Giles

Does this help? You can see the internal link running forward, and the lifting links. The link on the cradle unit is pivoted on the right hand side of the pivot block, just off of the centre line, so far as I can tell. Screenshot_20180127-090018 by giles favell, on Flickr

Alan, Is the Maple Street MDF actually sold as being a laser grade? It doesn't appear to say so. Different glues within different grades of MDF are more readily cut by diode lasers than others, which can make a significant difference. I buy mine (2mm) from Hobarts, which cuts well, but I bought some 1mm stuff from elsewhere that I can't cut through (even though it was supposed to be a laser grade!) Best Giles

It's not something you'll regret. The only reason I got an A4 was the space issue. Particularly with the lenses upgrade, it's a very capable machine when you get used to it. It certainly does very much more than we all initially thought it would.

I've never had that happen - so I suspect it's the material. What material are you using, and where did you buy it?

For this, your lifting links drop, and the radius rod falls for forward, and up for reverse (these having slide valves) I admire your ambition, but you're on your own with that one!

Phil is taking The unusual step of building two of them! Extremely brave..... Are you going to setbuour valve gear in forward/reverse, or mid gear? I did put mine in gear, simply so the motion worked more...

Those valve rods look hold! And it will all be great when it's done! With the best will in the world, these things are a rarity....

Another selection of Lincs vehicles, this time mostly from the Lincs Road Car Co fleet which show LRCC VAM 70.jpg Another example for the era when lightweights were being added to the nationalised fleets in an attempt to reduce costs, A Bedford VAM70 with Duple Viceroy body of 1970 pictured in Melton Mowbray on an Associated Motorways Service from Scunthorpe to Cheltenham in 1972. This takes me back - in the early eighties, I had a Bedford Viscount fully converted to a mobile home, which I used to live in the NAP car park on Warwick Rd, Earls Court during the week with my dog for work, and drive home to the Midlands at weekends. I used to take in on holiday in the summer driving round mid and north Wales with a sailing dinghy towed behind.... This was in the days just before travellers became a problem, and one could do this sort of thing without raising too many eye-brows. It also wasn't much more expensive to run than my car!

The new 650mAh battery provided two solid and quite intensive exhibition days service on one charge! Absolutely great for us, and ghe logistics of the exhibition, and extremely impressive. Next job will be to see if I can fit one of these under the red one. It also makes me wonder if the Bagnall will also run for two days..... I suspect it might!

I bought VCarve with it... i have an Emblazer laser which runs Cut2dlaser, and this is of the same family. I therefore found it extremely to use, being able to import a DWG and allocate vectors straight away without any difficulties. This file was then imported into UCCNC and instructed to run which it did do with little difficulty.

This is my wiring diagram for the lorries.... (and loco, apart from the steering servo) 2018-01-11_10-19-56 by giles favell, on Flickr

Because our priority at home is to get ready for a living room extension, I've not had time to play.... (as well as trying to earn a living!) It can happily carve it's way through 12mm aluminium (eventually - multiple passes) . Yes, it's a fairly serious bit of kit. I certainly plan to use it on brass and nickel silver.

I simply use unbranded 2.5mm mono jacks for charging, and a fairly neat (and incidentally cheap) socket on the vehicle. The socket is plastic bodied, which helps protect it, but importantly, it disconnects the receiver whilst charging. Similarly, by it's nature, the plug is unable to short the positive and negative of the socket when being inserted or extracted- thus protecting the battery. It's very effective and reliable, but it does take space. The only vehicle I have which doesn't use this system is the Bagnall, which has Microns magnetic connector. Very good, but there is a real danger that it might pick up something steel and short itself out, so I have another magnetic blanking plate to insulate against any accidental short. On a loco with more physical space I would have the charging point on a 'switched spur' for this reason. Here are the sockets. https://www.amazon.co.uk/sourcingmap®-Terminals-Female-Headphone-Socket/dp/B00HG8CTHQ/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&qid=1515689103&sr=8-16&keywords=2.5mm+jack+socket This appears to be the battery I've just fitted to the Bedford. Lots of lovely protection circuitry. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3-7V-650mAh-Li-Po-Rechargeable-Battery-303759-F-PSP-MP3-MP4-Speaker-Selfie-Stick/182470901434?_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIM.MBE%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D49129%26meid%3D4d6af079edbf49699bca7aef510c769c%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D121929272265&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851 Best, Giles

Prior to it's visitation to 'The Yard', I've just up-graded the battery from 320mAh, which gave about 5 1/2 hours exhibition use, to a 650mAh battery, which should give 10 hours. All day.. This will make a lot of difference, particularly if I convert the Ford as well. Sadly, the crane already has a 650mAh battery in, but only lasts about 5 1/2 hours due to all the oyher motors running so frequently. I've only very recently found a battery of this capacity this flat (about 3mm) Bedford TK battery by giles favell, on Flickr

I'm deeply looking forward to seeing it, as if you've seen Martin's other layouts, you'll appreciate his modelling is superb!

We'll be there on Saturday....! A lorry - anything else?

Blimey - that's a magnum opus.....! Can't wait to see that... We'll be along on Saturday - anything you'd like us to bring?

I suspect you did well with that... one of my very favourite locos. I've loved them ever since 'City of Birmingham' first arrived at the Science museum there, and used to trundle six feet up and down in the early 70s.

Bless you Chris! I confess I hadn't the foggiest idea what you were referring to - so I looking it up.... I should be honoured and delighted to come in tenth!

Someone took a nice photo of the team at Farnham, which was kind...... couldn't do it without 'em! The Team by giles favell, on Flickr

I just realised that I have no idea where my '80s T shirts are - and that I have a ready supply of 'suitable' ones..... How does that happen? *Wife smiles lovingly at me*

I made an 'eye' if I recall, and silver soldered it onto the end of the rod. But that isn't really safe if one is using soft solder. Valve rod combination lever by giles favell, on Flickr Good luck!

The front to back axis (Y) is the two major vertical arms - they traverse back and forth via a lead screw on both sides within the side extrusions. It's a beautifully engineered bit of kit!

Very nice work, both on the machining and the plate-work! Rather small, complicated and fiddly for me to do - but I'm very impressed with those that do it so nicely!

Just in case anyone missed it, I've got some lengths of 3lb used rail going free if anyone wants..... details are in the 'Free' section towards the top of the web site