Wright writes.....

[Tony Wright]

12 minutes ago, t-b-g said:

 

I did see it at exhibitions and it is a lovely model that also ran superbly. Chris is presently exhibiting a layout on the circuit based on Hemyock.

 

Ashburton was covered by an article in MRJ Issue No 31 and a follow up on the slightly offbeat signal and point operation system in issue 44.

 

Hopefully you can get access to those. It may have been in other magazines but those are the ones I know about.

 

Several of us posting in stereo! 

Tony,

 

It also featured in a book on modelling the GWR, along with the work of John Birkett Smith. I took the pictures, and I think it was published by Silver Link. Naturally, I can't immediately put my hand on my copy!

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Lecorbusier]

24 minutes ago, queensquare said:

 

It featured in MRJ 31 and is on long term loan to the South Devon Railway. Chris periodically goes down and operates the layout.

 

Jerry

I thought it was rather wonderful ( I spent a good 20 mins looking at it in detail) and would love to see it operating .... 

 

I was lucky enough to be gifted the first 150 issues of MRJ a month back, but as of yet I haven't got as far as 31 ... I shall look it out as soon as I get home.

Edited November 9, 2019 by Lecorbusier

[MJI]

17 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

Yesterday, it was my privilege to be present at the official launch of Hatton's O Gauge A3s at the firm's base in Widnes. 

 

They're proving very popular, particularly at the price of £750.00. 

 

 

A happy husband and wife take delivery of PAPYRUS from one of Hatton's staff.

 

 

And another happy customer tests his current guise FLYING SCOTSMAN. 

 

All the models tested ran superbly. A full report will appear in BRM.

 

Mo and I stayed overnight in Chester, and this morning we walked into the centre of my home city. In Frodsham Street, there's a proper camera shop, which I always visit when I'm in Chester. 

 

They had on sale a demonstration Nikon 60mm Micro lens for the fantastic price of under £400.00! Current new prices are well over £500.00. I've used my old Nikon Micro lens for many years, but it's not compatible in every way with modern digital LSRs. So, I bought this new one, and I've tried some experiments with it attached to the front of the D3. 

 

By fiddling (don't ask me how!), I've managed to get the minimum aperture down to smaller than F50! Which means that at a foot's distance to take a shot like this, everything is in sharp focus. It's my ancient Nu-Cast B16/3, out because I'm completing the same type started by Roy Jackson. Yes, I know one should never make a model of a model, but after nearly 40 years it's a reasonable reminder of how the bits fit. 

 

 

Believe it or not, this is  an N Gauge van, by Sonic Models. The lens was an inch from the subject matter! There is absolutely no chromatic aberration, nor any distortion whatsoever. What a lens! The problem is, of course, that any specks of dust look like small (or large) stones! 

 

 

I've tried a layout shot, and the results are reasonable - with room for more experimentation. B&W, in many ways, is more redolent of the time. 

 

 

By getting in close and not exploiting the minimum aperture, the principal subject matter is sharp whilst background detail is nicely understated. 

 

I know some readers are going to be aghast at my spending nearly £400.00 on just a lens, but it is part of my professional equipment, and, on first experience, worth every penny! 

 

 

 

£400 seems fair to me.

 

I am a bit like that with TVs and home electronics, however I have only owned 3 large TVs and just bought top of range, full featured but only when needed,say £1500 over a decade is better than £500 every 2 to 3 years.

 

I mentioned at work looking around for a new TV in a year or so and was aghast at the idea of a cheap one I would have to replace sooner and also be unhappy with, why change to one worse than I already have?

 

My AV receiver is over 20 years old and still works fine.

 

Simple really, buy the best you can afford when you need it, or keep buying junk because it is not very good.

[Lecorbusier]

 

[MJI]

2 hours ago, Lecorbusier said:

 

 

 

When was it first made?

[Lecorbusier]

The MRJ article is dated 1989. I understood from the information board that the model was started in the late 1970s.

[jukebox]

9 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

*snip*

 

They had on sale a demonstration Nikon 60mm Micro lens for the fantastic price of under £400.00! Current new prices are well over £500.00. I've used my old Nikon Micro lens for many years, but it's not compatible in every way with modern digital LSRs. So, I bought this new one, and I've tried some experiments with it attached to the front of the D3. 

 

 

By fiddling (don't ask me how!), I've managed to get the minimum aperture down to smaller than F50! Which means that at a foot's distance to take a shot like this, everything is in sharp focus. It's my ancient Nu-Cast B16/3, out because I'm completing the same type started by Roy Jackson. Yes, I know one should never make a model of a model, but after nearly 40 years it's a reasonable reminder of how the bits fit. 

 

 

 

Believe it or not, this is  an N Gauge van, by Sonic Models. The lens was an inch from the subject matter! There is absolutely no chromatic aberration, nor any distortion whatsoever. What a lens! The problem is, of course, that any specks of dust look like small (or large) stones! 

 

 

 

I've tried a layout shot, and the results are reasonable - with room for more experimentation. B&W, in many ways, is more redolent of the time. 

 

 

 

By getting in close and not exploiting the minimum aperture, the principal subject matter is sharp whilst background detail is nicely understated. 

 

I know some readers are going to be aghast at my spending nearly £400.00 on just a lens, but it is part of my professional equipment, and, on first experience, worth every penny! 

 

 

 

I know you said "don't ask me how", Tony,  but that's like putting a sign on the control panel saying "Don't push the red button"!

 

How did you get down to such a small aperture??????? - a very useful result for layout photography, so I'm curious.

 

Cheers

 

Scott

 

[Tony Wright]

1 hour ago, jukebox said:

 

 

I know you said "don't ask me how", Tony,  but that's like putting a sign on the control panel saying "Don't push the red button"!

 

How did you get down to such a small aperture??????? - a very useful result for layout photography, so I'm curious.

 

Cheers

 

Scott

 

I really don't know, Scott,

 

I 'fly by the seat of my pants' with regard to photography, switching off everything the camera wants to do automatically and doing everything manually. Nominally, the lens stops down to F32, so I lock that aperture in. By then turning the control wheel on the D3, it then indicates F36, F40 and even F50. There is an actual difference. It only works like that on the D3. On the Df it just indicates F32 as a minimum.  

 

As with many things I do, I really don't have a clue! 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Jesse Sim]

Evening all, any chance someone could help with identifying a lowmac wagon? 
 

I bought it without instructions, just in a paper bag, all the bits were there, I assembled it this afternoon with ease, but I’m not sure what company it’s from....anyone have an idea so I can get the paints and transfers for her? 

[65179]

It looks like a Lowmac EP/EQ. One of the family of lowmacs first built by the GCR and perpetuated with various changes by the LNER (as MAC NV etc) and BR. See Paul Bartlett's site: https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/lnerlowmac

 

Simon

[Tony Wright]

2 hours ago, Jesse Sim said:

Evening all, any chance someone could help with identifying a lowmac wagon? 
 

I bought it without instructions, just in a paper bag, all the bits were there, I assembled it this afternoon with ease, but I’m not sure what company it’s from....anyone have an idea so I can get the paints and transfers for her? 

It looks a nice job, Jesse,

 

Well done! All soldered, I hope?

 

How's the 'boot'?

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Jesse Sim]

2 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

It looks a nice job, Jesse,

 

Well done! All soldered, I hope?

 

How's the 'boot'?

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

Many thanks, of course, imagine if I glued it?!!? Imagine the back hand I would have received. Both lowmac and GE cattle wagon are soldered, as all of my white metal and brass attempts, even the j39! 
 

im feeling much better since we spoke on the phone, no pain meds in two days and I’m walking without crutches. 

[Jesse Sim]

1 hour ago, 65179 said:

It looks like a Lowmac EP/EQ. One of the family of lowmacs first built by the GCR and perpetuated with various changes by the LNER (as MAC NV etc) and BR. See Paul Bartlett's site: https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/lnerlowmac

 

Simon

Oh excellent many thanks, I wonder what the source of the kit is, DS perhaps? 

[MJI]

11 hours ago, Lecorbusier said:

The MRJ article is dated 1989. I understood from the information board that the model was started in the late 1970s.

 

I ma pretty sure I was reading about a model of this station in the late 70s early 80s

[APOLLO]

Photography - I "should" be an expert at it - but I certainly am not.

 

After working with the US air force in WW2 (a long story !!) dad, being an amateur photographer got a job in the advertising dept at Belle Vue, Manchester - then a growing entertainment concern. Late he worked for several local papers, Sheffield Telegraph, Evening Chronicle (Wigan), St Helens Reporter before settling at the Wigan Observer. He taught me basic photography and darkroom skills, he commandeered a room at our old home for this - what an "interesting" place that was - utilising a home made enlarger  - with a zeiss lens and bits of my brother's Meccano !!  The developer warmer was an 100 watt light bulb in a light sealed biscuit tin !!! Prints washed in the kitchen sink - Nevertheless it all worked well.

 

I remember he always said "the lens takes the photograph" and he swore by Zeiss lenses and Icon folding cameras,. Later he bought a Rolleiflex twin lens 8 on 120, for general work but for a while wouldn't touch Japanese though he later purchased a Mamiyaflex which he liked. I still have a few of his old cameras - perhaps collectors items now. The darkroom stuff went a long time ago.

 

My first camera was a 16 on 120 folding camera, later a 35mm Agfa twin lens "Flexilette" - Most of my photos in my albums below were taken by the Flexilette, guessing the aperture / speed ratio and distance to subject (no light meter most times - 125th at F8 worked most times !!).

 

I remember 35mm cassette filling in his pitch black darkroom, all done by touch !! Transferring the film from cassette to developing tank, again in perfect darkness was a pain also.  Photo enlarging / developing / fixing / washing / drying was a process I enjoyed back in the 60's & 70's.

 

Today I (like most) just point and click and I think electronic photography is superb (I often wonder what dad would have thought about it), but, as dad used to say and Tony has demonstrated above, for real top notch photos it's still the lens that takes the picture (together with skill of the subject).

 

Brit15

 

 

[Woodcock29]

1 hour ago, Jesse Sim said:

Oh excellent many thanks, I wonder what the source of the kit is, DS perhaps? 

Hi Jesse

The lowmac looks like an old Ks kit to me. I've got one my Dad built in the early 60s and also an unbuilt one I picked up on eB..

The one Dad built I've lettered as an LNER Mac NV.

The Dapol (formerly Airfix) plastic kit of a lowmac can be made into a reasonable model of an ex GE Mac K

Andrew

[Allegheny1600]

I had similar 'darkroom' experiences to Apollo, after classes at school where my then teacher was a very enthusiastic amateur. TBH, I can't remember his name although I'm sure that one of my old teachers was John Sutton, the 3mm scale guy.

My earliest 'pictures' were rather fuzzy shots taken from Derbys London Road bridge facing the way & works sidings at that date (c.1977-78) filled with loads of lovely Sulzer engined diesels, all in very plain blue.

As Apollo says though, the Lens is the key and it's remarkable how advanced such things are today, such that a mobile phone can be fitted with something equal to what we used to tote around in a great big bag!

By the way, are Zeiss still going?

Cheers,

John.

[CF MRC]

Lest we forget. 

Tim

[MJI]

Resin casting.

 

Do many of us use this technique to produce more items?

 

I am currently doing some right now, seats for a DMU, seats for detailing old Airfix aircon open firsts, vents for 2CDE stock based on Airfix. And a few Mark 1 underframe boxes for buffets. My RBR (RU), Bar, Booth, TH RMB all use them.

[chris p bacon]

8 minutes ago, MJI said:

Do many of us use this technique to produce more items?

 

I use it for many items, at present some Clerestorey roof parts as well as bogie sides. 

[jukebox]

3 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

I really don't know, Scott,

 

I 'fly by the seat of my pants' with regard to photography, switching off everything the camera wants to do automatically and doing everything manually. Nominally, the lens stops down to F32, so I lock that aperture in. By then turning the control wheel on the D3, it then indicates F36, F40 and even F50. There is an actual difference. It only works like that on the D3. On the Df it just indicates F32 as a minimum.  

 

As with many things I do, I really don't have a clue! 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

Fascinating!

 

In doing a little snooping around on the www. now, and depending on your point of focus and distance to subject, I see that your lens can apparently go down as far as f57!!!!  Unsure why the D3 would be different to the Df, but I'm a Canon user, so these things elude me...

 

Amazing stuff for an off-the shelf piece of glass - you certainly got great value for money.

 

Regards

 

Scott

 

 

 

[Jesse Sim]

50 minutes ago, Woodcock29 said:

Hi Jesse

The lowmac looks like an old Ks kit to me. I've got one my Dad built in the early 60s and also an unbuilt one I picked up on eB..

The one Dad built I've lettered as an LNER Mac NV.

The Dapol (formerly Airfix) plastic kit of a lowmac can be made into a reasonable model of an ex GE Mac K

Andrew

Thanks Andrew, if it is an old kit, it went together really easy, sometimes old kits are a bit of a pain 

[Headstock]

On 09/11/2019 at 08:52, Chamby said:

 

Morning, Headstock.  I must admit to scratching my head about the colour of lettering on some early BR liveried loco’s.  In this instance I was led by the fact that whilst Fox Transfers produce BRITISH RAILWAYS lettering in white, off-white and yellow, the requisite curly six is issued on a separate sheet only in the ‘off white’.  I will give the lettering a wash of yellow-tinted varnish, and then when toned down with weathering, it should look more as you describe.  There is a lot of ‘toning down’ and weathering still to do on this layout... but scratch building platform structures and a canopy will hopefully be my big priority this winter.

 

With thanks,

 

Phil

 

Good afternoon Phil,

apologies for the late reply, the situation is rather complicated but one of the things that makes your modelling period so much more interesting. Model Masters do full sets of different size British Railways and the numbers, with the curly six, in cream, white and Yellow.

On plain black locomotives 12'' is definitely yellow and with a combination of sizes of lettering, ie 6'' British Railways and 12'' numbers it would be yellow. 12'' was the LNER standard for Gill sans numbers and lettering. The 10'' straight six in white/cream was introduced around August Sept 1948 by most works. As a result, locomotives turned out in MT lined black in July 1948 were painted cream as per the BR spec but with 12'' numbers and letters with the curly six/nine. I have only seen the white/cream12'' curly six in this condition.

Plain black locomotives also received the straight six and white/cream lettering from August, Sept 1948, in 10'' lettering or smaller. Here's the complicated bit, it is possible that a plain black locomotive may have received 10'' white/cream lettering or smaller with the curly six, if so, the size would be consistent between numbers and letters. I have yet to find a plain black loco in this condition. I say it is possible because Green locomotives did receive the White/ cream lettering with the curly six in 10'' or smaller. The B1's, mostly delivered from outside contractors at this time, seem to have been uniformly yellow. The A3's also had curly six and straight six numbers whilst in LNER/British Railways green, I haven't done enough research into them to see if there was a difference in colour associated with the straight six and curly six. The only colour photo that I have of an A3, is of an example with a curly six that is yellow.

The photo below demonstrates the complexity of the situation. The B12 is in green with white cream lettering with curly six. The British Railways tender lettering in the background is in 12'' chrome yellow originally used by the LNER.

Edited November 10, 2019 by Headstock
change defiantly to definitely.

[Headstock]

As an addition note and to add to the discussion on weathering. The Green A3's that came to the GC in 49 were in appalling condition. Livery details were obscured by much many faceted muck. Enterprise, was the only one still carrying its LNER number and tender lettering. 12'' Gill sans chrome yellow was just discernible under the filth.

[Chamby]

3 hours ago, Headstock said:

 

Good afternoon Phil,

apologies for the late reply, the situation is rather complicated but one of the things that makes your modelling period so much more interesting. Model Masters do full sets of different size British Railways and the numbers, with the curly six, in cream, white and Yellow.

On plain black locomotives 12'' is defiantly yellow and with a combination of sizes of lettering, ie 6'' British Railways and 12'' numbers it would be yellow. 12'' was the LNER standard for Gill sans numbers and lettering. The 10'' straight six in white/cream was introduced around August Sept 1948 by most works. As a result, locomotives turned out in MT lined black in July 1948 were painted cream as per the BR spec but with 12'' numbers and letters with the curly six/nine. I have only seen the white/cream12'' curly six in this condition.

Plain black locomotives also received the straight six and white/cream lettering from August, Sept 1948, in 10'' lettering or smaller. Here's the complicated bit, it is possible that a plain black locomotive may have received 10'' white/cream lettering or smaller with the curly six, if so, the size would be consistent between numbers and letters. I have yet to find a plain black loco in this condition. I say it is possible because Green locomotives did receive the White/ cream lettering with the curly six in 10'' or smaller. The B1's, mostly delivered from outside contractors at this time, seem to have been uniformly yellow. The A3's also had curly six and straight six numbers whilst in LNER/British Railways green, I haven't done enough research into them to see if there was a difference in colour associated with the straight six and curly six. The only colour photo that I have of an A3, is of an example with a curly six that is yellow.

The photo below demonstrates the complexity of the situation. The B12 is in green with white cream lettering with curly six. The British Railways tender lettering in the background is in 12'' chrome yellow originally used by the LNER.

 

Many thanks, Andrew.  You don’t see many colour photographs of former LNER loco’s wearing BR green livery applied before the totem was introduced...  most photos were still in B&W around this time.

 

Part of the attraction of Modelling (medelling?) in this era is the myriad of different livery and numbering combinations being worn alongside each other.  Though it does make the portrayal of individual locomotives with absolute prototypical accuracy a nightmare, especially given that for many loco’s, their liveries were quite transient.