Ralf

Thank you Martin, you're right about filing both sides although I had no intention of doing so - but at least I've only done it on one blade! DOH! Your quite right about the 'set' too, diagrams make perfect sense thank you. Any simple bodge - guessing it's possible by releasing the chairs on the toe end of the curved stock rail and employing some pliers? Or indeed filing the profile away edge of the stock rail. The insulating fishplates are Marcway insulating rail joiner chopped down as they're very long and fowl the chairs otherwise. The common crossing was included in a OO-SF B6 kit. A slice of 40 thou plasticard (1.016mm) will pass through between the common crossing and the wing rail on the diverging road but not on the straight road. So something seems slightly awry…

Hi all, No news from Phil @ C&L re: missing points blades but have been successfully to Marcway and armed myself with lots of bits and bobs for adventures in PCB turnout manufacture but of course a quantity of rail too. So having read what Mr Rice has to say on the subject managed to produce two adequate looking point blades (adequate IMHO) and have mostly finished this turnout. Thank heavens though I invested in 3 Valorbe 6" files - bliss! I never knew that's how easy filing was supposed to be. Check rail bends were unexpectedly easy having cut too far through with the razor saw but never mind. The only issue I'm having is the roller gauge is tight between the common crossing and the wing rail when going straight ahead through the turnout - see later pictures which is where the roller sticks. I've only tried 2 random Bachmann wagon wheel sets - 1 fine, 1 won't go at all! Having played with my digital vernier it's more like 0.7mm flangeway rather than 1.0mm I think I was aiming at. BUT as it's C&L silver soldered one it pains me to alter it. Any thoughts anyone? For now I think I shall finish off the slides chairs, tidy up the check rails etc and most likely move on to a Marcway style turnout until I can somehow choose and determine a master wheelset / wagon to try with...

Thanks for the input folks, wing rails trimmed and tidied up. Have also glued the toe toe end and curved stick rail at both ends being happy with its alignment. Maybe I haven’t yet seen the pitfall but it felt like progress. Check rails have been cut and will be fitted and shaped next time. Then it’ll be switch blades time once either Phil has got back to me or I’ll been back to Marcway during their revised opening hours! Thanks Ralf

Yes but they changed their opening hours and not their website and I had a wasted trip, I'd rather shop with someone who a) tells the world they've changed their hours and b) embraces the 21st Century and this internet contraption! Never mind seems Marcway or C&L likely at a show. Project on hold. Ta Ralf

Hi folks Wondering where people would suggest I purchased PCB strips / sleeper selections for building crossings and code 75 Bullhead Nickel Silver Rail? Tried EMGS Online shop but it’s closed until c 10/6 so - tried to go to Marcway this afternoon but their new hours (not on their website) meant it was closed upon my arrival at 16:15. So looking for fast web shopping for my goods! Any pointers much appreciated! Ta Ralf

Sorry to resurrect this rather ancient thread but it’s all I can find about Marcway in the Shops section. Please note new opening hours 10:00-16:00 Mon, Tue, Thu - Sat. ie closed Sun & Wed. Sadly their website doesn’t reflect this and I’ve just wasted a few hours and best part of £20 trying to but a load of stuff, I shall look elsewhere now! Ralf

So attempt 2 with thanks to a Templot Template via Hayfield (comp issues my end, long story). I opted to start again from the common crossing, the sleepers are on the short side but never mind it's only a test piece and if it ever appears on a layout it'll be under industrial sludge! So here's the progress so far... Feedback, comments etc all very welcome...

I'm curious too now... The only thing I can imagine is it was a usual C&L brown sprue with my LED worklight reflecting on it as it shows splodges of brown. Thread on hold awaiting dirt cheap Windows laptop to run Templot on (I know it can be done on a mac but it's a faff in my mind) then hopefully with some blades we can get cracking. Meanwhile reading up on what Rice and the 2mm Finescale people have to say about PCB track... Cheers Ralf

Thanks all for all of the tips, I did go for the whole preformed assembley as a newbie decided it'd be safest / easiest. Been having "fun" today with slicing open the chair tops but not through the bottoms and so wish not chopped all the chairs off last night before anyone had chance to warn me - they're a sod to handle aren't they. Then realised I've got no switch blades just 1 bit of un-milled and about 130mm long so have emailed Phil via the website. For sticky I've used folded back Magic Scotch tape it's fab low tac but isn't as flat / tight as I'd have liked. Any my tips on what sort of brush to apply Butanone with I know Phil said make sure it's natural / synthetic but I cannot remember which, presumably natural? Thanks Ralf

Hi All, Second attempt - first attempt managed to vanish, suspect my fault but blaming my iPad. So here I aim to chart my voyage from Armchair modeller to Hand Built track do-er... I suspect there'll be plenty of hic cups and snags along the way but I'm sure assistance and pointers will be forthcoming from you good people. I have convinced myself this is my path rather than rtr, PCB or ply and rivet although as I am a great fan of Iain Rice and his work PCB is knawing at me - suspect my next crossing may be PCB.... So finally some action this evening, template secured down and sticky tape provided for the timbering up. Then a dilemma which way up does the rail go? Eventually I realise I can check it against the silver soldered crossing and thus deduce it's the meatier bit is the running surface. Next step is to cut the chairs from their sprue and pop into their piles.... More tomorrow as on Jury service atm so time is more available that usual. Thanks Ralf

Thanks Dave, very helpful tips there. Thanks for your input Martin, like the 4-SF website very straightforward and simply laid out which helps in trying to avoid getting confused! Will read the bits of Rice that appears to be relevant although as it's mainly copper clad construction and I'm of course I don't need more discussion on choosing a gauge either! Thanks Ralf

Thanks all, I think I now see that simply one just transitions 0.3mm either (or both) at the extremes of the turnouts or the end of the adjoining flexi-track. Thanks Ralf

Thanks for the thought Rex, trying to get my head round what that'd entail with regards gauges etc, of course it'd be 16.5mm (OO) gauge but I'd need to find something quite cunning as a 3 point gauge wouldn't I? Flangeways and Check Rails can be done with OO-SF or EM Gauges can't they? This is starting to sound like a headache! What's the best / simplest way to mix OO-SF paintwork with commercial flexi-track? That's before I weaken and decide EM is the way forward... Thanks Ralf

Hi All, So as a beginner I've decided to dive in and start hand building my own track using C&L bits to OO-SF standards, to further this I'm off to Stevenage show on Saturday to give the nice people at C&L lots of pennies in return for lots of goodies, thus I've a couple of questions which are kinda interlinked and a shopping list... - anything I've missed? Plastic or wooden sleepers and how to attach the chairs to aforementioned... Thinking of going with Plywood sleepers and glue as it's (I've read somewhere) easier to remove chairs and reposition as and when required whereas once the plastic solvents do their stuff its much more stuck! Shopping list: 2 x 16.2mm 4-SF Roller Track Gauges 1 x 15.2mm 4-SF Check Rail Gauges 1 x 4-SF Three Point Gauge 1 x 1mm 4-SF Crossing Flangeway Gauge Crossing Vee's - probably 1:4 and 1:6 Switchblades - short industrial paintwork so Type A Chairs - probably 4 bolt Fishplates Plywood sleepers Plywood crossing timbers NiSi Bullhead Rail Code 75 Butanone Is there anything else? Planning on reading the required bits of Iain Rice's An Approach to Finescale Track Building to happier I know what I'm up to, but of course I'm not going down the soldering and rivet road. Many thanks Ralf

I "had" to order two a fortnight or so ago around that price in their mega sale! - It'd have been rude for me not to have! Ralf

Thanks for the info folks, I shall try a dry run and see what happens as I'm getting ever so confused not being a modern-ish wagon kinda guy! Don't quite know why I bought it / where it came from but I'm sure it can become something I can practise building and painting etc on. Ralf

Hi Folk, Can someone please reassure me that this looks like a “OCA 31tonne STEEL BODIED OPEN WAGON (1981-2)” Kit from Cambrian? I know it’s a Cambrian Kit (floor says so) and it’s clearly long wheel base, 2 axle, steel drop side wagon - and not a SPA as it’s got the underframe cutaways. All reassurance most welcome before I dive in and try and build the wrong wagon! Thanks Ralf

Sorry folks just seen the answer is North but can’t get post to edit or delete via my mobile. Apologies.

For use with S&W does one need North or South polarity ones? Assume the difference is which side the stickyness is on?? Ta Ralf

Thanks Bob glad you didn't have many dramas. Nile - thanks for the link I shall make some time to have a read - it surprisingly hard to find layouts on the forum that were built in a Tim Horn box! Cheers Ralf

Hi all, Pondered and pondered on baseboards their construction and purchasing options etc and finally think I’ve settled on a Tim Horn baseboard photo box kit. Basically I consider woodwork and carpentry etc to be a mysterious black art I don’t really have the time or resources or interest to master thus I’m going to cheat. As a huge fan of Iain Rices work I think as Tim Horns scenic photo box provides a fascia incl arch etc it’s far easier bet than MRS, G&S etc although starting with a ‘flat’ top does worry me a little. ANYWAY - how do people find building a layout inside the Photo Box kits from Tim, it looks like it would be a nightmare and easier to add sides, backs and arch etc after most of the scenic work is done... Any thoughts / options or suggestions? Thanks Ralf

Hi All, Maybe this will be the start of great things... Want to build a layout that's approx 4ft x 2ft in OO, going to use C&L trackwork for lightweight flat bottom rail. Layout is designed to provide amusement shunting wagons and watching locos come to and fro from the shed (which is indulgently large I know). It's kinda based on elements from Cynheidre Colliery. Loosely based in the steam / diesel crossover period for the NCB for maximum excuses to run what I like, not designed as an exhibition layout (I don't drive) but it'll be self standing or on brackets at the back and legs at the front so it's possible! Any tips, advice etc on the proposed track plan would be much appreciated... I don't think I need to go on about anything else hopefully the plan will do the talking... Cheers Ralf

Martin, That's very very clever stuff, have dabbled in Templot and can just about produce something resembling a track plan but had no idea it could do this too! I shall investigate! Thanks Ralf

Fabulous thanks Keith! Ralf

Keith Quite like that - that’s a 1:1250 map this one - link below is 1:2500, but I like the logic of look at something still extant and then ask google earth... https://www.old-maps.co.uk/#/Map/249500/207500/12/100955 Ralf