Wright writes.....

[Woodcock29]

Hi Jesse

 

Congratulations on getting this far.  The fact you are very happy with how it runs is terrific news.

 

I would definitely be filling in the gaps. Here in Oz I tend to use Plastibond which is available from hardware shops.

 

I'm wondering how straight the chimney is ? If its not straight its worth the effort to remove it and refit it as I see the chimney, dome and smokebox door as the face of the loco and well worth extra attention. It appears to me that you have soldered it on. I would tend to fit chimneys and domes with 5 min araldite as this allows a short time for adjustment. Although I haved soldered where you can get to a spigot from below. It may not be possible to easily remove it. If its not straight and you damage it I should be able to supply you with a replacement.

 

Regards

 

Andrew

[Jesse Sim]

2 minutes ago, Woodcock29 said:

Hi Jesse

 

Congratulations on getting this far.  The fact you are very happy with how it runs is terrific news.

 

I would definitely be filling in the gaps. Here in Oz I tend to use Plastibond which is available from hardware shops.

 

I'm wondering how straight the chimney is ? If its not straight its worth the effort to remove it and refit it as I see the chimney, dome and smokebox door as the face of the loco and well worth extra attention. It appears to me that you have soldered it on. I would tend to fit chimneys and domes with 5 min araldite as this allows a short time for adjustment. Although I haved soldered where you can get to a spigot from below. It may not be possible to easily remove it. If its not straight and you damage it I should be able to supply you with a replacement.

 

Regards

 

Andrew

Thanks Andrew, I tried and tried to get everything straight, spent half hour alone on the chimney, I think the boiler may be a bit twisted, too late now, she’s had a hard life for the LNER....haha

 

 

[Tony Wright]

37 minutes ago, Jesse Sim said:

Well the J39 is nearing completion, my very first locomotive kit, it’s not the best, but I’m happy that I’ve overcome a modelling milestone, well it is for me anyway. Few details left to add on, definitely room for improvement and may need to fill in the horrible gaps but it runs beautifully, can’t wait to do another one. 

 

Tony and everyone else, what do you think? 

 

What do I think Jesse?

 

It's a damn sight better than the first (metal) locomotive kit I built, so very well done. You must fill any gaps. If they're visible now, they'll be chasms when the loco's painted! 

 

In my defence, I did build mine 50 years ago! 

 

Regards.

 

See you soon,

 

Tony. 

 

P.S. Will I recognise you with your short hair? 

[Tony Wright]

13 hours ago, westerner said:

Tony, this is my version of that van finished as a rather weather beaten unfitted one.

 

Thanks Alan,

 

Very good work. I assume it's OO?

 

I don't think it's the same diagram, because the one I've built has a 10' wheelbase (yours appears to be 9'). 

 

I think the diagram I've built (Dia.94) was built for fast-freight work, being fully-fitted, long-wheelbase and with two brake shoes for each wheel.

 

 

I've just got to paint it now.

 

Strictly-speaking , it should have screw-shackles, rather than three-links. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

 

 

 

[Jesse Sim]

12 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

What do I think Jesse?

 

It's a damn sight better than the first (metal) locomotive kit I built, so very well done. You must fill any gaps. If they're visible now, they'll be chasms when the loco's painted! 

 

In my defence, I did build mine 50 years ago! 

 

Regards.

 

See you soon,

 

Tony. 

 

P.S. Will I recognise you with your short hair? 

 

 

Many thanks Tony, should I fill the gaps before cleaning the loco? 

 

Paint, oh dear, forgot about that part, may need to work out how to use the airbrush....

 

 

 

well when I said haircut, it’s not completely gone, my hair is at my shoulders instead of the bottom end of chest. 

[Tony Wright]

4 hours ago, AndyID said:

 

Let's hope that a rhetorical question. If it's not you might want to start a new topic.

I don't know whether it's a rhetorical question or not, Andy,

 

Though I doubt if it deserves a new topic. 

 

I was recently 'accused' of waxing lyrical about my model railway which (according to the commentator, by implication) had been 'built for me'. It would surprise nobody to know that I rather took exception to that. 

 

I hope (indeed I know) that whenever I feature anything about Little Bytham, I always credit the builder/painter. Always. To not do so is misleading and it's also grossly unfair. 

 

Whether others who've had work done for them always credit the workers is a moot point. If they don't, then they should. They should not need to be subsequently asked about a model's provenance. 

 

I see not the slightest problem in having work done by others on my model railway. In fact, it's a privilege. That much of it has been achieved by barter is an added bonus - a bonus which includes my work being present on others' railways in exchange. 

 

Any 'outside' work should always be acknowledged, that's all. Even if it becomes repetitive.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Tony Wright]

8 minutes ago, Jesse Sim said:

 

 

Many thanks Tony, should I fill the gaps before cleaning the loco? 

 

Paint, oh dear, forgot about that part, may need to work out how to use the airbrush....

 

 

 

well when I said haircut, it’s not completely gone, my hair is at my shoulders instead of the bottom end of chest. 

Clean the loco, then fill the gaps (with what Andrew recommends?), then clean again, then paint! 

 

Have fun my young (shorter-haired) friend. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Fat Controller]

13 hours ago, chris p bacon said:

 

Surely it's been destroyed by now. 

 

On the subject of 'Walts'   Many years ago I used to be a jobbing Carpenter and did work for various landlords, one of these had some flats in Bedford and quite regularly I had to attend one of the flats and change locks and do minor repairs.  Nothing odd or unusual as there was a female tenant, except this tenant seemed to have a higher number of 'Gentleman friends' than others,  with my naivity it took me about half a dozen visits to realise that she was actually a lady of negotiable virtue   She was actually very nice but did say that in her proffesion she met more people who were supposedly in the SAS/Special Forces/MI5/Government secret service, a bit odd as they were generally bald fat blokes. 

 

And before anyone asks I was paid by cheque. 

Judging by the number of people claiming to be ex-SAS, it must be the largest unit in the British Army. There used to be something similar after WW2, which was still happening when I started work in the 1970s; this was men who insisted you use their rank when addressing them, despite having been de-mobbed many years before. Oddly, they always seemed to be Captains and Majors, never sergeants or cheif stokers. Eventually, you'd discover they'd spent the duration in the Pay Corps or similar.

[Coach bogie]

I finished it at the weekend. just needs a bit of filling then painting. I suspect I will make a new door dart, having seen the close up image/

 

What have you all done to me. I have dug out a Wills big praire, I was working on a while back and never completed. I had made a straight front end for it as I thought it unlikely Hornby will make this version. I will have to finish it now.

 

Thanks again everyone

 

Mike Wiltshire

 

[D.Platt]

Morning Tony

The Parkside van is looking good I hope you have the correct number for it.  

Dennis 

[St Enodoc]

1 hour ago, Jesse Sim said:

Paint, oh dear, forgot about that part, may need to work out how to use the airbrush....

It's going to be black isn't it? Use etching primer followed by satin black, both from a rattle can.

[Barry Ten]

57 minutes ago, Coach bogie said:

I finished it at the weekend. just needs a bit of filling then painting. I suspect I will make a new door dart, having seen the close up image/

 

What have you all done to me. I have dug out a Wills big praire, I was working on a while back and never completed. I had made a straight front end for it as I thought it unlikely Hornby will make this version. I will have to finish it now.

 

Thanks again everyone

 

Mike Wiltshire

 

 

 

 

 

 

That pannier is gorgeous.

 

I need to re-repair the broken coupling rod on my Finecast prairie. The soldered repair I made only lasted for an hour of running, so I'll attempt to reinforce the join by some means. If that doesn't work, I'll need to order some new rods which might be expensive as I suspect they're only available as part of a complete fret of chassis parts.

[St Enodoc]

1 hour ago, Fat Controller said:

Judging by the number of people claiming to be ex-SAS, it must be the largest unit in the British Army. There used to be something similar after WW2, which was still happening when I started work in the 1970s; this was men who insisted you use their rank when addressing them, despite having been de-mobbed many years before. Oddly, they always seemed to be Captains and Majors, never sergeants or cheif stokers. Eventually, you'd discover they'd spent the duration in the Pay Corps or similar.

There's a very funny book about yachting called "Sod's Law of the Sea", in which one of the characters is named Major Erstwhile-Paycore.

[Bucoops]

12 minutes ago, Barry Ten said:

 

That pannier is gorgeous.

 

I need to re-repair the broken coupling rod on my Finecast prairie. The soldered repair I made only lasted for an hour of running, so I'll attempt to reinforce the join by some means. If that doesn't work, I'll need to order some new rods which might be expensive as I suspect they're only available as part of a complete fret of chassis parts.

 

Do Alan Gibson do a suitable set of rods?

[RLBH]

1 hour ago, Fat Controller said:

Judging by the number of people claiming to be ex-SAS, it must be the largest unit in the British Army. 

There are similar reports that the Atlantic Conveyor would have sunk even without an Argentine anti-ship missile, due to the weight of equipment that was aboard.

 

Since it was wartime, and packed in a hurry, the manifest wasn't 100% accurate. Everybody knew this was the case As a result, virtually every bit of missing kit in every unit in the Army, Navy and Air Force for some years afterward was claimed to have been on the Atlantic Conveyor, and no audit could prove otherwise.

[westerner]

2 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

Thanks Alan,

 

Very good work. I assume it's OO?

 

I don't think it's the same diagram, because the one I've built has a 10' wheelbase (yours appears to be 9'). 

 

I think the diagram I've built (Dia.94) was built for fast-freight work, being fully-fitted, long-wheelbase and with two brake shoes for each wheel.

 

 

I've just got to paint it now.

 

Strictly-speaking , it should have screw-shackles, rather than three-links. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

 

 

 

No Tony it is not 00 it is a O gauge Parkside PS 04. LNER 12 ton Goods Van.

[Barry Ten]

44 minutes ago, Bucoops said:

 

Do Alan Gibson do a suitable set of rods?

 

I don't know; I'd prefer to use Finecast's own rods as a first try as I know (or hope!) the axle spacing should be spot on for the chassis.

[St Enodoc]

5 minutes ago, Barry Ten said:

 

I don't know; I'd prefer to use Finecast's own rods as a first try as I know (or hope!) the axle spacing should be spot on for the chassis.

I think you can still get the Alan Gibson Universal coupling rods (caveat: I've never tried them).

[Denbridge]

1 hour ago, Barry Ten said:

 

That pannier is gorgeous.

 

I need to re-repair the broken coupling rod on my Finecast prairie. The soldered repair I made only lasted for an hour of running, so I'll attempt to reinforce the join by some means. If that doesn't work, I'll need to order some new rods which might be expensive as I suspect they're only available as part of a complete fret of chassis parts.

Alan Gibson does etched rods at very reasonable prices.

[jamie92208]

Hi Tony.  The best sorce of screw couplings is Premier.  I'll send you a set as I've got several in stock.

 

S

Jamie

[Coach bogie]

Ex Comet through Wizard produce a full set of rods pack LM20 for a large prairie

https://www.wizardmodels.ltd/shop/locomotive/lm20/

 

Mike Wiltshire

Edited July 29, 2019 by Coach bogie

[Long John Silver]

3 hours ago, Coach bogie said:

Ex Comet through Wizard produce a full set of rods pack LM20 for a large prairie

https://www.wizardmodels.ltd/shop/locomotive/lm20/

 

Mike Wiltshire

Mike, I like your pannier very much, it's a good kit, I built one over 20 years ago as yard shunter/station pilot - it's the only loco I have that has covered enough trainset miles to need new motor brushes.

Al, the Comet rods are a little bit chunkier than the Finecast ones, I've built the Comet  chassis for the large prairie for on old Airfix body and have had no trouble with the rods. I'm currently building the Finecast kit, photo attached, progress is slow but since the photo was taken I've attached the slide bars and filed the crossheads to fit. 

Regards 

Jon

[Tony Wright]

8 hours ago, westerner said:

No Tony it is not 00 it is a O gauge Parkside PS 04. LNER 12 ton Goods Van.

Thanks Alan,

 

A foolish assumption on my part. 

 

It's still very good, though!

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Tony Wright]

20 hours ago, Coach bogie said:

I finished it at the weekend. just needs a bit of filling then painting. I suspect I will make a new door dart, having seen the close up image/

 

What have you all done to me. I have dug out a Wills big praire, I was working on a while back and never completed. I had made a straight front end for it as I thought it unlikely Hornby will make this version. I will have to finish it now.

 

Thanks again everyone

 

Mike Wiltshire

 

Thanks are due to you Mike,

 

For making all the contributors' time, comments and advice on here worthwhile. Very worthwhile! 

 

You'll also inspire others yourself. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

Edited July 30, 2019 by Tony Wright
typo error after a busy day

[Barry Ten]

4 hours ago, Long John Silver said:

 

Al, the Comet rods are a little bit chunkier than the Finecast ones, I've built the Comet  chassis for the large prairie for on old Airfix body and have had no trouble with the rods. I'm currently building the Finecast kit, photo attached, progress is slow but since the photo was taken I've attached the slide bars and filed the crossheads to fit. 

Regards 

Jon

 

 

I've done the same thing - Comet under Airfix, and then a Finecast one. The difference in the fineness of the rods, as well as other things like the slidebar spacing, is fairly visible here. Both models have the same wheels and gearboxes so performance is very similar, except that the BR one is now DCC.

 

 

I'm off on holiday for a week so no soldering or fettling for me, but a goodly pile of railway magazines may have slipped into the suitcase. Best wishes to all with their modelling and other activities in the meantime, and I look forward to catching up with Wright Writes.

 

Al