Barnaby

Very nice work Bill. Have you got any pics on your build in the layout section if so what's it called so I can view and enjoy. Regards

Mike Boucher - Thanks for the info on the Parallel reamers, costly little blighters aint they. I seem to remember using a set in a wooden box, I think there were 6 or was it 9 in there but that was many moons ago. Regards ..

While I've been thinking about wiring up the motor in my refurbished 22 you've nearly finished another model and I'm still only at the thinking stage. I think I need to take a little piece of a page out of your book. Incredible work Sandy. Cheers

Hello Jazz Would it not be ok to use tapers in thin sheet as the taper would be minimal of course if used with sheet thicknesses of say 1mm up it might become relevant. My main and limited use with tapers is they are variable so I can creep up on widening a hole. They allow me to tackle a lot of different sized holes not requiring me to have several fixed sized Parallel reamers. I'm sure I seen some where a variable or is it expandable parallel reamer but I'd probably stick with my tapered one. Cheers

Hello Not much done recently, plan now finished loose lay down of track to plan. Then did some test lays of track/ballast using your Das method but using copydex 100% to hold the track then paint with ballast on top. Also tried a foam break under track using copydex 100% but thought this a waste of time. From these test I've decided to do this:> 1.Lay track directly onto baseboard in 100% copydex 2.Pour ballast onto track shake/brush into place 3.Use copydex mix of 30% to 70% water with a splash of meths to break surface tension added through a pipette 4.Paint up 5.In areas of hard standing use Das smoothed flat for cement and press a brass tube suitably ovaled into it for cobbled areas. 6.As 4 I've done a trial hole drilling through the copydex and if a pre "X" is cut with a knife where the hole is to be drilled this ensures it dosen't wind a line of latex up around the drill bit.. Thanks to Martin Wynne of Templot, 0-6-0 Hunslet and 85A models fame for that tip. http://www.templot.com/ Waiting for some rail joiners from C&L [exactoscale] both plastic and brass types so I can begin in ernest track laying.. Slow but progress Regards

Great looking model again Giles.

Beautiful looking model there Ian, all set for some tasteful weathering. Is that a GOLD BAR under the painted plates, another little side line you got going. Regards

Looking good and remember a man can eat an elephant with a teaspoon if given enough time. In my case it's more procastination is the thief of my time. Regards

Now that spring is here and the juices are stiring I think I'll be making a big push. I'll try and keep this updated as I go. It's my intention that it will be mainly a goods depo with plenty of shunting, quite a bit of grime and with as many hidden load changes as I can manage. That may mean some of my drawn plan loads might get changed for some thing else. Regards

Making a start at last...................... The lincs coupling.my choice for the waggons. IN THE BEGININNING CAME MUCH TWEAKING FOLLOWED FOLLOWED BY SOME PLAYING

How do you do it Sandy. That's remarkably quickly put together and is equisite to boot, it's not JLTRT but BTTRT. Great work.

Looking good Ian. I've got some areas that will require DAS applying but I was just going to put down the DAS directly. Have you stuck down the "HARDCORE" then applied the DAS over the top and is the reason for the "HARDCORE" only to reduce the amount of DAS required? Thanks EDIT I just Read your other blog entry saying YOU DID STICK DOWN THE HARDCORE. I must get up tp speed with reading these Blogs correctly.

I have been looking for some back ground info on some tar depos and this fills that need loverly - thanks. regards

Thanks Pete I've also just e-mailed jamie, see his post above @ 65 to see if there is any update on these Lincs couplings as they've been at least a year in the promise. Maybe he will update here. regards

Hello PAD I'm sure Sandy will reply but tossing my 2 pence worth in. I find my mini torch is most useful because it>> heats up VERY quickly is VERY neat leaving little if no smear unlike most irons will do is extremely precise is very easy to manipulate and position being a very light-weight item I don't do any where near as much soldering as Sandy but I do have a selection of tools being mini torch 15watt antex 30watt antex 200watt weller Resistance soldering unit For my use the most is #1 then #5 with the others getting some random useage more often not on modelling tasks. Try a torch mine is a B&Q £10 button press self ignite using lighter gas., you might find you have been missing out. If you have a spare £10 to try one I'd be interested in you oppion after. Regards

Some more beautiful work flowing from your magic fingers Sandy.

You tease Pete Not sure what you mean 3-links and nothing more, all you need is 3 links and you're done or are you trying to make the 3-links auto couple, cor if so. That's one of the pluses with the Lincs coupling, if you take stock to a another layout not with magnets fitted you can use 3-link if your eyes are up to it, mine even in 7mm are not. Regards

What a confusing post this is now. http://www.google.co.uk/products/catalog?q=guitar+strings&hl=en&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.r_qf.&bvm=bv.1357700187,d.d2k&biw=1678&bih=912&wrapid=tlif135811395858310&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=17383135890895919571&sa=X&ei=xizzULGGA-ec0AXozoDoBQ&ved=0CIgBEPMCMAE So guitar strings are made of nickle but have a core of steel to work on an electric guitar. Also Nickle in its standard makeup has only slight magnetic qualities but some higher mixing of the ferro metals increases the magnetic ability. Quite how you ask for this type I don't know but for the purposes asked here it wouldn't work so it needs to be steel.

Portsea Town is coming on great Lash, I'm still playing paper trains but I'm very near now and I intend to start a spring build. lol

Hello CME The jig -- if you look at the 2 pics I posted above you can see that the D bar wire is soldered to the top of the brass pivot tube. Now looking at the jig the brass tube sits in the little oblong slot with the D bar wire is laid across the top of it and in the fold of the jig plate. This sets the angle, add the small weight and position on the centre line of the buffer beam job done. They are very tollerant so absolute precision is not necessary Yes the "dropper bars" can be fixed on locos for easier fitting. Magnets - they must be positioned where you want to uncouple as you can not do delayed uncouple with them. As soon as you push back they would re-couple again. It is something I have thought about adding and others have too but I've not seen anything yet. That small limitation is over looked by me as it is so simple to make, fit and opperate plus for me when you need to bring in the 12" to 1 foot hand to lift a waggon off the D bars just slide past each other with no daisy chain effect, wonderful. Regards

Yes CME see attached, they are very simple to make and fit. You can see the individual kit parts in my earlier post. There is a little jig with the kit that makes building a doddle pic added. Regards

Hello Jamie You say a test build was made and some further slight adjustments need to be made to the art-work? I show a kit for these LINCS couplings [see pic] the etch parts are just a brass strip with 2 fold lines 1 at each end to form a shallow "U" shape. Each upright of the "U" shape has a small hole in it, that's it I can't see what has taken over 12 months so far to make and they're still not available. It's my birthday in March and I'm hoping I will be able to get some for then.

Hello CME Yes you do need magnets located where you want to cut your waggons etc. See the attached pic, the magnet can be buried to sleeper height when on layout.

I sent him a n o t h e r email on Sunday just, last one was in Aug this year, to see if there's any movement yet. His reply to the Aug email said he was to do a test in Nov and if all was ok he'd go to production. It's been over 12 months now of nearly there, just needs some tweaking but still nothing. Considering this is a very simple product consisting of a few parts it seems to be taking for ever to give the Lincs a re-birth. Shame really as I would still buy some if they ever make an appearance. Cheers.

Excellent work Sandy.