Wright writes.....

[Tony Wright]

32 minutes ago, Manxcat said:

Tony,

 

Would it be possible, please, for you to post a photo of the underside of two of your coaches where the hook and bar coupling system you use is installed? I am interested in the dimensions of the hook and bar, their positioning relative to the buffer heads and how they are attached to the coach body. I am thinking about trying it on one of my rakes. Thanks.

 

Hope you and Mo continue to be in good health.

 

Archie

Good evening Archie,

 

We're keeping safe and sound, thanks Archie. 

 

I hope you and yours are doing the same.

 

I'll take pictures of my couplings for you tomorrow. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Tony Wright]

3 hours ago, Northmoor said:

Tony - Are you listening to 5 Live Sports Extra at the moment?  They are replaying the Test Match Special from last years "Miracle at Headingly"; Stokes and Leach are in and 46 runs still needed..........

I'm not, though I've watched some of it on telly today.

 

Amazing!

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Tony Wright]

6 hours ago, richard i said:

I think we will be seeing many more photographs from this side of the layout  to allow the ridding it’s time in the limelight. It will mean crawling under the layout more often. 
richard 

'It will mean crawling under the layout more often'

 

Which I've been doing this evening..........

 

Not just because of the point rodding but because the 'far side' offers some quite different photographic opportunities from the ordinary viewing side.

 

Opportunities like these.........

 

 

 

More tomorrow.

 

One disadvantage is it allows viewing beyond the scenic breaks, where the tracks duck round tight 90 degree curves, normally invisible. 

 

 

However, with a bit of Paintshop trickery.........

 

 

Cheating?

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

 

[davidw]

47 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

'It will mean crawling under the layout more often'

 

Which I've been doing this evening..........

 

Not just because of the point rodding but because the 'far side' offers some quite different photographic opportunities from the ordinary viewing side.

 

Opportunities like these.........

 

 

 

More tomorrow.

 

One disadvantage is it allows viewing beyond the scenic breaks, where the tracks duck round tight 90 degree curves, normally invisible. 

 

 

However, with a bit of Paintshop trickery.........

 

 

Cheating?

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

 

Cheating no. 

 

But I must say Little Bytham looks better and better.

[DougN]

7 hours ago, Clem said:

Doug, I've done 2 of his J39 chassis kits. I did buy them many years ago, though. Are you saying that he's now changed the design for the J39? If so I'd be interested in trying one again. Both of mine also run well but the EM one gave me a bit of trouble as the frames were still slightly too wide. I eventually sorted it with much fiddling and filing. I must say the Bachmann bodies do sit very well on the Bradwell chassis and the inside motion detail is brilliant.

 

It was a very long time ago when I spoke to Dave, he did mention that the new foldout horn guides were to be incorporated into his older kits. So I would suggest that you contact him to see if he has up graded the J39 also. 

 

Yes his kits are time consuming and challenging but isn't that the point. They are enjoyable from the journey as well as the running? Tiny I think you should give the WD a go and see how you go. Yes OO does need to do more work but the instructions and bits are all there! 

[St Enodoc]

3 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

I'm not, though I've watched some of it on telly today.

 

Amazing!

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

Am I alone in not wanting to watch a replay of any sporting event of which I already know the result?

[Jesse Sim]

4 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

'It will mean crawling under the layout more often'

 

Which I've been doing this evening..........

 

Not just because of the point rodding but because the 'far side' offers some quite different photographic opportunities from the ordinary viewing side.

 

Opportunities like these.........

 

 

 

More tomorrow.

 

One disadvantage is it allows viewing beyond the scenic breaks, where the tracks duck round tight 90 degree curves, normally invisible. 

 

 

However, with a bit of Paintshop trickery.........

 

 

Cheating?

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

 

I always enjoy sitting on the other side of the layout when I’m over, it feels different, a different perspective, plus I’m young enough to crawl under a dozen times in a session (cause I pop out for a smoke). 
 

Next time I’m over Tony, with your permission, I’d like to have a go at operating the Midland/Great Northern. 

[grahame]

On 08/04/2020 at 10:29, Tony Wright said:

Lovely work Grahame,

 

Please keep the pictures and reports of it coming.......

 

Thanks. So here's a little progress on my latest little N/2mm row, and in black and white to give a more grubby period atmosphere . . .

 

 

I think I've just about finished the hard structural modelling for this row now. Just the fiddly and fragile details to make and add (like down pipes, sticking out shop signs, pub hanging signs, and so on). And the supermarket window displays. Plus some tidying up and more weathering/toning down.

 

 

[Tony Wright]

5 hours ago, Jesse Sim said:

I always enjoy sitting on the other side of the layout when I’m over, it feels different, a different perspective, plus I’m young enough to crawl under a dozen times in a session (cause I pop out for a smoke). 
 

Next time I’m over Tony, with your permission, I’d like to have a go at operating the Midland/Great Northern. 

Good morning Jesse,

 

When LB has a full operating team (four/five), it's advantageous for the Up and Down drivers to be on the far side. 

 

When you're next over, you can operate whatever you like. Let's hope it's not too long.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[dibateg]

I was having a think about why I'm enjoying the Bytham photos so much - I think its the colours which help it look real. Whatever it is about them ( and I'm no artist ) they look right and convincing. It's like getting up and walking down to the railway each morning to see what coming past.

 

Back on the point rodding, I installed this set of cranks for the rodding to cross the track a couple of years ago on Heyside. I had to carve out some pretty solid ballast. It looks right enough and completes the scene. I made sure to include the facing point lock...

 

Regards

Tony

[grahame]

7 minutes ago, dibateg said:

 

Back on the point rodding, I installed this set of cranks for the rodding to cross the track a couple of years ago on Heyside. I had to carve out some pretty solid ballast. It looks right enough and completes the scene. I made sure to include the facing point lock...

 

 

That is wonderfully convincing trackwork, rodding and environs.

 

 

[Tony Wright]

8 hours ago, DougN said:

 

It was a very long time ago when I spoke to Dave, he did mention that the new foldout horn guides were to be incorporated into his older kits. So I would suggest that you contact him to see if he has up graded the J39 also. 

 

Yes his kits are time consuming and challenging but isn't that the point. They are enjoyable from the journey as well as the running? Tiny I think you should give the WD a go and see how you go. Yes OO does need to do more work but the instructions and bits are all there! 

Good morning Doug,

 

'Yes his kits are time consuming and challenging but isn't that the point?' 

 

And a good point, well-made. Martin Finney once made a similar comment to me with regard to why I never built any of his kits. My answer was the same as I mentioned to Clem concerning Dave Bradwell's kits.

 

Assuming I could build them (and it's a huge assumption), the time taken (given a 'realistic' fiscal return) would have resulted in a price nobody would be prepared to pay. OK, if your standards were that of the late John Hayes (and had such a 'name'), but not for a journeyman pro-builder like me. 

 

Take for example V2s. I've built them professionally from Jamieson kits, Nu-Cast kits, Pro-Scale kits (gulp!) and Crownline/PDK kits. Give or take, each one will have taken me about 35-40 hours to complete. Then, with a professional paint job (Steve Barnfield, Ian Rathbone or Geoff Haynes), the end price would not be beyond what my customers expected (at the last count a bit more than £1,000.00 complete). Who'd pay over £3,000,00 for a V2 built from a Finney kit by me? Perhaps more? 

 

Of course mates' rates are considerably less (don't get frightened Jesse!) or where I've sold a model I originally made for myself to a mate. The following two locos are examples of the latter practice, both sold to mates for less than half of that of a full-commissioned price. 

 

 

 

A Jamieson V2 I originally built for service on Grantham, painted by Geoff Haynes. It's seen running on LB when we ran the 1938 weekend, nearly two years ago. 

 

Note the small amount of point rodding made and installed! 

 

 

And a DJH 'Klondike' I made, also for service on Grantham. Again, painted by Geoff Haynes.

 

 

And, as seen running on LB in '1938'.

 

 

 

Jonathan Wealleans bought it, and it still sees service on Grantham. 

 

One thing regarding 'price' for building something I should mention is the amazing generosity of both Jamie Guest and (especially) Dave Wager who both gave their services entirely free of charge to produce the magnificent M&GNR girder bridge, recently installed. Jamie for doing all the CAD work and (the incredible) Dave Wager for actually building it. Both wanted to do something for Little Bytham! 

 

I owe Jamie lots of photographs and Dave a considerable amount of help when he builds locos. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Jesse Sim]

48 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

Good morning Jesse,

 

When LB has a full operating team (four/five), it's advantageous for the Up and Down drivers to be on the far side. 

 

When you're next over, you can operate whatever you like. Let's hope it's not too long.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

Whatever I like? Shame you haven’t got the TVR anymore...

 

I hope it’s not too long either, hopefully next year if it all calm’s down 

[Jesse Sim]

8 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

Good morning Doug,

 

'Yes his kits are time consuming and challenging but isn't that the point?' 

 

And a good point, well-made. Martin Finney once made a similar comment to me with regard to why I never built any of his kits. My answer was the same as I mentioned to Clem concerning Dave Bradwell's kits.

 

Assuming I could build them (and it's a huge assumption), the time taken (given a 'realistic' fiscal return) would have resulted in a price nobody would be prepared to pay. OK, if your standards were that of the late John Hayes (and had such a 'name'), but not for a journeyman pro-builder like me. 

 

Take for example V2s. I've built them professionally from Jamieson kits, Nu-Cast kits, Pro-Scale kits (gulp!) and Crownline/PDK kits. Give or take, each one will have taken me about 35-40 hours to complete. Then, with a professional paint job (Steve Barnfield, Ian Rathbone or Geoff Haynes), the end price would not be beyond what my customers expected (at the last count a bit more than £1,000.00 complete). Who'd pay over £3,000,00 for a V2 built from a Finney kit by me? Perhaps more? 

 

Of course mates' rates are considerably less (don't get frightened Jesse!) or where I've sold a model I originally made for myself to a mate. The following two locos are examples of the latter practice, both sold to mates for less than half of that of a full-commissioned price. 

 

 

 

A Jamieson V2 I originally built for service on Grantham, painted by Geoff Haynes. It's seen running on LB when we ran the 1938 weekend, nearly two years ago. 

 

Note the small amount of point rodding made and installed! 

 

 

And a DJH 'Klondike' I made, also for service on Grantham. Again, painted by Geoff Haynes.

 

 

And, as seen running on LB in '1938'.

 

 

 

Jonathan Wealleans bought it, and it still sees service on Grantham. 

 

One thing regarding 'price' for building something I should mention is the amazing generosity of both Jamie Guest and (especially) Dave Wager who both gave their services entirely free of charge to produce the magnificent M&GNR girder bridge, recently installed. Jamie for doing all the CAD work and (the incredible) Dave Wager for actually building it. Both wanted to do something for Little Bytham! 

 

I owe Jamie lots of photographs and Dave a considerable amount of help when he builds locos. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

Speaking of the C2 how’s it coming along? No rush of course, just asking. 

[DougN]

Your right Tony the idea of building one for payment is one thing but for a personal challange, that is another? 

 

My enjoyment is the challenge that the kits provide to get them running just "so". Yes I have and continue to be challenged with the kits I am building. Which I enjoy though at times you have to walk away... if in 30 years I have a collection as vast as your own is of no matter to me. Even you, at the same time, mid 40's may have said "I just enjoy what I do " with teenagers, a house, a demanding career etc...  I have friends that are amazed at the RTR collection I have but this is a collection I have been accumulating for years... and I admit I am not a large purchaser of the latest and greatest but I do have an example of most of the LNER classes available despite missing a couple. I really started around the same age as Mr Sim. Influenced by some guy who wrote kit building articles named Wright... but I was also influenced by a local group of modellers who always strived to be better. Named Peter England, Roger Howell, Paul Kehoe, Darryl Taylor, my good friend Jeff SRman to name a few. There are a lot of others as well unfortunately a lot are no longer with us but a large number are! So they started me and continue with us on this journey as in some ways your good self has. 

 

Any how back to this modelling thing. My V2's have moved forward again but I am fettling the running of the con rods and cylinders at the moment so no interesting photos... it shows just how fine the tolerances are with these kits and over on the scalefour forum a member has put up photos of the real thing and it shows that th real thing has extremely close tolerances. So I will continue working on them both. More photos when there is some substantial movements... my daughter also wanted her bed room painted again which has taken 4 hours out of today also!

 

 

[Tony Wright]

1 hour ago, Jesse Sim said:

Speaking of the C2 how’s it coming along? No rush of course, just asking. 

It's with Geoff for painting.

 

It's in the queue.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Tony Wright]

As requested yesterday, some shots of my coupling system........

 

 

 

It really is very simple, consisting of nothing more than some PCB sleeper strip, .45mm brass or nickel silver wire, 30Amp fusewire, some solder and some superglue. Pence really, in the grand scheme of things.

 

Because the couplings pull off the headstocks, not the bogies (just like the real things) it's much more stable, with fewer chances of snatching and derailments. It works just as well in propulsion, never comes uncoupled, but is (obviously) non-automatic. I find it perfect for fixed rakes.

 

 

 

For fixed rakes (not operating into termini), don't forget the rear end. Few things destroy 'realism' in my view as much as a gross, tension-lock coupling sticking out beneath the headstock of the last vehicle in a train (or underneath the front buffer beam of a loco). 

 

Archie, I hope these pictures help.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

 

 

Edited April 12, 2020 by Tony Wright

[gordon s]

Your pictures of Little Bytham, Tony, just get better and better. The point rodding certainly adds to the realism and it was clearly worth spending the time to add it. The pictures from 'bridge height' are very convincing and the custard and cream coaches passing LB and heading towards the M & GN branch really takes me back to my transpotting days of running from one side of a bridge to the other as the train passed underneath.

 

I saw mention of the DJH WD earlier and that prompted me to go digging in the cupboard once again. This really hasn't been out since it's arrival, so here's Graham's WD built from a DJH kit. It's immaculate in ex works condition, so probably the only WD in existence looking shiny and new. Along with everything else on ET, it all needs weathering, so it may never be seen again in this condition. I wonder if they were ever this clean at any time in their life...

 

As a latecomer to your thread, I'm really enjoying seeing the superb pictures. Really something to aspire to.....

 

[Tony Wright]

3 minutes ago, gordon s said:

Your pictures of Little Bytham, Tony, just get better and better. The point rodding certainly adds to the realism and it was clearly worth spending the time to add it. The pictures from 'bridge height' are very convincing and the custard and cream coaches passing LB and heading towards the M & GN branch really takes me back to my transpotting days of running from one side of a bridge to the other as the train passed underneath.

 

I saw mention of the DJH WD earlier and that prompted me to go digging in the cupboard once again. This really hasn't been out since it's arrival, so here's Graham's WD built from a DJH kit. It's immaculate in ex works condition, so probably the only WD in existence looking shiny and new. Along with everything else on ET, it all needs weathering, so it may never be seen again in this condition. I wonder if they were ever this clean at any time in their life...

 

As a latecomer to your thread, I'm really enjoying seeing the superb pictures. Really something to aspire to.....

 

A really lovely model. Gordon.

 

Typical of Graham' Varley's superb craftsmanship. However, as you imply, it really does need weathering. And, after looking at hundreds of WD pictures when building models, I can find none which shows that Austerities ever had glass in their side windows. 

 

Many thanks for your kind comments.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[gordon s]

....must have been a visit from the local double glazing salesman.....

 

Did I read you had a TVR?  

[Tony Wright]

More 'far side' pictures, 

 

 

More the nearside, really, though I operated the camera from the left, as A4 (Wills/scratch/Wright/Rathbone) 60014 SILVER LINK has the morning fast from Newcastle.

 

 

Passing an O2/1 (NU-Cast/Wright/Haynes) on empty minerals heading back to the Notts pits. 

 

 

We follow the O2/1 as it plods along the Down slow platform.

 

 

Either the photographer were very fleet of foot, or there were several snappers! 

 

One problem in getting 'candid' shots like this is the size of the camera. A mini one would be ideal here, but I can't get on with them.

 

 

63927 plods on, passing all that point rodding. The rodding stretches for just about the whole length of the scenic section! 

 

The sharp-eyed (or even the myopic) will note that, because it's non-working, the trap point in the lay-by is incorrectly set. 

 

 

 

Edited April 12, 2020 by Tony Wright

[Tony Wright]

3 hours ago, gordon s said:

....must have been a visit from the local double glazing salesman.....

 

Did I read you had a TVR?  

'Did I read you had a TVR?'

 

You did Gordon,

 

A five-litre Chimaera!

 

I had it for just over 11 years, it never failed and it left many a 'boy racer' is its tyre smoke! 

 

MPG? 20, if I were lucky! 

 

Though still entirely legal, it was getting to the point where I needed to spend some considerable money on it - four new tyres (a lot), a blowing exhaust (it had two systems), some remedial work on the chassis and (probably) a complete respray. 

 

The final straw was when I caught sight of my reflection in a shop window when standing in traffic in Bourne one summer's day, with the roof off. I decided then, I was much too old for the car! 

 

Regards,

 

Tony.  

Edited April 12, 2020 by Tony Wright
typo error

[Tony Wright]

2 hours ago, dibateg said:

I was having a think about why I'm enjoying the Bytham photos so much - I think its the colours which help it look real. Whatever it is about them ( and I'm no artist ) they look right and convincing. It's like getting up and walking down to the railway each morning to see what coming past.

 

Back on the point rodding, I installed this set of cranks for the rodding to cross the track a couple of years ago on Heyside. I had to carve out some pretty solid ballast. It looks right enough and completes the scene. I made sure to include the facing point lock...

 

Regards

Tony

That's fantastic point rodding Tony.

 

I don't think I've ever seen anything as realistic a representation of it on a model.

 

LB's colours?

 

At every stage, working with the group, it was decided that a limited palette was the answer, be that scenery, architecture, trackwork, locos, stock, weathering, etc,. The last-mentioned is most-important. I know weathering is very important to you (you're very good at it), and, to me, nothing 'destroys' realism more than glossy, perfectly-clean models, whatever they might be representations of.

 

Regards,

 

Tony.  

[zr2498]

GAM coach modification.

This is a follow up to earlier posts re the rewheeling of GAM coaches.

Here is a link to a post describing the procedure.

https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/40088-golden-age/page/4/

 

Tony / Juke

I would appreciate your opinion re the GAM A4's and the apparent lack of tractive force

Under 12 c) of the post

Dave

[gordon s]

57 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

'Did I read you had a TVR?'

 

You did Gordon,

 

A five-litre Chimaera!

 

I had it for just over 11 years, it never failed and it left many a 'boy racer' is its tyre smoke! 

 

MPG? 20, if I were lucky! 

 

Though still entirely legal, it was getting to the point where I needed to spend some considerable money on it - four new tyres (a lot), a blowing exhaust (it had two systems), some remedial work on the chassis and (probably) a complete respray. 

 

The final straw was when I caught sight of my refection in a shop window when standing in traffic in Bourne one summer's day, with the roof off. I decided then, I was much too old for the car! 

 

Regards,

 

Tony.  

 

You really can't beat the sound of a V8. There's something about that bauble noise that really is music to a petrol head. I still drive a V8, but feel under pressure from the change in society in terms of climate change and electric cars. Daft really as I only do around 6,000 miles a year and the roads are choc a block or cameras snap you if you move more than a few mph over the limit. As soon I hit a 30 or 40 limit, on goes the cruise control as it's so easy to creep over the limit when your eyes are on the road all the time. I said this would be my last car, but I suspect a VW Golf or similar may be just round the corner. I have yet to drive an electric car, but the lack of engine noise will take a lot of getting used to.

 

I hadn't appreciated the fact about glass windows in the cab. It took a while, but found one in Edward Talbot's book on the Standards....90025 with glass. It was the only one mind you....