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1 hour ago, thegreenhowards said:

Good afternoon Tony,

 

A few weeks ago, we were discussing eBay rescues. Well here is my latest. It’s an ex LNER F1 (of MSLR origin). I believe it’s the Cotswold or Sutherland kit.

 

AB6FF44C-000B-464F-83C8-57931CDF4535.jpeg.d6893c376935ea580ecec89c56685917.jpeg

 

It was glued together but quite well constructed. The paint job was described as average but that is putting it kindly! The chassis was a basic brass version with an X04 and poor pick ups so it didn’t run well. While V2 and A1 kits go very cheaply on eBay, locos where there is no RTR equivalent tend to go for much more and I’ve previously watched these go for well over £100, so was pleased to get this for £60. 

 

I wanted an F2 which is very similar to an F1. I think the bunker on the early F1s was shorter but this one seemed to be the right length. the F2s had the wheel type smokebox door lock and there were lots of detail differences between locos - safety valves, chimneys, coal rails, wiggly pipes etc. The F2s were converted to push pull and I wanted E7111 which saw out its last years on the Ally Pally shuttle. There’s a good picture of it in the relevant Yeadon.

 

I had previously tried to convert the Bachmann lanky tank to an F2 but given up for reasons I can’t now quite remember. But I still had the dismembered model with some bits of an SE Finecast N5 kit which I was using to ‘GCR’ise it. I decided to re-use that Bachmann chassis (which gives a smooth mechanism with three wheel pick up each side) and bits like the chimney, open safety valves and smokebox door fastening.

 

I stripped the paint off my purchase and changed certain bits over. I then added some push pull gear from bits of a spare Westinghouse pump and some wiggly pipes on the front of the tank.

 

FCA3321A-5D51-42EB-9714-C0B03986A409.jpeg.c31283395320fea543f11c4bf004a41b.jpeg

 

I then painted it with Halfords gloss black and numbered it with Modelmaster water slide transfers (no film you will note when applied to gloss black). I then got stalled because my last can of Testors Dullcote ran out and I couldn’t find any more - it seems to be sold out everywhere. But a search online came up with a car matt lacquer (autotek professional) and that worked very well and seems better value.

 

8E1829D8-5F5A-49DD-B52C-CBA988878553.jpeg.45edeab5dcbdc69a69b822d62c102d92.jpeg
 

596F6A41-38C0-48E3-AD11-5705A4FA0485.jpeg.ee34d4de1a48098e06559c88b4c65b37.jpeg

 

 

81C19D55-D477-48F2-AC78-51FF84E06FA8.jpeg.f697eeef5dcf4aab06883376fddc9631.jpeg
 

It now just needs glazing and weathering when the weather warms up.

 

Andy

Good work Andy,

 

The ugly duckling is now a swan! 

 

Regards,

 

Tony

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5 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

Excellent stuff,

 

Material (and descriptions) like this can never be accused of 'clogging up' this thread. It's a vital part of it.

 

What your much-improved image proves is that, with weathering, any issues concerning Hornby's BR green rendition disappear. Steve (31A) has produced one of the most naturally-realistic models I've seen in a very long time. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

 

Thanks again, Tony.  I think the weathering has brought out a lot of the detail that's in these models, which perhaps isn't at first apparent and maybe initially the eye is distracted by the strange colouring as they come from the factory.  Others have mentioned the rods and motion, which I agree with but there's also things like the rivet/bolt head detail on the frames, not only above the bogie where it's obvious, but also behind the driving wheels which is a first for any model that I've bought.

 

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8 hours ago, Dunsignalling said:

A couple more clicks reduces the orangey look of the rails...

P1030053.jpg.648d2e3981a3ad60c3cc47fda49185ec 9 [edit 3].jpg

 

Thank you, that's so much better!  I had a play around with the Lumix camera this afternoon and found the White Balance settings on the menu.  Unsurprisingly, the 'electric light' setting produced much better results!  I'm not sure whether I already knew about it and had forgotten, or whether I never knew, but thanks anyway for pointing it out.  As you said, I'll have to remember to set it back again if I use the camera out of doors.  I use an Apple laptop to store the images, and the Photos software on it includes an "Auto Enhance" function which usually improves things, and you can also manipulate things like light, colour, sharpness etc.  I think I should be a bit more adventurous with it!

 

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2 hours ago, D.Platt said:

Hi Tony

When you say the K5 is outside your time period for Little Bytham is this because it was a Stratford loco ? , but it could always have been “borrowed “ by another depot.

Dennis 

Good evening Dennis,

 

It's not just that a Stratford-based loco would be highly unlikely at Little Bytham (apart from some Brits running-in after being in The Plant), but, if you look closely, I've modelled it with the horizontal handrails still clipped to the smokebox front ring. By 1958, they'd been cut short.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

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5 hours ago, JamieR4489 said:

I had exactly the same issue with the same flux last year and someone on here mentioned washing up liquid helps. I put a few drops in and the flux now behaves as normal.

It could be a case of mislabelling.  Many years ago I purchased a bottle of "2-butanone", obviously not Slater's as they haven't sold it for years.  But nit wouldn't weld two pieces of plastikard and the smell was wrong.  Turned out to be track cleaner.  Bill

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41 minutes ago, bbishop said:

It could be a case of mislabelling.  Many years ago I purchased a bottle of "2-butanone", obviously not Slater's as they haven't sold it for years.  But nit wouldn't weld two pieces of plastikard and the smell was wrong.  Turned out to be track cleaner.  Bill

In this case i followed the tip from Jamie (thanks again) and its kind of worked, but both bottles seem pretty weak. I'll follow Tony's tip and order some from hobby holidays and perhaps some phosphoric acid from ebay.

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9 hours ago, Denbridge said:

Thanks Tony, I' ll try Hobby Holidays. LRM don't provide mail order on flux. This is the first time I've had a problem with Slaters flux. I use it mainly because I can take a drive to Squires in 'normal' times and pick up a bottle and anything else i need. At one time, i used to follow the advice of Iain Rice and mix my own. My local pharmacy has a new (ish) chemist and she won't sell me a bottle of phosphoric acid. Very unsporting behaviour. 

Try your local home brew/wine shop. I bought some 10% phosphoric acid recently at a very reasonable price. Not as strong as some use but I find it's OK for DG coupling droppers, which are the only steel bits I need to solder as a rule.

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20 hours ago, Dunsignalling said:

Or this, using "Enhance your picture". Both using the standard Windows software that came with the laptop. Five minutes work can improve matters much more again when you get the hang of it.

P1030053.jpg.648d2e3981a3ad60c3cc47fda49185ec 9 [edit 2].jpg

 

Please excuse a question from one who knows little of photography.

When you say 'standard windows software', which version of Windows do you mean?

 

For many years I have found the photo editor that came with Windows 7 very useful. It allowed/allows re-sizing, brightening, changing contrast and other useful operations. Unfortunately, with the removal of support from W7, and the age and gradual decline of my trusty laptop, I have had to 'upgrade' to a box running Windows 10, and the standard tools on that (as far as I can see) are nowhere as useful.

 

I have found some other software which in theory does allow some of what I want, but it is not as easy to use. So, having 'isolated' my W7 laptop from any web connection, I tend to transfer pictures using a usb 'stick', edit on W7, and then bring them back to a the W10 box.

 

While 'wittering' on the same subject, I always try to reduce any pictures I post on-line to something in the order of 150kb, so as to avoid taking up too much space on the servers. What do other people do?

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29 minutes ago, drmditch said:

 

Please excuse a question from one who knows little of photography.

When you say 'standard windows software', which version of Windows do you mean?

 

For many years I have found the photo editor that came with Windows 7 very useful. It allowed/allows re-sizing, brightening, changing contrast and other useful operations. Unfortunately, with the removal of support from W7, and the age and gradual decline of my trusty laptop, I have had to 'upgrade' to a box running Windows 10, and the standard tools on that (as far as I can see) are nowhere as useful.

 

I have found some other software which in theory does allow some of what I want, but it is not as easy to use. So, having 'isolated' my W7 laptop from any web connection, I tend to transfer pictures using a usb 'stick', edit on W7, and then bring them back to a the W10 box.

 

While 'wittering' on the same subject, I always try to reduce any pictures I post on-line to something in the order of 150kb, so as to avoid taking up too much space on the servers. What do other people do?

It's certainly most-interesting 'wittering'. 

 

Apart from when taking 'small' shots, I shoot everything on TIFF. These usually come out at about 14 MB full-frame. Once cropped, this reduces the size but they're still far too big to post on here. What I do is to reduce the file size to around 300 KB, then save them as jpegs. 

 

My photo programme is prehistoric - Paint Shop Pro from 2007 (whatever the version was then). I have several much more up to date equivalents, but I can't use them. Why not? Not only are all my favourite/most-useful tools in different places, some have gone all together. On my old programme, there's a 'clarify' function, which, when applied, just sparkles up the final image. It's not in the more modern ones. Whereas previously most tools could be located in the various visible bars, many are now deeply hidden in sub-menus in the newer programmes. Why is this done?

 

My photo computers/separate hard drives are not connected to the internet at all. After processing any images, I reduce them accordingly, pop them on to a memory stick and carry them across to this one.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

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1 hour ago, drmditch said:

 

Please excuse a question from one who knows little of photography.

When you say 'standard windows software', which version of Windows do you mean?

 

For many years I have found the photo editor that came with Windows 7 very useful. It allowed/allows re-sizing, brightening, changing contrast and other useful operations. Unfortunately, with the removal of support from W7, and the age and gradual decline of my trusty laptop, I have had to 'upgrade' to a box running Windows 10, and the standard tools on that (as far as I can see) are nowhere as useful.

 

I have found some other software which in theory does allow some of what I want, but it is not as easy to use. So, having 'isolated' my W7 laptop from any web connection, I tend to transfer pictures using a usb 'stick', edit on W7, and then bring them back to a the W10 box.

 

While 'wittering' on the same subject, I always try to reduce any pictures I post on-line to something in the order of 150kb, so as to avoid taking up too much space on the servers. What do other people do?

My Acer laptop started off with Windows 8.1, and is now W10. It had the Windows Photo Editor software already installed when I bought it from Curry's. AIUI, it would have been practically the same as what you got with W7. There have been a few changes in W10 updates, but they seem mainly to affect appearance rather than functionality. I back-up photos (original and edited, less rejects) to memory sticks, too, as well as leaving the originals on the SD cards. A belt and two pairs of braces!

 

Photo Editor has a resize function, which I think may be a W10 addition, and will shrink the file to suit the selected purpose with a couple of clicks; I generally use the 2Mp option, which usually equates to a little under 300kb.  I formerly used Paint to do that, dating back to XP days, so I'm not sure if I was just slow to catch on that it was there...

 

What gets included with new machines probably varies according to make/model and optional packages offered by the retailer selling them. I'm guessing that your attachment to W7 possibly led you in the direction of a "bare bones" set-up for W10?

 

John

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14 hours ago, 31A said:

 

Thank you, that's so much better!  I had a play around with the Lumix camera this afternoon and found the White Balance settings on the menu.  Unsurprisingly, the 'electric light' setting produced much better results!  I'm not sure whether I already knew about it and had forgotten, or whether I never knew, but thanks anyway for pointing it out.  As you said, I'll have to remember to set it back again if I use the camera out of doors.  I use an Apple laptop to store the images, and the Photos software on it includes an "Auto Enhance" function which usually improves things, and you can also manipulate things like light, colour, sharpness etc.  I think I should be a bit more adventurous with it!

 

Sounds like both systems work much the same. The Windows equivalent uses a slider to vary the enhancement on a scale of 0 to +100, the default being +50 which I used on your shot as it was pretty dark. Don't know if Apple's works the same way, but I have found that +35 hits the "sweet spot" most times I've  used it. 

 

John

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10 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

Try your local home brew/wine shop. I bought some 10% phosphoric acid recently at a very reasonable price. Not as strong as some use but I find it's OK for DG coupling droppers, which are the only steel bits I need to solder as a rule.

Thanks John. Ive not seen a home brew shop in years, but will have a look round. Cheers.

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2 hours ago, grahame said:

Here's something which is, as usual from me, a little different from the normal fare of steam trains on this thread, and it's the recent painting of some tiny things - 3D printed N/2mm scale NSE style self service ticket machines and permit to travel machines - cruelly photographically enlarged. They're finished by hand with a brush and acrylic paint (and a few little bits of decal paper) all applied by eye (and without any magnification assistance). They're not perfect but are very small and might not even be noticeable when in place on the layout, and I doubt I can do any better.

 

DSC_0516red.jpg.c22b2a7cfc084f1d5b176b281d87b7c7.jpg

 

@grahame; please tell me you have enormous hands....?  If you haven't I may need to give up railway modelling as I feel utterly unworthy.

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2 hours ago, Northmoor said:

@grahame; please tell me you have enormous hands....?  If you haven't I may need to give up railway modelling as I feel utterly unworthy.

 

You're right. I've got quite small hands (N gauge scale); 

 

1877690796_largehand.jpg.82fa3183ee8eabf255cb26cb2214758f.jpg

 

 

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7 hours ago, grahame said:

Here's something which is, as usual from me, a little different from the normal fare of steam trains on this thread, and it's the recent painting of some tiny things - 3D printed N/2mm scale NSE style self service ticket machines and permit to travel machines - cruelly photographically enlarged. They're finished by hand with a brush and acrylic paint (and a few little bits of decal paper) all applied by eye (and without any magnification assistance). They're not perfect but are very small and might not even be noticeable when in place on the layout, and I doubt I can do any better.

 

DSC_0516red.jpg.c22b2a7cfc084f1d5b176b281d87b7c7.jpg

 

I doubt if anyone could do any better, Grahame.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

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I would like to order some new Alan Gibson 10 spoke bogie wheels for both my Hornby A2 Happy Knight and Bachmann A1 Great Central. I'm assuming from what has been said the A2/2 Thane of Fife is OK.

 

I understand they are 10 spoke and 3'2" diameter, but looking at the Alan Gibson catalogue they have pack 4838 plain or 4838ST bevel wheels. I've looked at Yeadons etc and they appear plain, but to be honest, I'm not sure what I'm looking for in terms of bevel....;)

 

I'm sure Tony or others will know immediately which ones, so perhaps you could confirm before I go ahead and order some.

 

Many thanks...

 

Heard this morning that Hornby have added me to their list for replacement A2/2 bodies so that's a result. I really didn't want to return mine as it runs so well. Thanks for the tip off.

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24 minutes ago, gordon s said:

I understand they are 10 spoke and 3'2" diameter, but looking at the Alan Gibson catalogue they have pack 4838 plain or 4838ST bevel wheels.

 

If you look through the driving wheel section of the catalogue, it becomes obvious that the suffix ST stands for Stanier (or possibly Standard), i.e. these are the wheels appropriate to LMS / BR Standard locomotives, which did have wheels with "bevelled" rims - a 45 degree chamfer. A quick look at photos of such locomotives will make it clear what is meant.

 

But since I know nothing about LNER / BR(E) locomotives, I wouldn't like to say if they are or are not wrong for your model!

Edited by Compound2632
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11 minutes ago, gordon s said:

I would like to order some new Alan Gibson 10 spoke bogie wheels for both my Hornby A2 Happy Knight and Bachmann A1 Great Central. I'm assuming from what has been said the A2/2 Thane of Fife is OK.

 

I understand they are 10 spoke and 3'2" diameter, but looking at the Alan Gibson catalogue they have pack 4838 plain or 4838ST bevel wheels. I've looked at Yeadons etc and they appear plain, but to be honest, I'm not sure what I'm looking for in terms of bevel....;)

 

I'm sure Tony or others will know immediately which ones, so perhaps you could confirm before I go ahead and order some.

 

Many thanks...

 

Heard this morning that Hornby have added me to their list for replacement A2/2 bodies so that's a result. I really didn't want to return mine as it runs so well. Thanks for the tip off.

Bevel wheels have a Stanier type of rim.

A v section basically if you can find a close up photo.

LNER type are flat.

Bernard

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17 minutes ago, Clive Mortimore said:

With all this talk about BR green recently, is the bright green Hymek a Hornby model?

 

Worcester shed (pjs,0019)

Photo from, geoff7918 Flickr page.  Copright Geoff Dowling & John Whitehouse

 

For what it's worth regarding BR green I have a photo somewhere, can't find it at the moment due to railway room re(dis) organisation, taken at Swindon works. It shows a loco and tender in totally different shades of green. It's quite likely they're not a genuine pairing, possibly waiting to enter works but does illustrate that 'standard' BR, or in this case, GWR green doesn't really exist.

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1 hour ago, gordon s said:

I would like to order some new Alan Gibson 10 spoke bogie wheels for both my Hornby A2 Happy Knight and Bachmann A1 Great Central. I'm assuming from what has been said the A2/2 Thane of Fife is OK.

 

I understand they are 10 spoke and 3'2" diameter, but looking at the Alan Gibson catalogue they have pack 4838 plain or 4838ST bevel wheels. I've looked at Yeadons etc and they appear plain, but to be honest, I'm not sure what I'm looking for in terms of bevel....;)

 

I'm sure Tony or others will know immediately which ones, so perhaps you could confirm before I go ahead and order some.

 

Many thanks...

 

Heard this morning that Hornby have added me to their list for replacement A2/2 bodies so that's a result. I really didn't want to return mine as it runs so well. Thanks for the tip off.

Good morning Gordon,

 

Though not as fine as Alan Gibson (or Markits) equivalents, the Hornby bogie wheels on the latest A2/2 are not bad. I'll not be changing them on mine.

 

Bevel on LNER bogie wheels? It's not very pronounced, but I'm not sure.

 

I use Markits LNER bogie wheels, anyway. If you go down that route (01923 249711), Mark Arscott makes exactly the right 3' 2" 10-spoke LNER bogie wheels. I use them because they look right, they're always true round and run perfectly.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

P.S. HAPPY KNIGHT is an A2, and Hornby doesn't make one.......................

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