Royal42

My copy arrived today and my impression is that this is an excellent magazine, and one that I would buy future copies of. I do not normally buy railway magazines, mainly as some of them are just expensive sales catalogues with a few articles interspersed within all the adverts. This magazine is different, containing 57 pages, plus covers and contents page, of dedicated modelling info. The paper is high quality stock and the photos are bright and very clear indeed, a real asset when trying to work out what goes where. The content detail is widespread, with subjects covering locos and rolling stock as would be expected, kit building, scenics, scratchbuilding, casting and the all important "how to" articles. I have already seen a couple of items which have inspired me to have a go at. If this magazine goes into full publication with a subscription then I shall sign up for one straight away. Thank you Grahame for your time and effort in producing a quality magazine that suits my modelling needs. Mike

Thank you all, I have placed an order with Hobbycraft. cheers, Mike

Order placed, thanks. Mike

Foamboard (?) - what is it, where to get it and how much (generally) do I need? Hi all, I am about half way through reading the Track book and have bought a fair few turnout jigs and templates now; recommendations are to use foamboard to hold the track in place whilst assembly. I don't know anything about this material and therefore could do with some advice on it. To start off, where do fellow modellers get theirs? Secondly, do I only need one piece, i.e. does it last a long time with pins sticking in to it? cheers, Mike

in my bucket

It is noted that some 40 levers in the frame, the instrument shelf, block instruments, telephones, batteries, relays and other equipment were totally destroyed. Here is the text from the warwickshirerailways.com I am trying to find a copy of Richard Fosters series, especially the the one dealing with the post war period but not had any success on that. These views show how far I have managed to get with my little 2mm/N gauge vignette. first pieces of track added, plus more work done on the Golden Eagle pub. The water tower, across the tracks from the signal box and beyond the turntable, is being constructed from card. MIke

Thank you Peter. I didn't even realise that there was a dedicated subject on the matter. Assuming that the signal box at New Street was an LNWR box then I shall go with your reference of stone/cream and dark brown. Mike

Hello all, I am currently scratchbuilding an N gauge model of the LNWR's Signal Box No.5 at Birmingham New St and need info on the colours of the uprights and crossbeams on the cream/white cladding. Anyone know what colour they were? I am building the box as in the 1950's but the problem I have is the original No.5 was virtually destroyed during the bombing in WW2 and was rebuilt, possibly as an LMS Emergency Signal Box. This meant that the lower level brick portion was replaced with cladding boards, so I don't know what the other colour that surrounded the cream was finished in. Pre-war LNWR No.5 Signal Box that was virtually destroyed by bomb in 1940. Rebuilt 1940/41 possibly as an LMS Emergency Box type. image sources - warwickshirerailways.com I have the cream colour for the cladding but not sure about the dark frames. cheers, Mike

couldn't sleep as I kept thinking about the dimensions of the water towers at Birmingham New Street, for a scratchbuild that I am undertaking. They were demolished in 1964/65 during the station rebuild and, therefore, I'm struggling to find the dimensions and shapes etc. Just spent the last two hours, 02:00 to 04:00 doing online searches, to no avail. g'night, Mike

Can someone please help me with a query on this subject? I have tried to find an answer in the responses in this thread but they seem to be mostly eBay orientated. A friend has contacted me from Hungary and asked if I would sell a kit from my stash to him; he knows I have it in my collection. I am not a trader in any way so, if I decide to sell the kit for, hypothetically £60, how is that covered by any of these new rules? Previously, I would just fill in a customs form, stating a second-hand plastic kit value £xxxx and that would be it. cheers, Mike the unknowing.

Don't jump off the roof Dad - Tommy Cooper 1961

I got you babe - Sonny and Cher

You're my world - Cilla Black

Blue Guitar - Moody Blues

For your love - Yardbirds

Ha Ha said the clown - Manfred Mann

Yakity Yak [don't talk back] - The Coasters

I've already bought a couple of coils so I shall have to use them. I shall try a method I use for straightening fine wire, and that is to pull a piece from both ends until it snaps stiff. I hope I've explained it well enough as it certainly works for wire and make really good aerials and rigging for ships etc. cheers, Mike

Hello everyone, I am still plodding on at learning all things 2mm: however, I do have a question about the Association's 10m coil of rail. I do like this stuff, mainly as it is affordable to me, but can anyone advise the best way to make the coil straight? I can get a section fairly straight but could do with some advice on how to get each piece exactly straight. I only have a few, eight in fact, sections that are exactly straight as I am already finding that the rest of the rail in my dio is curved. I would be grateful for any help and advice on this. cheers, Mike

Tuesday Afternoon - Moody Blues

Hi Royal, from another Royal, your layout is like a walk down memory lane and I am find it to be a fascinating watch. Please keep posting photos as I am learning quite a bit from your techniques. All the best, Mike

Hello Jim, thank you for that. I did assume that would be the case but I didn't want to go ahead and then someone comments "you didn't do it that way, did you?" I shall go and have a look at your threads and do some learning. cheers, Mike

2mm Tracks, Templot and baseboard I have managed to produce a couple of templates with Templot and would like advice on how to transfer the tracks to the baseboard. There's probably a recommended method, which would be better than my test version. In templot, I produced the template, printed it, pasted it to the baseboard and then started to build and stick the track to it. It looks OK but I am left with the paper template sandwiched between the baseboard and the track. Do I try to remove the printed template or leave it in place? cheers, Mike - still asking the most basic of questions.

Thank you for this update Valentin. Yes, I am an absolute newbie to 2FS; however, I have to start somewhere and your model should be a good training piece to build/rebuild. I would be grateful to receive any bits that go with it, such as the clone motor please. All the best, Mike

Hi Valentin, that's good news as I have converted my track work from N Gauge and am rebuilding it with 2FS. I am following the Templot tutorials and have started a couple of the templates. As such, that model looks to be fine for me please; especially as it is probably the only working loco that I shall be able to afford. cheers, Mike