Scalefour Forum

Not sure if this is the right place to raise this but I was just having a browse through the Showcase photos. Lots of excellent models to view. However, I did notice that some of the write ups, which are very welcome, are detracting somewhat from the image of the model. Screenshot example below. Ca...

Thanks for all the feedback. It seems that the technology is good for us, so now we need to put it to use, and I see Danny has added me as a postscript to the Virtual Scaleforum show tomorrow: https://85a.co.uk/forum/images/emoticons/smile.gif https://www.scalefour.org/forum/viewtopic.php?p=78726#p7...

A bit off topic but what's the music in the background? Sounds C20th English to me (it's not Delius, could it be very early Berg?). Sorry should be playing trains not being a music geek. Hi Howard, Here you go: https://www.rnz.co.nz/concert/programmes/musicthroughthenight Time now in NZ is 04:40 am...

Hi Danny,

I'm thinking of running an online Templot dabble session after Scaleforum closes, if anyone would be interested?

More about this idea: viewtopic.php?f=5&t=7132

cheers,

Martin.

The trials for the Virtual Scaleforum on Saturday reminded me that a few years ago I tried broadcasting my Templot computer screen as a way of providing quick Templot help and support for users. It wasn't very successful then, but browser tech and broadband seems to have improved a bit since, so I h...

David B wrote:I am surprised no-one has suggested Ronald Binge's Coronation Scot.

They did -- see Julian's 2nd link:

viewtopic.php?p=78604#p78604

Here it is:



However, I doubt it's available royalty-free.

Martin.

Drive keys "towards the joint, towards the station, towards the river" is the old saying. i.e. towards the nearest rail joint; where trains will be braking or accelerating; downhill. "drive" means the direction the keys are driven into the chair. The rear end of the key remains p...

any guage which holds the rail vertically whilst 1:20 chairs are glued will result in guage narrowing due to the rail springing to 1:20. And it is not insignificant. Only if the track is straight or very nearly straight. Curved model rail cannot be canted at 1:20 . If it were so, it would mean that...

+1

but I don’t actually know what kind it is Hi Philip, Fibreglass is often double-sided copper-clad. SRBP is usually singe-sided copper-clad. Fibreglass tends to be white-ish, and translucent if you remove an area of copper and hold it to the light. SRBP is a yellow/brownish colour. cheers, Martin.

Is there none of the cheapo pcb available these days? Plenty of SRBP copper-clad still available: https://www.rapidonline.com/rvfm-low-cost-copper-clad-srbp-circuit-board-32634 and cheaper on ebay. 10 times easier to cut and work than fibreglass, but not suitable for outdoor use. Thousands of layou...

I was concerned with a shear like these that they would curl the sleeper strip that’s been cut up rather than leave it flat, as my PCB is quite thin like Tony’s. Some of these shears seem to be intended to cut up small panels rather that strips. I can make up a base and guide. What do you think? Hi...

Philip Hall wrote:This shear looks very good but I got frightened by the cost of it!

Hi Philip,

If you can improvise you own table and guides, these are less expensive:

https://uk.rs-online.com/web/c/power-to ... illotines/

Martin.

I am trying to produce plans using Templot. I tried the dummy carriage function but I can see any warning when curve becomes to severe even when I go to ridiculously small radii. I think that at some stage when doing something else there was some mention of a warning light, but I can not find it. I...

Understanding which type of chair should be used and where, is what has caused most head scratching as I don't have much prototype knowledge and the instructions are brief, rightly saying there is plenty of information out there...but I haven't got it! - till I downloaded a C&L template from th...

Hi Tony, In your latest post on your construction topic: https://www.scalefour.org/forum/viewtopic.php?p=77214#p77214 you say: The hardest part (of the vee) to bend is where the point and splice rail are physically soldered together, but it can be done. It's not prototypical to bend the splice area*...

trustytrev wrote:Many of the sidings in prototypical images appear to be actually lower than the main running lines.

Hi Trev,

That's done intentionally to provide gravity trap points -- wagons don't roll away uphill.

Martin.

I'm pretty sure you couldn't close the rivets in thicker sleepers, although I suppose you could epoxy them in (what a prospect after drilling the holes as well!). With thicker plywood (or model boat-building Limewood strip) it might be possible to use the push-fit Vero pins method instead of rivets...

So I wonder if there is anyone who is successfully using this way of making track - Masokits (or any other?) etched chairs on copperclad sleepers/timbers? Hi Julian, Paul Boyd has used the Masokits system for some complex pointwork. See his photo album here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/pjmarlow/a...

Hi Julian, I've had a go at the tandem by reference to the colour photo. It worked out quite well: https://85a.co.uk/forum/gallery/2/original/2_301258_060000001.png https://85a.co.uk/forum/gallery/2/original/2_301258_060000000.png BOX file: kyle_tandem_45degs.box I've rotated it 45 degrees from the ...

Hi John, Hmm. You are suggesting that heavy locos taking the right-hand road have displaced the stock rail wide-to-gauge on the left? That seems very possible. It can be difficult to draw accurately along a rail edge in a photo, because of the top corner radius on the rail, and wear patterns on the ...

Looking at the tandem's furthest switch in the Boyes photograph to which I posted a link, there is a pronounced set in the right hand stock rail, but I'm hard pressed to see any set in the stock rail opposite - so was this really a split deflection switch? Hi John, It's difficult to be absolutely s...

Do those tandem switches look like loose heel ones? Hi Julian, No, the first switch is a "B" flexible switch. The second switch is also flexible but more difficult to be sure about the size, I think it is also a "B". However, it is a split-deflection switch, which makes it more ...

Hi Tony, I hesitate to mention it for S4, but a trick I've seen done for the switch tips in a double slip is to cut away the rail foot above the slide chair: slip_switch_tip_kludge.png The drawing looks horrible, but in practice it hardly notices, being hidden between the stock rails. It means you n...