RedRich

I think the best way to gauge this sort of thing is to ask the retailers how many kids and teenagers frequent their shops and purchase model railway equipment. Look around at an exhibition and gauge the same thing there, how old are the visitors what percentage are kids and adults. I think that this is one hobby that has stood the test of time and there have been turbulent times for a lot of us of a certain age in our lifetimes with recessions and high unemployment. Kids today are very resourceful and they will try and earn a few bob to pay for their models as the young lads have stated above. Vincent even went without his sausages, and he will benefit from it by having a point and stopping his arteries clogging . Groups like this draw an awful lot of young blood into the hobby as they will get advice comradeship and a voice to air their opinions for free, there is no doubt that for the majority of the time the internet has started a revolution and I wonder as groups like this grow will it have an effect on the print media within the hobby, as I find myself buying the monthly Railway Modelling mags less often as I find all the entertainment and knowledge here that I need. For me they also bring an enthusism that takes me back to my youth. Rich,

There is eating and drinking in it Noel. Rich,

I do indeed. I promised Hidden Agenda some pics of the underframe a while back and when I sort the man out with them I will post some up here. Welcome to the group by the way. Rich,

Some fine bargains there Steven. The 141 in as preserved livery is a steal at that price. Thanks for the heads up. Rich,

Alan please feel free to download any of my pics as it's only right that we share what we have with each other. The amount of information that is available to the group from those members who give it freely is why this group is special. It is also a place of learning, and I have learned so much myself from information posted here by all our members. There is no showboating or boasting on here only sharing and giving, I love it. Rich,

Some more pics of flat bottom and bullhead rail. This is some flat bottom on wooden sleepers attached to base plates by a single bolt at Waterford West. This is a stranges mix of flat bottom and bullhead rail on wooden sleepers on a point at Waterford West. This is some bullhead rail fixed to concrete sleepers at Waterford Plunkett. Rich,

Lovely work John, I will be following your blog with interest as I want to take in as much information as I can as I progress on my own journey into 21mm. I wouldn't say that the Hornby coach looks cheap and nasty. It's more of a sows ear turned into a silk purse. Rich,

That's great work John. I shall be picking your brains as I progrees with my own work, well done=D. Rich,

They Would indeed Des. Next time I am up in Clonmel I will get a couple of pics of the mother and child signal on the Tipp side of the Road bridge. If you look at the signals in your range of SSM kits Des they are all in Clonmel as are the LC gates on the Tipp side of the station. You have saved me a lot of hard work in trying to source parts in the past or scratch building. Taking pride of place on the front of the station building when it gets built will be an SSM post box. Rich,

About time I got my finger out and did something Anto. Rich,

Glad to hear it. Here are dimensional detailed drawings of bullhead and flat bottom rail. It probably says more in a picture than it would in words. Rich,

I'll have a butchers through the collection Anto and stick one up. Did you get that email I sent. Rich,

Some Beet Wagon shots at Waterford West, Rich,

Some more bogie flat pics of a different variety. Rich,

Some bogie flat pics taken at Waterford West. Rich,

Another piece of history for guys weathering their models, taken at Waterford West. Rich,

Here are some shots of a bulk cement at Waterford West for the weathering guys. The buffer beam or headstock. Rich,

A few more signal shots. Waterford West, Gantry and wall mounted signals Waterford Plunkett, Rich,

Des if you want to put up any of my pics of the prototype signals please feel free to use them mate. Rich,

Some more prototype track at Waterford West. This is a crossing using flat bottom rail on wooden sleepers. The approach roads at the throat of Plunkett Waterford taken at Waterford West. You can see the heavier wooden sleepers on the points in the foreground when compared to the wooden sleepers on the plain track in the center road. The furthest road is a combination of CWR on concrete sleepers to the beginning of the switch. The switch itself is a continuation of the flat bottom rail on wooden sleepers. There is a fair bit of variety in that shot alone and it is common all over the network, except maybe on high speed main lines where crossovers and switches now tend to be a combination of flat bottom rail on concrete sleepers. These new switches tend to arrive on site fully built and are laid as is. This final shot is of the same roads taken from a different angle. You can see the amount of oil and grease around the mechanical part of the switch. Rich,

I thought I would upload some pics of signals for people that are going to build some of the SSM signal kits. I hope these will be of some use guys, Rich,

Here are some jigs for filing switch blades and vees. The vees can be inserted into the jig once they are ready for soldering and clamped into the jig to make soldering a breeze. I haven't mentioned this yet but I am using steel bullhead and flatbottom rail as I find nickle silver doesn't have that steel look to it that you see on the prototype. I will be using steel wheels as well after seeing a layout with steel track and steel wheels on the rolling stock at a Scalefour Society show a few years ago and it just looked right and it doesn't get half as messy of cruddy as nickle silver does. The majority of the traders now advise people to use steel rail or Hi Ni rail which has less nickle in it. The P4 Track Co only sell steel rail now. How they engineer this stuff amazes me it just looks so realistic. I will post some pics of the rail if I get a chance tomorrow. Rich,

This website is well worth a look if you are interested in hand built track http://www.handlaidtrack.com they have some excellent tutorial videos on how to use their products. They are aimed at the H0 and N market but some of their tools can be used by 00 modellers such as the filing jigs. One of the tutorial videos describes and shows exactly the method for soldering rails to copper clad sleepers that Mayner described in his last post. Rich,

Richie your a man after my own heart. Rich,

I would also say that cutting out part of the headstock or buffer beam and fixing the box of the coupler to the chassis would be a better option as has been stated. For a start it will look more prototypical as some coaches were fitted with drawhooks and buckeye couplers. Coaches at the ends of a rake have a drawhook and drop head buckeye like this and this Cut out a piece of the headstock the same width as the coupler box and fit the box in the gap you have cut out. You may have to put some packing between the floor of the coach and the coupler box to get it to sit flush. Rich,