David Siddall

That is excellent news :-) It would be great if you could share Richard's contact details so I can order some ASAP... 'Lincs' are (IMO) the least intrusive auto-couplings I've seen for 7mm scale, work brilliantly on Factory Lane Sidings and for that reason I really want to use them on on my layout. I've been putting off of fixing the track and starting ballasting because I want to get the magnets in place to test them with my chosen auto-couplings first. Ahhhh, the joys of depositing a hopper wagon on my coal-drops without having to deploy the hand of (insert deity of choice here) to release pesky three-links chains (its an eyesight thing ;-) David

Difficult to measure precisely whilst they're still in the packet Chris – the header card says "to suit all fixing requirements" ;-) D

And unless you're going for all glued construction I can let you have a couple of packets of left-over holes... ;-) David

I'm liking that! Inspiration for a ancient grounded North Eastern van body I think :-) David

When the infrastructure catches up with your superbly modelled locos, stock and buildings that's going to be one awesome layout Chris :-) David

I have to say, cheaper ply has its time and place, although, as Chaz says, it may involve compromises... Another anti-splintering trick when cutting plywoods is to paint thinned PVA, proprietary wood hardener; or best of all (IMO) thinned Expoxy Resin along the line you want to cut on both sides of the sheet. Whatever 'hardener' you use it needs to be thinned sufficiently to ensure it soaks through the outer ply's and bonds them thoroughly. Finally to protect edges from moisture and splintering as a result of accidental knocks give them a further couple of coats. David

One way to minimise splinters when cutting plywood (or any laminated material for that matter) is to run some masking tape along both sides of the sheet along the line you intend to cut, rub it down firmly, draw the line you want to follow onto the masking tape and off you go. Jigsaws (manual or powered) are best at cutting curved shapes not straight lines and its difficult to avoid shaggy edges as the blade flails about when attempting a straight cut. A hand-held circular saw is probably the best tool for square-cutting sheet of any description, or failing that a nice new rip saw held at about 10-15 degrees from the timber and used gently (allowing the saw to do the work). How do I know this... ownership of a woodworking shop as part of a sign business and two narrow boats fitted out from bare steel shells. Both used ply in various forms (shuttering, marine, faced, etc) in prodigious quantities and in niether application were splintered edges an option... David

David, your craftsmanship and vision has resulted in another outstanding model. However, with this one, I think you've moved on to capturing something that's much harder to invoke... character and presence. :-) David

My suggestion was based on a piece of advice you yourself gave me several years ago Mike. I'd mentioned that I'd been reading Paul Karau's 'Great Western Branchline Termini Vol 2' in which he states that Hemyock lost its 'home' and 'starter' signals as early as 1912. Another contributor suggested: "...one engine in steam lines had their signalling removed in the 1920s/30s e.g. Watlington?" Your reply included the following on which I based my understanding... "Some places, especially those with developing traffic in the 1930s were fairly comprehensively signalled, as were places where the signalling was renewed, while some others which were 'reduced' (usually to One Engine In Steam) never had their signalling updated or sometimes had most of it removed". David

Bin there.... bought kits for a post mounted starter and a couple of ground signals for my layout's initial geographic location and time-line only for someone to mention that West Country branches with limited traffic started to have much (if not all) of their signalling removed and the 'one-engine-in-steam' rule applied 'before' nationalisation. Not totally though... the Fairford branch retained both ground and post signals long after all about it were losing theirs (still in place and fully operational at the end of passenger traffic in June 1962) so a Rule 1 based scenario might be in order? David

I reckon that's one of those things that only you as the builder might notice Rod... the rest of us wouldn't see it (...being otherwise engaged admiring the overall impression given by your superb modelling :-) David

Just caught up with this thread again Don, what superb trackwork! David

Does brickwork get better than that? I don't think so :-) David

Did you order what I think are called bridge chairs? They used to be in the Exactoscale range now owned by C&L. They have a smaller (square) base than the standard chair and are handy around the 'vee' and where the blades sit close to the outer rails and space is tight. Saves a lot of fiddly chopping of C&L's standard sized item. You can see examples in this photo of my second turnout, they are (were) a lighter brown (toffee-colour) D

And the result will be worth everything you put into it! There would have to be an incredibly good reason for me to revert to ready-to-plonk track and turnouts now I've had a go at building my own. Well, apart that is from fiddle yards and the bit in the scenic section of my current layout that's going to be buried apart from the railheads which it would be a shame to waste timber sleepers. Go Chris... (uh oh, sorry... sad old bloke trying to sound street ;-) D