Wright writes.....

[Focalplane]

Tony, I used very fine steel wool on my Wills King - it adds a burnished finish to the white metal.  In my case I had only to strip off 40 years of paint, not crud.

[Austrag]

On a slightly different tack, this my offering, so far, of an 8F in progress following a "Master Class" with Tony. Bearing in mind that it is my very first attempt at a  DJH metal kit and following a stroke which has left me using the wrong hand now. Thanks again Tony.

 

 

[Tony Wright]

On a slightly different tack, this my offering, so far, of an 8F in progress following a "Master Class" with Tony. Bearing in mind that it is my very first attempt at a  DJH metal kit and following a stroke which has left me using the wrong hand now. Thanks again Tony.

David,

 

It was my pleasure to help you today.

 

Though I no longer act as a tutor to groups, it does help my condition to assist determined modellers like you on a one-to-one basis with their model-making. You'll crack on with this model, I know and bring it back with a lot more done. What more can I ask?

 

For those who bleat and moan because this or that isn't available (and believe it's their right that it should be) or those who aren't prepared to persevere or do things for themselves and become self-reliant, then your overcoming of your disability should be an inspiration.     

[jwealleans]

which has left me using the wrong hand

I'm not that neat with both mine. To use the vernacular, 'respect'.

[Tony Wright]

It's always a great pleasure to invite visitors to run the railway. 

 

Rob Blackburn visited on Wednesday and brought with him a delightful gift. A pair of platform barrows for Little Bytham. Though it's not expected nor required that visitors bring things with them (though is a pattern emerging?), I count myself immensely privileged that this is taking place. 

 

 

 

Rob, my most grateful thanks.

[Barry Ten]

Those are exquisite...

[lee74clarke]

It's always a great pleasure to invite visitors to run the railway.

 

Rob Blackburn visited on Wednesday and brought with him a delightful gift. A pair of platform barrows for Little Bytham. Though it's not expected nor required that visitors bring things with them (though is a pattern emerging?), I count myself immensely privileged that this is taking place.

 

platform barrows 01.jpg

 

platform barrows 02.jpg

 

Rob, my most grateful thanks.

Hi Tony

I can just imagine my Grandad (Clarence Birch) moving some cases & parcels about there with the barrows whilst on porter duties, most probably with a fag hanging off his bottom lip. Think that was part of the uniform then.

Nice scene

Lee

[teaky]

You're very welcome Tony and thanks again for such an enjoyable day.  It was great to see Little Bytham in the flesh and also to see how well it is progressing.  We've already seen Norman's wonderful trackwork and the excellent locomotives and rolling stock, and now there are some lovely signals, telegraph poles, scenery and buildings being added, all of consistent and coherent quality.  (It's a good job the platforms are far enough from the viewer for those dodgy barrows not to be easily scrutinised.  The Likes and comments are flattering but they're not that good you know folks.  Credit should really go to Shire Scenes for making the etches.)

[LNER4479]

Not unlike these barrows from a few miles down the line...

 

     

 

(pictures from John Clayson's 'Return to Grantham' collection)

[Mallard60022]

Not unlike these barrows from a few miles down the line...

 

23-GPOWorker-w.jpg      23-GranthamGPOworker-w.jpg

 

(pictures from John Clayson's 'Return to Grantham' collection)

That 'collection' is one of the most interesting on the web thingy.

Lovely barrows TW. Isn't it brilliant when folk produce surprises like that; lovely touch and constructed beautifully.

Phil

[Tony Wright]

Yesterday evening, four members of Spalding MRC visited LB.

 

 

 

 

A good time was had by all, and some interesting locos appeared in front of my camera, these three types the like of which have never been seen before on the railway(s). The 'Long Tom' and WD 2-10-0 were built professionally by a chap in Darlington, though the provenance of the M&GNR 4-4-0 was unknown, except it's probably modified from a GEM kit. It was a pity it was too tall and clouted the bridge on the MR bit. 

 

 

Speaking of 4-4-0s, the Millholme 2P is now painted and weathered. Here she is heading back home on a King's Lynn-Nottingham three-set. 

 

A full build review will feature in BRM. 

[unclebobkt]

Yesterday evening, four members of Spalding MRC visited LB.

  ... .

Millholme 2P 34.jpg

 

 Speaking of 4-4-0s, the Millholme 2P is now painted and weathered. Here she is heading back home on a King's Lynn-Nottingham three-set. 

 

 

 

      Two matters caught my eye:

>1. - On the bridge shouldn't there be an INNER set of rails between the running rails so that should a loco. jump the rails then the INNER set would stop  the loco. from going into the bridge's supporting steelwork?

>2. - Please, please change the over-width bogie-wheels on the 2P. - they are, to me at least,  so eye-catching!  :-(

[rue_d_etropal]

I know track on bridges varied, for various reasons, but sleepered track on such a bridge never looks quite right. Would not rail be either mounted on longitudinal timbers or even fixed direct to bridge in some cases. Nice to see the old Airfix(now Dapol) bridge being used/adapted for double track. I don't think there were always inner rails fitted, but then it probably depends on type of railway, speed of traffic etc

This shows my 3D printed longitudinal beams fitted to Dapol bridge. The rail(code 100) actually slots through the beam, so appears to be lighter weight. For a heavier rail section code 143 FB could be fitted.

[Tony Wright]

      Two matters caught my eye:

>1. - On the bridge shouldn't there be an INNER set of rails between the running rails so that should a loco. jump the rails then the INNER set would stop  the loco. from going into the bridge's supporting steelwork?

>2. - Please, please change the over-width bogie-wheels on the 2P. - they are, to me at least,  so eye-catching!  :-(

At the risk of sounding like I'm merely making excuses, the girder bridge is only 'temporary'. A young chap in Australia is investigating the possibility of producing a proper one by 3D printing. When I showed my younger son the drawings, he said it would be no problem for him to 3D print one (in sections). Younger folk are clever in such matters. When it arrives (from whatever source), I'll investigate how the rails should be arranged, though I don't think there were check rails present on the plans. 

 

The 'over-width' bogie wheels on the 2P are not as 'over-width' in reality as they appear in the picture. They're from Markits and have shiny nickel silver tyres. Since everything else in the picture is muted in colour/tone, they reflect the light (bounced flash) in a much more efficient way. That said, I do take your point and Gibson substitutes might be the way to go. 

[coachmann]

.........That said, I do take your point and Gibson substitutes might be the way to go. 

Maybe this will give an idea Tony............Gibson bogie wheels on a Hornby 2P .(T9 chassis and Bachmann Tender)....

[edcayton]

Why did you put it on a T9 chassis Larry? Or was it a tender-drive one? It looks superb in any case.

 

Ed

Edited March 30, 2015 by edcayton

[coachmann]

Tender drivel when bought, I fitted the T9 chassis with ease. Sorting out Tender pick ups was another matter and it was touch & go, mostly touch before it would go! In the end the motor was removed and it became a dead loco for double heading over't Pennines. I have no use for it now but thats another story. I suspect the change that made the biggest difference to te 2P's appearance was the fitting of plastikard frames above the bogie. I kept paring off bits while testing the loco on points and curves until minimum clearances allowed the bogie wheels to swing without derailing.

Edited March 30, 2015 by coachmann

[The Stationmaster]

Not unlike these barrows from a few miles down the line...

 

23-GPOWorker-w.jpg      23-GranthamGPOworker-w.jpg

 

(pictures from John Clayson's 'Return to Grantham' collection)

They look like Post Office barrows rather than railway property - an area of considerable and contractually important distinction.  At smaller stations GPO folk seem to have managed by using railway barrows but at larger places with quite a lot of GPO Letter Mail the GPO had its own barrows.  The bag in the left hand picture definitely looks to be a Letter Mail bag while it's not so easy to tell on the right hand pic.

 

So what's it all about?  Under the 1928 Post Office Mails contract with the railway Companies it was agreed that Post Office staff would handle Letter Mail and the Railways's staff would handle Parcel Post - and ne'er the twain shall meet.  This situation continued basically up to the end of BR - and thus explains the presence of Postmen on station platforms with mailbags and them loading it to/unloading it from trains while at the same time you might also get railway staff loading/unloading mailbags.  Provided you can see the right part of a mail bag it is easy also to tell which are Letter Mail and which are Parcel Post because bags for the latter have a  separate sewn-in flat(ish) bottom whereas Letter Mail bags don't and it's the shape of the bag and not its size which differentiates the two.

[Focalplane]

My eye went straight to the plasticard frames without me understanding why! It does look good even if it doesn't go.

[rue_d_etropal]

Tony Wright said

 

At the risk of sounding like I'm merely making excuses, the girder bridge is only 'temporary'. A young chap in Australia is investigating the possibility of producing a proper one by 3D printing. When I showed my younger son the drawings, he said it would be no problem for him to 3D print one (in sections). Younger folk are clever in such matters. When it arrives (from whatever source), I'll investigate how the rails should be arranged, though I don't think there were check rails present on the plans.

 

3D printing is a good way forward, but is not just for young people. I think many might be surprised at the ages of many of the people designing 3D printed models. I had looked into designing complete bridges and have done a few designs for small bridges. Unless you have access to a printer then it is not cheap. It would be interesting to see what can be produced, and it might be of interest to others.

[Clive Mortimore]

They look like Post Office barrows rather than railway property - an area of considerable and contractually important distinction.  At smaller stations GPO folk seem to have managed by using railway barrows but at larger places with quite a lot of GPO Letter Mail the GPO had its own barrows.  The bag in the left hand picture definitely looks to be a Letter Mail bag while it's not so easy to tell on the right hand pic.

 

So what's it all about?  Under the 1928 Post Office Mails contract with the railway Companies it was agreed that Post Office staff would handle Letter Mail and the Railways's staff would handle Parcel Post - and ne'er the twain shall meet.  This situation continued basically up to the end of BR - and thus explains the presence of Postmen on station platforms with mailbags and them loading it to/unloading it from trains while at the same time you might also get railway staff loading/unloading mailbags.  Provided you can see the right part of a mail bag it is easy also to tell which are Letter Mail and which are Parcel Post because bags for the latter have a  separate sewn-in flat(ish) bottom whereas Letter Mail bags don't and it's the shape of the bag and not its size which differentiates the two.

Hi Mike

 

Very informative. Just one question about the mail bags, does that knowledge come from making them? :scratchhead:

[Tony Wright]

Most interesting points about 2Ps.

 

 

This is what the RTR boys used to offer - horrid tender drive and all.

 

 

Thankfully, Hornby ditched the tender drive and put a proper loco-drive into place. Though the livery is exceptional, in BR days the chimneys lost their 'windjabbers'. Though the wheels are cruder than Markits or Gibson's, the size of the bosses and spoke shapes are pretty good.

 

 

 

I fitted Comet frames to this previous tender-drive 2P, for both loco and tender. Though the Markits wheels are the correct size, the spokes' flare where it meets the boss on the drivers is wrong (it should just go straight in) and the bogie wheels' boss is too big. I think Larry's point about the Gibson bogie wheels is dead right (though the T9 drivers' spokes are the wrong shape where they meet the boss - for a 2P) and I'll replace the Markits ones with these (and those on the just-built 2P) 

The lip on this loco's chimney has now been removed and it's been renumbered to something more appropriate. 

Edited March 30, 2015 by Tony Wright

[Andy Reichert]

At the risk of sounding like I'm merely making excuses, the girder bridge is only 'temporary'. A young chap in Australia is investigating the possibility of producing a proper one by 3D printing. When I showed my younger son the drawings, he said it would be no problem for him to 3D print one (in sections). Younger folk are clever in such matters. When it arrives (from whatever source), I'll investigate how the rails should be arranged, though I don't think there were check rails present on the plans. 

 

The 'over-width' bogie wheels on the 2P are not as 'over-width' in reality as they appear in the picture. They're from Markits and have shiny nickel silver tyres. Since everything else in the picture is muted in colour/tone, they reflect the light (bounced flash) in a much more efficient way. That said, I do take your point and Gibson substitutes might be the way to go. 

 

 

For girder bridges that are really state of the art finely detailed, you might want to check out the new ones from Central Valley Model Works. Just amazing injection moulding tooling.  He even offers the various girder types as parts packs for home building them to suit single and double tracks. I know the maker personally, so getting one over to the UK would be no problem.

[Focalplane]

 

For girder bridges that are really state of the art finely detailed, you might want to check out the new ones from Central Valley Model Works. Just amazing injection moulding tooling.  He even offers the various girder types as parts packs for home building them to suit single and double tracks. I know the maker personally, so getting one over to the UK would be no problem.

My experience with Southern Pacific girder bridges is that they are all one color - iron oxide. That model, though, is beautiful and shows what can be done to faithfully reproduce the prototype. And they should fit in well with many UK prototypes.

[The Stationmaster]

Hi Mike

 

Very informative. Just one question about the mail bags, does that knowledge come from making them? :scratchhead:

Fortunately not  Perhaps it's really something I ought to have noticed and learnt on Christmas Post jobs in my yoof but in fact it was one of those often useless bits of information I got to know about when dealing with the working of mail traffic and parcels vans to convey it was a major part of a BR job I was doing for a while back in the late 1960s