Siberian Snooper

April 20

When I went to exhibitions, as a kid, a few layouts had signs "WARNING DO NOT TOUCH 12,000 MILLI VOLTS" on them. I think they may have been produced by Triang.

April 20

Straining posts.

April 19

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.

April 16

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.

April 16

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

April 12

13 hours ago, grahame said:

I've managed to get the necessary timber today, ready for some more wood mangling. However, I'm out again tomorrow working on the other layout I'm involved with - undertaking a load of wiring including lots of soldering (odd as I thought that DCC was supposed to simplify and reduce the wiring); not my favourite thing. Consequently this layout will be DC.

So here's a pic showing the recently made layout edge buildings in place in front of the viaduct. Note the partial viaduct wall three arched sections just resting in place on the left which are cast resin from a mould I made a while back (see pic of master and mould below). I obviously need to cast more of them and paint them. Also the top part of viaduct (with the parapet wall) needs to be made as a master and a mould made to cast them. I ordered the necessary chemicals to make the mould and castings which has recently been delivered. Plenty to be getting on with.

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

April 11

12 hours ago, BWsTrains said:

Except only available thru the Scale Societies, none of which I'm ever going to join. Pity really given the growing interest in Code 75 even if at more modest OO Gauge.

Is there an opportunity here Wayne?

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!

April 10

11 hours ago, Andy Keane said:

Thanks for this - really helpful. So to be clear these vertical lengths of bridge rail were just that - no diagonals, just posts with holes in the flanges to thread the eye bolts through? so Full straining post with diagonal, 24 wood, vertical bridge rail, 24 wood, vertical bridge rail, 24 wood etc., until at the other end when we get another set of 24 wood before the final full straining post with diagonal? So 240 odd posts between full straining posts (about 20 feet at 4mm scale)? No doubt reduced if there was some junction or big change of direction. And I guess on very long runs the double diagonal straining posts were used though I will not need them on my station boundary.

Andy

Yes, you've got it!

April 9

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.

April 8

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.

April 8

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.

April 8

2 hours ago, adb968008 said:

Belgium, Singapore, Hong Kong, Washington all had this nearly 3 decades ago.

Its strange to see why the UK likes to be so backwards and resistant to accept modern technology.

I remember 20 years ago the TV screen advertising that was flashing past outside the carriage windows in the tunnels of Hex and thinking the UK had finally come up with something cool in modern media… but it lasted what 6 months ?

Inside tunnel advertising using screens seemed quite a cool idea (and captive audience) to me.

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

April 7

5 minutes ago, RikkiGTR said:

@ITG yes the entire layout is laid, I ensured there was a hole drilled for each point motor pin as I went around laying the track. I’m unable to flip the boards up though so I will be fixing them in situ.

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

April 7

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.

April 6

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.

April 6

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.

April 6

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

April 6

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.

April 5

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.

April 5

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.

April 5

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.

April 4

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

April 4

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.

April 3

2 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

Thanks, that's very clear.

May I ask what make the brake hangers and shoes are please?

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.