Mrkirtley800

Just caught up again. I turn my back and another half dozen pages suddenly appear. Well done Andy on your first point. Now could you build me two double slips and an interlaced point in EM please. There's no rush, Saturday will do. I have never kinked the stock rails, at the toe end, on any point I have made. With bullhead rail you can get the switches (blades) to sit snugly . I use an elliptical needle file to trim up the blades when it is firmly in place, so that the wheels pass through smoothly. One other tip which came from a chap called Wing Commander Burns (who remembers him?) is to, where possible, make the crossing and the rails either side straight for, say, 25mm. You won't even need check rails then. Good luck on the rest of Bitton, we are all going to enjoy seeing your efforts. Derek

It's like when Mrs Thatcher said when paying compliments to William Whitelaw -----"everyone should have a Willie" Well, every web site should have a Bodgit. Nice to see you back, Andy Derek

Mike, very interesting to hear you take great care with chimneys and domes. I am the same and often have to fit them several times before I am completely happy. The only slight difference is that I use car body filler as the adhesive. It used to be called 'Catalloy' and like Araldite comes as a two part adhesive. I have used this for 40 years and never had anything come adrift. If it is a brass chimney/dome the joint can be parted with heat from a soldering iron. I have been so particular over the years that if my wife sees a loco with a chimney a bit askew at a show, she says so, and usually I have to take her for a coffee to avoid upsetting any other modellers. On one occasion we were looking at some very nice S gauge locomotives in a glass case at a large show. Sure enough, one of the chimneys was slightly out of the vertical, and sure enough she spotted it. You can imagine the rest!! Derek

Very nice collection of vehicles there Shaun. Good to see a bit of scratch building. Derek

Have a good holiday, Andy. Get those batteries recharged, ready for the layout building that lies ahead. Derek

My stock remark, especially when the layout is running well and being operated carefully, is to casually say "it would run much better if it was in crimson lake". Then leave as rapidly as dignity allows. Derek

Good luck tomorrow, Jock. Hope it all turns out OK for you. Once again we are all rooting for you. Derek

Yes Andy, I have had that when exhibiting, asking where they could get a 0-4-4 Kirtley well tank in full Midland ,livery. On another occasion I was told the cows in the cattle dock were too clean. The worst was when a friend exhibiting his '0' gauge layout was asked where the key fitter in a beautiful kit built loco. Derek

Hello Al. I like your telegraph poles. I baulked at making mine but rather used the Ratio ones, heavily modified. Looking at photos taken around 1905, the poles were quite a bit different, having shorter arms but more of them, with an insulator at the very top. Anyway here is a pic of the result, sorry about the quality. I didn't even think about the wires, would have driven me doolally. Derek

Don't forget the plasticard, drawings, knife and tools etc. May as well make use of the dark evenings while on holiday. When the children were young, we used to go for our hols to Scotland, often in a static caravan. When they had gone to bed, out came my bits and pieces -all carried in a shoe box- and spent the night building Midland and North Eastern freight stock. The children had run around all day in the fresh air and were tired out, so my modelling was only interrupted by Olga (wifey) asking for cups of coffee. ----------- OK so I'm henpecked!! Derek

Holiday! holiday. Andy, you can't go on holiday, you have a model railway to build, and, anyway, what are we all going to do without you and your Bitton thread. But if you must go, enjoy. Derek

So Yorkshire probably won't get full independence now. Derek

All the best, Andy. Hope everything goes according to plan. Derek

A lot! Some nice folks too. Derek

Andy, yes, a Scotsman with two wallets does sound, well ----- not quite right. But you know, us Yorkshire men are very similar to Scotsmen, but far less generous. Derek

Got the wrong pic, here is a better one Derek

Andy, regarding point controls. I used Fulgurex motors on Canal Road with the resultant looms of wire. I think I must have cornered the market in bell wire. On the new layout, I am using slide switches to mechanically change the points with wiring from the switches to the point to change polarity. The only real wiring is to the section switches and the electro magnets for uncoupling, I use Alex Jackson couplings. Doesn't half save on the amount of wiring. Here is the best piccie I have to show where the point switching will go. Derek

Andy, diagonal fencing was not (as far as I know) adopted as Midland standard until 1912, although I have seen many pics taken earlier of Midland stations with it. I suppose it took a long time before the majority were given it. Canal Road is modelled in the period of June 1908, so did nor have diagonal fencing. I used Ratio GWR vertical palings (Oh the shame of it!) Derek

Should have apologised for my dreadful photography. Derek

Jason is right Andy, you need a single slip and a turnout to give you a crossover and a way into the yard. Here is a pic of Canal Road with a point, single slip, double slip, point. I am keeping this arrangement in the new (modified) station layout. Another piccie showing from t'other end. Derek

Jason, a word of advice, so that you don't make the same mistakes as me. DO NOT LET SOFIA ANYWHERE NEAR THE CONTROLLER. They tend to take over while giving all and sundry that sweet and innocent smile. In my case, the smile on the face of the tiger. Derek

Hello Jason and Sofia, hope everything went OK. Jason, have you bought Sofia a wedding present yet? Suggest tree making kit, keeps the girls quiet for hours. Derek

Best wishes for the future Jason. Hope everything goes OK on the big, big day, from an old codger although I have been called other things. We celebrated our 50th anniversary in June, wonder where the years went! Derek

Andy, making your own trackwork is not exactly rocket science. OK so plain track is a bit tedious, if not soul destroying, but you can make the whole thing "flow". I do mine the hard way, using EM Society wooden sleepers and brass rivets. I will be using this method for some time to come, at least for the next couple of layouts because I bought quite a lot some years ago. The results are really not as good as the modern way with plastic chairs etc but it is strong and easily adjusted, and, anyway, I am a fully paid up Yorkshireman and cannot waste good sleepers and rivets. Couple of piccies of the two station boards from Canal Road being modified. The crossover by the station platform has a 1/7 crossing angle. Derek

And I complain about my cranky knees! All the very best of luck in the future Shaun. We are all rooting for you. Derek