Wright writes.....

[polybear]

11 hours ago, GH in EM and O said:

A busy morning today, priming six locos, all built by Tony. I think that is the most I have done in one go, and as many as I can fit in the drying propagators. 

 

 

Welcome back to RMWeb Geoff .  Now your delivery dates will go sideways....

Mind you, two posts in seven years means that you must be a master of self-restraint, or a secret lurker....

Great book, by the way

 

2 hours ago, manna said:

G'day Folks

 

With that many loco's to paint, do you use a 'Roller' or a six inch brush..........

 

manna

 

A friend of mine, who was a top-end decorator (RIP Pete) couldn't believe how I'd managed to get such a dead straight (and dead vertical) paintwork line on the front wall of my terraced house, made all the more difficult as the house is pebble-dashed.

He didn't believe me at first when I told him I'd used a plumb line string stretched between two screws set at the top and bottom of the wall, and a Humbrol modeller's brush.....

I recall it took a while, and the brush wasn't fit for much at the end.

 

2 hours ago, Lantavian said:

What is your secret source of money, please?

 

 

Tony is Lord of the Manor of Little Bytham.

[Atso]

3 hours ago, manna said:

G'day Folks

 

With that many loco's to paint, do you use a 'Roller' or a six inch brush..........

 

manna

 

He's a professional Manna, so he has a big vat of primer that he simply dips the locos into. None of the brush or roller nonsense!

[Tony Wright]

3 hours ago, Lantavian said:

What is your secret source of money, please?

 

There's no secret. 

 

What I 'earn' from my hobby, I can spend on it. 

 

I'm BRM's proof reader and I'll regularly write reviews and/or take new product pictures for the magazine. 

 

I also write articles and take layout photographs, not just for BRM but for the Railway Modeller as well. Not only that, I regularly contribute to BRILL and have written (and am writing) bookazines/books for Irwell Press, as well as proof-reading some of their books.

 

I also build models on commission, either for monetary payment, or payment in kind.

 

Not only that, I provide pictures for DJH and will test-build/write instructions for them. I'll also be the first 'independent' builder for any SE Finecast new loco kit. 

 

And, I'll assist RTR manufacturers in the development of new models.

 

Which, overall, means I'll either earn money from what I do or receive payment in kind in the way of painting services or kits/components/new models. 

 

I'm often amused by folk who say to me how lucky I am. 'You've landed on your feet, there', I'm told. Or 'How come you've got to be in such a privileged position?'. The answer is quite simple, and is best summed up by (my, or anyone) being able to satisfy five main conditions; these being...........

 

1. Gain enough knowledge of the prototype to be able to become an 'expert' advisor. I've put expert in speech marks, because I've no wish to claim anything but a working knowledge of, say, ex-LNER locos. Enough expertise to be commissioned to write The Book of The B1s for Irwell Press, for instance. And to have been a 'consultant' at various times to Hornby, Bachmann, Accurascale, Oxford Rail and others, and kit-manufacturers.  

 

2. Be able to write to a professional standard (axiomatic).

 

3. Be able to photograph model railways (or anything) to a professional standard (axiomatic).

 

4. Be able to build models to a professional standard (axiomatic).

 

5. Be able to front seminars, lectures, presentations, demonstrations, after dinner speeches and model-making classes, etc,.

 

Obviously, 'professional' needs qualification, but I think the description (in this context) is understood. 

 

There you go. That's all that's required!

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[landscapes]

11 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

There's no secret. 

 

What I 'earn' from my hobby, I can spend on it. 

 

I'm BRM's proof reader and I'll regularly write reviews and/or take new product pictures for the magazine. 

 

I also write articles and take layout photographs, not just for BRM but for the Railway Modeller as well. Not only that, I regularly contribute to BRILL and have written (and am writing) bookazines/books for Irwell Press, as well as proof-reading some of their books.

 

I also build models on commission, either for monetary payment, or payment in kind.

 

Not only that, I provide pictures for DJH and will test-build/write instructions for them. I'll also be the first 'independent' builder for any SE Finecast new loco kit. 

 

And, I'll assist RTR manufacturers in the development of new models.

 

Which, overall, means I'll either earn money from what I do or receive payment in kind in the way of painting services or kits/components/new models. 

 

I'm often amused by folk who say to me how lucky I am. 'You've landed on your feet, there', I'm told. Or 'How come you've got to be in such a privileged position?'. The answer is quite simple, and is best summed up by (my, or anyone) being able to satisfy five main conditions; these being...........

 

1. Gain enough knowledge of the prototype to be able to become an 'expert' advisor. I've put expert in speech marks, because I've no wish to claim anything but a working knowledge of, say, ex-LNER locos. Enough expertise to be commissioned to write The Book of The B1s for Irwell Press, for instance. And to have been a 'consultant' at various times to Hornby, Bachmann, Accurascale, Oxford Rail and others, and kit-manufacturers.  

 

2. Be able to write to a professional standard (axiomatic).

 

3. Be able to photograph model railways (or anything) to a professional standard (axiomatic).

 

4. Be able to build models to a professional standard (axiomatic).

 

5. Be able to front seminars, lectures, presentations, demonstrations, after dinner speeches and model-making classes, etc,.

 

Obviously, 'professional' needs qualification, but I think the description (in this context) is understood. 

 

There you go. That's all that's required!

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

Hi Tony

 

Wow with all that work going on  I am surprised that Little Bytham ever got built.

 

Thoroughly enjoying your thread.

 

Regards

 

David

[St Enodoc]

14 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

I don't think a model railway thread is the place to discuss religion, or belief. Or politics, or the weather?

Blimey, are we going to have to talk about trains then?????

[Tony Wright]

13 minutes ago, landscapes said:

Hi Tony

 

Wow with all that work going on  I am surprised that Little Bytham ever got built.

 

Thoroughly enjoying your thread.

 

Regards

 

David

Thanks David,

 

But remember, Little Bytham was built by a team. And, members of the team satisfied most (if not all) of the five imperatives I mentioned. 

 

I admit, I have been very fortunate. Fortunate to be 'in the right place at the right time', but, luckily, able to do what's necessary to make the most of it.

 

Some time ago, one friend stated that I'd been very lucky to get 'modellers working for you', sort of implying that I must have a load of dosh. Since that's all he could have contributed to a project (having very limited modelling-making skills himself), he couldn't possibly understand. The only way to have become a member of the group(s) which built the likes of Stoke Summit, Charwelton and Little Bytham was to be able to offer a (very) high degree of model-making skills, in all the disciplines. That's not to say every member could do everything (my woodworking skills produce excellent kindling!) but just waving money at the projects (even though there was an obvious cost) was never going to be enough.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Tony Wright]

11 hours ago, Atso said:

Hello Tony, I hope that you and all the forum members are well.

 

I was a lucky chap the other day in being presented with a Dapol Garter Blue A4 'Sea Eagle' for my birthday. The loco was a 'NQP' returned item that had additional discounts added which made it too good to pass up. However my collection of RTR A4s already includes 'Sea Eagle' so a new identity was required. Therefore I've been distracted from the C1s for the last 24hours.

 

Below is how the loco arrived and the current state of play.

 

 

 

The A4 will likely become Silver Link; accepting that the tender isn't quite right.

Good morning Steve,

 

Have you altered the tender to make a streamlined non-corridor sort? If so, SILVER LINK never towed one. She only ever towed a streamlined corridor type, apart from a month or two in 1955 when she towed a 1928 corridor sort (the one shown in your first picture).

 

The main handrail isn't right for SILVER LINK, either. As built, it went dead straight from the parabola to the cab. Then, because it must have been too high to reach, it was dropped down from the penultimate pillar. But, only from the penultimate pillar, unique to SILVER LINK, and something she retained all her life. Yours has the handrail dropping down from the one further on towards the front; like all the other A4s. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Tony Wright]

11 hours ago, Clearwater said:

Tony and others,

 

i have a soldering question.  I’ve fired up my iron, to 365-400C, polished the brass I’m soldering with a fibre glass pencil until it looks shiny.  I’ve added a good dollop of phosphoric acid flux.  When I take the solder onto the tip and apply it to the brass, the iron and solder blob ‘sticks’ to the brass.  From prior soldering, and I’ve not done any for a while, I don’t recall this pronounced sticking.  After a few seconds, it will melt but then spreads reluctantly, though it will spread and I can see that the solder has spread through the joint.  Is this sticking normal or am I (re)making a rookie error?

 

thanks

 

David

Good morning David,

 

What's your iron's wattage? 

 

If it's anything less than 50, no matter how high you dial-up the temperature setting, all you'll get is a 'blob', especially on larger joints.  

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

P.S. I wrote this before looking at what others had posted. It could well be that you're using a higher melting-point solder than you think.

Edited June 11, 2020 by Tony Wright
to add something

[Paul Cram]

I do all my brass soldering with a Antex 25 watt iron. Mainly 145 but for parts where there is smaller part sto be added I use 60/40 and never had a problem. I also have a Weller 75 watt iron which is worse then useless as I can't keep the tip clean to be usable. I have replaced i but that didn't solve the problem.

[Atso]

26 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

Good morning Steve,

 

Have you altered the tender to make a streamlined non-corridor sort? If so, SILVER LINK never towed one. She only ever towed a streamlined corridor type, apart from a month or two in 1955 when she towed a 1928 corridor sort (the one shown in your first picture).

 

The main handrail isn't right for SILVER LINK, either. As built, it went dead straight from the parabola to the cab. Then, because it must have been too high to reach, it was dropped down from the penultimate pillar. But, only from the penultimate pillar, unique to SILVER LINK, and something she retained all her life. Yours has the handrail dropping down from the one further on towards the front; like all the other A4s. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

Good morning Tony,

 

Many thanks for the feedback, I hadn't noticed the boiler handrail difference and will make a decision on whether I can live with this or model Quicksilver or Silver King instead. The tender is a corridor type but it is currently missing its corridor connector and tank top moulding for the purpose of ease of painting; the only real modification to the tender was to sand off the beading to loosely represent the tender that the silver A4s were initially paired with.

[Tony Wright]

12 minutes ago, Atso said:

 

Good morning Tony,

 

Many thanks for the feedback, I hadn't noticed the boiler handrail difference and will make a decision on whether I can live with this or model Quicksilver or Silver King instead. The tender is a corridor type but it is currently missing its corridor connector and tank top moulding for the purpose of ease of painting; the only real modification to the tender was to sand off the beading to loosely represent the tender that the silver A4s were initially paired with.

Thanks Steve,

 

Are you going to bother with putting a radius to the rear of the tender in plan view to match the streamlined stock? 

 

A couple of shots to illustrate SILVER LINK's unique boiler handrail configuration......

 

 

Also of note in this later-BR depiction is that her tender is fitted with roller bearings. 

 

 

Note the differences in the handrail on her immediate sister. Like SILVER LINK, QUICKSILVER had rounded corners to her nameplates; the only two in the class.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

 

[cctransuk]

12 hours ago, Clearwater said:

Tony and others,

 

i have a soldering question.  I’ve fired up my iron, to 365-400C, polished the brass I’m soldering with a fibre glass pencil until it looks shiny.  I’ve added a good dollop of phosphoric acid flux.  When I take the solder onto the tip and apply it to the brass, the iron and solder blob ‘sticks’ to the brass.  From prior soldering, and I’ve not done any for a while, I don’t recall this pronounced sticking.  After a few seconds, it will melt but then spreads reluctantly, though it will spread and I can see that the solder has spread through the joint.  Is this sticking normal or am I (re)making a rookie error?

 

thanks

 

David

 

It sounds to me that the iron is incapable of putting out enough heat for the piece of brass which you are soldering - is it quite thick or otherwise capable of absorbing heat?

 

When discussing soldering, the heat output of the iron is just as important as cleanliness, flux and the correct solder.

 

John Isherwood.

[Atso]

32 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

Thanks Steve,

 

Are you going to bother with putting a radius to the rear of the tender in plan view to match the streamlined stock? 

 

A couple of shots to illustrate SILVER LINK's unique boiler handrail configuration......

 

 

Also of note in this later-BR depiction is that her tender is fitted with roller bearings. 

 

 

Note the differences in the handrail on her immediate sister. Like SILVER LINK, QUICKSILVER had rounded corners to her nameplates; the only two in the class.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

 

 

Tony, you've uncovered the reason why I said the tender will be loosely representative! I initially didn't think about the fact that the original tenders had radiused ends until after I'd repainted it. Considering I mixed the acrylic paint myself to closely match Precision's interpretation of silver grey and the difficulty in reinstating the detail that would be lost, I think this will remain what it is, a quick and dirty repaint of a Garter Blue loco. I'll reserve the right to knock up a 3D printed tender if/when funds allow the purchase of the Isinglass drawings (Dapol didn't cater for this tender variant and, given the size of the N Gauge market, I'm surprised they offered what they did). Very much a 'layout loco' that will be seen for a maximum of 15 seconds on the scenic side of the layout - not one for the purists but stops this repaint being too much of a distraction from the C1s.

 

Interesting to read/see that the later nameplates for '14 and '15 had rounded corners, something else that I was not previously aware of. Many thanks for sharing.

 

Edit: I should have also mentioned that I should have removed the access doors/covers from the smokebox end to correctly represent the loco(s) in initial service condition.

Edited June 11, 2020 by Atso

[Mark C]

Tony

 

Look at the implications of using the terms "J17" and "M&GN" in the same sentence....

 

What size motor/gearbox combination did you use in yours?

 

 

Best regards

Mark

 

 

 

[Tony Wright]

3 hours ago, Atso said:

 

Tony, you've uncovered the reason why I said the tender will be loosely representative! I initially didn't think about the fact that the original tenders had radiused ends until after I'd repainted it. Considering I mixed the acrylic paint myself to closely match Precision's interpretation of silver grey and the difficulty in reinstating the detail that would be lost, I think this will remain what it is, a quick and dirty repaint of a Garter Blue loco. I'll reserve the right to knock up a 3D printed tender if/when funds allow the purchase of the Isinglass drawings (Dapol didn't cater for this tender variant and, given the size of the N Gauge market, I'm surprised they offered what they did). Very much a 'layout loco' that will be seen for a maximum of 15 seconds on the scenic side of the layout - not one for the purists but stops this repaint being too much of a distraction from the C1s.

 

Interesting to read/see that the later nameplates for '14 and '15 had rounded corners, something else that I was not previously aware of. Many thanks for sharing.

 

Edit: I should have also mentioned that I should have removed the access doors/covers from the smokebox end to correctly represent the loco(s) in initial service condition.

Thanks Steve,

 

'I should have also mentioned that I should have removed the access doors/covers from the smokebox end to correctly represent the loco(s) in initial service condition.'

 

I resisted the temptation to point that fact out. And, also the fact that SILVER LINK originally had a recessed front draw-hook and short buffers. 

 

Don't you just hate a smart@rse!?

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

 

Edited June 11, 2020 by Tony Wright
typo error

[Clearwater]

4 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

Good morning David,

 

What's your iron's wattage? 

 

If it's anything less than 50, no matter how high you dial-up the temperature setting, all you'll get is a 'blob', especially on larger joints.  

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

P.S. I wrote this before looking at what others had posted. It could well be that you're using a higher melting-point solder than you think.

 

Thanks Tony and John,  I'll try a different pack of solder later and see how I get on.  

 

David

[Tony Wright]

1 hour ago, Mark C said:

Tony

 

Look at the implications of using the terms "J17" and "M&GN" in the same sentence....

 

What size motor/gearbox combination did you use in yours?

 

 

Best regards

Mark

 

 

 

Could be misleading....................

 

Interestingly, I built the B12/3 shown in the picture on the box; for Gilbert Barnatt's Peterborough North. Obviously, I also took its picture (showing off Ian Rathbone's fine painting). Which also highlights what I was talking about earlier with my regard to providing services for manufacturers. 

 

 

I used a DJH AM10 motor/gearbox to drive the J17 - a beautifully-smooth prime mover. Though the 'box impinges on the cab interior, by the time the rest is in place, it's not too noticeable. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

Edited June 11, 2020 by Tony Wright
typo error

[Tony Wright]

Variety in times past on our railways was mentioned of late.

 

Two recent books showing variety might be of interest................

 

 

The number of different classes of loco in this is staggering!

 

 

And, just look at the 'then and now' maps in this......

 

 

[Mark C]

6 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

Could be misleading....................

 

Interestingly, I built the B12/3 shown in the picture on the box; for Gilbert Barnatt's Peterborough North. Obviously, I also took its picture (showing off Ian Rathbone's fine painting). Which also highlights what I was talking about earlier with my regard to providing services for manufacturers. 

 

 

I used a DJH AM10 motor/gearbox to drive the J17 - a beautifully-smooth prime mover. Though the 'box impinges on the cab interior, by the time the rest is in place, it's not too noticeable. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

Perfect...thank you...

 

The photo of your B12/3 gets even wider coverage: there was a similar label on the outside of the parcel!!

 

 

Mark

 

 

[Tony Wright]

Anyone building an Ivatt 2-6-2T in any scale?

 

 

If so, you'll need this.............................

 

 

[richard i]

3 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

Thanks Steve,

 

'I should have also mentioned that I should have removed the access doors/covers from the smokebox end to correctly represent the loco(s) in initial service condition.'

 

I resisted the temptation to point that fact out. And, also the fact that SILVER LINK originally had a recessed front draw-hook and short buffers. 

 

Don't you just hate a smart@rse!?

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

 

The recessed draw hook and buffered were changed before coming out of silver livery so he could get away with that one. Then there is the buffer numbers, on or off, and if on size ( I think the size changed, though that might be misremembered.) 

what other really obscure things might have to be considered? 
drivers names inside roof of cab? 
richard

[Clearwater]

Thanks to all for the earlier advice and help..  I’ve used different solder, 145C, and even when I crank the temperature on the iron up to 450C, it barely melts the solder on the tip per my camera phone picture below. This feels to me to be an iron problem?
 

David

[grob1234]

5 minutes ago, Clearwater said:

Thanks to all for the earlier advice and help..  I’ve used different solder, 145C, and even when I crank the temperature on the iron up to 450C, it barely melts the solder on the tip per my camera phone picture below. This feels to me to be an iron problem?
 

David

 

Does the iron tip attract solder or seem to push it away. It could be that the tip needs re-tinning? If it looks black then that could be the case which would stop the heat transfer.

Edited June 11, 2020 by grob1234

[jwealleans]

I think I'd use a larger tip as well if it'll fit into the space.   I use an Antex 50W set to about 380 and it has no problem heating quite large metal assemblies beyond the tolerance of my asbestos fingers very quickly indeed.

[Paul Cram]

looks to be the same size as the one I use on my 25w Antex