Etched Pixels

Thanks - living in Wales does allow some bits of prototype observation more easily.

For the bridge and valley at the left hand end of the new layout I've been pondering what to use for the narrow gauge line I fancied running over it. Z is a possibility and the little known remainder of the 3' Cornish mineral railways but another obvious option is to lay something in NN15 (or NN18 to be exact). Unfortunately the out of the box T scale track isn't really suitable for narrow gauge so it was time to try the obvious plan B NN15 track - the soldered way. This is with code 40 flat bottom rail - really I need to find something lower, but I also need to build the proper trackwork in steel anyway because the T gauge stuff relies on magnetism to make the physics work. The other reason to do this is that T gauge switches are not very good and mostly plastic causing a lot of stalls, so I'll need a couple of T electrofrog switches to pull it off... (oh boy....!) The medium sized controller (in N) surveys his options

Well it's all too believable given the Hymek headcode brackets and the Mark 3 door light blobs on the blue ones Now I shall have to find a new excuse to alter one 8) (PS: The Farish 47 in I/C has an aerial that nobody fussed about even though its also wrong for several years of that livery) Alan

I use an Antex 15W iron - that is fine for N scale, probably not going to do the job for OO or heavyweight stuff. For flux I use the BH Enterprises brass flux, failing that Carrs. I'd avoid plumbers flux like the plague - its far too strong and a pig to clean up while many of the other fluxes clean off trivially. If you are going to do white metal work you really want a temperature controlled iron that can go down to low temperatures (70C or so). If you have one that also means you can later do other tricks of the trade like using a higher temperature solder to put a structure together and a lower temperature solder and iron setting to add bits on knowing that the original join won't come apart on you. For white metal you want junk files and some chalk - if you chalk the file first the white metal clogs it far less. I also have an old woodworking file I keep handy for 'large adjustments' on white metal and mazak. Other than that - reasonably sharp knife for cutting out parts and also for scoring awkward fold lines - bending bars are handy (for curves I just use random objects) - flat nose pliers (for small bends and removing kinks) - large blob of metal (eg a vice) for cooling stuff rapidly - lump of plasticine (for holding awkward angles together) - square edges on a board for doing 90° corners (easy to make) - three or four extra arms are recommended failing that hair grips, helping hands etc can be handy as can wooden (not plastic) clothes pegs of the spring type - and a peco track pin, for adding rivets metal ruler is also useful for checking stuff without accidents and for shaping coach sides Oh nearly forgot - good ventilation. Soldering fluxes are nasty stuff, rosin especially and you don't want to be breathing the fumes.

The empty space in front of the headshunt has now gone from foam to landscape and been walled and vegetated. I've used a couple of different ground colous at different level to try and suggest stratification. Still not sure about the left hand wall so that isn't stuck down or painted up yet. I'm torn between the modern concrete wall, brick wall or having a go at modelling a wall with a large hole in it (as if someone at some point put some heavy machinery through it) and fencing. The sheep are however in place along with a suitably modern looking shepherd (none of this twee outfits and crook stuff) plus dog, trying to herd the sheep towards the gate on the other side - and probably not assisted by having a DRS 20 running around its train the other side of the wall.

Yes - that's one I've seen of 5116 which has token catcher but had the steps plated. Curiously the original picture at the start of thread has steps not plated, so at some point between April and December 1970 someone put the token catcher back together and did the steps. Curiouser and curiouser.. Alan

The backscene has grown a little bit more vegetation, the fences are temporarily positioned to check the look and the greenery has extended. Carved a couple of blocks of foam to form the dip in the scenery to the front. Need to let it all set then fit the point motor in the yard before I can progress the scenery any more. Meanwhile the Gresley full brake has finally received its LNER lettering and numbers, a mere three months on.

I think you are right (could do with a clearer photo).. poo that's going to much harder to model 8)

Wonderful - I've been trying to find a photo of 5116 in blue with steps to see if the token catcher was still fitted !

So the forestry commission moved in last night to deploy the first wave of trees. More and a few bushes are needed, plus a bit of paint for some of the slightly more luminous and cheap trees. As there will be about forty trees in the end its all from the cheap end of the market or special offers! The class 20's are an It's N Gauge respray, one of which is going to end up as the sound system shortly.

The nameplates are separate fittings so you'd only need to not fit those, and lift the arrows of confusion and cantrail then re-decal it (the arrows moved when they were named). I've yet to try lifting the cantrail to see if it'll come off without harming the blue but it's on my TODO list.

The continental loading gauge width isn't that different to the broad gauge one but with far narrower track (as come to think of it were some of the historic Irish ones), neither led to shorter vehicles, in fact in Europe they seem to have led to larger ones (26m being common).

Some BR era SR push pull stuff was converted from SR coaches but a lot of the SR stuff was from pre-grouping coaches either conversions or purpose built pre-group coaches such as the balloon trailers.