Wright writes.....

[Lecorbusier]

Similar to JW, I spray them white (Halfords) before touching up with white enamel.  I then give the lamps a coat of Klear, before a final grubby wash just to tone them down tad.

 

DSC04595.jpg

Are they removable or permanent ... if removable - by what attachment method?

 

Lovely photo and lovely modelling by the way.

Edited January 18, 2019 by Lecorbusier

[Atso]

Can I call out a point here please? I feel the J52 criticism (whilst accurate in terms of the prototype) is a smidgen unfair to the manufacturer. Remember the context of the time, namely that the kit in question surfaced around late 1970s (or mid 1980s), and at that time the only donor chassis remotely viable to use at that time was the Farish 94xx. As such there was simply no option but to morph the length of the body to fit that - a necessary step for a viable kit.

It can still give a reasonably characterful result, I think, albeit with some extra detail:

 

 

This one had to have a full front end skin graft of brass to the front footplate (all mid front splasher forward), as the castings in that area were so old that bits were starting to crumble. Came out on in the end, and hasn't fallen apart any more......yet!

 

 

Maybe I'm biased though, as I still have two unbuilt in the stash!

 

Thank you Alan.

 

Please consider my wrists quite rightly slapped! The J52 kit is a product of its time and in terms of its over length and is representative of what was available as a donor chassis at the time it was so skillfully crafted. The quality and fit of the parts of mine was excellent (albeit, requiring some care and attention to ensure they were assembled square) and it still ranks in my top three white metal kits (of those I have built).

 

You're modelling, as always, is excellent and between you and the kit's manufacturer have really captured the overall character of the J52 class.

 

With regard to an article showing a progression in one's modelling, I would be happy to be able to accept some (much needed) pennies from a mainstream magazine if they thought such an article would be worth publishing. However, I am also aware that the NGS Journey is frequently short of articles by members and often puts out requests for more content to be submitted.

[Tom F]

Are they removable or permanent ... if removable - by what attachment method?

 

Lovely photo and lovely modelling by the way.

 

 

Thank you!

The Modelu lamps have a slot built into the design, so they slot directly onto Masokit lamp irons. Fully removable for different train representations.

Edited January 18, 2019 by 9793

[Jol Wilkinson]

With Tony's permission, a sales "plug".

 

The Ipswich branch of Samaritans has been gifted a collection of model railway titles, many of them related to model making. If anyone is interested expanding their library and supporting a very worthwhile charity, they might like to take a look at Sams Books on Amazon;

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/sp?_encoding=UTF8&asin=&isAmazonFulfilled=&isCBA=&marketplaceID=A1F83G8C2ARO7P&orderID=&seller=AHBD6N0D1ZFHF&tab=atoz&vasStoreID=

 

Click on the "Products" tab to see all the titles in Sam's Books

 

If this post is considered inappropriate, I'll remove it.

 

Jol

Edited January 18, 2019 by Jol Wilkinson

['CHARD]

Because I'm either bone idle, or don't really know where to find out about S/H prices, I wonder if anyone on here can give me a guide price, please?

 

Syd (Juke, from Northern Ireland) kindly sent over some things for me to sell on behalf of CRUK. These include a Tri-ang Blue Pullman pair of power and dummy cars (with fully yellow ends) in slightly 'used' condition (no intermediate cars, though), a Bachmann small Prairie and Hornby 61XX (both appear to be brand new) and some last-generation Graham Farish Pullman cars. There are also some original Tri-ang 'shorty' Pullman cars in fair condition. Anyone hazard a guess as to prices, please? All are OO.

 

There are also some various other vehicles (old Mk.1s from Hornby/Lima for instance) and some track which I'll give away to well-mannered children. 

 

Thanks in anticipation.

As no-one has tackled this as far as I can see

• Tri-ang Blue Pullman pair of power and dummy cars (with fully yellow ends) in slightly 'used' condition - similar pairs listed on Ebay for £35 - 40, which I think is ambitious
• Bachmann small Prairie - hard to tell, chassis are for sale between £35 and £60 but a boxed used loco is listed for £40, my guess is 50-odd
• Hornby 61XX - £50 - 55
• last-generation Graham Farish Pullman cars - £15 - 20 apiece
• original Tri-ang 'shorty' Pullman cars in fair condition -  a fiver each absolute max

Hope this gives you at least an idea.  I would suggest that the two locos and to a lesser extent the Farish coaches are the only especially attractive pieces here.

[St Enodoc]

Games Workshop white, usually. It has some bizarre name but you can tell from the lid what colour it is.

Thanks Jonathan. I've heard of Skull White - would that be it?

[jwealleans]

It is, but it appears to be called 'Corax White' now.

 

That may indicate a reformulation, in which case be careful - their Satin varnish used to be the best available until they messed with the formulation and suddenly it bloomed on everything. So use with caution. Any matt white auto paint is probably as good.

[Headstock]

I've found that being familiar with the workings of the trains at that location that I am modeling, coupled to what shed's locomotives and individual locomotives worked on a particular job, I have virtually no need for removable lamps.

[Bulwell Hall]

Having photographed a layout today, I appear to have said two things wrong in my earlier piece. One, it is based on an actual prototype (Trowbridge), and, two, it isn't all one man's work. Friends have built one or two locos and items of stock. That said, most of the layout is the work of the owner. 

 

The station is on one side of the room space, and the other side represents a section of the GWR 'out in the country'. It's beautifully done. 

 

Trowbridge 06.jpg

 

Trowbridge 07.jpg

 

Trowbridge 08.jpg

 

Trowbridge 09.jpg

 

Trowbridge 10.jpg

 

It's very much representative of what I was trying to get over in my piece. Personal modelling based on observation of the prototype. Many of the locos and items of rolling stock are modified RTR, but they've all been personalised by the owner. 

 

Finally, I've received my copy of The Clearing House today. It's the journal of the BRMA, and in it is a report of the Convention it was my privilege to attend as a guest speaker, in Sydney last (English) autumn. My thanks to the Association for sending it, but I'm reported to have said in one of my talks that the signals on Little Bytham don't work as yet. Since one of the authors has been to see LB, and operated the signals (which all do work, thanks to Mick Nicholson, Graham Nicholas and Tony Gee), I was a bit puzzled. 

 

Fabulous - I'm very much looking forward to seeing more of this!  Yet more superb GWR atmosphere.

[Oldddudders]

With Tony's permission, a sales "plug".

 

The Ipswich branch of Samaritans has been gifted a collection of model railway titles, many of them related to model making. If anyone is interested expanding their library and supporting a very worthwhile charity, they might like to take a look at Sams Books on Amazon;

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/sp?_encoding=UTF8&asin=&isAmazonFulfilled=&isCBA=&marketplaceID=A1F83G8C2ARO7P&orderID=&seller=AHBD6N0D1ZFHF&tab=atoz&vasStoreID=

 

Click on the "Products" tab to see all the titles in Sam's Books

 

If this post is considered inappropriate, I'll remove it.

 

Jol

Inappropriate? Not my thread, but surely that charity is one for railway people to relish? Their telephone number is displayed at many platform ends, in the hope of saving the desperate from a horrid fate, and, less importantly, railwaymen from a dreadful experience and customers from delay.

[Enterprisingwestern]

              .....   

 

Thanks for taking the comment in the manner it was intended Tim.

 

Mike.

[The Stationmaster]

Did I say that?

 

I think it was more with reference to fitting lamp irons to kit-built, metal locomotives. Steel is much more difficult to solder, and to cut. 

 

However, my statement was an obvious lie - anyone tried making lamp irons from string, toothpaste, putty or biscuits?..............Or any other daft thing I can think of! 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

I went down the masochistic route using the thinner type of florists' wire.  because it is round it is easy to bend in whichever direction you want so a lamp iron with two right angle n bends in different planes is easily achieved,  also because it is round it will fit exactly into a hole drilled with the right size drill bit where it can be glued with a cyano type adhesive.  But does that mean the lamp irons are also round ?  Nah - the trick is to beat it flat and the better part of the trick is to do so consistently to make sure the sides stay parallel (including of course beating after a right angle bend).  Nice delicate looking but good and solid lamp irons are the result as the hammering tends to work harden the originally fairly soft wire.  Now where are the photos of the results - big delve on the 'puter and storage drive looks to be on the cards.

 

But I do wonder if my eyesight is still up to it?

[peach james]

 

 

But I do wonder if my eyesight is still up to it?

 

Magnifier.  

 

I couldn't work without one any more... and I'm bringing the average age down by 30-40 years on here .

 

I have a box of Ratio signal parts that has traveled to and from work yesterday, and I did nothing with it.  Today I brought said magni-visor to be able to work on them.  (I have signals to make for our club layout)

 

James

[Captain Kernow]

Magnifier.  

 

I couldn't work without one any more

Heartily agree - it's the most important tool that I own!

 

I normally use 0.75mm thin brass strip from Eileens Emporium for my lamp irons, initially I would just glue them on but I tend, these days, to solder a tiny spigot of 0.4mm brass wire to the bottom of them, file the end of the wire to a tapered end and drill a corresponding hole in the loco. I do something similar for lamp irons on the bunker backs of GW locos etc.

[Tony Wright]

Inappropriate? Not my thread, but surely that charity is one for railway people to relish? Their telephone number is displayed at many platform ends, in the hope of saving the desperate from a horrid fate, and, less importantly, railwaymen from a dreadful experience and customers from delay.

Why is it not 'your' thread, Ian?

 

It's yours as much as it is the 'property' of anyone else. 

 

Anything requesting help for a charity is welcome here.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Barry Ten]

I use 0.8mm round brass rod for lamp irons. I hold it against the workbench and file on two sides to get a flattened profile, trim that to length, then insert the round end into

a pre-drilled hole in the footplate. Once the irons are all in place, I do some final trimming to get them even. Once painted black, this is good enough for me! If required, I

add a small rectangle of plastic to represent the horizontal part of the iron, but really (in my opinion) it's not worth the trouble.

 

Obviously the above only works for simple lamp irons, not the more complicated multi-angled type.

 

Al

[Tony Wright]

As no-one has tackled this as far as I can see

• Tri-ang Blue Pullman pair of power and dummy cars (with fully yellow ends) in slightly 'used' condition - similar pairs listed on Ebay for £35 - 40, which I think is ambitious
• Bachmann small Prairie - hard to tell, chassis are for sale between £35 and £60 but a boxed used loco is listed for £40, my guess is 50-odd
• Hornby 61XX - £50 - 55
• last-generation Graham Farish Pullman cars - £15 - 20 apiece
• original Tri-ang 'shorty' Pullman cars in fair condition -  a fiver each absolute max

Hope this gives you at least an idea.  I would suggest that the two locos and to a lesser extent the Farish coaches are the only especially attractive pieces here.

Thanks 'Chard,

 

The Tri-ang Blue Pullman works very well (after a clean and oil) on its grooved wheels (which make a remarkable noise, the like of which I'd quite forgotten about). I'm putting the pair up at £20.00-£25.00.

 

Both the Bachmann small Prairie and Hornby 61XX are literally mint-boxed and don't appear to have run at all. Both, as expected, work beautifully, and I'll put those out at £45.00-£50.00 each.  

 

The three Graham Farish Pullman cars consist of a Parlour, Kitchen and Brake, one of which is boxed. They're all in perfect condition and I'll offer those at £12.00 each. 

 

The three Tri-ang Pullman cars also consist of the same types, and are in good condition for their age. My intention is to sell the trio for £12.00-£15.00 as one lot. 

 

There are several other miscellaneous carriages, some of which I've already given away to the grandchildren of friends of mine (both, exceptionally well-mannered - the kids and their grandparents!). My friends are donating to charity. What is especially gratifying is that I've just seen the coaches run on 'grandad's' layout. He, and his grandsons are building it together. It's wonderful - it represents no specific region, other than it's BR-based (granddad's personal memories), he's putting it together himself (with the lads' help) and they have huge fun with it. Is my friend/the granddad 'offended' by my comments in RM? Not in the least; he's doing things how he likes. The difference is he's not writing 'advice' for others. Can I learn something from him? 

 

All proceeds will go to CRUK. 

 

Though I'd ask we draw a line under my RM piece, this morning I spoke with Steve Flint of the RM. He's very pleased with the response to it - for and against in about equal measure (which is good). What's gratifying is that those 'in favour' of it are not issuing floods of praise and those 'against' it have written perfectly-valid counter-arguments. Nothing has been personal and nothing has been spiteful - just common sense, valid posts on both sides. Does that sound like that recent Facebook stuff? Hardly. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

Edited January 18, 2019 by Tony Wright

[landscapes]

Hi

 

For Lamp irons I use good old steel staples for the common stapler.

 

Rexel No23/8mm are a good size to use similar in thickness to the plastic lamp irons Hornby use on their A3's and A'4s.

 

You have two options either cut out an L shape from the staple and glue it straight on top of the buffer beam or a stronger more secure option is a straight piece of staple and drill a small hole through the buffer beam using a Pin Vice and glue in position.

 

I also use a 0.6mm drill bit to drill a hole in the under side of the lamps, I have done this on many occasions using the very nice Lanarkshire Model Service lamps (far better scale than Springside) and they fit nicely onto the staple lamp irons.

 

if any movement apply a very small amount of Tack Wax into the lamp hole.

 

This is also a great way to overcome any fragile broken plastic Hornby lamp iron or replacement for the oversized Bachmann lamp irons to your locomotives. 

 

Hope this helps for anyone not familiar with this method

 

Regards

 

David

[Chamby]

Tony, this explains a bit about what probably went on through the Facebook forum:

 

Wikipedia:  In Internet slang, a troll is a person who starts quarrels or upsets people on the Internet to distract and sow discord by posting inflammatory and digressive, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community (such as a newsgroup, forum, chat room, or blog) with the intent of provoking readers into displaying emotional responses and normalizing tangential discussion, whether for the troll's amusement or a specific gain.

 

BBC:  Trolling is a phenomenon that has swept across websites in recent years. Online forums, Facebook pages and newspaper comment forms are bombarded with insults, provocations or threats. Supporters argue it's about humour, mischief and freedom of speech. But for many the ferocity and personal nature of the abuse verges on hate speech.

 

Urban Dictionary:  Trolling on-line forums as described above is actually analogous to the fishing technique of “trolling”, where colorful baits and lures are pulled behind a slow moving boat, often with multiple fishing lines covering a large bodies of water, such as a large lake or the ocean. The trolling lures attract unsuspecting fish, intriguing them with the way they move through the water, thus enticing these foolish fish to “take the bait”. Not unlike unsuspecting internet victims, once hooked, the fish are reeled in for the catch before they realize they have been duped by the Troll/Fisherman

 

So the strongly worded comments may not actually have been about your article at all - just an opportunity to troll...  Steve Flints observations will be a truer representation of feedback within the hobby, I suggest.

 

Phil

Edited January 18, 2019 by Chamby

[Tony Wright]

With regard to lamps/brackets..................

 

I always solder my brackets in place because I've got metal locomotives, either white metal or brass/nickel silver. As I mentioned on the DVD, they're formed from scrap etch.

 

I've used Springside lamps on many occasions but these, especially the BR ones are too big. LMR ones are much nearer scale, as are ModelU ones.

 

Lamps are secured by drilling a small hole in their bases (avoiding drilling a thumb), which is filled with a little blob of Blu Tak, and the lamp pushed on to the bracket. It should be a nice 'friction' fit.

 

I do like changes lamps around on locos, even if the majority stays on one type of duty. Despite thinking they're secure, loads still end up on the floor. 

 

No lamps, no.................  

[john new]

On the lamps topic, what lamps would a BR (N E Region) loco shunting an off-route, industrial site side yard carry? I have read that a station pilot had red & white lamps fore and aft, but the book chapter I have to hand on loco-lamps didn't cover yard shunting. I'm surmising that as it would be running as a pick-up goods before the sidetracking exercise into the yard the relevant lamps would be as for a pick-up goods. Any observations welcome.

Edited January 18, 2019 by john new

[mark axlecounter]

Hi All,

 

I sometimes get to the point that I can't be bothered to do any modelling but when I see this thread and what the people put on here I gives me the reason and the sprit to get my mojo back.   

I like that the people tell you how they built/ made what they have achieved and maybe one day I could get to the standards of most of you. So thank you all for getting my mojo back. 

 

Mark Towers

[Tony Wright]

Hi All,

 

I sometimes get to the point that I can't be bothered to do any modelling but when I see this thread and what the people put on here I gives me the reason and the sprit to get my mojo back.   

I like that the people tell you how they built/ made what they have achieved and maybe one day I could get to the standards of most of you. So thank you all for getting my mojo back. 

 

Mark Towers

Your standards are already high, Mark. 

 

I'm glad you've got your modelling mojo back.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[robertcwp]

 

 

Lamps are secured by drilling a small hole in their bases (avoiding drilling a thumb), which is filled with a little blob of Blu Tak, and the lamp pushed on to the bracket. It should be a nice 'friction' fit.

 

I do like changes lamps around on locos, even if the majority stays on one type of duty. Despite thinking they're secure, loads still end up on the floor. 

 

No lamps, no.................  

I have found that Black Tack works better - I found some on eBay. It's stickier than the blue version and softer. It also doesn't show like the blue stuff does.

[robertcwp]

As no-one has tackled this as far as I can see

• Tri-ang Blue Pullman pair of power and dummy cars (with fully yellow ends) in slightly 'used' condition - similar pairs listed on Ebay for £35 - 40, which I think is ambitious
• Bachmann small Prairie - hard to tell, chassis are for sale between £35 and £60 but a boxed used loco is listed for £40, my guess is 50-odd
• Hornby 61XX - £50 - 55
• last-generation Graham Farish Pullman cars - £15 - 20 apiece
• original Tri-ang 'shorty' Pullman cars in fair condition -  a fiver each absolute max

Hope this gives you at least an idea.  I would suggest that the two locos and to a lesser extent the Farish coaches are the only especially attractive pieces here.

I would not touch a Hornby 61XX with a bargepole. It's the old Airfix body with a new chassis but is still not a great model. £50 seems a lot unless it has rarity value and is therefore collectible if in mint condition.

 

Bachmann Small Prairies are vastly better models but some had rather tight mechanisms and didn't run very well.