Leaderboard

To change to 2mm FS would be a major leap for you - and probably require a complete change in philosophy. It seems to me that very few people in 2FS have built a substantial number of locos - and those that have will be mainly conversions of N gauge items. Conversion wheelsets are available for Farish diesels and DMUs, but not yet for steam locos, so even a steam loco conversion is quite a challenge. There are a few etched chassis kits and a small number of complete kits available, but these by no means cover the range of locos most people would want. If you want to scratchbuild locos, then remember that 2mm components are not cheap. By the time you have paid for wheels, gears, motor and other accessories you are fast approaching the cost of some of the N gauge RTR locos. Add to that the time and cost of all the other things you will need like track jigs, rail, easitrack sleepers, replacement wheels for your rolling stock etc. plus all the extra time involved - and the decision of moving to 2mm scale becomes a very serious issue. You also need to consider that 2mm layouts generally run on much wider radius curves than N gauge, so you may get far less in the same space. Do at least seriously consider the alternatives. If an N gauge loco has the right wheels for your scratchbuilt locos, buying the loco for its wheel, gears and motor might well end up cheaper and quicker than going over to 2mm scale ( especially when all the other costs and conversions are taken into account). As an alternative, I have heard of one or two people using 2mm FS wheels on N gauge track by adding a thin washer to the backs of the wheels to bring the flanges up to the same thickness as on Farish wheels. When done properly, a 2mm FS layout and stock will look nicer than an N gauge layout - especially when looked at closely. In theory, having all the components available means that you can build pretty well anything you want. The extra work involved and cost are a major issue though. To my knowledge, (though I would be happy to be corrected if I am wrong), very few individual 2mm modellers have ever produced more than a very small number of scratch-built or converted steam locos - and I suspect all but a few do little more than convert RTR diesels and rolling stock, if anything at all. There are few large, complex 2mm FS layouts - and those that have been built are almost all group efforts. If you do convert to 2mm FS you will almost certainly end up drastically limiting your ambitions. A fairly small fleet of locos and a relatively unambitious layout are the very most that you are ever likely to achieve - at least unless your determination and energy is exceptionally high. Another alternative would be to completely separate your scratchbuilding activity from your layout. If you want to scratchbuild a loco, then why not try a larger scale? There are many more components available in 4mm scale, for example.

Go for it...give it a try and if it's not for you, at least you will have explored another option to get the rolling stock you are after.

Hi Martin, Tanks are starting to look good... Will have to point Rodders to the thread. Tank Walkways..... To make them more secure to the tank I add an extended leg to each of the tank supports. This is then fitted into holes drilled into the tank to make the whole thing a lot more 'Exhibition Proof'. Once you get the filler into the hole with the brass and smooth it off - you cannot see that this has been done. Then the paint job covers it as well! Thanks