Wright writes.....

[jwealleans]

Tony,

 

There's a Skype call set up for Friday evening for which this is ideal material - leave it with me and I'll see whether we can expand on what Darryl and others have already said.  

 

I believe etches for those very handsome NER diagrams may be in the offing.

 

As an aside, Dr Ian C Allen recalls doing 80 mph in one of those 6 wheelers in the early 1930s and that it was a memorable experience.   Journeys were much more of an adventure then.

[Bucoops]

2 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

A request, please.............

 

I'm assisting Irwell in writing captions/additions to captions for the forthcoming 'Book of The B17s'. Most, I can add my scribblings to, but this one has me beaten. 

 

 

Apologies for my poor-quality scan, but I hope it shows the train well enough (which is what I'm asked to comment on).

 

The shot was taken in July 1932 and it shows a Down express at Stratford. 

 

The first two vehicles look like six-wheelers (the leading one a clerestory). Anyone know what they are? 

 

The third car looks like a newish Gresley, but with three doors on the corridor side (assuming it's gangwayed - it might not be) I'm puzzled as to what it is. Were GE line Gresley 'shorties' being built in 1932? 

 

The fourth/fifth cars? And the sixth?

 

Any assistant greatly appreciated.

 

You'll be mentioned in dispatches. 

 

Could the first coach be a D413 lavatory 3rd?

 

 

or D423:

 

 

The second coach looks to be a 6 compartment 6 wheeler - I can find several possible diagrams for that, including:

 

D314 2nd (originally built as 3rd)

 

 

D404 3rd:

 

 

D422 3rd:

 

 

 

 

 

[thegreenhowards]

3 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

Good afternoon, Andy,

 

Ian Wilson made the bespoke running-in station name boards for Little Bytham. 

 

I'm sure he'll make you some (at a modest price). Presumably GRESLEY JUNCTION? And/or JUNCTION FOR.........?

 

Ian also made the supports (in plastic/wire). I assume you'll make those yourself? 

 

How many?

 

Regards,

 

Tony

I’m sorry Tony, I should have been clearer. I actually have the printed running in boards (from Scalescenes) which I can print as often as I like. It’s the posts and frame that I need to replace my rudimentary matchsticks as shown below.

 

 

If Ian scratch built them then I guess I’ll have to do the same. I was hoping there was a kit for them!

 

Andy

[Dylan Sanderson]

6 minutes ago, thegreenhowards said:

I was hoping there was a kit for them!

Hi Andy,

 

Is this similar to what you want?

 

https://www.scalemodelscenery.co.uk/lx052-oo-laser-cut-station-signsrunning-boards-pack-of-2-oo4mm176-940-p.asp?_=&variantid=7763

[johndon]

4 hours ago, johndon said:

 

 

 

Forgot to mention that the photo I posted is also notable as it shows the only completed example I've ever seen of the Modern Outline Kits Class 40, built by Martin Lloyd.

 

 

Edited January 20, 2021 by johndon

[richard i]

Circling round to weathering and the discussion morphing into pregrouping carriages. I happily weathered the dubdee but later Tony has admonished me for my pristine gcr carriages. I thought about it as I applied the second colour to this.

now it needs cleaning up and between another 2 and 4 colours need to be applied to the side depending on how precise I want it,( up against what I am capable of doing). After all that I am not sure I want to hide it all behind grot. Even Tony admits to tempering weathering on a professional paint job. Now I know this is professional but it is taking a lot longer than rattle can of maroon and fox transfer for the lining. Might explain why pregrouping layouts mostly are portrayed as quite clean. Though you will be pleased to know Tony that this will get a sooty grey roof. Though some being built alongside it in French grey and brown will get white roofs........sorry.

richard 

[Michael Delamar]

Hi Tony.

 

I have several Comet chassis locos awaiting finishing. All are good runners, EM gauge, solid chassis, Markits wheels apart from the 4f which is Brassmasters chassis and Ultrascales.

The jinties and J39 have Portescaps, all need sandboxes and sandpipes to complete. I also have a comet standard 4 mogul, standard 5 and crab in similar condition. Ive tried your nickel silver pickups and im impressed with them.

Ill paint these when the weather is warmer.

 

My question is regarding sandboxes. What do you do?  I always wondered why Comet didnt include them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[thegreenhowards]

5 minutes ago, Dylan Sanderson said:

Hi Andy,

 

Is this similar to what you want?

 

https://www.scalemodelscenery.co.uk/lx052-oo-laser-cut-station-signsrunning-boards-pack-of-2-oo4mm176-940-p.asp?_=&variantid=7763

Hi Dylan,

 

It’s funny you should mention that as it was your birthday email to me yesterday with a special offer which made me examine your website and see that. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to be right for many GN stations as they didn’t tend to have raise letters or such fancy framing. What I need is the frame like on the left in this screenshot from the video (sorry about the poor quality) onto which I can stick my printed boards. Do you have anything like that?

 

Andy

 

[Dylan Sanderson]

3 minutes ago, thegreenhowards said:

Hi Dylan,

 

It’s funny you should mention that as it was your birthday email to me yesterday with a special offer which made me examine your website and see that. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to be right for many GN stations as they didn’t tend to have raise letters or such fancy framing. What I need is the frame like on the left in this screenshot from the video (sorry about the poor quality) onto which I can stick my printed boards. Do you have anything like that?

 

Andy

 

Hi Andy, 

 

I'm afraid we don't, but the use of the embossed letters is optional, so you can always use the frames and then stick your chosen name over the top. It'll be fairly easy to trim off the fancy bits too as they're made out of 0.8mm Laserboard, if you so wished to do so.

 

Hope this helps,

 

Dylan.

[Staffordshire]

40 minutes ago, johndon said:

 

Forgot to mention that the photo I posted is also notable as it shows the only completed example I've ever seen of the Modern Outline Kits Class 40, built by Martin Lloyd.

 

 

There is at least another two completed Modern Outline Class 40's, I can confirm .....

 

   Lovely kit ...

[johndon]

22 minutes ago, Staffordshire said:

There is at least another two completed Modern Outline Class 40's, I can confirm .....

 

   Lovely kit ...

 

Very nice...

[Bucoops]

2 hours ago, jwealleans said:

I believe etches for those very handsome NER diagrams may be in the offing.

 

Ooh, watching this space

[MarkC]

1 hour ago, johndon said:

 

Forgot to mention that the photo I posted is also notable as it shows the only completed example I've ever seen of the Modern Outline Kits Class 40, built by Martin Lloyd.

 

 

I have one just waiting for the paint shop now - it's powered by 2 Lima motor bogies, and will be turned out as D352 in green, with the small yellow panel

 

Mark

[Dunsignalling]

The next victim from my recently rediscovered box of incomplete wagons. Only partly LNER this time.

 

This is from an old Parkside kit PC05, long discontinued through the moulds being worn. I picked up two at a swapmeet, and built the first one "straight" but for some added castings. More to the point, I got it square, which was some task; the kit was dropped with very good reason! 

 

I'd got the [edit] body of the second together, (rather more easily, so I presume it was an older kit) and the solebars on. Then Bachmann brought out their (rather better) r-t-r version. I got one for my birthday and this one went in a drawer.

 

I recently came across photos and info on the similar vans, that the LNER built (unfitted) for the LMS during WW2 and decided to finish my part-built kit as one of those, as subsequently vacuum braked by BR.

 

I spent an hour or so today removing the LNER solebars, cleaning up and subsituting a Cambrian 10' wb "skeleton" underframe. The buffers are again from my (dwindling) Abs stash, RCH 2-rib with extension collars, which are not dead right but decently close (looking at the photos, I don't think the ribs are long enough).

 

I've also done a bit more to the 6-plank from yesterday, but not yet enough to  justify another photo. Next will be a plywood bodied LNER Fruit van (another obsolete Parkside kit). I do wagons in batches so I can switch to the next and avoid being tempted to fiddle before solvent/glue has set properly.

 

John

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 20, 2021 by Dunsignalling
Typo

[Headstock]

This merry little speedster acquired its burnt smokebox door, when it was clocked passing Leicester South box at 126 mph. The middle big end remained quite tepid. Its a funny old world, 04/8s are now more desirable than P2's and Thompson Pacific's!

 

 

 

Edited January 20, 2021 by Headstock

[Tony Wright]

4 hours ago, Manxman1831 said:

Hi Tony, looking back through your pictures of the weathered locos (page 2201) and the piccies of 60056 and 60112 caught my eye - are they the same collection of coaches behind the two locos?  I ask as they both have ex-Coronation/West Riding Kitchen Third-Third twins behind the tender, showing the cut-back condition of the skirts, but before acquiring any extra doors.

I don't think both rakes are exactly the same, though the service probably is.

 

Don't be deceived into believing the extra doors have not been added. They were probably on the opposite side, and just in one of the cars. Otherwise too much space was lost for dining. 

 

I'm not even sure if all the ex-Streamliners got the extra doors. The Silver Jubilee cars don't seem to have them. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Tony Wright]

2 hours ago, thegreenhowards said:

I’m sorry Tony, I should have been clearer. I actually have the printed running in boards (from Scalescenes) which I can print as often as I like. It’s the posts and frame that I need to replace my rudimentary matchsticks as shown below.

 

 

If Ian scratch built them then I guess I’ll have to do the same. I was hoping there was a kit for them!

 

Andy

Good evening Andy,

 

How common was 'British Railways' above the running-in boards' names? I'm not familiar with that arrangement.

 

 

This is one of Bytham's. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

 

[Tony Wright]

2 hours ago, Michael Delamar said:

Hi Tony.

 

I have several Comet chassis locos awaiting finishing. All are good runners, EM gauge, solid chassis, Markits wheels apart from the 4f which is Brassmasters chassis and Ultrascales.

The jinties and J39 have Portescaps, all need sandboxes and sandpipes to complete. I also have a comet standard 4 mogul, standard 5 and crab in similar condition. Ive tried your nickel silver pickups and im impressed with them.

Ill paint these when the weather is warmer.

 

My question is regarding sandboxes. What do you do?  I always wondered why Comet didnt include them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Good evening Michael,

 

Sandboxes? 

 

South Eastern Finecast. Lots of different types as spares. 4F ones will suit most. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony 

[Tony Wright]

What a fantastic resource this thread (indeed the whole site) is.

 

My most grateful thanks to all those who've responded to my question about that fantastic GE Section express. 

[Tony Wright]

I'm always experimenting with my model railway photography. 

 

This afternoon has seen a few more of them, using two different camera and two lenses..............

 

 

Nikon D3 with a 35mm Nikon lens.

 

This type of train was the type I mentioned earlier; probably a summer Saturday extra, made up of anything which could turn a wheel. Most of these are Comet kits. 

 

The loco is the prototype model for DJH's A2/2 kit. I built this from a variety of DJH parts and some scratch-building, over 20 years ago. Ian Rathbone painted it.

 

Soon, anyone can have a model of 60501! 

 

 

Nikon Df with a 40mm Nikon lens (actually a zoom, set to 40mm). 

 

The smaller size of the DF allows a lower shot (more natural?). 

 

The loco is a modified Bachmann A2 - renumbered/renamed, back end raised up, wiggly pipes, new bogie wheels; that sort of thing. The superlative weathering is Tom Foster's work. 

 

 

Nikon Df with 35mm lens (I raised the camera up a bit). With the aperture set to F29, the depth of field is infinite............

 

The loco (DJH/Wright/Rathbone) was featured in the first couple of Right Track DVDs, made in 2004. 

 

 

Now with a 40mm lens on the front of the Df. 

 

Depth of field more limited, but more emphasis on the loco. 

 

 

Now with a 60mm Micro Nikon on the DF.

 

More limited depth of field, but more 'impact'? 

 

 

Nikon Df with 35mm lens. Camera raised up slighty again. 

 

The loco is Crownline/Kinsey/Wright/Rathbone. 

 

 

More 'impact' with the zoom set to 50mm? 

 

All these shots show the biting clarity of Nikon lenses, coupled with powerful cameras. 

 

I'm not sure if I prefer any over others. They're all slightly different. 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 20, 2021 by Tony Wright
typo error

[Jol Wilkinson]

 

Made from plasticard sheet /strip, and wire, with Slaters moulded plastic letters.

 

[thegreenhowards]

1 hour ago, Tony Wright said:

Good evening Andy,

 

How common was 'British Railways' above the running-in boards' names? I'm not familiar with that arrangement.

 

Good question, I’m not sure. It was on the sheet and I fancied it so I used it. That was several years ago. The sheet has both arrangements, so I’ll do some checking and use the more common variety when I’ve sorted out some posts.

1 hour ago, Tony Wright said:

 

This is one of Bytham's. 

 

Thanks. That’s a useful guide on how to construct one. Are the posts plasticard? Although if Dylan can copy that design, I’ll have a few!

 

Regards

 

Andy

 

[Tony Wright]

37 minutes ago, thegreenhowards said:

 

Good question, I’m not sure. It was on the sheet and I fancied it so I used it. That was several years ago. The sheet has both arrangements, so I’ll do some checking and use the more common variety when I’ve sorted out some posts.

Thanks. That’s a useful guide on how to construct one. Are the posts plasticard? Although if Dylan can copy that design, I’ll have a few!

 

Regards

 

Andy

 

Good evening Andy,

 

They're Plastruct I think (is that the commercial name?) of the right section. The tie is metal and the signs themselves are printed paper. 

 

 

This is the one on the Down island platform. 

 

They're double-sided. 

 

 

Just coming into the shot to the left..............

 

 

And one of the real ones; this one on the Up island platform.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

 

[gr.king]

6 hours ago, Michael Delamar said:

Hi Tony.

 

I have several Comet chassis locos awaiting finishing. All are good runners, EM gauge, solid chassis, Markits wheels apart from the 4f which is Brassmasters chassis and Ultrascales.

The jinties and J39 have Portescaps, all need sandboxes and sandpipes to complete. I also have a comet standard 4 mogul, standard 5 and crab in similar condition. Ive tried your nickel silver pickups and im impressed with them.

Ill paint these when the weather is warmer.

 

My question is regarding sandboxes. What do you do?  I always wondered why Comet didnt include them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If it's of interest, my approach to missing sandboxes under the running plate has been to build up layers of plasticard cut to roughly the right shapes and then file up more accurately the desired shapes. The resultant boxes, or cast resin copies, can then be epoxied to the frames (in breach of the "thou shallt solder all" rule) and wire sandpipes can then be inserted into drilled holes in the 'boxes, with no fear of short circuits if they  touch the wheels. 

[robertcwp]

12 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

I don't think both rakes are exactly the same, though the service probably is.

 

Don't be deceived into believing the extra doors have not been added. They were probably on the opposite side, and just in one of the cars. Otherwise too much space was lost for dining. 

 

I'm not even sure if all the ex-Streamliners got the extra doors. The Silver Jubilee cars don't seem to have them. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

So far as I can establish, and with reference to the amended diagrams that (if I recall correctly) Clive sent me, none of the Silver Jubilee ones were altered but all of the others were, except the two twins destroyed in the Huntingdon fire, which is what led to the alterations.

 

The Twin-FOs had the doors on one side of each vehicle such that the doors were on opposite sides of the train. Viewed from the outside, the additional door was visible on the right-hand vehicle. Each vehicle thereby lost two seats.

The BTO-TO twins and the RT-TO twins each had the extra door on one side of the TO (the side with the single seats, thereby losing two seats). The TO vehicles were laid out opposite ways round in terms of which side had the single seats so that on the BTO-TO twin with the brake to the left when viewed from the outside, there was no additional door visible, as shown in the photo of E1727/8E in LNER Carriages (Harris) page 70. Harris is incorrect in stating that this twin was not modified - he was looking at the wrong side.

On the RT-TO twin with the RT on the left viewed from the outside, there was an extra door visible on the TO.

On the BTO-RT twin, the extra door was on the BTO on the side with the single seats only, so with the RT to the left and BTO to the right when viewed from the outside, you could see the extra door on the BTO.