ikcdab

Fantastic, exactly what I was after. Many thanks

I have read a fair bit about link sections on here. That is, a section of track that can be joined electrically to either (but not both at the same time) of its neighbours. Therefore, where you have two operators, one of them can drive a train into a link section, then the other can take over and drive it out. The sort of thing you might have between a branch line and main station with separate control panels for each and a link section between them. Clearly, if you only want one switch, it is easily accomplished with a single DPDT switch. But what I need ifs for each operator to have their own switch, rather like the staircase lights are wired with a switch top and bottom either of which puts the light on or off. But of course different. When either operator operates their switch, they take control of the link section. Or perhaps they both have to cooperate and operate their switches together, but in any event, they each have one. I have seen such sections referenced in this topic below, but I cannot fathom out how to wire it up. I can see that it's a combination on two way switches in some way. Can anyone provide a simple diagram? Thanks

Is there a difference in the depth of the sleepers?

So I will soon be thinking about what track to buy for my next adventure. In the past I have always used SMP scaleway, but now Peco bullhead is on the scene. Both are much the same price at roughly £100 for 25m. I need around 50m so price does matter. I will be marrying it to copper clad handbuilt paintwork. Does one have any advantages over the other? I have also looked at c&l which is £145 for 25m. Is the price differential worth it? And what are the relevant sleeper heights. With SMP I use their 1.2mm copper clad sleepers for an exact match. Is peco different? Thanks

Well yes they did get repainted but over years as the routine repainting came up.

Hi John, ours is the cricut explore air 2. My wife mostly uses it for her crafts. It cuts paper and card very well. Max size is about 300mm x 300mm. I have also used it to cut 5 thou and 10 thou plasticard. It mostly gets through but needs a final break out. It is very precise and can cut the most intricate shapes very accurately. It does come with its own software but this is a little simplistic as I far prefer to use coreldraw. I save as a svg file which reads directly in.

I used the cricut cutter. Made up the outline on coreldraw, duplicated it a few times, yes the file and a sheet on 10thou into the cricut and hey Presto. Yes, the bit cut out from the rubbing plate fitted the door very well. You need to replace buffers too.

Does this help? I measured up the "rubbing plate" (is that the name?) and cut several out on the cricut with 10 thou plasticard. I then found that by happy accident, the inside cut out pieces were an exact fit into the corridor connection and thus covered up the unsightly triang screwholes etc. Then just glued the rubbing plate and new door in.

So I've done a bit of work on mine. The first bsk I was given 50 years ago and much abused in my youth. So it is good to have it running again. Refurbishment included 1. Replacement wheel sets and for the bsk, replacement bogies. 2. Added gangway ends and doors 3. Replacement buffers 4. Full repaint and relettering 5. Repaint interior and added netting to the luggage cage. 6. light weathering. 7.Replacement glazing 8. New couplings. I have another 4 in hand. Will post when done.

I think society is far too hypersensitive on all sorts of things these days. In normal times, around 600,000 people die in the UK annually, that's 1600 per day, so if the adverts are insensitive now, then they are even more insensitive in normal times. Anyway, as mentioned above, the adverts you see are based on your browsing history. If you don't like an ad, you can click on the x button and ask not to be shown it again.

Everything ok on my tablet, logged in as a basic user. Clicked on "remove ads" gave me the subscription options. That's the web version. Using the app on the tablet, again al ok, logged in as basic. Clicking on myh profile again gave the upgrade options.

Thank you. Ultimately, nothing is post free, it's just not shown separately and is included in the base price.

They look excellent, great job!

In these difficult times when we are not allowed out, where is the best place to buy model paint online without incurring ridiculous postage costs?

I think plastic wagon kits are jusf about the best thing there is in the model railway world. Relatively cheap to buy, straightforward to put together and you get results quickly. Like most people, i have a stash of various ones. This stash is now coming into its own during the current lockdown. I love Parkside and ratio, both highly recommended. Cambrian too are good, but lack wheels and transfers which i think is a shortcoming. I know you can get these "aftermarket", but I like to have them supplied. It just makes things easier. Also a big thumbs up for the old airfix kits. These are better than the Dapol reincarnation which I find not to be moulded quite so well. I am just working on a rake of 6 airfix esso oil tankers which are coming out well. At least the Dapol versions have wheels supplied and the transfers you will find in the old airfix kits may well now be past their best.

It's primarily used for santa specials which arrive and depart from the up platform. So from that point of view, I'm not sure a stop board would be much use as the trains are sitting in the platform and are stopped anyway. Many years ago I donated/lent a ground disc to the museum at Blue Anchor which had come from Castle Cary. I seem to remember that either this whole signal or maybe bits of it were used for the new fixed disc. Maybe Chris can recall

Chris, I had forgotten about that the disc signal at BA was fixed at caution! Also there is a disc starting up trains from the down loop at Williton. Before the resignalling this was also the starter to crowcombe but I have forgotten how it worked. With the resignaling there is now a starter further out so is it still the section signal....i can't remember and I don't have the energy to check the paperwork this morning. Lockdown makes one very lazy.

this will be very interesting, especially as some of the parts are so fiddly. It will be interesting to see how the printer handles this. My only immediate observation is that real signal arms are generally pressed out of sheet metal and i wonder how the 3d process will cope. That is why most models use etched arms. However, for posts, brackets, treads, handrails, finials etc etc, looks good.

If it helps, I have always been under the impression that clearing a ground disc is the sugnalman saying to the driver, "I've done my bit by working the point lever, now it's up to you". Having said all of that, on the west Somerset, at Blue Anchor, the starter for down trains from the up loop is a disc. Also, there is a running disc on the mainline for up trains. This is because the up home is too far from the loop points to provide any detection and the disc does that.

Yes, I did wonder if I could airbrush klear. I might try that and see what happens. I have some stock of the old formula.

So I'm have been refurbishing some triang mk 1 coaches and repainting and renumbering them (see other threads!) Now I need to varnish them to protect the transfers etc. Do I use Matt or satin finish? All my wagons I Matt varnish, but coaches are normally shinier. And i have run out of varnish anyway so tomorrow I am going to experiment with using thinned household water-based varnish (I won't be experimenting on the coaches themselves....) But any advice on varnishing would be gratefully received. Thanks

John, that's very helpful thanks. And also thanks for the esso tanker ones you sent me in the week. Lucky I got in with those before the shutdown.

Thank you. I have had a go. I did what you said but found the masking tape too thick. So it was by eye. Cut one letter and apply. Blot it well with cotton bud. Then add second, position as close as possible. Apply minute amount of water with thin paint brush then remove support paper. Then carefully do final adjustment. All done with very fine tweezers and a close magnifier. See attached! One side down, 11 to do.

I don't know if these are genuine measuring shots or just posed for effect, but in this blog and the previous one, the measuring stick is measuring from the ground, not rail level. The ground level, of course, is variable. I know it's not much, but as a matter of principle, all measuring should be from a known datum point, rail top being the usual one!

I spray painted 4 x mk1 coaches in 4mm scale. So that's 8 sides with 3 or 4 thinned coats each side. Used the whole tin.