"Model Train Set" may have caused a fire?

It would not surprise me if in a few years time all model railway electrical wiring has to be certified by a qualified electrician prior to powering the system up. One advantage of DCC is that you don't need any!

Even DCC layouts would have to be professionally certified though as the certifier would confirm that no home made electrical wiring is present. It all means more jobs so it has to be a good thing for employment prospects of Eastern Europeans in the UK.

Certification is actaully the case right now as far as club layouts go if clubs wish to attend exibitions. No certificate and sorry we cannot let you put your plug in Mr Clubperson.

Happy modelling
Gary

PS that Kent online link. The news is full of hangings, murders, shootings, drugs and kerb crawling! I didn't think the area around Margate was like that!

********WARNING - DON'T SPRAY LUBRICANT AT SPARKING MOTORS********

I had a big model railway related fire in the house this morning!

Whilst servicing a Triang Princess the fumes from the lubricant were ingnited by a spark from the X04 motor and whoof a large part of the work area was engulfed in flames. I was more concerned about getting the mint Triang Princess box out of the way than putting the flames out!

Once the mint box was safe the flames were tackled and within seconds the fire was out.

The Triang Princess is now a very smooth runner so being engulfed in flames did the trick!

The grey Triang Standard track that I was running the loco on survived the flames also with the rails being cleaned up with a track rubber after looking a little black in places.

Happy modelling
Gary

********WARNING - DON'T SPRAY LUBRICANT AT SPARKING MOTORS********

I must admit I was slightly surprised as this has not happened to me before. It was a can of French "Protection antirouille lubrifiant multi usages" purchased in France and with warnings in French and up until the point of ingnition it was doing a fantastic job! Even mint locos can get s little stiffness in the never regions if not used for a long time! This particular example had the X03 motor without the lubrication retaining felt.

Of course new Hornby can motors are self lubricating and so the trials and tribulations of servicing electric motors is an art that is slowly being lost.

There are some who upon reading this would say "just as well!"

James Bond got up to simliar antics in Live and Let Die but on that occasion Bond used a cigar to ignite the fumes from the can and not a model train!

Happy modelling
Gary