Wright writes.....

[Headstock]

More wagons rolling out of the paint shop, a bunch of LNER plate wagons, Due to having to swap browsers, I only had time to photograph one. The left over parts from the cross kitted van, somewhere back up-thread, make for a body (Cambrian) uderframe (Parkside) combo, this produces a model of the six thousand plus LNER 6 plank Highfits. 

 

 

[31A]

There's a coincidence.  Here's an LNER 6 plank Highfit I've just finished, from an Oxford Rail body, and castings from ABS, LMS and MJT:

 

[Headstock]

14 minutes ago, 31A said:

There's a coincidence.  Here's an LNER 6 plank Highfit I've just finished, from an Oxford Rail body, and castings from ABS, LMS and MJT:

 

 

 

Only 5,998 to go, or thereabouts.

[sdmjsmith]

In the spirit of showing others what we’ve been up to in “lockdown”, here is my latest completed project, a J69 from LRM.  I opened the box for this kit about twelve months ago so it pre-dates coronavirus!  It is my second loco kit and it has been quite a learning experience.  Getting the chassis right has involved two sets of wheels and four sets of coupling rods!  A very unprolific Aussie!  Once I’d figured out that Romford wheels with non-threaded crank pins avoided the quartering and – most of – the reaming process, it finally went together nicely and runs smoothly! 

 

It models one of the last J69s at Colwick in 1960 with the weathering based on an image of 68626 taken at Grantham in 1958.  I’m guessing the mess on the side of the tank on the prototype comes from a leak where the condensing apparatus was removed and blanked off.

 

I’m hoping my next effort, a J6 from LRM, doesn’t take so long!

 

Happy modeling

 

Matthew

[DougN]

Matthew if you've opened the box on J6 it will be a lot quicker the more confident you feel the quicker it happens. I think I am just hitting my best building now after regular sessions over the last 2 years. Each time another model is built the experience increases and your confidence increases! 

 

Keep posting how you go with the J6 we all enjoy seeing things built! 

[polybear]

12 hours ago, Barry O said:

Looking better. It is obvious the chassis is causing the problem but you could live with that. Other chassis for the B17, the Hornby Royal Scot and the V2 all had the same problem. Not sure how Comet drew the etches (done long before Andrew bought them) so, as i have s Fowler to rechassis I am forewarned. I will clip about 2mm off the top of the frames.

 

Baz

 

That sounds like a good plan.  Adding 2mm to built frames (if needed) seems a lot easier than chopping 2mm off built frames

 

7 hours ago, DougN said:

The main problems i  have been having with the V2's from Martin Finney are the where's Wally of finding the parts in the fret! Yes there is a numbered sheet but once you have started removing parts and the frets start to "break up" making sure the parts are together is a challange.

 

Maybe photocopy the frets before starting would be a plan, numbering the parts as required on the photocopy. HTH

[Tony Wright]

4 hours ago, sdmjsmith said:

In the spirit of showing others what we’ve been up to in “lockdown”, here is my latest completed project, a J69 from LRM.  I opened the box for this kit about twelve months ago so it pre-dates coronavirus!  It is my second loco kit and it has been quite a learning experience.  Getting the chassis right has involved two sets of wheels and four sets of coupling rods!  A very unprolific Aussie!  Once I’d figured out that Romford wheels with non-threaded crank pins avoided the quartering and – most of – the reaming process, it finally went together nicely and runs smoothly! 

 

It models one of the last J69s at Colwick in 1960 with the weathering based on an image of 68626 taken at Grantham in 1958.  I’m guessing the mess on the side of the tank on the prototype comes from a leak where the condensing apparatus was removed and blanked off.

 

I’m hoping my next effort, a J6 from LRM, doesn’t take so long!

 

Happy modeling

 

Matthew

Good morning Matthew,

 

Snap!

 

 

I built this from a SE Finecast kit, so it won't be as crisp as your etched-brass equivalent (which is a beautiful model, by the way - my congratulations). Mine, like yours, is based on a prototype picture, with the loco at Grantham (which, of course, I can't now find - which book/collection is it in?), so my supposition is it's found its way to Little Bytham. 

 

Yours is probably more correct with regard to the safety valves, though I can't find that picture.....................

 

 

From memory, the picture didn't show it with the white, limescale stains, so mine is more generally-weathered.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

 

Edited June 13, 2020 by Tony Wright
to clarify a point

[Tony Wright]

Back to the Bytham V2s........................

 

 

Two of LB's V2s are derived from Graeme King's one-piece resin bodies on top of Comet frames, towing a Bachmann tender (this one is all my work). I think they make-up splendidly, though I don't know if Graeme still sells the bodies. The intention was, of course, to put a 'proper' V2 on top of the Bachmann chassis, particularly the more-recent one. 

 

 

A comparison with a more-recent Bachmann V2 explains why I still won't use them, even though this one has a new dome, the horrid pocket below the buffer beam has been lopped off, it's got a screw shackle and rides on the much-better chassis, and Tom Foster has weathered it. The wrong smokebox/boiler/firebox proportions, the too-inboard lamp brackets above the buffers and the battleship cab are just too much. The wee 'football' handrail pillars aren't up to much, either. That said, just wait for Bachmann's brand new V2 to appear. It'll probably beat anything I've made. 

 

I gave this one to Ian Wilson, and he's quite content with it! 

 

More, after breakfast.........................

 

 

Edited June 13, 2020 by Tony Wright
to clarify a point

[micklner]

First photo Graeme King V2 . Then re worked Bachmann V2 on the new /current chassis ,new handrails , etched details added , horrid moulding lines removed etc, and then repainted  . The body is off its time, it does'nt wash up that bad after being "attacked" . As the new Bachmann is looking at over £200 it might have to do as well !!

 

 Graeme King's V2 body process of being converted into a A2/1 , perfect to be used , as it had a defective front end when recieved .

 

  V2 3660 as above, prior to painting and lining

 

Edited June 13, 2020 by micklner

[Clem]

5 hours ago, sdmjsmith said:

In the spirit of showing others what we’ve been up to in “lockdown”, here is my latest completed project, a J69 from LRM.  I opened the box for this kit about twelve months ago so it pre-dates coronavirus!  It is my second loco kit and it has been quite a learning experience.  Getting the chassis right has involved two sets of wheels and four sets of coupling rods!  A very unprolific Aussie!  Once I’d figured out that Romford wheels with non-threaded crank pins avoided the quartering and – most of – the reaming process, it finally went together nicely and runs smoothly! 

 

It models one of the last J69s at Colwick in 1960 with the weathering based on an image of 68626 taken at Grantham in 1958.  I’m guessing the mess on the side of the tank on the prototype comes from a leak where the condensing apparatus was removed and blanked off.

 

I’m hoping my next effort, a J6 from LRM, doesn’t take so long!

 

Happy modeling

 

Matthew

Hi Matthew, 

It's nice to see another of Colwick's locos, and a very nice model too, albeit later than my rendition of 68629 (see below) which came to Colwick in late 1955. Mine was a Connoisseur kit and very enjoyable to make. Tony's version of your choice of engine is presumably when it was at Grantham, where I think it was for some time in the late 1950s. It always brings back memories of passing London Road Low Level Goods in the late 1950s on a DMU trainspotting expedition to Lincoln or more likely, Newark. It was just as difficult (if not more so) to get the numbers if you were on the high level, on a train to Grantham. There'd always be at least a couple of Colwick's shunting tanks there. Usually, a J69 and a J50. But sometimes 2 J69s, sometimes all J50s. They were always situated behind a wagon so you couldn't get the numbers but 68927, on the left,  was one of Colwick's - at Annesley during my layout era. Of course, by the time I was travelling, the J52s at Colwick had pretty well gone.

 

 

While I'm posting, the Bachmann conversion of the WD is now finished but the DJH still awaits weathering...

 

 

I'm just working on a Dave Bradwell J39 chassis at the moment. Having done one for EM before and struggled with it to get the frames narrow enough, I found that this time, being aware of the pitfalls/likely problems later, has made it a much better prospect. Having said that,  my previous EM effort runs perfectly OK now. It did require a fair amount of work after finishing to make sure there was sufficient clearances between chassis frames and wheels. I must emphasise that he designs kits with P4 in mind and for that gauge, they are lovely kits and really work very well indeed. Dave Bradwell does think of everything when designing his kits, but they can be very fiddly in places. He does a WD....   yikes!

[westerner]

Tony, many, many pages ago you were talking about A magazine possibly changing your photos into black and white for some article. here is my latest attempt at a Ben Ashworth type photo. I think my best effort so far.

 

 

[Clem]

6 minutes ago, westerner said:

Tony, many, many pages ago you were talking about A magazine possibly changing your photos into black and white for some article. here is my latest attempt at a Ben Ashworth type photo. I think my best effort so far.

 

 

Brilliant. You've got the lighting perfect. It just oozes realism.

[DougN]

3 hours ago, polybear said:

 

Maybe photocopy the frets before starting would be a plan, numbering the parts as required on the photocopy. HTH

 

They are provided but there is a extremely large number of parts. There is approximately 3 A4's worth of parts and that's just the loco in 4mm. This is where the parts are numbered. 

[thegreenhowards]

On 11/06/2020 at 21:30, Wingman Mothergoose said:

Evening all,

I thought I would share these two images with you, two photographs of Richmond Station, and my attempts at recreating them on my layout

As yet there's a distinct lack of any detailing on the platform inside the train shed, the gentleman who built it left it pretty much blank as he couldn't see it, the same applies for the inside of the train shed roof, something I may have to rectify soon. The head code on my DMU is incorrect, as is the destination blind, and there's no yellow panel or electrification flashes, and the secondman's side doesn't have a wiper, but its not a bad recreation!

 

I didn't quite get the angle right on this one, and my Standard 3 tank, while weathered, is nowhere near as filthy as the one in the original photo! Some details are missing from my train shed roof, the metal plates hiding the rotten timber on the original, some of the support detail and most importantly, ballast, but these are all things soon to be put right. Apologies for the ladders and garage door in the background, I really need to get my hands on some photo editing software and have a play with the settings. First coach in both shots is a Thompson non gangway brake, second vehicle in the original is a lavatory composite(I think), which I currently don't own. 

 

Anyway, I hope you like these...

 

Chris

 

Chris,

 

I love these prototype comparison photos and your’s demonstrate that you’re getting very close to the real Richmond. Great work! I’d just say that the ladder in the background of the second photo looks slightly overscale! 

 

Andy

[Tony Wright]

Most of Little Bytham's V2s are derived from Nu-Cast kits (though none has the original white metal lump for a chassis). 

 

 

 

This is the latest one, which I completed last year and was painted by Geoff Haynes. As usual, I made a set of Comet frames for it. With a small amount of modification, they fit very well.

 

Yes, by today's standards, the white metal kit is a bit on the 'lumpy' side (but the boiler is nowhere near as over-porcine as the current Bachmann one!), and, with all that inherent weight, they'll pull anything. 

 

I don't own a Pro-scale V2 (therein lies a story), but one has run on LB in the early days.

 

Built by Allen Hammett (for Tony Geary) from a Pro-Scale kit, it used to run on Stoke Summit and Charwelton. It's either an over-long smokebox or a too short front platform which makes the front end look wrong (I can't remember which I altered when I built one), and the drop-link on the crosshead is far too long (I used nothing below the footplate on the one I built). 

 

It's now Gilbert Barnatt's property and runs on Peterborough North - but only after I changed the motor/gearbox to make it DCC-compatible, and fixed it so it would go round tighter curves. 

 

 

There is a fifth V2 option which runs on Little Bytham - one made from John Houlden using bits from DJH, DMR and Comet. It ran originally on Gamston Bank, then Roy Jackson made a set of EM frames for it to run on Retford, after Gamston was cremated. After Roy's death, it came to me, so I made a set of OO frames for it (I don't know what happened to the originals), selling the EM set (for CRUK) to a friend. I retained the motor/gearbox, wheels and motion, merely fitting shorter axles.

 

 

This is what it looked like before John painted it.

 

 It's a privilege to now have such a fine model.  

 

As is known, my usual practice is to make my own locos, but when such high-quality motive power becomes available it would be daft to ignore it. Such was the case when John graduated to O Gauge and I sold most of his OO stock for him. 

 

 

I bought this other V2 from him; built from a Crownline kit. 

 

Everyone who bought John's locos/stock has been very pleased with them. 

 

 

[APOLLO]

Lovely V2's Tony.

 

I bought a Bachmann (or was it Mainline) V2 for my old GC layout when it was released. It wouldn't pull more than 5 coaches up my (back then) layout's severe inclines. An order went off to that well known Hornby spares shop (since closed) down south for a Hornby Footballer motorised tender chassis and a loco to tender connector. With a bit of cutting the V2 tender top was fitted, and the two "units" connected electrically & mechanically. Instant success, it would pull anything BUT sounded dreadful. I still have it and run it occasionally, though the front drivers have developed a slight limp !! 

 

Brit15

[rowanj]

I largely follow this thread to see other folks' modelling, so, in that spirit, here is the result of my latest effort,

 

During Lockdown, I built my first etched coaches, and here is the rake as of now. It is pure ex-NER, Worsley Works, D&S, and ArthurK J77. The scene would be impossible in RTR and I cant really see it ever BEING possible. Even if it were, and the quality were to far exceed my efforts, it would be less satisfying for my personal preferences.

 

It's obviously a Summer Saturday, and possibly the weekend of the Bedlington Miners Picnic. Extra trains have been drafted in, and the J77 has been despatched to Heaton Yard to collect the ex-NER set, which will be used as a shuttle between Morpeth and Newsham . The splitting distant shows the train will leave the ECML at Benton Quarry Junction, take the electrified North Tyneside loop to Backworth and then head up the Blyth and Tyne Mainline. With any luck, passengers will be able to do the same thing in 2022.

 

Incidentally, the Bedlington Picnic was where I had my first date with the current Mrs. Rowanj in 1968.

[Tony Wright]

8 minutes ago, APOLLO said:

Lovely V2's Tony.

 

I bought a Bachmann (or was it Mainline) V2 for my old GC layout when it was released. It wouldn't pull more than 5 coaches up my (back then) layout's severe inclines. An order went off to that well known Hornby spares shop (since closed) down south for a Hornby Footballer motorised tender chassis and a loco to tender connector. With a bit of cutting the V2 tender top was fitted, and the two "units" connected electrically & mechanically. Instant success, it would pull anything BUT sounded dreadful. I still have it and run it occasionally, though the front drivers have developed a slight limp !! 

 

Brit15

Many thanks,

 

A friend of mine loves tender-drives (especially those with rubber traction tyres). 

 

He, quite rightly, claims they will pull anything. 

 

I can't stand them! Mainly because, as you suggest, they're noisy, the wheels are incredibly crude and I've seen too many steam-outline models whirling around layouts with their motion locked-up solid and the tender roaring like a bull!

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[grahame]

On 11/06/2020 at 21:30, Wingman Mothergoose said:

Evening all,

I thought I would share these two images with you, two photographs of Richmond Station, and my attempts at recreating them on my layout

As yet there's a distinct lack of any detailing on the platform inside the train shed, the gentleman who built it left it pretty much blank as he couldn't see it, the same applies for the inside of the train shed roof, something I may have to rectify soon. The head code on my DMU is incorrect, as is the destination blind, and there's no yellow panel or electrification flashes, and the secondman's side doesn't have a wiper, but its not a bad recreation!

 

 

 

Nice. 

 

For me modelling a real location is about capturing the atmosphere and character of it, which you appear to be doing. IMO it's more about the feel of the place rather than absolute accuracy which can lead to a sterile and contrived look. Many real locations can be recognisable without it having to be faithfully replicated in microscopic detail.

 

Some detail and structure can be hinted at (to trick the viewer) rather than to slavishly model the real world. Certainly distance and the world beyond the modelling space available is something that has to be suggested (and carefully incorporated). And sometimes what is left out can be as important as what is included.

 

 

[Barry Ten]

Ignorance is bliss...

 

I always liked my Bachmann V2: it had right number of wheels and when I bought it it certainly had the nicest valve gear of any RTR loco I'd

seen. It was a bit noisy but then and now still runs quite smoothly. At the time I was led to believe that the dome was undernourished

but I was cheerfully unaware of any other inaccuracies.

 

I suppose if I were modelling the LNER I'd be more attuned to its faults but as an occasional guest runner on the layout, I'm still fond of it.

[APOLLO]

As to Hornby tender drives the first incarnation back in the early 70's had traction tyres on both sides (4 wheels) .  Pick up was on the permanently fixed loco with two fine wires connecting loco pick ups to the tender drive. I think "Silver seal" was the name given, and these units are both quiet and powerful - sought after today so I believe.

 

I have an original "Evening Star" (since rebodied)  and an original "Black 5" - both still run superbly. Just why Hornby went to the traction tyres on one side only and one wire / feed connection coupling I do not know. If it ain't broke don't fix it !!

 

Brit15

[Jesse Sim]

If anyone remembers the J10 I was working on, here it is now with a repaint and paired with a Bachmann 4,000gal tender. Just need to run the wires to the tender pick ups. Once weathered the colour difference between tender and loco will be disguised. 

Edited June 13, 2020 by Jesse Sim

[Barry Ten]

4 minutes ago, APOLLO said:

As to Hornby tender drives the first incarnation back in the early 70's had traction tyres on both sides (4 wheels) .  Pick up was on the permanently fixed loco with two fine wires connecting loco pick ups to the tender drive. I think "Silver seal" was the name given, and these units are both quiet and powerful - sought after today so I believe.

 

I have an original "Evening Star" (since rebodied)  and an original "Black 5" - both still run superbly. Just why Hornby went to the traction tyres on one side only and one wire / feed connection coupling I do not know. If it ain't broke don't fix it !!

 

Brit15

 

I might be wrong but I think those early tender drive mechanisms were derived from the Fleischmann design and as you say are well regarded.

 

I have a couple of Roco tender drive Chapelon pacifics which are exquisite.

 

I'm even toying with the idea of putting a Comet chassis under a Hornby Princess, but retaining the tender drive. It runs extremely well, with only the crude

driving wheels, motion and inaccurate wheel spacing bothering me.  I already have the Comet parts and wheels, so by retaining the tender drive I save on

the cost of a motor/gearbox as well as a replacement tender chassis, and also don't end up disposing of the tender drive. Heretical?

 

Al

[t-b-g]

26 minutes ago, Jesse Sim said:

If anyone remembers the J10 I was working on, here it is now with a repaint and paired with a Bachmann 4,000gal tender. Just need to run the wires to the tender pick ups. Once weathered the colour difference between tender and loco will be disguised. 

 

That is a very nice looking J10. I like the way the new tender gives it the "little engine - big tender" look that the real ones had.

[Jesse Sim]

6 minutes ago, t-b-g said:

 

That is a very nice looking J10. I like the way the new tender gives it the "little engine - big tender" look that the real ones had.

I agree Tony, I had the 3080? Gal tender with it and I thought exactly the same as you did, makes it look weirdly wonderful.