Scalefour Forum

In the pictures I have, freshly painted black engines are definitely black. Engines in use exhibit a brownish tinge (as do coach underframes), I put it down to brake dust dirt etc.

So I think you need to brush up (!) on your weathering skills ...

I'm with Jim on this, get a non digital calliper, I've had mine 30 years and no batteries need replacing!

Regarding the 'spec', here is the RCH drawing giving the inside dimensions of the W irons.

I don't "recommend" these dimensions, they are the dimensions that items should accord with. Unfortunately, I have checked the S4 Digest (and the EMGS manual!) but these fundamental dimensions are not specified. No wonder more than one manufacturer got it wrong. Of interest, the 2mm Scale ...

I have just got back to my 'workbench' and decided to look at my stock of Society w irons and society supplied 3 hole disc wheels. Following on Tims comment on the 14 Jan i find the following dimensions: Axle length is 24.2.. (what happened to a standard 26mm?) The back to back on the society W Iro...

Yes they are dearer (£3.80 per axle IIRC) but without 'error' and well worth the extra IMHO. Also they're now double insulated. Worth every penny. Pity they are double insulated, the original ones could be used for pickups - for coach lighting for example. I do remember with the single insulated on...

Well that's good to know.

They cost a lot more than ordinary wheels, but the reject rate (I found) was zero, whereas I was lucky to get 50% success rate for the other wheels.

I see that you are using ordinary P4 wheelsets, get hold of some of the top quality ones - and see the difference. Given that there are limited suppliers of P4 wheels, from whom do I purchase top quality wheels? It used to be Branchlines, but I think it's now moved to another supplier. They were tu...

Of course some of us were using coaches with the wheels changed and no other modifications - and getting reliable running! On my retired Clutton layout, I just changed the wheels. But I chose to put top quality wheels on, not your ordinary P4 wheelsets. It was that, I am convinced, that resulted in ...

Looks like you need to rename your part of the forum

Tim, Something in the back of my dusty mind says someone was/is producing small brass washers of varying thicknesses, presumably to help with the variations you describe? Dave H I think it was Masokits again. Trouble is it's a workaround for poor quality components. Also squeezing the W irons in ju...

Where to start? What length are the axles? A lot of axles are under the recommended 26mm. Most I measured were 25.8mm. This can lead to slop. Only 'some' of the pinpoint bearings are actually accurate and within tolerances. Mike Clark (Masokits) used to do a little etch to help you decide what depth...

If this is about lightweight baseboards, you may be interested to know the next News contains an article on building them.

A long time ago, when I joined the society, the joining leaflet had on the back a reading list of P4 related articles. I thought I'd find the answer there as to which MRC the NLG's decisions were set out in. A very comprehensive set of articles were in the MRC on the building of Bodmin. Unfortunatel...

There was an interesting editorial in the November HMRS Journal. In it the point was made that finescale society journals (I wonder if he's referring to the News?) are full of articles that have little to do with railway modelling, and a lot to do with getting the things to work. Hence articles on m...

I put a bridge rectifier across the ammeter, no need for any switches. Worked fine with DCC.

I found on Clutton I could just swap wheels (for good ones!) change couplings, and provided I pulled them, never pushed them, they were very reliable. If you want to shunt them, then I think that compensation/springing becomes necessary. For building wagons I can thoroughly recommend the Brassmaster...

Here you are. Mine is the Unimat 3. IMG_0474.JPG My original motor packed up with worn brushes, so I bought a new motor for it (seen on the lathe). Then I made an extra pole to support the old motor - by now fitted with new brushes (from a Hoover of some description) to create the precision vertical...

No one has mentioned the Unimat, which covers all the bases - precision vertical drill, small milling machine and lathe.

I've had mine about 30 years - a very good investment.

As I pointed out in the other thread, it isn't the baseboards that are noisy, it is poorly engineered stuff running on top of it. Look there first - remove those XO4s (and the like), fit properly engineered bearings, decent gearboxes, decent motors. Plus controllers that don't make the motors buzz w...

But it's surely better to get it right first time.

So many modellers give up because they can't get it right. A great pity.

We should be pressing for decent wheels that don't need drilling. Wheels that are round and square to the axles. Wheels that self-quarter.

Oh well we can all dream ...

Illustrative purposes only!

Agree with you Phillip about the need for a precision vertical drill. If there is any doubt about one's ability to drill a vertical hole through the wheel - don't do it. All this talk of worrying that the hole 'might' not be vertical. If that is the case, clearly something is wrong, you need to exam...

Actually no.

My workbench thread covers the jig I made viewtopic.php?f=105&t=913&start=175

I think I covered this in my workshop thread, but I consider that it's important to drill from the back of the wheel - thus ignoring the countersink. That way the drill will follow the direction you intend, rather than what it wants to do! But surely if you drill from the back and the drill does wa...