Wright writes.....

[Northmoor]

12 minutes ago, MJI said:

Most load just before slipping is a technique used by Brush to get excellent traction on slippery track.

 

In the UK more useful than the USA traction improvement methods.

I think maximum tractive effort is achieved just after slipping.  The "Creep" system introduced in the UK on Class 59s works like this, where the wheels are in a controlled spin of N% faster than the rolling speed (can't remember what N is but it's less than a few, if that helps).

It's the same reason why racing cars and motorbikes powerslide (not to a large degree, that's only for show) and leave black lines on the tarmac coming out of corners; the powered wheels are spinning and transmitting more power to the road than if they weren't spinning.

[MJI]

1 hour ago, Northmoor said:

I think maximum tractive effort is achieved just after slipping.  The "Creep" system introduced in the UK on Class 59s works like this, where the wheels are in a controlled spin of N% faster than the rolling speed (can't remember what N is but it's less than a few, if that helps).

It's the same reason why racing cars and motorbikes powerslide (not to a large degree, that's only for show) and leave black lines on the tarmac coming out of corners; the powered wheels are spinning and transmitting more power to the road than if they weren't spinning.

 

Bikes also work on a big bang system rather than 1342 more like

13--

24

 

or

14--

2

3

[Atso]

Keeping with the J6 theme, here is the latest on my two.

 

 

 

64226 does have the later, lower, type of chimney.

[Coach bogie]

17 hours ago, Barry Ten said:

I think the end result ended up reasonably well - but I do still need to address that join in the smokebox saddle:

 

 

 

It must be Bulldog season. I had no intention of making another loco, but a good friend of mine wanted a curved frame Bulldog. He had paid someone to build him a Finney kit, but the builder, kit and money are nowhere to be seen. My friend is not getting any younger so I let him have my Loddon/Jidenco curved frame Bulldog so he did not have to wait for another one to be built.

I have known others combine a K’s Duke with a Bulldog to get a curved frame but I was not sure this was the best way, but how would I do it?

 

I am now hooked. Again, I had no intention of doing this but out came the boxes of part-built/wrecks of Bulldogs I have a spares. I had a Henry Casserley picture of 3335 taken a Westbury so this became the loco to model. How could I not continue?

 

I figured it could be done by reshaping the straight frames and cutting a new running plate from brass. This left the challenge of the cab and firebox being short. Back to the junk box and the firebox from a K’s Aberdare is deeper and can be shaped to fit. The cab was a case of cut a new one or add meta below. I went for the latter and used a section from the discarded running plate to add the depth. Luckily there is a rivet line on the real thing where Swindon did the same. (Curved frame Bulldogs were converted from Dukes). All I had to do was put it all together. Frames and motor are K’s. The only K’s wheel sets I had, were too rusty to use so I had some Romford’s in stock. My friend gave me a set of Romford 30:1, and the chassis was running in a couple of hours.

 

Tender is another collection of mainly K’s bits with additional brake work and tender pickups.

And here it is. Just running in. A few minor tweeks / fills and it will get painted next week if it ever stops raining in North Yorkshire.

I will now get back on with coaches, definitely this time!!!!!!!

 

 

Mike Wiltshire

[TrevorP1]

14 minutes ago, Coach bogie said:

 

>>>> it will get painted next week if it ever stops raining in North Yorkshire.

 

 

 

Very nice all these Bulldogs. The best looking GW 4-4-0.

 

I share your frustration with the weather. I can dash out quickly to paint a wagon or coach roof but it feels like I've been waiting all summer for a 'weather window' to paint my H57 diner. Like a fool choose to build a dining car as my first ever brass coach kit and compounded that by choosing crimson and cream livery! No fool like an old(ish) fool!

[Woodcock29]

8 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

'Tony are you able to measure the height of the chimney on a NuCast/SE Finecast J6 please?'

 

I am Andrew,

 

It's 6.5mm. 

 

A glance at Page 3 of Steam Memories: In Colour 1950's & 1960's Retford, by Keith Pirt, Booklaw, 2009 shows a J6 with a taller chimney than that (to scale).

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

Thanks Tony

 

Can you tell me the number of that J6 please as I don't have that book.

 

Regards

 

Andrew

[Barry Ten]

1 hour ago, Coach bogie said:

 

It must be Bulldog season. I had no intention of making another loco, but a good friend of mine wanted a curved frame Bulldog. He had paid someone to build him a Finney kit, but the builder, kit and money are nowhere to be seen. My friend is not getting any younger so I let him have my Loddon/Jidenco curved frame Bulldog so he did not have to wait for another one to be built.

I have known others combine a K’s Duke with a Bulldog to get a curved frame but I was not sure this was the best way, but how would I do it?

 

Mike Wiltshire

 

As Tony knows, I acquired a set of parts for a Bulldog from him at the Wells show last year, so there is another in my future as well. Straight-framed if I remember rightly.

 

Al

[micklner]

10 hours ago, Woodcock29 said:

I was the one who asked the question on red lining of driving wheels a week or so ago on the LNER Forum.

 

My belief is that this was not common and probably only on some J72s. Certainly the two re-painted J72s used as shunters at Newcastle Central in 1937, Nos 1720 and 2313 (the subject of Bachmann's recent release) had their wheels lined out in red as shown in Yeadon Part 43A. Also shown in Yeadon is J72 No 500, new from Doncaster in 1925 with lined wheels so it appears it wasn't just Darlington that might have done this. 

 

On the subject of red buffer shanks - this appears to have been standard practice at Darlington for many years in the LNER period for ex NE black locos but green locos appear to have had black buffer shanks. Although I do note a green liveried J72 and B1 in post war green had red buffer shanks as shown in LNER Locomotives in Colour1936-48 by White and Johnston.  There is also a J39 with red buffer shanks.

 

Also it is noted that a number of ex NE locos had red coupling rods and also connecting rods if having outside cylinders - again from the book mentioned above.

 

Andrew 

Re coupling rods I have also read that it is not Red paint but rust ??  the very few  photos I have seen are more orange then red.

 

Sounds like Red lined wheels  was'nt standard practise , I wonder why only J72's were done ? perhaps we will never know .

[Clem]

52 minutes ago, Woodcock29 said:

Can you tell me the number of that J6 please as I don't have that book.

Hi Andrew, 

If it's the picture I think it is, it is 64178. I'm still not sure that the chimney on it is any taller than the others, though. The angle of the photo is upwards which would make a chimney look taller anyway. I have a few pictures of 64178 somewhere, I'll look them out and see if it  still looks taller on other photos.

 

Clem

[Clem]

Hi Andrew,

Yes, for a period of time, it may have had a slightly taller chimney than the rest of the class (though, I'm not completely convinced). I'm including four photos to show you what I mean:

 

The first taken by the look of it at Doncaster.probably May 1957 after her last General overhaul. It clearly has a standard size chimney here. The following picture is taken at Grantham, late 1940s probably and again shows a standard size. 

 

However the third taken in the mid 50s, it looks like the chimney is a little taller. Is this just an optical illusion? I'm not sure.

 

But in the fourth photo, taken just one month after the first (the engine still looks pretty clean after overhaul), the chimney again looks taller. I'm beginning to think it is the angle of the photo that gives the impression of being taller. The first series with that slight elongated look may be adding to the illusion.

 

Edited August 22, 2020 by Clem
Notes on 4th photo.

[CF MRC]

On 21/08/2020 at 09:08, St Enodoc said:

Tim, I was under the impression that most used split frames or have I misunderstood?

There was a wheel range made by the late Neil Ballantine that were straight replacements for Graham Farish wheels.  They had plastic spokes and steel rims, hence the need for pickups.  Occasionally scraper pick ups are expeditious.  My Midland spinner had them because it used the outside bearings and had a crank axle, but that was made 43 years ago...

 

Tim

[Tom F]

A Special thank you to Tony and Mo for a lovely day. Always worth the drive down to Little Bytham.

Some photographs I took took this afternoon (with Tony's guidance).

 

I'll be editing the video footage shot by Tony tomorrow, which looks to be something special!

 

Edited August 22, 2020 by Hawin Dooiey

[Tony Wright]

13 hours ago, landscapes said:

Hi Tony

 

Thank you, yes a lot of railway modellers are getting quite excited about their pending arrival including me, I have an A2/2 and A 2/3 on order.

 

I think without your input the products would never have got going.

 

For my own reasons I mainly have RTR  models but they have no comparison to when I pick up my only kit built model my PDK A2/1 you really feel the weight in your hands And the quality of the build.

 

incidentally  when I first placed my order with PDK about eight years ago it was for an A2/2 but  before Paul Hill started work I changed it to a A2/1 as Haymarket has three in the late fifties.
 

That was fortunate as the A2/1 along with the A1/1 are the only two Thompson Pacific’s not available in RTR.

 

It was model layouts such as your own Little Bytham and Eric Kidd’s Longdrem and  Pinkhill that got me started in the first place.

 

So I thank you both for that.

 

Regards

 

David

Thanks David,

 

But I think you overestimate my input. 

 

Hornby were going to do the Thompson Pacifics, anyway, whether I assisted them or not.

 

Regarding my 'promise' to take some pictures of my Thompson Pacifics on LB today, my apologies. I've just spent a splendid day with Tom Foster (he on one side of the layout and me on the other) and we spent our time running trains, Tom taking pictures and also taking some moving footage. He'll post it all on here in time.

 

I'll take the pictures next week................

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Tony Wright]

6 hours ago, Woodcock29 said:

Thanks Tony

 

Can you tell me the number of that J6 please as I don't have that book.

 

Regards

 

Andrew

64178,

 

A Retford J6, and one of the many I saw.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Tony Wright]

6 hours ago, Coach bogie said:

 

It must be Bulldog season. I had no intention of making another loco, but a good friend of mine wanted a curved frame Bulldog. He had paid someone to build him a Finney kit, but the builder, kit and money are nowhere to be seen. My friend is not getting any younger so I let him have my Loddon/Jidenco curved frame Bulldog so he did not have to wait for another one to be built.

I have known others combine a K’s Duke with a Bulldog to get a curved frame but I was not sure this was the best way, but how would I do it?

 

I am now hooked. Again, I had no intention of doing this but out came the boxes of part-built/wrecks of Bulldogs I have a spares. I had a Henry Casserley picture of 3335 taken a Westbury so this became the loco to model. How could I not continue?

 

I figured it could be done by reshaping the straight frames and cutting a new running plate from brass. This left the challenge of the cab and firebox being short. Back to the junk box and the firebox from a K’s Aberdare is deeper and can be shaped to fit. The cab was a case of cut a new one or add meta below. I went for the latter and used a section from the discarded running plate to add the depth. Luckily there is a rivet line on the real thing where Swindon did the same. (Curved frame Bulldogs were converted from Dukes). All I had to do was put it all together. Frames and motor are K’s. The only K’s wheel sets I had, were too rusty to use so I had some Romford’s in stock. My friend gave me a set of Romford 30:1, and the chassis was running in a couple of hours.

 

Tender is another collection of mainly K’s bits with additional brake work and tender pickups.

And here it is. Just running in. A few minor tweeks / fills and it will get painted next week if it ever stops raining in North Yorkshire.

I will now get back on with coaches, definitely this time!!!!!!!

 

 

Mike Wiltshire

What wonderfully-inventive and creative work.

 

Thanks Mike!

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[landscapes]

6 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

Thanks David,

 

But I think you overestimate my input. 

 

Hornby were going to do the Thompson Pacifics, anyway, whether I assisted them or not.

 

Regarding my 'promise' to take some pictures of my Thompson Pacifics on LB today, my apologies. I've just spent a splendid day with Tom Foster (he on one side of the layout and me on the other) and we spent our time running trains, Tom taking pictures and also taking some moving footage. He'll post it all on here in time.

 

I'll take the pictures next week................

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

Hi Tony

 

I have just seen Toms photos on your thread, that are very good.

 

Looking forward to seeing your Thompson Pacific photos.

 

Regards

 

David

[Tony Wright]

4 hours ago, Clem said:

Hi Andrew,

Yes, for a period of time, it may have had a slightly taller chimney than the rest of the class (though, I'm not completely convinced). I'm including four photos to show you what I mean:

 

The first taken by the look of it at Doncaster.probably May 1957 after her last General overhaul. It clearly has a standard size chimney here. The following picture is taken at Grantham, late 1940s probably and again shows a standard size. 

 

However the third taken in the mid 50s, it looks like the chimney is a little taller. Is this just an optical illusion? I'm not sure.

 

But in the fourth photo, taken just one month after the first (the engine still looks pretty clean after overhaul), the chimney again looks taller. I'm beginning to think it is the angle of the photo that gives the impression of being taller. The first series with that slight elongated look may be adding to the illusion.

 

Great pictures, Clem,

 

Many thanks.

 

The jury's out on the chimney heights, I think.

 

What the first picture shows is how large the J6 spectacles are. Larger than those in the SEF kit, and probably larger than the LRM one as well.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Tony Wright]

1 hour ago, Hawin Dooiey said:

A Special thank you to Tony and Mo for a lovely day. Always worth the drive down to Little Bytham.

Some photographs I took took this afternoon (with Tony's guidance).

 

I'll be editing the video footage shot by Tony tomorrow, which looks to be something special!

 

Thanks to you, Tom,

 

You've beaten me to it - my response to 'Landscapes' is retrospective now. 

 

The pictures look great, and those moving images you took on your phone looked terrific!

 

You should have mentioned that you did the weathering on three of the locos shown in your pictures. 

 

And, you should have also mentioned that derailed van! 

 

I've fixed that feed to the point blade, by the way. It now works perfectly.

 

Best regards,

 

Tony. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Tom F]

3 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

Thanks to you, Tom,

 

You've beaten me to it - my response to 'Landscapes' is retrospective now. 

 

The pictures look great, and those moving images you took on your phone looked terrific!

 

You should have mentioned that you did the weathering on three of the locos shown in your pictures. 

 

And, you should have also mentioned that derailed van! 

 

I've fixed that feed to the point blade, by the way. It now works perfectly.

 

Best regards,

 

Tony. 

 

 

Thanks Tony, it's been lovely!

Sadly a couple of images had come out blurred, but I'm very pleased with the ones posted above. I'll post photos of the J17, A4 and road vehicles as I weather them over the coming month or so. 

 

Best

 

Tom

[Erichill16]

It’s nice to see the picture of the L1 as we don’t see many tank engines  on LB, presumably there weren’t many services that used them.
Regards Robert

 

[CF MRC]

Please excuse the diversion, but one of the great things about fora and our modern age of readily available Information, is that historical research becomes easier and easier.  People will often go way beyond reasonable levels to help.

When a photo such as this is available, (courtesy LTMuseum archives) it would be churlish not to model it. 

There are a few more detail signs, lamps and posters to be fitted as well as the newsagents / tobacconist on the retail unit on the left.  Still quite a lot to do before completion...
 

Tim

[MJI]

I finished a rake of coaches today, an Eastern region rake of 8.

 

I started it about 2012 or 2013.

 

First carriage completed May 2014

Last carrage completed Aug 2020 (fitting gangways to 2 TSOs)

 

No vehicle out of box

 

5 Airfix TSOs 1 Airfix FO, all fitted with etched frames and laser cut glazing, resprayed, numbered correctly, wire grabrails, FO now FK.

 

1 Replica BG, flush glazed renumbered airbraked

1 Lima based BAR, 247 sides and LOTS ot work

 

Was a couple year gap in middle and of course trying to get hold of Brian Hanson.

 

Also only 1 coach glazing to finish another rake of 8, a Western region set. All Airfix,

[Tony Wright]

9 hours ago, Erichill16 said:

It’s nice to see the picture of the L1 as we don’t see many tank engines  on LB, presumably there weren’t many services that used them.
Regards Robert

 

Good morning Robert,

 

I've yet to find a picture of an L1 on the ECML between Grantham and Peterborough, Robert (other than trip workings to High Dyke from Grantham). 

 

Ian Wilson recalls seeing Grantham-allocated 67800 at Peterborough North, so one might assume it worked a service through Little Bytham to get there. 

 

Tanks were more-often used on the Nottingham services from Grantham, though (surely?) they must have worked the occasional all-stations stoppers to Peterborough. Roy Jackson and his High Dyke team must have thought so, because there was one an L1 which worked on that layout. 

 

I have two L1s, and two A5s, on LB, so they're run occasionally. The L1 shown in Tom Foster's picture is an ancient ECJM (latterly ABS) kit which I built and painted. Tom weathered it expertly...........

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Tony Wright]

I'll be off to see Retford soon, and give the new J6 a good run.

 

 

I think my altering of the spectacles has made a big difference to the proportion of the 'plate and their relationship to the boiler. 

 

Note how large the spectacles are on the real thing....................

 

I'll take some more Retford photographs today, and show some on here........................

 

 

[Tony Wright]

More on L1s...............

 

 

The Hornby RTR one is certainly a fine model. All I've done with this one is renumber it (to a Grantham-allocated one), add a crew, detail and weather it. Once done, I then sold it on...........

 

 

I did much the same with this one, then giving it to Ian Wilson. 

 

 

This is one of the pair of ECJM's L1s which remain on Little Bytham. However, having a Gorton-allocated example is stretching things a lot - I saw this one at Guide Bridge. 

 

This is how it appeared over 40 years ago when I first built/painted it (I altered it to represent one of the contract-built locos). As can be seen from Tom's picture, now it's much more natural. 

 

Any more L1s out there? 

 

 

Edited August 23, 2020 by Tony Wright
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