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Recent posts #41
N Gauge Discussion / Re: Good news for the hobby - ...Last post by OffshoreAlan - Today at 09:49:40 AMQuote from: njee20 on May 02, 2026, 12:00:20 AM....... I don't believe that price is a barrier to entry for young people in any meaningful sense..... I would challenge that statement. You only have to look at the predominant age group exhibiting or attending shows. It's certainly not youngsters. #42
General Discussion / Re: The angry threadLast post by Graham - Today at 09:44:26 AMJust received another class 90, in the process of taking the body off to install the decoder, the pan from the pantograph has sprung off and disappeared on the workbench.
Really p*****d off. Hopefully it will turn up as last time I thought I had lost one Bachmann told me I had to buy a full body shell, just for the pantograph. #43
General Discussion / Re: My local bus stopLast post by Bealman - Today at 04:15:28 AMCaptain Bin.
Me old mate in Cambridge must have been venturing north again. He sent me a picture of 18 Burnside Avenue, Houghton-le-Spring. This was the home of my grandfather. The poor old sod had dementia, although that was not diagnosed as such back then. He would sit on the steps beside the galvanized garbage bin, and spring into action chasing all the kids that walked past. I used to cop a kreefull of taunts at school: "Your Grandad is Captain Bin, isn't he?" Geez I used to hate that! Ah, well, that was then, this is now. I'm older than he was when he carked it!   #44
General Discussion / Re: what are you listening to ...Last post by ntpntpntp - Yesterday at 01:31:05 PMAs a huge Cocteau Twins fan I've recently latched on to Ashen Ringlets, who as well as lovely originals have also produced some great CT covers.
Also a big fan of Mint Julep who create songs in a similar dreamy style to CT #45
N Gauge Discussion / Re: Stock/Fiddle YardsLast post by Newportnobby - Yesterday at 01:16:32 PMThe exhibition layout "Tuemyll Junction " has no fiddle yard and uses cassettes, but I think they run just loco + 6 coach trains or equivalent freight
#46
N Gauge Discussion / Re: Stock/Fiddle YardsLast post by EtchedPixels - Yesterday at 12:01:07 PMQuote from: mojo on May 20, 2026, 09:08:46 PMI have a 4 track main line coming into double tracks at each end leading to my stock yard. What kind of points are you using. If the trackwork parts are decent then I'd work on fixing the derailments and the power contacts a bit firstly. You can also massively improve a lot of fiddle yard power connectivity with a bit of additional wiring in some cases, or with the Kato points by setting them only to power route one direction so that except for the last point on the line of points to a typical fiddle yard you only switch power into each line not down the line of points. If you are using Peco set-track or similar for the yard then it can be a lot more of a pain as they are very sharp. I like cassettes for micro layouts as they tend to be short, and also longer ones are kind of ok for loading up odd trains you run rarely (like the sleeper service) but not a big fan of using them for most stuff. #47
General Discussion / Re: what are you listening to ...Last post by kusojiji - Yesterday at 10:28:01 AMQuote from: madchadbrad on Yesterday at 10:21:43 AMDunno about Sweet but "fox on the run" was done by Manfred Mann in the late '60s . . . (As well as the bluegrass "Country Gentlemen"!) but it isn't the same song at all! How annoying that they have the same title. Wow, totally different. The only similarity is that they harmonize, I guess. #48
General Discussion / Re: what are you listening to ...Last post by madchadbrad - Yesterday at 10:21:43 AMDunno about Sweet but "fox on the run" was done by Manfred Mann in the late '60s . . . (As well as the bluegrass "Country Gentlemen"!) but it isn't the same song at all! How annoying that they have the same title.
#49
N Gauge Discussion / Re: Stock/Fiddle YardsLast post by JanW - Yesterday at 09:29:44 AMQuote from: mojo on May 20, 2026, 09:08:46 PMPoints in the yard are hand operated and rely on blade contact for electrical connectivity. I have found this to lead to erratic running, problems with derailments and or electrical at varying places at different times. Would it perhaps be easier to put a little effort in getting to run your current fiddle yard better? Problems with derailments can usually be solved by aligning track joints. And you could add slide switches to operate the turnouts and power the crossing and blades: https://www.trains.com/mrr/beginners/ask-trains/how-do-i-control-a-turnout-with-a-slide-switch/ Jan #50
N Gauge Discussion / Re: Stock/Fiddle YardsLast post by Southerngooner - Yesterday at 08:51:41 AMWe've used cassettes to carry and change trains on James Street for over 10 years. The longest are around 48" long and can carry a nine coach passenger train. They are simply made from electrical conduit, Perspex and gaffer tape, with door insulation keeping the stock secure. We use hair bands to keep them together. All really simple and very easy to use and make. There's no power in them, but I am trying to add that for those on my own Brickmakers Lane layout. I would recommend them over a big fiddle yard, frees up so much space.
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