Butley Mills - an Iain Rice Suffolk layout

[Andy Vincent]

Many years ago, a small advert appeared in one of the finescale society magazines to say that Butley Mills was available for purchase. At the time, I was returning to the hobby and had been persuaded (by Peter Bailey of the South Hants MRC) to adopt finescale principles so was aware of Butley Mills from Iain's writings. I cant remember whether this was the Scalefour or EM Gauge Society magazines, but the owner (not Iain) lived not far from me so I arranged to view the layout. The owner had begun to relocate the layout from GER dominated Suffolk to LSWR territory but it was still unmistakably dominated by Butley Mill.

 

Suffice it to say, I was smitten, money changed hands and 'the Mill' was loaded into my car!  Shortly after, a house move happened, children arrived, a change of job happened - and the layout was consigned to storage, but not forgotten.

 

Finally, the need for more space (how much space can teenagers need?!) led to a loft conversion and the chance to bring Butley Mills out of storage and to contemplate what to do with it. Everything was present (except rolling stock) but time has taken its toll. Butley Mills is nearly forty years old and was used by Iain to test out P4 as well as many other concepts. As such it has phosphor bronze rail, early Ratio track bases (plus ply and rivet and just ply) - and one of every available type of solenoid point motor! Clearly a major overhaul would be needed.

 

The other challenge is that I model in EM and am involved with a new EM gauge layout at South Hants MRC and didnt really want two sets of rolling stock in different gauges. The final concern was that Iain himself noted that it had limited operational interest at exhibitions.

 

Most of a plan had begun to form: I would relay the track as EM but it was also clear that a new set of baseboards would be needed given the state of the carpentry. This did at least mean that the sector plate could be replaced by an off-scene cassette system. The point motors would also be replaced by servos and the layout would be DCC. More contentiously, I was keen to explore the idea that time had passed and that Butley Mills now had occasional passenger trains and a small station in the tradition of the GER halts.

 

The first item that I tackled was to remove the sector plate and to build out the back of the mill complex (the sector plate originally swung inside the mill). This has progressed at a couple of Missenden Abbey modellers meetings with Iain getting updates and seeing progress.

 

Sadly, Iain was not to see this project completed. However, by way of a tribute to his work, Butley Mills will be one of a number of his layouts that will be exhibited at the Uckfield MRC Show in October. This has necessitated a further re-appraisal of the work and so Butley Mills will appear at this show in its original configuration as far as possible.

 

The conversion to EM will go ahead and the new baseboard will enable the use of a cassette system. There will be a very minor change to the track plan: the 3-way point behind the store will become two single turnouts. The location of this point coincides with a join in the new baseboards so retaining this as a 3-way isn't an option. However,  this turnout is actually hidden by the village store so the change will not be obvious. Thoughts about other changes will happen after the exhibition.

 

Over the next six months or so I will give progress updates and photographs of the restoration as it proceeds.

 

 

Edited March 3, 2023 by Andy Vincent

[adrianmc]

As Andy has kindly mentioned, the Uckfield Model Railway Exhibition this year will be including a tribute to Iain Rice who sadly passed away in October 2022.

 

The Exhibition hopes to feature at least five 4mm/ft finescale layouts which were constructed by him or in which he was a major contributor. Those provisionally booked to attend include Butley Mills, Cades Green, Hepton Wharf, Trerice and Longwood Edge. It is also hoped that there will be on display a selection of Iain's North Cornwall stock, built for his layout Tregarrick.

 

Further details of the Exhibition which is scheduled for the 21st/22nd October 2023 can be found at:

 

http://www.uckfieldmrc.co.uk/exhibition.html

 

The show will also include, for the first time, Scalefour Southeast. 

 

[Kylestrome]

11 hours ago, Andy Vincent said:

The conversion to EM will go ahead and the new baseboard .....

 

Why am I reminded of Trigger's broom?  🤔😁

 

It's great to see that this classic layout is in good hands and will get a new lease of life.

 

Happy modelling,

David

[Andy Vincent]

Work this weekend is focussed on reattaching the front fascia and beginning to make good those places where the varnish used for the waters of Butley Creek has lifted. As far as possible, I will go with the repeated layers of varnish approach of the original - but the fallback is to add a few more reeds to disguise any imperfections!

 

 

The plan (reproduced here to keep me on track!) is as follows:

• March - complete bus wiring and woodworking
• April / May - trackwork, point operating systems and uncouplers plus the control panel
• June - lighting rig, power supply and backscene
• July - fix scenic issues
• August / September - work on appropriate rolling stock for a former GER line in the fifties
• October -  testing, training and show!

A full exhibition test is planned for the last week of July where the whole layout in exhibition guise is going to Missenden Abbey for a week so that I get a solid week at their Modellers Retreat. 

 

Well it all seems fine on paper!

Edited March 12, 2023 by Andy Vincent

[Andy Vincent]

'Underpinning' the creek and millpond was successfully completed at the weekend and I will cosmetically restore the fascia for the creek (foreground in the earlier picture) this week. That this was necessary goes back to the original baseboard designs - yes each baseboard was built differently!

 

I think Iain would have readily admitted that his woodworking skills were perhaps not quite at the level of his modelling or writing: in one of his books he mentions that he built the baseboards for one of his layouts 'one Sunday afternoon using what I had to hand'! He also described the construction of the original Butley Mills baseboards and noted that they used a glue designed for aircraft construction. 

 

Both baseboards for Butley Mills used substantial 'L-girder' design for the outer edges with a top of ply - but the millpond was supported on thicker ply than that used to support the creek. The consequence of this was that the creek fascia became partially detached and the creek could flex more leading the damaged edge seen in the photo. Fortunately, I have the bigger missing varnished areas and these too have been reattached using superglue.

 

The process to move the scenic sections was essentially to separate the ply top from the outer framing - in reality each ply top was made of several pieces with not all being the same thickness. A variety of foamboard sheets have been used to even out some of the discrepancies with other areas are supported using 3D printed spacers. My woodworking skills also have some limitations but the finished height was not easy to achieve using common stripwood dimensions anyway so 3D printing seemed easier. I will inject PU spray foam under these sections in due course to both deaden the sound and fill any gaps between scenic sections.

[Andy Vincent]

So April has arrived and track laying has commenced - so (mostly!) on target so far. 

 

My approach to replacing the track is essentially to lay new rails on the existing sleepers. However, there needs to be a variety of approaches given the different types of sleepers used. The easiest are the Ratio track base sections: these just require the old chairs to be taken off with a scalpel and new chairs fixed in place as the rail is laid. Almost all of the plain track was built this way. More complicated are the ply and rivet sleepers. I have tried grinding down the rivets with a Dremel and this seems to work - the smell of singed sleeper gives a quick indication once they have been ground flush! All of the points were originally built using ply and rivet. In practice, I will replace a few of the point sleepers with PCB strip since my preferred approach is to firmly anchor the common crossing (both ends) and the end of the switch blades. This also handles the linking of stock rail and its associated switch rail as well as the parts of the common crossing.

 

The original point work is a mix of A4 and A5 but this is cleverly hidden with the extensive use of Y points giving a minimum radius of around 40". I repeatedly changed my mind about whether to start at the mill or chapel end. Ultimately, I decided to tackle the most complicated bit first which is the replacement of the original 3-way point at the mill end. The replacement is two single points with a baseboard joint positioned between them. The new combination also had to result in exit roads that lined up with the loop, main and goods siding with minimal changes!

 

Suffice it to say that a test fitting on Monday night suggests that the objectives have been achieved although with the main now with a little less curvature. Ultimately this was a compromise between keeping the minimum radius but having a slightly straighter alignment of the main or retaining more of the curve. On the plus side, this will make the incorporation of a short platform for 'Butley Halt' at some future date fit more naturally into the layout. Incidentally, my intention is to follow another Rice tradition and make the platform component swappable so the layout could be run in either 'original' or 'extended' version - but that is for another year.

 

In a further nod to the original, I have re-used the phosphor bronze rail to form the check rails. Here the naturally darker colour will help avoid one of my pet peeves: shiny check (and wing) rails! 

 

All that remains to complete the first two points is to add the tie bars. These will follow the Mike Norris design of a copperclad tie bar acting as the spacer, with the operating wires passing from the blade tips through the tie bar (to reduce strain on the copperclad) and ending with a working crank to transfer the action to a servo below the baseboard.

 

I plan build and commission one more point (for the mill siding) and then complete the wiring and testing for that end of the layout before tackling the last two points - perhaps a fitting task for Coronation weekend . . . !

[Andy Vincent]

A rather overdue update!

 

Generally the refurbishment is going well albeit not quite in an entirely linear direction! Track has been laid for some time and 'unit tested' as we would say in the software business - basically all the pieces of track have been tested in small sections - but testing the entirety is only happening now. In large part this is because I needed to assemble the PCBs for the control systems.

 

The control boards are all from MERG with their relay boards being used for points where one pole controls the frog polarity and the other controls the inputs to Servo4 boards that switch the points. One advantage of the most recent relay boards is that they can be controlled by logic signals as can the Servo4 if one component is omitted. The layout is also being fitted with MERG block detectors so that position information is available.

 

The long term aim is to use DCC-EX for all the control. This system uses Arduino boards both as the DCC Command Station and for controlling and detecting things. This approach allows a single Arduino for each baseboard to control everything - up to 75 devices per Arduino. These small computers are linked via network cabling. This approach is very cheap (a 2A command station costs about £25) but also very powerful since it supports a simple scripting language that can reset signals after trains pass, prevent movements and generally act as an extra operator! 

 

Whilst I wont commission the DCC-EX system for Uckfield, I wanted to ensure that all the control systems were compatible with Arduino control from the outset, hence using MERG components that can be driven by logic level signals. A conventional control panel will be used in the meantime.

 

Another reason for the non-linear progress - as the observant may have noticed - is that my original schedule omitted any mention of legs or other layout support. I am told that Iain simply turned up and plonked the layout down on a couple of tables at its first show - and then lined up four chairs so the audience could sit and view the layout at eye level! However, I wanted to adopt a more conventional approach, albeit with 3D printed sockets for the legs. The support structure should be complete in a few days.

 

The one casualty of my running a week or two late is that I have yet to start on the lighting rig. This will now happen either whilst at Missenden Abbey or shortly after. The plan is to use aluminium T-track extrusions to support LED strips. Aside from speed of construction (albeit at higher cost), this approach allows me to easily add spotlights, speakers and other items to supplement the basic lighting. Anyone who has seen (and heard) Richard Butler's wonderful Westcliff may not have appreciated quite how much equipment he has hidden on the lighting beam.

 

Elsewhere, I have made progress on finding wagons, including acquiring a number of the discontinued Parkside PC13 LNER Grain Hoppers that should keep me busy in odd moments. Wheels and other parts have also been assembled to convert some somewhat appropriate locos. However, fully prototypical rolling stock will remain a work in progress.

 

 

[fezza]

I'd love to see more pictures of progress if you are willing to share. This is on my list of all-time favourite layouts and it is great to see some of Iain Rice's inspirational work being preserved and reused. 

[Andy Vincent]

On 28/07/2023 at 17:48, fezza said:

I'd love to see more pictures of progress if you are willing to share. This is on my list of all-time favourite layouts and it is great to see some of Iain Rice's inspirational work being preserved and reused. 

I have just returned home from a very productive week at the Missenden Abbey Railway Modellers 'Retreat' and will sort out some more pictures once the layout is back out of its travel guise. This may take a few days as it is convenient to fix the rear baseboard catches whilst it is in this state as I dont have access to the back face normally.

 

However, @queensquare did take some whilst he was at Missenden and might be able to post some quicker than I can . . . . ! 

[Andy Vincent]

Having returned from a week of intensive effort at the Missenden Abbey Railway Modellers Retreat - cooked breakfast at 8am, work through until a bit before 'last orders' at the bar and then repeat for five days - an update does seem timely (or overdue - and not for the first time).

 

All the buildings are now back in position with many of them now fixed down rather than simply being placed in position as was Iain's original arrangement. There are a couple that will remain removable, most notably the shop as this spans a baseboard joint as it has always done. The mission will also fall into this category at least until I have checked clearances when the packed for travel. On that topic, the two main baseboards are collapsed onto each other and spaced with end plates for transport in the exhibition tradition. Initially they were set at the maximum spacing that my car can accommodate but I am hoping to reduce that after some more detailed measurements as the fit is just a little snug!

 

My preference for fixing the buildings is partly to reduce the number of boxes to transport / things to forget, and partly because the permanent joins make it easier to fix up the landscaping around the buildings. However, the height and overall size of the mill does limit options for fixing some other buildings whilst keeping the overall size manageable when transporting.

 

Generally, and not surprisingly as this is a restoration, buildings are all back in their original positions. However, the switch from a three way point to a pair of single points does have a small impact on overall geometry: overall the layout is around 4" longer and just over an inch deeper with the goods siding not quite as tight as it was to the loop. This posed the question of how to approach the cottages and mission.

 

I am fortunate in having access to Longwood Edge and Hepton Wharf in addition to Butley Mills and all demonstrate the way Iain built scenes within the overall picture. Looking at Butley Mills, the two key elements at that end were the way the cottages fall at the end of the siding (the simple buffer stop almost seems to have pushed back the fence) and the mission close to the tracks with steps up from the path that passes the mission and runs down to the foot crossing. Almost lost amongst this was the smithy which seemed to sit in the cottage garden.

 

After much musing and experimentation, and discussion with the ever helpful @queensquare, the cottages sit in their original position adjacent to the buffer stop but have been raised very slightly (from nothing by the siding up to 10mm by the end of the back garden - the gardens slope, not the cottages!). The mission also sits in its original position next to the track but has been lifted by a similar amount so that it retains the elevated look of the original. The combined effect of this is that the view between cottages and mission is opened up very slightly but just enough so that the smithy can sit in a more natural position. The view between cottages, smithy and mission and across the tracks to the water tower and creek beyond is my new favourite view on the layout. At some stage, post Uckfield, I will see what I can do to add a webcam that captures this view whilst shunting is going on in the yard.

 

The main work that remains for the scenic aspects is to add in two areas of rougher grassland (dyed traditional underlay detailed appropriately), fix up an area of roadway behind Archers Garage and similarly the grassland between coal siding and loop. The front trim also needs renovating as does one area of the creek where the varnish has lifted from the underlying baseboard.

 

The biggest remaining scenic element is the cattle dock. This had suffered extensively over the years and I will need to resin print some fencing/gates to supplement that which survives as I cant locate the source of the original - unusually, it does not appear to have been Wills - but I also need to add four inches to the rear of the cattle dock. This is a consequence of adding four inches to the (very short) headshunt to enable me to use a J15 since this is one of the few items of vaguely appropriate motive power that I have at this point. Studying photographs of former GER cattle docks suggests that they were generally approached on the level and didn't have the steps and ramp of most kits. This makes it easier to add - and is visually in keeping with the slight rise in levels from left to right and as reflected in the mission placement.

 

In general, I have mostly kept to my schedule with the exception of uncouplers. However, these are somewhat tied to choice of couplings:  it would be convenient if these were Alex Jackson since this is the choice of a club layout which could share some of the stock being (slowly) assembled for Butley Mills. However, I need to test that these will actually work on Butley Mills. That is a test which needs to be done this month.

Edited August 5, 2023 by Andy Vincent
readability

[queensquare]

Good to see you last week Andy. Here are a few phone snaps taken at Missenden. Butley Mills is really starting to come back to life with a sympathetic restoration 

 

Jerry

 

 

[Graham T]

Great photos, thanks.  Just spent a long time admiring the many little details tucked away all over the layout.  Lovely.

 

[t-b-g]

22 hours ago, Andy Vincent said:

Having returned from a week of intensive effort at the Missenden Abbey Railway Modellers Retreat - cooked breakfast at 8am, work through until a bit before 'last orders' at the bar and then repeat for five days - an update does seem timely (or overdue - and not for the first time).

 

All the buildings are now back in position with many of them now fixed down rather than simply being placed in position as was Iain's original arrangement. There are a couple that will remain removable, most notably the shop as this spans a baseboard joint as it has always done. The mission will also fall into this category at least until I have checked clearances when the packed for travel. On that topic, the two main baseboards are collapsed onto each other and spaced with end plates for transport in the exhibition tradition. Initially they were set at the maximum spacing that my car can accommodate but I am hoping to reduce that after some more detailed measurements as the fit is just a little snug!

 

My preference for fixing the buildings is partly to reduce the number of boxes to transport / things to forget, and partly because the permanent joins make it easier to fix up the landscaping around the buildings. However, the height and overall size of the mill does limit options for fixing some other buildings whilst keeping the overall size manageable when transporting.

 

Generally, and not surprisingly as this is a restoration, buildings are all back in their original positions. However, the switch from a three way point to a pair of single points does have a small impact on overall geometry: overall the layout is around 4" longer and just over an inch deeper with the goods siding not quite as tight as it was to the loop. This posed the question of how to approach the cottages and mission.

 

I am fortunate in having access to Longwood Edge and Hepton Wharf in addition to Butley Mills and all demonstrate the way Iain built scenes within the overall picture. Looking at Butley Mills, the two key elements at that end were the way the cottages fall at the end of the siding (the simple buffer stop almost seems to have pushed back the fence) and the mission close to the tracks with steps up from the path that passes the mission and runs down to the foot crossing. Almost lost amongst this was the smithy which seemed to sit in the cottage garden.

 

After much musing and experimentation, and discussion with the ever helpful @queensquare, the cottages sit in their original position adjacent to the buffer stop but have been raised very slightly (from nothing by the siding up to 10mm by the end of the back garden - the gardens slope, not the cottages!). The mission also sits in its original position next to the track but has been lifted by a similar amount so that it retains the elevated look of the original. The combined effect of this is that the view between cottages and mission is opened up very slightly but just enough so that the smithy can sit in a more natural position. The view between cottages, smithy and mission and across the tracks to the water tower and creek beyond is my new favourite view on the layout. At some stage, post Uckfield, I will see what I can do to add a webcam that captures this view whilst shunting is going on in the yard.

 

The main work that remains for the scenic aspects is to add in two areas of rougher grassland (dyed traditional underlay detailed appropriately), fix up an area of roadway behind Archers Garage and similarly the grassland between coal siding and loop. The front trim also needs renovating as does one area of the creek where the varnish has lifted from the underlying baseboard.

 

The biggest remaining scenic element is the cattle dock. This had suffered extensively over the years and I will need to resin print some fencing/gates to supplement that which survives as I cant locate the source of the original - unusually, it does not appear to have been Wills - but I also need to add four inches to the rear of the cattle dock. This is a consequence of adding four inches to the (very short) headshunt to enable me to use a J15 since this is one of the few items of vaguely appropriate motive power that I have at this point. Studying photographs of former GER cattle docks suggests that they were generally approached on the level and didn't have the steps and ramp of most kits. This makes it easier to add - and is visually in keeping with the slight rise in levels from left to right and as reflected in the mission placement.

 

In general, I have mostly kept to my schedule with the exception of uncouplers. However, these are somewhat tied to choice of couplings:  it would be convenient if these were Alex Jackson since this is the choice of a club layout which could share some of the stock being (slowly) assembled for Butley Mills. However, I need to test that these will actually work on Butley Mills. That is a test which needs to be done this month.

 

You are doing a superb job with the layout Andy. It isn't easy doing a major rebuild but still keeping the character of the layout intact but you are achieving just that.

 

I once experimented with AJ couplings on an EM layout with short, small radius points and curves and I really struggled with them. The sideplay of wheels in track on 18.2mm EM and the overhang of even short wagons on the curves (especially on reverse curves) caused them to either miss when trying to couple, or to uncouple themselves when propelling. I hope you have better luck but I just thought I should pass on my experiences to forewarn you. I am hoping my new layout, using large radius curves and 18mm gauge, solves these problems for me but that is no help to you!

 

Best wishes with the project.

 

Tony Gee 

[Gilbert]

I have a lot of photos from Missenden on my laptop. I'll try to post later this evening. 

Chris H.

[Andy Vincent]

2 hours ago, t-b-g said:

I once experimented with AJ couplings on an EM layout with short, small radius points and curves and I really struggled with them.

That is my concern especially with limited time between now and Uckfield to test and adjust. I suspect that I will take a pragmatic view for Uckfield and fit something else! That then poses the question of what: Kaydee's are likely the most accommodating but need a different magnet arrangement (aside from considerations of 'appropriateness'). The authentic choice would be Iain's 'Imprecise'* based on the Hope & Nixon that he used on his later cameo layouts. However, I would need to think about the implications of not having delayed uncoupling. That said, I could explore Iain's proposed delayed action modifications (similar to the second part of the hook on a S&W but formed in wire).

 

* The 'Imprecise' is essentially an AJ without the lateral twist and mounted with the hook upside down. It engages with a fixed bar between the buffer heads rather than another AJ. The absence of the twist avoids the difficulties encountered with imprecise alignment of AJs - hence the name - when used on curved track as Tony mentions. Fixing and dropper options are the same as for normal AJs.

[lezz01]

Well if you are going to have a bar across the buffers why not just go with S&W?

Regards Lez.

[Izzy]

You don’t have to use a bar across the buffers with S&W. I went through all the options of auto-couplings for my little P4 plank and eventually went with 2mm scale S&W’s adapted to suit and square loops that come out from the buffer beams for all stock. Used quite fine wire throughout and while the result isn’t perfect they work okay with the fixed magnets I need to use.

 

Bob

[DavidLong]

I'm surprised that Jerry didn't suggest DGs. As they lie in line with the buffers they are relatively unobtrusive and allow delayed uncoupling. Used on 'The Depots, Rosedale East' as seen on this 'ere forum. They also don't have the 'harpoon' of the S&W type and no goalposts required.

Please , not Kaydees, absolute sacrilege on this layout.

Lovely work on the layout.

 

David

[Andy Vincent]

3 minutes ago, DavidLong said:

Please , not Kaydees, absolute sacrilege on this layout.

Agreed - they were only mentioned as being one that is more forgiving than some!

[lezz01]

How about 3 links? If you have a magnetic hook and steel for the end link it makes things easier.

Just make sure you have the right glasses on. I'm building stock with 3 link and screw couplings but I'm going to end up with AJs as I don't have any tight curves and my smallest turnout is a B6.

Regards Lez.

[t-b-g]

1 hour ago, Andy Vincent said:

That is my concern especially with limited time between now and Uckfield to test and adjust. I suspect that I will take a pragmatic view for Uckfield and fit something else! That then poses the question of what: Kaydee's are likely the most accommodating but need a different magnet arrangement (aside from considerations of 'appropriateness'). The authentic choice would be Iain's 'Imprecise'* based on the Hope & Nixon that he used on his later cameo layouts. However, I would need to think about the implications of not having delayed uncoupling. That said, I could explore Iain's proposed delayed action modifications (similar to the second part of the hook on a S&W but formed in wire).

 

* The 'Imprecise' is essentially an AJ without the lateral twist and mounted with the hook upside down. It engages with a fixed bar between the buffer heads rather than another AJ. The absence of the twist avoids the difficulties encountered with imprecise alignment of AJs - hence the name - when used on curved track as Tony mentions. Fixing and dropper options are the same as for normal AJs.

 

1 hour ago, lezz01 said:

Well if you are going to have a bar across the buffers why not just go with S&W?

Regards Lez.

 

55 minutes ago, Izzy said:

You don’t have to use a bar across the buffers with S&W. I went through all the options of auto-couplings for my little P4 plank and eventually went with 2mm scale S&W’s adapted to suit and square loops that come out from the buffer beams for all stock. Used quite fine wire throughout and while the result isn’t perfect they work okay with the fixed magnets I need to use.

 

Bob

 

These are my home made tweak on the S & W. Made from the same top E guitar wire as the AJ and with no remote uncouple and push facility, as well as being single ended they are almost 100% successful. With a couple of electromagnets down a siding, they work superbly. I have other layouts with permanent magnets fitted and they are OK but once in a while you get something uncoupling when you don't want it to.

 

I have a few wagons with a hook at each end and carriage rakes have a hook at each end, so locos only have the bar, which is at the lower end of the buffer beam as suggested. They are very quick to make, using a split pin as a dropper. I didn't build the LNWR brake van kit, so don't blame me for the slightly scruffy work on the underframe!

 

 

[lezz01]

Yeh I like that. The only real objection to it is that it's single ended other than that it's unobtrusive. Are you sure that AJs won't work? 

Regards Lez. 

[davknigh]

Dinghams should also be considered. Iain gave them a positive review in his book on Cameo layouts.. The Dingham coupling is now available from the S4 society now FWIW.

 

Cheers,

 

David

Edited August 6, 2023 by davknigh
Clarify the meaning of a sentence

[DavidLong]

33 minutes ago, davknigh said:

Dinghams should also be considered. Iain gave them a positive review in his book on Cameo layouts. Available from the S4 society now FWIW.

 

Cheers,

 

David

Agreed. I should have mentioned those. Kylestrome of this parish has used them on his West Highland P4 layout. Sadly not available in 2mm scale but I would certainly consider in the larger scale

 

David

[davknigh]

I’ve been using them since 2006 in P4 for shunting on fairly tight radius curves. There was an article on their use in the Scalefour News 233 so they are well documented. They are handed but for a layout like Butley Mills that is of no consequence and they are wonderfully unobtrusive as long as they are blackened. Plus, they go where couplers are supposed to go, in the buffer beam!

Cheers,

 

David