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This very useful tip appeared in the NRMA British Region magazine.  Most useful for those of us with Microtrains couplers, but now Dapol buckeyes are around it may also apply to them.  It was published under the wonderful title of “Tame those goldarn disappearing springs”….

NMRABR member Cliff South gave us an idea for replacing springs in Kadee couplers.

Put a fine silk thread through the middle when inserting it back in the coupler.  It cannot disappear then…..

So, where have those darned springs flown away to?  Assuming that you can find them, and I have a foot-long piece of wood with strip magnets glued along its length.  Run it over the carpet or lino and you’ll pick them up for sure…

(I hate to think WHAT I’d pick up from our carpet…)

Quite a good trick with tiny springs is to put a very small dot of superglue on just on end before fitting them….

You don’t lose them then as they are permanently attached to your fingers!

Lance Mindheim  may have come up with a really good idea here….

Effectively applying ballast glue is a challenge at best.  The more powdery soils and small gauge products even more so.  The problem comes with application of the adhesive, specifically the surface tension of the liquid.  Agents such as alcohol and dish soap help slightly but there is always an ongoing battle to minimize craters and channels created by applying the glue with an eye dropper or bottle. Ballast “float” is also a pain in the butt.  I’ve always wondered if the problem could be solved if a powdered glue was mixed with the ballast before application.  I picked up some Dap Plastic Resin Glue from The Home Depot to run a test.  I mixed the powder into some N scale ballast at a rough ratio of 1:5 and spread it some N scale track.  Next, I took a fine mister bottle, filled it with water and rubbing alcohol, and misted it onto the ballast/glue blend.  I let it dry and, voila, it worked!  It seems very solid and I haven’t noticed any major discoloration, shrinkage, or cracks.  The bond is VERY strong.   I haven’t experimented with the best glue/soil ratio although if 1:5 works I’m not sure it warrants a lot of testing time.  This adhesive method would be particular helpful for large surface areas of fine blends such as soil patches and gravel roads.

And a second post tests the idea further….

The initial test on a six inch piece of test track of powdered glue as ballast adhesive showed promise.  I’ve since moved to using it full force on a large N scale project in my shop.  Again, success.  I find it is not only easier to use than traditional liquid adhesive but it’s also easier to get better results.  Better being defined as no floating ballast, no craters, and no mini trenches.  I haven’t yet dialed in the best ratio of glue to ballast so can only say the amount of powdered glue needed is “not much”.  At present I’m putting two, 10 oz. bags of ballast in a bucket with only 1.5 oz of glue and it holds very well (that comes to 1:13).  One caveat is that the glue is very sensitive to moisture in the air and when exposed to it will start to dry.  I’m noticing that after mixing the ballast and glue in a bucket and leaving it over night there was some drying.  That being the case I suggest storing your excess in a container with an airtight lid.  If over time I find I didn’t use quite enough powder the ballast would be knit together enough that a quick follow up with dilute matte medium would be easy to do as insurance.  Finally, there is warning label on the glue container letting you know the powder is a lung irritant and not good to breath.  That is certainly the case so wear your respirator when working with the stuff.

My only question is where to get an equivalent powdered glue in the UK.  Any ideas?

Good words from Lance Mindheim:

When I work with a design client, one question I always ask is why previous layouts didn’t get off the ground and gain critical mass.  After almost fifteen years the answers haven’t changed.  The three reasons layouts fail, the three headed monster if you will are:  the layout dimensions were too large, the design was too complex, or poor ergonomics.  It’s not uncommon to have all three at once.   The one issue that, to this day, has never come up is a layout that was too small or simple.  Nobody has ever said, “Well the layout was too simple and I quickly got bored with it.”  It just doesn’t happen.  Where we get off track is grossly missing the mark in terms of how little track it takes to keep us blissfully entertained.  It doesn’t take much, even if we aren’t ‘pure operators’.  For those that are operators, as our knowledge increases, the necessary track volume decreases further.   Here’s a design exercise for those of you with a typical large bedroom or half basement to work with.  Set a hard and fast limit of fifteen turnouts and stick to that.  It will take some discipline but see if you can come up with a design that sticks to that limit.

The third trap, ergonomics, is dangerous because it’s so subtle.  Our discomfort and dissatisfaction with a layout with poor ergonomics is often hidden in our sub-conscious.   We find our enthusiasm dwindling with each passing year and aren’t sure why.  The key word here is ‘easy access’.  It is absolutely critical that ALL track be within easy ‘grab and go’, arms reach, accessible distance.  For your average person this means no further than 27 inches from the fascia.  It also means avoiding hidden track at all costs.  Long tunnels, hidden staging, hard to reach staging are deal killers.  The scary part is the problem isn’t so obvious during the first year when your enthusiasm is so high that you are willing to overlook any and all inconvenience.

I’ve mentioned before that I’m frequently viewed as a champion of small layouts.  That’s not the case at all.  I’m a champion of designs that quickly and easily get people immersed in the hobby.  It just so happens that for most people smaller and simpler layouts are the best way to do that.

We could all learn from this – simple layouts are best.  If you have a large space available for the railway, don’t take on Clapham Junction, just spread out a few turnouts over a larger area…