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Everything posted by Tony Wright
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Good afternoon Mike, Indeed, a work of art, by the artist Norman Solomon; for whom I wish all the best for in his new home Down Under. Regards, Tony.
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Model railway photography can be a hobby within a hobby (though I made it part of my later career). Though I no longer earn a great deal from taking model railway pictures, I still try to 'push the boundaries' with regard to the images I take. Such an opportunity occurred a few days ago........ Our younger son is moving house, and to make the whole process easier, he's been dropping items off with us in the interim. One of those items was a large metal camera case full of cameras and lenses. I'd given these to him some years ago, their being surplus/superseded, but he no longer has use for them (any pictures he needs for his work he now takes on a phone!). Rummaging through the box, I found two lenses of possible use to me; a Nikon prime 24mm lens and a Sigma 18-50 zoom (normally, I'd only use Nikon's own lenses - those made in Japan - but I think the latter was a 'cheap' purchase which he made). So, I've tried a few 'experiments'................... This is the Nikon 24mm on the front of my Nikon Df. With a minimum aperture of only F22, I thought depth of field might be an issue. However............. The depth of field is incredible. Granted, it's more suited to an 'overall' view, but the resolution is tremendous. I can't explain how the ex-NER Dynamometer has ended up in Bytham's loading dock. Now............ With the Sigma on the front (set at 50mm), the principal subject matter is further away, and, with an aperture of F36, depth of field should be more than adequate. Which it definitely is; definite enough to reveal how 'bendy' Bachmann's Mk.1s have become (this has nothing to do with lens aberrations). This is a tighter crop, but I think it 'works'. With the Nikon 24mm lens on the front, I took some more Down fast shots, in some cases quite tightly cropped.......... 60111 (SE Finecast/Wright/Haynes) on a Down express (a tight crop). 60156 (DJH/Wright/Rathbone) on the Down Flying Scotsman (not as tight a crop). 60516 (DJH/Wright/Rathbone) on a Down express (almost full-frame). Apart from some horizontal cropping, this is a full-frame image. Seen from the other side, 92042 (Model Loco/Wright/Haynes) heads a Down fast goods (another tight crop). It's a lens I'll certainly use a lot of in future. As I will the Sigma.............. 60014 (Wills/scratch/Wright/Rathbone) dashes through Bytham on the Down Tees-Tyne Pullman (a slight crop). And, 60114 (DJH/Geary) on the Down Queen of Scots (a tight crop). Who needs stacking? In all the images, I set the parameters, nothing on the camera being used in Auto-mode. Anyone else tried any photo-experiments on the model railways?
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Happy to report that the second Crab has sold, and the O4 diesel shunter. Just the Fairburn 2-6-4T, 82XXX, Stanier Mogul, Stanier 2-6-4T and three carriages left now!
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One of the Crabs has also sold! Don't forget, as well as helping a distressed family, 10% of all sales goes to CRUK.
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Glad you're delighted with it. She looks entirely at home. And, thanks for the cheque. I had another correspondence from someone else who's received a loco today, and he's just as delighted. These 'Lawson locos' are really rather good; not only do they look natural, but they run well, too (something not always evident in kit-built locos). Obviously, I'll check them before sending (Graham Nicholas will have checked them as well), and give as honest an assessment as I can of how they run. Out of hundreds of sales thus far, across numerous collections, only one has been returned. Despite my telling the purchaser that the loco in question needed 3' radius curves as a minimum (big, outside cylinders, bogie, pony, tender, etc) he bought it, then complained that it wouldn't go round his Hornby Setrack! What can I say!? Thanks for letting us all know. Regards, Tony.
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Thanks Tony, I think I put those on as well, though not so prominently. They're just about visible in this shot. Regards, Tony.
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Pleased to report that the kit-built Autocoach has sold. There could well be others..............
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Having purchased the two 4Fs from the Peter Lawson collection, I mused as to how many 4Fs I have now............ Representing pre-War days, this example was scratch-built by the late Brian Lee some 60+ years ago. As a tangible memory of a friend, I wanted something of Brian's so bought this. It didn't really run, so I rebuilt the frames, made new rods, installed a new drive and new wheels, and now it's a lovely runner. I found myself in a bit of a dilemma; should I change so much? The old Zenith motor (that's showing its age!) was long gone, the bearings were worn and the Romford drivers were only nickel silver tyred on one side. In the end I think (I hope) I've done the right thing, and I'm sure Brian would have approved. This was a 'Leighford locomotive', built/painted by Rob Kinsey using an old Wills kit on a scratch-built chassis and towing a K's Midland tender. I weathered it. I've since re-motored it. It's representative of early-BR days. An unusual working seen here, as 44604 has charge of an engineers' train, while 43909 passes on an East Midlands-Lynn three-set. 44604 has a modified Airfix body on a scratch-built chassis, and tows a Fowler high-sided tender. It's the work of the late John Horton and Rob Kinsey. 43909 is a modified/detailed/renumbered/weathered Bachmann 4F (my work). Another of my 'fiddled with' Bachmann 4Fs has the same three-set as above. Some years ago I wrote an article on building two South Eastern Finecast 4Fs, and here's one of them. The one with RH drive, coal-rail tender and a Stanier chimney. It's seen working a Lynn-Nottingham three-set. Here's the other one - LH drive and a plain tender (and a fat pipe sticking out from the base of the smokebox). It's working a summer Saturday extra from the East Midlands to the Norfolk coast. Here's the pair I bought from the Peter Lawson collection, now at work on Little Bytham. 44063 was the only loco from the collection I've had to do any work on in order to get it to run entirely to my satisfaction (the rest run really well). Just a few adjustments to the drive, and now she's super-sweet. I fiddled with a Hornby 4F, but was never really satisfied with it, though I fitted a Stanier chimney. I eventually gave it away to a friend. Two of Bytham's 4Fs are derived from modified Airfix bodies running on South Eastern Finecast frames, and they're seen here as 44519 (with Stanier chimney) on a westbound goods waits for 44412 to pass on a typical three-set. The line was single from Little Bytham Junction to Saxby Junction. I built this ancient ACRO 4F just prior to Covid, fitting a South Eastern Finecast chassis. Really something of a museum piece, but interesting none-the-less. Do you think Bytham has enough 4Fs now? The class was never totally superseded on the route by the influx of new Ivatt 4MTs......... I'm happy to have plenty of both types..................
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Good afternoon Chas, I don't think it's Chester. It might be marks on the print, but is there OHL equipment? Crewe then, but where? What's interest is the loco carrying the early-style of the later BR device, with the lion facing the wrong way on this side. So, the date (with electric warning flashes), 1959/'60? Regards, Tony.
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Happy to report that the two BR Standard 5 4-6-0s have been sold and the BR Standard 4 4-6-0!
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Here we go.................. A DJH Crab. £150.00. Another DJH Crab (there must be a reason for the clean '3'). £150.00. A DJH Fairburn tank (Portescap-powered). £150.00. A DJH Ivatt 2-6-2T (Portescap-powered). £140.00. A DJH Standard 4 4-6-0. £140.00. A DJH Standard 5 4-6-0. £140.00. And another DJH Standard 5 4-6-0. £140.00. A Nu-Cast Stanier 2-6-4T. £110.00. A Vulcan Class O4. £80.00. There are some carriages as well........... A kit-built (Comet?) ex-GWR Autocoach. £50.00. A much-modified RTR ex-GWR Autocoach. £40.00. A BSL ex-GWR BSK. £50.00. And a BSL ex-GWR SK. £50.00. Anyone interested in any of the above, please PM me. Thanks in anticipation.
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Pleased to report that the Gibson 4F has sold. More models later................
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Good morning, Of course; you're right. My mistake, since altered. Regards, Tony.
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I've photographed what's left of the Peter Lawson collection which I have (the rest is elsewhere). There were five 4Fs. The best is this Gibson example; a fine runner, £150.00 to anyone interested. There were two with Airfix bodies running on Comet frames (both sold to a friend yesterday). And two, old Wills 4Fs, though running on etched chassis for the loco. These are of their time........... But still tolerable layout locos. This is the only loco so far in the collection which is noisy; by that I mean too noisy. Light engine, it's fine, but under load it really growls. I'll investigate. Though I've already got double figure numbers of 4Fs for the small bit on LB, I've decided to buy this Wills pair myself, though whether 4Fs from Crewe South or Alsager ever got as far east as Bytham is a moot point. Glaze the spectacles, add a crew and fit appropriate lamps, and they're now 'Bytham' locos! Another good runner................ Is this Gibson Stanier Mogul; £150.00 to anyone interested. An 82XXX was seen earlier. Here's one from the collection, built from a Kemilway kit. £90.00 to anyone interested. I'll post the rest of the images tomorrow. Prices reflect the condition and the quality of the various drives, though all (apart from the one 4F) run well.
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Good afternoon Captain, There are, and I hope the captions I provided for many of the Chester/Wirral pictures are accurate (the B1 at the General is not running wrong road. I was over-ruled!). Regards, Tony.
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Good afternoon Mark, 'Do you have any pictures of the 84xxx running on Little Bytham Tony?' Only the one I took yesterday. The loco is now safely wrapped up for posting tomorrow. 'Also, has a Standard Class 3MT 77xxx ever run on Little Bytham?' If one has, I haven't photographed it; so, the answer is probably 'no'. Regards, Tony.
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Good afternoon William, The plan (always 'dangerous' where I'm involved) is for me to go over to Cheshire and photograph Peter's layout for a magazine article/posterity later this year. Enough locos and stock have been kept back for that purpose. The Chester-Birkenhead road was double track as far as (I think) Ledsham, where it became four tracks as far as, at least, Rock Ferry. The quadruple track was paired by speed (in typical L&NWR/GWR fashion). Over 50 years ago, I travelled the line from Chester to Birkenhead Central (changing at Rock Ferry) to my job, teaching in Birkenhead. I started by driving, but I could never afford a reliable enough car at the time! DMUs were the order of the day, the through expresses having ceased a year or so before. I used these in the '60s, on trainspotting jaunts to Liverpool. The Paddington expresses were tightly-timed, usually hauled by Stanier 2-6-4Ts, running at speed, with just two stops 'twixt the General and Woodside (Hooton and Rock Ferry). There's a Stanier 2-6-4T in the collection (which I'm photographing later, along with the rest of the locos/stock). Regards, Tony. Regards, Tony.
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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.
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Good afternoon William, I saw half the class, but I cannot remember any ever being painted green. A few of the 82XXXs which worked the Chester-Birkenhead road were, however. As I've mentioned, Peter Lawson's layout was representative of the Chest-Wirral district, and every loco I've handled so far, I saw the prototype of! Regards, Tony.
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My goodness me! I could have sold five made-up DJH 84XXXs, but there was only one.
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I've been to Roger Daltrey's home. And photographed Pete Waterman's model collection. That's all, with regard to music. It's not really my 'thing'.
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I've just started photographing more of the Peter Lawson collection. This is the first; a delightful DJH 84XXX. Portescap-powered and a really sweet runner, I'm asking £140.00 (I'll straighten the step!). Anyone interested, please PM me.
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The usual LB operating team gathered today, and we almost ran the sequence without fault (I set a road incorrectly). No matter, because much enjoyment was had. Geoff West brought along............. This DC kits Derby Lightweight DMU, built/painted by the late Ken Gibbons originally for Gilbert Barnatt. Gilbert later sold it to Geoff (presumably because it's not RTR?). It's run on Bytham before, but not that well because the two cars were coupled by tension-locks attached to the inner bogies. Running caused the bogies to 'jump', so Geoff has arranged the couplings to work via the headstocks. The result? Perfect running. Last month, David Rae bought a 3D-printed body off me for a Lambton tank (donated for CRUK - thanks Les). A Bachmann pannier chassis came with it. I made a pony truck for it, and David married it to the chassis, completed it and painted it; to make this rather splendid (and unusual) loco. The appropriate wagons are kit-built. Thanks for bringing these, chaps.
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Great stuff Jesse, Hijack away! Regards, Tony.
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Just to report on a splendid show at Cotgrave over the weekend. My thanks to the organisers, the exhibitors, traders and visitors with whom I spoke. All together I made over £110.00 for CRUK, thanks to material donations sold, direct donations placed in my CRUK collecting box and donations for my fixing 'dud' locomotives. I fixed quite a few, but one defeated me - an N Gauge big Prairie which was completely dismantled and presented to me in a polythene bag. Even the rods had been taken off the wheels! 'It didn't work, so I took it apart. Do you think you can fix it?'. 'No!'. The most amusing 'fix' involved a Scotsman who handed over a Tesco bag with four Tri-ang Hornby locos piled on top of each other. 'My grandson bought these at Ally Pally last month off a second-hand trader. He was told that they worked. They don't'. A clean of the wheels/pick-ups, a clean of the commutators, brush adjustment and a few drops of oil, and away they all went. His donation was generous!