The LNER Encyclopedia

Teaky.
You could just do what some past occupiers of the Reichstag did and annex it, or just walk in and take it over.

It wasn't in the Reichstag... it was here.

Dave - Excellent suggestion. I'll give it some thought.

jwealleans - That looks like a lovely little loft conversion. Just what I had in mind. (With lots of apple green and teak of course.)

My last territorial demand in Europe lucked into a 10 metre long space, and a proper GNR style point ladder from points like that is in the plan. (The idea of poking out through the wall at one end to accomodate the return loop has been unreasonably resisted by the government of Gardenmania, as it crosses their idea of where the border lies and they claim intrudes on the location of a key manufacturing plant, Composto.)

I was gritting my teeth at the prospect of handbuilding the points for the ladder with SMP bullhead plain track on the slow lines and the best scale FB obtainable on the fasts (per protototype at the chosen location). All up in the air now! Suspect the yards will have the SMP track already purchased, and Peco the bullhead running lines. What interesting times we live in.

I have tried below to compare the costs of kit made points (SMP) with ready made points (Marcway) to give an idea of what Peco's version might be. By the time you've laid the track, it could have cost as much as 3 or 4 A4s or more.

Does anyone know of a link to an English version of the Weinert 'mein gleis' brochure? Is the track available in the UK?

SMP TRACK 10 yard box .............................. £ 43.00

SMP KITS
LH 36" Radius point kit plastic base ................ £ 7.99
RH 36" Radius point kit plastic base ................ £ 7.99
LH catch point kit plastic base ...................... £ 5.99
RH catch point kit plastic base ...................... £ 5.99

24" Radius point kit copper clad LH or RH .......... £ 6.99
36" Radius point kit copper clad LH or RH .......... £ 6.99
36"/28" Radius point kit copper clad LH or RH ..... £ 8.75
Three way point kit copper clad LH or RH .......... £ 10.99
48" radius point kit copper clad LH or RH ........... £ 7.50
48"/36" radius point kit copper clad LH or RH ...... £ 8.75
54" radius point kit copper clad LH or RH ........... £ 7.50
60" radius point kit copper clad LH or RH ........... £ 7.99
Double junction kit copper clad ...................... £ 18.50
36" radius double/single slip/diamond crossing .... £ 10.99

MARCWAY READY MADE POINTS
36" Radius Point LH/RH ................................ £ 25.50 *
48" Radius Point LH/RH ................................ £ 25.50 *
54" Radius Point LH/RH ................................ £ 25.50
60" Radius Point LH/RH ................................ £ 26.50
72" Radius Point LH/RH ................................ £ 26.50
48" Radius Double Junction
with Curvature Through Diamond LH/RH ........... £199.00
Diamond Crossing 36", 48" or 54" Radius ............ £ 43.50
Double Slip Point 36", 48" or 54" Radius ............. £ 95.00
Single Slip Point 36", 48" or 54" Radius .............. £ 72.00
36" or 72" Radius Y Point .............................. £ 25.50
36" or 54" Radius Three Way Point (Offset) ........ £ 79.50
Tandem Three Way Point LH/RH .................... £ 79.50
54"/36" Radius Curved Point LH/RH ................. £ 42.50
72"/48" Radius Curved Point LH/RH ................. £ 42.50
36"/28" Radius Curved Point LH/RH ................. £ 42.50
48"/36" Radius Curved Point LH/RH ................. £ 42.50
Facing (R) Trailing (L) Crossover ..................... £ 79.50
Scissors Crossover 48" Radius ......................... £199.00

* 4 x 36" or 48" Radius Points Left or Right Hand... £ 90.00

I would apply to Peco in the first instance, as they work with Weinert on 'mein Gleis'. As others have already mentioned, it is more than likely that this project has played some part in bringing on the day of better OO from Peco. I expect a price premium over the code 75 FB, especially if the BH product is better featured; hopefully a modest premium.

Unless you know something for certain, be careful. Whilst Peco work with Weinert I have not seen positive confirmation that Peco make 'mein Gleis' for Weinert even though it would be logical.

teaky wrote:Unless you know something for certain, be careful. Whilst Peco work with Weinert I have not seen positive confirmation that Peco make 'mein Gleis' for Weinert even though it would be logical.

I concur, as far as I can tell the website promotes them as compatible ranges, with 'mein gleis' supplementing the standard Peco products with more realistic pointwork. They might be made by Peco but equally well could be produced by another manufacturer. The key issue here though is that it is continental prototype trackwork with typically flat-bottom rails and we are in need of bullhead.

I don't think anyone is suggesting that Mein Gleis is a suitable substitute, simply that the thought of British style bullhead with some of the Mein Gleis features like longer switch blades is appealing.

It is very likely that Peco have already decided what they are going to produce and are already on the road to producing prototypes if not the actual products. Here's hoping we won't have to wait too long.

It seems strange that a piece of Weinert track is 914mm long, which equates to 35.98" ie 1 yard, an imperial measurement. If they were made in Germany, or somewhere else on the Continent, surely the measurement would be in metric and they would be a metre long?

A phone call to Peco may answer these queries.

Kestrel wrote:It seems strange that a piece of Weinert track is 914mm long, which equates to 35.98" ie 1 yard, an imperial measurement. If they were made in Germany, or somewhere else on the Continent, surely the measurement would be in metric and they would be a metre long?

A phone call to Peco may answer these queries.

Correct and that has been used to reinforce the suspicion. However, there is plenty of track available that is not made by Peco and that is still sold in yard lengths. A yard is a common measurement in the US for example and Hornby track used to be made in Austria.

jwealleans wrote:It wasn't in the Reichstag... it was here.

Hmm! A couple of control wires and an aeroplane dive-bombing the layout ... now there's a thought?

That'll teach you to send out a King's Cross pacific on a Grantham turn

n

LNER4479 wrote:

jwealleans wrote:It wasn't in the Reichstag... it was here.

Hmm! A couple of control wires and an aeroplane dive-bombing the layout ... now there's a thought?

They could do this in Peasholm Park in Scarborough on a Thursday (if they still do their mock battles)

Actually many Germans have a need for such large points because modular model railway concepts do more and more become popular. Space restrictions take a backseat when designing modules because space does then only matter during the storage of modules between operating sessions.

I am a member of a German group modelling British OO gauge: https://www.fremo-net.eu/en/modular-sys ... e/00fremo/
There is also an American modular concept around: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free-mo

Modular modelling still is a niche though yet, as it means you are only running long trains on meetings as long as you don't have a home layout at the same time.