A QUESTION OF FRACTIONS

I've just spotted an error in the latest issue of Model Rail (MR166). Within my Jones Goods feature, I muse on the reasons why I’d omitted the ultra fine white element of the loco's lining, having judged it too thin to scale down satisfactorily to ‘OO’. In print, I’m quoted as saying that it’s ‘nigh on impossible to produce a line less than 1mm thick’. Given that I’m using 0.5 and 0.75mm decal lining, the quote is rendered contradictory.

In fact, it should have read ‘0.1mm thick’. The actual white lining on the real locomotive is specified as being 1/4in thick. In 4mm/1ft scale, that works out as 0.086mm (to 3 decimal places), or 0.1mm thick, when rounded-up to 1decimal place. With that, I rest my case as to why the white lining element was omitted. Anything would have been an overscale compromise, purely on the basis that it should be there. I did try adding some white, as thinly as I could, but it looked awful.

Anyway, having checked my original manuscript, the error is purely my own - so blame my fingertips!

With Model Rail Scotland only days away I haven't had any time to get the loco ready for display and, with a day in Peterborough scheduled for tomorrow, it's looking tight. But I shall have a go...