Wright writes.....

[Tony Wright]

11 hours ago, thegreenhowards said:

Coming back to the V2 debate, I understand that the Bachmann version has a lack of slope down on top of the firebox and a small dome, but I don’t really understand the ‘porcine’ comments and I’m surprised that there is not more mention of the Nucast version which I think is a pretty respectable model - no doubt someone will now explain what’s wrong with it! It has the major advantage of being white metal and therefore nice and heavy.
 

Personally I have seven V2s in working order with a Jamieson/ comet one on the way and a Nucast one unstarted, so I don’t really need any more but will probably be tempted into a Bachmann one if and when it drops to a more sensible price. Here are my seven.

60869: Nucast on quite an old chassis and Romford Bulldog motor. Bought off eBay and repaired/ detailed. Runs smoothly and pulls well but with some noise.

 

60850: Bachmann with newer chassis renumbered and weathered by me. Runs smoothly now I’ve added tender pick ups and pulls reasonably well, but not as well as the Nucast versions.
 

Pride of the fleet my namesake, 60835, The Green Howard. Sold to me by Tony on a visit when I spent far too much! Runs beautifully if a little slow and pulls anything thrown at it.

 

60862: old Bachmann body on Comet chassis. Bought like this from eBay for ~£50. Will be weathered in due course, but I’m inclined to live with the body. 

60814: Nucast With Portescap. Bought off eBay and renumbered/ minor detailing. Lovely smooth runner and will pull well.

4830: Nucast with Portescap. Bought like this second hand from a toy and hobby fair. Runs well and will probably stay in LNER livery for pulling some of my ‘fun’ trains. The paint and lining need touching up first though.

4831: Nucast nicely built but sadly painted in a really horrible lurid green (Ironically very neatly). I bought this from Tony for a very reasonable price - I think because he couldn’t stand the colour!  As well as painting, It will need re-motoring as it has a live motor which is not ‘DCCable’. This is a shame as it is the best runner and puller that I have - it can manage a scale 200mph on 30 coaches if one so wishes!

 

Mike’s resin version looks superb, as did Graeme King’s before, but they’re not going to be cost effective compared with the new Bachmann one, let alone compared with a second hand Nucast example. It’s amazing how quickly the costs add up on this sort of build, but to add to the body, one would need a Comet chassis (~£40), wheels ( ~£50), motor gearbox (£30-£70 depending on approach) plus lots of brass bits (handrail knobs, buffers etc.) not to mention a tender and paint. Obviously one has the fun/ satisfaction of building it, but it’s going to come in at well over £200 unless one has the luxury of a well equipped spares box. I can see it being a good option to replace a Bachmann body if one is so inclined, but personally I’d rather use a Nucast body for the weight.
 

Mike, I hope you’ll forgive this post. I don’t mean to cause any offence as I think your V2 body really looks the business. It sounds like you have more orders than you can handle easily anyway! I’m really just trying to understand what’s wrong with the Nucast version and why people have ignored it in the debate.

 

All the best

 

Andy

 

Good morning Andy,

 

The reason the current Bachmann V2 is described as 'porcine' is because the whole smokebox/boiler/firebox is too fat. This makes the 'face' too wide, exacerbated by the too-bulbous smokebox door. Just put one of your Nu-cast V2s alongside one of your Bachmann ones, front-on, and compare/contrast. The Nu-Cast one is right. 

 

I don't know whether the Nu-Cast V2 has been ignored, or just accepted as being all right. There is nothing fundamentally wrong with it (other than the original white metal lump of a chassis supplied). Yours look very good (Bern Mundy of the East Beds Club built your 60835, and I fitted a replacement, DCC-compatible motor/gearbox). Who built the lurid green one, I have no idea (someone with colour blindness?). 

 

I've built about eight Nu-Cast V2s down the years, mainly for customers, and they were my kit of choice at the time (having being subjected to the building of a Pro-Scale one!). I run three of them on Little Bytham (four, if a friend loans the one I built for him), and I'm entirely happy with them.

 

 

One ran on Stoke Summit throughout that layout's exhibition life. I built and painted this example well over a quarter of a century ago.....

 

 

 

And it still sees yeoman service on Little Bytham. It has a scratch-built chassis, the original white metal one being pounded into ballast! 

 

I bought the following one, part completed, off the estate of the late Geoff Brewin.

 

 

 

I completed it, building a DMR tender for it (it didn't have one). It rides on a Comet chassis, and Geoff Haynes painted it. 

 

Geoff also painted this third one, which I built about 18 months ago............

 

 

 

 

This, too, rides on a Comet chassis.

 

Were other Nu-Cast V2s to appear (un-built), I'd very happily make them.

 

Regards,

 

Tony.   

 

 

[ScRSG]

11 hours ago, thegreenhowards said:

Mike’s resin version looks superb, as did Graeme King’s before, but they’re not going to be cost effective

 

Starting from scratch maybe, but it is if you already have Comet chassis built underneath the old Bachman body.

[Geep7]

18 hours ago, Daniel W said:

My own contribution to the 'lockdown modelling' that everyone has been sharing. Aside from building etched wagon kits to practice my soldering, i've also been building some plastic kits for engineers wagons over the past few months. The Catfish and Mermaid are Cambrian kits and the two Grampus are the Parkside kit that has been modified to represent the morton brake version used on the London Midland Region. The mermaid bodies have not been glued on yet for ease of painting.

 

Quite a few have had their axleboxes replaced with cast ones to give more prototypical variation to the fleet. The Catfish in particular seems to have been built with at least four different types of axleboxes through their lifespan. Next up is a Dave Bradwell 13Ton hopper kit which looks like a well designed, but finicky, kit.

 

Daniel

Love engineers wagons and these are great.

 

To my shame i've only built one Parkside Grampus and a Cambrian Dogfish for my fleet so far (plus a Shark and a part-finished Whale). What type of buffers have you fitted to your Catfish, as i'm not 100% impressed with the kit supplied buffers from Cambrian (being all plastic).

[davidw]

18 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

Good evening Brian,

 

The basic frames, etc., are comparable in terms of accuracy (the Branchlines one might even have the correct-depth frames). The valve gear is of equal quality, but beware the crossheads/slidebars. 

 

When I built one to go under a Nu-Cast V2 (writing about it in BRM), they were flung across the workshop in frustration! They were replaced with Comet or Jamieson substitutes (I can't remember exactly which now). Making them as supplied was way beyond my skills.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

Now I understand why I had difficulty - I've set of comet I can use too!

[davidw]

4 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

Good morning Andy,

 

The reason the current Bachmann V2 is described as 'porcine' is because the whole smokebox/boiler/firebox is too fat. This makes the 'face' too wide, exacerbated by the too-bulbous smokebox door. Just put one of your Nu-cast V2s alongside one of your Bachmann ones, front-on, and compare/contrast. The Nu-Cast one is right. 

 

I don't know whether the Nu-Cast V2 has been ignored, or just accepted as being all right. There is nothing fundamentally wrong with it (other than the original white metal lump of a chassis supplied). Yours look very good (Bern Mundy of the East Beds Club built your 60835, and I fitted a replacement, DCC-compatible motor/gearbox). Who built the lurid green one, I have no idea (someone with colour blindness?). 

 

I've built about eight Nu-Cast V2s down the years, mainly for customers, and they were my kit of choice at the time (having being subjected to the building of a Pro-Scale one!). I run three of them on Little Bytham (four, if a friend loans the one I built for him), and I'm entirely happy with them.

 

 

One ran on Stoke Summit throughout that layout's exhibition life. I built and painted this example well over a quarter of a century ago.....

 

 

 

And it still sees yeoman service on Little Bytham. It has a scratch-built chassis, the original white metal one being pounded into ballast! 

 

I bought the following one, part completed, off the estate of the late Geoff Brewin.

 

 

 

I completed it, building a DMR tender for it (it didn't have one). It rides on a Comet chassis, and Geoff Haynes painted it. 

 

Geoff also painted this third one, which I built about 18 months ago............

 

 

 

 

This, too, rides on a Comet chassis.

 

Were other Nu-Cast V2s to appear (un-built), I'd very happily make them.

 

Regards,

 

Tony.   

 

 

I'm looking forward to seeing your Mike Trice versions painted. 

[thegreenhowards]

4 hours ago, ScRSG said:

 

Starting from scratch maybe, but it is if you already have Comet chassis built underneath the old Bachman body.

Agreed. In that case, it's a good option. I only have one like that and it's had some detailing so I will probably live with it - it's also my only double chimney version. If I did decide to replace it I would use a Nucast body for the weight, but I can see that the Mike Trice option would give a very good result in that situation (or to replace a Bachmann body on a newer Bachmann chassis).

 

Andy

[thegreenhowards]

5 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

Good morning Andy,

 

The reason the current Bachmann V2 is described as 'porcine' is because the whole smokebox/boiler/firebox is too fat. This makes the 'face' too wide, exacerbated by the too-bulbous smokebox door. Just put one of your Nu-cast V2s alongside one of your Bachmann ones, front-on, and compare/contrast. The Nu-Cast one is right. 

Here is a photo. If anything the Nucast one (on the right) looks fatter so I'm still confused. I did notice the more bulbous smokebox door on the Bachmann version. Is that correct for some locos?

 

 

Quote

 

I don't know whether the Nu-Cast V2 has been ignored, or just accepted as being all right. There is nothing fundamentally wrong with it (other than the original white metal lump of a chassis supplied). Yours look very good (Bern Mundy of the East Beds Club built your 60835, and I fitted a replacement, DCC-compatible motor/gearbox). Who built the lurid green one, I have no idea (someone with colour blindness?). 

I'm relieved that the Nucast version passes muster! The lurid example was brought along by a friend of yours when I was staying along with a few other locos for you to sell on. I can't remember his name, but he was hard of hearing and we operated LB together (he took the 'under the baseboard' position). I think it's very well built and will make a great addition to my fleet when I finally get round to repainting it.

 

Quote

Were other Nu-Cast V2s to appear (un-built), I'd very happily make them.

 

 

Nucast V2s are available quite regularly on eBay. Going rate seems to be about £50-£60 for an unmade kit or nearer £100 with wheels - a bargain in my opinion. I know you don't have anything to do with said site, but I'm sure I could source one for you should you so desire.

 

Lovely photos of your V2s.

 

Andy

Edited July 1, 2020 by thegreenhowards
Adding photo

[gr.king]

19 hours ago, thegreenhowards said:

 

 

 

4831: Nucast nicely built but sadly painted in a really horrible lurid green (Ironically very neatly). I bought this from Tony for a very reasonable price - I think because he couldn’t stand the colour!  As well as painting, It will need re-motoring as it has a live motor which is not ‘DCCable’. This is a shame as it is the best runner and puller that I have - it can manage a scale 200mph on 30 coaches if one so wishes!

 

All the best

 

Andy

 

The colour of 4831 is an unpleasant reminder for me of an allegedly "hand-built, show-case quality", but actually DIRE model loco of another LNER class that was supplied to me about 16 years ago by a bunch of gangsters then in Lincolnshire, who got somewhat upset when I refused to pay the balance of the price and attempted to get my deposit back. Lesson learned......

Edited July 1, 2020 by gr.king
Spelling mistake!

[Tony Wright]

The second (actually the first body) Mike Trice V2 is now completed above the frames. Just the cylinders/motion to erect now........

 

Packed with lead in every spare space, she's very powerful.

 

With lessons learned, I didn't wreck the front buffer beam on this one.

 

The front steps came from yet another of my spares boxes.

 

 

[thegreenhowards]

Just now, gr.king said:

The colour of 4831 is an unpleasant reminder for me of an allegedly "hand-built, show-case quality", but actually DIRE model loco of another LNER class that was supplied to me about 16 years ago by a bunch of gangsters then in Lincolnshire, who got somewhat upset when I refused to pay the balance of the price an attempted to get my deposit back. Lesson learned......

This is actually very well built. The chassis is superb - it’s compensated and runs like a dream even with an open frame motor. The detailing is good and the finish on the paint is very smooth - just a shame about the colour!

[Tony Wright]

23 minutes ago, thegreenhowards said:

Here is a photo. If anything the Nucast one (on the right) looks fatter so I'm still confused. I did notice the more bulbous smokebox door on the Bachmann version. Is that correct for some locos?

 

 

I'm relieved that the Nucast version passes muster! The lurid example was brought along by a friend of yours when I was staying along with a few other locos for you to sell on. I can't remember his name, but he was hard of hearing and we operated LB together (he took the 'under the baseboard' position). I think it's very well built and will make a great addition to my fleet when I finally get round to repainting it.

 

Nucast V2s are available quite regularly on eBay. Going rate seems to be about £50-£60 for an unmade kit or nearer £100 with wheels - a bargain in my opinion. I know you don't have anything to do with said site, but I'm sure I could source one for you should you so desire.

 

Andy

I can't argue with your picture, Andy.

 

However, by not having the main handrails clipped to the smokebox front on the Nu-Cast one (as they should be), the comparative effect is altered.

 

When you next take the Nu-Cast V2 body off, check that the boiler halves meet underneath. 

 

Other points of comparison to note might include the far too narrow front frames on the Bachmann version and the ridiculously inboard position of the front platform lamp brackets. As for the dome........... Someone opined that I exaggerated its being too low! 

 

I don't have a Bachmann V2 any more to photograph/compare. That said, I did fit a Comet chassis to one some time ago (and a new dome) as part of a piece for BRM..........

 

 

This just looks too fat to me. And, I still think the smokebox door is too bulbous. 

 

 

Compared with one of my Nu-Cast ones.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

 

Edited July 1, 2020 by Tony Wright
typo error

[Tony Wright]

29 minutes ago, thegreenhowards said:

Here is a photo. If anything the Nucast one (on the right) looks fatter so I'm still confused. I did notice the more bulbous smokebox door on the Bachmann version. Is that correct for some locos?

 

 

I'm relieved that the Nucast version passes muster! The lurid example was brought along by a friend of yours when I was staying along with a few other locos for you to sell on. I can't remember his name, but he was hard of hearing and we operated LB together (he took the 'under the baseboard' position). I think it's very well built and will make a great addition to my fleet when I finally get round to repainting it.

 

Nucast V2s are available quite regularly on eBay. Going rate seems to be about £50-£60 for an unmade kit or nearer £100 with wheels - a bargain in my opinion. I know you don't have anything to do with said site, but I'm sure I could source one for you should you so desire.

 

Lovely photos of your V2s.

 

Andy

Thanks Andy,

 

I think I've probably got enough V2s to be going on with. For now...................

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[MJI]

Remember to run an A4 very fast on Friday Tony.

[MJI]

Tender drives, if the right wheelbase are good for older model Diesel locos.

[Daniel W]

2 hours ago, Geep7 said:

Love engineers wagons and these are great.

 

To my shame i've only built one Parkside Grampus and a Cambrian Dogfish for my fleet so far (plus a Shark and a part-finished Whale). What type of buffers have you fitted to your Catfish, as i'm not 100% impressed with the kit supplied buffers from Cambrian (being all plastic).

Hi, Chris. Most of them use self-contained buffers from Lanarkshire Model supplies. The later built catfish had oleo buffers, which can also be obtained from LMS. I have no connection to Mr Franks, but have always been very happy with his products and rapid service.

 

Daniel

[MikeTrice]

For the record a V2 should be 6'0" over the smokebox, Bachmann's current model is 25.11mm and 5'1" over the smokebox door where Bachmann's is 20.98mm.

[MikeTrice]

Tried to take some comparison photos. I don't think it is the extra dimension over the smokebox so much as the overly bulbous smokebox door that offends:

 

[Tony Wright]

Initial testing complete.................

 

The latest one passed with flying colours; so far. 

 

 

Typical V2 duties on Little Bytham - a 12-car express (some kit-built cars) and a 45-wagon fast goods. 

 

It's essential that thorough testing takes place before the cylinders/motion are added to the one of the right. That's part of tomorrow's job. 

 

In terms of the 'look' of V2s, I think this pair has really captured it......................

 

 

[Barry Ten]

58 minutes ago, MikeTrice said:

For the record a V2 should be 6'0" over the smokebox, Bachmann's current model is 25.11mm and 5'1" over the smokebox door where Bachmann's is 20.98mm.

 

I'm confused now.

[gr.king]

I'm not confused, or if I am I don't realise it yet. Those figures are essentially what I found when I measured to a lesser degree of precision some years ago. 1mm too large in diameter at the front, both the 'box and the door, then the whole boiler moulding tapers outwards at an even rate towards the rear, ignoring the three very differently shaped zones of the real thing, (which is parallel in the front section, tapers outwards after that, and then tapers back in over the length of the firebox) but it provides scope for a thick plastic moulding around the original fat motor.

[Barry Ten]

1 hour ago, gr.king said:

I'm not confused, or if I am I don't realise it yet. Those figures are essentially what I found when I measured to a lesser degree of precision some years ago. 1mm too large in diameter at the front, both the 'box and the door, then the whole boiler moulding tapers outwards at an even rate towards the rear, ignoring the three very differently shaped zones of the real thing, (which is parallel in the front section, tapers outwards after that, and then tapers back in over the length of the firebox) but it provides scope for a thick plastic moulding around the original fat motor.

 

I get it now but I just couldn't interpret Mike's sentence as written. I think this is the gist:

 

A V2 should be 6'0" over the smokebox and 5'1'' over the smokebox door; Bachmann's current model is 25.11mm and 20.98mm respectively.

 

Apologies if I'm misrepresenting Mike's intentions.

 

[MikeTrice]

No, you got them correct. Much better put as well.

[Mike 84C]

For me, Mike has got the chimney beautifully proportioned on his V 2. Probably the best looking Gresley chimney  I have seen.

 Was the V2 the most useful or even best loco Gresley  designed? Certainly the Woodford  crews I knew  thought  " them  Green Arraas" were outstanding locos.

[Tony Wright]

8 hours ago, Mike 84C said:

For me, Mike has got the chimney beautifully proportioned on his V 2. Probably the best looking Gresley chimney  I have seen.

 Was the V2 the most useful or even best loco Gresley  designed? Certainly the Woodford  crews I knew  thought  " them  Green Arraas" were outstanding locos.

Good morning Mike,

 

Many consider the V2s to be Gresley's 'best' loco, especially in looks.

 

Having re-read all the books I've got on the class during the buildings of these models, it's reported that their performances (particularly post-War) could be mixed.

 

Various tests were made to improve the steaming (60845 at Swindon!), but the quickest cure seemed to be to chuck out the self-cleaning screens. 

 

The irony is, that right at the end, when a few were fitted with double Kylchaps, the V2s' full potential was realised, when they acted as standby locos for diesel failures at Peterborough. Used as 'Thunderbirds' (don't you just hate that term?), they could almost keep to Deltic timings! 

 

They were so good that one running foreman suggested the ER didn't need more diesels, but more Kylchap V2s!

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Tony Wright]

Today we are building valve gear.......................

 

The intention (acting on a request) is to show how I go about erecting the Walschaerts motion on a steam-outline loco. I'll state, right from the outset, that I take a pragmatic view towards this most-onerous task; I simplify it, but still (I hope) capture this elegant arrangement in motion. 

 

 

Cylinders first. These are best made-up whilst still 'in the flat'.

 

Annoyingly, all the pre-etched holes are much too small and all must be opened out with drills/broaches to accommodate the cast items. I know this is better than too-large holes at source, but there's still a bit to shift. 

 

Equally annoyingly, the cast metal valve guides are completely 'blind', and must be drilled to take the (dummy) valve rods.

 

A cocktail stick aids alignment as parts are soldered together. 

 

 

Once happy that everything is in the right place, the assembly can be folded up. 

 

 

And popped into the frames to check the fit.

 

 

It's essential that the body be tested for clearance at EVERY stage during the motion's construction.

 

Clearances seem to be fine here. 

 

More later, as I carry on......................