2mmMark

Steadily going downhill Jim, like my jokes.

No need, they are simply aligned when stuck down. Each piece of track needs its own power connection.

"accomodated on an ordinary table" Think how much easier the setting up would be... The technical difficulty with the unpowered stuff is ensuring a suitable supply of static electricity.

Oooh, can I do the German sausage joke? The one about not fearing the wurst.

I agree, best kept as an entertaining vintage trainset. Colin Allbright was talking about building a Lone Star layout. One of the plastic vac-formed layout bases is on ebay at present but it's a lot of money for something that will be quite fragile. There is a resin body available for a Class 23 Baby Deltic. I've not seen it in the flesh.

I think Lone Star had a certain way with publicity. The Treble-O-Lectric brochure is a good example. It's got a very modernistic feel, fitting in with the optimistic nature of the time. And it only cost tuppence! "Dad, can I have one of these trainsets, they're only small..." Mark

It sounds like you're in a perfect position to install very good insulation, possibly behind a drywall finish . This could be a lot more beneficial than any specific type of heating as you'll get an even temperature all year round. I use LED as as my bench lighting as I can then have powerful lights all year round. Incandescents in warm weather are not much fun!

Found some photos of the 5" gauge live steam loco. I believe it was still under construction at this point. Mark

It's possible to adapt a road vehicle kit. In my case a Fleetline 2mm casting. I have tried to motorise it and managed to have the driving wheels rotating but there was very little traction, so resorted to the powered van. I really need to crack on and finish it. Not sure whether to present it in pristine condition like Blue Circle or model it in industrial service. My copy of the book in the photo cost me 50p at an LT Museum open day! I've seen a very nice 5" gauge live steam A&P inspired loco. Mark

Haven't seen that for years! Remember it well, saw it a lot when I was doing my paper round in the early 1970s.

The quartering jig makes the job easy but it's not essential. I think it's a good plan to get to grips with building a chassis using the etched kits. Everything will be in the right place and it's a gentle lead-in to full scratchbuilding. Mark

Have you enquired of Micro Antrieb for a gearwheel? They may be able to manufacture an unsplined replacement. If others are doing the same conversion, a readily available gear seems like the good thing to have. http://www.kkpmo.com/ As a one-off, it ought to be possible to mount the gear on a lathe, bore out the centre to remove the splines and insert a bush. To mount the gear, you would turn a cup that just touches the tips of the teeth, perhaps with just a tiny hint of an interference fit. This will hold the gear concentrically while the centre can be enlarged to remove the splines. The gear can be held in place during machining using cyano or even double sided tape. It's often strong enough, particularly if the material being machined is soft. Mark

In the current weather conditions, it's vital to avoid heat loss from the head.

Are there any controllers with such a high frequency PWM? The ones I've been tinkering with are 20KHz.

I've always wanted to get an oscilloscope to understand what's going on with various controllers but they've either been a big investment, a bit cumbersome or an awkward USB/PC setup. There are some self assembly kits on ebay for a compact unit which looks promising so I was wondering if anyone has experience with them. Here's an example: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/112662652316 and a case for it: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/112713808782 Judging by the photos, it looks like the ICs come pre-soldered, which saves a potentially tricky job. It looks a lot like the Velleman style of kit, some of which I've made previously. I think it's worth a punt but thought I'd ask before pressing the "buy it now" button! Mark

I'm looking after The Internet today.

The replacement chassis kits have holes etched for the gear train including the worm/wormwheel combination. All you need to do is provide the necessary motor. You can find the instruction sheets here: http://www.2mm.org.uk/products/info/?prodnum=h-etched-loco-chassis-kits What you could do is print off the etch diagrams and fold them up to see how it all goes together. I would recommend a tank loco to begin with. The J94, 57xx or Jinty would be the easiest to assemble. Mark

'fonly there was some sort of large searchable online auction site...

Not beyond the bounds of credibility. The whole of RMWeb is a live minefield.

"Have I got pee pee eye?" Very much a case of mis-selling.

Everywhere else is Palin into insignificance.

This is what comes of watching a repeat.

Very popular with the ladies, for some reason.

The Longest Daisy A Bridge Just Up The Road Reach For The Pie Hambusters In Which We Serve Afternoon Tea Coldtitz The Wooden Shetland Pony Shaving Ryan's Privates Sandcastles Of Iwo Jima The Baffle Of Britain Punkirk The Cruel Boating Lake The Siege of Lensgoneoutgrad Where Beagles Stare

Nice to see this again. Kylestrome by "Kylestrome". So good, they named it twice... It's interesting (and somewhat frustrating) to note that the quality of plywood available from German DIY stores is streets ahead of what we get in the UK. Please don't scrap this one David or we might have to form the Kylestrome Preservation Society. Mark