jcredfer

Those ladders in picture 3 are interesting .... they look different to each other. For instance the shorter one on the left looks finer than the others. Q. Are they actually from different makers, or just variants in manufacture.

Been thinking again .... in-between taking MD to get a green spiky thing, to put lights and cover in balls and stuffed animals .... feeding it en-route [MD - that is] ............. sticking the spiky thing in a stand and then putting lights .. etc, all over it ... and - Eerr - one of those on the top. Naturally I wanted to keep the more gentle "lead-in" to the curves, but at the same time, a small side issue seemed worth a moment. Only a small thing really, but those curved bits of rail, over the baseboard joins, will have to be fairly short, because of the curve - so as not to allow the outer bit of the curve to lift the outside rail upwards. I simply chose one of the bits of track, which passed over a Baseboard join and looked at lengths of the track pieces. The bit I chose [pretty much at random] was 4th Rad curve [22.52" Rad apparently] and a sector of 22.5o . I took a piece out of the spare track box and looked at it to see how likely it might be to lift. Considering it will only be secured at the ends, the possibility was there. [NB. I considered replacing the 22" Rad with 33" Rad, but the geometry wasn't going to work, in the small space available.] I considered a few options:- 1. Place Flexi-track with Easement over the whole distance and slice a bit out where it crosses the Join. 2. Use all Set-track and slice the 4th Rad curve in the middle, for a shorter insert. [22.52" Rad, followed by 33" Rad, the a piece of straight track.] 3. Compromise, with a cut section of 4th Rad and the remainder done with Easement. These 3 options are on the top left corner of the drawing here .... where the outer track forks and goes to the right to pass along the long platform Set-track, Easment and cut 22 in Compromise by JulianR 2013, on Flickr Like many others here abouts, If tight curves like the 4th Rad one are to be involved, it seems likely that Set-track is probably the best route .... that option is the one in the layout in the above diagram ...... the other 2 options both fit perfectly as well and have just been slid out and down the page for comparison. [NB. For AnyRail users, to get the 1/2 size bit of 22.52" Rad, I dialed in the requirements on a bit of Flex. 22.52" x 11.25o] I then took each of the options [1 & 2] and laid them on top of the Set-track option to see how much difference there might be [ie, how much of the Set-track stuck out sideways from under the Easement options.] I was interested and rather pleasantly surprised to note that there was very little stuck out at all - which may influence the decision in the long run. ................ Hhummm ..... Edit - spelling

You never know what might turn up next in the Christmas Market ........................... I was just on the way to get some of those signs in the viewfinder .... .. not that the camera has one of those ................ a viewfinder, I mean .......... it just has one of those screens .... you know the ones, ..... they pull out at at bottom edge and tilt upwards ..... so you can keep the camera low and still see what you are aiming at ..... it even goes vertical, so it faces the other way ..... which is pretty useless, because you can't see the screen then .... unless you are one of those Pop persons with a huge ego .... or a teenager, that thinks the world wants to see a picture of the dinner they just cooked .... [well heated up in the packet] ..... along with a distorted image of their latest outburst of acne ......... in which case you would be on the front side of the camera ..... where you could see the image on the screen ..... which incidentally, pops upside down .... relative to the screen, that is ......... which is upside down by now anyway ......... which is very convenient if you just happen to be one of the aforementioned persons ..... as 2 x upside-downs make an up-right? ......... so it is easy for that class of ego seeking - Selfie taking ................... ............ Oh .. Err ..... ............... .......................... that means I have purchased a Selfie facilitated Camera ..... ....... Anyway .... as I was saying ... I was on the way to click some signs ................. when round the corner was a Merry little Troop ...... dancing away for Charity ............. A dance is energetic by JulianR 2013, on Flickr ..... now then - dear readers - a closer look might give away a little more about this cheery lot ..... take a Gander at the delicate[?] footwear ......... and this one was "Right Frisky" too ..................... A bit frisky, this one by JulianR 2013, on Flickr Only hitched up her skirt and suggested, that she was the best offer I was going to get all day .......... ................ ......................... must think I'm a Matelot or something .. Beware this one by JulianR 2013, on Flickr Time to duck and run to find those signs ............. CHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Edit - Note to Jaz ..... I suppose it doesn't have to be a circus for those entertainers.

There was definitely a chilly wind about ............. So some nice warm Chestnuts .... Time for a hot Chestnut by JulianR 2013, on Flickr and a wander to the Christmas Market ..... The Christmas Market by JulianR 2013, on Flickr To seek out this little Gem ....... A warming Sniffter? by JulianR 2013, on Flickr Maybe I could borrow the Wine Dealer's Tricycle to get it all home ... Oh ... Oh ... wait ............. you wanted signs as well as the Market ........ back later .....

...................... Nah ................... they've been getting blotto on the stuff for centuries ...................

That's all very well ............................. But which Fishnet Stockings do you want for Christmas .......

I rather thought the posts were very much how those sort of posts ended up after a few years. .......

I'm glad you left the holes, as they add a lot to the look. I'm not sure they are too big, as the full size ones were normaly rusted out to larger size anyway. [Well that's my excuse .. and I'm sticking to it.]

I thought I might try fishing around in this street Taster by JulianR 2013, on Flickr BUt even the Fish shop in Fisherton Street had assumes a different guise ....... Alright then by JulianR 2013, on Flickr But what a tempting shiny tiles look to the shop front .... not many of these still surviving ... [thus tempting half a million replies.] ....... I wonder what else could be sold in such a quirky looking shop .. ....

I once met a young and pretty lass ................ but ... she was only a fishmonger's daughter and had Crabs on her Plaice, poor Sole

Aaaahhh ....... yes well .......................... I wouldn't like to say I drink too much wine ........................................ [well you wouldn't want to admit that either ... ] ...................... however ...... ........................... when my weekly wine orders were placed ........................... the shop went straight to Halfords to order a new bike for their delivery boy ................ Fancy a Drink? by JulianR 2013, on Flickr He still has a little difficulty with the hill on Castle road ...........................

Are you still looking for vignette items around the Market square there ...... I have been to Salisbury a couple of times and have a few shots of the Christmas build up ..... In the Market place I caught a couple of "Right 'Owlers" ........... People 'owled with delight at these by JulianR 2013, on Flickr They were really beautiful .................................. and not at all .................................. stuffed stuffy ...................... the big one got his feathers all in a "Tizz-was" when he saw the camera see they moved by JulianR 2013, on Flickr and a few more buildings me and my Dad built a couple of years ago ...... Do you fancy a trip to the cinema ......... Cinema by JulianR 2013, on Flickr In the old City Hall ......... .......................... mind you the films are a bit old and dusty ............. a bit closer for some detail ....... The old town hall by JulianR 2013, on Flickr

Those shots with the Railings in are .... just .... [as MD would say] .... BRILL!!

Copydex does sound an improvement, thank you again Mick .. [Where is the "Takes Hat off to.." Icon] ......

IHi Mick, I was thinking about the Copper-clad you put the link to and wondered if a similar effect could be obtained by glueing the track, complete with Sleepers, direct to end bits of Ply. Your mention of ballasting made me think about that too ..... I came up with a sort of combination of the 2, http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/75123-light-sandwich-with-yet-other-idea/page-11&do=findComment&comment=1700638 I also think it would be possible to run Droppers through the ply to plugs on the underside of the Base-boards. I think it may just work and I have to thank you for making me think in a different way about it all.

While waiting for the Baseboards, I got to thinking ....... dangerous ....... What about all those tracks across the joins between the baseboards? There are many of them which cross at steep angles like 45o which gives room for sideways and fore/aft movement. I did ask about methods and the Solder to screws seemed to be quite neat, but maybe didn't address the possible sideways inaccuracy of those steep angles. I have seen another alternative from the link to full copper-clad in here http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/80418-deadmans-lane-let-sleeping-dogs-lie/page-8&do=findComment&comment=1699448 I also remembered seeing an inserted [6"?] length of track, right across the join, but was reminded of possible join visibility over ballasting. ... ... that's where I got to thinking ...... ...... what if the ballast was attached to the sleepers and not the bit of board underneath? That way, I could glue the insert bits of track to 4mm ply, with a small tongue sticking out of the ends - which in turn would fit into a same shape cut out, in the ply beneath the fixed track ....... both glued to the same height and the tongue would fix the sideways distances ..... Out with the Network Rail team, for a trial of Ballasting without a base .... night work, of course ....... Night work by JulianR 2013, on Flickr The main idea is to glue the ballast but to prevent it from being glued to anything underneath. It was really heartening to see the guys hauling that massive piece of Cling Film into place and pulling it absolutely flat ........... not to mention attempting to Sellotape the sides of the sleepers to the Cling Film to stop any movement between them ...... I said NOT to mention that .. With the track levered into place the ballast was placed and a mix of water, PVA and Fairy Dust Washing Up Liquid, was liberally dripped over the ballast. A second soaking was done later that night. Gallons of glue by JulianR 2013, on Flickr Result ....................... it needs a bit of glue trimming at the edges and slightly more ballast between the sleepers ..... but both are easy to adjust ... Morning stuck-up ballast by JulianR 2013, on Flickr It seems the plan may work This is a diagram of the overall idea - it is probably possible to simply put the whole thing together dry, with a Cling Film cover on the tongue and ballast away as per normal ... same with the outboard bits of the matching cut-out bits .... Insert Track joints by JulianR 2013, on Flickr ....... Ok .......... what snags have I missed ......

Sooo............... That's where she has got to - more of those Homebaked Double Chocolate, Chip Biscuits, no doubt ....... ............ Just wait 'til she gets home .......... I will just have to confiscate them ............ ................................................... ..................................... again ....

Thank you Mick, that's lots of food for thought. It has triggered off the idea that a few joins might go under cover of a concrete or tarmac Yard and another under a Railway crossing. I even toyed with the idea of putting one station complete on a piece of Ply and bolting it in place across several joins - although I might have to think quite hard about power to it. Even with all that, I can't get away with several others, so your Link has certainly fueled some other thoughts which would not otherwise have been present. ..

That's very neat work there Mick. How accurate will the join remain, when the boards are taken down and put back? ............ I ask because most of the proposed joins on the plan I [so far] have are at 45o to the board edge. I had rather assumed that it might be better in the circumstances to have a removable 6" stretch at each one to absorb any differences. There are difficulties with that too, I guess.

.................... Oops ..........

Yes, indeed ............................ ................... this "Weather Explosion" has not been good for many ................ but for those that sees seas seize the opportunities ..................... they can see the wood foam from the trees ...

Well .... of all the .............................. some people are never satisfied ........... ............................... ............................ must be living in such proximity to the other side of Le Mench the Channel that does it ..... Personally I think it is as close to perfection as anyone could get .. particularly at this scale ....... PS. Freebs ..... you are just going to have to ignore what Jaz says, I'm afraid ... and keep those brushes well washed out .............................................................. remember - "the customer is never always right" ...

Thank you Tony and may I wish you and yours the very best for the coming Christmas season. Julian P.S.I am sorry to report that, whilst I amtruely pleased a few people have enjoyed the odd smile, my humour only serves to cover my total lack of knowledge and skills at modeling trains ..... .... don't believe me? ...... http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/69603-why-are-railway-modellers-so-clumsy/?p=1696889

That Dover stuurf is very interesting - dt .. I have wanted to pay a visit to the Fortifications for years .. maybe this will jog the little grey cell ...

There must be a big announcement due .... wot wiv all them Press and the Sat light wagon .... Ohh .. oh .. oh .. maybe it is a precision Sat Naff to check the accuracy of the entrance there .......