davknigh

The only actual functioning screw link couplings that I am aware of in 4mm scale are those that were made by Exactoscale. I suspect that they are as scarce as hen’s teeth but might be found at some shows at bring and buy tables. All the rest, AFAIK, are cosmetic representations. HTH David

Going out on a limb here but ISTR Larry Goddard put his name on anything he painted. A chum has a Stanier Mogul painted by LG and it has his name on the underside along with the name of the guy who built the kit. Cheers, David

I know they do the wheels for the big 18” Barclay but I’m not sure that they suit for the 14”. I would be happy to be proven wrong. Cheers, David

Hi Chris, Good to see that the Barclay lives, or at least is still in gestation. Any thoughts as to suitable wheels in EM/P4? Cheers, David

FWIW a Gleason of 7 (4+3) was what I got that triggered my treatment. Your treatment depends in part on your age, the older you are the less likely you will have surgery and more likely to have chemo or radiation. Being over 70 with tests showing the cancer was confined to the prostate I got radiation but that’s what it’s done here in Canada, I’m in the dark as to what the NHS does. Radiation over here is much more focused that it was even ten years ago so less damage and fewer side effects. Best of luck 👍 Cheers, David

The after effects seem to vary with each test, it all depends on how many blood vessels get punctured and where they are. I had at least five biopsies over the years and no two were the same. I’ve got my fingers crossed for you. Cheers, David

I will grant you that they worked but they were so grossly over scale, IMHO, that it spoiled the advantages. As with HO, give me Kadees every time. Cheers, David

Assuming we are talking about HO scale, standard Rapido couplers will mate with Kadees, no problem. Rapido have always come with Kadee compatible couplings as do all other top end HO products since the Kadee patent expired. LifeLike originally came equipped with the NMRA/X2F abominations which look a *bit* like knuckle couplers until compared with Kadees. If we are talking N scale things get confusing because the original N scale coupling was callled a Rapido coupling (horrible things, worse than tension lock), but that was years before Rapido Trains existed. In short, a declaration of scale or a picture would help clear the mists. Cheers, David

Kadees 5s should fit just fine with the Rapido couplings. What you probably have are variously known as NMRA, X2F, or those useless $#%^@ couplings, that used to be standard on most equipment before Kadees became dominant. The Kadees should be a drop in fit in the coupler pocket assuming you don’t have truck (bogie) mounted couplers. Cheers, David

I have heard from a friend that Peppercorn Pacific tenders were incompatible with A class Pacifics by other LNER designers. Can someone give learned insight into this matter, please? Cheers, David

I got my first PSA after turning 50 partly because it was recommended and partly because my dad had prostate cancer but died with it but not of it. The first couple were below the trigger point but the next one was over and I was sent to a urologist. He gave me the once over and given the size of my prostate and family history arranged a biopsy. It turned out to be positive but with a Gleason score of 6 which meant it was non-malignant. I was put on a regime called “active surveillance “ which involves getting the blood test every few months and a digital exam when I went to get the results. This went on for about 20 years until last year my PSA went over 10 and a subsequent biopsy came back as a Gleason 7 which meant the waiting period was over and we had to do something. Given my age is over 70 an operation was off the table and after a series of tests it was determined the best way forward was radiation at our local cancer centre. Twenty 5 minute treatments later I was done and after a few of months to recover my first PSA came back at 1.5 and the next one lower. Caught early cancer can be beaten. Don’t be shy, get the test. I should add that all the people I dealt with were brilliant, kind, helpful and empathetic. Cheers, David

I suppose my reaction is partly due to outside influences from my own side of the pond where all set track is done in inches. https://shop.atlasrr.com/c-486-h43.aspx Up in the snowy north where I live we don’t have anyone who manufactures RTP track so our education in the mysteries of metric is wasted when it comes to making purchases. As far as “sane” goes, I model in P4 so I’m hardly qualified to judge others… Cheers, David

I have to wonder why the terminology of first, second and third radius was used instead of simply stating the radius of the curve. Why introduce arcane terminology when a simple figure will be much more clear, especially to the novice? Cheers, David

Problem sorted. I took some advice from the Scalefour Forum that got me pointed in the right direction. Basically the best starting point is the inboard end of the bogie, I pared back the lugs a bit in the middle so as to get a starting point to wedge in the tip of a scriber and with careful levering the bogie side frame popped off. Next up, re-profile and re-gauge the wheels. Cheers, David

Thanks Jeremy. I’ve looked at the conversion articles on both forums and they are useful but jump in after the bogies have been disassembled which is why I’ve posted here. I shall try again, carefully… Cheers, David

I’d like to remove the bogie sideframes on my Dapol class 21 to better see what the prospects are for converting it to P4 gauge but am baffled as to how to remove the sideframes without resorting to brute force. I can see lugs at either end on the bogie that look like they *should* be the answer to the problem but they won’t budge and there’s no obvious place to insert the traditional thin bladed screwdriver to pry things open. I’ve successfully done Bachmann and Heljan diesels with no problem but this one has me flummoxed for the moment. All ideas and suggestions gratefully appreciated. TIA David

Ah yes, the big V8s. You could see the needle on the gas gauge fall as you stepped on the accelerator. But then gas was $0.32 a gallon… Cheers, David

I checked the tubes one site and found this: https://ksmetals.com/collections/12-long-round-brass-tube Wall thickness varies from .006” for the thinner sizes to .014” for heavier tubes. I have found them useful for a variety of things such as brake rigging supports and sliding axles for 6 wheel coaches and wagons. Cheers, David

I had the pleasure of seeing him in concert with his original trio of Red Shea and John Stockfish on a number of occasions. His performance of the “Canadian Railroad Trilogy” was particularly memorable. You know you have a treat ahead when the opening chords of a song give you goosebumps. Cheers, David

I think this is the company you are looking for; https://ksmetals.com/pages/hobby Cheers, David

I find that for things like figures that either need to be moved or that are still looking for their “home” a tacky/sticky wax does the job. It can be had from a variety of suppliers, mine came from a miniatures show but fly tying wax also works well. For something a little less likely to be moved some form of rubber cement usually does the job. Cheers, David

Marc, You might want to give this side a look for hints if nothing else. If you are working in P4 the track should be usable as is but check with Andy to be sure. https://www.proto87.com/Paved_industrial_or_dockside_track.html Cheers, David

It’s all about the ability to intimidate. Driving in North America is regulated by individual states or provinces and the standards vary greatly. I drive a Toyota Corolla and often find myself looking in the rear view mirror at the grille of a pickup or an SUV with no idea of what the driver of the other vehicle looks like. The laughable part is these “mighty movers” is the way they turn off the road into parking lots at a bare crawl for fear of I don’t know what. As mentioned before, the vast majority never engage the 4WD and rarely go anywhere more adventurous than the back of a WalMart parking lot. Interestingly I have noticed the number of roll-over accidents has soared since the arrival of these beasts with them being the frequent victims. Cheers, David

Excellent idea William. Beats having to crawl underneath. Cheers, David

Well yes, I am suggesting just that. The instructions for the Dean Goods chassis is 12 pages, 6 double sided. Folding that up and fitting it in a box takes space and adds weight particularly if the package has to travel any distance. HighLevel is not the only maker who has gone this route and they all have one thing in common, they are one man bands who are doing this on their own hook and time and already sail close to the wind with their expenses. Having to buy bigger boxes to be able to fit in instructions means either put prices up or eat the difference and after all they’ve been through some might well say s*d it and move on. Cheers, David