Wright writes.....

[Dr Gerbil-Fritters]

10 hours ago, jrg1 said:

The class 121 were ordered by CIE after their experiences with the Metro-Vicks.  The locomotive was basically just a standard GE switcher product, and were so reliable that they lasted over 40 years in service.  All subsequent locomotive classes on CIE have be GE products.

 

oooh no, the 121 is a standard GM export model, and all subsequent diesel locos are definitely GM products.  

[Tony Wright]

1 hour ago, Tom F said:

 

The problem is Joseph, that hobby is now become my job and was no longer satisfying me as a hobby. The desire to retire to the model railway world for the moment, has gone.

 

There are plenty of other things to do, and I'm getting back into fell walking (I live in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales, it would be stupid not to).

 

Model Railways had become an obsession in not the healthiest way where I was blocking out the rest of the world around me.

Codependency relates more to relationships and the fear of being single, and self loathing. Fascinating subject but explains my issues.

Good afternoon Tom,

 

Glad to hear you're feeling better.

 

If it's any help, during my 'black dog' days, I couldn't pick up a model, let alone work on it. Between 2011 and 2013, I never went near Little Bytham! However, the desire comes back. Believe me. 

 

That said, and also if it's any help, having been in the process of completing the Lanky 0-6-0 for Geoff Haynes' customer this morning, one of the sprung buffers pinged into oblivion (well, obviously not, because I found it after scrambling for ages around on the floor!). I hope our neighbours are deaf, or have been troopers............. 

 

Just keep going. I'll have to find something else to build for you.

 

Best regards,

 

Tony. 

[micklner]

4 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

A nice job Mick,

 

Thanks for showing us. 

 

A couple of things; did you alter the roof profile? I can't quite tell, but they all seem to have the (very) incorrect sharp angle. And, did you fit heavy-duty bogies? If done, both things improve the look of these cars immensely.

 

Am I alone in thinking that they looked at their best in maroon? 

 

 

Seen before, but pertinent to the question in my view. Removing the sharp angle makes a big difference, giving the 'bulbous' look to the cars' roofs. 

 

The BR wisdom of painting the lower strip covering the solebars black, takes away the 'slab-sided' appearance of these cars when in ersatz teak.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

 

Yes roofs are rounded, and new rain strips and destination board brackets added ,and the correct bogies fitted.

[Headstock]

4 hours ago, Tom F said:

 

Thanks Bucoops

 

I am feeling a lot better thank you.

However, I have taken the decision to not acquire Humber Dock. I found I'd be forcing myself into a new project that I'm not really feeling at all right now.

 

Ultimately I've discovered I suffer from codependency, and it's ruled my life since my teens. I've been using model railways as a crutch to stop me focusing on life. Railway modelling had become the sticking plaster over all the issues in my life.

 

I've therefore taken this time as an opportunity to step back from the hobby as a hobby, focusing on facing the issues that have been getting me down for many years.

 

Monday and Friday's will be my weathering days for client's models. I'm treating this with proper working hours so it doesn't blur the lines between hobby and work.

 

I'm feeling like this is a real fresh start for me, after three years of living under the cloud of my Dad's death. What would have been 'modelling time' for me, will be used to start focusing on making the house my own, rather than my Dad's.

Oh, and since August....I've lost nearly 2 stone, so that's been a real boost to the confidence.

 

Well done Tom,

 

It sounds as if you can see the problem and more importantly, you are on the right track (no pun intended) of doing something about it,  mentally, physically and in your work life. As a freelancer myself, I find that a strict set of rules with regard to working from home is essential, even if they are broken on occasion, the structure is important. 

 

I must say that warning bells started to sound, when you mentioned acquiring Humber dock, it seemed more like a symptom rather than a cure. I'm so pleased that you have put that to bed and refocused on what is best for you.

 

I have reached a stage in my own railway modeling, were I'm content to finish off the projects I'm currently working on but no more. Beyond that, a continuation may not be that much fun, a repeat of what I have already done and ultimately not very healthy. There is only one solution when that is the case, zap it and go Fell walking! Or do something else, as equally rewarding.

[Bucoops]

4 hours ago, Tom F said:

 

Thanks Bucoops

 

I am feeling a lot better thank you.

However, I have taken the decision to not acquire Humber Dock. I found I'd be forcing myself into a new project that I'm not really feeling at all right now.

 

Ultimately I've discovered I suffer from codependency, and it's ruled my life since my teens. I've been using model railways as a crutch to stop me focusing on life. Railway modelling had become the sticking plaster over all the issues in my life.

 

I've therefore taken this time as an opportunity to step back from the hobby as a hobby, focusing on facing the issues that have been getting me down for many years.

 

Monday and Friday's will be my weathering days for client's models. I'm treating this with proper working hours so it doesn't blur the lines between hobby and work.

 

I'm feeling like this is a real fresh start for me, after three years of living under the cloud of my Dad's death. What would have been 'modelling time' for me, will be used to start focusing on making the house my own, rather than my Dad's.

Oh, and since August....I've lost nearly 2 stone, so that's been a real boost to the confidence.

 

Hi Tom,

 

That sounds very promising and you are making the right decisions.

 

I've been using model railways as a de-stress project. If anything I'm more stressed now than before! I think you are right, it shouldn't be used to try and cover up an underlying issue. It's great that you have a diagnosis on what that may be. I think you're spot on with setting "Business hours". The quality of the work you do is top drawer, but keeping it in moderation sounds like a great idea.

 

It's been really good to see such positive news, and well done on losing the weight too!

 

Richard

[Bucoops]

4 hours ago, Keith Turbutt said:

Hi Bucoops

 

I visited Mangapps on Saturday which was their last open day of the season. It was extremely windy but there was a lot to see and most of the stock is now under cover.

 

I took a few photos of the coach buffers you referred to. I'm not sure if they are too late for your project but here they are anyway

 

A detail that I hadn't noticed before was the wooden blocks for stowing the collars when not in use.  Each wooden block has a hook at the top and the collar has a hole to pass over the hook. I'm not sure if the later Gresley coaches had the same feature.

 

Hi Keith, great photos, thank you for sharing them. I have no idea why I didn't take ones from that angle too!

 

I believe later LNER built coaches do have something similar for the stowage of the collars. Not something often modelled?

 

The speed I work, definitely not too late!

 

 

Edited September 28, 2020 by Bucoops

[lee74clarke]

5 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

Good morning Tony,

 

It is another bridge - a classic GNR three-arch design, now replaced with a concrete raft because of electrification. It carried a dirt road to the local brickworks, which closed years ago (it even had its own siding). Now it just leads to the local kennels/cattery and a few houses.

 

 

With the 'eye of faith', it's just visible in the distance in this similar view to the A3 one, but taken in 2006. Would anyone know now there's an abandoned railway line in this picture? 

 

There were a couple more three-arch overbridges in the vicinity of Little Bytham, one of which (because it's a bit higher) still survives despite electrification. It's one of very few now.

 

 

Fortunately, this lovely structure still survives, carrying a green lane adjacent to the local school. Health & Safety has dictated that only giants can see over the parapet now. 

 

 

The green lane allows photography 'under the wires', without the need for trespass. I took this picture in February 2016, during FLYING SCOTSMAN's first run along the ECML after its most-recent major overhaul (severely delayed because of imbeciles swarming over the tracks near Huntingdon!). The whole school had turned out to watch, and as I got ready with my camera, one of the teachers came up and told me I was not allowed to take pictures of the children!  I resisted the temptation to tell her that I wouldn't waste 'film' on images of her odious charges, but told her that I was in a public place, breaking no laws. Am I alone in thinking that the world just gets madder? 

 

 

The image of the Class 37 was taken looking north from the site of this bridge, long since gone and replaced by a concrete span. 

 

 

A concrete raft like the one in the distance, again taken from the same bridge. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

Good Afternoon Tony,

 

I trust all is well? I remember the day the Flying Scotsman ran through, me and a mate from work had to leave the office for an 'emergency meeting'! 

 

Are you alone in thinking the world is a madder place? Considering, my daughter was one of the "odious charges" that day, I am not too stressed over a slightly misinformed teacher showing concern for the children.  For me, not showing concern due to the possibility of saying the wrong thing to someone with a camera may well be the world approaching madness, who knows?

 

Anyway, back to Bytham. Was the siding into the brickyard, only in existence when it was two GNR running lines, or did it survive the track doubling? I can never quite make out where the siding was. I know during GNR days, Lord Willoughby had permission for one of his loco's to run down to the brickyard, in fact in one of my books,  there's a photograph of the signal box at Lawn Lane.

 

On another note, some friends of mine who also live in Little Bytham, were telling me recently how fascinated they had been, watching a model railway of the village on You Tube. They have no interest in railways, other than using the ECML to commute to London daily during 'peacetime', obviously working from home now.

How nice it has an appeal to interest in the village's history, not just the railway history?

 

 

Best Regards,

 

Lee

 

 

[Bucoops]

38 minutes ago, lee74clarke said:

 

Good Afternoon Tony,

 

[snip]

 

Are you alone in thinking the world is a madder place? Considering, my daughter was one of the "odious charges" that day, I am not too stressed over a slightly misinformed teacher showing concern for the children.  For me, not showing concern due to the possibility of saying the wrong thing to someone with a camera may well be the world approaching madness, who knows?

 

[snip]

 

 

Best Regards,

 

Lee

 

 

 

I know at my daughter's school there are a few children who come under safeguarding rules - this can be for various reasons, such as adoption, or previous abuse. As soon as a child comes under safeguarding I believe it is illegal for their image to be taken without permission as if it ends up in the public domain and the wrong person sees it and can identify the school uniform... well you get the gist.

 

My daughter's school has chosen to extend the photography permission to all children as it would be a dead giveaway who was safeguarded otherwise. Makes the Christmas show interesting - the school arranges the filming and it has to be checked very carefully before release.

 

A mad world? Not in this case. A sad world, very much so.

[t-b-g]

Following on from the discussion about brickwork, probably many pages back now but fairly recently i time, I have been experimenting with some techniques for painting brickwork using familiar methods but paints that I haven't tried before.

 

I thought the results are probably my best yet at painting brickwork, so hopefully illustrates one possibility for a nice, neat, railway type English Bond wall.

 

 

[Manxcat]

5 minutes ago, t-b-g said:

Following on from the discussion about brickwork, probably many pages back now but fairly recently i time, I have been experimenting with some techniques for painting brickwork using familiar methods but paints that I haven't tried before.

 

I thought the results are probably my best yet at painting brickwork, so hopefully illustrates one possibility for a nice, neat, railway type English Bond wall.

 

 

 

That looks great. Do please tell us how you did it and what paint you used.

[Tony Wright]

2 hours ago, lee74clarke said:

 

Good Afternoon Tony,

 

I trust all is well? I remember the day the Flying Scotsman ran through, me and a mate from work had to leave the office for an 'emergency meeting'! 

 

Are you alone in thinking the world is a madder place? Considering, my daughter was one of the "odious charges" that day, I am not too stressed over a slightly misinformed teacher showing concern for the children.  For me, not showing concern due to the possibility of saying the wrong thing to someone with a camera may well be the world approaching madness, who knows?

 

Anyway, back to Bytham. Was the siding into the brickyard, only in existence when it was two GNR running lines, or did it survive the track doubling? I can never quite make out where the siding was. I know during GNR days, Lord Willoughby had permission for one of his loco's to run down to the brickyard, in fact in one of my books,  there's a photograph of the signal box at Lawn Lane.

 

On another note, some friends of mine who also live in Little Bytham, were telling me recently how fascinated they had been, watching a model railway of the village on You Tube. They have no interest in railways, other than using the ECML to commute to London daily during 'peacetime', obviously working from home now.

How nice it has an appeal to interest in the village's history, not just the railway history?

 

 

Best Regards,

 

Lee

 

 

All is well,

 

Thanks Lee.

 

I consider all children odious (the mark of an ex-teacher!).

 

I understand the need to protect children, and I wonder what might have happened had a child inadvertently appeared in the edge of my picture of FS (which has been been published). No doubt, the publisher would have insisted it be cropped. 

 

How different from when I were a lad. During one wonderful day's trainspotting at Crewe in 1958, my brother, friends and I were approached by an American enthusiast. He had a massive tripod (no giggles, please), on top of which was mounted a high-quality cine camera. He asked us to stand in the shot and behave normally, just as CITY OF BRISTOL rolled through on the Down 'Royal Scot'. 'Normally'? We jumped for joy at a cop, shouting loudly 'Semi, Semi'! 'Great' said he, as he panned around. I have no idea if the footage was ever seen, but as a bunch of 11/12 year olds we thought (at the time) it was entirely normal.

 

Can anyone imagine that today? Not that there are any 11/12 year old trainspotters at Crewe (or anywhere), but any cinematographer (video-maker) in 2020 would be carted off to face the full force of the law for requesting children to be in his picture!

 

I don't know when the brickyard siding was removed. If it were still in existence at the quadrupling it would have been off the Down slow. Any full wagons would have travelled north I'd think, because I can't see the GN providing a complex crossover (as at the station). 

 

I'm delighted your friends like the model. More moving footage of LB will be available in the next BRM virtual exhibition. 

 

Kind regards,

 

Tony. 

Edited September 28, 2020 by Tony Wright
to add something

[t-b-g]

1 hour ago, Manxcat said:

 

That looks great. Do please tell us how you did it and what paint you used.

 

The brickwork is good old Slaters but sanded down to flatten the bricks and reduce the mortar joints.

 

Then it was painted overall with Tamiya XF 78 Wooden Deck Tan for the mortar. The building is only a few years old in the period modelled, so I went for a fairly clean mortar but that could be varied to suit personal preference.

 

The main brick colour is the Burnt Sienna artist acrylic, which dries with a superb matt finish. It was dry brushed on with a good quality flat brush.

 

The other colours were then added very sparingly with an extra dry brush. The blue is a trick from Geoff Taylor. I didn't have any really dark blue acrylic so mixed a little blue and black to make some.

 

The artist type acrylics were purchased from places like "The Range" or any time I see such bottles.

 

I put the wrong brown on the bench for the photo and I am not going to the shed again tonight but I used a dark chocolate brown, not the light one shown.

 

  

[Chas Levin]

On 25/09/2020 at 08:43, Iain.d said:

An update on my builds in progress, I’m doing a former LMS D1999 TO and a D1903 CO which are coming close to completion.

 

I’m always surprised at the ‘number of bits’ needed to complete them – I’m in two minds whether modifying 1980s RTR is an easier/better option than just going for a straight kit build. There’s not much in it, in terms of price – the cost of the donor being the main factor. Most of what I have converted is from old stuff I owned as a child (so kind of free) or I buy damaged stock from eBay; I got five Stanier’s earlier last year for the princely sum of 10.02GBP, so I couldn’t argue. Saying that the next two I’ve started are Comet kits: a WR A44 auto trailer and a LMR Restaurant Car. The D1903 will be its accompanying open seating.

 

Here they are in bits, I didn't have enough brass tables and seat ends so I cut bits of white plastic card up, missing though are the curtains for the D1903 and few of the toilet / luggage window rails:

 

 

 

And with the sides attached and roof detail added:

 

 

For the first class tables in the D1903 I bent up a bit of .45m wire to represent the lamp base and cut some translucent speaker cable sheathing for the shades.

 

 

The weather is beautiful at the moment, pushing 30, so all being well, I’ll manage to get some paint on them over the weekend.

 

Kind regards,

 

Iain

Those tables are exquisite!

[St Enodoc]

3 hours ago, t-b-g said:

 

The brickwork is good old Slaters but sanded down to flatten the bricks and reduce the mortar joints.

Tony, the cruel close-up reminded me of another reason why I think that printing is usually better than embossing for brickwork - the rounded edges to the bricks. Granted, one would have to have extraordinary eyes to see that in normal circumstances but it does show up on your photo.

 

The finish, though, is superb.

[Iain.d]

7 hours ago, Chas Levin said:

Those tables are exquisite!

Thank you! But they're not mine - they are from a Comet Coaches interior etch. I just drilled the lamp hole and soldered them all up.

 

Kind regards,

 

Iain

[t-b-g]

9 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

Tony, the cruel close-up reminded me of another reason why I think that printing is usually better than embossing for brickwork - the rounded edges to the bricks. Granted, one would have to have extraordinary eyes to see that in normal circumstances but it does show up on your photo.

 

The finish, though, is superb.

 

If I was going to worry about people with that sort of eyesight inspecting my work, I would have packed this game in a long time ago!

[Chas Levin]

On 27/09/2020 at 15:32, Tony Wright said:

Returning to the theme of captioning, how about this image...........................?

 

 

What could be said about this?

 

Firstly, apologies for the poor-quality scan, but here goes..........

 

It's clearly Little Bytham and it's A3 60091 CAPTAIN CUTTLE on an Up express. 

 

The date? The MR/M&GNR overbridge was demolished in March 1963, and 60091 was withdrawn in October 1964, so it's clearly a summer shot (note the Spinney trees are in full-leaf) in either of those two years; my guess would be the former. 

 

The loco? She's carrying a Thompson 94HP boiler (not 94A as suggested by the RCTS), with no dome cover! The tender is a new-type high-sided variety, and the front numberplate is on the top hingestrap (meaning the top lamp iron has been lowered, but not to the A3's final position - not on all - which split the cross rail). 

 

The train? Nine cars-long, with two Thompsons and a Gresley along with the six BR Mk.1s. No destination/name boards, and no catering cars, so not a principal working. The Thompson FK carries the yellow stripe at cornice level (so it could be '64). A summer Saturday relief/extra? 60091 was a one-time standby A3 at Darlington, so is it substituting for a failed diesel? I cannot find this formation in any of my CWNs. 

 

The surroundings? The station was demolished in the summer of '59, but the 'footprint' where the Down island platform was sited is still visible (the Up island, behind the train was the same). The very tall Up fast starter has gone. Access to the goods shed from the south has been (half) severed; I wonder why? The station cottages are still extant, as is the stable (these had gone by the end of the decade). The lovely goods shed (still in use from the north?) would survive until 2008, though no longer in railway use. What's in the wagons, I don't know, though limestone (for the iron and steel industry) was loaded on the Down side. The signal box barge-boards are painted cream. In earlier times these were painted green. The embankment carrying the east/west route is clear of the 'Amazonia' which covers it today (are there cows grazing on its top?). 

 

What isn't needed is chapter and verse on the loco's build date and it's withdrawal date (though the the latter is pertinent to dating the picture).

 

There are other things to comment on.....................

If only all photos carried this much info with them... Mind you, think how big the books would be! 

[Clive Mortimore]

48 minutes ago, t-b-g said:

 

If I was going to worry about people with that sort of eyesight inspecting my work, I would have packed this game in a long time ago!

Hi Tony

 

I am not sure people can see if the brick work is of one bond or another. The mess and office block I built for Pig Lane has one type at the front and another at the back, and the side walls are half and half, the joint having a down pipe covering it. No one ever mentioned it. They did like looking inside it.

[grob1234]

Good morning everyone.

 

Just a very quick request for assistance if I may?

 

Are there any Templot wizards out there who might be able to help me please? I have a design in mind for a potential layout, and what I would like is a plan that shows all the relative positions of the points etc. I won't be building the turnouts from the Templot plan, so the timbers wouldn't need shoving or whatever.

 

Anyway, if this appeals to anyone, would you PM me to avoid cluttering this thread?

 

Thank you very much in anticipation. 

[john new]

Perhaps there is scope for a monthly feature in one of the mags, a well reproduced picture and with notes like the above. However much we know, there is always more to learn. I can't now remember which magazine it was in, but there was once a very nice feature something like Bazzing around [insert location name] with excellent line art sketches. Someone, somewhere will have the copyright to those, grouped together they would make a nice bookazine.

[teaky]

27 minutes ago, grob1234 said:

Good morning everyone.

 

Just a very quick request for assistance if I may?

 

Are there any Templot wizards out there who might be able to help me please? I have a design in mind for a potential layout, and what I would like is a plan that shows all the relative positions of the points etc. I won't be building the turnouts from the Templot plan, so the timbers wouldn't need shoving or whatever.

 

Anyway, if this appeals to anyone, would you PM me to avoid cluttering this thread?

 

Thank you very much in anticipation. 

You could message Martin_Wynne, Tom.  He's the chap who wrote Templot and he's on RMweb.

[swampy]

9 minutes ago, john new said:

Perhaps there is scope for a monthly feature in one of the mags, a well reproduced picture and with notes like the above. However much we know, there is always more to learn. I can't now remember which magazine it was in, but there was once a very nice feature something like Bazzing around [insert location name] with excellent line art sketches. Someone, somewhere will have the copyright to those, grouped together they would make a nice bookazine.

1970s Model Railways, by Bernard Wright , I believe.

[FarrMan]

14 hours ago, t-b-g said:

Following on from the discussion about brickwork, probably many pages back now but fairly recently i time, I have been experimenting with some techniques for painting brickwork using familiar methods but paints that I haven't tried before.

 

I thought the results are probably my best yet at painting brickwork, so hopefully illustrates one possibility for a nice, neat, railway type English Bond wall.

 

 

 

I agree with all the comments praising this effort so far, and it is only being very picky to point out a fault. As has been demonstrated, the general appearance is excellent. My concern is the edge detail. I cannot see the corner of the wall, but the edge of the window should be one brick (i.e. a brick laid lengthways) alternating with 1/2rd brick (i.e. one brick laid widthways) wide. Cut bricks would only be within the length of the wall. However, how to model this with English Bond would be very difficult using sheet materials. I suppose that if the vertical cut was in line with the edge of the headers (those showing 1/2 brick face) as long as 3/4 of the stretchers (those showing a full brick length on the face) was showing, would be acceptable, but may require the dimensions of the building to be slightly adjusted to fit. Stretcher Bond may be easier, provided the vertical cuts line up with the brick ends on alternate courses. Again, the overall dimensions may need to be slightly adjusted to line up at both ends and at window edges.

 

Having said all this, from normal layout viewing distance, it would be hardly noticeable, and so probably hardly worth the effort. Is is only in close up photos like this that it would stand out at all.

 

Lloyd

[t-b-g]

32 minutes ago, Clive Mortimore said:

Hi Tony

 

I am not sure people can see if the brick work is of one bond or another. The mess and office block I built for Pig Lane has one type at the front and another at the back, and the side walls are half and half, the joint having a down pipe covering it. No one ever mentioned it. They did like looking inside it.

 

I have been spending some time, up until lockdown, building a model of some of the station buildings at Doncaster.

 

Due to the age of the building and the number of times it has been altered, some bits are English Bond, some Flemish Bond and the newest bits are plain Stretcher Bond.

 

On the model the right bits are the right bond.

 

Nobody would probably notice unless I pointed it out (is that a brick laying joke in there, hidden in the weeds).

 

My feeling is that from normal viewing distances, the painting and the colours are what makes brickwork look good or bad.

 

For a building to pass muster in a large, good quality photo, the bonding matters more.

 

Most people wouldn't know if the bonding was correct for a particular building and probably wouldn't care but if different bondings are available and there is one that is correct for the building you are making then I can't see a good reason not to use it.

 

My signal box isn't a model of a actual building but the LD&ECR used Englsih Bond on their buildings, so that is what it got! 

 

 

[Tony Wright]

A point about 'observation', if I may.

 

On many occasions, I've been critical about Bachmann's A1......................

 

 

The footplate beneath the cab is low in comparison with the tender's soleplate. I know both vehicles (particularly the tender) can ride at different heights whether full or empty, but this just seemed too much.

 

Going through pictures for a future article, I came upon the one below...............

 

 

Granted, this is nearer what it should be (it's a prototype, after all), but look how the cab itself is nor vertical, and that the numbers and lining on it are not horizontal, and not parallel with the central footplate or the tender's lining. If these were replicated on a model, wouldn't it look wrong?