2mmMark

By odd coincidence, I've got a potential candidate for an uncoupling electromagnet on my workbench. 20mm diameter, 15mm depth with a resistance of 52 ohms. Here's a link to one source although mine came from a UK supplier https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/P20-15-electric-magnet-lifting-2-5kg-holding-solenoid-electromagnet-dc24V-RAHN/153218758869 Experiments with a Marklin Z gauge controller show it to be amply powerful enough for an uncoupler. I haven't yet check the current draw but it's much more efficient that a PK magnet, although that's not hard! Mark

I bet you're chuffed!

Christmas 1962 brought me this. Mine didn't have the smoke but it did come with an extra turnout and a BR maroon Mk1 brake. Obviously prototypical accuracy wasn't a priority then! My friend a few doors down had this, which I remember as being rather temperamental but it obviously left an imprint on me. For sheer play value, I think I had the best deal. The box car and the cattle car had opening sliding doors into which you could put stuff, like sweeties and Lego.

Somebody will no doubt complain about the Y14 Holden up the traffic...

There are a number of things you can do to ensure tiebar good health. Most important is a pivoting joint as Izzy mentions. I also use Peco track pins but have also employed phosphor-bronze wire suitably bent in a sort of lazy 3D z-shape. The second is to use something bigger or stronger than a 2mm sleeper. 4mm pcb sleepers filed down so they fit entirely within a pair of sleepers works very well, being wider and thicker than the 2mm sleeper material. An alternative is a strip of fibreglass or epoxy PCB (FR4 type), again very strong and unlikely to fracture. The third is to move the tiebar gently. This is where wire in tube and other manual methods score over motorised methods. Some point motors are quite aggressive in their movement. If that's the case, some form of cushioning or physical restriction away from the tiebar is essential. It's not necessary to ram the point blades hard up against the running rail, all that's needed is to close them up securely. Very little force is needed to move 2mm point blades. Mark

In 2mm, smooth free movement is much better than anything which has any "stiction". It's all too easy to derail a fiddleyard full of stock if sector plate sticks then suddenly moves. Just occured to me that a taper roller head bearing would make a really good pivot. Something like ebay item 270924167058. Taper rollers are self-aligning and automatically take up any clearance.

Where the blue & red lines cross over, the electricity will be marooned. That's why it needs rescuing with an extra wire.

Are the blue people negative?

Can you get a 5ft 3ins gauge Tenshodo SPUD? Mark

I reckon the Fawley Fliers demonstrated a pretty high degree of creativity in their heat and the final. Producing layouts of that quality which are both realistic and engaging in a short space of time takes some ability. Some of the techniques demonstrated were new to me, like boiling pan scourers to make material for trees. To say that the general public are less interested in accurate model railways is to do them a great disservice. Earlier this year, Copenhagen Fields was on display at the LT Museum family weekend (very much a non-purist event) and there were crowds around the layout at all times. Like others, I think the final could easily have filled a 90 minute slot but it's highly likely that Channel 5 were being cautious. Now that the viewing figures are shown to be higher than Big Brother, it's got to make them think a bit. Channel 5 are definitely working hard to defeat Adam Faith's reputed last words. https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/2003/may/13/guardianleaders Has anyone entered the "competition" to win the weekend on the Ravenclass & Eggsdale? It's a tricky question, sending your address in.

What foam cutter do you use, Paul? I've seen some interesting cutting wands on ebay (item 223218188013) which look like they might be more verstatile to use than a wire in a frame. Mark

If the series has proved anything, it's that there's only a few ways you can say "hurry up, you're running out of time".

I never ever thought I'd see a layout that reminded me of the 1930's film of the HG Wells novel Things To Come. Absolutely stunning! Worthy winners

As is usually the way with these things, some negative changes are presented as something positive! From an email received this morning: "Let’s be candid. The strength of Flickr has always been you. Flickr at its best is a place to connect, to discover, and to evolve as photographers and lovers of photography. This is the world’s largest photographer-focused community. Together, this newly independent community can shape the future of photography itself. Today we are announcing important updates to our Free and Pro account offerings to better align Flickr with its mission." "Updates. Free accounts will soon be limited to 1,000 photos or videos. Flickr isn't Flickr without the contributions and participation of our free members, and we remain committed to a vibrant, free offering." The small print "*Free members with more than 1,000 photos or videos uploaded to Flickr will no longer be able to upload new content after Tuesday, January 8, 2019 unless they upgrade to Pro. After February 5, 2019, free accounts that contain over 1,000 photos or videos will have content deleted -- starting from oldest to newest date uploaded -- to meet the new limit. Members may always choose to download content over the limit at any time prior to these dates." The object seems to be to get users to upgrade to the Pro offering. "Flickr Pro is better than ever, and at less than half the cost of Apple, Amazon, or Google, it’s the best deal in photography—hands down. In addition to the unmatched community you love, Pros get these perks: Unlimited Storage. The only limit is your imagination. All Pros may now upload as many photos as you can take, always at full resolution. Ad-Free Browsing. Focus on what matters with a fully ad-free Flickr experience for you and your visitors. Advanced Stats. See which of your photos are trending now, and which have performed the best over the life of your Flickr Pro account. Plus all these great new Pro-only features: Premier Product Support. Skip the line. Flickr Pros now receive priority assistance from our new world-class support team. Available now. More Partner Discounts. Save on photography essentials. Discounts on Creative Cloud from Adobe, 50% off a custom portfolio site on SmugMug, gear from Peak Design, and more. Coming November. Advanced Stats on Mobile. Stats in your pocket. All the photo stats you know and love, available in the app. Coming November. Increased Exposure. All Pro members as of January 1, 2019, are eligible for priority exposure in the next iteration of Explore. Coming early 2019. New 5K Photo Display Option. Look your best. Your images are beautifully optimized for any screen, from smartphone to jumbotron. Pro images display at resolutions up to 5K. Coming early 2019. 10 Minute Videos. More time to tell your story. Play back videos for up to 10 minutes, increased from 3. Coming early 2019. If you are a free member with more than 1,000 photos or videos, you will have ample time to upgrade to Pro (for 30% off your first year) or download your photos and videos.*" So be warned, Flickr will be deleting content. Mark

Don't forget to only use the Xuron track shears on soft materials!

I've got some A5 boxfiles I use for storage...

Here are some photos of Stewart's 2mm scale RTM tramway models. The locos run on extensively modified Marklin chassis, regeared with a much higher reduction and the coach is built using teak veneer on a clear plastic shell.

It’s with very great sadness that we have to announce the death of Stewart Hine aged 90. After a short period of illness during which he was cared for in Northwick Park hospital, Stewart died peacefully in the early hours of Saturday 27th October. Stewart was a founder member of the 2mm Scale Association and served as the 2mm Magazine Editor in the 1960s and later as Assocation Chairman. His interests were wide. Professionally he was an electronics engineer but he was skilled in many things, mechanical engineering, painting, writing, photography, sailing and classic cars, to mention just a few. As new technologies came along, he grasped them with enthusiasm, one time being featured on BBC television assembling photo-etched components he designed himself. As well as 2mm, Stewart was active in 3mm, 4mm (notably at Pendon) and gauge 1, amongst others. While a passionate GWR enthusiast, he didn’t stop there. He made 2mm scale models of the Dutch RTM tramway and, notably, Caledonian Road tube station, which is an enduringly popular feature on Copenhagen Fields. Memorably, he contributed significantly to Bob Symes’ gauge 1 working diesel electric and diesel hydraulic locos. To encourage the modelling of 2mm scale coaching stock, Stewart provided the Association with the Dreadnaught Trophy. Pendon was a great interest of Stewart’s, having joined the team in the latter part of the 1950s. As well as contributing models of rolling stock, he designed the high frequency coach lighting system and a very sophisticated controller, which Stewart later produced commercially as the “Pentroller” – still sought after today. Nothing ever seemed to daunt Stewart. If something was not available, he’d set to and make it himself and if it had a wider application, the results would be made available to others, either as a product or written up in an article enabling others to follow in his footsteps. Stewart’s bibliography of published articles is immense, both in the UK and overseas. He wrote fluently and clearly, it being a pleasure to read one of his articles. Sometimes his forthright opinions would generate much subsequent correspondence in the letters pages but the debate was always conducted in a gentlemanly manner with an amicable conclusion. For those fortunate to visit Stewart at home in Harrow, deep in the heart of “Metroland”, it was invariably a fascinating experience to see his latest project. An approach to Stewart for assistance in some modelling matter would be met unfailingly. Indeed, his GWR 2mm models were much borrowed to provide rolling stock when working 2mm finescale motive power was thin on the ground. Although in recent years, health problems restricted Stewart somewhat, he still attended and contributed to 2mm events. He leaves a legacy that few could ever emulate. Stewart will be much missed and we give thanks for a life well lived. The foregoing was written by me for the forthcoming 2mm newsletter so it does have something of a 2mm scale slant but as mentioned, Stewart's interests were very wide indeed. I was fortunate to know Stewart personally so it's with a great sense of loss that I'm posting this obituary. Mark

I wouldn't mind betting that these BMC cars being tested ended up as some of the quickest!

Good to see that you've been able to remove the turnout without too much disturbance. When you gap the timbers, filling in the cuts will help the turnout blend in with the Easitrac. I would strongly recommend soldering the feed wires on before installing the turnout, as you're working in a tight space. Mark

HMRC withdrew the facility for making credit card payments. DVLA are quite happy with them. And so they should be, as they get double VED in the month a vehicle transfers to a new owner. https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-tax

The foam putty sounds like premixed lightweight DIY filler. The filler component is a ground-up foam of some sort rather than the gypsum in traditional fillers. https://www.screwfix.com/p/polycell-trade-polyfilla-one-fill-tub-white-1ltr/82124 It fills well enough but I'm not sure how strong it would be for some of the more robust scenic techniques such as "stick it down and rip it off" dyed lint grass. Mark

My Royal Enfield Bullet has points ignition with an inductive discharge electronic box in circuit. This obviates the need for the condenser and just uses the points as the spark trigger. You can keep the condenser in place but simply disconnect it. The Boyer box I use has a little light to indicate the points opening so setting the timing is a doddle. http://www.boyerbransden.com/IDunits.html I've had a pair of ID units on my Laverda SF3 since 1982. The Bosch points it uses are now pretty much unobtainable and the unit prolongs their life hugely. Contactless electronic ignitions often require a minimum voltage in the system so won't respond to a push start if the battery ever goes flat. The ID box is much less sensitve in that situation. Mark