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Switching to 2mm from N - easytrack and points advice


Black Sheep

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Some people in here have a lot to answer for, they know who they are...

 

A couple of years ago I started to plan a 2mm layout but gave up due to time, space and inability to build track.

Last christmas I made a start on 'Milliedale' which would be built using peco track in N guage, now I'm part way through building it, having got as far as a track-bed and boards built and a peco turntable installed.

 

however, a day's playing with Highbury this weekend (I'm the other Brummitt btw) has got me wondering if I shouldn't give 2mm another go.

 

so, to the questions:

 

1, is easy track as easy to lay as flexi track?

 

2, my trackplan is designed to use peco's medium streamline point, is there a point kit that doesn't involve soldering?

 

3, any idea how to modify the turntable in order to continue using it?

 

4, what is involved in modifying my stock (listed below) to run 2mm?

stock list:

farish black 5,

farish 4F

farish jinty

Dapol Ivatt tank

arnold 08

farish DP1

 

5: is this a good idea for someone who's got a track jig with a bit of track firmly stuck in it due to soldering it badly?

 

6: As, for the time being, I'll be re-wheeling rtr N stock, is it worth going 2mm?

 

7: if I'm having wheels turned down etc, will this kill off any re-sale value of my stock?

 

thanks

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1. - Yes it's just as easy but as there are no fishplates you do need to make sure you line the ends up accurately.

2. - You will need to solder the crossing V and the wires to the track. The tiebar is normally a solder job as well.

3 - pass

4 - The Jinty and Ivatt can have replacement chassis, not directly through the 2mm association but via the small suppliers. The Farish DP1 just needs replacement wheelsets. The others will need there wheels turned down. With the 08 you might be able to use the new chassis kit but as this is designed for the Bachfar 08 you might need to do some jigging of bit of the body.

5 - Practice makes perfect, well at least I keep being told this.

6 - Yes. The appearance of the track makes it worthwhile.

7 - Possibly but if you can get replacement wheels then this can be overcome to some extent.

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1. Yes. Easitrac is easy to thread up and easy to lay, though it is a lot more fragile than Peco.

2. No, not really. Though you could check out those who offer a point building service. But actually, soldering one using a template, code 40 rail and copper clad sleepers is not so difficult.

3. Pass also.

4. Replacement chassis will be challenging and require careful bending and soldering. Also replacement wheels or turned down wheels ( reset to new gauge) will foul the motion, so this will need to be replaced.

5. Probably not. Start on something very simple on the side.

6. That's your choice, only you can know that.

7. Because you will need to change other things too, it will not sell as RTR any more.

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A thread from about a year ago discussed some of these topics - http://www.rmweb.co....et-me-straight/

 

If I read it correctly, Etched Pixels was suggesting a half-way house that might suit you as a first step - use easitrack for the plain track (preferably straight) and Peco for the points, and probably continue to use N wheels.

 

To expand on Kris' answer to 2 - the alternatives to building your own soldered points are as follows:

a Stick with Peco points, as above (which probably involves keeping N wheels)

b Get one of the existing milled bases - 1 in 5/6/7/8 - which involve gluing chairs and threading rail through a la easitrack, rather than soldering rail to PCB sleepers. Still needs a bit of soldering, which I'm told is a bit difficult for the novice, as the jigs which hold the pieces in place tend to act as heat sinks. My two are still in the "to do" pile. Determining whether any of the stock bases match the Peco medium geometry is left as an exercise for the reader.

c More flexible variant of b - make your own plastic sleepers (cut them from a strip) for other point geometries, then proceed as in 2

d Find a volunteer to build the points for you - I believe there are one or two around...

 

In response to your 3 - it's worth trying the turntable unmodified, it should handle 2mm wheel sets

 

In response to 4 I would recommend using drop-in wheelsets (which I think restricts you to Farish diesels) wherever possible, if you want to preserve (or enhance?) the resale value and/or keep open the options to revert from 2mm to N. Until you are happier with your soldering skills I wouldn't recommend etched chassis, though as Kris says they are available for a significant part of your stock and would produce the "best" solution. The cheaper option, if you have access to somebody with a lathe, is to get the wheels turned down, though I believe it's not very satisfactory for some of the steam locomotives, and probably makes the locomotives less useful if they are to return to working on N track.

 

David (one of those with much to answer for...)

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I think perhaps, to continue this layout using the peco track already bought, with a view of updating the track at a later date, or learning from the layout and moving on when skills are much better.

 

I would suggest getting a few 2mm wagon kits and assembling them - it's a good way to improve your soldering skills (been there, done that), and you can get duplicate wheel sets to allow them to run on either 2mm on N layouts. Then you'll just need a wagon with DG coupling at one end and Rapido at the other so you can link them to your existing stock.

 

I assume from your stock list that you are modelling late LMS/early BR - the ubiquitous 16T mineral wagon would probably be a good candiadate, either the 2mm version or the Stephen Harris one. There's also about 30 other LMS/BR wagons listed on the 2mm site that might appeal to you - see http://www.2mm.org.uk/products/shops.php?shop_num=2

 

David

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Thanks David,

 

I'm getting complaints about nothing visibly being done on the current layout (lots of small bits to do before laying track), so getting that up and running first is order of the day.

 

after that will be looking at playing

 

Era is LMS 1940- early 60's (nationalisation didn't happen) and as time goes by, perhaps coming into the 70's so that I can run that 43 I was talking about...

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Come on over to the dark side David you know it makes sense, all that shunting you did so efficiently at the weekend would be so much more difficult to do reliably in N for a whole host of reasons which I won't go into here. My advice is to make yourself a little inglenook type shunting puzzle with a couple of simple soldered points to hone your skills. Get one of the new Farish diesels with some drop in wheels, fit some DG couplings and build a few wagons to play with and to get the hang of etched kits before gravitating on to an etched replacement loco chassis.

You took to the quirky operation of Highbury like a duck to water which suggests to me that you would find a small, simple shunting puzzle in 2FS enormously satisfying.

 

Jerry

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I think perhaps, to continue this layout using the peco track already bought, with a view of updating the track at a later date, or learning from the layout and moving on when skills are much better.

 

This is what I think you should do. Especially having been party to a conversation that you had with SWMBO when we got back. You have already bought all the track and are probably not that far from being able to lay it down.

 

Come on over to the dark side David you know it makes sense, all that shunting you did so efficiently at the weekend would be so much more difficult to do reliably in N for a whole host of reasons which I won't go into here. My advice is to make yourself a little inglenook type shunting puzzle with a couple of simple soldered points to hone your skills. Get one of the new Farish diesels with some drop in wheels, fit some DG couplings and build a few wagons to play with and to get the hang of etched kits before gravitating on to an etched replacement loco chassis.

You took to the quirky operation of Highbury like a duck to water which suggests to me that you would find a small, simple shunting puzzle in 2FS enormously satisfying.

 

Jerry

 

This is a good idea. Perhaps once the existing sprawl is a bit more complete.

 

To go back to what Chris said - track can be difficult to get out of the jigs, which is why I only use button and roller gauges.

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Now, some people on here are going to regard this as complete heresy, but how about the idea that you don't have to do everything yourself? I have yet to see a rulebook that says finescale must ALL be home made. So, think about doing what you're comfortable with and buying in what you are not. For example, I have bought pointwork from Keith Armes, the master 2mm trackbuilder in the past and I currently have an order in with him, partly because he does it better than me and partly because the piece of trackwork I want is complicated and set on a curve and I'd like it to work. Yes, it's rather more expensive than Streamline, but does that make it cheating? I personally don't think so and I intend using Easitrac for plain line with bought in turnouts etc. I take the view that this is something I do for fun, so the sensible way forward is to work out how to get to where I want to be in the best way possible. 'Best' here might mean cheapest. But it might also mean quickest, or most satisfactory (ie I want it work!). Now we have Easitrac soldering up plain track is - in my view - a masochistic thing to do - you could use the time far better doing something else. Jerry's advice to do a diesel loco with drop in wheels is good - but equally, you could just have the existing wheelsets turned down for you which is cheaper and you'll normally have them back after a week or so. If you want to go back to N later, buy new wheelsets. So is the advice to tinker about with wagon kits. A good half-way house is one of the plastic body kits - Parkside maybe - with a Fencehouses etched chassis. I started this way doing a train of 20 24.5T minerals - a real sense of achievement - and then did a few hoppers with the NGS body and Fencehouses chassis before moving on to do the complete etched metal kit. Before you know what's happening you'll have the skills to go in whatever direction you want. You may eventually want to build all your own track, you may not. Shouldn't matter either way. Give it a go!

 

Alan

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