Scalefour Forum

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

DSCN0535.JPG I made this many years ago from (I think) 2x1 planed timber and 6mm foam camping mat. The foam is not fixed in place, so the vehicle is folded in the foam first, then the whole pushed into the device, so very little chance of snagging anything. It took a bit of experimentation to get t...

I had some time ago a few plastic wagons which had been assembled (badly) with epoxy and painted. Somewhat to my surprise an overnight soaking in Nitromors left me with a pile of perfectly reusable parts. That would be the old formula, however, and in light of the above I doubt whether it would work...

A thought arising from this very interesting discussion. I have seen many photographs of horseboxes in passenger trains, and always attached between the loco and the train. Was this a matter of operational convenience or was it, for example, o smoother ride for the horse? Allan F

That's a lovely piece of work, and for one who partly grew up in the West Fife coalfield, most evocative. I have a vague recollection of some sort of gantry / pulley arrangement above the winding wheels, which I was told was for hoisting the rope onto the wheel after repairs etc. But I can't find an...

Allan

I'd be interested to see how you managed the louvre ventilator. It looks enviably straight and tidy>

Allan F

"....The other option I am looking at is much cruder ... to fix the heel solid to a rivet in the sleeper, with cosmetic chair to mask - and rely on the flex of the rail to provide the movement and rely on the soldered up stretcher bars to resist the applied moment....." Put a rivet in but ...

I've got some 1/2" marine ply which I've had for over 15 years. During much of that time it's lain outside (It was bought for the boat after all). Although a bit discoloured it's still perfectly flat and with no sign of delamination or other deterioration. It's had no varnish or other protectio...

These are good looking connections to the operating rods, but I would worry that they are completely rigid, and with a very small joint area; and they couldn't readily accommodate the slight angular movement of the switch. This might result in the switches sitting oddly, and in fatigue fractures in ...

That's a lovely model and captures the feel of the 1847 station very well. As you may know that (down side) building is virtually unchanged since it was built, although the station house is now privately occupied (by a local historian!). If I can be of any help with photographs or other information ...

Thank You Len; There's no hurry!

Allan F