Rob R

Pleased to hear that you are happy so far. The slight overgauge is deliberate. Flexitrack of any scale/gauge/brand will reduce in gauge when you curve it-nature of the beast. Not too much of an issue with normal OO wheel standards but anything finer will have issues with the reduced gauge as Paul Greene found with the 4ft radius curve on Broombridge. Worst case scenario is the requirement for a gauge widened base just for the sharper corners The knobbly bits and the stringing are still part of the work on progress. I tried to tweak the settings to improve things but that just threw out the rail fixings. I have just taken delivery of a different brand of filament which is supposed to be better. It has been suggested that a scrub with a toothbrish is the easiest way of removing the stringing. I would try it with the rails in situ to provide a bit of rigidity. Have fun.

Think of it more like the chippings that a sculptor chisels off a block of stone to produce a work of art. There is not much you can do with the little bit of waste you get from FDM printing, but at least the PLA filament I am using for the track bases is plant based so we rest easy there

Your lot is in there somewhere. I hope it lives up to your expectations. The last 12 metres is being posted off to the sub tropics on Monday. If anyone has any preferred specs for 21mm gauge 7mm scale (3ft) track please let me know. Rail size (code 100/83/75), sleeper sizes and spacing. Thanks in anticipation. Rob

Wrong side of the water unfortunately. C'est la vie

What does a (scale) mile and a quarter of 21mm gauge track look like? Still awaiting for one of the Beta testers to send me his postal address......

Where are you?

Fixed that for you ...

I do have a passing interest in some of the more obscure Interurbans for a potential S Scale (1:64) project if that is of any help to you? Petaluma & Santa Rosa on the West Coast together with the erstwhile Clarmont & Concord on the East Coast in case you were wondering. Rob (still busy printing 21mm track bases).

Horsetan, Pm sent.

PM me please. Rob

A batch of 21mm gauge sleeper bases in production for someone on here who is brave enough to give it a go. No name, no pack drill

Found this album in the NLI. Over 160 views of the Boyne Viaduct being repaired in the 1930's. Enjoy. Boyne Viaduct Rob

Lazyess is the mother of invention.

A frequently used dodge by S scalers for fiddleyard track.

I have no axe to grind on this as you are all modelling the wrong scale anyway No point messing with 20.2mm gauge or whatever, if 21mm doesn't suit then save yourself a load of time and effort and stick with 16.5mm. There is no snobbery amongst the modellers of the Irish scene and nobody will look down their noses at you for using the "wrong" gauge track. Generally, if you are going to model any minority scale/gauge combination then you are going to have to get your hands dirty and do some scratchbuilding along the way, for the 4mm/21mm gauge that means track and especially pointwork. For the few parts of the system that used Bullhead then the existing C&L (or similar) injection moulded chairs and sleepers can be used, fairly straight forward with a bit of practice, pre machined crossings and blades are readily available for those that need them and Templot can generate the templates (with a bit of practice or a helpful friend). The pain of doing yards of plain track can be eased with the latest developments in Templot plug/COT track and a home 3d printer (or another friend who has one?). Flatbottom plain track is feasable with a home FDM 3d printer as my experiments with the S Scale code 75 are showing and no doubt Paul will document his progress on Broombridge in the fullness of time. Even the cheapest of the FDM printers will do it and the material cost (sleepers, not rail!) is just pennies. Of course back in the "old days" the likes of Mike Sharman, Colin Binnie and Roy Link would have just milled up a simple brass die and squirted hot plastic around the kitchen with their homemade injection moulding machines - in fact Roy did with his 7mm/14mm gauge NG track although that needs the rails spiking down through the pre-moulded holes. If someone was going to put their hands in their pockets for a few sleepers worth of injection moulded plain track base is there a consesus on what rail size to use? Code 75, 83 or 100? Enough of my rambling.. Rob

If any of you are going to Doncaster next weekend (yes, I know most of you are the wrong side of the Irish Sea) you are welcome to call in for a chat with Paul and myself on the late Trevor Nunn's S scale layout "Trowland". Rob

Question for the 7mm/21mm gauge modellers. What size rail do you use and what size/spacing sleepers? Cheers

David, 15 thou short of an inch. 63/64". I will be playing with some 7mm track eventually for peco code 100 and 21mm gauge for 4mm and 7mm 3ft. R

Colin, Don't know if there is anything in here that may help. Colm Creedon Rob

Colin, I wonder if the ng coaches were numbered in the same series as the ng coaches when delivered and then re-numbered later when the bg had gone? Rob

Thank you. I will study them later this evening. R

Yes, but at what temperature? The prints are actually coming out at 25.1mm at the moment but that should allow for the natural tendency for flexitrack to reduce in gauge a little when bent. If it proves to be an issue in testing it is easy enough to tweak. When I get the odd 25 hour day/ 8 day week I'll take a look at 4mm and 7 mm and if possible post the .stl files on here for all. Rob

Fortunately Paul has most of the pointwork for Broombridge already, recycled from Kilbrandon I believe. For new work, copperclad or spiked to ply sleepers would be easiest until the guys at Templot come up with something. R

A little taster:- Early days yet, 25mm gauge for S Scale (1:64). Elegoo Neptune 4 Pro, Elegoo PLA filament, 0.4mm nozzle Peco code 75 rail Wagon by Paul Greene Rob

Colin, A quick trawl through the NLI (and the interweb generally): Carrigaline A trainful Crosshaven and a few in here (re-opening day at Passage West?) Album Rob