Caley Jim

'A Register of West Coast Joint Stock' by Casserly and Millard (HMRS 1980) states that 50 refrigerator meat vans were built by the LNWR thought to be similar to their Dia 46. They were numbered 287-336 and appear to have been painted in a plain dark grey livery with no markings on the body, although it is possible that in the c19th they were inscribed WCJS in small letters in the lower left corner. The ownership and running number were on the usual cast iron plate on the solebar - so, yes, presumably an oval plate. Jim

These are definitely bullhead chairs. Looks like there's been a mix-up. Jim

Technically it's a tandem turnout, a 3 way has both sets of switches at the same place. Not so dificult if you keep your wits about you, unless you do it on interlaced sleepers in 2FS! Kirkallanmuir has 4 of them. :-) Jim

Could it be that you have bullhead sleepers? Those for flat bottom rail have a different shaped chair. Jim

I maintain the membership records, but without knowing your name I can't trace when you lapsed, however you would receive renewal invitations in both the February and April Magazines and, if you gave an email address when you joined and which was still 'live', you would also get email reminders. You don't have to wait until Model Rail to rejoin, there is an application form at http://www.2mm.org.uk/join.htm . Chris has answered your question regarding flat bottom rail. I'm a bullhead user myself! Jim

Just received my two sets. They look superb and i can visualise some nice little cameos. I particularly like the policeman as the Preiser one was far too continental with his spike topped helmet and cloak! Jim

You can straighten it in the same way as described before by drawing it between finger and thumb, but keeping it upright, rather than on its side. To be honest, I wouldn't be too concerned about any of these lengths, other than perhaps the third and fourth from the top. If you are using Easitrak, then as long as you ensure that the track is well glued down to a flat trackbed, the rail will be held level. Likewise, using pcb sleepers, just make sure that the rail is securely soldered to each sleeper and/or chairplate and that the sleepers are securely glued down. In my experience, track doesn't need to be dead level to the last thou, indeed can you ever ensure that it is, or that it will stay that way? My advice is not to get too hung up about this. Jim

Excellent, just what I'll need to populate Kirkallanmuir! just ordered one of each set. Only ones I've seen in the past were from Preiser. Jim

A thought I've had since raising this is to etch a jig with holes which could be used to drill the rods. This would have to be done after filing the rods to shape as that process can result in slight stretching of them. This is not an issue if you use the finished rods as a jig to drill the frames, but could be a problem with what I'm thinking about if you used the etched jig before forming the rods. Jim

I fully agree with this. Nothing looks quite like steel as steel! Likewise, nothing looks quite like coal except coal! :-) I'm wondering how I could make steel rods to match etched n/s chassis? Perhaps etching the rods in steel from artwork off the same CAD drawing, but that would prohibitively expensive unless you were etching a lot of rods. Perhaps the best option would be not to etch the bearing holes, and then use the scratchbuilt rods as jigs to drill them as i have always done in the past. BTW, it must be nearly a decade since I built a loco (though I have re-built a couple of chassis), so maybe I'm due one too!! Jim

That's basically correct. As I understand it (not having any converted rtr stock) the manufacturers use different length axles and don't even seem to have been consistent themselves, so the same make of stock can have different axle lengths. If you can't get the exact axle length you should get the next longest and gently deepen the bearing holes with a drill until the axles fit, but I stand to be corrected on that. Jim

As the person who maintains the membership database, I have just had a list from the membership secretary of the application forms which are in the post to me. There doesn't appear to be any overseas members among them (as you don't give your name I can't be sure whether you are one of them). He also said in his email that he was going away for a few days, so it may be a week or two before you hear anything. If you let me have your name and email address in a PM, I will make sure that he let's you know when he has processed your application. Jim

Hi Joe. Glad to see you giving 2FS a go! To answer you questions (well, three of them): 1 You don't need fishplates. Attach a dropper wire to the end of each length of track and pass them through holes drilled in the relevant places in the trackbed. You simply align the ends of the rail accurately when glueing the track down and then solder the droppers together underneath for electrical continuity. These also give you places for track feeds. If you want an isolating gap, omit the droppers 2 It can be difficult to work out which way is up, but using magnification helps. If you find it difficult to thread the rail into the sleepers despite lightly chamfering the ends, you've probably got the rail upside down! 3 I haven't built any turnouts using the new pegged chairs, so can't comment, but I have built a fair number of turnouts on interlaced sleepers using a mix of Easitrac and pcb sleepers. Results can be seen on my layout thread - link in the signature below. 4 There are several other systems based on pcb sleepers, but these are all much more time consuming than Easitrac, at least for plain track. HTH, Jim

The Forth and Clyde area group had Sauchenford at the Aberdeen show this week end. Three photos attached. A 'drone's-eye' view of the layout with a loaded coal train leaving. A couple of shots of a quiet moment with Alisdair's 08 resting in the lye siding. The PO wagon is in memory of our late friend and fellow member Colin Brady. Jim

I presume you mean 'shunters'! Or are the shutters going up to hide the learning curve? You will need to get used to the braking and remember to 'shut off steam' a bit before you get to where you want to stop. That will depend on what the setting of the braking CV. Jim

I did a similar thing with my CR 2-2-2WT (for hauling the officer's saloon) in 2FS. Jim

Tim, as Jerry points out, it doesn't need aggressive cleaning, apart from scraping off any paint in the first instance. A rub along it with a narrow strip of hardboard, or the finest grade on a cheap nail burnisher, is enough. Jim

I simply draw it between my finger and thumb, slightly curving it against the existing curve. You may need to do this several times, back and forth, until you get it reasonably straight. Assuming that you are using Easitrac, once it's fitted in the sleepers and they are glued down, using some weight on them until the glue sets, the track will stay flat and in alignment unless there are serious kinks in the rail. The rail doesn't have to be dead straight first. The same would apply to soldered track, whether assembled in a jig or in situ. Jim

Another 'just off the workbench (desk)'. The MR traction truck was another which was built and painted before we moved house, but now I've got round to giving it a load. The Flleetline 8hp stationary engine has been lying in the gloat box for many years and is a rather crude white metal casting, but once painted and given some rust it will past muster, '2 foot rule' etc.,etc. The chain is 3 strands of fine copper wire from mains cable platted together then run through a match flame to take the shine off it. Again, it won't stand too close examination, but looks the part IMHO. Jim

They could be if it was a pick-up goods which had picked up the empties earlier and also had some fulls to drop off further along its journey. Jim

How about using the strip that you can get for edging kitchen worktops? It looks like Formica or similar. Jim

Sorry, Chris. Link doesn't work for me. Takes me to Shapeways website but to an 'OOps can find it' page. Jim

This photo of Birmingham Windsor Street goods yard, scanned from an old HMRS Journal, shows a wide variety of loads. Timber in various forms (including some sheeted), what look like bricks in the left foreground and sheeted loads in a variety of shapes . Not sure what the white stuff in the meddle right is. First thoughts were lime, but that would have to be sheeted to keep it dry. Apologies for the quality of the scan. Jim

Caley sheets also had a blue cross quartering the sheet, not a diagonal one as has been quoted in some quarters. Jim

Interesting that Richard should ask this as I too have often wondered when oil drums came into use and whether such a load would be appropriate. On a similar subject, when did cable drums come in and if it was pre-1923, what size were the originals? Jim