esngblog

For I’ve been mulling over how to make the arches for my station. I looked at the DM-toys laser cut models, but they didn’t look British enough. The Scalescenes cardboard kits are very nice, but the brickwork looks a little flat. Simon offered to 3D print some for me, but I didn’t get beyond trying out the drawing software. The last option was scratch-building from Plasticard. Possible, but the curves arch brickwork would be difficult.

I then happened upon these Faller kits. I bought one, and it looked just what’s needed. I’d set my viaduct to suit Scalescenes, but the Faller arches are the right height, perhaps with a cast iron railing above – a fine etched one rather than the plastic ones shown on the kits below. The brickwork is a little large for ‘N’, but it is well moulded, and all the arches and coping stones look good.

Of course, the arches themselves will need to be filled in, but a little brick plasticard will do that job.

Unfortunately, Faller don’t seem to be making these kits at the moment. However, I have bought enough for the layout – a couple here and there – mostly, amazingly, from Amazon.

It will be a little time before I get around to using these kits, but they are now in stock and ready.

I risked having a go at the first FineTrax point last night, and as with all these things, there was two steps forward and one back. It didn’t take long to get to this stage, as shown below, and my test wagon ran smoothly over the frog and blades. Then, of course, the fun started with the soldering!

First, I managed to solder a point blade to the stock rail. A little fettling solved this.

I then added the wiring between point blade and stock rail. No problem here, and I’m pleased to note that the plastic used for the base is much slower to melt than Peco sleepers. It may, of course be due to the use of Code 40 rail, with a lot less metal and less heat needed to solder.

I then looked to add the wiring around the stock rails. Disaster! A little pressure and the short lengths of rail next the frog knuckle popped out of the chairs, and couldn’t be replaced. This seems to be a weakness in the design, as this short length of rail is only supported by two chairs.

I am considering a few changes to the point construction to solve these issues.

First, move the isolating gaps of between frog and blade a few sleepers nearer the point toe. This is easy to arrange, and there are still plenty of chairs supporting the blade. This is further strengthened by the soldered wire links between blade and stock rail. It also seems possible to feed the knuckle rail section from the blade end of the point, rather than the frog end. This will save having to bend the point base to feed in these sections of rail.

Secondly, a touch of solder at frog and knuckle at the three points shown below will strengthen the whole structure and give electrical continuity. I will try this out on the remains of my test point!

The wiring then becomes very easy – a single feed will be needed to the whole frog, rather than two.

I will think about this, and then try it all out on one of the other points that I have to build. I will need to buy another point to replace this one – but of course FineTrax have run our of Code 40 bullhead rail and aren’t taking any orders. Never mind, I’ve plenty to do.

Despite the problems, I have to say that I strongly recommend these points. They are easy to build, stock runs through them very well, and they look wonderful. The problems are mainly due to my heavy-handedness, and I’ll find a way around that.

And today’s book purchase. An interesting survey of my favourite BR coaches.

Makes an interest contrast with the much older (and probably better, really) HMRS volume that I have.