Ray Von

Thanks Simon, I've saved that link.

Johnster, if I buy the missus a new cheese-grater, believe me - it'll raise a lot more questions than it answers! :-D

Thank you, just need to pick a day I can "borrow" the cheese grater and dispose of the evidence.... :-D

Thanks, did a quick web search on that and there are some less expensive "just like" brands available too!

I've had some wax crayons knocking around for about ten years - do you think I can find them?!!?

On that subject, is it freeze, thaw and grate? Or do you grate them from frozen?

Thanks Alistair,

Really good posts there! :-)

I agree with Bill, less is definitely more here! Well done, what a great idea.

Ray.

Cheers guys, both great ideas - I've seen that scaffold foam material sold as sort of cylindrical swimming-aids too. Time to go beachcombing...?

I've had this small packet of foliage scatter kicking around for ages, and now it comes to needing some more, I can't find any! I've looked at various sellers on eBay, and Hatton's website - they do tiny plants, tulips etc and meadow scatter which has a lot of green in with it - but really all I want is some coloured sponge to portray flower beds. Has anyone had any luck manufacturing their own, from old kitchen sponges I would assume (and a blender?)

Thanks a lot BH. I tried it, but I'm afraid no joy. The power feed does pass through on/off switches prior to the HF2, I don't suppose that would make a difference though?

Disconnect the feed to the track and see if it works - if you have anything across the track (lit wagon or coach, a wired buffer stop for example) those can affect it,

Disconnect it - as in have no power going to the track? Or am I being thick? How would that work?

UPDATE -

Installed the HF2 yesterday.... AND it don't do nuffin!

I'm quite philosophical about it though, it was essentially free with an as new Gaugemaster "Combi" controller and power adaptor that in the end I got for £30.

It works in as much as it feeds power to the track - that would have been really annoying, if after all the setting up and rewiring it was completely dead! But, it doesn't light up indicating track cleaning - I thought that I must have exceptionally clean track, but on reading the installation instructions it does state that the lights should come on when power is supplied to the track without a loco present. Hmmm. That doesn't happen.

So, not being electrically minded - I can say without fear of contradiction, that it must be Gremlins.

I have left it set up, as the layout functions as it should with it there anyway - and now that all the wiring is set up for a HF2, I might just have to get one!

"Dr. Emel's Roadside Dentistry" perhaps? Boom-boom!

From "Hornby Book of Model Railways" by Chris Ellis -

Many thanks, that sort of thing was my first instinct and I do own a set (not anything bigger than around 10mm though.)

As you say, the Dremel will be a useful addition to my tool kit - one of those things that you find yourself looking for excuses just to use!

Sold!

Estimated delivery:

Mon, 31 Dec - Wed, 02 Jan

:-)

Wow. I DO own a Dremel....

And there was me thinking Turntable Hole Method was the follow-up to this: 

 

https://youtu.be/7zdLfPN6F-o

Watching Top of the Pops 1986, so will view that clip later!

Cheers chaps, I would probably just use the turntable base itself as a template. I did own a cordless jigsaw, but never found it as accurate as I'd like, and have since got rid of it. I suppose any wavy lines could be padded out if necessary?

Hi all, I hope everyone is still in the Xmas spirit??

I am planning to start 2019 by undertaking a tuning-fork layout which will incorporate a peco NB 55 turntable, and am pondering the best way to fit it.

Quoting a quick Google:

"The Peco N Gauge NB-55 Turntable Kit - Well Type has a deck that is 151mm (5 15/16in) long. The well requires 151mm (6 1/10in) diameter. 23mm(7/8in) top of the baseboard to clear underneath."

The baseboard I will be using will be ply, or at a push MDF. Is there by any chance a circle cutter on the market of exactly the above diameter I wonder?

I've considered cutting the board in half and then at right angles to form an interlocking square aperture - this would involve reattaching the two halves and then making an insert (of an easier to cut material, such as polystyrene) in which to fix the turntable.

Other options I've thought of are, cutting the circle into the board by hand or drilling along a circular line and smoothing the edges off, both of which I'm not brimming with enthusiasm about...

I've often wondered if manufacturers of plastic kit buildings etc would be able melt down and re-use the sprues that their models come attached to, if they were posted back to them? Sometimes I swear there is more sprue than model!

UPDATE -

The right-angled blanking plug arrived today and the loco runs perfectly under DC control. ☺

I think it is becoming clear that a unit such as this is best used as an indicator and identifier of track-dirt, rather than a cleaner of track in itself. Still sounds like a handy bit of kit to have.

Turkey sandwich anyone??

They are brand new and I assume only carry blanking plugs. They do have a light at each end though (re Kevin's post) as do one or two of my older engines - are they safe?

I'm using all DC, except I have 2 EMUs that are DCC ready????

Hi, Merry Xmas All!

Thanks for the replies, especially the instructions PDF - they were not included with the purchase.

Have a great day everyone!

Hi, I recently purchased the Gaugemaster HF2 track cleaner - it was sold as a pair along with a controller, which I was really only interested in.

However, I'll be the owner of one soon and before deciding to add it to my set-up, I was wondering how good (or maybe bad) they actually are?

My "Pointless Layout" (see blog!) is a bit unusual - in that it is essentially two independent and unconnected ovals of track, powered via one Gaugemaster "Combi" single track controller - I should point out that the ovals are not strictly that either, as they are interrupted on one side by a traverser.

Will this device work on what are basically two curved "lines" rather than a pair of continuous loops?

Any advice much appreciated (and Happy Xmas Eve btw!) :-)