Steven Draper

Not much modelling but I have been enjoying a few Steam Fairs recently and like the idea of putting a few elements like show engines, steam rollers, horses with carriages etc into some kind of scene. Is there a source of nice quality kits, etches or models that complement finer scale modelling - as opposed to blobs of plastic or metal !!! I'm not having much luck with google !! Many Thanks,

As a quick addition, not that it really makes much difference, but is there provision for adding sound designed in ?

This is great news Dave - I think I ordered one or did whatever I needed ! Look forward to the deposit email 8^)

I think a lot is how you wish to experience your model, especially when you factor in the angle between the baseboard height and your viewing perspective plus distance. N gives that floaty over the landscape like a bird enjoyment. OO puts more focus on the railway aspect and gives you a more from an overlooking window, over bridge or road experience. O gets closer to the walking around the loco shed or standing on the station. N certainly does put more in per square foot of model, but if modelling area is a constant will almost cost a lot more than an OO gauge layout in the same space. N certainly does require more care with track laying and keeping things clean / free of dust etc. The latest N locos (Castle etc) are fantastic - probably technically better than some of the OO loco's as they nearly all have coreless motors, sophisticated pic ups, and like OO are DCC ready and have sound options. High quality weathering and detailing really improve presence even further. OO loco's have more visual presence out of the box, and because they are widely collected too (many will never run on a layout) the variety and liveries are much greater and always will be. O look the best of all !!

That's a good question and I'm currently acquiring bits and pieces from here and there as funds allow. What would also be interesting to know is most tools come in various grades from cheap and cheerful (or not !!) through mid range to the various higher end products. It would be interesting to know from the wisdom of members where spending a bit more might be useful to achieving a higher quality 'build' or less frustrating experience -- and where the cheap and cheerful is more than adequate.

I finally managed to get to see the impressive Fence Houses at TrainWest 2018. Only had the mobile phone with me and RMweb adds a lot of compression, but I hope the owners do not mind me posting a couple of pictures. Would love to photograph using my proper kit some day ;^) Lots of inspiration all around and many very friendly operators / stand holders.

After many years I'm going to build a layout, not with the aim of exhibiting or ever finishing, but as a process of testing and developing modelling skills while quickly getting a fairly good track to let my little collection of loco's to purr their gears or pump their pistons. Here's a couple of photo's from a recent test session.

After looking a couple of times in the past I just discovered the King details at the bottom of the page !! Thought it was all OO and O down there. Hope it is not too late to tick the box and happy to pay the deposit any time. Have ordered 6023 as I had a rather nice double page photo published in popular railway magazine a few years ago and it fits into my preserved mainline theme. Whether it can convert to 2FS I'll have to wait and see, but I've a regular n mainline regardless. Might have another later but will have to wait and see.

Hi Andy, Many thanks for the reply and I've been following John Greenwoods empire via the web - amazing - and if I thought I'd live to 1000 I might attempt something of that detail ! My long term desire is a model based on Gunnislake as it was until the mid 1960's as I live adjacent to the original site -- but I've never found any excitement shunting and either like photographing things, coming up with little cameo's, or simply watching a selection of trains run past while enjoying an after work beverage. I've a weird thing about watching one train overtake another which could not happen on a little single track branch. Added to that I like really nice looking models, although to be honest have done little actual modelling for over 20 years so lots to learn - oh and nice, reliable running. So my plan is to get a couple of N gauge loops going so I can at least run things I have and experiment with techniques etc - a kind of working test bed that won't have cost much and I'm not petrified to try things as it's a practice piece. When that is going a small 2FS plank will be developed to learn a bit more about track construction, turnout control etc and when that has worked be developed into a small scenic diorama type layout where I can see how far I'm able to push myself in a very small space. While that is going on weathering and converting models to 2FS, maybe exploring a few kits etc 8^) When that is complete, hopefully in the next 18 months, I'll be able to review things based on my experience and make decisions. I suspect anything will be portable as we will probably move again at some point - so size and dimensions of any empire need careful consideration. Whether or not any is exhibition portable I do not know at this point. My current location is a basement and there are some annoying supports and the head room is a bit compromised in some areas which would influence things, but it is overall a good, temperature stable and humidity controlled space.

I'm stepping into the 2FS territory for the first time too and enjoying your posts as a month or so behind your progress at the moment - although a fair amount of N gauge stock to hopefully convert at some point.

So not 2FS just yet, but the adventure began this Wet and Windy Easter weekend with some reorganising of the basement and a level test / running in area established where the main part of the layout will eventually go. While there were lots of other jobs to do, I couldn't help a little running in of some recent purchases. The new Castle does run and sound good, even though I can only access a few of the functions, and the 64xx is very smooth although begs for those conversion etches and little screw link couplings at the front 8^) With a lot of tools now acquired, and the sale of OO going well I hope to have the new airbrush and weathering stuff here soon which will provide hours of fun. As a bonus, some cash will hopefully be available for 14th in Wiltshire when I can hopefully enjoy Fence Houses and pick up a few other tools needed to start developing some of the skills I need. Then the first of many orders to the shops will take place 8^) In the mean time I do have a design question - I hate curves that look too tight. I've about 12 x 12' - 14' to play with for my track design and have two options. I can build the part of the mainline section with a curve of about 4 / 5' radius or alternatively on a very gentle huge curve and dive into a tunnel, using a 2' to 2'6 radius to get around the corner - BUT obviously lose a fair amount of visual track. Any thoughts would be great 8^)

It was this video, along with a couple of other peoples postings in N and 2FS that have had me selling my OO collection in order to finally fund a proper modelling start. Almost at the goal for Airbrush and Weathering tools - and hopefully can pick the rest of the the things up at an exhibition in a couple of weeks - plus spend time enjoying Fence Houses too. Lathe would be nice, but all in good time 8^)

Yes, its a super model, well detailed and runs smoothly and quietly - excellent value on ebay so I do wonder a little about this, unless it was to come sound ready or included........

Looking at photos of the preserved C class, the coupling rods 'fishbellied' look is very very subtle and it doesn;t look like the OO gauge model they bothered ! I think it will be a very popular loco, I'm going to get at least one so a coupling rod and detailing etch would be very useful 8^) Will be placing an order for other bits later this week too - so hopefully not long and I can start making things in 2mm happen.

That is insane - I'll pretend I did not see this else I might spend the rest of my life trying !!!!

Thank You Jim, I am certainly excited about some mini adventures in 2mm. Alex Jackson couplings are an option and I think some of the fence houses stock uses them. I think I can recall an article in MRJ from about 20 years ago too but could be wrong. I would not use real links on stock that was to be shunted but if it was formed into fixed rakes or for scenic wagons that just loiter around sidings for atmospheric purposes. Not that there are many on my proposed plan ! Sprung buffers anyone - now that may be a step too far !

Many Thanks - I have a worrying suspicion you might be correct. But I also am very aware that I am a very slow builder of anything and compounded with long work hours and family am hoping I can achieve something slightly more than a glorified test plank before my eyesight or dexterity runs out - so some balance might have to be found ! That said I also get time in hotels..... and the advantage of the smaller scales is that modelling can be portable, I used to build ratio kits rather than enjoying the beaches of exotic places, although now days it is normally a generic travel lodge on some motorway junction.

Hi Nigel, Thanks for answering and I agree much of the latest RTR wagons looks pretty good, especially with some weathering. I suspect fine scale wheel, and DG couplings for shunt able wagons or some kind of links on fixed rakes will improve things further. I've some oldies, a few wobblers and some that behave as if the brakes are on !! It might be that new wheels sort this out, but I suspect in some cases the plastic on the inside of the axle box is damaged generating too much slop. I also think a few wagon etches could be good soldering practice and probably a bit therapeutic. I'll wait to see if they are addictive 8^) I'll be sorting out an order early next week and hopefully the first things will be rolling soon 8^) Steven

My 2mm membership pack arrived last week just before the snow and I've been spending some time flicking through the magazine articles archived online in between creating a dedicated modelling space at home, selling OO and picking up a few tools and N gauge bits like the latest 64xx and a rather nice RTC set. I have to say, on the one hand the magazines show that there is certainly a degree of effort, knowledge and acquired modelling skill required to achieve the improved looks and running, it also feels that the access to such a wealth of information via the 2mm association means that much of this can be learnt in small bite sized chunks as and when is needed - Phew !! I do have a couple of basic questions though. Is a layout that is largely RTR N gauge models converted to 2mm standard wheel sets classified the same as a model that uses purely 2mm scale kits and scratch built products. Can a RTR wagon body fit an appropriate 2mm chassis kit if finer under frame details / better running is required ? Does anyone use fine chain to emulate 3 link couplings on fixed wagon rakes that don't reverse ? I've found some old articles but nothing much recently so is something between 1.5 and 2mm for the links about right. Lots of other questions, but I'll see how many answers I can find in the back issues before asking here 8^) Many Thanks, Steven

Being a little bit of an OCD experiencer, I really appreciate those wiring photos - even notice the two nearest screws on the panel look parallel too 8^)

Thanks Don - I'll see if I can make it 8^) I see there are a number of other activities and meet ups so should be able to make a few

Hi Don W I'm not too far from Plymouth - Yes, I cover the 'large' SW area in my work and boy do I do a lot of Driving, most of which isn't motorway !!

Membership paid for 8^) All very easy, and while I await all the details, is there a group in the South West ? Looking to get going soon - come on ebay find me new homes for some fab goodies 8^)

Thanks Nig, What a super layout, many thanks for the link. That is all good to know and I enjoy loco's from pretty much all regions and era's. I shall have my membership application on the way very soon 8^) Cheers, Steven

Thank you for your quick and friendly replies. Brill News about the Castle progress as it's a really beauty 8^) and the fact these exciting conversion projects are being worked on demonstrates to me a lot about the scale. I'll be honest - I've been flip flopping between OO and N for so long I've never got around to making a layout. I like the possibilities in N but generally find things look a bit crude as you get closer, and I'm rarely 100% happy with the RTR running with lots of things wobbling or bumping along. OO has provided some advantages, but has other issues too. Years ago (back in the 80's) 2mm appeared something of a hard core modeller scale -- but having re-investigated it I've discovered that it has really moved on to the stage where although a project would take me well out of my comfort zone, I think it would bring into the model railway experience a level of satisfaction that goes beyond just ordering something, waiting for the post man to deliver it and then placing it on the track. Seeing the 64xx on the club page after converting and some weathering is really convincing me to give it a try. And having fewer but much higher quality models hopefully combats the want to buy every interesting new livery or model that is produced issue I tend to suffer from (we will see !!!!!) I thought about just tweaking n models to look a bit better, but in all honesty I think as soon as you start doing that, for a little more effort you might as well go the whole way !! My initial plan is to sell off a whole load of my OO collection to invest in some tools, membership and grab some desirable loco's before they sell out and the bits to build a very small test project and start practising skills. Longer term I've a the dream of a smallish model based on the old Gunnislake station on the Callington branch with the option of running it in some kind of period mode and maybe for fun and variation some kind of might have been preservation. My house overlooks the former station site and recreating what would have been the experience from the kitchen window without the washing being covered in soot seems like a good idea 8^) This will probably be portable as by the time its finished I might actually have the chance to retire and exhibit it !!!!!! However to be honest a lot of the time I get most pleasure from just watching a few 'trains' go around and around while I unwind after work - and a larger 3 / 4 line effort around my basement is another plan - and this is where I'm considering providing having a dedicated track for N gauge for running non converted stock. So provided the points are N gauge the running line could be 2mm, or nearly 2mm !!! Anyway thanks again and I'll keep you updated.