Wright writes.....

[Fat Controller]

4 hours ago, Michael Edge said:

The specification for the Eurotunnel shuttle loco bodies, built at Qualter Hall in Barnsley, was that the sides had to be completely flat. This was done by hydraulically stretching the sides before welding them up, it was certainly a new technique to Qualts at the time.

Unfortunately, the technique meant that holes to attach nameplates would invalidate the guarantee, so Eurotunnel had to glue them on. This wasn't always a long-term solution...

[Barry Ten]

4 hours ago, Atso said:

 

Thank you. Your refit looks incredible and, like Tom, it is my favourite incarnation of the 'Big E'. Is it the Polar Lights kit?

 

Your comments make me feel as though I've achieved the aim trying out shading techniques for the first time. I wanted to retain the smoother finish of the original filming miniature (if 11 feet can be considered miniature!), while suggesting more detail/texture than is really there. 

 

Hi Steve, yes indeed the Polar Lights one.

 

I saw the original filming model at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC in the early 90s, but when I returned a few years ago it was away for restoration.

 

Al

[MJI]

This is what we have now

 

[Denbridge]

3 hours ago, FarrMan said:

Tony

 

Apologies for any upset caused. We used to be possessed by two very rural cats, though I did not particularly take to them, neither did they particularly take to me. When the surviving one died at 23 years old, I had to pretend to be upset. They were very intelligent cats, and quite good hunters, especially for rabbits. They were not much use for keeping the stags out, though - one year the cabbage count was - Stags 52, us 1.

 

Lloyd

 

3 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

Good morning Lloyd,

 

'Burying your cat?'

 

I've done enough of that in the past to never want to do it again, especially after they've been killed on the road or, worst of all, by a train. 

 

I rarely get sentimental about things, but for most of my life I've had cats. Those who've never been 'owned' by a feline will never fully-understand these enigmatic creatures - one minute purring on a lap, the next a lethal killer. Some hate them, and I can understand that, but, particularly on a winter's evening, with a cat stretched out in front of a roaring fire, it somehow feels like 'home'. 

 

 

Anyway, this is the latest, now spayed (how could I have been so careless as to not spell this correctly?)

 

Apologies for being off-topic on a model railway thread, but she's a rescue cat in need of a new home. We'll have to see what Jilly makes of the railway when she's let out next month...........

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

 

She's beautiful. I am also a cat person and am fortunate to be owned by two adorable girls.

When a previous one was hit by a car, I vowed never again and my girls are purely house cats. They have plenty of toys, plus me to keep them occupied and hiding treats around the place allows them to hunt.

Without my feline companions I don't know whether I'd have got past various bouts of depression.  They certainly help in fighting off the black dog.

[Clem]

3 hours ago, t-b-g said:

I enjoy these discussions too. I often think that of all the many millions of people in the world, there are probably no more than a handful who have even the slightest interest in how tall a D11 chimney is, or even what a D11 is. It is one of the big plusses for RMWeb that it can put like minded people from opposite ends of the planet in touch over such things.

I don't know what it is, Tony. Maybe I'm just peculiar, but I've always been particular over them. And I spend ages trying to get them right to my eye. The 1'3" GC chimney is, to me, quite distinctive, and a D11/1 or an O4/7 just doesn't look right without one to my eye. The K2 is a similar case where anything other than a 1'5" chimney looks wrong in later LNER and BR days (except for 61764, of course). To me, a chimney somehow defines the character of the engine class.

 

As regards cats, I quite like them (though not as much as dogs), but I'm very allergic to them (though to not dogs).

Edited August 15, 2020 by Clem

[cctransuk]

6 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

 

 

Note the total lack of Stones ventilators on this. Are the like of those on your coaches available for sale?

 

 

Tony,

 

http://website.rumneymodels.co.uk/miscellaneous

 

Regretably, currently unavailable due to Covid-19.

 

John Isherwood.

[Craigw]

"Apologies for being off-topic on a model railway thread, but she's a rescue cat in need of a new home. We'll have to see what Jilly makes of the railway when she's let out next month...........

 

Regards,

 

Tony. "

 

We have 7 cats and 4 dogs. The cats are all rescue cats and one of my other activities is helping on a page to promote pound cats plus being part of a rescue group. I was never mad keen on cats in my younger years but they have always liked me and eventually won me over. Rescue cats are the best, well done Tony.

 

Regards,

 

Craig W

 

[MikeTrice]

1 hour ago, Barry Ten said:

 

Hi Steve, yes indeed the Polar Lights one.

 

I saw the original filming model at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC in the early 90s, but when I returned a few years ago it was away for restoration.

 

Al

By coincidence I have been sent this link today: https://imgur.com/gallery/xaa6V?fbclid=IwAR1LBfHznTiV5A9IwsoaJSRroOxdrdS7QQEWKAMsnZIWTo9bQm1LScFADvc

[Tony Wright]

2 hours ago, Clem said:

I don't know what it is, Tony. Maybe I'm just peculiar, but I've always been particular over them. And I spend ages trying to get them right to my eye. The 1'3" GC chimney is, to me, quite distinctive, and a D11/1 or an O4/7 just doesn't look right without one to my eye. The K2 is a similar case where anything other than a 1'5" chimney looks wrong in later LNER and BR days (except for 61764, of course). To me, a chimney somehow defines the character of the engine class.

 

As regards cats, I quite like them (though not as much as dogs), but I'm very allergic to them (though to not dogs).

Clem,

 

Wasn't it Robinson who said that the chimney finishes off the loco? Just as a top hat does for a gentleman?

 

I don't think there's any doubt that the chimneys fitted to GC locos were the most-elegant ever.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Tony Wright]

2 hours ago, cctransuk said:

 

Tony,

 

http://website.rumneymodels.co.uk/miscellaneous

 

Regretably, currently unavailable due to Covid-19.

 

John Isherwood.

Thanks John,

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Tony Wright]

Some shots of LB from last year.................

 

 

Class A1 60130 KESTREL (DJH/Wright/Rathbone) is in charge of the northbound 'Queen of Scots'.

 

Point rodding is completed to the left but, as yet, nothing in view to the right.

 

The Up lay-by has now been weathered, making it different from the main running lines.

 

 

An elevated view looking south as 60504 (Crownline/Wright/Rathbone) recalls a time when a Thompson A2 Pacific from New England worked the Down 'Flying Scotsman'. 

 

A clearer view of the near point rodding is seen, though to the right of the loco it's conspicuous by its absence.

 

Just visible are the magnets for the Sprat & Winkle couplings. 

 

 

All the point rodding is complete at the south end, though there's a large gap in it to the west.

 

The sharp-eyed will note there's no girder bridge in the distance. 

 

 

Mentioning the Scottish D11s reminds me of friend Eric Kidd's visit last year. 

 

He's modified/detailed/weathered this Bachmann example to perfection. Note the lubricator drive. Also note no hand-wheel on the tender (when fitted, to operate a scoop, not present on these locos).

 

 

There was discussion last year about how tractors should be secured on wagons. Friend Ray Chessum did it properly!

 

This year next.................................

 

 

[Chamby]

We used to have three cats but I decided that cats and model railways don’t work together one day.

 

My layout at the time was a Swiss exhibition layout, with overhead catenary that took me a long time to build.  Then one day I entered the railway room to see two of the moggies sat happily licking themselves, sat in the middle of all the catenary.  My instinctive reaction was one of horror, at which the animals were startled and leapt off the layout, making a right mess of the whole overhead.

 

Lesson learned.  We have a dog now with all four paws firmly on the floor!

[johndon]

19 hours ago, Atso said:

 

I wonder if masking and shading using an airbrush might be a method to try and replicate imperfections on the casings/plate work. 

 

Definitely a possibility.  The rippling effect is obvious on some naval ships (the US Navy calls it 'tin canning') and can be replicated with shading, one very nice example here:

 

http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery/bb/bb-63/Missouri-200-hsk/index.htm

 

[Atso]

5 hours ago, Barry Ten said:

 

Hi Steve, yes indeed the Polar Lights one.

 

I saw the original filming model at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC in the early 90s, but when I returned a few years ago it was away for restoration.

 

Al

 

Al,

 

I'm envious I've never seen the original filming model, although I've seen several of the miniatures used in The Next Generation, Deep Space 9 and Voyager.

[Atso]

3 hours ago, MikeTrice said:

By coincidence I have been sent this link today: https://imgur.com/gallery/xaa6V?fbclid=IwAR1LBfHznTiV5A9IwsoaJSRroOxdrdS7QQEWKAMsnZIWTo9bQm1LScFADvc

 

Wonderful stuff, thanks for sharing Mike.

[Atso]

16 minutes ago, johndon said:

 

Definitely a possibility.  The rippling effect is obvious on some naval ships (the US Navy calls it 'tin canning') and can be replicated with shading, one very nice example here:

 

http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery/bb/bb-63/Missouri-200-hsk/index.htm

 

 

That looks really effective. I would love to see someone try this in 4mm scale or larger (I model in N, so I'm not sure how well it would come out). Given that many of the imperfections on locos and stock would scale down to only a thou or so (less?), I really think shading would be the only way to model them convincingly.

[Atso]

8 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

Good morning Lloyd,

 

'Burying your cat?'

 

I've done enough of that in the past to never want to do it again, especially after they've been killed on the road or, worst of all, by a train. 

 

I rarely get sentimental about things, but for most of my life I've had cats. Those who've never been 'owned' by a feline will never fully-understand these enigmatic creatures - one minute purring on a lap, the next a lethal killer. Some hate them, and I can understand that, but, particularly on a winter's evening, with a cat stretched out in front of a roaring fire, it somehow feels like 'home'. 

 

 

Anyway, this is the latest, now spayed (how could I have been so careless as to not spell this correctly?)

 

Apologies for being off-topic on a model railway thread, but she's a rescue cat in need of a new home. We'll have to see what Jilly makes of the railway when she's let out next month...........

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

 

 

What a lovely looking cat Tony, does she have a name?

 

My cat Lilly is over sixteen now and still doesn't act her age. She frequently follows me on walks, and still enjoys randomly charging up trees!

 

 

Sadly her sister, Megan, (who used to enjoy following Lilly follow me on walks!) passed away a couple of years ago and is still much missed.

 

[Tony Wright]

A selection of some of this year's LB images........................

 

 

By far the most important addition to Little Bytham's completion was the correct girder bridge. With computer artwork by Jamie Guest and construction by Dave Wager, this is a magnificent model.

 

 

Framing the 'QoS' it's built in the same way as the prototype. 

 

 

Similar to a last day of the M&GNR picture by P H Wells.

 

The next major completion was the point rodding...................

 

 

Stretching from the girder bridge in the distance to behind the camera, it took me a long time. Yet, it's tiny compared to what's needed on Retford! 

 

 

Is point rodding an essential feature on a steam-age model railway? Of course.

 

 

I replaced the rubbish previous plastic rodding on the MR/M&GNR bit as well. 

 

And a new loco this year. I built this D16/3 (with decorative valances) from a Mallard/Little Engines combo, painted it and Geoff Haynes weathered it. 

 

 

Another new loco, but this time resident in Australia. Built for Jesse Sim and painted by Geoff Haynes, Jesse rather likes it. It took over a month to travel to the other side of the world! 

 

 

[Tony Wright]

13 minutes ago, Atso said:

 

What a lovely looking cat Tony, does she have a name?

 

My cat Lilly is over sixteen now and still doesn't act her age. She frequently follows me on walks, and still enjoys randomly charging up trees!

 

 

Sadly her sister, Megan, (who used to enjoy following Lilly follow me on walks!) passed away a couple of years ago and is still much missed.

 

Thanks Steve,

 

I did mention her name, it's Jilly.

 

As mentioned, she was a rescue cat found in someone's garden. Along with another foundling cat, the lady took them in but couldn't really look after them.

 

We've christening her Jilly, after the cat rescue folk had told us the name she'd been given - Chewbacker! (I don't know whether I've spelled this correctly, but apparently it's a character from science fiction - I cannot imagine a less-suitable name).

 

She's already learning her new one after just four days. Thankfully, she never responded to her first one! 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

Edited August 15, 2020 by Tony Wright
typo error

[Atso]

2 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

I did mention her name, it's Jilly.

 

Indeed you did Tony, my apologies.

 

3 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

As mentioned, she was a rescue cat found in someone's garden. Along with another foundling cat, the lady took them in but couldn't really look after them.

 

We've christening her Jilly, after the cat rescue folk had told us the name she'd been given - Chewbacker! (I don't know whether I've spelled this correctly, but apparently it's a character from science fiction - I cannot imagine a less-suitable name).

 

She's already learning her new one after just five days. Thankfully, she never responded to her first one! 

 

I'm pleased that she is learning her new name. After thirteen years with me, Lilly (another rescue cat) still only responds to her name when it suits her!

 

'Chewbacca' (nicknamed Chewie) is a character from the Star Wars franchise and best known as Han Solo's first mate/side kick. Jilly looks nothing like him, so I'm glad that you've changed the name! 

[Denbridge]

2 hours ago, Atso said:

 

That looks really effective. I would love to see someone try this in 4mm scale or larger (I model in N, so I'm not sure how well it would come out). Given that many of the imperfections on locos and stock would scale down to only a thou or so (less?), I really think shading would be the only way to model them convincingly.

Guy Williams once recounted the immense effort he put into building a LNWR tender, complete with rippling of the sides. Even though he was at pains to keep things to scale, upon completion it looked so wrong he rebuilt it minus the ripples.

[Tony Teague]

Well since we cat lovers are indulging ourselves, I'm sure that Tony won't mind me showing my two - whom he has met:

 

 

Tolly (sort for Ptolomy - but he can't spell it), and Cleo have been with me since they were 6 weeks old; they are brother and sister, but as they are now 16 and a half, they are getting on a bit and like to take it easy, especially in the heat. I have particularly found their company a great source of comfort since my wife passed away last year.

I look forward to meeting Jilly!

Tony

 

[JamieR4489]

2 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

I cannot imagine a less-suitable name

My dad wanted to call our previous cat Dougal after Father Dougal McGuire. When my mum refused he replied 'that's alright, we'll save that name for one of our children'.

 

Thankfully, both of our cats have had sensible names (Max and Kiera).

 

This is our current cat, Kiera:

 

Jamie

[t-b-g]

11 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

LB pictures this time from 2017 and 2018...............

 

 

By 2017, the bridge carrying the private drive to Grimsthorpe Castle had been completed (made by Bob Dawson) and I'd installed the trap point. However, there are no signals as yet.

 

Geoff West's little signalmen chat away. 

 

The plastic point rodding I made at this location is rubbish! 

 

 

Seen from the M&GNR embankment, the small wooden dwellings I made have been installed, though the ex-GNR semis are still no more than a patch of 'earth'.

 

Yet another DJH A1 I've built approaches in the distance. 

 

 

An overall view from 2017. No point rodding as yet, though the footbridge is now complete. No cottages to the right as yet, either.

 

That girder bridge is far too tall!  

 

A year later, with a fair bit more done......................

 

 

The half-relief cottages to the south of the Willoughby are now in place. I built them from Wills plastic sheeting. They're not quite convincing in perspective, though I'm generally pleased with them. 

 

 

The ex-GN semis are now in place (built by Bob Dawson), and the D9 I built for Bytham's LNER weekend passes overhead. Still no MR signals as yet.

 

 

Ellen Sparkes made the gardens to go with the cottages. 

 

The beginnings of the point rodding are just visible to the extreme right.

 

 

And finally.............. Later in 2018, Tony Gee made and installed the beautiful MR lower-quadrant signals.

 

Next it'll be last year and this year......................

 

 

 

It is very kind of you to mention me in connection with the signals Tony but to be fair I only finished them off. Much of the construction work, including the trickiest part, the milling of the slots in the concrete signal posts, had been done before I got my sticky mitts on them, by Mick Nicholson of this parish.

[SRman]

On the subject of naming cats, two of our previous moggies named themselves. In both cases we tried various names on them with little or no response, then someone called out a name on the television and the cats' heads whipped around. So that's how Lucy and Toby got their names.

Lucy was barred from my layout after she got in one day and demolished several Ratio signals (always rather delicate), and ate half of a plastic motorcycle (the highly detailed front half!) and the school mistress from the Merit set. Toby, on the other hand was very, very good with the models and was allowed to stay in the train room while I was building it and even when running trains. He would get very concerned if they stopped running.

Our current pair of rescue terrorists cats are a little over three years old and still too destructive to go anywhere near the trains, although they love trying to join me in there when they realise I am in the train room. They both know how to open the sliding door too, so I have to keep a careful eye on the opening.