Martin S-C

Is that the Keyser kit? I've got one to build.

That's a lovely engine. Very unusual.

It would make a good news story though. "Railway bridge struck by railway bridge".

Stand 'em on end and you could carry some longer baseboards in it.

Agreed. Its a revelation to experience the goodness that is inside people. It makes the original act, while terrible, seem somewhat pathetic. The Market Deeping Club will surely grow stronger out of this.

I agree with Simon, it may even be the case that the youths didn't know there were model railway exhibits in the hall and broke in just for kicks and decided to trash things, again, for kicks, because they could. No idea if drink or drugs was involved but I really don't think it would have made much difference. It was perhaps just a reaction by some have-nots against the haves. It could have just as easily been a flower show or craft fair display, they may well have destroyed whatever they found. This social phenomenon (if that's what it is classed as) has existed throughout history. In a bigger sense, revolutions grow out of these feelings. (Anyhow, no further comment from me about this subject on this very fine thread).

Insurance companies. For reasons of fire risk and in the case of schools, data security, usually.

This has already been discussed. Amateur watchmen inside venues is no longer allowed, so it falls to the extra cost of professional security.

Until I embarked on my current project I wasn't going to bother with point rodding at all (dummy or otherwise). Then I saw such wonderful photos by Kevin in his "Little Muddle" thread that I became sold on the idea of depicting rodding for the sense of completeness it imbued his pictures with. The issue then became (following discovery of this product) one of "do I just bung some mostly correct dummy rods and links down so it looks good, or do I really want to make it actually WORK?" I am currently thinking that in some limited places on my own (biggish) layout, some functioning point rodding would be "cool". Nothing more. Not essential or needed, just "cool". The final question I am asking myself and which probably is popping up for you now, Chris, is "working point rodding - does it need to work COMPLETELY PROTOTYPICALLY?" In my case the answer is no. You need to form your own thoughts into a course of action over the subject but I would always bear in mind the question - "what is it I really want to achieve here?" and... most important.. "am I having fun?"

You are quite correct. I apologise. I saw the word "security" and simply thought it said "insurance" My error. However the sentiment I posted is still valid - an overall group security arrangement supported by every club and exhibition manager across the board would go some way to both spreading the costs and increasing community strength. And yes, by this stage of the thread it goes without saying that personal, sentimental, time and effort values can never be replaced, but we need to discuss those elements of the situation that can be addressed and those are financial and preventional (which is a word I may have just created).

Correct but the new suggestion is group cover for all events paid by all clubs into a fiscal pool.

This has much merit. Surely ALL the UK model railway clubs could get together and pool resources over this issue? Buy a group cover policy at Lloyds to include loss (of gate income) due to cancellation (under whatever circumstances) and loss of property value (to layout and trade stand owners) in the event of fire, flood, vandalism and so on. I am absolutely certain that Lloyds can offer this cover, its just a case of approaching the right broker.

Being limited by the software to press "informative/useful" only once seems inadequate for your post Harlequin. Really, REALLY useful info there. Thanks.

I must confess to photoshopping some of my uploaded images; especially things like cruel close ups of wagons or coaches I've built but when you first see the photo there's those annoying bits of fluff stuck to them your eyeball didn't detect. My mild OCD-ness insists I edit those away! A shame we do not have the technology to 3D-photoshop things in reality and issue special virtual world glasses to the viewer, would save a lot of time!

(try it in a Yorkshire "shoebox in't middle o' road" accent) "Storm's cummin up boy." " 'Ow do ye know dad?" "Wind's blown chimbley off yon loco."

Wonderful videos Angus, thanks so much for posting. The left hander at the end of the first clip is extremely tight as well.

I am filled with envy at that cluster of Firefly parts and such. So much potential there!

Its the old school-ness of it that appeals to me, bearing in mind the model that inspires my own project, when that was created and the general ethos of that period. I like the fact its an uncoupling ramp, so beloved of my Tri-Ang era childhood. There is a similar device with a slightly more complex construction by another RMWebber which uses a lifting panel that is a set of dummy sleepers and ballast that, apart from a small gap either side, is almost invisible. That is probably the style I will go for.

I've been mulling over the Great Unanswered Question of Western Civilisation - that is, auto-uncoupling of model trains, and this device strikes me as a Very Good Idea Indeed. Its from TurboSnail of this parish (you may prefer to turn the sound off, I found the music distracting).

It is probably impractical to have "amateur" watchmen (watch-people) on site overnight in such a venue. The school has a caretaker whose job that is and while I have slept on exhibition hall floors in a sleeping bag back in the late 1970s that was then and different rules now apply. It is most likely the case that the insurance small print on a venue like a school would not allow non-professional persons to sleep on the premises overnight in case they tampered with equipment. Remember also that sensitive data regarding minors may be stored on site... There are all manner of complications to allowing people to stay in such a venue. They could also be seen by an insurance company as a fire risk as well. No, in today's society only professional security companies would be acceptable and of course this introduces additional cost. I am only thinking aloud but this incident may well have been perpetrated by students of that school or ex-pupils who know the lie of the land and how to gain access. They may just have a grievance against their place of, or former place of education or "the system" or "the haves" and in their logic, causing damage to property is a means to attack those they see as acceptable targets. The fact it was a model railway exhibition is probably irrelevant. Damage would probably have been caused if it were any other kind of event such as a craft fair or something similar. The police will by now have a lot of information to go on and I hope the Market Deeping Club Committee will discuss all that is necessary in great detail with the police and their insurers. This must not happen again and that means probably a change of venue and/or an increase in ticket prices to cover increased insurance.

I agree completely. I can donate. Lets turn this negative into a positive.

He was so very wrong, the matter that is far, far more important than football is finding an automatic coupling/uncoupling system that works on your model railway. Empires have risen and fallen over this greatest of philosophical and mechanical challenges.

Of little comfort to those whose treasured layouts and stock is involved, but it is possible to buy cancellation insurance for events like this. When I worked at Lloyds many years ago event cancellation cover was common, often for outdoor events and adverse weather, but other types of cover were available so one must hope that the organising club had insurance in place to pay out the value of the lost receipts in the event of cancellation. Other than that my thoughts are with those who have suffered this awful loss in such terrible circumstances.

You add a steel dropper to the Bachmann brass coupler on this I think. is that right? Will it work with hooks on both vehicles? I could use a very simple auto-uncoupler but I really must base it on the Bachmann tension lock because I am not going to change the couplings of so many pieces of stock.

How do you get such a superb smooth finish from your undercoating?