Caley Jim

It also looks to me as if the lower stockrail is well inside the line on the Templot plan, from around the tip of the switches to where you've put the pin in. It seems at its worst just where the lower red arrow is. This would mean that the gauge is probably narrow in this area and is what is causing the outside flange to ride up over the rail. If you have a track gauge, trying it at this particular point might confirm that. I'm not familiar with using glued track, but perhaps it might be possible to gently and carefully slide a fine scalpel blade between the sleepers and chairs and reglue the latter a little further out. At worst you will damage the chair, which can be replaced by a new one. The beauty of soldered construction is that you can easily adjust faults like that. Just apply the iron to each sleeper in turn and gently nudge things around if this has happened. I hope this is helpful as I am quite sure that all is not lost. Just sorry I'm too far away to be able to come and help you out (and not familiar with 00-gauge track laying techniques). There are those in this hobby who can achieve perfection. The rest of us just have to get by with doing the best we can. Jim

You can get foam strip of around that thickness as draught-excluder strip for sticking round door, windows etc. It's 4mm thick and 7mm wide and has the benefit of having a smooth polythene face on its outer face, so won't catch on fine detail. The other face is self adhesive. You can see it in this photo. I got mine from B&Q. Jim

To go back to the track issues, another reason that stock may be bucking going through the crossings is of the check rail and/or wing rail clearances are to tight. This could result in the width over checks being greater than the back to back, so that the flange will ride up on either the check or wing rail. The easiest way to check what is happening is to use a wagon to push a second wagon over the crossing and watch closely what the wheels of the wagon being pushed are doing. By using a wagon between your finger and the wagon you are watching, there will be no inadvertent effect coming from the finger that's doing the pushing. (Hope that's clear). Jim

James, I feel for you. I too have gone through periods when things suddenly all seem to be going wrong. When we moved house and I finally got round to erecting Kirkallanmuir in the garage here, I found lots of places where one rail was 'dead' electrically. They were all caused by either rails forming a crossing having come unsoldered from the chair plate on the pcb sleeper, or the dropper wire having come adrift from the underside of the rail, probably all caused by being bounced around in my daughter's horse box trailer on the way here.. I just had to methodically go round and resolder them all, trying to make sure I didn't do any damage in the process. I've also had occasions when a loco which was previously running well has suddenly become unreliable, dismantled it to see what was wrong, fixed that and then have something else come adrift while I was re-assembling it. Sod's Law says that it is always where it's hardest to get at to repair!! If stock is bouncing on crossings you have to look carefully and try to diagnose what exactly is happening. From what I've seen on here, the closure rails are well aligned with the crossings, so either the gauge has slipped or the check rail gaps are too wide and they are not keeping the flange of the wheel away from the nose of the crossing. This assumes that the back-to-back of the loco wheels is correct. I am sure there are several of us here who have had to resort to driving pins into sleepers to keep things in place. Read the London Road article in the latest MRJ. What you need is someone to spend some time with you and show you that the problems are not insurmountable. There is no such thing as total failure, only learning experiences. Jim

And Clyde paddle steamers. 'Waverley' is still sailing! Jim

My technique has been to tin both the underside of the chimney/dome and the location on the boiler where it has to go. I then put a reasonable amount of low melt solder on the underside, put the chimney in place and apply the iron, at it's high setting, to the edge of the skirt until the low melt starts to appear round the edges. I once had a chimney come off when the loco was accidentally dropped and then I used Tim's method to re-attach it. Jim

The brass they were etched in was obviously too thin. Etching goes in half way from each side. In 4mm you need 15 thou, so I would say that in 16mm you need 60thou to give good depth. Jim

Point of order, Mr Chairman. Is that allowed? (Noting your signature) Jim

What part of the UK are you thinking about? I can PM you a list of 4mm Caledonian Railway loco kits. I'm not sure how up to date it is. There is also a RTR CR 812 class due to be released. Jim

According to this link the company was incorporated in 1962 and is now dissolved. I couldn't find any more about the company on line. Jim

The NBR had such a vehicle, which, IIRC they called a coffin truck, but I doubt it ever got as far as Norfolk! Jim

But can you play a Shetland Reel on it? Jim

My understanding is that the M&K Act specifically authorised the use of steam locomotives. According to P.J.G. Ransom in 'The Iron Road', "The Act of Incorporation empowered 'the Company of Proprietors ......to make and erect such and so many locomotive or moveable Engines as the said Company ..... shall from Time to Time think proper and expedient, and to use and employ the same in and upon the said Railway...' and so appears to have been the first such Act to include such a provision". Jim

Not so. According to 'The Monkland & Kirkintilloch Railway' published by Strathkelvin District Libraries & Museums in 1976, the M&K (opened in 1826) purchased 2 locomotives from Murdoch, Aitken and Company of Glasgow in May and September 1831, both described as being of the 'Killingworth' type with two vertical cylinders on top of the boiler. The M&K was the first railway in the world to have the use of steam locomotives allowed in its original Act of Parliament (the S&D had to get an amendment to its Act). I also read somewhere (but it's not mentioned in this book) that when the first loco was delivered it was found that it would not pass under the short tunnel under the Glasgow - Stirling road (now the A80) near Bedlay Cemetary! I suppose the concept of a loading gauge had not been thought of then! Initially one locomotive was placed either side of the tunnel, with horse haulage continuing to be used through it. I think that eventually the chimneys were cut down to allow the locos to pass through. Jim

Don't you mean 'rugger'? Jim

Aye, an' she husnae got her seemit oan! Jim

The method I used was to gently scrape the paint off the corner of the beading with a No 15 scalpel blade, being VERY careful not to take any paint off the panels. Gives the best result if the coach is brass, but in n/s it doesn't look too bad. Jim

I almost used the 'like' button, but in all conscience, could only apply it to the second photo of the '55' class 'Oban Bogie'! Jim

Hall of Mirrors? It's more like a labyrinth to which numerous corridors and dead ends get added by the hour!! Jim (Treating the comments on dentists with the contempt they deserve)

In our case, on real live patients! (under close supervision). They gave us easy ones to start with! How safe is your wallet/bank account when you enter a lawyer's office?!! Jim

That was his reported comment on inspecting the Highland regiments (also referred to as 'devils in skirts'!) Nah, pulling teeth is much easier, provided you know how to do it, of course! Jim (retired dentist and husband of retired school teacher)

I fully agree with you, James. Meanwhile here is an elegant 4-6-0 Jim

They've put the smoke deflectors on upside down!! Jim

That looks like Fox Pressed Steel bogie to me. Fairly generic in the pregroup period Jim

CR 8T and 10T wagons (goods and mineral) all had 4 planks. Most CR wagons also didn't have the number painted on the side, but had it on a plate on the solebar and painted on the end (fixed end only on end door wagons). Early wagons and some of the larger mineral wagons (including the 30T bogie ones) were the exception. Jim