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Wright writes.....


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11 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

One thing which surprised me was that no one noticed the 'Flying Pig' featured of late had no steps on the tender for the crew to access the cab. I'd missed their omission, until I flicked through some more prototype pictures. 

 

1929490313_MillholmeFlyingPig10.jpg.c74050440927ae1edf13db8398fa58a7.jpg

 

The situation was rectified this morning, with suitable steps from my spares box securely soldered in place. 

 

I think this is a 'happy story'. A generous donation from Beechnut, a few hours' work on my part, a donation to CRUK and another loco for Retford. 

 

It's now coaled (believe me) and it's just awaiting its balance weights. Brakes? Another time..........................

 

 

 

The tender looks to me to be about the right height, when compared to prototype photographs.  The water tank and the coal hopper height look right, on close examination: It might be that the arc of the tender roof section is flatter than the cab, as the roof edge looks aligned but the apex doesn’t?

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44 minutes ago, queensquare said:

Lovely Al, my favourite class of loco. I currently hàve just over a third of the class on my bench in  3mm scale.

 

Jerry 

 

20201214_174200.jpg.ed3f205059d3c0ab93f070b0b6eb5f4f.jpg

 

Thanks, Jerry. I bet those 3mm ones will be lovely. I think I saw a 2mm 7F of yours at the Cardiff show a year or two back?

 

Al

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The M&GNR Ivatt class 4s were cascaded to Lincolnshire when the line shut down, enabling the withdrawal of the Gresley K2s.  They were an everyday sight, with the remaining engines transferred away on the closure of Lincoln and Boston sheds. 

image.png.5a7e7a7c8263c0e3ccd6aecf13263f7b.png

image.png.4071d7f5295e3096934b09744ef3e182.png

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9 hours ago, Barry Ten said:

 

Thanks, Jerry. I bet those 3mm ones will be lovely. I think I saw a 2mm 7F of yours at the Cardiff show a year or two back?

 

Al

 

You did Al - I currently have three. One I built, one by the late Denys Brownlee and a third by John Greenwood. I have all the bits to build a couple more using chassis etches done by Nigel Hunt when I get time - sometime in 2021 I hope.

 

Merry Christmas one and all.

 

Jerry

 

IMG_1491_(2).png.7cb6f459f308b157330548accc49d14e.png

NSLR No 3, Holly, at Tucking Mill in sunnier times.

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13 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

So do I Brendan,

 

I think between us we've made a decent enough, workaday loco. 

 

Let's look at the story again. According to the stickers on the box, you bought it at the Derby Exhibition on the 23rd of April 1994 for £49.99 (quite a price then). Did it include wheels and motor?

 

I assume you built it not long after, and for over two decades it's been in the same box, incomplete. This was before the advent of the Bachmann equivalent or the PDK kit. At the time, for an Ivatt 4MT it was either Millholme or scratch-build. 

 

Then, in a moment of splendid altruism, you sent it to me, asking me to get what I could for it for CRUK. I finished it (though 99% is your work), painted and weathered it and it's now destined for Retford. I won't mention the amount I sent to the charity, but it's considerably more (as it should be) than £49.99! 

 

So, the finished loco is a product of its origins (Roy Jackson's description of Millholme kits would make Roger Mellie blush!). The 'critical' observations made are, no doubt, true (this is Wright writes after all), but, please, let's have a heart. It is a 'success' story. You're happy that it's been completed, I'm happy to have been able to do it, CRUK is happy with a donation and Sandra's happy for it (eventually) to be on Retford. 

 

It has no brakes, the cab roof and tender don't quite match in height, but, in a way, so what? 

 

I say, well done to you. And, many thanks again.................

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 


It would have been built in 1996, we moved house December ‘95 and I remember working on it at the new address.

The mention of the Falcon Brass kit of the same loco is interesting as they had a trade stand at the very same show. I’d already purchased the Millholme kit from the Sherwood Models stand and then saw a made up 4MT on the Falcon stand. At that point I regretted buying the Millholme until I was told the Falcon display kits had been built by a very experienced pro builder and I wouldn’t be able to build to the same standard, I have some charming friends!

As to the tender height, yes it does look low and that’s possibly my fault. Are the tender frames the supplied items or are they home made? The tender pickups were fitted due to problems with the plungers (too much friction), the plan probably being to remove them. Of course I didn’t want to disturb the Sharman wheels so back in it’s box it went.

The rest of course is history.

As to awful or poor kits, I think every kit I’ve ever built I’ve looked on as a series of problems to be overcome and I’ve yet to build the perfect kit. 
I still like white metal as a medium for kits, no it’s not got the fine edges like brass or n/s, there’s just something about it. Maybe it reminds me of the die cast locos and cars of the fifties and sixties and I’m stuck in some sort of time warp.

 

Cheers

 

Brendan

 

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2 hours ago, Beechnut said:


It would have been built in 1996, we moved house December ‘95 and I remember working on it at the new address.

The mention of the Falcon Brass kit of the same loco is interesting as they had a trade stand at the very same show. I’d already purchased the Millholme kit from the Sherwood Models stand and then saw a made up 4MT on the Falcon stand. At that point I regretted buying the Millholme until I was told the Falcon display kits had been built by a very experienced pro builder and I wouldn’t be able to build to the same standard, I have some charming friends!

As to the tender height, yes it does look low and that’s possibly my fault. Are the tender frames the supplied items or are they home made? The tender pickups were fitted due to problems with the plungers (too much friction), the plan probably being to remove them. Of course I didn’t want to disturb the Sharman wheels so back in it’s box it went.

The rest of course is history.

As to awful or poor kits, I think every kit I’ve ever built I’ve looked on as a series of problems to be overcome and I’ve yet to build the perfect kit. 
I still like white metal as a medium for kits, no it’s not got the fine edges like brass or n/s, there’s just something about it. Maybe it reminds me of the die cast locos and cars of the fifties and sixties and I’m stuck in some sort of time warp.

 

Cheers

 

Brendan

 

Good morning Brendan,

 

I haven't altered the tender's height at all. The pick-ups you installed are fine, and work very well. 

 

The plunger pick-ups on the loco seem to work some of the time, but, with the tender pick-ups there's no stuttering.

 

All I altered was the drawbar arrangement. The original connection seemed too 'intimate'.

 

Other than that, it's basically all your work. Good work, as well.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

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18 hours ago, Beechnut said:

It’s getting worse but then that’s forums. I like it despite its faults.

 

Brendan

 

Brendan,

 

In no way was my post meant to be critical - I was merely trying to analyse why the two cab rooves did not line up.

 

Quite often, when one of my models doesn't look 'quite right', I will leave it on the test track where I look at it whenever I'm at my workbench.

 

That way, I will eventually decide what the problem is - or come to the conclusion that it is fine as it is.

 

John Isherwood.

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This might be of interest, or of particular use if you can't sleep!

 

It was shot about 11 years ago, and I'd quite forgotten about it (an Australian friend has just reminded me).

 

What it does prove is the incredible amount of progress made on LB during the last decade plus........................

 

 

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15 hours ago, queensquare said:

...my favourite class of loco..

 

Jerry

Mine too!

 

If we're showing S&D 7Fs, I have these six to build and the damaged one to repair.  They’re all eBay purchases and I don’t think I overpaid for any of them.  The damaged one has a Portescap and gearbox in it.

 

7Fs.jpg.b31ae109398109db598a510b41590305.jpg

 

I have also built a DJH 7F, my first ever loco build, and a Bachmann one packed away; so 9 of the 11. I’m keeping my eye out for a large boilered version.  All being well I’ll begin building these next year.

 

Kind regards,

 

Iain

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17 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

Look forward to seeing that - I've had one waiting to be built for over 20 years (so far).

If Tony doesn't mind a bit of GWR interloping I'll post updates as it progresses. I might actually get on with it then. I have one I built back in 1990 from the NuCast reissue of the old Cotswold kit. It runs well but has never to my mind quite captured the low look of the small wheeled panniers. Not the fault of the kit , more my inexperience, but the body sits a little high and there is something wrong around the cab area to my eyes.  Hopefully I'll make a better job of this one.

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2 hours ago, cctransuk said:

(snip)

 

Quite often, when one of my models doesn't look 'quite right', I will leave it on the test track where I look at it whenever I'm at my workbench.

(snip)

 

John Isherwood.

I use digital images in much the same way, both for layouts and ‘stock’. Having the image to hand on the moby makes the process easier and sometimes faster too.

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Re: The Summer of 76 and the Flying Scotsman and the Soup.

 

I got away from the factory early one Friday, and arrived at Newcastle Central in time to catch the (delayed) southbound Flying Scotsman service. There was room in the Dining Car, so I sat down for lunch. The train, I think it was hauled by a 47, was accelerating past Low Fell, when the brakes started to come on. This was just as the staff had started serving soup, and one very sensible attendant went down the aisle shouting 'Stand clear of your soup' (or words to that effect.). With the train juddering to an emergency stop anybody sat facing the direction of travel was likely to get their soup in their lap, and this did indeed happen to several people.

 

There was a general mopping up, and the train managed to set off again. Apparently the problem was on the locomotive and was the reason why the service was delayed in the first instance.

However, once the train was again travelling at speed and the soup being served, the same thing happened again. Again the message was passed 'Stand clear of your soup' and again one person was late to react and received a lapful of soup. I think he got a round of applause. I can't really remember what happened after that. I think we stopped for some time at Darlington where presumably the locomotive was changed.

 

Now, I do like facing the direction of travel, but I had opted for the prawn cocktail (it was the 70s after all).

 

Only once since then have i eaten soup on a train, and that was on the NYMR Dining Train a few years ago. I did enquire carefully about the health of the braking system before we set of!

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4 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

This might be of interest, or of particular use if you can't sleep!

 

It was shot about 11 years ago, and I'd quite forgotten about it (an Australian friend has just reminded me).

 

What it does prove is the incredible amount of progress made on LB during the last decade plus........................

 

 

Hi Tony

 

I still have my DVD copy and look at it from time to time, very inspirational.

 

Thank you for producing it I did not realise it was produced 11 years ago, surely Tony it's about time for Part 2.

 

Regards

 

David

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I have succumbed to 'pressure'

 

The Ivatt 4MT now has brakes!

 

578919964_MillholmeFlyingPig11.jpg.da4a4342bb07d7e6516a82aaba17b5e6.jpg

 

They're moulded plastic ones (approximations). 

 

One other thing I've not long noticed is the AWS battery box. Yet, the loco has no bang plate behind the coupling, no conduit on this side and it's still got frame-mounted guard irons.

 

It's going back in its box! 

 

 

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2 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

I have succumbed to 'pressure'

 

The Ivatt 4MT now has brakes!

 

578919964_MillholmeFlyingPig11.jpg.da4a4342bb07d7e6516a82aaba17b5e6.jpg

 

They're moulded plastic ones (approximations). 

 

One other thing I've not long noticed is the AWS battery box. Yet, the loco has no bang plate behind the coupling, no conduit on this side and it's still got frame-mounted guard irons.

 

It's going back in its box! 

 

 

 

That looks suitably "busy" underneath now! The balance weights will also make a huge difference when they are fitted.

 

Going back to the tender, it may be an optical illusion but it does look to me as if it is a bit lower at the front than it is at the back. I am wondering if the cab roof heights could be improved without messing up the buffer height by slightly lifting just the front end?

 

If I put a plastic rule along the footplate on my big computer screen, it does appear that the tender slopes but I accept that camera angles and lenses can create illusions like that.

 

 

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Tony this kind ribbing you have received has pushed you to improve your modelling and this model. I bet the next time you think " I'll just leave these off no one will say any thing.... oh the last time ummm... alright I'll finish it off properly " 

 

Merry Christmas to you and Mo, along with the rest of the readers and contributors.

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1 minute ago, t-b-g said:

 

That looks suitably "busy" underneath now! The balance weights will also make a huge difference when they are fitted.

 

Going back to the tender, it may be an optical illusion but it does look to me as if it is a bit lower at the front than it is at the back. I am wondering if the cab roof heights could be improved without messing up the buffer height by slightly lifting just the front end?

 

If I put a plastic rule along the footplate on my big computer screen, it does appear that the tender slopes but I accept that camera angles and lenses can create illusions like that.

 

 

Thanks Tony,

 

I think part of the illusion is that the tender is at a different angle to the loco. I should have made them both parallel.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

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7 minutes ago, Nick Mitchell said:

Good evening,

I hope you don't mind me posting something a little off-piste here. I know the frequenters of this thread like seeing things that people have been making, so I thought I'd share a few pictures of a 2mm finescale locomotive I started during the first lockdown, and have just completed (apart from painting) - which is good going for me.

 

The loco in question is a little industrial Hunslet 16" 0-6-0 saddletank. It is going to be a "modern image" model of "Beatrice" as preserved in working order at Embsay railway where I volunteer as a fireman (hence the anomalies such as the steam heat pipes).

 

The basis of the model is a set of etches from Judith Edge, photographically reduced from their 4mm scale kit. Quite a few adaptations have been necessary to make the chassis work as a split-frame 2mm version. This has included extending the main frames to build an integral gearbox, and making the bottom half of the boiler part of the chassis.

 

There were no castings with the 2mm version of the kit, so the chimney, dome, safety valves, whistle, smokebox door and tank and sandbox filler lids are all my own turnings. The buffers have been adapted from some commercially available turned brass offerings. I also needed to scratch-build a some of the other details, like the representation of the weigh-shaft and balance weight, plus the tops of the slide-bars and piston rods / trunk guides between the frames, and also the back-head detail.

 

Parts of the chassis had to be painted at the construction stage so that I could line the frames(!!) before fitting the wheels. The top half of the model will be heading into the paint shop next week.

 

Some general shots:

 

20201223_173231.jpg.a99722f07ba742d0a1a759e5aefd5f4e.jpg

 

20201223_173314.jpg.f22be263a1f1a74cb94fa5457ed09e53.jpg

 

The motor is a Chinese 7mm coreless affair, similar to the ones Graham Farish currently use in their N Gauge locos. Gears and wheels are from the 2mm Scale Association.

Most of the mechanism is hidden, though the gears protrude slightly into the bottom of the cab.

A tiny CTElektronik DCC decoder (I'll wash my mouth out later, Tony!) fits into the top of the tank, and I even managed to squeeze in a couple of 330uF stay alive capacitors. These stick up into the bunker. This sort of electrickery really helps with the reliability of virtually weightless 2mm tank engines.

 

IMG_1034.JPG.829228d82617ce3d02aca39c123412b9.jpg.a015366128959542f79b70fcaa4221d6.jpg

 

IMG_1035.JPG.e42288b4a0e4eb286b4897208dab7237.jpg.b3b2bc76a8d76763e4fddae796d63266.jpg

 

In this next shot you can see where I've had to cut a slot in the firebox to accommodate the end of the worm. A well-placed driver and fireman should disguise it.

You can also see that I have lost the guard iron from the back of the frame. This will be replaced before I do the final bits of painting on the chassis. I also need to add sand boxes and delivery pipes, but these will be painted off the model and glued on.

 

20201223_172727.jpg.dd12072f5383fd4236fabc09bed472cc.jpg

 

I toyed with the idea of using human hair for the whistle cord, but mine isn't long enough. In the end I used 0.15mm phosphor bronze. I think it looks about right, and it certainly solders more easily than hair...

 

20201223_172906.jpg.e6a66e1595d7fc0e378074f197923e19.jpg

 

Finally, the obligatory coin of the realm, to prove how really tiny this model is.

 

20201223_174742.jpg.a1e7db14bbd86c24f7d85f30e5edf5b9.jpg

 

Happy Christmas one and all!

Nick.

20201223_172631.jpg

It's wonderful to have your work grace these pages, Nick.

 

Thanks for showing us. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

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