Scalefour Forum

I believe a particular problem has been with the C&L HiNi Rail, current stock of which has been shown to have a thicker web than previously, which has given rise to problems with the chairs. I have recently tried many different rails in the Fast Track bases, my standard for the main running line...

Paul, you must have known. Eggesford is quite close to where ’Mellstock’ is set. Okehampton in real life. It was also just up the way from where my old Taw Vale (in theory) left the Exeter - Barnstaple line en route to a junction near Sampford Courtenay on the Exeter - Plymouth. I’ve just been remin...

P4 might be a bit fragile for ‘umbrella rail’, maybe G1 or bigger. I always fancied a garden railway, don’t tell The Boss...

Then you leave one umbrella at the bottom of the garden when it’s stopped raining and before long you have a collection of them at one end of the garden and none at the other!

Philip

For those who have the space (and the funds), a workshop/layout room in the garden can be a good solution and having a working space in the same room is even better. I can confirm that having a big railway room at the bottom of the garden with the fairies is very nice. Not quite nice on occasions l...

It is still possible, although not advertised, to have volumes of MRJ bound by bookbinders. I use Grays in Mitcham, and have done since the birth of MRJ. Cygnet send indices for the binding to Grays each year and the result is very good. The last one cost me £40, carriage is extra.

Philip

Coupling hooks - if these are to be functional my preference is for Ambis as they are a good shape and links cannot fall off easily. If you are using autos, then any brand will do.

Philip

May I record my public thanks to Terry and all the organising team for the customary great weekend. From my point of view, slaving behind a hot camera, it was very enjoyable despite the pressures of having to produce some half decent pictures for us to remember the event by. I was rewarded this year...

Tony,

Sometimes being anonymous is good. You can bask in the praise when it all works but nobody knows who to blame when it doesn’t!

Philip

I am pretty sure there is a coffee machine in the cafe area.

Philip

Probably the clearest and most logical website I have seen in many a long year. Many thanks, Andrew. Even better is that the prices I have looked at have come down!

Philip

The Katsu looks a nice little machine. I went for the small Proxxon many years ago because the Rohm chuck that was supplied as an accessory took drills down to 0.3mm. It rattles a bit (more than a bit if you leave it going too long) but doesn’t seem to have any play in the bearings and the survival ...

I usually test with an old AMR which has had the feedback reduced before purchase. Often though I check with a Gaugemaster handheld, the cream coloured one, not the black. I also use a Modelex, recommended to me by Roy Jackson, and this runs engines very quietly. Not goo much fancy electronics on th...

Tony,

You have chosen Sundeala as a surface. I am looking at a softboard surface, laid on top of a Contiboard base, for the scenic parts of the railway. Could you suggest a supplier for the board you use please?

Philip

If you don’t have a drill press, only a hand drill, a dodge I saw once (I think by Tony East in a very old Model Railway Constructor) used two small mirrors at right angles to one another, on the far side of the drill to the user. Any variation from the vertical can be seen in one mirror or the othe...

Jonathan, I am surprised at the reaction of your optician. At the very least she should be able to explain why this would not be possible for you, maybe you have a particular condition which prevents a close up prescription. I have a special workshop pair of glasses set at the normal distance I need...

You never know, but it would have to be EM, not P4...

Philip

Hi Dave, It’s only that I have only ever applied one coat of varnish on top of transfers, apart from maybe a gloss coat to apply decals on top of, and many times I have just polished the painted surface to apply the decals to. It’s strange how, having done something many times, suddenly it goes wron...

This is one h..l of a model railway, and continues the modern theme of big layouts in EM and P4. Just as I thought thought mine was going to be pretty big. Trains just get completely lost in the landscape. I can’t wait to see it complete!

Philip

I’ve not had this problem, and it’s not a helpful answer in your present predicament, but I would not normally apply a varnish on top of weathering; however, it does look to me as though there is actually too much varnish on the model. Usually I apply decals over a gloss or polished surface (T-Cut w...

Hi Tony, I’m going to experiment a little in places where it can be seen, but only with a tiny amount, just for visual effect. If it doesn’t work it will be easy to take it out before ballasting. Like you, the requirement for a lot of RTR takes precedence. I am intrigued by the fact that sometimes q...

Jonathan,

If your close up vision has deteriorated a good optician should be able to sort this out for you. I have a pair of glasses set for a specific distance for use on my workbench, as distinct from reading glasses. Glad to see you are still producing your fine engines!

Philip

I understand you don’t need to make the roof removable, but clipping on is often the cleanest way of doing the job; no errant solder or glue seeping out. However, to solder I would merely tack with a tiny amount of solder near to each of the corners. No need to solder along each seam, it will never ...

I think it has something to do with how much work the steam engine is actually going to do. When coupled at the rear, which I have had on tours, it is either for occasional banking assistance or for shunting at the destination, to save having a standby engine at various places. Often the diesel is j...

Martin raises an interesting point about contact pressure, which was very important in the days when I still used a HiFi turntable and vinyl records. A stereo cartridge stylus can often have a tracking pressure of just one gram, but the contact pressure at the stylus point is measured in kilos or ev...