John Brenchley

Thanks Andy and Don Very useful diagram thanks Andy I'm just completing the woodwork for the next baseboard for my model of Tavistock so want to lay a road surface as well as the track supports so need to get the vertical heights correct. Best wishes John

Can I ask any road or bridge engineers if they can tell me where the rail height is likely to be as it goes over the bridge in the below picture of the Pixon Lane bridge in Tavistock please. Unfortunately, I haven't got any pictures at rail level. Track was lifted 40 years before this picture but it looks from the left as if it might have been roughly at the level of the stone course above the white line. Also, can I confirm that the clearance of 12' 3'' is measured to the point below each of the vertical white lines, not the top of the arch. Thanks John

It might help take off if you incorporate a bit of a ramp.

Can I ask what size of ply you are using and the dimensions of the sandwich etc. I'm interested in seeing how much lighter this might be than boards built with a solid pine frame. Thanks John

Hi Kevin Thats all looking really good. A silly question perhaps - if you are 3D printing a carcass, could you not print the bricks on it as well rather than having to add a Plastruct layer over the top? Best wishes John

Thanks Ian and Duncan I've looked at both web sites and the Narrow Planet (Lightrailwaystores) one looks to be ideal for ordering any number that one wants. Best wishes John

Hi Ian A quick question regarding your small tank engines please. I'm sure you have probably mentioned it somewhere in your writings but is there a 2mm source for the loco number plates? Thanks John

Western Australia also has a 3'6" gauge (1,067mm) At 1:50 that works out at 21.34mm so depending how accurate you want to be, 20mm is reasonably close. Same language (near enough!) Best wishes John Perth, Western Australia

Thanks Nigel for sending a reminder of that article A straightforward description and some simple wiring diagrams. John

Given the low cost of these PWM units, I think the easiest plan is to order one and hook it up to the rear terminals of the H&M Executive, turn that controller up to full 12v power and see how the PWM unit works at slow speed control. If happy, I can then buy a dedicated 12v supply, and build the PWM unit into a controller box with direction switch etc. Thanks for everyone's help. Best wishes John

Thanks Don On that basis, my simple electronics brain says having a lower voltage DC supply would give a slower speed - though would this mean they just stall more often at the lowest speed? John

Thanks Mark and others for your suggestions. If I go for the PWM route, would something like this also work - specifications seem the same as in your link above have the control knob separate is a bit more versatile for fitting in a control box. https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/254692769428?chn=ps&_ul=AU&_trkparms=ispr%3D1&amdata=enc%3A1grW0IFPgQ8Sj5PKYSLIpag45&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=705-139619-5960-0&mkcid=2&itemid=254692769428&targetid=&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9070549&poi=&campaignid=15984321586&mkgroupid=&rlsatarget=&abcId=9300814&merchantid=263026884&gclid=EAIaIQobChMInuqnttSf-AIVT5NmAh1HJgbSEAQYCyABEgIVoPD_BwE If my understanding is correct, I need a 12v DC power supply. A local electronics shop has one like this - suitable? https://www.altronics.com.au/p/m8932b-powertran-12v-dc-1a-fixed-2.1mm-tip-appliance-plugpack/ They also have versions at 12V but higher amps ie 2A, 3A, 4A - do I go for the lowest amps? Is the fact that most of the PWM units are 2A or higher relevant? They also have a 9V DC, 0.66A version - would this be better for slow speed control? Thanks John

Thanks very much Mark I'll follow up all those links Much appreciated John

Thanks Mark I have just read your description on British Oak. It sounded quite interesting till I got to this paragraph :- For British Oak, I tapped into the 12vAC feed already provided for the plug-in controllers I use, like the Pentroller. The AC feed is taken to a small solid state bridge rectifier (the black box at the bottom of the case) and from there, the rectified feed is fed in the controller, which has screw terminals to make the job easy. The output from the controller is taken into a DPDT reversing switch with a centre-off. This serves to isolate the controller when a plug-in unit is in operation. If this is not done, there is a strong possibility the two controllers will interact with each other. For someone with no electronics knowledge, this caused heart palpitations and a cold sweat - tapping into 12vAC feeds, bridge rectifiers etc - help! I could probably solder together a set of components if I had a shopping list and a wiring diagram but without, I haven't a clue. Anyone have suggestions for a really good off the shelf unit? thanks John

DC Controllers I'm looking to upgrade my current controller (an ancient H&M Executive) and would welcome some suggestions. I have a mixture of motors including Maxon and the Association's more recent can motors. One that I have found online is a Morley Vesta N Gauge Crawler Zero Two Controller. Does anyone have experience of this? Thanks for any suggestions - at this stage, I'm not proposing to move to DCC. Best wishes John