Wright writes.....

[Clem]

Looking at recent posts listing people's modelling achievements this years has prompted me to look back and to my surprise see just how much I have got done, in spite of feeling frustrated at my seeming lack of pace. The year started off by completing the London Road Models J5 65498 (although it still lacks coal and crew) and proceeded on to putting in a new junction from the hidden sidings to improve the operation of the layout. In hand with that were 2 new control panels including electronics for signalling and a small lever frame. A side extension was added to the visible layout giving room for a new siding in the goods yard.  Three working signals installed on the layout (two of which also built this year - the third was built last year). Following on from the layout board and track improvements I added a substantial number of vans and wagons from kits and detailed some container wagons. A number of RTR Gresleys and Thompsons have been repainted and weathered.  The down platform has been cut to shape prior to fitting (due to be done as soon as I can). A Bachmann O4 has been converted into  EM as an O4/7 and a signal box based on Breadsall's signal box has been built from scratch with a wing and a prayer. Unfortunately at the moment we have a serious illness in the family and modelling has had to take very much a back seat but I'm hoping once we fully get on top of the situation some time will be found to proceed. Happy Christmas and a Happy New Year to all!

 

Clem

 

 

Edited December 21, 2019 by Clem

[Compound2632]

12 hours ago, APOLLO said:

Is an increase in CO2 causing such rampant growth rates ? - I don't really know but it's quite noticeable something is happening. Earlier this year Network rail cleared an area to allow works for the new depot at Springs Branch - guess what - immediate & noticeable new rampant growth - stopped now for winter but just wait till spring !!

 

I suppose for some (perhaps farmers) this is a positive outcome of increasing atmospheric CO2.

 

1 hour ago, Dunsignalling said:

CO2 is effectively what plants use to create tissue. There are presumably limits to how much they can absorb, but it is entirely logical that, if more of it is available to them, they should grow faster and/or bigger.

 

As a science teacher, I'm afraid I can't let these slightly wide of the mark comments pass. I won't give you the full KS3 works but in essence, plants absorb CO2 from the atmosphere, converting it, with the aid of water absorbed primarily through their roots, into glucose, whilst releasing oxygen as a by-product - fortunate for us animals. The energy to drive this reaction comes from sunlight - this is the photosynthesis reaction. The great majority of the mass of any plant is carbon that has been absorbed from the atmosphere - plants grow out of thin air! The limit to the rate of growth is not the amount of atmospheric CO2 but other factors such as the amount of sunlight, water, and mineral nutrients available. 

 

The rampant growth seen at the railway lineside over the last few decades, compared to the steam era or even the 1970s, apart from reduced clearance / maintenance, is due to the reduction in pollution of the railway environment - timber sleepers etc. no longer creosoted; ash no longer used for surfacing paths; banning of the most lethal weedkillers.

 

Increasing atmospheric CO2 is doing no-one any favours - as the leading greenhouse gas, its increase is directly leading to increased average global atmospheric temperatures, the consequences of which will inevitably become more apparent over the coming decade.

 

On a more cheerful front, my modelling highlights. It's been rather a slow year for actually finishing anything - too many projects creeping forward in parallel - but here's one that is basically complete. Looking back 120 years or so to a time when coal was king - though global energy consumption was peanuts to what it is today - a couple of Midland Railway loco coal wagons, not the usual style but reproducing wagons in a c. 1902 photo at Westhouses shed:

 

 

These are 4 mm/ft scale, 00 gauge, built from Slaters kits with my usual improvements of thinning the visible edges of the axleguards and trimming the molded lugs at the sides of the axleboxes so that they don't go all the way back to the axleguard. The dedicated finescale modeller would replace these parts with brass etches and whitemetal castings; I regard my approach to modelling as pseudo-finescale! These particular kits I bought second hand and assembled; they'd been glued together so it was straightforward to break them apart and rebuild avoiding the error in misalignment of solebar and headstock into which the design of the kit leads the unwary. The nearer wagon has an extra piece of end strapping that many of these wagons had. The numberplates are home made - the numbers are those of wagons in the Westhouses photo. The wagon on the extreme right carries the more usual loco coal wagon livery; this is a Mousa (Bill Bedford) printed kit, which has the earlier style of Midland axlebox. 

 

I like to think that my wagon modelling is based on observation - for my period, that means close scrutiny of the background of photographs where there's always some engine parked blocking the view!

 

 

Edited December 21, 2019 by Compound2632

[t-b-g]

I have finished very little this year and the things that I have finished have been for other people, so I haven't much to "show and tell" other than a number of part finished projects and this.

 

 

 

Not the best photos as they were snapped on the less than good camera on my tablet device.

 

I would just like to say how lovely it is to see so many models hat people have been building, of such high quality.

 

When words are written about RTR conquering all and modelling by making things fading away, we clearly have some way to go before model making as opposed to model buying is extinct.

[Northmoor]

Tony - You've said there aren't spotters around any more.  Most of the time I think you're right - you can go through Clapham Junction on a weekend and there is no-one at the end of the platforms - but it looks like special events still bring us out of the woodwork, judging by some of the photos posted here:

 

 

[Oldddudders]

I believe the devil that started the growth of lineside vegetation was simply Continuous Welded Rail. Wherever that was laid, you no longer needed a daily walk by a patrolman to knock in bullhead chair keys and look for faults. Whole gangs disappeared - and with them the nice neat embankments and cuttings.

 

Come Autumn, down came leaves as never before from all the new trees - much to the dismay of the driver trying to keep to schedule. So we had water-cannon, plasma torches, sandite, and now a Railhead Treatment Train, just to keep trains actually running. 

 

The railway's neighbours, of course, love the trees and bushes, which muffle the sound of trains and obscure them from view. They also act, unquestionably, as a delightful environment for nature's creatures, birds and insects.

 

As for modelling achievements in 2019, well, relatively few, really, although I did get the basic structure in place for the down platform at Beaworthy, and finally gave in and replaced the bogies on my Bulleid coach fleet. The original metal bogies had fine wheelsets, but did not run well compared to the modern plastic equivalents from Bachmann, and several were falling to pieces. I shall need to add lower footboards, though. Since the coaches - nearly 20 of them - are Lawrence/Goddard products bought at a bargain price, you can imagine I am rather pleased!

 

 

Quote

 

 

[Killybegs]

7 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

Great stuff, John,

 

Just what Wright Writes is all about.

 

Showing my ignorance, what did these start off as, please? I assume they're on new chassis? SE Finecast (assuming they're 4mm)? 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

They are both Bachmann bodies on High Level chassis with Alan Gibson P4 wheelsets. The wheels in the pics are old ones that I use to set up the chassis. I have done extra detailing on the chassis. Is chassis the plural of chassis?? 

[mullie]

Is it still possible to get Markits balance weights anywhere? I am trying to finish a Comet chassis in EM and Andrew at Wizard Models says he doesn't stock them, my go to place for most things. The latest catalogue seems to be dated 2013. Can Markits be contacted directly?

 

Failing that I'll have to make some.

 

Many thanks for any assistance provided and happy Christmas to all on this enthralling thread.

 

Martyn

[Tony Teague]

On 17/12/2019 at 19:33, Tony Wright said:

He brought these two locos for minor attention - Tony, please tell me if they now work properly. 

 

 

Tony

 

With apologies for the delay due to other distractions, I can confirm that both locos now run perfectly, so many thanks for the 100% success rate!

 

Tony

[Michael Edge]

Yes but locomotives are built on frames, chassis are for road vehicles.

[robertcwp]

A few days ago, there was some discussion about how clean or otherwise engines were.

 

Here is a very dirty 60026, c1962-3. Given its appearance, I thought it might have been a Gateshead engine, but it seems to have been at King's Cross in the early 1960s:

60026_BrookmansPark_early-1960s by Robert Carroll, on Flickr

 

The engines on the GC section were often far from clean. I have just acquired this original image formerly in the Colour Rail range:

60911_Amersham_27-12-58 by Robert Carroll, on Flickr

[Lecorbusier]

23 hours ago, Dunsignalling said:

Possibly more worrying is the proliferation of quite large trees growing out of the sides of embankments and cuttings at often precarious angles. Many of these will eventually become dislodged under their own weight and take a big chunk of what they are growing in with them. In my youth, such areas got burned back regularly (usually in alternate years IIRC) primarily to prevent lineside fires set by steam locomotives, but with the additional benefit that nothing grew large or heavy enough to endanger the structure.

I am no expert in things arboricultural, but most of what I have read and gleaned working with tree experts over the years would suggest that erosion tends to occur when trees are not present. I know that in many instances trees are now actively planted to stabilise unstable banks and hillsides because the roots serve to bind the structure together and encourage other binding scrub. How this relates to railway embankments and cuttings I have no idea, but I would have thought they were more stable and better engineered than those slopes where trees are now being actively planted.

Edited December 22, 2019 by Lecorbusier

[Tony Wright]

3 hours ago, mullie said:

Is it still possible to get Markits balance weights anywhere? I am trying to finish a Comet chassis in EM and Andrew at Wizard Models says he doesn't stock them, my go to place for most things. The latest catalogue seems to be dated 2013. Can Markits be contacted directly?

 

Failing that I'll have to make some.

 

Many thanks for any assistance provided and happy Christmas to all on this enthralling thread.

 

Martyn

Martyn,

 

01923 249711.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Tony Wright]

3 hours ago, Tony Teague said:

 

Tony

 

With apologies for the delay due to other distractions, I can confirm that both locos now run perfectly, so many thanks for the 100% success rate!

 

Tony

I'm delighted Tony,

 

They only needed a few tweaks. Both are very well-built.

 

I know it's a difficult time, but I hope all went well yesterday (or as well as can be expected).

 

Kind regards,

 

Tony. 

[Tony Wright]

4 hours ago, mullie said:

 

Yet another case of being unale to start a new post. Never mind, I just delete everything from the one which came up.

 

Thanks ever so much for all the fantastic models which have been shown over the last few days. Such a wealth of talent, self-reliance and a down right go-ahead attitude. Those who don't make models themselves (or won't, or claim they can't) don't know what they're missing! 

 

One other thing I'll do before the year is out is have a look at the layouts I've taken pictures of during the last 12 months. Not as many as in the past (I'm retired!!!!!), but still plenty.

 

Indeed, I photographed one today.

 

 

 

Ian Wilson's beautiful ironstone line in O Gauge. It'll feature in BRM next year. 

 

Geoff Haynes weathered some of the wagons.

 

He also painted and slightly weathered this......................

 

 

Painted on commission, after the owner built it from an MOK kit. We both thought it rides a little high at the front end.

 

Impressive nonetheless. 

 

 

 

 

[Barry O]

13 hours ago, robertcwp said:

A few days ago, there was some discussion about how clean or otherwise engines were.

 

Here is a very dirty 60026, c1962-3. Given its appearance, I thought it might have been a Gateshead engine, but it seems to have been at King's Cross in the early 1960s:

60026_BrookmansPark_early-1960s by Robert Carroll, on Flickr

 

The engines on the GC section were often far from clean. I have just acquired this original image formerly in the Colour Rail range:

60911_Amersham_27-12-58 by Robert Carroll, on Flickr

 

Notice the frames and running gear, unlike RTR and a lot of "professional" weathering is not coated with brown colours. 

 

Lovely photos Robert.

Baz

Edited December 22, 2019 by Barry O

[St Enodoc]

13 hours ago, Michael Edge said:

Yes but locomotives are built on frames, chassis are for road vehicles.

Yeah but no but yeah but...

 

That's certainly true of the prototype of course, Mike, but in model form we have - at the very least - the frames, motor, gears, wheels, coupling rods and (sometimes) motion, brake gear and other bits. I've always thought of those, collectively, as the chassis (in the way that you could buy a whitemetal body kit to fit a Jinty chassis).

[dibateg]

Lovely picture of 60911 at Amersham, and notice the black and I presume LM lamps. I mixed lamps on a loco on Charwelton once, one black, one white. An 'authority' at a show said 'That wouldn't have happened'. I had copied it from a photograph......

 

Have a great Xmas everyone and all the best for your modelling endeavours in 2020.

 

Tony

[richard i]

51 minutes ago, dibateg said:

Lovely picture of 60911 at Amersham, and notice the black and I presume LM lamps. I mixed lamps on a loco on Charwelton once, one black, one white. An 'authority' at a show said 'That wouldn't have happened'. I had copied it from a photograph......

 

Have a great Xmas everyone and all the best for your modelling endeavours in 2020.

 

Tony

We had many “experts” at shows. Partly from them being wrong half the time and partly from my job, I have learnt to say “what made you do it that way?”  If they have proof then I don’t look a Wally for pointing it out negatively. 

Richard

[Clive Mortimore]

53 minutes ago, dibateg said:

Lovely picture of 60911 at Amersham, and notice the black and I presume LM lamps. I mixed lamps on a loco on Charwelton once, one black, one white. An 'authority' at a show said 'That wouldn't have happened'. I had copied it from a photograph......

 

Have a great Xmas everyone and all the best for your modelling endeavours in 2020.

 

Tony

Hi Tony

 

I think the best I have had from Mr Authority at a show was being told repeatedly that the demilitarised Airfix figure pushing  his lawn mower made from scrap bits of plastic and microstrip was a kit and where did I get it from , because there was no way I had built it.

[Clive Mortimore]

2 minutes ago, richard i said:

We had many “experts” at shows. Partly from them being wrong half the time and partly from my job, I have learnt to say “what made you do it that way?”  If they have proof then I don’t look a Wally for pointing it out negatively. 

Richard

I have been on the receiving end of “what made you do it that way?” complete with that teacher stare, many a time. 

[richard i]

8 minutes ago, Clive Mortimore said:

I have been on the receiving end of “what made you do it that way?” complete with that teacher stare, many a time. 

And so have your children. 

[gr.king]

1 hour ago, dibateg said:

Lovely picture of 60911 at Amersham, and notice the black and I presume LM lamps. I mixed lamps on a loco on Charwelton once, one black, one white. An 'authority' at a show said 'That wouldn't have happened'. I had copied it from a photograph......

 

Have a great Xmas everyone and all the best for your modelling endeavours in 2020.

 

Tony

 

The "authority" would presumably assert that the photograph was wrong......

[gr.king]

15 minutes ago, Clive Mortimore said:

Hi Tony

 

I think the best I have had from Mr Authority at a show was being told repeatedly that the demilitarised Airfix figure pushing  his lawn mower made from scrap bits of plastic and microstrip was a kit and where did I get it from , because there was no way I had built it.

 

Nice when somebody shows so little faith in your creative modelling skills isn't it?

 

11 minutes ago, Clive Mortimore said:

I have been on the receiving end of “what made you do it that way?” complete with that teacher stare, many a time. 

 

Why do it that way? Presumably because there isn't yet any known law to say that you can't.

 

I quite enjoy it at times when others think I'm wrong or insane.  Is that most of the time?

[Tony Wright]

1 hour ago, dibateg said:

Lovely picture of 60911 at Amersham, and notice the black and I presume LM lamps. I mixed lamps on a loco on Charwelton once, one black, one white. An 'authority' at a show said 'That wouldn't have happened'. I had copied it from a photograph......

 

Have a great Xmas everyone and all the best for your modelling endeavours in 2020.

 

Tony

A great Xmas to you, Tony, and everyone else as well!

 

Do you remember the 'experts' commenting on Stoke Summit? 

 

The clot at Wigan who said that there should be a calling-on arm into the sand drag at the end of the Down slow. Which railway would signal an illegal move? Or the dopey signalman (yes, a real one) at Wells who said the Up distant was far too close to the tunnel. I whipped out my book of prototype shots and explained to the chump that it was the inner distant (the outer one, a colour light, being at the other end of the tunnel). 'Ah' was his response. Or the bloke at York who complained that all Stoke Summit was was trains going past. 'Look, there's one, and another - and another'. He also complained that he couldn't get near enough to it to complain! I shook his hand, which astonished him. Or the twerp who complained at Nottingham, with half an hour to go to close, that we were taking trains off. 'They should be running until the show closes he opined'. 'But the ones we're taking off, won't run again' I said. 'The sequence takes 40 minutes to complete, and we only have 30 left. Not only can you not see them because they're in the fiddle yard, but you won't see the ones we take off running on the front again. There will, however, be trains running right up to the close'. 'I'm complaining to the exhibition manager'. 'Do so (and under my breath, you plonker)'. 

 

There are many more.......................... One day I'll write a book about exhibiting!

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Jol Wilkinson]

25 minutes ago, Clive Mortimore said:

Hi Tony

 

I think the best I have had from Mr Authority at a show was being told repeatedly that the demilitarised Airfix figure pushing  his lawn mower made from scrap bits of plastic and microstrip was a kit and where did I get it from , because there was no way I had built it.

Clive,

 

it's part of an ever increasing social trend - rather like football supporters - where people believe they know how things should be done, without actually having the experience of actually doing it.

 

Jol