Wright writes.....

[MikeTrice]

11 hours ago, ROY@34F said:

Tony ,

 

Definitely varnished wood . I'd say a light to mid brown , teak maybe 

 

Regards , Roy .

Agree, it looks like teak:

[MikeTrice]

A couple more:

 

[Clem]

7 hours ago, Chuffer Davies said:

I'm sure we can sort something out if you want to have a go.....       

Yes thanks Frank. I'd be keen to try your drive transmission system out on the J1 if/when released. I've still got a lot on this year trying to get the layout in better shape (signals, buildings and scenery) but a J1 would be high up on the list mainly thanks to a lovely John P Wilson photo of 65002 approaching Radcliffe-on-Trent with a Grantham train in 1954 that appeared in Locomotives Illustrated 153.

 

The looks and running of the Q2 is very inspirational. I'm still tied to getting my sister's house sorted out for selling but I'm hoping that will pretty well be sorted out by the end of September and that should release some more time to get on with railway things.

 

Cheers

 

Clem

[Tony Wright]

10 hours ago, Tony Teague said:

 

You are probably right, but I doubt that it alters the collector's sentiment towards altering the items he has collected - so I'd still maintain that the difference is that the 'modeller' sees his purchases as consumables, and makes use of them accordingly.

Good morning Tony,

 

I've never understood the collectors' 'mentality', though I've photographed numerous collections down the years. Not just model railway collections, but die-cast items, including lots of Dink Toys. 

 

One chap had examples of all the Dinky Toys ever made, mainly mint-boxed. He didn't mind my taking them out of their boxes to be photographed. The opposite extremes to this were two (younger) collectors who'd acquired more-recent stuff. How does one take pictures of models through plastic 'bubbles'? Apparently breaching the adhesive seals on the boxes renders the model inside less-valuable. Less-valuable to whom? The damned things were made to be played with! 

 

At the school Mo first taught at (nearly 50 years ago!), she was going through her stockroom and discovered dozens of mint boxed Dinky Toys, including some 'Super Toys'. They'd been bought (in the '50s) for the kids to play with, but they'd never been touched. With the permission of her headmistress, I took them to a mate (a collector) who was overjoyed. He gave me a good price (a very good price!) and I bought masses of Lego and contemporary wooden toys. Mo's class had a whale of a time playing with these. Whoever had originally bought the Dinkies must have realised that four/five year olds were too young for them. A 'win-win' situation? 

 

One collector I knew in Wolverhampton eventually acquired everything ever made by Hornby-Dublo, including the six-wheeled 'Stove' and track-cleaning wagon. Every item was mint boxed. Once he'd achieved his mission (over 20 years) he sold the lot. 'It's the thrill of the chase, Tony!'. 

 

Some collections I've photographed have been extremely valuable. Collections including stuff like this.................

 

 

I think the lump of bent tin to the left is Hornby, and the A4 is a more-modern collectors' piece, by ACE.

 

 

Hmmmmm.................

 

 

Bassett Lowke could produce some 'reasonably accurate' locos (at a huge price, then and now).

 

 

And some which were not. However, something like this is still worth hundreds!

 

 

Apparently less-valuable (amazingly) is where someone in the distant past scratch-built a loco body and put it on top of a proprietary mechanism (in this case Bassett Lowke?). 

 

Some of this 'Childhood I never had' stuff (the late Pete Marshall's words) is more valuable than highly-accurate, hand-built 'equivalents'. 

 

I'm afraid (no I'm not) I don't get it.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

 

[Tony Wright]

28 minutes ago, MikeTrice said:

A couple more:

 

Thanks Mike,

 

As usual, one of the cabside windows is 'open'. 

 

Were there any occasions when both were shut?

 

Regards,

 

Tony.  

[Tony Wright]

12 hours ago, landscapes said:

Hi Tony

 

Two stunning looking locomotives, it’s a great shame you didn’t give Hornby 60519 Honeyway then I might not have to do a renumbering and naming job on it, only joking.

 

may I ask who’s nameplates you used?

 

Regards

 

David

Good morning David,

 

In a further response to your post, a difference in the colours will be noted between the studio shots and the layout shots of both locos (I think the latter is more correct). 

 

Different lighting and different cameras.......................

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Headstock]

11 hours ago, Chuffer Davies said:

I have at last had a successful test run of a model I have been developing over an extended period for Shipley MRS's Clayton project.  The Q2 was my first attempt at designing my own kit of etches and was initially all but completed about 3 years ago.  At the time of completion I was unable to test its haulage abilities on Clayton although it did have a test run on Retford where it proved capable of hauling Roy's longest goods train.   It was fitted with a Portescap 1219 unit but the motor was upgraded to a 1230 unit because of the anticipated demands that would be placed on it.  

18 months ago we were at last able to run trains around Clayton and I was then able to give the loco a proper haulage test on the 1:50 gradient.  The test was disappointing to say the least  with the model slipping to a halt with 18 wagons where as the target was a minimum of 30 wagons.  

 

Followers of WW will know that I have been experimenting with locating motors in the tender of my models and it was apparent from the failed test run that the Q2 was a candidate for conversion.  Having put this off for several months I have finally bitten the bullet and performed the conversion.  The LRM frames in the tender were replaced with some etched frames of my own design that include a vertical gearbox to transfer the drive from the motor to a shaft running down the centre of the tender's frames beneath the footplate.   The Portescap unit was removed and the back of the loco's frames were modified to receive a gearbox I've designed based upon the High Level Road Runner Compact+ unit, the difference being that my unit has been designed to accept small ball races to support the worm's shaft.  

 

 

Having dealt with the mechanical changes the next job was to exploit the space now available in the boiler and firebox by packing it with lead.  This necessitated an amount of disassembly in order to gain full access to the back of the boiler. 

 

 

Having inserted as much lead as I could the model was reassembled.  The  loco is now 5½oz heavier than before coming in at a total weight of 14½oz, hopefully it will now be capable of hauling the load for which it has been built up the 1:50 gradient. 

 

Regrettably we currently have no access to the layout and so I am only able to test the loco on a yard of track on my work bench, but at least I can finish it off and get on with something else.  

 

        

 

Good morning Frank,

 

very elegant workmanship but I may have to report you, for not having your official Shipley Model Railway mug on display.

 

[Headstock]

49 minutes ago, MikeTrice said:

A couple more:

 

 

49 minutes ago, MikeTrice said:

A couple more:

 

 

Good morning Mike,

 

I have a set of those hanging up in the garage, definitely teak.

[Northmoor]

14 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

One collector I knew in Wolverhampton eventually acquired everything ever made by Hornby-Dublo, including the six-wheeled 'Stove' and track-cleaning wagon. Every item was mint boxed. Once he'd achieved his mission (over 20 years) he sold the lot. 'It's the thrill of the chase, Tony!'. 

 

I'm afraid (no I'm not) I don't get it.

But Tony, you were a "spotter": it's the same thing, just applied to physical stuff and not just the number.  How many times did you go to new locations where elusive "cops" would turn up?  It's a widely-mocked pastime, but young spotters have seen and have a better knowledge of UK geography than all their peers and many adults.

 

I agree, I've no wish to just collect for the sake of it (in fact I now very rarely buy anything, with too many projects and models that have barely ever left their boxes, waiting for a layout) but each to their own, etc.  At least those you've described wanted to take them out and admire them, although the young lads sadly might turn into those charmless people who never do anything unless they can gain financially from it, and never feel a true passion for anything.

 

Rob

[landscapes]

23 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

Good morning David,

 

In a further response to your post, a difference in the colours will be noted between the studio shots and the layout shots of both locos (I think the latter is more correct). 

 

Different lighting and different cameras.......................

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

Hi Tony

 

Thank you for the explination, the photos are so clear they look like O gauge locomotives, please don't tell me they are.

 

Regards

 

David

[grahame]

5 minutes ago, Northmoor said:

But Tony, you were a "spotter": it's the same thing, just applied to physical stuff and not just the number.  How many times did you go to new locations where elusive "cops" would turn up?  It's a widely-mocked pastime, but young spotters have seen and have a better knowledge of UK geography than all their peers and many adults.

 

. . . I've no wish to just collect for the sake of it . . .

 

Yep, me too, to a large extent (although you don't need to be a 'spotter' to have a good geographic knowledge - travel for any reason can do that). 

 

I've never had a desire to collect numbers (spotting trains, buses, aeroplanes or whatever) or to collect RTR models. But I do like to go out and see trains, ride them, photograph them and enjoy them. And I particularly like to make models of the things I see (although I've not a great desire to play with them or operate them).

 

But each to their own; as part of participating in the railway modelling hobby.

 

 

[APOLLO]

Well I was perhaps the daftest spotter amongst us all. I didn't underline the loco number in my trusty Ian Allan "Locoshed" book, I blanked it out with a biro - shed and all. Fine for seeing what I had not yet seen, but totally useless for seeing what I had seen !! - Also by the mid to late sixties there were many gaps in steam loco numbering due to withdrawals & scrapping. I still have the book - totally useless, (but all the Deltics are blanked out).

 

When steam went I still train traveled a lot & shed bashed, but took only a few photos - the enjoyment back then was the day out. I did however keep a log of the trains I traveled on, loco etc - that is useful (to me).

 

As to collectors - I don't but have a large collection of stuff that I mostly run. Time soon to thin out the dross. (and stop buying things !!!!!).

 

Brit15

Edited September 12, 2020 by APOLLO
typo

[PMP]

46 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

 

 

Some of this 'Childhood I never had' stuff (the late Pete Marshall's words) is more valuable than highly-accurate, hand-built 'equivalents'. 

 

I'm afraid (no I'm not) I don't get it.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

 

It’s down to rarity. The ‘toys’ were made to be played with, so they get battered worn and ultimately thrown away. Therefore finding a mint one is increasingly difficult, and they’ll never be made again. Conversely a finescale version can be commissioned, and are less rare, eg MR Smith and Mr Jones can individually commission you to build an A3 for them. They’ll have a unique A3 for themselves, but there’s other A3’s built by you, or alternatively from other builders at equivalent quality. Whilst there are restorers of tinplate etc, the supply of original old stock is far smaller. The market will dictate value of course, look at Wrenn nowadays, the @rse has fallen out of the market and value dropped accordingly.

[MJI]

Spotting red underline for seen, black for hauled or rode in.

[MJI]

My GRCW DMU

 

[MJI]

I am only allowed to upload 10 MB

[t-b-g]

I have never been a collector but I do have a few friends who are.

 

It is like any hobby.

 

There are many hobbies around that I don't follow or really understand but that is my problem, not the fault of the people who do enjoy the hobby.

 

One of my former clients was the late Horace Dunkley, who collected Matchbox items.

 

When he told me that he was paying me from the proceeds of the auction that sold his collection, I looked him up on Google. He lost interest when he reached the age of 70 and realised that for the last few years he hadn't found anything that he didn't already have. It was very much the thrill of the chase, finding the rare and sometimes unique items. Once there was nothing left to find, the thrill vanished.

 

As "our" sorts of hobbies generally, the older collectors pass away and very few new ones are joining in, so collections come on the market, supply exceeds demand and prices drop. 

[Tony Teague]

1 hour ago, Tony Wright said:

I'm afraid (no I'm not) I don't get it.

Regards,

Tony.

 

Me neither!

[Headstock]

My late Father never had any time for trainspotters. I see trainspotting as a wasted opportunity to gather priceless information now lost forever. I collect priceless information, thanks a lot trainspotters, you useless yahoos. You were there and blew it.

 

I've never been a proper collector, I tried various things when I was young but realized it was kind of a pointless exercise after a while. 

[drmditch]

Good Morning. This thread moves so fast that no sooner do I see something to which I could make a contribution then it it has vanished somewhere in the previous decade/century/millennium!

(Sometimes I can make search engines work and sometimes not but i prefer to spend the time on proper engines with actual wheels!)

 

So, to catch up a bit I've prepared some material which I will put into separate posts to avoid making one very long one and to make reference easier!

(Obviously these can be removed if anyone objects to my prolixity!)

 

There was a discussion about LNER large engine cab/tender doors.

Here are some pictures of the V2 arrangement on 4771.

(I am sure that at some point Mr Trice has probably taken better pictures.)

 

 

 

 

 

Then the nice simple pintle hinges!

First the 'locomotive side':-

 

 

Then the 'tender' side:-

 

 

 

At the moment Locomotion is open Wednesday to Sunday, from 11:00am to 4:00pm, and visitors can climb steps to look into the cabs, but are not allowed into the cabs themselves.

(Footplates were not designed for 'social distancing'!)  If you do want to come and visit, then it it is advisable to book a ticket first. These are free of charge, but the ticketing system is sensible not only for traceability, but to allow control of the number of people in the building at one time.

 

Bookings available here

 

I am back to being on-site on Fridays, welcoming people and explaining and discussing where required.

If you do visit on a Friday do say hello!

 

(Remember, unlike our 'big sister' at York, car parking is free!)

 

Caroline Middleditch

 

 

 

 

[Tony Wright]

2 hours ago, PMP said:

It’s down to rarity. The ‘toys’ were made to be played with, so they get battered worn and ultimately thrown away. Therefore finding a mint one is increasingly difficult, and they’ll never be made again. Conversely a finescale version can be commissioned, and are less rare, eg MR Smith and Mr Jones can individually commission you to build an A3 for them. They’ll have a unique A3 for themselves, but there’s other A3’s built by you, or alternatively from other builders at equivalent quality. Whilst there are restorers of tinplate etc, the supply of original old stock is far smaller. The market will dictate value of course, look at Wrenn nowadays, the @rse has fallen out of the market and value dropped accordingly.

Thanks Paul,

 

How many Bassett Lowke 'toys' were 'played with' I don't know, but, if they were, they'd be by the children of the rich. 

 

It's interesting your comment about the falling (Wrenn) market. The chap whose complete Dinky Toy collection I photographed reckoned it was his 'retirement pot', but when I spoke with him last (some time later) he appeared dismayed that its value appeared to be diminishing. 

 

Could this be more of a generational thing? Certainly, with regard to Bassett Lowke, it would seem that most of the collectors are getting on (have you ever been to a Bassett Lowke Collectors' Society Convention, held every two years in Tewin near Welwyn? I felt like a child!). It would seem that collections keep on coming back on to the market, increasing the supply to satisfy a diminishing demand. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

Edited September 12, 2020 by Tony Wright
typo error

[Clive Mortimore]

How does one define a collector. I have a collection of model railway items.

 

Am I a collector as I have all the boiler variations of Black Fives, plus a double chimney one and one ear marked to become a Caprotti one?

Am I a collector in as much as I seem to be building up a a good selection of BR Mk1 coaches converted from Tri-ang/Hornby or Lima coaches, recent conversions include a SR proper 2nd class open, S15000 the Mk1 prototype, a Bullion Van and a diagram 25 RKB?

 

I am not building up my collection because it will be valuable one day, or to try and impress people. I am doing it so I can play trains and I like model making. But it is a collection.  

 

In the past I have been rummaging through my stock boxes and found something I had purchased but never run, is that me on the path of a real collector or just me being stupid?

[Headstock]

23 minutes ago, Clive Mortimore said:

How does one define a collector. I have a collection of model railway items.

 

Am I a collector as I have all the boiler variations of Black Fives, plus a double chimney one and one ear marked to become a Caprotti one?

Am I a collector in as much as I seem to be building up a a good selection of BR Mk1 coaches converted from Tri-ang/Hornby or Lima coaches, recent conversions include a SR proper 2nd class open, S15000 the Mk1 prototype, a Bullion Van and a diagram 25 RKB?

 

I am not building up my collection because it will be valuable one day, or to try and impress people. I am doing it so I can play trains and I like model making. But it is a collection.  

 

In the past I have been rummaging through my stock boxes and found something I had purchased but never run, is that me on the path of a real collector or just me being stupid?

 

Morning Clive,

 

it depends if it is a means to an end or a means in itself. For example, I could collect bullets, because I like bullets. Alternatively, I could purchase bullets to shoot trainspotters. Both can acquire a collection of bullets, only one is a collector of bullets.

Edited September 12, 2020 by Headstock
add info

[MJI]

28 minutes ago, Clive Mortimore said:

How does one define a collector. I have a collection of model railway items.

 

Am I a collector as I have all the boiler variations of Black Fives, plus a double chimney one and one ear marked to become a Caprotti one?

Am I a collector in as much as I seem to be building up a a good selection of BR Mk1 coaches converted from Tri-ang/Hornby or Lima coaches, recent conversions include a SR proper 2nd class open, S15000 the Mk1 prototype, a Bullion Van and a diagram 25 RKB?

 

I am not building up my collection because it will be valuable one day, or to try and impress people. I am doing it so I can play trains and I like model making. But it is a collection.  

 

In the past I have been rummaging through my stock boxes and found something I had purchased but never run, is that me on the path of a real collector or just me being stupid?

 

You chop up Triangs like I chop up Airfix aircons.

 

That said why I am producing TSOs and BGs from Triangs rather thay buying Bachmann - cost. Plus the fact that Triang were crude but accurate.

[Porcy Mane]

Hello,

 

My name is Porcy...   and I'm a collector.

 

A collector of "bits"!