dpgibbons

Some believe that abrasive cleaning of metal wheels leads to scratches, micro-arcing and accelerated formation of gunk.

I don't see many whitemetal kits in 7mm scale. It's a decent enough material if the kit manufacturer is skilled and the moulds are new, but frequently the quality and durability is poor. It won't be long before 3D printing rules the roost.

The tax rules in Oz remain far more permissive than in the EU. Only a few UK model railway retailers are likely to reach the threshold for charging Australian GST at source, whilst the rest can ship orders up to A$1000 without GST being levied at the border.

An article by Paul Chetter in the Jan 2014 issue of Hornby Magazine detailed two ways to install sound in the Fowler. One requires some internal body mods; neither require chassis mods. PM me if you want a copy.

Hattons have just sent out an "Update Regarding International Orders" which says the following: They have confirmed that they will shortly begin collecting 10% GST on orders to Australia.

This from gwr.org.uk is probably as definitive as any:

Three issues with fitting detailing packs - 1) do they restrict the loco's ability to negotiate curves? 2) how fragile are they? 3) will the loco still fit in its packaging?

Presumably the wireless link is via bluetooth and not wi-fi. A pity, as a wi-fi interface would allow the use of other throttles, including mobile phones.

Details of a new DCC Concepts power booster/wireless control adapter for Powercab here The system allows the Powercab to be used wirelessly (via bluetooth, presumably), but I'm a little surprised that there's no wi-fi interface.

Congrats. Great work! Would you consider sharing the print files?

Magnificent. What a beast.

Congratulations! A magnificent layout. Any thoughts on your next project?

I'm pondering how best to engrave bricks on my new laser. In 7mm, mortar courses are 0.25mm wide, which is several times the laser kerf. So what's the most efficient way to engrave them? Multiple passes? Using a fill?

Apologies, I came here from your website so didn't read the thread. But thanks for the info!

Some useful notes on the variants selected by Dapol here

From Disused Stations: Bangor "When the LNWR absorbed the Chester & Holyhead on 1 January 1859 they replaced the shed, probably in the same year, with a five road structure. In 1884 Bangor station was enlarged and the shed had to be moved. It was replaced by a standard LNWR six road Northlight shed which is seen in this view" Might the Bangor Goods Yard Work Shops be the original LNWR shed from 1859? The northlight style certainly suggests it.

That gwr.org.uk wagon livery article specifies standard GWR grey as a mix of black 7:1 white, and notes that Didcot uses a darker 14:1 mix to allow for the effects of ageing and weathering. So - definitely no blue. As Didcot's rationale for the darker shade indicates, the grey becomes faded and grubby in use and so could resemble almost any of the shades you have tested. I think all you can say with confidence is that outside of the wagon works, no two GWR wagons would be an identical grey, and they would have become a lighter shade with age.

Nice work. I think the Minerva is a fair reference colour for GWR freight grey, but RTR models, paint makers and preservation societies all have their own views. However, after the effects of fading, dirt and coal dust, any of your shades would be plausible.

I'm modelling principally in 7mm and have just acquired a 22W laser, so I'm wondering what materials (and at what thicknesses) work best for laser-cut model structures. Products I've seen used so far are 3mm MDF and 3mm birch ply, 1.5mm basswood, screenboard, and 0.6mm laserboard for windows etc. Any thoughts please?

The general consensus is that this is attractively priced with enough heft for modelling tasks, so I've bought one. Here's a video of one in action

The OS map shows that the crossover was at the other end of the tunnel with signal posts adjacent on both up and down lines (see map). Cemetary siding comes off the departure line a half a mile or so further on. Incidentally the other end of the tunnel would also qualify for this thread, with (from L to R) the MR's Birmingham West suburban line, the goods lines into Central Goods, Cemetary siding and the Worcestershire and Birmingham canal running alongside each other at different levels over a length of only 275m between tunnels.

The signal box diagram (attached) shows that the home signal #5 in the foreground controls access to the arrival line, with signal 22 the starter for the departure line. Presumably shunt signals 12, 15 and 21 were deemed sufficient to control all the adjacent sidings.

For sure you would not find such a plethora of signals in a typical goods yard. But this is a terminus of a double track goods branch, with multiple sidings exiting directly onto the running lines. Plus it's a very busy yard, and the tunnel restricts visibility. So the signalling arrangements make perfect sense.

Where there is room, I much prefer to use a plug-in decoder with a breakout board. These have nice big solder pads for connections thereby removing the need to solder on the decoder.

Some fascinating locations here. I particularly liked Liverpool Central, with its turntable in a nook. But those that give you just a glimpse of the tracks would not be practical as layouts, unless you were happy to have most of the trackwork offstage.