Scalefour Forum

I've built one of these Steve. IMG_3684.JPG I used 14mm coach wheels, either from Gibson or MSE (which I think are the same?). In any event I carefully selected a pair that were concentric and wobble-free. Useful piece of kit, although it can make you paranoid even on 'perfectly true' track! Good fo...

I wish I could get there to see De Graafstroom, but I'll have to be content with watching the videos!

Haha, yes we thought of that too!



But it starts to add to the overall footprint a bit.

(I'm conscious that we are risking taking over the whole Scaleforum thread here, and we ought to move this to a dedicated topic).

Rod, I just wondered ... do you have any plans or thoughts for a back scene to the viaduct? Absolutely Tim. Back in January we had a set up of just the viaduct to experiment with exactly that in mind. Apart from the height/size (and cost, and weight) that has to be considered, there is also the que...

Many thanks Richard. Mike's explanation is also quoted in one of my posts above. And I agree entirely about the J and Birdcage set!

Finally, another video which shows the tail lamp on the ballast train (and also the changing signal aspect as a bonus).

Mike doesn't do forums, but he says "for the record, the answer is (1) I reckon I’ve seen pictures of fully fitted freights without brake vans in steam days and (2), more importantly, my SR bogie brake is still under construction".

It did have a tail lamp anyway ...

Or even sooner than that ...

As promised, some photos of the Ouse Valley Viaduct and Balcombe. Videos to follow in the next day or so (with running trains!)

The Ouse Valley Viaduct & Balcombe team had a great time despite the somewhat shaky start on Saturday morning. We are grateful for all the kind comments both at the show and on here, and I'm relieved that David Clift liked it after coming all the way from Australia (and thanks David for helping ...

Balcombe does hit you with its size. I was pleased to note that Rod was happier towards the end of the day than he was at opening. What I like about Balcombe is that a 10 coach train can be lost in the landscape. I remember seeing Chiltern Green as a child at the Bristol Show, with its sense of a r...

it wasn't much of a compromise, and the model appears to follow the ordnance plan quite closely. :D The most noticeable thing is the road alignment and how to deal with the cutting at the south end of the tunnel, especially given that on the layout the curve then swings west and not east. But hey h...

Having the platforms pass through the tunnel is an unusual and interesting feature of Balcombe. Was the tunnel formed by 'cut and cover' or was the flank of the hill left in place to provide a route for the road over the railway? It's somewhat reminiscent of the 'Long Arch' at Midford where a minor...

It has come to my attention that the Ouse Valley Viaduct is considered to be a bit of a myth, and that we are a figment of Balcombe's imagination. So to assuage these ideas, here are some pics from the last weekend (only about the 6th time it has ever been put up in entirety, and the last before Sca...

Gulp ... :o Tis indeed on the list https://www.scalefour.org/scaleforum/2019/ The old Latin saying - Digitus Extractus ... Yes, thanks Keith and Tim ... :roll: My 'gulp' was not to suggest we were surprised to be on the list (as if), just the extra responsibility that someone was coming 10,000 mile...

"two layouts that I have long wanted to see, namely the Ouse viaduct and Burntisland, particularly the latter as I have heard so much about it ... . I have also followed the threads on Alpha Mill and Glenmutchkin with a great deal of interest and am looking forward to seeing them as well. In f...

I had a brief discussion with Andrew about this on the phone recently and I have nothing but sympathy for his situation and I wish him all the very best for the future in terms of developing the business in an 'on line' context and getting parts of his house and his life back. At least he's still g...

Rod, Ian has been looking at 4 LAV frets in detail and I would need to find out from him exactly what his thoughts are with the frets. As he is returning to the UK in time for Scaleforum we would very much like to sit down and talk! I perceive Ian may have already chatted to your layout members - i...

Wot they said - amazing, Robin

From our Balcombe colleague who is building the LAV: "The 4LAV etches have dimples on the reverse to indicate door bang positions but did not have holes for the door hinges. John (Farmer) pin punched the door bangs on the sides he did. I drill them out and use .33 wire to represent them. John t...

Thank you for the reminder in respect of the Worsley Works etches. As you advise, these don't feature dimples for door hinges etc; one of the things Ian has added to our etch designs (it makes construction so much easier). I believe these may be connected to the Balcombe Viaduct layout crew and the...

Isn't it at least worth a try, perhaps starting at Scalefour North next year? If that happens I might actually go. This is getting a bit surreal. Are you saying that your decision to go or not go is based on people wearing name badges? I know, you could volunteer to man the badges desk! ;) At profe...

To go with these (and you can get the Railway Roundabout annual highlights in DVD) there are also Peter Handford's sound recordings on the Lickey, although I'm not sure of their availability as a CD at the moment. Apart from the sounds of the trains (and the shouts of the spotters on the incline) hi...

What I will do is buy some Heptane, try it in CMX alone or with IPA in the proportions used by the WD40 product and do some trials in my CMX tanker: 1. Clean GWR Up with IPA alone 2. Clean Gwr Down with Heptane + IPA mix 3. Clean S&DJR with mix as 2 and then a light rub of graphite on gauge cor...

I don't know Paul, sorry, but alongside this what do people use? Acetone, lighter fluid?

We have one for 'Balcombe'. Rod successfully converted it using (IIRC) Brassmasters CCUs. I'll ask him for some pictures when he's available. I did a cut-and-shut and carve-up on a Brassmasters bogie and using 10.5mm (IIRC) Kean Maygib wheels. To be honest there wasn't much left of the bogie frames...