New Chairs
We are now making all the switch and crossing special chairs (previously only available in the NewTrack kits, and involving 171 different moulding designs) available separately. Details are included in the Products section and chair positions are shown in the 4mm track instructions section.
The M1 small footprint chair (4CH 203A) has now been available for some time. It is used quite extensively in our slip kits but is also often required when building tandem or three-way turnouts or scissors crossovers - and other more complex formations.
Our 4mm slide chair (P chair) was designed as a compromise with enough length to accommodate the switch rail opening for 00 or EM. In the limited space available in a slip, this was obviously going to be a significant problem, so we decided to produce a correct length 4mm scale slide chair. This is available separately (4CH 302A) and will also start to be introduced into our turnout kits once existing stock has been used up.
Development of an improved check chair is now well advanced, with a better fit between rail and chair and as a result giving a more consistent flangeway. The intention is to produce an S4 (0.58mm) flangeway version initially and then to follow this up with a 1.0mm flangeway version (for 00 and EM).
1 in 8 Diamond and Slips
These are all now available from stock (though the instructions for the 1 in 8 diamond have still not been written!).
These kits have been difficult to develop to give the straightforward assembly which is always our aim. We think we have achieved that now but will welcome feedback from purchasers of the initial kits so we can see if any further adjustment is needed.
The instructions for the 1 in 8 slips are included in the instructions section of the site. Feedback on these will also be welcomed.
Diamonds and 1 in 7 Slips
With all the attention that has been given to 1 in 8 slips, diamonds and 1 in 7 slips have not made much progress. There are no known technical issues with the diamonds and we hope to roll out the 1 in 5, 1 in 6 and 1 in 7 diamonds within just a few months.
The 1 in 7 slips, however, raise new difficulties with switch assemblies and it is inconceivable that we could put the time and resouces into them that we have put into the 1 in 8 slips. We have not yet decided on the best approach but the chair mouldings and templates with marked chair locations for 1 in 7 slips are ready and we will make it possible to build 1 in 7 slips using these components, though it will inevitably involve the modeller in more work in cutting and preparing rail components.
Locomotive Wheels
It has not been possible to take forward the loco wheels project in the way intended because Len has not been well. The current position is that all machined components (rims, centre bushes, crakpin bushes for small drivers, caps for carrying wheel axles) are in stock, the form has been sparked in the moulds for all the wheel centres and test mouldiing is about to begin. There is therefore every prospect that the the whole range will be in prodution soon, provided not too many problems emerge in testing.
The total number of new wheels in the project is 20 as we have decided to include a disc version of the LNER 3' 9" tender wheel.