Finescale track

John Turner said the following on 25/01/2006 13:57:

Don't you just hate keyword spamming? Having to type something like lima -"not lima" to just get lima is a PITA! It's also a reportable offence....

That was certainly the origoinal concept, but now it's letters, not numbers.

Reading this in Courier font, it's very hard to tell the diffference between "O" and "0"! Many typewriters used not to have separate "zero" and "one" keys, and typists had to use capital "Oh" and small "L" instead. It took many years for this habit to die out among former typists.

Maybe a smart lister would use both?

As the customer said to the shop keeper, do you have o's ? Ah, o's, is it, you could have said ?......

- Nigel

whilst

...and what's more, according to Mr Barker the sketch idea was inspired by a real shop and real customer.....

Thats probably where the change from 0 to O came from.

In message , John Turner writes

Except ... it is common, in the UK at least, to refer to the number 0 as "oh".

In message , Jim Guthrie writes

In the old days, before ANN ("all-figure numbers now" - remember that) in the UK the letters O and Q were in the same hole on the dial as the number zero, so you'd do all right replacing zeros with 'O's when dialling.

I think I've decided to stick with OO/00.

More questions... Is there a website for SMP? How much are their point kits? Do they contain all the components? Are the crossing vees ready-made like C&L's "turnout in a bag"? How does SMP track compare to C&L track in terms of it's appearance?

I've just downloaded and purchased Templot. John, what templates are you using?

Matt

Hi Matt,

If you ask those questions on the Templot email group, you won't find many Temploteers using SMP track. C&L is by far the most popular choice.

If you want the ultimate in appearance you might want to look at NewTrack from Exactoscale. This has all the different designs of special chairs individually moulded. It's available only for P4, so you would have to throw away the timbering base mouldings. Some users prefer to use plywood timbers anyway. All the rail parts are ready prepared, although the assembled switches might need some modification for 00, and the closure rails will need shortening. See

regards,

Martin.

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SMP don't have a website, but their point kits are 3.60 from Mainly Trains

The kits do contain everything you need, but the crossing vees are not ready made, but I did not find it difficult to make an accurate frog - I have yet to do anything more complicated than a 3ft turnout! In terms of appearance the SMP track looks good, and once painted/weathered etc I am sure it will look superb. As far as templates are concerned, the plastic based SMP points dont need one, although they do include one in the packet. The copper based point kits (I have a 'Y' and a 3-way to do and have sneaked a look in the pack) also include a detailed template/construction diagram.

Hmmm, despite my mouth watering at the words ''ultimate in appearance" I'm not sure modifying P4 track is the best starting point for me, having never handbuilt track before - unless I had step by step instructions!

OK, so if I go with C&L then it looks from their website like you have to buy the rail seperately and construct the crossings etc. yourself - apart from the complete kit they do which is only available for one type of point. Where would I start - do the kits come with instructions??

I'm still floundering here!

Matt

Hi Matt,

Two starting places:

1=2E The Templot email group. 500+ friendly members all passionate about getting their track right.

2=2E Iain Rice's book:

WS116 (Wild Swan) An Approach to Finescale Track in 4mm =A312.95

from:

A few years old now, but still the trackbuilder's bible, written in an easy friendly style.

regards,

Martin.

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I bought four kits initially, as a test, very good for getting an idea of what they are. Then I bought component parts, including some things like ready soldered crossing Vs, but then I decided to have a go with the ready machined components. And it was one of the easiest things I've ever soldered! And that's talking as someone who hates soldering... I'd hate to have to do the machining of the blades and crossings though...

BTW, the way I soldered the crossing Vs:

1. Mark on a flat piece of card (like the stuff the point kits come with as part of their packaging!) the dimensions for the crossing V - 1 in 6, 1 in

7, etc. One line horizontal, the other coming in at an angle to it.

1. Spray some spray mount (3M or equivalent) onto the card.
2. Stick rails the correct way up on the card along the line markings
3. 'Paint' Carr's Red Label solder fluid (or equivalent) into gap near the 'nose' where the rails meet
4. Use a suitably-sized 'blob' of normal solder with 15W or better soldering iron to fill the gap at the nose.

I've found the above technique to be accurate, and has worked every time without fail...

Ian J.

Martin,

00 rtr users may be used to paying inflated prices for their pointwork but suggesting they buy a £25 kit, throw half of it away and destroy what's left hardly seems like good advice . To build in 00 starting with a C&L point kit which comes with appropriate parts is likely to produce a more satisfactory result. To adapt the P4 track co. turnout for 00 you not only have to remove the gauge pips off the timbers (assuming you balk at throwing them away), throw away all the special chairs for the check rails and the crossing since your flanges won't go through them. Dismantle the pre-assembled common crossing and find some way to reassemble it with the wider flangeways. Cut all the rails (which are supplied to the exact length for P4) to the required new lengths. Then find a suitable drawing and instructions since those supplied will be useless. Far better to build using parts designed for the purpose. Keith

Hi Keith,

Hmmm. Perhaps I was carried away by all those special chairs. I have a B8 kit in front of me now. Matt did say he was much concerned with getting good-looking track. But on reflection you are quite right, C&L is a much better bet for a beginner in 00 or EM.

regards,

Martin.

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"Martin Wynne" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@g49g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:

No, otherwise I wouldn't have suggested it. ;-)

Back to customer relations, "templot" is a known entity, the software you used to produce the .exe videos is not, for all anyone knows you cold have used a free (but very useful utility) picked up from download.com that's loaded with spyware. For the sake of a few lines of explanation ...

And I woud like to be one of them, yes and that means me gving you money to jon this fine club but it's not going to happen at least in the short term.

Hi Chris,

Thanks for your vote of confidence in my intelligence.

In fact I have spent several hundred pounds on professional software to produce these videos, and I'm currently writing on the screen next to this one the code for a fully customized player based on the Windows Media Player OLE control.

But I don't know why anyone should expect to be told such things.

I did explain. I said that all this has been discussed on the Templot email group. The message archive is public at:

You downloaded the test video. It played fine. The sky did not fall in. There does seem to be a desire on this newsgroup to find fault and difficulty where there is none.

regards,

Martin.

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