Castle Aching

[Edwardian]

41 minutes ago, jwealleans said:

James, I have cnfirmed that that is the Connoisseur kit and I have instructions if you need them.

 

Thanks, Jonathan.  A scan of the destructions would be champion! 

[Donw]

Seeing as it was a reduced version of the 7mm kit the 7mm instructions should help  can be downloaded here http://www.jimmcgeown.com/Loco Kit Pages/Y6 Tram Loco.html as a PDF file. Jim is a very helpfull chap. His stuff is designed to be buildable by normal mortals.

 

Don

[Donw]

It is probably familiar to you all but youtube  presented this for viewing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Adk2BJzaRcU  John Betjeman travelling from Kyns Lynn to Hunstanton

 

Don 

[nick_bastable]

5 hours ago, Edwardian said:

 

 

 

Next on my list of brilliant posts that deserve full attention is Alex's on the ERTL G15.

 

What an absolutely brilliant idea. It looks as if it'll work, too. I love it when something that is not a model can be adapted to be something that is. It is clever of you to have spotted this,

 

Tell us, please, in no particular order:

 

- how you broke it down into components

 

- what you used to strip the paint

 

- where you obtained those plans

 

As I'm working on an incomplete kit with no instructions, those plans would be useful, particularly in reconstructing the interior elements.

 

Please post progress on the build, I'd be fascinated to see it take shape.

 

The name, Dr Syn, is most apt, and wins my approbation as I am a fan of the Russell Thorndike stories.  I believe a Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway loco was named Dr Syn.  As the first novel was published in 1915, the chronology works for you.

 

 

that a be this then

 

 

https://www.rhdr.org.uk/locomotives/doctor-syn/

 

Nick

[Edwardian]

21 minutes ago, nick_bastable said:

that a be this then

 

 

https://www.rhdr.org.uk/locomotives/doctor-syn/

 

Nick

 

Appropriately in clerical black!

[Nearholmer]

Its always been black to my memory, and I'm sure the choice is deliberate.

 

The office that I was based at most recently in London was further up High Holborn from The Pru building, which is so vast that one option would be to invent a, quite plausible, narrow gauge tramway to serve its boilers and dechetterie, and model it as the "set" for the layout, rather than a building on a layout.

 

Incidentally, the McDonalds "restaurant" about five doors up from us was 112 High Holborn, the hallowed former premises of Bassett-Lowke, which is a terrible come-down if ever there was one.

Edited June 8, 2019 by Nearholmer

[Hroth]

12 hours ago, nick_bastable said:

that a be this then

 

 

https://www.rhdr.org.uk/locomotives/doctor-syn/

 

Nick

So that's where Triang got the idea for their "Hiawatha" Pacific from...

 

 

Mr Ed.  If you go up the road to the right of the Victoria Building, you would come to Pembroke Place. And on your left was the old Liverpool Royal Infirmary which was built in a similar style.

 

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.4086318,-2.9675435,3a,90y,185.58h,103.96t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sBhnAswEyArcC3D0OKOLXSQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

 

Across Pembroke Place is the Stalinist concrete block of the Liverpool Dental Hospital...

Edited June 9, 2019 by Hroth
pic and link

[Edwardian]

34 minutes ago, AVS1998 said:

 

... and maybe use the Hornby Pacer motor bogie/axle fitted vertically... Or something. I may decide to replicate something akin to this instead. I'm undecided. 

 

That is a useful little kit

 

34 minutes ago, AVS1998 said:

 

Plain old Dettol. I'm a bit of a traditionalist. Something that won't hurt me if I get it on my hands but that will attack the paint. I had to leave it soaking for around a week, and still not everything has come off (nothing a stiff brush won't cure.) 

 

I must try that

 

34 minutes ago, AVS1998 said:

That would be the 1982 annual edition of Model Railway Constructor, p. 70. Rather gracefully reproduced to 4mm scale, there are also diagrams for the bogie tramcar, GER 3rd class tramcar for the Kelvedon and Tollesbury branch, along with several wagons. 

 

I can forward the diagram(s) to you, if you'd like?

 

 

This is embarrassing; I had a copy of the 1982 sitting on a table behind my desk all along. I must be losing the plot. 

 

What I notice from this drawing, which I had not expected, is that the wheels are offset from the centre line by a foot. There is plenty of room for the motor bogie, so I may as well go for the correct position.

 

This is the Annual with the drawing and article on the 7mm M&GN 4-4-0T No.9A, to which I have referred in the past. There is also, inter alia, a 7mm scale drawing for a M&GN/GN 3-plank dropside wagon in this Annual.  I really must pay more attention to what I have.

 

 

34 minutes ago, AVS1998 said:

I shall! My intentions are, as above, to fit a vague interior, redo the roof details, perhaps restructure the doors on the front ends and extend the sideplates, and make new cowcatchers in wire. 

 

Again, thank you very much - the name just seemed highly appropriate for a locomotive that was largely resigned to discreetly shuffling goods around the coast. 

 

- Alex 

 

Indeed, and you could hardly call a locomotive The Scarecrow!

[Hroth]

8 hours ago, AVS1998 said:

I may decide to replicate something akin to this instead.

 

Its amazing what can be found lurking in the recesses of ebay. The kit doesn't seem madly overpriced and from the youtube clips looks pretty effective, though at first glance the motor appears to be attached to the chassis using double sided adhesive pads.  I'd be inclined to buy one to "evaluate" and reduce the fiddle factor!

 

 

[runs as required]

On 08/06/2019 at 21:39, Nearholmer said:

The office that I was based at most recently in London was further up High Holborn from The Pru building, ...

Incidentally, the McDonalds "restaurant" about five doors up from us was 112 High Holborn, the hallowed former premises of Bassett-Lowke, which is a terrible come-down if ever there was one.

Ah but the real regret for me was the closure of cheapo Gamages emporium.

Gamages advertised profusely in Meccano Magazine; I had a Gamages crystal set for Christmas and had to listen to the King's speech.

And my friend and I were allowed to travel up to Gamages to spend my aunt's 10 shilling birthday postal order on a bogie wagon for my disappointing Trix twin set - I'd prayed to get a Hornby Dublo like my friend's.

 

In my just married twenties I encountered Gamages once more for the very last time during quick dashes down at lunch time with my drawing office mates from above platform 1 at Kings Cross.

 

2

Quote

Ah, church architecture. Something I actually have some knowledge in.

I tend to aim for combination Saxon/Norman/Perpendicular designs myself.

 

Thank you RGA for an  excuse to post a favourite Saxon and EE church of mine in the Tyne Valley

This is Ovingham with a Saxon tower (with similar bell openings to Bywell further upstream) and a heavily restored C13 cruciform arcaded plan to the main body of the building  - presenting opposite (top middle) the north abutment of the former toll bridge across from Prudhoe station (N&C). 

It is one of the string of pre-conquest churches originating with the monastery at Jarrow.

 

The real interest for us on RMweb, is that, until the Edwardian times of CA. it served also as the parish church for Wylam.

Just inside the south gate to the churchyard on the right stands a striking stone obelisk, the memorial to my great hero Isaac Jackson.

 

He was the humble furnace man working 12 hours a day in Wylam smithy. His hobby was repairing and building brass clocks. He'd built his own lathe along and a beautiful set of tools for this precision work. 

According to Jim Rees, Hedley had him make beautiful brass models to test the functionality including cranks and valve gear, of the engines they were hammering, forging and casting in the blacksmith's shop: Black Billy, Puffing Billy, Wylam Dilly.

IJ built  a complete steam model to demonstrate to Lady Bewicke at Close House  (just above George Stephenson's birthplace) on the waggonway along the Tyne. She was fearful of it running off the end of her dining table but Jackson had contrived an automatic reverse enabling it to run up and down until out of steam.

 

Ij was the only one of the Wylam pioneers not to move on or enrich himself. Before IJ died, Robert Stephenson commissioned IJ to build a clock for the Forth Street Works. With a three legged escapement, I think it is still  in the NRM at York. His escape mechanism was subsequently adopted for Big Ben. 

dh

 

Edited June 11, 2019 by runs as required
I was ashamed of my earlier Sunday afternoon post prandial ramblings

[nick_bastable]

10 hours ago, Hroth said:

 

Its amazing what can be found lurking in the recesses of ebay. The kit doesn't seem madly overpriced and from the youtube clips looks pretty effective, though at first glance the motor appears to be attached to the chassis using double sided adhesive pads.  I'd be inclined to buy one to "evaluate" and reduce the fiddle factor!

 

 

without bearings I think the wear rate would make it useless quickly

 

Nick

[Hroth]

2 hours ago, nick_bastable said:

without bearings I think the wear rate would make it useless quickly

 

Nick

It did cross my mind, but as I said, it would be an evaluation exercise.  If there were any concerns about axle hole wear, it would be the work of seconds to slice up some brass tubing of suitable inside diameter and epoxy them into the existing "bearing" holes.

 

Looking at the pictures, I'd also probably use some thinner phosphor-bronze wire for the pickups!

 

btw If you search for "tram motor bogies" on ebay, you'll turn up some more heavily engineered offerings, at x3 (x4 times and more!) the price.

 

Edited June 9, 2019 by Hroth
spelin and clarification

[jwealleans]

Quote

A scan of the destructions would be champion! 

 

Can do that if you wish, James, but the ones on Jim McGeown's website which someone has kindly linked to are a much more comprehensive version of the same document.  Mine only runs to around 8 pages.

[nick_bastable]

Excuse me but have we lost a post of two in this thread ?  

 

Nick

[RedGemAlchemist]

On 09/06/2019 at 19:42, runs as required said:

Just inside the south gate to the churchyard on the right stands a striking stone obelisk, the memorial to my great hero Isaac Jackson.

 

He was the humble furnace man working 12 hours a day in Wylam smithy. His hobby was repairing and building brass clocks. He'd built his own lathe along and a beautiful set of tools for this precision work. 

According to Jim Rees, Hedley had him make beautiful brass models to test the functionality including cranks and valve gear, of the engines they were hammering, forging and casting in the blacksmith's shop: Black Billy, Puffing Billy, Wylam Dilly.

IJ built  a complete steam model to demonstrate to Lady Bewicke at Close House  (just above George Stephenson's birthplace) on the waggonway along the Tyne. She was fearful of it running off the end of her dining table but Jackson had contrived an automatic reverse enabling it to run up and down until out of steam.

 

Ij was the only one of the Wylam pioneers not to move on or enrich himself. Before IJ died, Robert Stephenson commissioned IJ to build a clock for the Forth Street Works. With a three legged escapement, I think it is still  in the NRM at York. His escape mechanism was subsequently adopted for Big Ben. 

Possibly the first railway modeller. Should be an inspiration to us all as he was the pioneer of our own hobby. 

[Compound2632]

10 hours ago, RedGemAlchemist said:

Possibly the first railway modeller. 

 

This shows that railway modelling predates toy trains. I remember seeing, at the Bowes Museum, a wooden toy train made c. 1825 for Edward Pease's son. That was many years ago; I couldn't find it on my visit two summers ago.

[Nearholmer]

Technical models appeared very early, pre-locomotive, and in the case of electric railways predate the ability to realise full size ones by several years, and “one off” toys, made by fathers, uncles, or grandfathers, were very early too. I will try to find the references, but I’m fairly sure i’ve Seen pictures of toy trains from the 1830s.

 

Model railways, as in something representing a railway, rather than just a train, didn’t begin to appear until quite a bit later.

[Edwardian]

The Wonders of the Modern Age never cease to thrill and amaze me.

 

Well, we've all heard of Wikipedia.  Star Wars fans will have heard of Wookieepedia.

 

As of today, there is such a thing as Achipedia.  I kid you not. 

 

This is your Gateway to the Achingverse - yes, that's a 'thing', too.

 

I stress that I am not responsible for any of this, save that I have willingly started to populate the Castle Aching Page with all manner of my usual nonsense.  A work in progress.

[Nearholmer]

Er-mazing.

 

PS: Hold on a minute! My station’s in there!

 

 

Edited June 11, 2019 by Nearholmer

[Northroader]

Seems like it was done by someone with literary talents?

 

mine ain’t.

Edited June 11, 2019 by Northroader

[Compound2632]

CQTS

[BlueLightning]

I would like to take more credit for Achipedia than I really can, despite being hosted on my website, it was very much inspired by the actions of another user (I will let them out themselves if they want).

 

Kevin,

 

I think your layout is included because of the "Missenden Mystery" stories, and in face I have a feeling those stories may have been the embers that eventually grew into The Achingverse

 

Gary

[Northroader]

1 hour ago, Nearholmer said:

Er-mazing.

 

PS: Hold on a minute! My station’s in there!

 

 

 

Birlstone’s in there, Paltry Circus isn’t. You just can’t get the staff these days, mumble, mumble.

[Edwardian]

Well, I am grateful to the parishioners responsible for the nascent Achipedia.  I actually think it is jolly useful.  I am finding it a great help to be able to stuff a whole load of CA backstory into one place, where I can find it again and seek to achieve some coherence.

 

What I really look forward to are the other layout pages where I hope to find all the information together, overcoming my tendency to forget stuff or simply miss it first time round. 

 

PS: Washbourne ought to be in there because the Orpheans have, I'm sure, toured West Norfolk.

 

 

Edited June 11, 2019 by Edwardian

[Hroth]

11 hours ago, Edwardian said:

As of today, there is such a thing as Achipedia.  I kid you not. 

 

You've created a MONSTER.....

 

Just keep a lookout for villagers with pitchforks and flaming torches.

 

Quote

I actually think it is jolly useful.  I am finding it a great help to be able to stuff a whole load of CA backstory into one place, where I can find it again and seek to achieve some coherence.

 

I think that Terry Pratchett once said that he was astonished that people knew more about the Discworld than he remembered writing about...

 

Edited June 12, 2019 by Hroth