Wright writes.....

[Tony Wright]

2 hours ago, GH in EM and O said:

 

I am quite pleased, as I have just worked out how to reply to a post!

 

I painted the buffer beams on the four black engines today, as I was getting tired of all the masking. I will paint the buffer beams on the pacifics when I start on the 7mm Jubilee that is next in line. I have plenty of lining to do in the mean time on these.

 

I was interested by your comment Atso (Steven?) about the order of colours. If I was working only in enamels, I would have started with the buffer beams, as this is the smallest area to mask, then worked up in size order in terms of the next area to mask. However, I am governed by the fact that I am working with cellulose paints for the main colours, and these must be applied before enamels.

 

After the painting, I reverted to a 7mm scale 8F, which incorporates Hobby Holidays' ball bearing hornblocks. Today it had its first run, and I was impressed with the difference these bearings made.

Looking good Geoff,

 

Two for me and two for others..........

 

In the last seven months I've built about 20 locos, many of which you'll paint, or will be painting. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[New Haven Neil]

Some Dapol 7mm scale 16 tonners, just weathered by myself.  Nothing special, but look the part.

 

[Wingman Mothergoose]

1 hour ago, Tony Wright said:

Good evening David,

 

Markits are still trading.

 

I'm horrified if the impression I gave from my post suggested otherwise. 

 

It's just that Frank (Mr. Romford), now well into his 80s is no longer making the couplings. He made every Romford wheel for decades since the '50s. 

 

I'm sure Mark Arscott still has some in stock, but when they're gone, they're gone.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

Hi Tony,

 

I take it that means that I would still be able to purchase some Markits sprung buffers too? Will be ordering some to improve my Hornby class 101, and also to help me achieve a more realistic coupling distance between the three vehicles.

By the way, thank you agin for the K3, it's giving sterling service bringing troop trains into Richmond, standing in for my now sold split chassis Bachmann V2. Looking out for the newer V2 now, but I may well hold on for the new tooling model whenever it is released. I would love a kit built version, but I wouldn't know where to start with one, and I certainly can't afford to buy one built and running!

 

Chris

[grahame]

Here's something a bit different from the usual fare on this thread - a BR(S) electric multiple unit and in N/2mm scale. 

 

It's a project that I've been slowly working on for many months (if not years) and is the renovation of a 2-EPB class 416 that I made many years ago, including changing the colour from green to blue. The model is unmotorised so needs to be accompanied with a 4 car motorised unit to form a 6 car train. Although still not finished, here's the driving trailer. The roof is not fixed in place and the body is just resting on the bogies which need some more work. The MBSO car is still in even more bits:

 

[Tony Wright]

29 minutes ago, Wingman Mothergoose said:

Hi Tony,

 

I take it that means that I would still be able to purchase some Markits sprung buffers too? Will be ordering some to improve my Hornby class 101, and also to help me achieve a more realistic coupling distance between the three vehicles.

By the way, thank you agin for the K3, it's giving sterling service bringing troop trains into Richmond, standing in for my now sold split chassis Bachmann V2. Looking out for the newer V2 now, but I may well hold on for the new tooling model whenever it is released. I would love a kit built version, but I wouldn't know where to start with one, and I certainly can't afford to buy one built and running!

 

Chris

Good evening Chris,

 

I can't speak for Markits, other than to say that everything in the range is still available (as far as I'm aware). 

 

Though Mark Arscott makes so many items in his range, some of the products are/were made by sub-contractors - the screw-link couplings, for instance. Now that the chap making those is too old/infirm to carry on, when stocks are exhausted, that'll be it. Unless Mark finds another maker of them, as he did with the chimneys in the range. The bloke making those suffered a stroke and was permanently disabled, making it impossible for him to turn them. Someone else now does them. 

 

I'm glad the K3 is performing well. Thank you once again for buying it; all the proceeds going to CRUK. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

Edited June 24, 2020 by Tony Wright
to clarify a point

[96701]

On 12/06/2020 at 18:37, Barry O said:

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

Geoff went on a course to learn about a CAD package, so he used that to develop some of the later etches. I believe prior to that they were hand drawn with red to denote half etch lines on one side, with blue lines denoting ha;f etch lines on the other side. I seem to recall that the tools were made from a mixture of CAD and hand drawn. 

 

Most of the later chassis were redone as and when manufacturers updated the locos. I know he redid the Princess chassis when Hornby upgraded it, but I cannot remember if he redid the Fowler tank.

[Barry Ten]

18 minutes ago, 96701 said:

Geoff went on a course to learn about a CAD package, so he used that to develop some of the later etches. I believe prior to that they were hand drawn with red to denote half etch lines on one side, with blue lines denoting ha;f etch lines on the other side. I seem to recall that the tools were made from a mixture of CAD and hand drawn. 

 

Most of the later chassis were redone as and when manufacturers updated the locos. I know he redid the Princess chassis when Hornby upgraded it, but I cannot remember if he redid the Fowler tank.

 

It's got the later style of cutouts around the hornblocks so I took it to be one of the more recent etches.

[Ian Smeeton]

Totally off the wall, but will Little Bytham be regauged especially for the next page?

 

Very tongue in cheek.

 

Regards

 

Ian

[landscapes]

12 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

Good evening David,

 

Markits are still trading.

 

I'm horrified if the impression I gave from my post suggested otherwise. 

 

It's just that Frank (Mr. Romford), now well into his 80s is no longer making the couplings. He made every Romford wheel for decades since the '50s. 

 

I'm sure Mark Arscott still has some in stock, but when they're gone, they're gone.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

Good morning Tony

 

Thank you for the reply, I am sure as usual it is me not reading your comments correctly.

 

I will ring Markits today, just out of curiosity do you know any other manufacturers of 00 Scale Three Link & Screw Link couplings for when the Romford ones run out.

 

Mr Romford’s retirement Is going to be a very big loss the the hobby.

 

Regards

 

David

[GH in EM and O]

13 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

Looking good Geoff,

 

Two for me and two for others..........

 

In the last seven months I've built about 20 locos, many of which you'll paint, or will be painting. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

Thank you Tony, I will check my paint supplies and sharpen the bow pen...

 

[Tony Wright]

3 hours ago, landscapes said:

Good morning Tony

 

Thank you for the reply, I am sure as usual it is me not reading your comments correctly.

 

I will ring Markits today, just out of curiosity do you know any other manufacturers of 00 Scale Three Link & Screw Link couplings for when the Romford ones run out.

 

Mr Romford’s retirement Is going to be a very big loss the the hobby.

 

Regards

 

David

Good morning David,

 

Smiths did screw-link and three-link couplings. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Tony Wright]

11 hours ago, Ian Smeeton said:

Totally off the wall, but will Little Bytham be regauged especially for the next page?

 

Very tongue in cheek.

 

Regards

 

Ian

That's a thought, Ian,

 

I've said it before, but I do regret not taking up EM when I had the opportunity, now over 40 years ago. 

 

P4/S4 would never have been  a consideration for a number of reasons (again, mentioned before). These include my not being skilled enough, not expecting to live three times as long as any other human being in history, not enough space and my lack of tolerance of poor running (not that the finest gauge has a monopoly of that, of course). 

 

No, I'm 'stuck' with OO, even though it's 'fine scale' (in the accepted sense of the word, even though the epithet is daft). At least it's enabled me (with considerable help) to produce an ECML depiction in less than a lifetime..................

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[t-b-g]

I would be astonished if anybody has ever got a P4 Pacific with 12 on to go round curves like the ones at the ends of Little Bytham! Impressed but astonished.

 

Having seen the new V2s with both the Comet and the Bachmann running gear, there would only be one choice for me, if I wanted such a beast. The rear pony ruck on the Bachmann one just shouts "RTR bodge" too loudly.

 

For those that might want one in the wider gauges, would the 3D printed model need any alteration for EM or P4? If the question has been asked and answered elsewhere, I apologise for repeating it but I have missed it.

 

Having seen the problems with the brittleness of the material, I wouldn't fancy having to carve bits off without causing fractures.

[Tony Wright]

57 minutes ago, t-b-g said:

I would be astonished if anybody has ever got a P4 Pacific with 12 on to go round curves like the ones at the ends of Little Bytham! Impressed but astonished.

 

Having seen the new V2s with both the Comet and the Bachmann running gear, there would only be one choice for me, if I wanted such a beast. The rear pony ruck on the Bachmann one just shouts "RTR bodge" too loudly.

 

For those that might want one in the wider gauges, would the 3D printed model need any alteration for EM or P4? If the question has been asked and answered elsewhere, I apologise for repeating it but I have missed it.

 

Having seen the problems with the brittleness of the material, I wouldn't fancy having to carve bits off without causing fractures.

Good afternoon Tony,

 

The minimum radius on the main line on Little Bytham (out of sight) is three feet, so, yes, far too tight for a Pacific in P4 (maybe even in EM?). 

 

The 3D-printed body would need little, if any,  alteration to accommodate nearer-scale gauges. Though it has 'internal' splashers, their outer edges are to scale distances apart. 

 

In fairness, Mike is investigating less-brittle resins, but the lockdown has impacted on supplies. 

 

Also in fairness, I think part of the pony truck problem with the Bachmann RTR V2 chassis was to do with the earlier manifestations (complete with the ghastly split-chassis). The later ones have a fixed Cartazzii truck and are not split-chassis. That said, nothing from the current Bachmann RTR V2 is being incorporated into the forthcoming models. 

 

I am really surprised where 'serious' layouts, purporting to be accurate representations of prototypes and prototype practices use Bachmann V2s, especially the earlier ones. The original chassis are horrid, and the bodies bloated and inaccurate, with a 'pimple' for a dome. 

 

Bachmann has long recognised this, and the forthcoming V2s will be among the best models of the class ever produced, kits included.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

 

[coronach]

On 23/06/2020 at 11:59, Tony Wright said:

There'll be a piece appearing in BRM soon about building 16T mineral wagons (not written by me, I hasten to add).

 

Were they the most-ubiquitous wagon on British Railways? 

 

No steam-age depiction of where these wagons ran would be complete without them - in some cases scores. 

 

Fortunately, I have dozens, from a variety of sources. Mixed with other typical types as well.................

 

 

 

 

Anyone else got pictures of model mineral trains; empty or full. All-weathered, of course...............

 

 

Here is a picture of a Hornby J36 hauling a rake of weathered Parkside 16 tonners (with sky skillfully added to a black and white version by a friendly RM webber) and another of a Hornby Black 5 on a mixed freight incorporating a couple of  21 tonners. 

 

In my opinion, the standard 16T coal wagon is as much an icon of the 'traditional' British railway scene as the BR Mk1 coach. 

[micklner]

2 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

Good morning David,

 

Smiths did screw-link and three-link couplings. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

If they are for cosmetic use , Hornby do some superb non working ones as spares. Smiths are very good as long as you ensure they are assembled properly. The Romford /Jackson Juggernauts version  are about three times overscale.

[Headstock]

24 minutes ago, coronach said:

 

In my opinion, the standard 16T coal wagon is as much an icon of the 'traditional' British railway scene as the BR Mk1 coach. 

 

 

Good afternoon Cronach,

 

They are much prettier looking than a MK1.

 

I like your bridge but I think one of your sheep has had a coronary.

 

 

20 minutes ago, micklner said:

If they are for cosmetic use , Hornby do some superb non working ones as spares. Smiths are very good as long as you ensure they are assembled properly. The Romford /Jackson Juggernauts version  are about three times overscale.

 

I quite agree Mick.  The Romfords juggernauts are massive, though skillfully produced. I replace the Tommy bar on the Smiths, it creates a huge amount of improvement to the appearance.

Edited June 25, 2020 by Headstock
sheep

[Tony Wright]

42 minutes ago, micklner said:

If they are for cosmetic use , Hornby do some superb non working ones as spares. Smiths are very good as long as you ensure they are assembled properly. The Romford /Jackson Juggernauts version  are about three times overscale.

Thanks Mick,

 

I agree that the Romford screw-link couplings are too big (though not 'about three times overscale'), but they are very robust.

 

I've had too many of the others fall apart in use to ever bother with them again. 

 

I also agree that the Hornby 'dummy' ones are excellent; ideal for fitting on the fronts of locos which only work one way - big engines, etc.

 

Bachmann also does a decent screw-link coupling.

 

Regards,

 

Tony.  

[Tony Wright]

51 minutes ago, coronach said:

Here is a picture of a Hornby J36 hauling a rake of weathered Parkside 16 tonners (with sky skillfully added to a black and white version by a friendly RM webber) and another of a Hornby Black 5 on a mixed freight incorporating a couple of  21 tonners. 

 

In my opinion, the standard 16T coal wagon is as much an icon of the 'traditional' British railway scene as the BR Mk1 coach. 

What lovely pictures (just loco lamps to add?). Many thanks for posting.

 

Is your layout based on the Waverley route? Your 'name' suggests so.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[coronach]

29 minutes ago, Headstock said:

I like your bridge but I think one of your sheep has had a coronary.

No it is only sleeping

 

[Headstock]

1 minute ago, coronach said:

No it is only sleeping

 

 

Thank goodness, I thought we had an ex sheep on our hands.

[coronach]

1 minute ago, Tony Wright said:

What lovely pictures (just loco lamps to add?). Many thanks for posting.

 

Is your layout based on the Waverley route? Your 'name' suggests so.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

Yes, Tony - based on the Waverley Route.  it provides an excellent excuse to operate LNER pacifics on 4/5 coach trains and long freights.

 

I note your point about loco lamps/ headcodes.  Work in progress.    Can you recommend a supplier of lamps that don't look too big?

[coronach]

2 minutes ago, Headstock said:

 

Thank goodness, I thought we had an ex sheep on our hands.

They spend a lot of time contemplating.  You will have observed the 'Baaa' code in the sky above the bridge

[Metr0Land]

28 minutes ago, coronach said:

 

I note your point about loco lamps/ headcodes.  Work in progress.    Can you recommend a supplier of lamps that don't look too big?

 

I use Lanarkshire Models (Dave Franks is a member on here)

 

http://www.lanarkshiremodels.com/index.html

 

No connection other than satisfied customer and co-rmwebber

Edited June 25, 2020 by Metr0Land

[Clive Mortimore]

2 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

Good afternoon Tony,

 

The minimum radius on the main line on Little Bytham (out of sight) is three feet, so, yes, far too tight for a Pacific in P4 (maybe even in EM?). 

 

The 3D-printed body would need little, if any,  alteration to accommodate nearer-scale gauges. Though it has 'internal' splashers, their outer edges are to scale distances apart. 

 

In fairness, Mike is investigating less-brittle resins, but the lockdown has impacted on supplies. 

 

Also in fairness, I think part of the pony truck problem with the Bachmann RTR V2 chassis was to do with the earlier manifestations (complete with the ghastly split-chassis). The later ones have a fixed Cartazzii truck and are not split-chassis. That said, nothing from the current Bachmann RTR V2 is being incorporated into the forthcoming models. 

 

I am really surprised where 'serious' layouts, purporting to be accurate representations of prototypes and prototype practices use Bachmann V2s, especially the earlier ones. The original chassis are horrid, and the bodies bloated and inaccurate, with a 'pimple' for a dome. 

 

Bachmann has long recognised this, and the forthcoming V2s will be among the best models of the class ever produced, kits included.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

 

Hello Tony

 

Could the use of Bachmann V2s be because the layout owner is not lococentric ? Could in the overall scheme what you see as major inaccuracies be minor to them? Could they have other priorities, like operation, the scenery or just having fun?

 

Yes enjoying one's hobby is a serious part of it.