Jump to content
 

fiNetrax


Anglian
 Share

Recommended Posts

14 hours ago, MacRat said:

There appear to be two threads. Found the other one first and don't know which one people follow, so I put the heads-up here as well.

British Finescale has a Kickstarter running to raise funds for flat bottom rail turnouts with concrete sleepers. Rewards are 1 to 3 turnouts of type AV8. 

.
How do I help funding this? Any link? I'm looking for good finescale track and pointwork with concrete sleepers. Does he do flexi-track also?

Link to post
Share on other sites

@MGR Hooper! Is tapping or clicking anywhere in the big embedded thingy not working for you? It does for me. The forum software created this block automatically when I posted the link.

 

And yes, on britishfinescale.com concrete sleeper track is available as kit. This will build into flexi track

Edited by MacRat
  • Thanks 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium
7 hours ago, Bomag said:

Unlike plainline concrete sleepers on S&C is very new - well the last 15 years. For most of the BR period we only had wooden bearers/sleepers with vertical FB track. Presumably the geometry is the same, it just needs a different base.

I’d say they started appearing more like 25 years ago, being the norm on mainlines for the last 15. 

 

 an exciting development, I’m in for a couple of turnouts!

Link to post
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, MacRat said:

@MGR Hooper! Is tapping or clicking anywhere in the big embedded thingy not working for you? It does for me. The forum software created this block automatically when I posted the link.

 

And yes, on britishfinescale.com concrete sleeper track is available as kit. This will build into flexi track


Hey,

Didn't work on my phone, works fine on the PC. Also I seem to have had a broken/old link to the website bookmarked. Found the correct one now.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

Hi ,

I have pledged and looking at it now over 1/3 funded so hopefully enough folk want some or can go the extra mile and while maybe not their centre of attraction fancy a little modelling challenge or will help others now or in the future who join the hobby and want to go beyond opening blister packs.

 

Go on - you know you want to help.

 

Robert       

  • Agree 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

I've pledged for two - it would be great to see this go ahead!

 

I've not actually seen many Finetrax based layouts "in the wild" yet. I remember seeing one at an exhibition that was a stretch of mainline in the transition era - can't remember what it was called though?

 

I put together one B6 point a while back as a test, but have mainly concentrated on 2mmFS (my plan has always been 2mmFS steam, Finer-N modern image). I should get around to building up the other Finetrax wooden points I bought into a little layout!

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

Hi ,

I have pledged and looking at it now over 1/3 funded so hopefully enough folk want some or can go the extra mile and while maybe not their centre of attraction fancy a little modelling challenge or will help others now or in the future who join the hobby and want to go beyond opening blister packs.

 

Go on - you know you want to help.

 

Robert       

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

hi not sure what happened to cause duplication sorry !

 

 but just to  say 51% funded is a really good response hopefully folk will find the fuzzy warm feeling to pledge and if not really your era there is a £5 no reward pledge so you can have an inner altruistic glow of helping the next generation...    

 

Robert

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Following the increased range of funding options, I have increased my pledge to the level necessary to get a filing jig, too. I do thoroughly recommend that those who have pledged pledge at a level allowing them to get a jig, as these make a big difference to the ease of building these points (I have previously built one of the Bullhead ones).

  • Agree 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

On 30/08/2019 at 09:40, justin1985 said:

I've not actually seen many Finetrax based layouts "in the wild" yet. I remember seeing one at an exhibition that was a stretch of mainline in the transition era - can't remember what it was called though?

 

You're probably thinking of Clifton Lowther (RM Feb 2018 and numerous exhibitions). Other Finetrax layouts on public display include Little Salkeld (RM Mar 2019) and Lockwood Street (York show 2019).

 

Come to think of it, Wayne should really put up on his website a gallery of Finetrax in action on quality layouts such as these. There's no better ad for it. 

  • Like 1
  • Agree 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, dpgibbons said:

 

You're probably thinking of Clifton Lowther (RM Feb 2018 and numerous exhibitions). Other Finetrax layouts on public display include Little Salkeld (RM Mar 2019) and Lockwood Street (York show 2019).

 

Yup that’s the one! It’s a shame that none of these layouts has much in the way of a web presence - it would be great if they were a bit more widely known.

 

A showcase on the Finetrax website would be a great start!

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

Hi 

Well in just 10 days scheme is 70 % funded  With less than £1K to source this looks to be a very promising kick starter project- well planned and calmly executed and well supported by not only those who directly plan and desire a result but by a number who see the funding as an aid to future modelling by others yet to be known, a big thanks to them and refreshing as well.  

 

If you looked earlier and thought not for me , please look again. The pegged "pandrol" clip unit will be compatible with Wayne`s earlier "wooden bases so allowing FB on traditional pointwork - allowing that the crossing nose will be BH, but the half chairs will look like the chunky brackets now favoured.  This means for fun you could have a BH point 292mm long as Wayne has noted that he could just as easily create a "wooden" type base to the FB plan, but this would have a FB crossing due to the geometry involved.

Hopefully  FB clip packs will be available on their own to allow current kits in gloat piles to be upgraded. 

 

Thanks for your support or telling others of the project

Robert.

    

  • Like 3
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium
On 31/08/2019 at 10:32, justin1985 said:

 

Yup that’s the one! It’s a shame that none of these layouts has much in the way of a web presence - it would be great if they were a bit more widely known.

 

A showcase on the Finetrax website would be a great start!

Hi Justin,

 

I've been following this one:

https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/143039-6x1-quarry-aggregate-layout-set-in-the-80s90s/

 

All built with Finetrax and very nice it is too. 

 

Wayne deserves any support that people can give. Anything that may drag some away from Peco!

 

David

 

  • Like 2
  • Informative/Useful 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

In case anyone is in a similar position, I found the ‘maximum’ pledge left me two turnout kits and a jig short of my total requirements. It occurred to me I could create a second account to add a second pledge, but wasn’t sure if it would be against Kickstarter’s rules.

After a brief Google search I found someone had done a similar thing on another project and created a second account under the guidance of Kickstarter themselves. To verify this I contacted Kickstarter support who confirmed that it is acceptable to create a second account and make an additional pledge, so I have - initially for two turnouts and a jig, then after looking at my Templot plan again realized I could use two of the AV7 kits for a branch junction that I had removed from my plan, so an additional four kits and a jig.

 

Hope that may be of help to some!

 

Cheers,

 

Mark

Link to post
Share on other sites

Having seen pictures of these, and the superb China clay layout mentioned above I am very, very tempted. They do look superb. But having never made track I am apprehensive. For someone who’s never soldered more than dropper wires to the underside of rails how hard are they to build?

 

Does anyone offer a building service (I know some in the 2mm society do for their points). I only need a few for a micro layout tester so happy to pay a premium

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold
22 minutes ago, TomJ said:

Having seen pictures of these, and the superb China clay layout mentioned above I am very, very tempted. They do look superb. But having never made track I am apprehensive. For someone who’s never soldered more than dropper wires to the underside of rails how hard are they to build?

 

Does anyone offer a building service (I know some in the 2mm society do for their points). I only need a few for a micro layout tester so happy to pay a premium

Hi Tom,

 

If you can solder droppers to track - then you can build Waynes fiNetrax pointwork.

 

There is no soldering other than to do the droppers for the crossing and toes of the points.

 

The chairs all have a peg that fits into the hole in the leeper and this in turn sets the gauge correctly.

 

I've now built 28 of the wooden sleeper turnouts and got the time taken down to about 2 hours each, built, wires attached, ready to lay.

 

You have to work out how you want to operate them and that is best done before laying any track or points.

 

Thanks

Phil H

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold
2 minutes ago, TomJ said:

Thanks. Really helpful

 

What are the options for operating them? I presume solenoids are out

Hi Tom,

 

You are correct - solenoids are out.

 

They will tear the operating mechanism apart.

 

The way forwards is either slow motion things like tortoise or servo control as you can set the travel limit with both of these options.

 

The easiset way is wire in tube with an omega loop to take up the excess travel.

 

Thanks

Phil H

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium
17 hours ago, Scottish Modeller said:

Hi Tom,

 

If you can solder droppers to track - then you can build Waynes fiNetrax pointwork.

 

There is no soldering other than to do the droppers for the crossing and toes of the points.

 

The chairs all have a peg that fits into the hole in the leeper and this in turn sets the gauge correctly.

 

I've now built 28 of the wooden sleeper turnouts and got the time taken down to about 2 hours each, built, wires attached, ready to lay.

 

You have to work out how you want to operate them and that is best done before laying any track or points.

 

Thanks

Phil H

My first one took about 4 hours, but 2 hours for the second one. They're not difficult, a little fiddly at times but nothing complicated if you follow the instructions. The plain track is simple as well. I got it down to about 5 minutes to assemble each 0.5m length. 

 

Edit - forgot to add, our club layout is being built with fiNetrax plain track and crossing vees, with handbuilt pointwork. I think there are about 55 points on the scenic section, the majority curved, so using Wayne's bases wasn't an option. 

Edited by 5944
  • Thanks 1
  • Informative/Useful 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...