davknigh

A couple of points here. First off, the cost of everything is going up and the price of paper is in there with the rest. Downloadable instructions saves money for the maker and allows them to update instructions as needed, it also allows the use of smaller boxes all of which in the long run saves the buyer money in that the producer does not have to up their prices. Now that you have the instructions do read them a couple of times before starting. Chris’ instructions are very logical and well illustrated, far better than most, and reward the builder with a much easier job when followed to the letter. This is not a reflection on you, BTW, just my own experience from building HighLevel Kits and passed on in the spirit of being helpful. The reward will be superb running and detail. Cheers, David

I’ve dealt with TMR in the past at shows here in Ontario and can vouch for both range of parts and service. TMR, like many dealers theses days, operates out of his basement with no brick and mortar shop. Each weekend that there is a show in southern Ontario it’s load up the van and Terry, along with a few other dedicated types, will be there. A hard life, particularly at this time of year what with the snow and cold. Cheers, David

Certainly other RTR with sprung drivers have articulated rods such as the blue boxed variants. Come to that, the Rapido CPR Hudsons have articulated rods so it’s not as if their factory hasn’t done it before. Replacements are available from Judith Edge and Alan Gibson if you don’t mind soldering. Cheers, David

So,”yes, we have no bananas”. Cheers, David

Ah, but it saves money on bi-lingual signs. Besides, most people find the tracks a bit of a giveaway…. Cheers, David

The same can be said for many parts of Canada. A crossbuck is all you get at most crossings. Cheers, David

I had the keeper plate off my Arthur today to check for lube and other muck and found it to be, as others have mentioned, a bit stiff to release but eventually was carefully popped off. The NEM issue was easily cured by relieving the back edge of the pocket, basically just breaking the corner with a light pass with a fine file. Now it will release the coupler in the same way as the rest of my NEM equipped boxes do. While clearing excess lube (not a great deal of it) I noticed that the centre axle is sprung. A good idea for traction and pickup as it keeps all wheels on rail, but given that the coupling rods are solid it seems of limited use. Any comment/reaction from the Rapido Boffins? Arthur is running even more smoothly now FWIW Cheers, David

Dave, Would replacing the solid coupling rods with a two piece set not give the extra play needed? Cheers, David

Had the pleasure of running my “Arthur” today after giving a running in session on rollers last night. I noticed a couple of things, Arthur is happier on track than rollers which suggests I should check to make sure my rollers are level, and when tested to the limit (a rake of 9 coaches) he draws more current rather than letting his wheels slip which concerns me a little. One other small thing, after reading through the instructions (!) I went to the website in the hope of downloading a larger version of the exploded diagram. I could not find anything larger than the one on the instruction sheet. Will this be remedied in the not too distant future? Cheers, David

“An update on Hunslets (and Class 28s) - Analogue versions are ready for shipping …” Excellent news! There’s something to be said for being a Luddite after all 😗 Cheers, David

The only possible excuse for traction tyres in a unit like this would be that only one bogie is powered. With a minimum radius of 354mm or so, I suspect that the couplers would be mounted on the bogies which would be another strike against them for sales in North America. So, to sum up; it looks like the model will have: truck mounted couplers, traction tyres, only one bogie powered. AFAICS if all this turns out to be true, Piko has hatched a turkey. Cheers, David

It depends. The wider your baseboards the lower the layout needs to be in order for you to reach the track. I’m 6’ so I can get away with baseboards 2’ wide and 53” off the floor modelling in 4mm scale. It also depends on your type of operation. If you enjoy shunting higher is better, if you run in circles chair height is nice. Cheers, David

PM sent Cheers, David

I have a couple of the Parkside PMVs that I’m just getting around to building but Modelmaster transfers seem to be rather thin on the ground. Could someone please recommend a source for BR period ones? TIA David

May I respectfully add ‘good fit’ to your list of soldering requirements? The job goes so much better for me when that condition is satisfied. Cheers, David

A group of us used to take what we called the “Washago turn” boarding at Union and having lunch on board as the train headed north. We’d get off a Washago, do some railfanning then catching the sound bound Northlander back to Union. A pleasant outing all around and the crew was very accommodating. Cheers, David

Good to hear, cutting the old Northlander was a mistake and created much hardship for people from northern Ontario. Cheers, David

S4 member here, if the society has moved to take over the Dingham couplings it’s been a well kept secret. I’m a Dingham user so I would have been very interested had the matter come up. I shall contact the society and check further. Cheers, David

Any update on the Hunslets? Cheers, David

Would that include some form of compensation/springing on one axle for those of us dinosaurs who prefer straight DC? Cheers, David

Stay alive is nice but a compensated or sprung non-driven axle should keep all four wheels on the track for constant pickup. My Judith Edge Ruston 48DS has it and rarely stops unless my track gets really filthy. OTOH if you insist on insulfrog… Cheers, David

I’d be quite happy if Dapol got the tablet catcher fitted Class 21s out. Oh, and it wouldn’t hurt my feelings if an exploded drawing of the class 21/29 was made available so it would be easier to service. Cheers, David

I gather that the shipment of Hunslets has been held up due to a shortage of DCC chips. Is it fair to assume that the non-DCC models will be held up as well and is there any update on this issue, please? Cheers, David

Regardless of the reason it makes a positive difference. Well done. Cheers, David

I get the distinct impression that some work has been done on the wheel profile as well as re-gauging. Could this emerge as a P4 Fairlie? Cheers, David