forgotten about the Elan design which merges much of the Bringewood/Leinthall Earls plan with the space saving features of Llanastr into a nice compact design (although a little too compact as drawn!). From my perspective using the sector plate and possibly the single slip from Elan could work well in the version that I'm planning - food for thought.

@Jason T recently described replacing the chassis on RTR 5 plank highfit in this video: I can't remember if the current Hornby model that he used originated from Airfix or Mainline mouldings, but the same principles would apply. Paul Bartlett's website is of course a wonderful and valued resource when it comes to identifying detail differences. https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/lmsopen