DJW

Great looking cad/cam pics, can't wait for both versions of this model to arrive. One quick obsevation on the rebuilt version: It could be the angle of the image but in the first picture the speedo doesn't look inline with the axle (as is shown on Eddystone in TomE's picture). That would make it rotate a bit like the eccentric in the Walshaerts valve gear, when it should actually be static.

Trial and error I'm afraid. I've also found differences in the strengths of the magnets. Just got some more this morning, and they seam to be more powerful than those I'd already got, so will be set lower than the others. I've been putting the magnets on a couple of peices of platicene, and then pushing them down until they are at the optimum height. Since I am using Uni-track I then just fix them in place against the ballast. Just sent for the Kato magnetic track peices and will report back on their effectiveness.

Got a pair of couplings and the magnets this morning. The couplings themselves are excellent, but I echo the calls for shorter versions. My main concern today has been with the magnets and the positioning of them. Bare in mind I have been using Kato Unitrack and those using Peco may not encounter the following issues. If the magnets are placed flush with the top of the rails, they have a tendency to pull the coupling's trip pin down so that they scrape along the surface of the magnet. They do work as intended in this position, but it doesn't help smooth running. However, if you lower the magnets so that the trip pin cannot reach them, this risks the magnets not being strong enough to allow the "easy-shunt" technique. They will uncouple, but the couplers aren't pushed far enough wide so that they overlap. Hence today I have been very carefully positioning the magnets so that they are just the right height. Very fiddly, but once completed I have found their operation to be flawless.