RBAGE

Can't wait for these beauties.

Haven't I made false promises on this matter in the past? Let me know what you're after and it shall be done.

Certainly not me.

I can't claim that one, as a modeller or a chemist. One other use of the word, in days of yore, when I was a lad, was in relating to strong drink. In the Sunderland area, if you had had too much strong drink, you would be chemist. No idea where that came from. Anyone from Sunderland?

Yes, but being a plumber is useful when scratching backs. You produce my templates, I'll fix your central heating. Imagine how useless being a chemist is.

What would be the dogs bits is library of all the common formations where you could then add your gauge and required radius/radii and hey presto "Wynne's Wonderful World of Wailways", for dummies. Sorry, couldn't think of a suitable W word to finish it off.

It's reassuring to learn that I'm not the only person in the world the is "bloody useless" on computer type things. Sorry, that doesn't help you but it makes me feel better. Maybe someone could set up a template service.

Ah! Just like the real think. Why not go for a solenoid if you want the snap action? They are a fraction of the price and the whole street can be reassured. What is the point of a slow action motor if you leave the spring in?

And I agree, whole heartedly.

Plus the Peco unifrog bullhead turnouts are known to suffer from shorting at the vee with some stock. I have experienced it and there a tales of woe reported elsewhere and possible remedies with the likes of nail varnish. Peco don't appear to have picked this one up. Not an issue on Finetrax.

Well, there are differing degrees of wrong. But if it's wrong, it's wrong. No matter how close to right it is, it's still wrong.

I could supply you rail from the track I'm lifting ready for something a bit more realistic.

Wayne, Great work and coming on a storm. Do you think the diamond will be as flexible as the turnouts so that a double junction with a slight curve might be constructed? I won't trouble you with questions of 00 gauge timing. I'll assume the same sort of timing as for EM points to 00 points. Smashing, Bob

And EM diamond begats 00 gauge diamond

From small acorns.

Modelling in 00 gauge is a choice, not a "make do". Make do is all that's really been the option if you choose to use that scale and if you find kit building a challenge too far from the point of skill or time. You're quite correct, Finetrax have a very limited range at the moment, but based on their n gauge range, I'm confident that it will expand far quicker than Peco's one turnout in 00 bullhead. The turnouts are quick and easy to build so the two constraints that might limit their use (time and skill) are taken care of. However, as I said earlier, they are infinitely more flexible in terms of being able to manipulate a formation rather than making do with set track points. I have built layouts with my own hand made formations in EM and 00, using many techniques but for this layout I opted for Peco bullhead because they look convincing, because of the speed of the build and because of the promise of an expanded range. That promise was long before the pandemic so to cite the difficulties of the last 18 months is being selective with the fact. More than two years ago I fitted Peco current diamonds as a temporary measure. However good the running and operation, I think they look aweful. So, as I have said, I have already ripped up the Peco bullhead and will rebuild with Finetrax because of my confidence that the range will grow very quickly and because of what I expect will be a more flowing set of track formations that better reflects the real thing. Just my humble opinion but at the end of the day, it's only a train set. No more or less important than most other things that make life enjoyable.

Does that mean we should just be satisfied with something that doesn't look like anything in this country? It's probably the British attitude of "make do" that has kept Peco HO track going in this country. Now that we have something better (Finetrax), any Peco track I have will be confined to the fiddle yard.

Now they do look beautiful. I could justify a few of them.

Steady on Mike, these lads need a PAT on the back so don't take the MICK. Sorry lads, cheap shot but the work you are doing is really exciting. So, when do you think the Gloucester will be ready? Don't forget, they are taller than the Met Camm. I have copies of the original drawings, somewhere. There are quite a few detail differences. Bob

You're probably correct. It's sad, in my humble opinion, that modellers crave delicate and fine detail on RTR locomotives, give less thought to the things they pull and almost no thought to the appearance of the things they run on. Distance between the rails aside, surely the size and spacing of sleepers and timbers is just as important as, say, a detailed cab interior. You rarely see the cab interior but the track is always in plain sight.

Well Fran, you've now got people frothing ov er Gloucesters. Better get your thinking cap on. Whatever you do will be better than my conversions, so count me in.

Bit of a smoke screen, if you ask me.

Horlicks at bedtime invites comment but I won't be drawn. Jugged fish is halibut.

I hope you're not making light of my condition.