Siberian Snooper

I am in the process of using.0.33mm phosphor bronze, but I need to find my GW wheel quartering press, first. I used a cocktail stick as a mandrel.

I think that I would do the outside pit from the kit and use the remaining bits to build the beginning of the inside pit, as that is bit most likely to be seen, though the open door.

I like the idea of the smell of chip oil wafting across the NYM.

It's looking the part with the progress so far!

You can buy exactoscale parts at a society show or one that the sales stand attends. EMGS shows are at Bracknell in May and Wakefield in August. The S4 society has shows or the trade stand at Railwells in August Scaleforum in September in September, the sales stand may be at other shows op Norf!

Yes, you've got it!

I have surveyed approximately 6 miles of ex GW wire boundary fencing, after the straining post there are usually 24 wooden posts and then a vertical length of bridge rail to which the ends of adjacent wire runs are attached with eye bolts for tensioning and if memory serves me, and I don't guarantee that it does, there are 10 runs before another straining post. All wires are fixed to the outside of the posts. A length of wire is bent double like a staple and pushed through the hole in the post and then opened out to retain it. The wires are not tensioned like guitar strings and have a bit of give in them.

At least the local Scottish tourist businesses have not been bamboozled by WCRCs bluster and appreciate that their businesses have to comply with the legislation appropriate to the businesses that they run and so should West Coast.

One thing I would do, before fitting, is to solder on lengths of wire to each motor of around 6 inches/150mm and use connection blocks to join them to the main cabling. This saves soldering upside down, helps fault finding and allows easier changing out faulty units.

We don't like spending money on what we would call frills!

I don't envy you doing all those point motors from underneath, enjoy!

I would start by making up a local control panel for the fiddleyard, this will get you started. I would then follow up with a local panel for the dock or scrap works. By breaking the layout down into smaller chunks, it becomes less intimidating to wire up. One problem you may encounter is point motors on bridges, you may need to fit the motors remote to the turnouts, unless you can hide them in the piers.

I have waited upto 3 months for orders from PoWsides to materialise. Lots of these small suppliers do the model railway stuff as a hobby, so don't expect the same service as the big boys.

Martin Wynne of Templot fame prints track bases directly on the build plate for fdm prints, but emphasis that it it needs to be flat and level. He uses a glass build plate. Hayfield of this parish, has some experience of 3d printing.

I have run at up to 300 degrees with lowmelt when soldering large castings together.

Colin, gives a good service, but shows do impact on delivery times, especially if he needs to produce the item, he doesn't normally take the money until the item(s) is/are ready to post.

Going back a bit, I noted your trepidation about using the DCC Concepts 100 degree solder, I ordered some earlier this week, because I forgot to tin the nickelsilver rear cab piece of the 2021 kit and I didn't want to try and take it out. It was delivered yesterday and I used it this morning, I found it a delight to use, at 250°C on a temperature controlled soldering station, not only on the job that I bought it for, but soldering small delicate whitemetal components to larger whitemetal castings, it just flows a lot better than ordinary lowmelt solder.

Allow at least a couple of scale feet from the top edge of cuttings to allow for checking and maintenance of the fence, if the top has a sharp drop-off increase that to 3ft or more.

I got finger printed on my 1st and 3rd trips and a mug shot on each of my trips to the US. No ink was used in the finger printing, but it does add time getting through immigration.

I use a scratch pencil to clean both wheels and track. A gentle vacuuming afterwards, to remove the fibreglass debris.

If you have a smartphone and use Google, click on the microphone,whilst the music is playing, then click the search button, that will hopefully find what the piece is. Unfortunately, on my phone, it ceased to work last year.

The brake hangers are on the Branchlines chassis etch. Each is in 3 parts and making sure you have the outers of the correct hand was a bit of a faff, I had to re-do some of them. I used one of the parts as a template and drilled holes in a block of wood and fitted short lengths of wire in the holes, fitted the etches and soldered the top two.

Well I remembered to get some photos, so here you go;- Sorry that they're a bit fuzzy, but I took them on the phone. Any questions, please ask.

Makes a change from the usual Sheepy attire of an overly loud shirt, akin to Monsewer Blackrat.

I have made my brake gear removable, if I remember tonight, I will take a photo or two of it. I have used Romford/ Markits wheels for initial construction, but I'll be fitting Gibson's when I have weathered the chassis.