Mr Mint's mint gauge

[Russ Elliott]

This is a note on protocol more than a 'new product' itself.

When I was dashing out of Scaleforum on Saturday a few minutes after closing time, Roger Sanders told me he would be giving the Society rights to produce his mint track gauge. Not having any official Society hat on, I advised him the best contact to inform of his decision would probably be depchair@, and that would leave the committee's internal machinery free to decide if and how to progress the matter. (Presumably Roger collared me because I liaised with him at the time of the gauge's initial manufacture many years ago.)

[Paul Willis]

This is a note on protocol more than a 'new product' itself.

When I was dashing out of Scaleforum on Saturday a few minutes after closing time, Roger Sanders told me he would be giving the Society rights to produce his mint track gauge. Not having any official Society hat on, I advised him the best contact to inform of his decision would probably be depchair@, and that would leave the committee's internal machinery free to decide if and how to progress the matter. (Presumably Roger collared me because I liaised with him at the time of the gauge's initial manufacture many years ago.)

Hi Russ,

Thanks for doing that, and for passing on the message.

As you'll have seen from the production in the last twelve months of the turnout filing jigs, the Putteronas, RTR Class 25s, and last but not least the Scalefour Mugs, the Committee is extremely receptive to doing all that it can to make P4 modelling easier.

So I'm sure that we'll be able to do something to enable production to continue of what is a very useful gauge.

Cheers
Paul Willis
(the afore-mentioned depchair@)

[Philbax]

I seem to have missed out somewhere

what is a mint gauge?

[Russ Elliott]

It's a machined rectangular block with two ridges set at the track gauge dimension, and acquired the moniker 'Bendix Mint'.

[Noel]

The same sort of thing as the block gauge part of D D Wheelwrights crossing alignment aid then, Russ?

Noel

[Russ Elliott]

I'm not familiar with that particular D D Wheelwrights item, Noel. Given my single experience with his triangular track gauge, which I returned to the Stores as not fit for purpose, I don't intend to either.

My reservations about the Mint gauge concern its application area. Its length provides full GW for sure, but that brings us to the long-standing argument about whether GW should be applied through the vee. (The conventional ~30mm length of gauge is a compromise setting.) Having said that, I know a lot of people love their Mint gauges, and they're probably very useful at the toe end of a turnout.

Both items are checking gauges rather than constructional ones IMO.

[Re6/6]

I seem to have missed out somewhere

what is a mint gauge?

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[Horsetan]

....acquired the moniker 'Bendicks Mint'.

I think I was to blame for originating that one.....