fulton

Have just posted on another thread as well, in case you miss that, I will repeat here, was stopped for the first time today by UK Customs at Calais, in my van, used for private use only, documents checked, lots of questions, one why do I use a van rather than a car? I said for my hobbies including model railways, he than asked what scale and gauge? he was a fellow railway modeller in OO! I took the opportunity to ask about taking a layout to an exhibition in the EU, he confirmed a Carnet was required, he was not curtain but thought you would have to get it stamped at the UK Inland Border Facility at Sevington on your way to Dover or Folkestone.

Just to add my experience today, I travel to the EU on a regular basis in my van, non commercial, private use only, I travel on an EU Passport, today was the first time I have been stopped by UK Customs at Calais, vehicle documents checked, these documents are a requirement to have with you in most of the EU, lots of questions, one was why do I use a van rather than a car? I said because of my hobbies including model railways, he then asked what scale and gauge? he was a fellow railway modeller in OO! I took the opportunity to ask about taking a layout to an exhibition in the EU, yes a Carnet is required, he added you may have to get it stamped at the UK Inland Border Facility at Sevington on your way to Dover or Folkestone. 

22 minutes ago, melmerby said:

I've found over time that those squeezy hypo type devices eventually split, causing the remaining lube to go everywhere, 

Experiances vary, my EXPO tools one is several years old, no leak or split.

As said "normal" WD40 has its uses but not as a lubricant, on an old loco with maybe dried up oil, I has used WD40 CONTACT CLEANER to clean it out, then lightly re oiled with a fine oil, I use one by EXPO tools, many years old seems to never run out.

Have a Ford one in my van, would also be intetested in alternatives, as images can only be accessed via the app, takes forever and a bit of a faff.

I've been surprised at the excellent results on Youtube taken with a phone, I was expecting the film maker to have " better" equipment, but it was a phone.

It will be interesting to read the enquiry report, into what actually happened and why, rather than speculation and conjecture in the news and social media.

Cornwall Model Boats have a large range, not scaled at 4mm, I chose the smaller versions, sometimes listed as 1/96, a bollard is the same in any scale just different sizes, Langley Models also do a range, lots available from Shapeways, again 1/96, but some items getting expensive.

Never presprayed, no problems, I always use stone ballast, tried another material once with poor results, maybe that did need a prespray.

Central Hall Westminster, helping on the Chatham Clubs Heathfield layout, I was a junior member then.

4 hours ago, sandwich station said:

I think the first show I went to was at the Royal Marine Barracks in Deal and run by The Deal and District Model Railway Club, early 1980's

Have fond memories of those shows, in particular the Rubarb Crumble in the army mess!

Lots of good advice above, some skill is required to have a reliable, smooth running locomotive, you will obtain those skills by reading up and practice, take easy steps, I would say I am an experianced modeller, but I still find loco kits etched or white metal hard work, but rewarding in the end, good luck.

I use Smiths couplings, yes the normal version is over scale, but at least that gives you half a chance to use them, I would sooner have that comprimise than have an unprototypical alterative, thats my personel view, I use an LED pen torch with a bent wire soldered on to use them, works for me, I like to uncouple where required rather than where the magnets are, having said that I use Kadees on by American layout.

On 18/03/2024 at 15:44, phil-b259 said:

 

IIRC nothing different from what vehicles have to do when passing through the port of Dover, which isn't much - just a quick visual scan by the passport person that the photos in the passports offed up match the identity of the occupants basically.

 

Obviously for freight they both Dover and Eurotunnels have x-ray scanners but these are more geared to looking for illegal migrants or, in the case of Eurotunnel other heat sources (which could lead to a repeat of the various fires that have occurred since the tunnel opened).

 

Certainly there is no requirement for people to vacate their vehicles and march through a security portal while their car gets x-rayed - which is what would happen if the measure demand 'essential' for Europstar were replicated for ALL users of the tunnel....

 

Not for the first time we see blatant double standards applied - rail passengers facing intense scrutiny despite the transit being between 4 well matched countries who routinely exchange information about illegal activities / threats and who all have good levels of policing etc, but road users face minimal checks (even though blowing up a car ferry would be just as devastating as blowing up a Eurostar)

Just to add, I travel with Eurotunnel every couple of months, sending this from Germany, did once have my car Xrayed, seemed a novelty to the Frence Police as well, my van sometimes gets pulled over looking for stowaways, I travel on an EU passport, so it just gets scanned, UK passports get stamped as well, but that will be changing sometime when all the tech for finger prints is in place.

Just to check are your model sleepers plastic, ply or wood? if plastic I paint with  dark brown, if ply or wood I have given them a thin wash of dark brown.

I use thin tissue/ tracing paper, the type of thing kits were wrapped in, sprayed black, then lettered by hand using an Epping 0.7mm white gel pen, once crinkled up, the hand lettering looks OK to me, some tarps have various lines as well as lettering, tying ropes (I think called cords in this situation) are glued on, will post photo when back in the UK.

3 minutes ago, papagolfjuliet said:

 

One runs parallel to Rochester Avenue just below the surface linking an underground barracks on Delce Road (now a garage) and Fort Clarence, and another links the garage to Fort Pitt. There are tunnel entrances behind the billboards at the bottom of Chatham Hill leading goodness knows where. A large area of the cliff on the Rochester bank of the Medway inland of the bridges was hollowed out during WW2 to create an underground Short Sunderland factory - basically everything under St. Margaret's Street. And so on.

Thank you, my Dad worked at Shorts and related sheltering in the underground bit during an air raid.

16 minutes ago, papagolfjuliet said:

 (just as they don't mention the network of Napoleonic and WW2 tunnels which undermine most of the Medway Towns,

Interested where this has come from, yes some are known or rumored, living there and working on construction projects there for thirty years never encounted any tunnels, sink holes not uncommon around the Frindsbury Hill area.

8 hours ago, Penrhos1920 said:

I wonder if Rapido will start selling them unpainted?  At a good discount.  They would be great for applying my own liveries.

This has come up before, I think the conclusion was that there was very little reduction in cost, but the buyer as you say, expected a good discount, works in the American market as the volume of sales is so much larger, I hate to paint over a nicely applied factory livery just seems wrong.

On 08/03/2024 at 05:25, RANGERS said:

There was a requirement pre-Brexit for all EU citizens traveling to the UK to have passports, and vice-Versa. 

Just to clarify pre Brexit EU citizens could enter the UK using their ID card, which is compulsorily to have in some EU countries, so did not need a passport.

Nice build, I am building the Impetus 16" Hunslet, I also have the Sentinel kit which is designed to drive on both axles, I bought the kit in 1990, in the box is my original SAE (stamped addressed envelop, remember them) from Robin giving the prices, Sentinel kit plus Tenshodo motor, gears, EM wheels, £52+£1 p&p, I needed to supply Sharman 2x24 tooth gears £1.10 each. Around that time I also built his 16" Bagnal, which I still have, I think 1991, it was running on a friends layout at EXPOEM, Robin remarked it was the first one to be finished and he had sold one more of the twelve kits he had produced in that run.  I lost interest in British 4mm modelling and tried selling various kits, the offers were insultingly low, so everything went into storage, now twenty years later I am back into British 4mm, pleased I kept the kits!

Similar to above, I paint sleepers first, the rails/chairs then ballast, I try to "plant" things like point rodding bases then ballast around them, to try to get away from the stuck on afterwards look, in this picture have used block paving sand to represent Dungeness beach shingle, favoured by the SECR.

My plates from Light Railway Stores, like Willl, were from their standard custom range, not exactly correct, but for myself quite acceptable, much better than the printed ones, the SE&CR Society has come to the conclusion, subject to more information, that the plates were, cast metal not brass, painted grey with white border and letters.

There have been some recent articles in the SE&CR Society Invicta magazines on this subject, but no clear close up views of the plates, seems they were painted grey with white border and lettering, I had these plates made by Light Railway Stores, I need to paint the border and lettering white, they were cast metal (presumably cast iron). I did originally go for red with brass lettering, my D1 needs to be corrected.

4 hours ago, Sidecar Racer said:

 

 

 

Except some/most/all modern gas hobs require an electric supply before the gas valve will open.