2mm Andy

Hmmm! I wonder who that might be?! Looking good Steve (and Missy!) - CNC is one of those things I've always regarded as interesting and probably really useful, but a bit scary (and rather expensive). Look forward to seeing some quality results. Nice to see the layout progressing as well, Steve. Andy

Latest estimate is that they will be in the 2mm shop 3 in January/February. I have recently seen some of the test etches for these, and they look very nice. Andy

Hi Graham, That's a very useful blog posting - and some really interesting photos there. The 2mm wheel turning service should be able to reprofile those wheels for you. I don't have a Class 26, but I got the wheels on my Dapol Hymek turned down (and the pinpoints shifted) by Gordon. The bogie design seems similar to the Hymek. Andy

Welcome back - it's been quiet on here without you (not that the rest of us seem to have done much modelling either!) Andy

I believe that's the idea (well, that's how I've used them, anyway!). They can be soldered from behind. Andy

A batch of crossing assembly jigs for N gauge standards was produced - they were available from Noel Leaver, but I have no idea if he has any left. Andy

I don't think that's quite the information nightmail was looking for. Usual practice for 2mm kits is to supply the etches separately and allow the purchaser to source his/her own wheels, gears, etc. (A list of the extra bits is nearly always provided with the instructions). In the latest newsletter, the first of these chassis etches were listed with shop codes and prices - the 14xx was £15, so I'd guess from that that you will need to source appropriate wheels, m*ffs, gears, motor, bushes, and miscellaneous other bits (coupling rods will be included on the etch I imagine). 2mm Scale Association products are available to members only, so if you aren't a member, you will need to join to purchase these kits and bits. Andy

You could probably squash the end of the needle in a vice - much more controllable than a hammer, but a lot less fun! Whatever you do, don't try and dismantle the syringe to see how much is left!

That's great news Rich! As for the splodges of solder paste - it does get better as you use more of the paste in the syringe, but I do have a little corner of the piece of plate glass worksheet that is covered in little mounds of dried solder paste! Andy

I apply a coat of 'purity seal' and let it dry, apply the transfers (using Microsol if necessary) then when they're fixed in place, give the transfers a couple of coats of Johnson's 'Klear' to protect them. I then spray a matt varnish over the whole wagon. I used to use Humbrol aerosol varnish, but I got a can of Testor's Dullcote recently and intend giving that a go on the next batch of wagons. The purity seal seems to take the transfers OK, although I have had problems on things like wagon strapping where it's difficult to get the transfer flat. Andy

They look really nice - difficult to believe that they're N gauge! I use Games Workshop 'Purity Seal' satin varnish prior to applying transfers - that seems to give enough of a gloss finish to get the transfers to stick (although I still get the occasional disaster!) Andy

Chaps, There will be a change of shopkeeper happening shortly. I'm hopeful that things will improve then, but we also have a problem in that supply of things like loco wheels can't keep up with demand (I'm looking forward to seeing all the 2mm locos that will run on these wheels!). The loco wheels in particular are complicated little beasties, and go through several different assembly and checking processes, each of which is reliant on volunteers and/or cottage industry suppliers. Similarly, metric gears are sourced from a supplier in Poland, and supplies can be difficult at times. Efforts are being made to try and sort out the problems, but unfortunately it's not as easy as ringing up a supplier and ordering a few more components for delivery tomorrow. Hope this helps explain things - please PM me if you want to discuss further. Andy 2mm Scale Assoc. Secretary.

And some good articles on the 2mm website on building turnouts using both Easitrac and soldered construction here. If you really don't like the idea of building your own pointwork, there is a 2mm member who builds soldered pointwork to order for very reasonable prices. Andy

Very nice Bryn! Now where did I put that bogie bolster E? Andy

I can't believe I haven't come across this blog before! That is some very nice weathering, and really brings those dogfish wagons to life! I used to use Games Workshop paints for railway modelling a long time ago. I think another visit to the local branch might be in order to see what they do now - those foundation paints sound interesting. Andy

Nice work Bryn - you've certainly persevered with this one! I'll join the queue to take a few off your hands when they're ready! Andy

Don't be intimidated Tom - as long as you go carefully, it should be trouble-free and enjoyable. My J72 chassis was the first (and currently the only) 2mm steam loco chassis I've built and I was pleased (and not a little bit amazed) at how well it ran. I only wished I'd fitted Simpson springs to it - they do make a real difference. I'm really tempted by the little NN3 side tip wagons that County Rolling Stock sell (and I've just noticed there are details on the website of the 3D printed wagons they're developing) Andy

Nice wheels Missy - I can see this camper-van idea developing into a whole new hobby! I'm considering 'downsizing' my RAV4 on the basis it's going to be so long before I finish a decent sized layout that I'll be onto at least the next car by then! Andy

Glad to see your shop order has arrived Tom. The missing wheels shouldn't stop you making a start on the J72 - you can assemble the frames and add the first four wheels while you're waiting for the final two to arrive! I'm pleased that the West London meet went OK - the newsletter will be out this week, so you might get a few more enquiries soon. Andy

Rich, The instructions for the Swanage Model Co RSU don't give values for the current/voltage for the different settings - it's just done on a simple numeric scale. Have you had to add water to the pot of paste you were using? I had to do that with an old pot of solder paste and it affected the potency of the flux. Andy

Mmmm - very nice work Bryn! Any chance of a photo of the underside of the MCV? I have one waiting to be finished, and can't find any decent diagrams of how the brakes are fitted. (edit : thanks Bryn - that's really useful!) Andy

I would say that you should only be on the pedal for a second or two at most. If you don't get the sizzle and the smoke from the flux in that time, then you need to adjust something. The Carrs solder cream is fantastic stuff - a fellow NEAG member told me about it. I use the 179 type, which is about half the price of the 138 stuff. As Chris says, it lasts for years and doesn't dry out because it is sealed in the syringe (unlike the paste which I find dries out quickly). The RSU I have used is one of the Swanage Model Company units. I'll try and find out the voltage/current info (if it exists) tonight. Andy

Nice work Rich! I have been thinking about some etch design for a while, but got no further than a few bits drawn in Autocad. Have you designed the chassis, or is it one of Bob Jones' Cleminson chassis? Andy

Rich, It might be worth cleaning the nickel silver with a sanding stick or a fine file - I sometimes find that the scratch brush isn't brutal enough when cleaning etches, especially if there is some sort of coating on the etch. Other than that, I don't know what to suggest! Andy

Hi Missy, Thank you. I built the shunters truck with the morton brake gear (instead of the DC brakes) and the later type handrails, so I think it will go into BR light grey with a black underframe, although I can't find many photos of the wagons in BR days. I'm really tempted to start the Mermaid later this week. I'm half-way through a BR van which will hopefully be finished tonight (if I can find the missing brake gear), and I have a few other wagons that are close to being finished. Perhaps we should start a 'mermaid' topic in the 2mm group (a bit like Pixie's 16t minerals thread) and encourage Pete to start his? I also want to do a bit of planning on 'Kettleness' if I get time - fortunately the weather looks pretty grim all week so plenty of time for modelling! Andy