David Holman

The scratch builders amongst us must hope that Societies and/or individuals can take on what Allen has created. Worsley is a vast portfolio of drawings for etching and it would be sad to lose it. I would think that some sort of archive, to preserve the drawings, is the minimum. The 3D print community seems to be building up a range of files that anyone, either for a fee, or even free, can download and then either print themselves, or send to one of the commercial printers to have done for them. So it could be with Worsley files, because there are firms who will do one off etches if you provide the artwork. The plethora of high quality, ready to run models, is one thing (albeit it at significant cost), but it worries me that the hobby is in danger of becoming de-skilled if we continue to lose providers of detail parts, kits and so on. 3D prints should be seen as just another tool, to expand our creativity, likewise the computer keyboard/mouse. It would be sad to see the use of physical modelling skills like marking, cutting, turning, etc decline in the face of ever more tech - however welcome the latter may seem.

I've had one Mashima go in 20+ years. Now use High Level and because I use a feedback controller, keep to their open frame motors, which seem perfectly happy with the controller

Splendid research!

There is a 1:400 model railway in the latest MRJ.

Given the time of year, reminds me that, likewise back in the day, lighting a banger and putting it in a glass bottle was quite dangerous too. Bangers, for our younger brethren were simple fireworks that did what it said on the packet. Small ones were an old penny, larger (louder) ones tuppence. The real nut jobs were jumping jacks, essentially a firework of multiple bangers that would explode and jump around in a highly random and dangerous fashion. For many reasons, don't think you can get them now!

Quite a variety! Not sure, but is the box like thing by the balcony steps an acetylene generator? They were an alternative lighting. Some sort of chemical reaction to produce the gas & you can see a pipe going up to the roof, next to the handrail.

Simple, well fairly, but very effective!

Have seen two Lartigue layouts. One was a simple oval at, I think, the Uckfield show. Amazing to see a loco and train wobble its way by. The other was an embryonic layout at the St Albans show, where the owner was demonstrating fabulous etched trackwork. Don't know what became of this, but it certainly looked promising.

Just when you think you've seen all of Andy's layouts... Great way to display all his wonderful Donegal stock.

Ok, not exactly Irish, but Blakey Rigg, the S Gauge NER layout by Paul Greene of this parish features in the latest Model Railway Journal. Indeed, it is a remarkable issue featuring a working 1:400 scale (yes, really) working model railway. Add in articles on DG couplings, realistic moving road vehicles in smaller scales and preview pictures of Gordon Gravett's new French layout and it adds up to being well worth a look.

Much time has been spent this week fine tuning the cassettes and fiddle yard table. Above you can see the five trains, spare engine, plus Phoenix and its wagon cassette. I was expecting a bit of work because experience with Fintonagh taught me that if the back to backs are more than 0.2mm out, then derailments are possible on the points and so it proved. Horizontal alignment is achieved by glueing plasticard strip to the vertical wall of each cassette. Mostly this has been 40 thou/one millimetre thickness, but occasionally, only 20 thou has been needed and in one case 60 thou [20+40]. Vertical alignment is really just careful filing of the fixing screws. Occasionally, I found I'd taken too much off and a fresh screw was needed. Also managed to fix one or two screws too far inboard, meaning bogies, axle boxes etc could clout them. Needless to say, this brought out more than a bit of creative bad language, but only myself to blame. Quickly realised that a different cassette was going to be needed - one without any sides to make railing stock easier. Narrow gauge vehicles are hard enough at the best of times, with their wide overhangs, but the cassette sides make putting on anything other than a four wheel vehicle pretty much impossible. My simple solution was to stick 60 x 100 plastic strip to a piece of plywood that has flat aluminium strip glued underneath. White plastic works well with dark wheels too. Though there is plenty of room on the cassette table, have found a piece of plywood pushed under the outer end of the table gives space to put a loco cassette while it is being turned. Doubles up as space for a coffee mug and nicely levels the cassette table too. An important safety item is this small block of wood, just beyond the end of where the main cassette goes - just in case a train should over run. The height is just right for the DG couplings to clear it. A couple of other pictures show how the train cassettes might be shuffled around. Otherwise, so far so good. Now need to work on rehearsing operation on the layout itself, while all the new couplings need to be checked and then chemically blackened.

Always interesting to see what you are working on Eoin. With an Athearn chassis, performance should be exponentially better than the prototype!

Yep, be VERY proud!

Looking great. Am sure you'll find the switch rails easy enough once you made the first one.

See that Tara Junction has just clocked up a million views!