Churminster & Stowe Magna, Southern Railway

[Tony Teague]

Thanks for clarifying Graham - and that was certainly my understanding.

 

Without wanting to be political in any way, I feel that so long as we the purchasers are more concerned about getting the lowest prices, than worrying about whether workers in certain economies are being exploited to achieve them, it remains unlikely that the UK can recover any significant manufacturing base.

 

That still seems pretty unfortunate to me.

 

Tony

[Denbridge]

52 minutes ago, Tony Teague said:

Thanks for clarifying Graham - and that was certainly my understanding.

 

Without wanting to be political in any way, I feel that so long as we the purchasers are more concerned about getting the lowest prices, than worrying about whether workers in certain economies are being exploited to achieve them, it remains unlikely that the UK can recover any significant manufacturing base.

 

That still seems pretty unfortunate to me.

 

Tony

It is a situation that I can't see a way out of. manufacturing of models is a hugely labour intensive process, but it isn't just wages that drive the costs. Everything would cost significantly more if produced here in the UK (the same applies to the Europeans & the USA). Indeed it was the move to overseas manufacturing that allowed the introduction of highly detailed models & liveries that we now take for granted. I fear that should, for any reason, manufacturers be forced to return to producing models on their home soil, it could spell the end for RTR, since very few people could afford the resulting prices. That pre-supposes that Hornby etc could even afford to find and equip suitable premises and employ/train sufficient staff willing to do the mind numbing repetitive work involved in making these things. Its a different world to the days of the Margate factory.

[manna]

G'day Folks

 

It also presupposes, that China would let the molds be removed and returned to the UK. They believe, it's in our Country, so it's ours.

 

manna

[Tony Teague]

Nothing about this recent discussion on 'off-shoring' is giving me any comfort!

[sidmouth]

rolling back the years in the days when Hornby was uk manufacturing , Mainline and Airfix transformed models that were made in Hong Kong , that were better detailed , better proportioned , more accurate . The battle was lost, not in recent times but decades back . why Hornby were not able to create the same with a UK manufacturing operation , others may be able to explain , however the outcome was production became china . Model accuracy improved no end although quality from the above remains a question . My own response to that is I question whether we want too much . How do you stick on a myriad of separate and micro parts and expect them to stay on and never come undone ?

 

Do we as modellers want to have our cake and eat it too much ?

[Tony Teague]

1 hour ago, sidmouth said:

Do we as modellers want to have our cake and eat it too much ?

 

I think that perhaps we do, pitting great detail AND lower prices against the human costs of production under less enlightened regimes than that in which we are fortunate to live.

 

It is hard to see a route out, but it may perhaps be dictated at some future point by instabilities in those economies or our relationships with them.

 

My feeling is that there will be considerable kudos achieved by the first company that is able to profitably repatriate production.

 

(This is a deep discussion and I'm thinking that I soon need to post something about the layout!)

 

Tony

[Denbridge]

33 minutes ago, Tony Teague said:

 

I think that perhaps we do, pitting great detail AND lower prices against the human costs of production under less enlightened regimes than that in which we are fortunate to live.

 

It is hard to see a route out, but it may perhaps be dictated at some future point by instabilities in those economies or our relationships with them.

 

My feeling is that there will be considerable kudos achieved by the first company that is able to profitably repatriate production.

 

(This is a deep discussion and I'm thinking that I soon need to post something about the layout!)

 

Tony

I think the defining word is profitably. In order to make a profit if manufacturing in the UK, prices would have to be set at a level that few would be able of afford and/or are willing to pay. I'm not being needlessly negative. I do have professional experience with a company whose products, while not model based, share many similarities with model railways. a couple of years ago, they did an extensive survey and costing excercise to determine the practicalities of returning to UK based production from, in their case India. it was soon concluded that prices to the consumer would have to double at the very least. It was a moot point though, the study indicated that the sheer costs of setting up a manufacturing base in the UK would put the company out of business before it seeing any return on product sales.

[Tony Teague]

9 minutes ago, Denbridge said:

I think the defining word is profitably.

 

Quite agree!

It's going to need a lot of things to change, but never say never.....

[Tony Teague]

Well as I said earlier, after amost a whole page of discussing the QC, and sometimes the lack of it, on models manufactured elsewhere and the wrongs and rights of cheaper prices vs. cheaper labour, it feels like time to return to the layout itself, so here goes!

 

One page back and just over two weeks ago I mentioned that Steve Hewitt had visited and delivered a whole raft of semaphore signals that he had made for me, and which will eventually populate all of those parts of the layout not already covered by SR coloured light signalling - but all I could show at that time was the underside of a liftout baseboard upon which most of Churminster Station sits.

 

This was because I had not completed the wiring that will control the signals, but having finally got there today, I have re-installed the lift-out board and can provide some further illustrations, albeit there is still some finishing work to be done:

 

 

You will have to excuse the signals being in 'safe' position, that is to say that I have yet to adjust the servo controls to set the upper and lower positions for each signal, due to extreme heat in my railway room (despite air-conditioning!) - plus the wiring is only complete at this end and needs connecting up to the Control Desk, however, I hope to get that done within a couple of days and will then use that as an excuse for further images! (If you can't cope with such images without moaning, then look away now! ).

 

This is the down starter on the through line for platform 2 at Churminster, which additionally has a 'shunt forward' arm to allow for loco changes on down trains, plus shunt movements into the loco sheds and goods yards which are on the left and right of the running lines respectively.

 

 

Next is the platform-mounted down starter for the terminating platform 1 at Churminster, which is mainly the domain of local push-pull, and some parcels trains that run south from here.

 

To the left of this platform is the locoshed, exit from which onto the running lines is controlled by a ground signal (not my best image - will do better!):

 

 

Finally over to the right of the running lines, behind platform 3 and still looking in the down (south) direction, lies the exit from the goods yard and this is controlled by a further, short-armed starter signal:

 

 

All of these signals will be electrically interlocked such that only one can be pulled off at any time, there are no conflicting movements in either dirction, and points are appropriately set etc, and again, this may take a little time! (understatement).

 

The up direction is far simpler as beyond Churminster the up line joins the 'electrified' main line at Churminster Juction, and so there is just a simple up starter, however, this requires a tall signal post with high level repeater arm, as otherwise the view of the signal by drivers approaching from south of the station would be obscured by the footbridge - as can be seen below:

 

 

As up trains move along the platform or come to stand, the main lower arm comes into view:

 

 

Getting the major part of the installation of these exquisite signals completed was all that Steve & I could manage during his visit but I hope that you'll agree that their addition transforms the look of the whole station area. My considerable thanks are due to Steve Hewitt for his considerable & painstaking work.

 

The signals installed so far represent less that one third of the total complement of signals that Steve has delivered to me, and once the final adjustments and interlockings are complete for this group, I intend to move on to the up approaches to Churminster, however, there are some significant scenic works to be completed before I can sensibly install the Stowe Magna signals, so this story could run for a while!

 

Tony

Edited November 23, 2022 by Tony Teague

[thegreenhowards]

8 hours ago, sidmouth said:

rolling back the years in the days when Hornby was uk manufacturing , Mainline and Airfix transformed models that were made in Hong Kong , that were better detailed , better proportioned , more accurate . The battle was lost, not in recent times but decades back . why Hornby were not able to create the same with a UK manufacturing operation , others may be able to explain , however the outcome was production became china . Model accuracy improved no end although quality from the above remains a question . My own response to that is I question whether we want too much . How do you stick on a myriad of separate and micro parts and expect them to stay on and never come undone ?

 

Do we as modellers want to have our cake and eat it too much ?

The way to get all that detail to stay on is to solder it. But that might get a bit messy with the plastic parts!

[37Oban]

Hi,

 

I've just had a wee catch-up after missing a couple of weeks of updates, so apologies if I appear to to be rehashing previous posts.

 

Like a lot of modellers, I have an  issue with the quality control of a lot of the models sold today, especially the running qualities and finish of new models.  It could be said that they are "not fit for purpose".

 

Now, that being said, people are fully entitled to return the item and either request another model, and to keep doing this as long as it is necessary to get a model of required standard, or to get a refund.  This can be very time consuming, and not helpful if you need that particular model.  There is a forlorn hope that the manufacturers will take notice of all the returns and improve the manufacturing and quality control issues.

 

Then there is a second group of modellers, which don't help the situation, and of which I am one.  We moan about the problem for a while, then get out our tools, paints etc and do something about it!  After all, we are modellers, not just box openers!  Yes, we are spoilt by the high standard of detail of todays models, and yet...

 

It's not too many years ago a modeller would buy the latest coach, locomotive or whatever, then set about adding details etc that many of todays modellers expect, almost as a right.  At the same time some modellers expect this highly detailed models at a rock bottom price.  If a manufacturer cannot make a profit they will not make the models, and if the modeller refuses to pay a higher price they will manufacture the model to the lowest possible cost that gives them a profit.  It's the same with every thing we buy, from cars to clothes, furniture to kitchen utensils and everything in between, even food.  Yes, there are bargains to be found, but how many of us have bought a cheaper item, only to have to return it as faulty, or just chuck it, after it's failed after a few weeks and ended up buying a more expensive, and superior product which we should have bought in the first place!?

 

I am disabled, only use one hand to make my models, and with a limited income, cannot afford many of the new models that come out.  What I do is buy used models and tittivate them up.  I bought a Lima cl20 as a non-runner, had a look, sorted out the gear-train and now have loco that runs sweet as nut, so changed it to dcc added a tts sound chip.  I still have to do a few bits to the body, but that can wait.  If a new model came out that I actually wanted, and had some detail or running issue, I would still buy it and take my tools to it to make it right.  I know I probably shouldn't, but to me it's a couple of hours versus possible weeks, even months of to-ing and fro-ing.  No contest!

 

I know this is my opinion, and a lot of people will take issue with it.  That's fine, we all have our own opinions, just as we  model different scales, eras etc and none is "the right one".  However, until people are prepared to pay the actual worth of the manufacturers costs for the standard of details they demand the situation will not change.

 

Roja

 

 

[Sandhole]

2 hours ago, 37Oban said:

Hi,

 

I've just had a wee catch-up after missing a couple of weeks of updates, so apologies if I appear to to be rehashing previous posts.

 

Like a lot of modellers, I have an  issue with the quality control of a lot of the models sold today, especially the running qualities and finish of new models.  It could be said that they are "not fit for purpose".

 

Now, that being said, people are fully entitled to return the item and either request another model, and to keep doing this as long as it is necessary to get a model of required standard, or to get a refund.  This can be very time consuming, and not helpful if you need that particular model.  There is a forlorn hope that the manufacturers will take notice of all the returns and improve the manufacturing and quality control issues.

 

Then there is a second group of modellers, which don't help the situation, and of which I am one.  We moan about the problem for a while, then get out our tools, paints etc and do something about it!  After all, we are modellers, not just box openers!  Yes, we are spoilt by the high standard of detail of todays models, and yet...

 

It's not too many years ago a modeller would buy the latest coach, locomotive or whatever, then set about adding details etc that many of todays modellers expect, almost as a right.  At the same time some modellers expect this highly detailed models at a rock bottom price.  If a manufacturer cannot make a profit they will not make the models, and if the modeller refuses to pay a higher price they will manufacture the model to the lowest possible cost that gives them a profit.  It's the same with every thing we buy, from cars to clothes, furniture to kitchen utensils and everything in between, even food.  Yes, there are bargains to be found, but how many of us have bought a cheaper item, only to have to return it as faulty, or just chuck it, after it's failed after a few weeks and ended up buying a more expensive, and superior product which we should have bought in the first place!?

 

I am disabled, only use one hand to make my models, and with a limited income, cannot afford many of the new models that come out.  What I do is buy used models and tittivate them up.  I bought a Lima cl20 as a non-runner, had a look, sorted out the gear-train and now have loco that runs sweet as nut, so changed it to dcc added a tts sound chip.  I still have to do a few bits to the body, but that can wait.  If a new model came out that I actually wanted, and had some detail or running issue, I would still buy it and take my tools to it to make it right.  I know I probably shouldn't, but to me it's a couple of hours versus possible weeks, even months of to-ing and fro-ing.  No contest!

 

I know this is my opinion, and a lot of people will take issue with it.  That's fine, we all have our own opinions, just as we  model different scales, eras etc and none is "the right one".  However, until people are prepared to pay the actual worth of the manufacturers costs for the standard of details they demand the situation will not change.

 

Roja

 

 

I'm an old geezer.
My main modelling journey started, properly in the late sixties/early seventies. I was another modeller who detailed proprietry offerings.
I remember the work I did on a Triang Hornby Ivatt Mogul to make it more realistic. Handrails, narrowed cylinders, shortened tender. I loved that loco. It ran on my school's model railway club layout, sweet as a nut, and was only replaced when I got a NuCast 'Mickey' on my layout.
The advent of the Crownline detailing kits from Maidenhead was a revellation to me.  Indeed, Crownline detailed locos are ,still, an integral part of my trainset. 
Looking at those kits, now, some of the castings are crude, but they were a godsend to us modellers then.
I, like you,37OBAN, I repair models, if they have small things wrong with them. I agree, I might be part of the quality control problem, but, like you, I'm a modeller.
I have an attachment to some of the models I have repaired.
I have an Olivia's trains EM2 that I got when Hattons were selling them off.
It was a disaster, both power-drives to the bogies were off. 
During an evening of cancer treatment insomnia, I rebuilt the whole thing.
I have a large collection of Heljan spares and I used those to make the EM2 run sweet as a nut.
I rarely run her, but I love her to bits.
Keep up your 'old school' modelling, I shall do the same.
Regards,
Chris.

Edited July 24, 2021 by Sandhole

[Tony Teague]

With the weather having cooled a bit, and with so many different jobs on my to do list, I decided to ignore them all and that yesterday would be a runing day - which was brave, given that I had not really run any trains for at least three months.......

 

I worked through the main fiddle yards (which serve the up and down main lines), and overall I was pretty pleased with the results in that of the 38 trains that were available, 36 ran immediately and faultlessly - not bad after 3 months asleep!

 

The remaining two trains caused me considerable grief, although one of these was probably my own fault; a Bachmann N class hauling oal empties decided to de-rail itself 3/4 round the circuit - I think the front bogie just jumped the rails, so I will be having a look at back-to-backs, but at present it is on the naughty step.

 

In the other case, an unfitted van train was running perfectly well until I decided to swap out some unweathered vans for recently weathered stock; in doing so I obviously disturbed the fine balance of the train which then repeatedly split, derailed and so until until I gave up. The train now looks very odd being shorter, half pristine and half heavily weathered, but I shall get back to it....eventually.

 

Needless to say almost all mishaps occurred in the least accessible part of the layout, which I think must be "Rule 2"!

 

 

In passing I managed to get pictures of the two latest arrivals, being the excellent SR, ex-LSWR 10T road vans from Kernow, mentioned previously.

 

Followers of this thread will realise that there are two further fiddle yards, upper and lower, serving the double track branch lines from Churminster and Stowe Magna respectively; I was unable to run any trains on either of these as each was covered in junk accumulated over the last few months, however, I aim to have a clear-up soon. Unfortunately as work around the layout progresses, there is less and less space to store junk (otherwise known as work in progress), and so this is an ever increasing problem.

 

Tony

Edited November 23, 2022 by Tony Teague

[Tony Teague]

A good day today, working with Giles on planned progress, and the first main outcome that I can report on is the completion of the finishing touches to the Control Panel.

 

 

Although the top panel was installed some time ago, the area around the lever frame was incomplete because I had been unable to order the final small printed panel until the specific use of each of the levers had stabilised. That happened a while back and whilst waiting for the printed panel I made do with a paper version, as above.

 

 

Giles managed to collect the printed version a couple of days ago and I am happy to say that it fitted like a glove; along with the side trims it has made an instant improvement!

 

 

I think I now regard the Control Panel job as being complete - so all that remains is for me to learn how to use it properly!

 

Later, we moved on to the new, small, secondary side Panel which will allow a 2nd user to control either or both of the two shuttle lines independently of the main Panel; being a smaller task, I hope to be able to report on it's completion  - and maybe more - tomorrow!

 

Tony

 

Edited November 23, 2022 by Tony Teague

[Tony Teague]

Further progress today - thanks largely to Giles' efforts we managed to get the secondary Control Panel installed and working; in fact it is finished barring a few LED's to be inserted once I replenish my stocks!

 

 

I have mentioned before that the layout was very specifically designed for one man operation, which accounts for why everything is crammed into the main Control Panel, however, I later realised that it was possible that visitors might want to take a turn at the controls, and whilst some might be comfortable at the main, fairly complex, control desk, others might want something simpler to look after.

 

Following this realisation I added two 'roaming' controllers that can be switched in to cover the Up Main, the Down Main, or either of the two loco / goods yards, and now this small panel also allows the normally automated control of either of the two shuttle lines to be switched to manual and looked after through this small panel; it is situated on a pull-out 'drawer' half way along the line between Churminster and the tunnel under the RAF airfield - which provides a good view of the two lines concerned.

 

Tony

Edited November 23, 2022 by Tony Teague

[Tony Teague]

I have heard today the shocking news that my very good friend, and master weatherer, Mick Bonwick has passed away (see:

I just wanted to record here my significant debt to Mick, who taught me to use an airbrush, plus everything I know about weathering.

Mick was always optimistic and probably about the most positive man I knew, with a great sense of humour; a great friend.

I am delighted to have some of his work in my collection, since he had very kindly taken it upon himself to assist in reducing my weathering queue by dealing with a number of complete trains for me:

 

 

I offer these as a tribute to Mick & his work:

 

 

He will be greatly missed:

 

 

RIP Mick.

 

Tony

 

Edited November 23, 2022 by Tony Teague

[Tony Teague]

Having just returned from Mick Bonwick's funeral, I can only say how uplifting it was to see such a large turnout, of his family, his fiends, his neighbours, and of course the railway modelling community. A very sad occasion but it felt like Mick was given a good send off.

 

As a further tribute, here are a few more members of my fleet that Mick weathered:

 

 

No.738 'King Pellinore' with the up mails

 

 

Pullman 1st kitchen car 'Adrian', part of the down Golden Arrow

 

 

M7 No.676 with the short, down local milk service.

 

The best tribute that all of us who learned our weathering skills from Mick can now make, will be to carry on practising what we have acquired! - I certainly still have plenty to go at.

 

Tony

Edited November 23, 2022 by Tony Teague

[Tony Teague]

So for once I decided that I would do what I said I was going to do - some weathering!

 

I have spent the last couple of weeks clearing off my workbench and doing sundry jobs - like 'doctoring' a batch of relays ready for use in interlocking my signals - and the last three items on the bench were three locos that I started weathering back in April............

 

 

I had done what I wanted with the airbrush and they just needed the odd bit of powder here and there to complete - a visiting LNER J15 that arrives from time to time with a coal train via the East London line.

 

 

The ex-LSWR K10 built so heroically for me by DLT

 

 

And Brighton Atlantic No.2038 'Portland Bill'.

 

Having made what I regard as the final touches to these three, I moved on to airbrushing a new batch, again of three:

 

 

These being a pair of ex-LB&SCR C2X's and one of the unbiquitous Bachmann N's.

 

My intention is that these will be completed in less than the 6 months that the last batch took...............but you never know .

 

Tony

 

Edited November 23, 2022 by Tony Teague

[Tony Teague]

Having taken 5 months to complete the weathering of the last three locos I thought that I would do better this time, and so I have completed the three started on Sunday, with the addition of some powders and fluids:

 

 

First the pair of C2X locos - the single dome boilered No.2546 - the camera cruelly highlights some blotches......

 

 

Following completion of the weathering each loco has had a wheel clean and a run on the rolling road to make sure that there were no other faults present; No.2546 is already back on the Churminster coaling stage.

 

 

The double domed No.2540 is next; I used some 'Old Grease' on the rods of this one

 

 

And already backing onto a train of flat wagons; speaking of which:

 

 

This pair had also been half completed back in April and so I got them off the workbench at the same time

 

 

Lastly N class No.1847 in malachite livery

 

 

Sitting here in platform 2 at Churminster, waiting for the calling on signal so that she can move onto the shed (apologies for the blurry nature of this - I should have focus-stacked the shot!).

 

Moving on to what comes next - whilst there is still acres of stock to be weathered, I feel the need to make some scenic progress, and you may recall that back in December I had started the refurbishment of the Stowe Magna side of the layout by rebuilding St Giles chrch and then making my way slowly down the hill towards the station - but I didn't get very far!

 

So now what I want to do is to complete the building of Stowe Magna Station - which was started about 15+ years ago, but was never finished!

 

 

It currently looks like this, with an incomplete canopy of platforms 2 & 3 and nothing whatever of platforms 4 - 7. I did also have a debate about whether to replace the central station buidling, which is the Hornby / Skaledale model of Rye Station in Sussex, but although it is actually a fairly poor pastiche of the real station I have decided just to titivate it for the time being, whilst reserving the right to go back later!

 

 

Platform 1 is the only area that is all but complete, so the aim is to bring everything else up to this standard, and this will involve some tweaking of the buildings on the street to the rear of the station. As usual, I shall report progress.

 

Tony

Edited November 24, 2022 by Tony Teague

[Tony Teague]

I cleverly arranged for Giles to visit on the two hottest days that we have seen for a while, and so it was that we laboured in some considerable heat - despite the efforts of my ageing and very noisy air-conditioning unit which just can't cope on days like that! (I should stress that it is Giles who does all the strenuous bits - thank you!).

 

Nevertheless, I have progress to report!

 

Firstly we installed the remaining LED's into the new side control panel which is now complete, excepting that I shall give the sides of it a coat of glorious malachite, to match that on the main panel:

 

 

This panel is on drawer runners and so it can be pushed back under the layout when not in use.

 

As the track diagram shows, this is set up to allow optional local control of either of the two lines that are otherwise operated via Heathcote shuttle mechanisms, the orange line being the narrow gauge line from Churminster Quarry up to the small station next to RAF Charmy Bottom (which is currently under military control - it being 1938 - 48); the grey / blue line being the requisitioned short standard gauge branch from the main line that brings in fuel, munitions etc to the air base from the wider network. The green loop with 4 LED's will illustrate progress on the Faller Road System but will not allow any control of it; of this, more in due course.

 

The second shot shows the location of this panel, 2/3rds of the way along the railway room beside the line from Churminster Quarry to the line under RAF Charmy Bottom.

 

 

Completion of this panel seemed like a simple enough task until we found that both of the two shuttles were mis-behaving, in that points were only firing intermittently; having checked every possible connection that we might have disturbed during our work, we traced the fault to two separate fractured solder joints on the Gaugemaster CDU circuit board (which is standalone and only fires these points). Once repaired all was well - but that cost us about 3 hours!!

 

Moving on, we decided to attack the CCTV project - which is vital because once the remining backscene boards are installed, the operator (i.e. me) will not be able to see the fiddle yards, which will truly be 'hidden':

 

 

Longer term followers will recall that our first attempt at installing CCTV ended in tears when we discovered that the cameras that I had bought at great expense (about £3 each!) got red hot within about 2 minutes - and additionally would not focus....... [Lesson = you get what you pay for!].

 

The new kit is really designed for home surveillance but was heavily discounted because all of the latest equipment now has 4K capability which is certainly not needed here. We made very good progress with 5 of 8 cameras fully installed, a 6th connected and located but needing a bracket to complete the job (top right on screen), and wiring for the remaining two cameras all in place.

 

 

5 of the 8 locations will require the installation of a strip of LED's so that the stock can be seen in otherwise very dark locations; I had a considerable concern that the infra red capability of these cameras would destabilse and interfere with the numerous IRDOT derectors around the layout but fortunately this capability can be disabled, and we can make up for the loss of 'night vision' through installing some small LED strips.

 

So all in all, two very satisfactory days of progress - it will now take me at least a week to clear up the mess that we made in achieving it!

 

Tony

Edited November 24, 2022 by Tony Teague

[Tony Teague]

A very brief update today, in that I can report that the canopy for platforms 2 and 3 at Stowe Magna station (see above) is now complete and in the paint shop, whilst a further canopy for platforms 4 and 5 is under construction; I remain undecided about whether platforms 6 and 7 should have a canopy, but it is clear that some form of platform building - toilets or a waiting room might be required to complete platforms 4 and 5.

 

Meanwhile the small side control panel now has her malachite livery:

 

 

Aside from its potential use by a visitor wishing to control either of the otherwise "shuttle-controlled" lines, there is one key function which can only be controlled from here. If you look at the two blue/grey lines shown at the centre of the track plan on here, you will see that there is a headshunt leading away from the lower of the two standard gauge platforms; access to the headshunt - which is only likely to be used for the storage of vans, warflats or similar, can only be controlled from here as it would be impossible to see what was going on from the main panel, and the shuttle mechanism must be switched out to do this.

 

 

Conversely, at the top / fiddleyard end of the same line (where it appears dotted on the panel), a link is shown diverging away from the line; this is an exit connection from the shuttle line into the main fiddle yard and this may only be controlled from the main panel where the overall status of the fiddle yard can be seen. Entry to the shuttle controlled section is directly from the left hand end of the track shown as dotted, and is also controlled via the main panel.

 

Tony

Edited November 24, 2022 by Tony Teague

[Tony Teague]

I spent a most enjoyable, and successful, day at Little Bytham today with Tony Wright - successful because I took 3 under-performing locos with me and he very kindly fixed all three!

[all three images below courtesy of Tony Wright]

 

 

The first was ex-LB&SCR double domed C2X No.2525 which was built for me some years ago from either a DJH or Nu-Cast kit, however, it has not even been run in because it was an unreliable starter and intermittent runner. Tony fixed a couple of pick up issues and it immediately pulled away with a 40 wagon coal train! Not bad for a little 0-6-0 with an open frame motor!

 

 

The second loco to receive attention was ex-SE&CR U class No.1624 which I bought some years ago on E-Bay - always a risk; I think it is from a DJH kit, but could be SEF, and again it has an open frame motor. Whilst the builder is unknown, the build and finish looks good but it suffered from jerky, intermittemt performance on curves - which Tony quickly diagnosed as being due to the front pony occasionally shorting on to the live chassis. He fixed this by applying a thin coat of araldite as an insulator and again, she romped away with somewhere over 40 coal empties; very gratifying!

 

 

Finally, this ex-LB&SCR I3, No.2091 had so far failed to pull the skin off a rice pudding, despite being a very heavy loco. The model is from an SEF kit with yet another open frame motor, and had been intended to haul the inter-regional 'Sunny South Express' which the original I3's did with aplomb, all the way from Rugby to the south coast. Tony opened out axle holes for the rear pony, as it seemed that this was carrying about half of the weight, causing some wheel slip and preventing the loco from hauling much more than its own body weight. Subsequently it easily hauled one of his 12 coach rakes of mixed RTR and kit-built coaches - considerably heavier that my own Sunny South rake!

 

Thanks again Tony for fixing each of these, which will all now take a trip to the weathering shop!

 

Tony

Edited November 24, 2022 by Tony Teague

[Sandhole]

Tony is a GOD.
I'm SO GLAD you have an I3 worthy of the real loco, which is a glorious Atlantic tank.
Regards,
Chris.

 

[Tony Teague]

2 hours ago, Sandhole said:

I'm SO GLAD you have an I3 worthy of the real loco, which is a glorious Atlantic tank.
 

 

I have several that are not......

[Jack P]

Those locos all look the business, the U especially. 

 

How would you compare the Kitbuilt I3 to the OO works I3? 

Edited September 22, 2021 by Jack P