bcnPete

0 gauge doesn't need to be too big pete. But lives steam does.

Don - is this what you are currently working on? Do you have a thread going?

Stewart - Thanks - Good advice - I recall before you said it was a nice kit, hence the purchase.

Pete

Send it back, it's the wrong scale and is far to easy to build with nowhere near enough fiddly bits that can just disappear from the tweezers.

ooh I dunno...am sure I can make a right mess of it...

so there I was...minding my own business...getting on with 2FS stuff...and then this arrives in today's post...

and just to check the contents inside are ok I opened it...I do like a nicely packaged kit...

Hmmm....drums fingers nerviously on the dining room table....

I think I need more medication than that!

Yes, O gauge is harder to sneak through the door,

but how come I never see my missus carrying shoe boxes into the house?

Sometimes the tabs get washed down with Gin Tonics though

Good point re the shoes. I implemented a '1 in, 1 out' policy with my wife. Everytime she wants to buy a new pair of shoes, she has to nominate which pair will be thrown out...it works so well, I extended it to bags too

Good job she hasn't suggested the same for my trains....yet

Steve I see you are on the same meds as me...

Jordan - Fair comment...In reality I guess we all end up purchasing more locos than we really need...0 gauge stuff gets harder to sneak through the front door/conceal though...

Chris - Fully understand where you are coming from.

When I got bitten with the 7mm bug last year my behaviour was completely irrational. I was checking all the 7mm threads on the forum, checking all the 7mm suppliers, dropping into 7mm layout websites...and this lasted for about one month...until the Doctor advised me to take some 2mmFS soothing remedies

That said, I have now completed my 7mm rolling stock purchases for now and they are awaiting when I feel the time is right to begin the layout. Occaisionally, I take them out the boxes and just enjoy the size and scale they offer.

If I am honest, I think it would tip my wife over the edge if I started another IKEA shelf layout (I have my 2FS and a 4mm one for our two boys on the go) at the moment...I am also thoroughly enjoying my 2FS stuff at present.

So, the next best thing to doing a 7mm model...is at least talking about it

See what happens at Ally Pally...I have my 7mm stuff awaiting for that 'rainy day'...we do get them in Spain....but not as many

Its not so much the creative juices, 7mm can empty a wallet pretty fast.

True Don...or though as Marc Smith always says, the same can be true of any scale...the smaller the scale, the more rolling stock we tend to purchase....and sometimes not in proportion to the size of the layout.

My 7mm 'toe in the water' exercise chose Wenfordbridge as it is limited to an 08, a few hoods, a box van and brake van...so 37175 in large logo livery remains a pipe dream ()

Mark, hi

Top work! That station building (and all the trimmings) looks fantastic in the last two shots - it really captures the atmosphere of the prototype.

Am a bit miffed about the cakeshop though Could just imagine a cup of BR tea, an iced doughnut and waiting on the platform to see a large logo 37 snake through

Best, Pete

Strange I found one under Avonwick after I packed up. It didn't look happy.

...that might explain why Farmer Giles was found lying down as you noted on your blog Kris

I need a Heljan 31 though when it comes out!

Hmmm....31's worked clay hoods in the Barnstaple area I recall...

enough of all this 7mm talk...it's getting the old creative juices flowing again...think 2mm...think 2mm...

Nicely done Steve - I assume that it was WE Mark who threw down the gauntlet and that the model will be guesting on WE today at Newbury?

Interesting debate this - I am sitting on the side of the fence with the use of Easitrac plain track and PCB turnouts - I probably won't bother trying to put chairs, but will clean up the solder some more prior to painting and painting.

As for the tiebar, I have just used a single PCB sleeper...I am not so worried about seeing that visually

I attach a photo of my last turnout using Code 40, PCB and some easitrac. Apologies (as always) for my shocking soldering.

I did like to be able to use continuous lengths of rail in the plain track which became the turnout rather than making the turnout as a stand a lone unit...if that makes sense

Thanks Don,

Its good sometimes to switch scales - I do that often in my work too...if we are looking at architectural plans at 1:50 scale and there is a design problem, we sometimes drop down a scale or two (say to 1:500) to help step back and look at the problem - it really helps focus the mind.

I can't see myself dropping 2mm as I have so much of it now...but I can see an increase in my 7mm stuff...gradually!

So this is where it is at at the moment?

 

This big train stuff really is rather appealing

Don't go there Mickey...unless of course a new purchase in another scale helps to reclaim that mojo

Update - I ordered a Slaters 20 Ton BR Brake Van kit today to replace the Skytrex one which was returned due to disappointment.

See...all this talk of 7mm...now look what's happened...Resist...Resist...Resist...

Paul - Agreed...but I can almost justify more the 37 for this little project...even though in reality, it was only 08's that could use the branch I understand.

Kris - no harm plotting though...its always nice to have one's mind drifting away on the next project...

As with the 121 Bubble's, I note that Hattons are now listing these with prices...once again...orders placed

Hattons

before I even mention to the other half what I have in mind

You can share it with 'us' if you want first...your secret is safe...with all 10,000+ of us on here

Thanks all, more to follow, but in the mean time I've been side-tracked by a little project which may or may not be railway related...

Do tell

That reminds me, I need to look back at how you lowered your Class 37...

Stay tuned...I am about to do 4 class 37's in one go...the lengths I will go to, to avoid making trees

See you at Expo 2020 then...build your layout at 1200mm above FFL and the jelly baby freights could see a bit of through running...Calne to Coombe

Firstly, my sincere apologies for not replying to the above - Normally, I check my 'watched topics' daily but of recent, I no longer get topics that I have subscribed to...even my own rambles I even wrote a topic in the help section asking for advice...but perhaps no-one watched it

Chris - Sorry about the late response on IKEA shelves...since then I think we have discussed about them on your blog - I fix mine high on the wall...which means I get the odd heart attack moment balancing on a stall removing and reinstalling them!

Rich - Apologies again - Sadly no further progress...am back in 2mm mode...but that doesn't stop me getting dark thoughts every so often...I am purposely resisting purchasing the C+L components for the track as I know what will happen...but that doesn't stop me dropping in to your site for inspiration of course...

Jordan - I like to think of the 7mm project as postponed rather than cancelled But if enough of you 7mm guys keep posting those terrific updates...then who knows what will happen

Kris - I know you too have similiar 2mm and 7mm interests...is that the other project you were referring to the other day after Avonwick? I recall you hinted you were collecting rolling stock...but did you say in which scale?

Steve - Very true...but imagine a 7mm BR Blue Large Logo 37 shunting those clay hoods....Nurse....screens

Last weekend, we visited a mini airfield and people were flying their RC airplanes. My wife said, can you swap ALL your trains for just one of those planes? For a split second I was tempted...now, that would be the darkside...

Steve,

Very interesting to read of your experiences and the diagrams are excellent in describing that too.

Whilst I am a big fan of easitrac, I just couldn't get on with the turnouts. Most people have though successfully, so I put that down to my skill set in trackmaking...which is pretty limited. I tried various hybrids of plastic and pcb and in the end had interwoven so much pcb in the mix, I thought I might as well stick with all pcb - I think it does allow an element of fine tuning with a soldering iron which all plastic may not, however I guess other larger scales have managed this ok.

That said, I will probably try again sometime to build one so I am watching how you tackle it with great interest.

Less is more as they say Stewart

The layout still retains the wonderful simplicity (personally I am a big fan of using the fiddle to run-a-round) and the new works look to blend very well.

Watching with interest...

Nice work Peter...and thanks for making a good start to my Sunday

...and they all made a similar noise.

when I first watched the movie on the iPhone, I thought it was someone clearing their throat in the background...

Hat, coat, tortoise...

No doubt it will change to green again soon but I don't really mind though do think that the blue looks good......

Well...I am saying nothing more on the subject

Great update - Very neat wiring Steve - the use of the mirrored track plan beneath is a stroke of genius - must make fault finding easier to get the head around.

You can be sure I ain't never gonna flip my boards and reveal the disasters occurring 6ft under the 6ft way...

Look forward to see the next one.