Red Devil

Always fancied building one, never got round to it....I may end up buying one purely for the showcase and hopefully pick up a kit to build in EM. I guess a few stashed kits etc will start appearing on eBay soon enough! Must admit I thought this would be one for KR Models if anyone ever did it but pleasantly surprised at its announcement.

Have tools will travel.....😄 That said I'm booked solid for about 3 years!

Erm, I suppose my user name gives it away a bit..... I am a United supporter, I understand I did see him play but was too young to register this being little more than a toddler. That said I had the pleasure of meeting and speaking to him three times. Once when he was doing a promotional tour for Bulldog Garden tools, once at Volgograd airport and once more than a few beers in in Budapest (me not him!).... The last two were obviously at Utd away games..... He was a gent with us every time, cannot speak of him more highly than that. There's an old saying 'never meet your heroes' for some of my older compatriots in red that simply isn't true, I know more than a few who were absolutely gutted on hearing the news even though many knew him to not be very well.

Recommendation, recommendation, recommendation...... I'm a landscaper, been involved in horticulture and hard landscaping for 30 plus years, I only maintain what I build and don't do stuff I don't want to because I've been at it a while and know what I'm doing.....that may sound a bit big headed but trust me there are so many in the game that quite simply shouldn't even be allowed out with tools. Ask round locally and see what you come up with.....There will be plenty out there but finding the right fit for you may take some work. I would suggest Facebook local groups as a starting point even if someone does the request for you, a lettered van etc is not always a sign that they're any good. I positively fly under the radar, van isn't lettered, I don't have a website, I don't run a Facebook business page because I simply can't take any more work on. Oh yeah this is what I do ...... Built, planted and maintained by me over the last 30 years!

Basically trial and error! The Nigel Lawton motors are 10mm dia so I either use brass tubing or some plastic tubing to fit the motors, the rest of the basic chassis is made up and by shimming up you can get a good motor mesh using either brass or plastic, once you've sussed what works for each type of gears it becomes very easy to replicate. Sorry I can't be more precise than that but that's basically what I did. Receivers are again from Micron Radio Control RX41-d-v5 configured to TX22 transmitter.....I use the one with directional control rather than centre off.

Quite simply I'd avoid any show that put a 'green' charge on. Purely my person perspective and I have no doubt others will disagree with mine, that's fine they're allowed to..... Having just been forced into upgrading my work vehicle from a perfectly acceptable 2015 Euro 5 vehicle to a Euro 6 van because of the proposed CAZ in my work area.....it was going to cost me an extra £3000/year to go to work. Yeah you can say I'm a bit disgruntled about the whole thing, nor do I fully believe in the requirement of some clean area zones or the data used to propose/implement them. I have no idea about my carbon footprint, nor do I care.....although I would imagine mine is far less than many seeing as I plant thousands of trees a year....and yes I do mean thousands! Cynical about the whole thing? You betcha....

Here's an Anbrico Roberts car body, remade really and built nothing like the instructions, all detail removed soldered up as a one piece unit then beadings etc re added, didn't like the bitty looks to the original kit. Have several like this and a box full of castings ready to solder together but now superseded by 3d print bodies on radio controlled battery powered mechanisms.

Frequently and as an away fan, well I say frequently but I mean in the years that they weren't in the second tier, never a problem. Worst grounds to go to were definitely Anfield and Goodison, had to be prepared to fight your way in and out. This is were having a different accent comes in, certainly attending the football in the 80s/90s, A scouser would not enjoy visiting Manchester that much and vice versa, I used to feel a target anywhere in Liverpool. Only place I have ever had a knife pulled on me, Stanley knives were very popular with certain elements back in the day. Not saying everyone and probably not now, but going to City was a walk in the park in comparison. I worked in Moss Side, Pendleton, Collyhurst and a few other less salubrious areas, never had a problem, local knowledge I suppose. I'm not saying you're wrong but it's probably a case of Mancunians and Scouser, never the twain......

I've passed this on, if I hear anything further I will post it up.

Lot to be said for never having to clean your track.....😉 and yeah this post is more than a bit tongue in cheek.....

I've had numerous minor mishaps like everyone else over the years..... The worst was probably when I nearly didn't get there at all. Generally speaking whichever direction I'm heading off in will involve moorland roads, if you've ever done a 540 deg spin in a van loaded with layout, stock and all the paraphernalia due to black ice then you'll have an idea of what I'm on about! Early Sat morning start heading to the M1 I did just that, I'll be honest and thought I was completely going to lose it and be careering down a hillside. Hit the kerb on the opposite side of the road with a fair clout which just about saved me. I always run on winter tyres and am pretty used to driving in poor conditions but this was just unavoidable. Some damage to layout, stock but mainly underwear. Managed to get there after a coffee and 10 smokes break at very reduced speed. Was up and running (ish) by opening but it doesn't diminish the fact that travel to and from the exhibition can and does possibly have issues beyond running late for traffic etc. Sometimes those on the paying side of the barrier have no idea of the problems that can arise and personally I'll never call anyone who may be having a bad day.....it happens.

There is sod all money in dropping a Sycamore miles from anywhere to sell for firewood....

I've dropped more than a few trees in the course of my work over the years. Whoever has done that has access to a decent saw (I'd say 22 inch bar at least) and certainly has done some before. Now I'm not saying a 16 year old (especially if around this sort of work) couldn't do it, but I don't see an inexperienced kid marking that tree up (white paint markings on tree) dropping it as cleanly in the dead of the night on what I guess may well have been a windy night. If it was then I'll stand corrected, but the kit required isn't cheap and most certainly isn't 'in my dads shed' unless your dad is most likely a pro.

Railbus chassis approaches final wiring..... Base plate to take all the bits and pieces has been fabricated, I'll wire it up tomorrow if i get time. Very simple, an on/off switch, batter charge point and a holder for rc receiver, that's the open box in front of motor. overall height from top of rail about 15mm or so which will leave room for at least half to two third seats etc. It's a simple circuit then really.....battery leads connected to correct terminals on charger socket, neutral straight to receiver which is pre wired. Positive terminal on charger to switch via an inline fuse, then to receiver. Two yellow outputs from receiver go to motor and that's it.

Yep, the points are really good, so easy to build. I've messed about seeing how far away I can get to operate in the past using these and whilst not a proper test I've been 30ft plus away. After that I couldn't see them! Yeah the battery chosen does both motor and receiver. Top speed etc really depends on motor /gearing/ power supply so there's no definitive answer I can say. What you are getting is a continuous lower voltage supply so top speed on anything is obviously lower as you're only giving the motor 3/3.7v max. This may not be enough for some but you can add in a voltage upconverter that will take power supply to 5.9v from a single cell lipo. They're about £7. 5.9v is used as the Rx4 receivers are rated at 6v. So far I've not use those as all my attempts have been on chassis that I've built rather than say an rtr conversion. In the past my normal method of getting slow speed running was to up the track voltage with higher gearing, using battery supply less gearing is fine but it does take a bit of getting your head around it!

Whilst the 24 progresses slowly I thought I'd have a go at an AC cars railbus..... (yep sphere of layout planned has moved northwards!) Basic chassis is built....well it's a few bits of brass, motors and gears. Motor is same Nigel Lawton 10mm can, gears are Tenshodo. Body has arrived so plate for radio control etc can be built above basic chassis. Battery is a 200mah lipo, this will give plenty enough running time. Anyway as we are......

The models have now been ordered, and will be delivered before the year end. We have a quota of 100, 20 being non motored. Members of the TLRS will be eligible to a discount when renewing their membership for 2024 in November. The cost of these models will be finalised in due coarse, and will be delivered from the UK.

Yep, here you go......

Yep, all the RC gear comes from here..... Micron Radio Control : Micron Radio Control Sorry for some reason link not working....

There's a new batch of the Halling Metrolink model being done (both powered and un powered) by the TLRS very shortly if anyone is looking for one of these....

This is the Tx22v2 I use, there are a few versions, I use the one with directional control rather than a centre off, main reason is that I use it for Faller Car System builds and they definitely have a 'forward' position.....they don't work well going backwards! It's all fairly self explanatory, throttle, inertia, fwd/reverse, power on and off , the selecta knob allows you to change between 12 receivers and the bind button is used when binding the receiver to the handset, a fairly easy process. You can have multiple nos 1, nos 2 etc as long as only the one you want is switched on then it works. So in effect the 3mm stuff is on the same handset as the 4mm stuff but the two will never be switched on at the same time. Current price is £72.....

Slight change of plan...... Decided to use no onboard charging and swap batteries to reduce charge downtime, I use this method in my Faller Car System builds in 4mm and it works pretty well, plus I have quite a lot of these CR2 15270 (Half AA) rechargeable batteries....So a half AA battery holder has been grafted it and a quick trial of running on my recently arrived small section of 14.2 mm gauge track that arrived with my 3mm society membership pack. Very rough and ready but I've begun to get the wiring runs sorted, next up a platform under the battery for the on/off switch and similar for the rc receiver. Body is here now so I can work out how it will all fit together. Slow speed running seems like it will be ok....the units haven't really been run in yet but I'd say so far so good and of course it'll do this 'anywhere'. Quick pic of chassis as it stands and its running.

Personally, I'd be writing a letter before action and sending it first class signed for to the address given on the eBay listing, costs sod all bar a couple of quid for the post and time. If nothing else it puts it in writing and may put the wind up the seller, if you should decide then to continue with the action then the small claims court is not onerous at all, been there four times with separate cases two involving major high street chains, one defunct that sold electrical goods and one a very large 'American burger chain' ......after my first visit I swiftly learnt that if I have an issue with payment or goods then I don't mess around, it's hard enough at times being a self employed sole trader..... My win rate is 4/4.....and I'm no expert! I'd guess his legal advice is his mate down the pub..... If you did continue legal action via scc then it's very easy to set the details out for the circuit Judge to decide the details, my guess is you'd walk it with the evidence already shown here. I can't see there being a problem in the overlap of potential criminal and civil claim as to be honest I doubt the police will do anything other than sod all.

Something along those lines was the idea.....

No idea to all of these as yet!.....When I get some 14.2 track and the chassis is weighted and running I'll do some tests. Can't see the motors being an issue as I've used these things in lots of things without any problems.