The Heybridge Railway, 1889 to 1913

[alastairq]

Even riskier storm raising, I've always viewed 'gauge to be something of a flexible, almost random measurement!
After all, by the time adjustments to gauge for corners have been made, we have 'gauge widening', etc Thus to me, 'Gauge seems to be a somewhat 'average' measurement.
What is important to me, is what it 'looks' like.....Plus, how smoothly wheels traverse crossings, etc.
Thus, the narrower check gauges tick those boxes...and from sideways on, I doubt if half a millimeter [or, gnat's hair?] is going to be noticed in the overall visual effect.
If it looks right, it's gotta be somewhere near right?

 

[Richard Gawler]

I agree entirely that gauge is not terribly important as an absolute value, but I do want it to be consistent at the rail ends on my modules. So I hear but I don't see when trains pass through the joins.

I would try for 32 mm near the tips of the point blades next time I build a turnout. I think it makes life that little bit easier, and if the trackwork is gently flowing with few if any straight rails then the variation in gauge will never show.

I specified 32 mm for my Intentio cassettes because I guessed this would help placing stock into them, and it would let me use one as a notional bridge between baseboards lashed up with Setrack and Streamline, but this is probably over-thinking a scenario which I will not create for years if ever. Streamline doesn't really work for a pre-1914 setting because the sleepers are too short, so it's only useful for a test track or in the garden.

I have been told, but I do not know, some Heljan diesels are happier with 0-F flangeways, but this is so far out of my period it doesn't affect me. I am also told, ScaleSeven wheels run fine on 0-MF. If I try them out, I just might forget to mention the detail in the accompanying photos

 

[Dog Star]

Just remember that the late Chris Klein was, as he often would remind me, a S7 modeller in all respects bar track gauge.

 

[Giles]

I too went for 31.5 pointwork, and used a nice 32mm flexi track (it may have been Cliff Barker - I can't remember) on Denton Brook, and it was a very happy combination. I think I transitioned within the turnout itself..?

 

[Andrew Young]

Just remember that the late Chris Klein was, as he often would remind me, a S7 modeller in all respects bar track gauge.

Found that strange (and told Chris so) as Scsle Seven is all about the gauge. The rest is just good 7mm scale modelling!

 

[Dog Star]

Not strange, just good humour to rile the true believers.