Wright writes.....

[dibateg]

I'm populating my layout with trains, and I was wondering - I'm sure I've seen mention of this thread of Working Timetables and would anyone have a copy of the Nottingham to Derby section (ER )  late 50' or early '60s? A long shot - as I've never seen one for sale.. I'd like to base my sequence on the timetable If I can. Maybe we could come to some sort of arrangement. It would be nice to have a proper convincing sequence. 

 

Yes - I know some of the lamps are wrong - I've already run out! More are being prepared....

 

Thanks

 

Tony

Edited April 13, 2021 by dibateg
forgot ER!

[Willie Whizz]

Just catching-up.  Regarding card-built locomotives, there was an exhibitor who in the last decade or so quite often appeared at events around the East Midlands with a large selection of motorised O-gauge card models.  They were well-painted, looked authentic to the naked eye, appeared to be robust and have "mass" (ditto), and seemed to move well on the short length of test track.  Unfortunately, not being 'my scale', I never attempted dialogue to find out more, and I can't now recall whether it was an individual or a small group (anyone else experiencing Covid-related Brain Fade?), but this may jog someone from this neck of the wood's mind to remember more.

[Tony Wright]

What did I say yesterday about the good fit of parts in the Gibson 'County' tank?

 

 

Wrong! 

 

The instructions (not that I'm bothering) were written by Ron Cadman (the kit's designer, in 1986), so this is an 'inherited' kit by Alan Gibson (in the 'Bungalow' days in Norfolk). 

 

The casting for the smokebox/front section of the boiler was rubbish - misshapen and dreadfully-pitted. The tapered section was also misshapen and also too short. Were this a current Gibson kit, I'd have asked for replacements.

 

Things like this really do put folk off building kits, they believing they've done something wrong. 

 

 

Anyway, by a bit of judicious filing and copious amounts of low-melt to act as a filler, it now fits. What it means is that the smokebox front is about a mil' further back than shown on the drawing. It does overhang the curved front footplate (as it should) but not quite enough. To make a new boiler would have made the end cost prohibitive, so the customer will just have to accept it. 

 

The moral? Don't speak too soon, and be very wary of older kits!  

 

 

[great central]

1 hour ago, Willie Whizz said:

Just catching-up.  Regarding card-built locomotives, there was an exhibitor who in the last decade or so quite often appeared at events around the East Midlands with a large selection of motorised O-gauge card models.  They were well-painted, looked authentic to the naked eye, appeared to be robust and have "mass" (ditto), and seemed to move well on the short length of test track.  Unfortunately, not being 'my scale', I never attempted dialogue to find out more, and I can't now recall whether it was an individual or a small group (anyone else experiencing Covid-related Brain Fade?), but this may jog someone from this neck of the wood's mind to remember more.

 

Can't remember his name now but a member of the Woodthorpe  club

[Tony Wright]

Time to finish modelling this evening...................

 

But a bit more done.

 

 

Though I understand why kit-manufacturers provide as many parts as possible, modelling the full bunker interior, to me, just seems a waste of time, especially as this model will be coaled after painting. At least four etched/cast parts are supplied to make the interior. As usual, I substituted a rectangular sheet of lead. 

 

But, how to hold it in position for soldering, especially as one can't get an iron inside? A simple brass 'hook', soldered to the lead is ideal to hold the piece in position for soldering. 

 

 

Once the piece of lead was soldered securely in place, the brass hook was un-soldered.

 

Why did the GWR make 'side-on' lamp brackets? The ones supplied in the kit are useless - there's nothing to get hold of. Bad language helped in my making of these! 

 

 

As with many tank locos I build, I made the cab roof a 'clip-fit'. Just two bits of bent phosphor bronze soldered inside did the trick.

 

More tomorrow................................

 

 

Edited April 13, 2021 by Tony Wright
typo error

[Denbridge]

2 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

What did I say yesterday about the good fit of parts in the Gibson 'County' tank?

 

 

Wrong! 

 

The instructions (not that I'm bothering) were written by Ron Cadman (the kit's designer, in 1986), so this is an 'inherited' kit by Alan Gibson (in the 'Bungalow' days in Norfolk). 

 

The casting for the smokebox/front section of the boiler was rubbish - misshapen and dreadfully-pitted. The tapered section was also misshapen and also too short. Were this a current Gibson kit, I'd have asked for replacements.

 

Things like this really do put folk off building kits, they believing they've done something wrong. 

 

 

Anyway, by a bit of judicious filing and copious amounts of low-melt to act as a filler, it now fits. What it means is that the smokebox front is about a mil' further back than shown on the drawing. It does overhang the curved front footplate (as it should) but not quite enough. To make a new boiler would have made the end cost prohibitive, so the customer will just have to accept it. 

 

The moral? Don't speak too soon, and be very wary of older kits!  

 

 

Hmmm, i may postpone my earlier posted intentions for a while. It does suprise me. Generally the M&L kits Ron designed were very good. At least the fit of parts generally went together without too much hassle.

[drmditch]

9 hours ago, LNER4479 said:

Yikes! That's a helluva lot of Corn Flakes boxes ...

Can't recommend Corn Flakes. Wheetabix and Shredded Wheat have a lower sugar content, and better boxes. The large size Wheetabix (72 biscuit) box is particularly useful.
I haven't built a card locomotive yet, just bridges, buildings and a snowplough!

[Tony Wright]

10 hours ago, Denbridge said:

Hmmm, i may postpone my earlier posted intentions for a while. It does suprise me. Generally the M&L kits Ron designed were very good. At least the fit of parts generally went together without too much hassle.

I think it's the cast parts which are the problem (or were).

 

The etched components (which were to Ron's design) fitted perfectly.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[PupCam]

14 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

Why did the GWR make 'side-on' lamp brackets?

Is it so that the weight of the lamp is not borne by the lamp bracket, it merely keeps the lamp in the correct place?   

 

(I know nothing of the GWR, completely the wrong shade of green for me!)

 

Alan

[LNER4479]

14 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

Why did the GWR make 'side-on' lamp brackets?

Because that's the Great Western way!

[sandra]

3 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

I think it's the cast parts which are the problem (or were).

 

The etched components (which were to Ron's design) fitted perfectly.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

Tony,

 

I built an M & L white metal body kit for a Grange. It was designed to fit on a Mainline Manor underframe. It was undoubtedly the worst kit I’ve ever encountered, parts didn’t fit or were badly warped and covered with flash.

 

Eventually I did get the thing finished and after a great deal of work it didn’t look too bad. However the Mainline chassis didn’t last long, I think it probably couldn’t take the weight of the white metal body. I was going to build a Comet chassis for it but then the Hornby Grange came along and it didn’t seem worthwhile.

 

I still have it but it would of little use on Retford.

 

Sandra

[St Enodoc]

15 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

Why did the GWR make 'side-on' lamp brackets?

Coz otherwise the GWR 'side-on' lamps would point the wrong way.

 

Hope that helps.

[St Enodoc]

10 minutes ago, sandra said:

Tony,

 

I built an M & L white metal body kit for a Grange. It was designed to fit on a Mainline Manor underframe. It was undoubtedly the worst kit I’ve ever encountered, parts didn’t fit or were badly warped and covered with flash.

 

Eventually I did get the thing finished and after a great deal of work it didn’t look too bad. However the Mainline chassis didn’t last long, I think it probably couldn’t take the weight of the white metal body. I was going to build a Comet chassis for it but then the Hornby Grange came along and it didn’t seem worthwhile.

 

I still have it but it would of little use on Retford.

 

Sandra

I once built a K's Grange and fitted it to a Bachmann Manor chassis. Only once...

[LNER4479]

24 minutes ago, St Enodoc said:

I once built a K's Grange and fitted it to a Bachmann Manor chassis. Only once...

Remind me - what variety of GWR 4-6-0 does that make then? They all look the same ...

 

EDIT - Ah! just got it: Grange + Manor makes a 'Mange'

Thank goodness. I'd have been worrying about that all day ...

Edited April 14, 2021 by LNER4479

[bbishop]

One can easily lose interest in a thread .....  Bill (LSWR on the paternal side, LNWR on the maternal side)

[APOLLO]

Did someone mention the Great Western ?

 

 

Another ebay O scale find, cheaper than a Hornby bogie tank wagon. This one has actual rotating wheel bearings as well.

 

Interesting railroad was the Chicago Great Western, no Granges, Manors or other locos with smokeboxes propped up with broomsticks, just long trains of 100+ freight cars with half a dozen or so F units up front thundering across the prairie. (whoops, another GWR loco !!)

 

 

Brit15

[cb900f]

3 hours ago, sandra said:

Tony,

 

I built an M & L white metal body kit for a Grange. It was designed to fit on a Mainline Manor underframe. It was undoubtedly the worst kit I’ve ever encountered, parts didn’t fit or were badly warped and covered with flash.

 

Eventually I did get the thing finished and after a great deal of work it didn’t look too bad. However the Mainline chassis didn’t last long, I think it probably couldn’t take the weight of the white metal body. I was going to build a Comet chassis for it but then the Hornby Grange came along and it didn’t seem worthwhile.

 

I still have it but it would of little use on Retford.

 

Sandra

Same  experience , threw it in the bin.

 

Pete

[Ray Flintoft]

On 12/04/2021 at 17:39, jwealleans said:

 

Gresley wanted to build a 2-6-0, as I understand it, but for some reason was not allowed to.

Yes , i  have read this too , although there seems to be no definitive proof of this . There could be many reasons for the decision to build as 0-6-0's , but I would suggest first cost & also perhaps some of the lines they were intended for only had small turntables .

  A further batch of K.2's , with better cabs , might have been a better option .

                                          Ray .

[TheSignalEngineer]

7 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

Coz otherwise the GWR 'side-on' lamps would point the wrong way.

 

Hope that helps.

A bit inconvenient when the Regional boundary changed and the shed had only got the wrong kind of lamps

 

[Willie Whizz]

On 13/04/2021 at 20:40, great central said:

 

Can't remember his name now but a member of the Woodthorpe  club

 

That's the one, thanks for the memory-jog.  A bit of digging established that the exhibit goes under the name "Cardboard Works" and is done by a chap called John Frownes.  t'Interweb seems to have very little to say about this it seems, but if and when exhibitions resume in the East Midlands in the not too distant future and he still has the urge, you may see him at one, and it's well worth a look.

[Tony Wright]

Yesterday afternoon 'I' photographed Ian Wilson's Edenham for the RM.

 

 

I should have worn an overcoat. Taking pictures outside in April can be a bit chilly! 

[Tony Wright]

Good news for all those who are interested in a K2.

 

Yesterday, Dave Ellis (now of Nu-Cast Partners) phoned me with news of the imminent release of the (much) revised ex-Nu-Cast K2. 

 

He's made completely new moulds, added detail and prepared an etched brass chassis (the first Nu-Cast K2s had a white metal lump). He's sending me all the bits to conduct a test-build, which I'll do as a matter of urgency, and I'll write the instructions, taking step-by-step pictures.

 

 

This is an original Nu-Cast K2 which I built for Ian Wilson (running on a brass chassis - not me; the loco!). Geoff Haynes painted it.

 

 

It sees service from time to time on Little Bytham. It's representative of an ex-GE allocated example, where the Westinghouse equipment has been removed. 

 

I've suggested this before, but now that this project is definite, may I suggest that anyone really interested in a K2 get in touch with Dave at daveellis05@gmail.com

 

Or phone him on 01342 822270

 

 

 

 

[Coach bogie]

20 hours ago, sandra said:

Tony,

 

I built an M & L white metal body kit for a Grange.

 

I still have it but it would of little use on Retford.

 

Sandra

6858 Woolston Grange made it to Huddersfield (with only minimal damage to platform edges!) Possible justification at Retford?

 

Mike Wiltshire

[James Fitzjames]

2 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

Good news for all those who are interested in a K2.

 

Yesterday, Dave Ellis (now of Nu-Cast Partners) phoned me with news of the imminent release of the (much) revised ex-Nu-Cast K2. 

 

He's made completely new moulds, added detail and prepared an etched brass chassis (the first Nu-Cast K2s had a white metal lump). He's sending me all the bits to conduct a test-build, which I'll do as a matter of urgency, and I'll write the instructions, taking step-by-step pictures.

 

 

This is an original Nu-Cast K2 which I built for Ian Wilson (running on a brass chassis - not me; the loco!). Geoff Haynes painted it.

 

 

It sees service from time to time on Little Bytham. It's representative of an ex-GE allocated example, where the Westinghouse equipment has been removed. 

 

I've suggested this before, but now that this project is definite, may I suggest that anyone really interested in a K2 get in touch with Dave at daveellis05@gmail.com

 

Or phone him on 01342 822270

 

 

 

 

My joy is deep! Emailing...

[Tony Wright]

As soon as a locomotive build reaches this stage, it starts to look like (or one hopes) what it's supposed to be, and the end is in sight.

 

 

Shouldn't be too long now........................