And now for a complete contrast, my main interest is 15" gauge. Not model engineering I know, but skills are always transferable. And the bits you drop on the floor can normally be found next to the dint in the floor! Prior to this I have done a lot in 7¼, but have yet to finish a steamer in any gauge due to a lack of time. But I'm only 27 so plenty of time yet! Craig In damp, miserable Lancashire! -----Original Message----- From: modeleng-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:modeleng-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of John Baguley Sent: 26 November 2008 20:49 To: modeleng@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [modeleng] Re: Track guage As a bit of a contrast, my main interest is in 2½" gauge which developed after inheriting a part built Flying Scotsman from my late father. They are fiddly compared to larger engines but to me, they have a number of advantages. They are easy to carry about, relatively cheap to build, and can be built with the smaller lathes etc. They are powerful enough to pull you around the track and due to the small size, quite a challenge to drive which adds to the interest. Fortunately, this gauge is rapidly increasing in popularity again after virtually dying out and there are quite a few clubs that now have 2½" rails and rallies are held all over the country. After spending 3 years building a Helen Long, I've just started on an 0-6-2 version of a 5" Simplex which should be a nice change from the 'watch making'! Unfortunately, this has now been side tracked by a rebuild job on a friends 2½" gauge 4 cylinder King! John PS I've given up trying to find the bits I drop - I find it quicker to make another one! Alan Stepney wrote: > For those of you that build or run locomotives, what guage(s) do you prefer? > > Alan > MODEL ENGINEERING DISCUSSION LIST. > > To UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, send a blank email to, > modeleng-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "unsubscribe" in the subject line. > > > > MODEL ENGINEERING DISCUSSION LIST. To UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, send a blank email to, modeleng-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "unsubscribe" in the subject line. MODEL ENGINEERING DISCUSSION LIST. To UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, send a blank email to, modeleng-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "unsubscribe" in the subject line.