Scalefour Forum

Not making any recommendations, but in the very early days (45 years ago), with no local model shops, and unable to attend the big shows where traders were, I used cellulose thinners from Halfords to weld plasticard. It worked, if not as well as the butanone I use now. I think the point is that anyt...

As stated, butanone dissolves some of the plastic. But it is important to keep some weight on it for a wee while (a few seconds for sassenachs) to force the softened plastic into the grain of the wood. With plastic sleepers you need just make sure the components are held firmly together until the so...

The poor souls who man the desk have enough problems without me. But when I tried to collect my (preordered) badge it appeared to cause a minor panic behind the desk -- and a bit of a queue behind me. I really felt I shouldn't bother -- but then they found it. But evidently name badges were not part...

Some years back I took up the offer of a name badge and wore it for the day. Nobody else seemed to have one (other than exhibitors), and nobody greeted me by name who didn't already know me. So I didn't bother again. I still think it's a good thing, though! Perhaps everyone could be given (not "...

Back in the early 60's there was a bit of an epidemic of British drivers in France running off the road or into a tree, having apparently fallen asleep. It was eventually concluded that the constant flicker caused by the trees at the sides of the road could be close enough to a natural frequency in ...

"My general point is this. In general terms - on the prototype, the switch rails, as they get thinner towards the tip, cannot take the weight of the vehicle and descend below rail level, and gauge level. On the 4mm scale model, the point at which the prototype cannot bear weight is the point at...

I think it is true that joggles are relatively rarely, if atall, to be found on Scottish lines; perhaps this is true of some English lines also. The set is another matter, and is always necessary (unless your switch blades can taper to zero thickness). Certainly I have never used a joggle, and have ...

There wasn't a standard, but many early platforms were much lower. This picture, taken about 1900, shows a station built in 1847. In this location, as in many others, the platform was raised later, but they couldn't raise the bit with the buildings on without unacceptable expense. There are still a ...

Possibly a slightly niaive question. The big pipe is to let water out to the various columns; but where is the (presumably smaller) pipe to let water in? There might have been a pump, possibly steam driven.

Allan F

Some years ago, when I did these things commercially, I built a model, for sales purposes, of a small housing development. What I didn't expect was that the property agent put it on display in his front window. After 4-5 months in the sunshine there wasn't a vestige of colour about it -- all a very ...

Very intrigued by your long 0.5mm drill. Evidently a long piece of steel rod; but how is the drill attached to it? Is that a collet on the end, or is there some other connection? It seems like the sort of thing I wouldn't need very often, but when I did need it I would need It badly. Allan F

I had this problem recently when constructing a C.R. 4-4-0 (A Dunalastair 1). I first worked out for the coupled wheelbase the tightest radius before the flanges began to bind. Then I worked out how much sideplay I could allow on the bogie, having first decided on how much I could narrow the frames ...

Philip you are probably right -- I can't get up into the loft just now to measure it. But I think that, within reason, track gauge can be wider than standard on plain track with no harm done. But not through points and crossings. The only difficulty is trying to couple SWB wagons (and indeed pushing...

I have a fairly large setup in my loft, which is about 40ft long but only about 8ft (effectively) wide. My tightest radius is 40 1/2 inches round the ends, and I found that 6 wheel locos could not reliably go round. However I relaid the curves using Exactoscale Gauge Widened trackbases, which give, ...

I get stuck on this phrase "the consistency of skimmed milk". Ian Rathbone's book "A Modeller's Handbook of Painting and Lining" is good in this area and well worth a read but not as good as practice!! I am grateful for all the helpful advice on this topic. But I suspect the mos...

[quote="JackBlack"]Hi John, "I use Precision, Humbrol and Revell paints and thin with Revell Color Mix to the consistency of skimmed milk, and you can spray for 30 minutes or more with no problems. " I have watched several friends spraying and admired the results. But I get stuck...

The trouble is that if the resistor has burnt out, then something has sent too much current through it; If you just replace the resistor (not difficult or expensive) It's very likely the same thing might happen again. I'm sorry this isn't a straightforward answer to your problem! If you google "...

I saw these in use as couplings on an "O" gauge layout a while back. Very effective and seemed totally reliable as automatic couplers; but I couldn't work out how to uncouple them other than a fairly sharp tug.

Allan F

It's always worth considering what the traffic would have been, i.e. what industries were served by the line, who were the local coal merchants, etc. You would not likely have seen a Fife Coal Company wagon! (Unless perhaps being delivered from the maker?). Also I think over 90% of PO wagons were fo...

Allan Many years ago, when we built Bonnybridge Central, you produced a stuff called, I think, Waverley Board, which was exactly the same as the stuff now to be found in Pizza bases. It was thin sheets of expanded polystyrene, smooth on both sides, and could be scribed very easily to replicate roug...

Allan Many years ago, when we built Bonnybridge Central, you produced a stuff called, I think, Waverley Board, which was exactly the same as the stuff now to be found in Pizza bases. It was thin sheets of expanded polystyrene, smooth on both sides, and could be scribed very easily to replicate rough...

My Assembly Jig in the background attaches to the buffers with double sided tape, ensuring the right gap in front of the buffers, and leaving the hands free to hold something else. Also ensures the vertical positioning of the coupling from the underside of the buffer beam. I know that's not accordin...

Hi Ian, :) The land sale site at Wemyss seems to be a few sidings where wagons could be distributed to allow coal to be obtained. What I do not know is whether the Wemyss Co. had lorries for coal distribution. Most miners had a regular supply of coal as part of their wage and normally could be seen...

The Anchoridge (now Falcon Brass) kit for this can make up into a nice wee model. I think this was the basis for Mike's model..... but he could make a silk purse out of a pig's ear! Jim Summers also made one from this kit, which looks and runs as well as you'd expect. I had to send back some or the ...

I got mine some time ago, and I don't know what I paid for them. I don't use them very often (I couldn't remember where to find them last night), but for a few jobs they are absolutely invaluable.

Allan F