andy1626

I first met Len at an exhibition where he was showing off his latest invention - a 4mm brick building system. He was very interested in our Layout that we had at the show and asked if he could come along and join our little group (east London S$ soc). On chatting with him he explained that he was a pattern maker and was looking for something to relieve the boredom of making double glazing bits. We suggested he made some better scale track and so K&L came into being (Len changed the name to C&L shortly after. I took the first bit of track Len made to an EM expo and showed it around. It was criticised by a member of the EM Soc. for the rail being to close to the ground. On returning home Len and I went over the track with a fine measuring device. The only thing that wasn't completely scale was the jaws that hold the rail. That was because the rail couldn't be drawn to scale dimensions or it would disintegrate when you tried to use it. We were pretty sure we were right because we had purloined an actual chair from a disused siding in Gidea Park. Both Len and I then decided we could probably make a turnout from the chairs and so the first point was built, one by me, one by Len. We both produced them at the same time much to everyone's amusement. There were some modifications from the early chairs mainly at Alan Gibson request as he saw more potential in a less specific design which could be used in any gauge and it was he who first took on the retailing of the system. From that time Len made many more different chairs and rail fixings and most people are aware of his track by now if not the origins. He was constantly inovating and even in the last few years had produced pattern drawings for even better track. He will be sorely missed and his contribution to making our railways more realistic and more prototypical has been immense. I'm sure quite a lot of people who had never built track were encouraged by the availability of lens track system. I shall miss him too as friend for many years.

There used to be a large number of prototype photos archives from those gentleman who recorded everything for us from locos to stations etc. Trying to access them now is a minefield of moved locations andead links or defunct links. Even those sites that you can get on are very difficult to research and frequently fail to turn up photographs that I know were there the last time I accessed it. Does anyone have a list of currently active archives that actually work

The Colchester group are modelling Lavenham in P4. Any extra info would be appreciated as would anyone interested in getting involved

any chance of making the jig available?

Is it just me or do other people find it underwhelming!! Nothing much new. Does this mean we have come to the end of commercially possible rolling stock.

I would be interested in LNER LOWMAC L LNER LOWFIT LNER SINGLE BOLSTER BR STANDARD BRAKE VANLNER RECTANK

I am impressed with the J15. However a word of caution. The early BR model should have a vacuum ejector pipe running down the right-hand side of the boiler just above the handrail.( Eric Sawford - Steam Locomotives 1955 - page 115) It is correct prior to Feb 1933 (with the exception of the livery) It was unique in that it was one of seven converted from steam brake to vacuum, although 5 of them were fitted with side window cabs. They were all fitted with balanced wheels when converted in 1930's. The photo does not show the wheels as balanced, so they may have been swapped at the 1943/5/7 when it had a general overhaul. If you want an easier choice of early numbered loco it is probably easier. Buy a later model and change the emblem/number.

Buy some self adhesive led strip (soft white) and solder the terminals to the output wires from you decoder. Bend (or later) remove the Bachmann overhead contacts. You should then be able to adjust the level of illumination by using as many or as few leds as you feel you need or if it is programmable on your decoder by setting the light level by that.