It’s been a long time since my last post. Sadly, a terminal illness in the family and it’s inevitable outcome removed focus from the layout for a considerable time. It has made me aware of the number of modellers who unknowingly, to them, have been part of my modelling inspiration who are no longer with us, especially those we have lost over the last couple of years. Modellers that I now wish I had the opportunity to thank if I met them, for the positive effect they had on my modelling. Although I suspect many of us still feel quite young, our reflections tell a different story, and the clock is ticking. For everybody. So, next time you see a layout at an exhibition that inspires or educates you, or you find particularly enjoyable watching, consider a “thank you”. It’ll make the exhibitors day.
In a previous blog I mentioned that Rapid sold spare microswitches as used on Fulgurex and Lemaco point motors. A visually similar design but with black moulding is used by PECO. Rapid have discontinued the product, but they are available in Europe from a company called TME, at a very attractive price. I’ve used them as a customer, and found order deliver times no worse than uk suppliers.
https://www.tme.eu/en/details/1010.0101/microswitches-snap-action/marquardt/
I was privileged to be invited to participate in the EMGS/S4 Skills day in Linlithgow a few months ago. A hugely enjoyable day from my perspective, and a good turnout of modellers to support the event, especially as a certain rugby match clashed with it. As per my reputation with certain people, my one table, quickly became three tables filled with the Silhouette cutter, a laptop and various buildings from Princes St. New buildings for the corner of Morrison St and Gardner’s Crescent, although still very basic, were identified quickly by a few people that walked past the real ones on a daily basis. The nature of the stonework resulted in the Silhouette being used to scribe the dressed stones. Having been impressed by the success of that, a small example of scribed brickwork in various courses was prepared. The potential of that seemed to generate a fair bit of interest. 
With the ability to do this, resisting the temptation to clad the signal box, SSEB workshops and gasworks hasn’t been easy. However, it has provided the basis for the best solution so far to the challenge of the trainshed walls. The originals turned out to be too high (proportions were wrong between rolling stock and screen end) and the palisades to support the roof cross members were too far apart. Work has commence on the new walls built to accurate dimensions. Scribed initially with the Silhouette, then hand scribed to increase the width and depth to get a better representation of the stonework. The challenge of a one piece or several components that will plug together to form the trainshed is still ongoing…. 
The process also has potential for modern day modellers who wish monobloc standing for cars. You can replicate any of the designs laid for drives/parking areas and scribe to that design using the correct scale sized blocks.
