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Wright writes.....


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Happy Birthday Tony.

 

This thread does strange things to you. I now model in EM and have just cleared the decks to start fitting point rodding and I'm building my second etched chassis how did that happen!

 

I do enjoy my modelling a lot more now so thanks for the inspiration everyone.

 

Martyn

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1 hour ago, Chamby said:

Happy Birthday Tony.  Have you treated yourself to something special modelling-wise?

Thanks Phil,

 

Nothing extra special; just getting on with building a DJH C2 for Jesse Sim, making another van, fitting Sprat and Winkle couplings to another and completing the weathering on a wagon built by a mate...................

 

12609062_birthdaywork.jpg.531aba27b6a8eec1d8606a175befce7c.jpg

 

All in a normal (birth) day's work. 

 

Seriously, I wonder how much modelling time is wasted by folk not actually getting on with things. A friend has been contemplating building a layout for over two decades now. He has the space, the time and the resources, but nothing ever seems to get done. 'One day' is the usual reply to my inevitable question. 

 

Dining with my oldest friend today, he can't believe how much time I spend on railways. Or, how much is built in that time. He's another who's contemplating building a layout 'some day', but in two months' time he'll be 73 as well! 

 

Without appearing too lugubrious, the time left to us is diminishing all-too-fast, and I still have so many projects I'd like to embark upon and complete. An SR S15 awaits beginning, as does the W1, and there's the C2 and a K1 to complete. That's not too mention my completing LB's point rodding. Then there are kits for a C12, a B12, a Stanier Black Five, a Stanier 8F and a Britannia, all awaiting the iron. 

 

For all those dithering, time is running out! 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

Edited by Tony Wright
to add a little more
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34 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

Thanks Nick,

 

Is that really that old K's kit you bought off me at Wigan? Just last weekend! 

 

What fantastic work. 

 

My compliments indeed. 

 

Thanks, too for all the good wishes today from everyone.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

It is indeed that same kit Tony.

 

Nick

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Happy Birthday TW! 

 

I find the comments from so many people "I wish I had the ....." and insert, time, talent, space, money, into that sentence. If some one really wants to do something generally the only thing that is stopping them is their confidence! No matter how busy you are you can find time and create it! If This is saying, "on Monday night I will not sit in front of the TV, I will start by getting out a kit and doing as much as I can until 10pm..."

 

Suddenly after 3 weeks they have something finished this has also formed a habit... the cycle of TV shows has moved on and the normal in the house has changed. This also produces the talent as skills are created and the confidence grows. The next 2 are more challenging as money is always finite on a daily basis but the good news is it is a renewable resource! People might read of the large layouts with heaps of kit built locos but this is generally not where people have started. Usually it has started with a wagon or a loco or a coach so a small purchases add up to be a large collection. I have had local friends say how did I end up with so many RTR locos wagons etc.. I bought them one at a time! 

 

Personally I have created a bit of a New Years resolution last year, 2018! Which as continued through this year of trying to finish something each month. My total for this year is down on the 14 items last year... but I am still making, doing, creating, what I want. So similar to TW's philosophy encourage everyone to get on with things look to improve. However one thing I must add is to keep changing what your doing as if all you are doing is building box vans set the challange by a date then go onto something else such  as a building, variety keeps the interest going. 

 

Unsurprisingly this is type of mental gymnastics improves mental health, you control what you do and as this is creating at your pace becomes a sort of cognitive behaviour therapy so you feel better! Also you will drink less and smoke less (though I do hope people are giving this up...) as the modelling become more engaging but also as drinking impairs your skills and speed to get things done.

 

With all of this it is making me want to get up and do some modelling as the clock has just gone 8.13am on a Saturday morning! 

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9 hours ago, NickM said:

It is indeed that same kit Tony.

 

Nick

I'm amazed Nick,

 

On several levels..............

 

1. Though I was a 'reasonably-successful' teacher in a past-career (over 20 years at the chalk face), I didn't think I was that good! You claim never to have soldered white metal (successfully?) before. Yet, I give you no more than ten minutes of my time showing you how to solder the bunker rear together on that dear old thing, and, lo and behold, the bodywork is almost complete in less than a week! I can only put it down to your being a 'brilliant pupil'. 

 

2. You've graphically-illustrated how it's possible for a relative 'novice' to learn a technique and put it into immediate practice; with great success. Beginners can learn a lot more from this than they can from me. It really is inspirational! Instead of finding excuses why NOT to do any modelling, you've found the reasons why TO make models.

 

3. That poor old K's kit has been in my 'possession' now for about two and a half months.  It must have been first-bought by someone long-deceased, about 60 years ago (maybe more). Obviously, it's been in and out of its box during that time, because the box you bought it in was for a BEC J52 (of equal antiquity). Down the years it must have been acquired by others through more deaths (don't worry; it's not cursed!) until it came my way via a mate as part of a collection of oddities, mouldering away in the bottom of an ancient (and even more mouldering!) cardboard box. That lovely old 'Prince of Wales' featured a while ago was in the collection. I put it up for sale at £15.00, on behalf of CRUK, took it to a couple of shows and nobody even looked at it. Until I used it for that white metal soldering demonstration! And you then bought it for £20.00! Thanks again for your generosity. I think my future career paths might include second-hand car salesmanship or becoming an estate agent! Now, it's going to be a 'living' model. A unique creation, not something shipped in from far away (no matter how good) and the absolute product of 'personal modelling'.

 

4. You've made a 73 and a day year old very happy.

 

5. You are to be commended for illustrating what Wright Writes is all about.

 

6. Thank you.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

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9 hours ago, DougN said:

Happy Birthday TW! 

 

I find the comments from so many people "I wish I had the ....." and insert, time, talent, space, money, into that sentence. If some one really wants to do something generally the only thing that is stopping them is their confidence! No matter how busy you are you can find time and create it! If This is saying, "on Monday night I will not sit in front of the TV, I will start by getting out a kit and doing as much as I can until 10pm..."

 

Suddenly after 3 weeks they have something finished this has also formed a habit... the cycle of TV shows has moved on and the normal in the house has changed. This also produces the talent as skills are created and the confidence grows. The next 2 are more challenging as money is always finite on a daily basis but the good news is it is a renewable resource! People might read of the large layouts with heaps of kit built locos but this is generally not where people have started. Usually it has started with a wagon or a loco or a coach so a small purchases add up to be a large collection. I have had local friends say how did I end up with so many RTR locos wagons etc.. I bought them one at a time! 

 

Personally I have created a bit of a New Years resolution last year, 2018! Which as continued through this year of trying to finish something each month. My total for this year is down on the 14 items last year... but I am still making, doing, creating, what I want. So similar to TW's philosophy encourage everyone to get on with things look to improve. However one thing I must add is to keep changing what your doing as if all you are doing is building box vans set the challange by a date then go onto something else such  as a building, variety keeps the interest going. 

 

Unsurprisingly this is type of mental gymnastics improves mental health, you control what you do and as this is creating at your pace becomes a sort of cognitive behaviour therapy so you feel better! Also you will drink less and smoke less (though I do hope people are giving this up...) as the modelling become more engaging but also as drinking impairs your skills and speed to get things done.

 

With all of this it is making me want to get up and do some modelling as the clock has just gone 8.13am on a Saturday morning! 

What a wise post, Doug.

 

It should be framed and fixed to all modellers' workroom walls. 

 

Just one caveat: having watched some Australian TV last year, I considered it no hardship at all to turn the telly off. I thought British telly was bad, but, in my opinion, Aussie stuff beats it hands down in terms of mediocrity. Which, I'm told (though I cannot comment personally), is completely eclipsed in its being ghastly by American TV! 

 

Perhaps Richard I might enlighten us on this.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

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7 hours ago, Clem said:

 

Hi Tony, guilty as charged. Retirement is paradise. But it has one big drawback: the clock in your head changes somehow. I used to do 3 or 4 times as much modelling in a day that I do now. And it's not for want of trying. Maybe it's the lack of deadlines. Anyway, top marks for the application and quality that you and many people on this thread do exhibit. Must try harder!

 

I think all the discussion with regard to observation a few days ago was spot on. Although I'm not building an actual location, for me, it's important to try to reflect the everyday sights that ran on the 'Friargate line',  as it has come to be known, including those that seemed to be peculiar to the line. For instance, several times I remember seeing coal trains coming up the Pinxton Branch with a couple of container wagons at the front. I was with my brother and the family box camera on one occasion in February 1957 when we were lucky enough to capture an instance on film. Apologies for the picture quality - the camera really was bottom of the range I think. I'm still researching the details of  the whys and wherefores, but the containers contained parts from the "Metal Box' factory at Newthorpe and Greasley including of all things, bed springs.

 

AwsworthJct_WD_Containers_Feb1957.jpg.005601028754c21ed2b9113be2ddd42e.jpg

 

So, one of these trains simply had to be modelled, reflecting this photo:

 

IMG_0503_rdcd.jpg.c1d4b36bbdb9113b9162e9679f0279ab.jpg

 

and one showing some of the other stock recently built.

 

IMG_0502_rdcd.jpg.75555f96ef97a9fe058f82ce1e4bc2c1.jpg

 

Best wishes

 

Clem.

Thanks Clem,

 

Lovely stuff - thanks for posting it.

 

I assume those (fitted?) container wagons are there for braking purposes?

 

Regards,

 

Tony.  

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10 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

 

 

Without appearing too lugubrious, the time left to us is diminishing all-too-fast, and I still have so many projects I'd like to embark upon and complete. An SR S15 awaits beginning, as does the W1, and there's the C2 and a K1 to complete. That's not too mention my completing LB's point rodding. Then there are kits for a C12, a B12, a Stanier Black Five, a Stanier 8F and a Britannia, all awaiting the iron. 

.....and Kiveton Park?!

 

A belated happy birthday for yesterday.

 

I’m exhibiting our club layout, Oakbourne, at the Croydon show this weekend.  If anyone’s attending, do come over and say ‘Hi’.

 

Regards

 

Andy

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Belated birthday greetings, Tony. It sounds as though you had a good one :)

 

I am reading your words of encouragement regarding soldering with great interest. By coincidence some of my free time yesterday was spent encouraging another modeller to 'have a go' at tackling whitemetal soldering, and between myself and a couple of others, I think we have succeeded :)

 

Best wishes

Mark

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Good morning Tony and a belated "Happy Birthday" to you.

 

I have made progress with my home layout and altered the type, shape and design of it completely. It is now an end to end of 19ft x 2ft with a GWR / Southern terminus at one end and fiddle yard at the other. I have got as far as putting the underlay and track down livening up some temporary wiring and testing the circuit with some old locomotives, all is well and the track has no dead spots and all in analogue using an old four track controller and point levers.

It is being built in the style of how I remember some of my childhood, so Triang / Airfix / Hornby buildings, all sorts of track, old locos etc etc but I have three locos I am building from kits plus numerous wagons and coaching stock to convert and weather and eventually in the next year I will have a childhood model railway but the stock and formations and timetable will represent a more realistic scene.

So extremely happy at present out in the garage will post some images soon. 

 

Regards

 

Peter

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46 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

Lovely stuff - thanks for posting it.

 

I assume those (fitted?) container wagons are there for braking purposes?

No, although they were fitted, I don't know whether they bothered connecting them up for their journey into Colwick. They were picked up from Newthorpe and Greasley on the Pinxton Branch as required. Interestingly, it didn't change the class of train (Class J 'Mineral or Empty Wagon Train'). I think there was only one pick up goods on the branch and in the up direction, it followed the last passenger train down, the engine coming off the passenger at Pinxton and returning with the pick up. For whatever reason, it was obviously deemed more urgent for the containers to be picked up earlier in the day by a passing mineral train.

I have a friend who worked in the goods yard at the next station down from Newthorpe in 1953/4 and he thinks the containers were unloaded and picked up from there, the containers reaching the factory then by road (about a mile). Whilst I'm sure that containers were loaded/unloaded at Eastwood, Newthorpe did have sidings into the factory and there's at least one photo of container wagons in the sidings adjacent to the factory. So, whilst I can't say I've definitely got to the bottom of it, it's this kind of local research that makes modelling the prototype so interesting.

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Belated "Happy Birthday" to you Tony. Some very wise thoughts from you, Doug N and Clem on making progress rather than procrastinating. I agree with Clem that retirement seems to change things a bit, I've actually found it more difficult to reserve time for modelling since I retired. This year like DougN I've tried to finish projects, I've not been as successful but there has been progress, a batch of wagons 5 years in the making are nearly complete and my first loco kit in 10 years is progressing; the chassis is now working. I've also sorted out a lot of minor, but irritating faults in both may layouts. Momentum is building. 

ATB Jon

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5
2 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

I'm amazed Nick,

 

On several levels..............

 

1. Though I was a 'reasonably-successful' teacher in a past-career (over 20 years at the chalk face), I didn't think I was that good! You claim never to have soldered white metal (successfully?) before. Yet, I give you no more than ten minutes of my time showing you how to solder the bunker rear together on that dear old thing, and, lo and behold, the bodywork is almost complete in less than a week! I can only put it down to your being a 'brilliant pupil'. 

 

2. You've graphically-illustrated how it's possible for a relative 'novice' to learn a technique and put it into immediate practice; with great success. Beginners can learn a lot more from this than they can from me. It really is inspirational! Instead of finding excuses why NOT to do any modelling, you've found the reasons why TO make models.

 

3. That poor old K's kit has been in my 'possession' now for about two and a half months.  It must have been first-bought by someone long-deceased, about 60 years ago (maybe more). Obviously, it's been in and out of its box during that time, because the box you bought it in was for a BEC J52 (of equal antiquity). Down the years it must have been acquired by others through more deaths (don't worry; it's not cursed!) until it came my way via a mate as part of a collection of oddities, mouldering away in the bottom of an ancient (and even more mouldering!) cardboard box. That lovely old 'Prince of Wales' featured a while ago was in the collection. I put it up for sale at £15.00, on behalf of CRUK, took it to a couple of shows and nobody even looked at it. Until I used it for that white metal soldering demonstration! And you then bought it for £20.00! Thanks again for your generosity. I think my future career paths might include second-hand car salesmanship or becoming an estate agent! Now, it's going to be a 'living' model. A unique creation, not something shipped in from far away (no matter how good) and the absolute product of 'personal modelling'.

 

4. You've made a 73 and a day year old very happy.

 

5. You are to be commended for illustrating what Wright Writes is all about.

 

6. Thank you.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

Sometimes you just need a little kick.  I had always feared to bring a soldering iron near white metal - it just seemed counter-intuitive as it melts so easily.  I guess having soldered electronics for around 50 years I already had some basic skills, just never on white metal.  Once you showed me and I tried it, it just fell into place.   

 

It's amazing what can be taught in a few minutes.  You made a point about solder also being the 'filler'. Didn't mean much at the time, and against what I'd learned in electrical soldering, but, it's that that enabled me to make a slightly rough K's casting into something sort of resembling a model.  There was a fair bit of solder filling (and filing) needed around the smokebox and front buffer-beam, but by using solder instead of plastic filler I could do that in minutes rather than days, and the results are far better.

 

It's not just about teaching techniques and skills though - it's about inspiration and encouragement to get on and do stuff.  You have to try, and sometimes fail and then figure how to fix things.  I quickly learned is that the side of the soldering bit is just as hot as the tip and one careless touch will melt something.  Only happened once though.

 

As someone on the cusp of retirement (probably within the next 6 months or so) the thing I fear most is getting into an "I've got plenty of time, I'll do it tomorrow" mode.  I completely agree we need to find reasons to do stuff - that's not always easy, but sometimes a little encouragement and inspiration go a long way. 

 

I have an Albion Models M.S.W.J.R. 4-4-0 waiting in the wings once I finish the 97xx pannier.

 

Nick

 

 

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Hi Tony

 

my apologies I did not read back far enough on your thread.

 

I am out of the country at the moment so can only pick up WiFi every so often.

 

May I wish you a belated Happy Birthday hope you had an enjoyable day.

 

Regards

 

David

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American tv is awful. News is 5 mins long and only on local shootings and a bake sale. The films last half hour takes an hour and a half due to all the adverts, and they are not even funny. Just political, fashion and doctors.

 

as to the use of correct words, especially sitting or sat. Number one son at breakfast discribed someone as sating. I picked him up for this but don’t know if he picked it up in Essex or across the pond. 

 

Richard

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1 minute ago, richard i said:

American tv is awful. News is 5 mins long and only on local shootings and a bake sale. The films last half hour takes an hour and a half due to all the adverts, and they are not even funny. Just political, fashion and doctors.

 

as to the use of correct words, especially sitting or sat. Number one son at breakfast discribed someone as sating. I picked him up for this but don’t know if he picked it up in Essex or across the pond. 

 

Richard

 

Satting is not an Essex thing thank you lol.

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3 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

What a wise post, Doug.

 

It should be framed and fixed to all modellers' workroom walls. 

 

Just one caveat: having watched some Australian TV last year, I considered it no hardship at all to turn the telly off. I thought British telly was bad, but, in my opinion, Aussie stuff beats it hands down in terms of mediocrity. Which, I'm told (though I cannot comment personally), is completely eclipsed in its being ghastly by American TV! 

 

Perhaps Richard I might enlighten us on this.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

Your info regarding American TV is spot on. It truly is awful on so many levels. I spend a lot of time across the pond and have come to detest long evenings in random hotels between meetings. A good book is far better.

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Australian TV is half way between British and American in terribleness.

 

It's not all bad though. Back when I used to do astronomy for a living, we used to come down from the telescope in the morning, crack open a tinny, and watch

re-runs of Bergerac.

 

On the occasional subject of grammar, I was surprised to hear a BBC announcer describe the group Cream as "comprised of" Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker.

 

Al

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51 minutes ago, richard i said:

American tv is awful. News is 5 mins long and only on local shootings and a bake sale. The films last half hour takes an hour and a half due to all the adverts, and they are not even funny. Just political, fashion and doctors.

 

as to the use of correct words, especially sitting or sat. Number one son at breakfast discribed someone as sating. I picked him up for this but don’t know if he picked it up in Essex or across the pond. 

 

Richard

Hi Richard

 

As Rich says "Sating" ain't an Essex word. I would have thought you would have realised that after teaching in Essex. However I do understand on your return you are now teaching children in a part of Essex which has an English dialect that bears no relation with any other forms of English so "Sating" could well be in their vocabulary.

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26 minutes ago, Clive Mortimore said:

Hi Richard

 

As Rich says "Sating" ain't an Essex word. I would have thought you would have realised that after teaching in Essex. However I do understand on your return you are now teaching children in a part of Essex which has an English dialect that bears no relation with any other forms of English so "Sating" could well be in their vocabulary.

I thought sating was wot ladies' dresses were made from...

 

Sating and lace,

I used to call funny face.

 

M Gordon

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Tony

 

I am just catching up with the thread this afternoon.

 

I wish you a belated happy birthday and many more of them. As you write, time is marching on for us all, so we had better “keep bashing on”!

 

Eric

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