Bernard Lamb
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Posts posted by Bernard Lamb
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The oddest use for wagon buffers was at work. We rolled narrow steel coil and after rolling the coils were sent down a shoot, with an old wagon buffer to bring the coils to a stop. The coils, weighing 2-3 tonnes, hit the buffer and rebounded a fair way before finally coming to a halt. It looked rather Heath Robinson, but was very effective. All gone now, it was not the done thing to wand round the factory with a camera, so no photographic evidence.
Bernard
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29 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:
I've fully-processed the two A4 shots I left unaltered last night...........
Apart from some foreground cropping, this is full frame.
This has been cropped to the left, a bit on the right and in the foreground.
I don't know which is 'better' (if either) but both show the overall excellence of the Nikon 24mm prime lens (and, no, it didn't cost even near a thousand!).
Good evening Tony.
In the first shot I find that the tall signal is too dominant. A much darker sky might help. I can never tell what time of day it is on your train set, without being told what service is depicted.
In the other shot I find that the point rodding detracts from the assertivness of the signal. This one, to me, is the 'better' shot However the parked waggons tend to lead the eye away from the main subject, which rather spoils it.
I have mixed feelings about the greyness of your track. Being used to less well maintained minor branchess in my modelling, where the track tends to be the colour of well weathered LMS bauxite, it is not what I would do. However to show off your express trains it provides an excellent neutral background.
Basically there is no right or wrong. When I was printing photographs for an income I would deliberately aim for a slightly warm flesh tone. Clients would like it. Not a very PC remark these days, but the aim was to flatter the femail subjects, rather than to produce an accurate portrait.
On the subject of current trends in photographic equipment. I have recently bought a Nikon Z5 and am using it as a general camera in place of a frull frame DSLR. Lighter, quieter and it gives surprisingly good results.
Bernard
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20 hours ago, BillB said:
Hi, I have seen Roco set 04062 S from circa 1984 of 5 HO Donnerbüchsen coaches for the DRG Ep2 (lettered for Leipzig - Magdeburg). Does anyone know if there was an equivalent set for the DDR DR, Ep3? I have googled adjacent Roco catalogue numbers without success.
I imagine the eagles, etc, disappeared from DDR coaches pretty quickly after May 1945 and certainly didn't last into the 1950s.
Thanks,
Bill.
Yes. there was a set made. I have one, but have no idea of the catologue mumber, or when it was produced. I would imagine back in the 1990s. Worth looking out for, or you can get decals for the large DR insignia and give the older period set an update. The small lettering would be harder to change, but a bit of weathering would diguise the difference. On many DR routes they would not have run as sets, but would run with a mix of other old stock.
Bernard
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5 hours ago, Jamiel said:
Interestingly one of the characteristics of films/movies, and especially wide screen images is the amount of distortion giving ‘character’ to the look.
Lens aberration, the splitting of colours into a prism effect, by the edges of the lens gives the edges of films a look that helps make the centre of the image more attractive and guide the viewer to focus on that space. Many lenses only have a limited central area in focus as well.
Using anamorphic lenses also accentuates this, and if you watch any JJ Abrahams films (not something I would personally recommend!) additional lens flares are often added in post-production to create a ‘more filmic look’.
Some digital film cameras offer a cropped view, just taking the part of the image in the centre, with less distortion, or it can be done is post production as Tony has above.
There is an argument between sharper being better but lacking character, and shots with character but lacking detail. This also mirrors the differences in choices made between still and moving image photography.
Exposure on a moving image and the ‘lens angle’ (time the footage is exposed) is also a great difference between still and moving image, too much detail is uncomfortable on the eye, Steven Spielberg used this to make sequences in ‘Saving Private Ryan’ visually hard as well as the horrific acts being depicted.
Depth of focus also has very different aims in films, often there is a small depth of focus again to highlight where the director wants you to look, but still photography often has a deep focus allowing a lot of detail to be looked at. I would suspect that to mimic a small depth of focus for taking photographs of model railways in a filmic manner you would have to use a macro lens.
Personally, I prefer the wide shots without a crop as it loses the character of the lens, but that is probably because I am used to viewing moving images a great deal.
A lot of the choice is do you want to document as much as possible on a model, or to try and reproduce how the model would look if it were a photograph of the real thing. That might lead to a lot of photographs being made black and white and with grain (or noise as photoshop calls it).
As an aside, a question that is often asked by cinematographers at the start of a film is what lenses would the visual effects (VFX) department like to use? VFX usually reply Sony Spherical lenses, very accurate very little distortion and without character (very easy to use in post-production) and then the cinematographer will suggest 1960s hand ground anamorphic Cooks lenses. The VFX department then conceded the Cooks lenses look far better and ask to shoot lens charts so that the distortion can be reproduced in post.
I think the point I am trying to make is that sharper is not always better and sometimes you want to create a shot that is more about character. Very useful when reproducing a period look, but not very useful when documenting a how much work has gone into making a fantastic layout.Re the sharper is not always better comment.
At one time I was involved in wedding photography, my two colleagues used Bronicas and I had a Mamiya, all 6 x 4.5 format. The standard 80mm lens on the Bronica was superb. When working in good light there was no questions as to these lenses being sharper than mine. However I had a wide angle lens, 45mm if I remember correctly. At one stop down this was amazing. When taking group shots in pouring rain I would gather the subjects near a wall, to give a bit of shelter and go in close with this combination. It worked, not in respect of actual sharpness as measured in a test, but in terms of giving the client a set of acceptable prints. I remember one wedding where the conditions were diabolical. The standard lens on the Bronica could not capture the shots and the Bronica wide angle lens showed distortion. It was not a situation that happened very often, but it was good to know just what could be acheived If needs must. I am sure there must be many examples where technically less good, relatuvely speaking, equipment can deliver the required results.
Bernard
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On 10/04/2024 at 08:32, Fredo said:
Hi, I bought a Bachmann model of K3 61949 4 years ago. I have just found out via a photo on Flickr that the real loco was not fitted with a Steam Brake with Vacuum Ejector. I am therefore planning to renumber the model to 61869, is that suitable as it seems to have the correct tender.
Also is the old Bachmann model of 61932 suitable to be renumbered as 61936?
Thanks Fred
Try to find a photograph of the other side. You should then be able to see the ejector pipe. Some K3s were LH drive.
Bernard
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1 hour ago, cctransuk said:
Nonetheless, if you remove the tender 'shelf', a perfectly acceptable layout loco.
CJI.
If you bought one around the time that they were current. Even better with some Brassmasters bits added.
Worth £99 today?
I think not.
Bernard
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4 minutes ago, phil-b259 said:
No it’s not - the plug and socket setup (usually accompanied by moving the decoder socket into the tender) was retrofitted to a number of ‘super detailed’ models* around 10 years after the tooling was first released - and no changes were made to the body shells or chassis at that time.As such the toe of loco to tender connection makes zero difference to how the loco looks (or runs - I have several of locos fitted with the original setup that run perfectly well with it), the only real difference is that if you want to fit sound then having the decoder in the tender means you would probably want to go for a later release with the monied loco - tender coupling.
* Tbe N15 was another
Have it your own way,
This model has a low 2k series number. There are models about with a mid 3k series number.
One is old and one is ancient as I call it.
If you buy one of these there is no history of where it has been. What temperature has it been stored at? What is the lubrication like?
I have one from this period and it runs well. I nnow its history.
Is a model that old worth close to £100?
To quote you. No it's not. It's our old friend having a laugh yet again.
I thought , as a group of experienced folk on here. that we knew bettet than that.
Bernard
With apologies for posting in this thread, instead of the ebay madness one.
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2 hours ago, 45568 said:
Just glancing through EBay, and there is a tranche of early model 8Fs all at 99.50 with free postage, here is a link to one, just look at the seller's other items.
Just realised they are from Gostude no less!
Cheers from Oz,
Peter C.
That is not just old, it is ancient.
Look at the loco to tender connection.
Much later models with the plug are avalable.
Bernard
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23 minutes ago, Fredo said:
Hi, would you have seen mixed rakes of Thompson and Gresley coaches in the early 60’s? Thanks Fred
On the Maldon branch they used an almost brand new Thompson coach with a very ancient GER vehicle. A far greater contrast. As has been said, anything goes.
Bernard
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13 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:
Good afternoon John,
They were brought along by David Rae. He bought them from the estate of the late John Brown of Spalding MRC.
I believe they were made from kits, but from what source and by whom, I have no idea.
I thought the whole ensemble was rather splendid, too.
Regards,
Tony.
Good afternoon Tony,
Probably Slaters.
I know they did a kit and I have a few. They mix in well with steel 21 tonners for a BR late 1950s period.
Bernard
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8 hours ago, ColinB said:
I suppose the thing is, can Dapol tell. If they are copies they should be able to tell immediately. Dapol locos aren't that expensive anyway compared to Hornby so why copy them, there is more mileage in doing a copy of a Hornby Dublo Flying Scotsman at £499 a go.
Of course Dapol can tell these from the kosher stuff.
Just check for the 'cast iron' instead of mazac, or whatever alloy Dapol specify.😀
Bernard
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13 hours ago, Phil Parker said:
It's all here - https://pages.ebay.co.uk/authenticity-guarantee-seller/
Get over yourself. If you think the company will splash millions on looking at every listing, then sending the goods to an expert to check authenticity, because some bloke on a forum challenged them, you are living in cloud cuckoo land. As I've linked above, there is a procedure for high-value goods, but that doesn't include Hornby Dublo or any other toy train. And if it did, we can only imagine the howls of protest as the delivery of said toys was held up, and the buyer landed with a bill for the authentication.
Welcome to the free market economy. I assume you always vote communist.
Returning to the OP, has anyone worked out how much you would save buying a dodgy Dapol loco? A quick look at the prices suggests that by the time your postman has extracted the import duty from you on the doorstep (and you have headed to Facebook to have your tantrum about being taxed, whilst also moaning that your roads have potholes), the saving isn't really worth the effort. Now I know we are in a hobby where people scrabble around to save pennies, uninterested in the "big picture" damage they have already done to model shops etc., but I really don't see it's worth the trouble. It's not like Dapol stuff isn't pretty keenly priced anyway.
What puzzles me is why people buy stuff from China via ebay. If you do want to get involved in that market, then the margins are much better using ali express, or dealing with a company directly. The volume of model trains that could be sold, seems to make it unatractive for people in China to contemplate a punt. At least not in a large way. The Chinese are certainly aware that Hornby, for example, have been known to get quantities very wrong and have had to resort to fire sales. It is actually a brownie point for Dapol that that they are considered worthy of attention.
Bernard
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1 hour ago, 34theletterbetweenB&D said:
Such things happened in dear old Blighty of which I have had direct experience, and doubtless everywhere else in the world with any significant manufacturing. In many ways it is easier in really large operations, more appropriately skilled people among whom to find the 'recruits' to put in the extra hours, turn a blind eye, and perform other essential roles.
Sorry if this sounds cynical, but I have had training in this field.
'Recruits' I remember the late 1960s, a major supplier to the motor trade. Press operators on piece work and family members coming in to help with the stacking and packing. Some people recorded fantastic output rates and senior management choose not to ask questions.
Probably the best case I came across was a new Sales Director who went out to The Gulf to drum up business. While there he enquired, very discreetly, about a job the firm had quoted for but had not turned into a contract. He was told it was half way built and that they were delighted with how it was coming on. All hell was let loose on his return. However it all went quiet very quckly, as it was hinted that somebody very senior ws involved in what was a massive job to take private.
I don't know what was involved in your training, but mine was to keep your head down and keep quiet.😃
Bernard
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5 minutes ago, D9020 Nimbus said:
I am surprised if Murphy Models items are appearing in this way. Weren't they all made by Bachmann/Kader?
Do you think that they are too big to be immune to such goings on?
Bernard
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30 minutes ago, H2O said:
Clip of earlier helpful reply.
Could these models also be ones that failed QC and go out the back door to be sold rather than in the bin? If so you are guaranteed a lemon if foolish enough to buy direct from China.
Almost certainly no.
Ironically the 'third shift' production probably has better QC than the real production.
It has been going on for years with some very big sums involved and they would want to look after their special clients.
Dapol are right, as I see it, not to name the products. Why give the crooks free publicity?
I remember a time when sports clothing was big business using this type of production method. However that was delivered and marketed in the country that was the target market.
Bernard
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8 hours ago, Johann Marsbar said:
The next day (a Sunday) consisted of a large circuit Wroclaw-Ostrow Wielkopolski-Lodz-Kutno-Torun-Poznan-Wroclaw, which as well as covering a fair amount of "new track", enabled observation of a couple of tram operations which I'd not seen before.
Lodz looked a bit "down at heel" as I walked from Kaliska into the centre and tram operations seemed a bit sparse at that time of a Sunday morning.......
I did find this preserved late 1920's Lilpop II tram in use as a Cafe in the City centre - though my Atlas Tramwajow book of 2004 seems to list it as an operational preserved car.....
A big surprise was this N class tram/trailer set which appeared on either a special service or charter working......
Heading back to Kaliska station, I did see one of the 803N rebuilt cars used on the Lodz Interurban routes......
...closely followed by a rebuilt 805Na.....
On to Torun and a pair of their 805Na cars near to Torun Miasto station......
Whilst I arrived at the main station in Torun - which is the opposite side of the Vistula to the centre (and no longer served by the tramway), I caught a train at Miasto to travel back to the main station, which turned out to be this SU45 hauled "one coach wonder" - seen at Torun Glowny.......
Only other photo of the day was this study of the station building at Moglino, taken from the train......
Nice to see the old Prussian Ost Bahn style station building in such good condition.
For those igborant of such things, see the Auhagen web site for details of a series of models based on this style.
Bernard
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On 31/03/2024 at 09:12, DY444 said:
I would dispute the assertion that the matter in hand is a "serious" safety issue. A serious safety issue is Wootton Bassett, those unlicensed clowns that spadded at Stafford, NR connecting signal wires back to front at Wingfield, ditto its cowboy, hacked point wiring at Waterloo, Lumo overspeed at Peterborough etc etc. The low probability of a slam door coming open or being opened on a single set of stock doing a couple of round trips a day in the summer is a safety issue but not a serious one.
I am a vehement critic of the ORR because I believe it has done far more harm to the wellbeing of the railways than good. It has systematically redefined the "Reasonably" from ALARP to something no dictionary would recognise. I would have much greater sympathy with it in this case if it didn't have such an atrocious record of imposing enormous cost for negligible, and in some cases zero, safety benefit.
Oh and for the avoidance of doubt, the court case did not rule that the ORR was right in insisting that WCRC fit CDL, merely that it had the legal authority to insist that WCRC did.
Others have pointed out chapter and verse as to who writes the rules. These people, I presume, have hard evidence for the need to have these particular regulations in place. If you do not like them the start with your MP to get them changed, rather than slag off the people who are trying to inplement them.
I have workd in several situations that were covered by speciic national regulations. It was not my place to argue about the merits or otherwise of them.
Having twice had the dreaded phone call about a fatality, and going through all the details, it can be a very upsetting experience. In both cases, neither I, or the people I worked with had done anything wrong.
Either you have never been in that situation, or you have the hide of a rhinocerous. Beleive me, regulations exist for a very good reason. The management of any company that wants to go to court and argue about them is, in my book, not fit to run any safety critical business. Having seen and heard of several cases I base that on experience. Obey the rules or clear off. I will not go into details, but just writing this reminds me of one case that was used as an example during a training course. It struck a chord. Nobody on that course was ever likely to break the rules, and would certainly have come down hard on anybody doing so. Even if it was senior management. But then, my manager would have always backed me and upheld the rules rather than starting an argument about them.
Bernard
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Time for the watchdog to bite.
Enough is enough.
You do not expect an exemption. You plead and grovel and promise to comply ASAP.
Bernard
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Remember to put the clocks forward an hour tonight.
There will be one less hours rain tomorrow.
Bernard
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4 hours ago, Mark Saunders said:
Sorry but ‘I was told’ is just hearsay unless you can prove otherwise!'I was told.......'
When I started work, by the HR Director, that such an arrangement was in operation. There were several reasons. To protect against redundancy, to allow people to get their hands on quick money to buy a car or get married or similar, without the need to take out an expensive loan. There were also unwritten rules about taking time off in lieu. It suited just about everybody, but it was not the sort of thing to put in a contract of employment. Time off on full pay for personal reasons was another example. I had a close colleague who was off for six months, with a family situation. Alas on the railway and in many other paces all such mutual trust has long gone.
Bernard
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I can't follow this.
If it had been tried where I worked people would have jumped at the chance.
They would then have taken a few sick days to retore their work/life balance.
Bernard
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1 hour ago, stewartingram said:
Just fot clarification, about this contract that expires later this year? Can someone actually clarify this.
I assume we are talking about the train path in the timetable, that is issued by NR? WCR would have this path allocated to them (and paid for), for their sole use, so that the Jacobite can become a regular train. Just the same really as the freight operators, who have bought paths for their trains, but often only use them as required. So if GBRF have a path, but next Tuesday their freight doesn't run, Freightliner can't run a train instead,
That opens a can of worms.
I don't see it as the same at all.
WCR are unable to use their path due to not being able to provide a legal train.
I would see that as being in default of the contract.
I see no valid reason why another operator could be allowed to use the path if they so wanted.
WCR could of course sue. But that would make them look rather stupid. As things are that would presumably not bother them.
If other people wanted the service to run, then I see no reason to be nice and coopertaive to WCR.
Bernard
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There was a mention upthread of pooled stock in the east.
This is the only picture I can locate showing the OPW markngs.
Very poor quality as it is a blow up from a scan.
I suppose that I am asking for trouble if I say that I have never seen a model in pool livery.
Bernard
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10 hours ago, BillB said:
Thanks for your replies. Re the Piko catalogue, I was in fact looking at the current Piko TT catalogue and wondering which of the Ep III ex-Prussian "G" vans lettered for neighbouring countries might legitimately turn up on a Saxony branch line, as the number of DR vans available is small. Piko have five vans for the CSD, which is very close by (two standard brown vans, two green for different breweries, and one blue, maybe insulated?), plus one standard brown van for the MAV. I'll take your comments to mean "any of them, but not all at once". Thanks again, Bill.
The G10 van could turn up almost anywhere. One even got as far as Jerusalem. Is it still there?
The Piko model from circa 1960 can still cut it alongside more modern items. With new wheels and couplings I still run them. Picked up for next to nothing a very long time ago. They were pretty good when compared to what Triang were making in the UK around that time.
I don't know about the 1950s, but Bad Schandau was a busy place in the 1970s. I used to visit the sandstone rock outcrops. You could sit in a restaurant and look down on the freight trains from high up and they looked like models.
Bernard
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Was using the name Oliver Cromwell on a loco controversial at the time?
in UK Prototype Questions
Posted
Ironically, it was Oliver Cromwell who allowed them back.
Bernard