Dropper wire retaining ridges

[Steve_Cornford]

Hi Martin,
I have found using the dropper wire retaining ridges in 4mm scale a bit fiddly unkess you manage to solder the dropper wire to the rail in exactly the right place, so I wondered whether you would consider an alternative placement of some dropper wire retaining ridges?
Instead of having them full length along the timber/sleeper side flanges, how about a pair of dropper wire retaining ridges miday between two timbers/sleepers midway on the webs connecting the timbers/sleepers?
This would also reduce the amount of filament used in the process.
Steve

 

[Martin Wynne]

Hi Martin,
I have found using the dropper wire retaining ridges in 4mm scale a bit fiddly unkess you manage to solder the dropper wire to the rail in exactly the right place, so I wondered whether you would consider an alternative placement of some dropper wire retaining ridges?
Instead of having them full length along the timber/sleeper side flanges, how about a pair of dropper wire retaining ridges miday between two timbers/sleepers midway on the webs connecting the timbers/sleepers?
This would also reduce the amount of filament used in the process.
Steve

@Steve_Cornford

Hi Steve,

Funny you should say that. At this very moment I'm working on some wire retaining tabs to be attached to the timber webs. Intended for COT track (which doesn't have the timber flanges), and in 4mm scale thin timbers is not deep enough to clear the ballast, so need to be able to be easily cut off.

Mark code 9995:

cheers,

Martin.

 

[Steve_Cornford]

And I was going to suggest that it would be good to have it as an option on shove timbers but chickened out

Lovely day here in Brighton, so out for a walk now....
Steve

 

[Martin Wynne]

@Steve_Cornford

Hi Steve,

Weather not very inviting here. Very cold and foggy yesterday. Only a bit better today. So I've been coding -- here we go:

Notice also the beefed up and modified chairs and screw heads for 4mm COT.

Wire retainers just below the ballast in 4mm COT Medium timbers, and well below it in plug track and 7mm COT.

By default all along both sides of the template (might change that by the time it's released):

However, if you click the per timber settings option, you can control the retainers on/off on specific timbers (with all off by default):

There is also the on tab option, which puts the retainers on an external tab instead of on the web:

This might be more convenient in the smaller scales. It is also easily cut off and could be stuck down anywhere between the timbers as a useful wire retainer clip (for 24swg TCW). A splint could be attached below it if desired.

Will be in 556b.

cheers,

Martin.

 

[GSM]

this is a useful extension and I will be making use of it for sure. I too find the current arrangement a kittle more fiddly that I lik so generally have not used them but the also has problems when installing track.

George Morris