Scalefour Forum

Thanks for the plug Tim. I will have a Castle to do sometime but it has not come to me yet. I suspect it will be of the same basic design, so should not present too many problems. I do recall seeing a sample model and I thought the front frames appeared quite set back, as you would expect with a 00 ...

Mark Tatlow wrote:
Do Ultrascale do drop in wheelsets for Duck?

Not sure, but Thomas might appear at Clutton one day to make up a threesome! Maybe P4 tyres on Romford wheels. Don't ask...

Philip

Doug, If you're in Windsor I presume you've been in Daniels department store. An old friend of mine (from Egham MRS days) until recently was in charge of the Hornby department there - it was actually run by Hornby, not the store, and I don't think this was their only example. They do seem to have th...

If you're using the jig to fit a Hornby T9 driving wheel then it will be impossibly tight, as the Gibson wheel has a much smaller than 2mm hole to give a tight fit on the axle. So you'll have to reduce the size of the end of the pin.

Philip

I have used this style of pickups for years, but nearly always using 0.3mm hard brass wire, as I prefer this when using steel tyres. When I've got nickel silver tyres, PB is fine but I prefer it a little thinner than Flymo's, 0.25mm or 0.3mm again. With the right amount of pressure (which can be sur...

Howard,

Glad to help. When one of them is done I'll try and remember to post a picture either on this thread or in the Portfolio section.

Philip

Keith, I actually meant a bit of extra weight in the tender, not so much the loco! Although, of course, your idea is good if you want to lug very heavy trains around. I have problems with handling lead, though; I can manage it a bit when adding weight to stock and, in this case, the tender, but shap...

This is a great price for this loco and I shall be looking at it tomorrow for one for myself! And yes, I have had a go at the 28XX, the first one is away with its owner for test running, but will come back to me later for new cosmetic frames, which we hoped might not be needed on this one as the whe...

I've used wood stain (on a tan coloured base, actually the kit plastic) to finish a rake of LNER carriages, and it gives a very nice effect, but a note of caution: be careful how you varnish afterwards. I used my usual Ronseal, a mixture of satin and gloss (not the quick drying acrylic, the ordinary...

I was just thinking of ordering some of this when I remembered that I already have something similar, 'Flex -pad Flexifiles'. They are about the size of a small emery board and I have them in 12000, 6000 and 4000 grit. The paper is stuck to a spongy base, much as the Axminster Tool micro mesh pads. ...

I eased each brake hanger gently away from the floor a little at a time using fine pliers; although I'm told that some models have the hangers glued in place. The guard irons are firmly glued in however; if you wish to reposition them in the correct place for P4, as I did, then cutting them off and ...

Thank you, gents, for pointing me in the right direction. As a result, I've managed to source copies from each book.

Philip

Does anyone know of a source (or could possibly scan for me please if you've got one) any pictures of the GWR ones, Nos. 12 or 13, taken in GWR days? I can't find anything on the internet, which is surprising, they're all LNER ones, and most of the pictures there are of the model. My library is lack...

I've run pickups off the brake gear before now, having picked up the idea (sorry) from a High level kit review in MRJ years ago. So long as you accept that getting the wheels out is not going to be (easily) possible, it works a treat. I have some very thin PCB which was soldered to the brake cross s...

but what does Norman Solomon use? I'd have to look back at his MRJ articles to find out exactly, but I think it's like the Exactoscale stuff. C&L sell it as well - it looks the same to me - but Norman got in much larger quantities as he uses so much of it. I wasn't going to look up the article ...

I think that a camping mat might be a bit thick. It's got to be absolutely flat of course, so I like the underlay that Norman Solomon uses. I also intend to have everything, wiring, point controls etc. on the surface, in channels cut in either the board or the underlay. This is because with the layo...

I'm not thinking the track will move around much, hardly at all, more a bit of resilience which you don't get when it's glued down hard with PVA. I used Copydex with great success on the last layout, firstly on cork, then on an extension I used rubber (actually some kind of draught excluder) and it ...

I would also advocate a flexible underlay. I shall go for rubber/Evostik/Copydex on my new layout, the theory being I shall get a degree of springing in the track, which will help no end with converted, rigid proprietary locos and stock, not to mention sound insulation. I saw this very effectively o...

According to the Sharman book, drivers were pin between, 26" stroke ie 13" throw.

Philip

I've never had a truly bad experience, but have had several engines come to me with Portescaps with a remit to take them out and substitute with a High Level or Branchlines box and a Mashima. Mostly it was because the owners could no longer stand the whine of the things, which varied from just annoy...

As Tim says, Ultrascale haven't been hanging about, and they have now released these - see the website. A small quantity are available ex - stock, after which it's normal delivery times.

Philip

I think 603 is best avoided for wheel to tyre or axle fitting as it was this that Chris Pendlenton had much grief with in doing Gerry Beale's 8F. He found that Loctite themselves say it won't work on plastic. I've had some success with Hafixs on slippery plastics, and I sometimes use this for carria...

Derek told me at Railex that he's currently looking at new suppliers for his files.

Philip

The Borchesters were never stud contact, always two rail. Unfortunately, on the one occasion I saw it on Sunday, I'm afraid the running was not of the standard that Frank Dyer would have wanted to see. It looked as good as ever, but I didn't stay long enough to observe the way they were running it. ...

David, Congratulations on a lovely piece of work. The valve gear is one of those watchmaking nightmares so your eyes must be much better than mine. I remember something by the late John Harrison in an old Railway Modeller on one of the incarnations of his Torpoint Branch, and there was a picture of ...