fulton

1 minute ago, smokebox said:

You need to remove all other locos from the track when you do any programming to prevent them all getting reprogrammed at the same time,

Been there, done that, have the T shirt!

51 minutes ago, TT100 Diesels said:

Hi EJI, I am presuming you are looking for 3mm scale, point rodding needs to be 2" square. 

 

 

Point rodding can be round or square depending on period and company, Modelu in 4mm suggest round 0.4mm wire is correct for their stools, so would be smaller in 3mm.

I can remember taking part in seminars run by the House Builders Federation, 30 years ago where it high lighted the massive difference between new households being created and new houses/flats being built, that has continued under all Governments, we live on a small island with an ever growing population, hence the shortage leading to high property prices and high rents, with people living in substandard accommodation that is time expired, and should be renewed. We all have problems with change, at the moment my neighbour is building a house in their garden behind me, I would sooner it was not there but I spent over 30 years doing just that, so can't really say much!  How nice it would be to live in a country with a low population density, a women I worked with was going back to Lithuania to get married, one of the wedding gifts was a building plot, so they could build their own house, so different to here.

1 hour ago, spikey said:

 

 

Does anybody present happen to know if a big developer like Dandara buys a site and builds 100 homes on it, how much profit do they hope to achieve as a percentage of the average selling price?  

Most developers are public companies and publish accounts, all the information should be there to work out profit or loss per unit, I spent 32 years working for developers, most years a profit was made but considering the high risk, and the money paid out before any return, the return on capital compared to other industries was average to poor.

This was my Home Signal for Beluncle Halt/Miskin Sidings, now has a home on my new layout, representing the Outer Home at Strood, on the line to Maidstone.

When ordering from outside the UK, also remember to add in the currency conversion fee, I factor in all the costs, the item, postage, VAT, handling fee and currency fee, if it still makes sense I order, never (fingers crossed) had a bad experience, if I end up not paying VAT that is a pleasant bonus for me.

When I built the model of Beluncle Halt/Miskin Sidings, a former signalman who travelled with the train to open and work the ground frame, in the 1960s,, said there were unused levers that had previously worked the protection signals. Photo of my model built in 1975, did not know at that time lettering should have been dark blue, one of the signals and the loading gauge now have a home on my new layout.

Was disappointed, some years ago when building my summer house and workshop, to find it was cheaper to buy the nails in little packets from B&Q than my local builders merchants loose. 

27 minutes ago, ITG said:

Isn’t it tricky to get the cut accurately horizontal and virtually flush to the tie bar surface, due to the angle you have to hold it above the rails?

You got me thinking, just been to the layout to take this photo, in fact I use the EXPO end cutters, not completely flush, but to me is OK. I model in EM but these end cutters will fit OO as well.

I use a simple pair of side cutters, be careful of the piece that could fly off. 

1 hour ago, hmrspaul said:

Completely agree. And it is a slow old process so needs to be done before anything is pressing! Also everything is done twice - once for health and once for wealth. 

Paul

Took us nine months, from getting the forms, to having everything in place, start it now.

1 hour ago, bécasse said:

The wooden construction of the hut suggests to me that it predates the Southern Railway. There was a huge upsurge in the demand for high-quality cement from North Kent during the Great War (from both sides in the conflict!) and the siding may well date from then.

 

The wording on an enamelled SE&CR name board would have been MURSTON SIDING SIGNALS in dark blue condensed lettering on an off-white background, several similar examples lasted around the network until BR days.

Thank you, just the info I was looking for, my first EM layout, built 40 years ago, was Beluncle Halt on the Hoo Peninsular, the ground frame there was labelled MISKING SIDING SIGNALS, so that would fit in. 

1 hour ago, hayfield said:

 

Andy

 

Employees now have to pay into pensions by law, many may be sleepwalking into a poor future if all they do is to accept the basic contributions

You can opt out, in my last job prior to retirement, this pension scheme came in, some of my work colleagues opted out, I tried explaining to them that the company is giving you money, and you refuse it, I could not believe it!

 I am looking to do a diorama based on the Smeed Dean siding at Murston, Sittingbourne, Kent, I have the photo from the KENT RAIL site, showing the ground frame hut in a disused condition, information or photos of it in use would be useful, also the wording of the name board, the surrounding buildings and bridge are much the same as they were in the early 1920s, which is when I believe the siding opened. Below is the photo that stared my interest plus the OS map from 1938.

I found the Tamiya gray texture paint worked well, a couple of coats well thinned with water, gives a fine texture, have tried other brands of texture paint, but I thought were too course, for 4mm.

I was exhibition committee chair for a number of years, of the Chatham Show, in the Dockyard covered slip, Medway Park (Black Lion) sports centre and two of the years in a school, the Chatham Club now has a number of younger, capable, members, who are keen to stage shows again, maybe of a different format to previous shows, they have none of the "baggage" of the old team, good luck to them, more information to follow.

I would suggest a carpenter refix, with screws, all the floor boards to to joists, over time the fixings, screws or nails can work loose and the floor boards shrink, allowing movement, leading to creaks etc.

On 20/05/2023 at 11:45, KNP said:

Thames Barge, Buccaneer, arrived in port today.

 

Very impressed with the barge, was the starting point the Vintage Miniature kit? if so I found the kit a good starting point, but apart from the hull not much else was used, my model of "Thomas" registered at Rochester, on my Janes' Creek layout.

13 minutes ago, Gilbert said:

60 second superglue has been recommended to me for Styrene to MDF

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Loctite-Universal-Repositionable-non-porous-materials/dp/B015JPV482/ref=asc_df_B015JPV482/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=231999013088&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=10805594574685687986&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9045614&hvtargid=pla-422195351025&psc=1

 

 

Have recently started using this glue, seems to work very well on all materials, easy to use, no stringing, nozzle keeps clear, will buy it again.

I have buildings now 50 years old, no sign of deterioration, used mounting board for the main structure and "post card" type card for details and shiplap, all glued with PVA, painted with Humbrol enamel paint, no other sealer, stored variously in a trailer, shed or garage. On my current building I have Scalescenes brick downloads printed on to card, sealed with Hobby Craft acrylic sealer, I wonder how that will last? I did have some Pendon enamel signs which literally turned to dust after 20 years!

3 hours ago, J. S. Bach said:

That may depend on whether the tunnel will be free.

We cycled passed the new tunnel mouth, no sign of any toll booths, just an open road, all looking almost complete, still needs to be provision for cyclists and pedestrians.

Just had a visit to the Polish Baltic Coast, staying at Swinoujscie, which is at the eastern end of the mainly German island of Usedom, the connection to mainland Poland is via a free ferry, a road tunnel is due to open this year, which may effect the ferries, three in use while we were there.

2 minutes ago, Nick C said:

A particularly odd station that, as it's a German UBB station, with trains only to Germany - the main PKP station being the other side of the river that bisects the town.

Yes the signage alternated between German and Polish, we did visit the main station using the free ferry.

Have been following this, looking to place an order, maybe I have missed it, but which liveries are not suitable for pre 1923, my particular interest is SECR circ. 1920.

1 hour ago, Peterem said:

You don't have to go to Poland, there's one of these by the bike rack outside Orpington Station in Kent. Took me some time to work out what it was, as someone had still managed to nick all the tools from the bottom bit and the air supply looked vandalised....

Sad to say, but reflects on our society, Poland has its problems, as my picture shows graffiti, but did not see any wanton vandalism, schools were open without fences, shops in a subway with no shutters, very little Police, lots of drinking going on but did not see any fights, did notice carparks with 24hr security were popular. Our local station.