Wright writes.....

[CUTLER2579]

55 minutes ago, micklner said:

Link here

 

https://www.rail-online.co.uk/p431111564/hC5707816#hc5707816

 

By heck 4479 that was a quick day,and so to bed said Zebedee. 

[LNER4479]

19 hours ago, chris p bacon said:

The English language in written and spoken form has evolved over centuries...

I know you've said 'draw a line' Tony but in this fast moving thread of yours it's difficult to keep up!

 

I too am fascinated by the whole subject and would like to echo 'Chris's point (or should that be " 'Chris' 's point", as I am aware that 'Chris' is not his real name?). The words of one Mr Shakespeare are rightly lauded as (one of) the greatest expression(s) of the english language - yet we hardly walk around today uttering statements like 'verily, I say unto thee ...'.  In 400 years time our distant descendants might come across a dog-eared copy of '4mm loco kit building' by Tony Wright and will probably fall about laughing (apart from the obvious reason) at the quaint use of 'old english' ('Dat's like wot they's used to speak, innit?'). Even books written 100 years ago can raise a smile at the slightly different use of the language at that time.

 

My point (echoing 'Chris') is that change is a constant so far as language is concerned (as indeed with many things), and we have no right to expect it, nor for the so-called 'rules' that surround it, to be immutable.

 

 

Here's one of my favourites. Punctuate the following to make it make sense:

 

John whereas Mary had had had had had had had had had had had a better effect on the teacher

 

 

Perhaps we should indeed hasten ourselves back to the modelling ...

 

 

 

 

 

[Richard E]

11 hours ago, 96701 said:

 Sorry, Greene King beers just do not come close, the nearest that I have to the last pint tasting as good as the first is Oakham Beers JHB, another good session beer with lots of flavour.

 

Takes all sorts I suppose

 

Seriously, I respect others point of view but for both of us (SWMBO and I) JHB is a bland session beer, not much flavour. And the brewery is 2/3rds of a mile from me!

 

I'll agree on a lot of Greene King ales, not been the same since the Chinese bought it out, and wasn't much cop before that.

 

Mind you they also own/brew Ruddles, Morland, Hardys and Hansons, and a couple of others. One or two are reasonable if you can find them. Ruddles are a poor shadow of what they used to be ever since they moved the brewery from Langham (near Oakham). Nearest to the old Ruddles ales are Grainstore.

[LNER4479]

6 minutes ago, CUTLER2579 said:

 

By heck 4479 that was a quick day,and so to bed said Zebedee. 

I think it was the Edinburgh-Carlisle Waverley route that was being referred to so Mick needs to try a bit harder...

[Tony Wright]

As is well known, I get several 'interesting' locomotives to examine from time to time.

 

Last week a friend gave me a K's Ivatt 2-6-2T, built by the late Alec Swain. It had been given to him by Alec, but 'it didn't go'. 

 

I'm not sure how old it is (a generation or two, I'd think) and it had been standing on a shelf gathering dust for most of that time. 

 

My friend was right; it didn't go! It buzzed a bit, generated some smoke then performed no more. 

 

What to do?

 

 

The loco and its mechanism were very well made (even with K's wheels), and, on bench-testing, I got the K's Mk.1 motor to turn (just about). It was wired the opposite polarity to the norm (not that that was important at this stage) and, after a clean, a tweak here and there and a drop of oil, it moved along the test track; just! However, what a racket - growling and slow. No good at all. 

 

Now, I was faced with a dilemma. What to do? I took pity on the poor old thing, dismantled much of the chassis and installed one of the latest DJH motor/gearbox combinations, fitting new nickel silver pick-ups at the same time (the originals were phosphor bronze and had no 'spring' left in them). But, here's the dilemma - what might it be worth now? The new motor/gearbox is well in excess of half a hundred pounds, so it's probably worth more that the whole loco itself! It now runs really sweetly (despite the K's wheels), and it is rather quaint.

 

 

Note the 'natural' weathering............

 

The ghastly pony wheels will be replaced. 

 

And, here's another reason for the dilemma............

 

 

Bachmann's RTR equivalent. Does anyone know what one of these costs? 

 

 

DCC-ready as well. What price the poor old K's thing now? 

 

 

[Tony Wright]

34 minutes ago, LNER4479 said:

I know you've said 'draw a line' Tony but in this fast moving thread of yours it's difficult to keep up!

 

I too am fascinated by the whole subject and would like to echo 'Chris's point (or should that be " 'Chris' 's point", as I am aware that 'Chris' is not his real name?). The words of one Mr Shakespeare are rightly lauded as (one of) the greatest expression(s) of the english language - yet we hardly walk around today uttering statements like 'verily, I say unto thee ...'.  In 400 years time our distant descendants might come across a dog-eared copy of '4mm loco kit building' by Tony Wright and will probably fall about laughing (apart from the obvious reason) at the quaint use of 'old english' ('Dat's like wot they's used to speak, innit?'). Even books written 100 years ago can raise a smile at the slightly different use of the language at that time.

 

My point (echoing 'Chris') is that change is a constant so far as language is concerned (as indeed with many things), and we have no right to expect it, nor for the so-called 'rules' that surround it, to be immutable.

 

 

Here's one of my favourites. Punctuate the following to make it make sense:

 

John whereas Mary had had had had had had had had had had had a better effect on the teacher

 

 

Perhaps we should indeed hasten ourselves back to the modelling ...

 

 

 

 

 

Draw a line might be best, Graham.

 

However (isn't there always an 'however'?), it hasn't taken 100 years to 'erode' our wonderful English grammar/spelling, it's taken far fewer years. I'm not talking here of dialect or colloquial speech (my paternal family is from Yorkshire, so I know all about that), but the use of English by so called 'professional' presenters and journalists. 

 

Recent 'bloopers' include 'Me 'n' Steph will be investigating................' (BBC). Or worse - 'It'll be up to Steph and I to sort this out' or words to that effect. And, as for 'sit', 'sat', 'sitting' (why not 'satting'?), you know my opinions on those!  

 

Take diction as well. Why is it so fashionable now for presenters not to be able to pronounce the letter 'r' properly? Brilliant in Monty Python (welease Woger), but not where clear speech is essential. And, as for the cricket presenters ................ What form of the game is 'twenny-twenny'? Groan! 

 

And, what about the dreadful lack of general knowledge shown by some presenters? Recently, there was some wonderful footage shown of seals 'herding' shoals of fish into 'bait balls', making it easier for them to catch them. The presenter (BBC breakfast) thought they were platypuses (or should that be platypi?). A duck-billed platypus catching fast-swimming fish in the open ocean? I choked over my cup of tea!   

 

Anyway, enough said. 

 

Let's get back to railway modelling....................

Edited September 3, 2020 by Tony Wright
to add something

[Clive Mortimore]

20 hours ago, jacko said:

I lived in Stotfold for a year or so in about 1985 while I worked at ICL in Letchworth.  Hated living so far south away from a decent pint.

What is wrong with a pint of Charlie Wells Bombardier?

[chris p bacon]

46 minutes ago, LNER4479 said:

yet we hardly walk around today uttering statements like 'verily, I say unto thee ...'

 

You've never been to a building site when no one's around....

[Compound2632]

3 minutes ago, chris p bacon said:

 

You've never been to a building site when no one's around....

 

By definition. Berkeleian or what?

[Anglian]

2 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

It's my belief that general standards of spoken/written English have never been universally-good (is that a correct use of a hyphen?). I only need to look back over my years in teaching to recall letters from some parents (who were educated long before my 'training') to tell that, but the 'professional' media going back some 40/50 years (and more) was usually correct - the radio, telly, newspapers and so on. Not now.

 

Anyway, a delight to correspond. I don't mind being picked up where I get my English usage incorrect (I deserve to be), but it remains the case that some correspondents are 'sensitive' if their (poor) use of English is commented on.

 

Best draw a line..................?

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

Sorry I can't resist making a comment. I don't believe a hyphen is needed between 'universally' and 'good'. 

The text that reads 'was usually correct - the radio…' is in fact incorrect. Rather than the use of a hyphen the punctuation mark should be an en dash so the text should read 'was usually correct – the radio'. On my keyboard I set an en dash by holding the option key when using the hyphen key. Essentially it's a longer dash than a hyphen. In traditional typesetting an en dash is as long as the width of the lowercase n character. An em dash is longer being defined by the width of the lowercase m character.

 

Depending on the font used sometimes it's better to use an em dash if the en dash isn't long enough to distinguish it from a hyphen.  An em dash is set using option-shift-hyphen to give —. However, the en dash is usually sufficient.

 

I apologise in advance for any errors in my text!

 

 

[LNER4479]

40 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

 

Last week a friend gave me a K's Ivatt 2-6-2T, built by the late Alec Swain. 

 

But, here's the dilemma - what might it be worth now? The new motor/gearbox is well in excess of half a hundred pounds, so it's probably worth more that the whole loco itself! It now runs really sweetly (despite the K's wheels), and it is rather quaint.

 

 

Bachmann's RTR equivalent. Does anyone know what one of these costs? 

 

What price the poor old K's thing now? 

 

 

It does look rather nice. Pity it's in LMS livery (on this occasion) - they were occasionally seen at Garsdale on the Hawes 'Bonnyface' working ...

[Tony Wright]

29 minutes ago, LNER4479 said:

It does look rather nice. Pity it's in LMS livery (on this occasion) - they were occasionally seen at Garsdale on the Hawes 'Bonnyface' working ...

It can be easily repainted, Graham.

 

If you're interested..............................

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Tony Wright]

33 minutes ago, Anglian said:

 

Sorry I can't resist making a comment. I don't believe a hyphen is needed between 'universally' and 'good'. 

The text that reads 'was usually correct - the radio…' is in fact incorrect. Rather than the use of a hyphen the punctuation mark should be an en dash so the text should read 'was usually correct – the radio'. On my keyboard I set an en dash by holding the option key when using the hyphen key. Essentially it's a longer dash than a hyphen. In traditional typesetting an en dash is as long as the width of the lowercase n character. An em dash is longer being defined by the width of the lowercase m character.

 

Depending on the font used sometimes it's better to use an em dash if the en dash isn't long enough to distinguish it from a hyphen.  An em dash is set using option-shift-hyphen to give —. However, the en dash is usually sufficient.

 

I apologise in advance for any errors in my text!

 

 

You should take up teaching English, Tim.

 

I stand corrected!

 

Seriously, I think that's probably enough now on the tenets of grammar (especially from me).

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Iain Mac]

3 hours ago, LNER4479 said:

There's a challenge for somebody. Standby for a picture on here by the end of the day.

It's been debated amongst many of my friends and I over on the Waverley threads and with the old guards of Hawick and Gala. No one has any confirmation of a P2 getting any mileage over the route, even via Kelso -  St Boswells.

I've seen a photo of Deltic, the prototype, siting in Stobs Camp siding on its way to Leith for trials. 

Edited September 3, 2020 by Iain Mac
Correcting dyslexia. D's and B's still occasionally muddle me if I rush typing..

[PMP]

1 hour ago, Clive Mortimore said:

What is wrong with a pint of Charlie Wells Bombardier?

Nothing at all!  
I had the fortune to meet and chat with Wing Cmdr Oliver Wells on several occasions. He took over the brewery on resigning from the RAF where he had had in interesting career, pathfinder Lancaster pilot, shot down and on the run for four five months before capture and incarceration, then flew in the Berlin Airlift. Lovely chap, lovely beer.

 

Meanwhile back on thread...

[chrisf]

3 hours ago, 2750Papyrus said:

To anyone currently exiled to the area, may I recommend the Engineers' Arms in Henlow?

 

A recommendation that I endorse.  I have attended beer festivals there which I understand that I enjoyed.

 

Chris

[TheSignalEngineer]

6 minutes ago, chrisf said:

 

A recommendation that I endorse.  I have attended beer festivals there which I understand that I enjoyed.

 

Chris

If you remember you probably didn't enjoy them.

[grahame]

The A B C sign is now (just needs a little matt varnish) on my N/2mm scale cinema (see early in thread). The letters were laser cut in 0.4 ply and engraved to form the edge lip by Maurice at Osborns Models. They arrived this morning. Considering how small they are he's done a great job. They are very impressive and it's my painting of them (the excuse being how tricky it was to pick out the lip) that rather lets the side down.

 

 

 

[LNER4479]

1 hour ago, Iain Mac said:

It's been debated amongst many of my friends and I over on the Waverley threads and with the old guards of Hawick and Gala. No one has any confirmation of a P2 getting any mileage over the route, even via Kelso -  St Boswells.

I've seen a photo of Deltic, the prototype, siting in Stobs Camp siding on its way to Leith for trials. 

Slight apologies as I got a little befuddled reading your posts and misinterpreted the reference to 'P2' as being the rebuilt A2/2 version. I actually found the Waverley thread discussing the topic and there's some very informative responses on there, in particular pointing out that Haymarket men didn't have route knowledge over the Waverley pre-war. It was quite useful for me actually as I'm researching such things for my 1950s Carlisle scheme which will feature the Waverley route.

 

[LNER4479]

2 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

It can be easily repainted, Graham.

 

If you're interested..............................

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

Let's have a conversation.

 

I did make up a K's kit once:

 

 

Seen here in use on my old loft layout.

 

I think I did use the wheels as supplied - but I certainly didn't use the motor! Biggest Mashima I could find, hidden inside the front (water tank) engine did the trick. Once it could pull itself along it would pull anything.

 

 

Edited September 3, 2020 by LNER4479

[Barry Ten]

33 minutes ago, grahame said:

The A B C sign is now (just needs a little matt varnish) on my N/2mm scale cinema (see early in thread). The letters were laser cut in 0.4 ply and engraved to form the edge lip by Maurice at Osborns Models. They arrived this morning. Considering how small they are he's done a great job. They are very impressive and it's my painting of them (the excuse being how tricky it was to pick out the lip) that rather lets the side down.

 

 

 

 

Fantastic work, Grahame. Perfectly evocative of a time now gone. A packet of popcorn and a matinee screening of "Jaws" for me, please.

[micklner]

4 hours ago, LNER4479 said:

I think it was the Edinburgh-Carlisle Waverley route that was being referred to so Mick needs to try a bit harder...

Photo says Waverley 

[grahame]

27 minutes ago, Barry Ten said:

 

Fantastic work, Grahame. Perfectly evocative of a time now gone. A packet of popcorn and a matinee screening of "Jaws" for me, please.

 

Many thanks.

 

It's based on the Chatham Regent/ABC cinema below. The photo is presumably from 1963 as the two films mentioned were both released that year. I remember it well from the early 70s (around 72 and 73) and although it was converted in to a three screen cinema in early 1972 the exterior was still very much like the 1963 incarnation.

 

[Tony Wright]

32 minutes ago, micklner said:

Photo says Waverley 

Good afternoon Mick,

 

In the spirit of good humour, I think the problem is that 'the Waverley' can (and does) refer to two things. One; the largest station on the LNER, and two; the route between that station and Carlisle (though the actual route begins a few miles further east at Portobello). 

 

I think it's safe to say that no P2 ever worked to Carlisle, but whether an A2/2 worked over the Waverley route, I don't know. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony.

[Tony Wright]

Anyway, some nice locos in 2mm FS now.

 

I think it's safe to say that the smaller scale lends itself more to 'railways in the landscape', though there are some wonderful locos and stock out there. 

 

My apologies for not being able to remember the names of many of the builders.

 

 

None more so than this; the winner of the Groves Trophy at the 2mm Association's AGM last year in Swindon (at which it was my privilege to be one of the judges). 

 

This magnificent 9F even has reversible valve gear! 

 

 

The same builder (Nick?) brought these incredible scratch-built locos along with him when he visited LB a couple of years or more ago. Yes, they are 2mm FS, not 7mm!

 

 

He also brought this much-modified Farish 'Austerity'. 

 

Jerry Clifford's name is frequently mentioned with regard to making 2mm FS locos..............

 

 

 

With justification!

 

 

As is Laurie Griffin. 

 

However, as mentioned, it's in the 'grand scheme' of things where 2mm FS modelling really excels in my view. 

 

 

None more so than on Copenhagen Fields.

 

 

Or Ivybridge.

 

 

Or this Welsh layout, the name of which I can never remember how to spell. 

 

N Gauge next........................

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 3, 2020 by Tony Wright
to remove tautology