Wright writes.....

[micklner]

1 hour ago, Jesse Sim said:

Although I just looked on five79’s website and it says they’re making them again. But not in brass like this one is 

They are listed as Brass etches , I have built a  couple ,nice kits. Looks like next year now?.

 

https://www.five79.co.uk/4mm-Standard-Gauge-Kits/

 

 

 

 

[Jesse Sim]

6 minutes ago, micklner said:

They are listed as Brass etches , I have built a  couple ,nice kits. Looks like next year now?.

 

https://www.five79.co.uk/4mm-Standard-Gauge-Kits/

 

 

 

 

Oh I didn’t read the fine print 

[Dunsignalling]

17 minutes ago, micklner said:

They are listed as Brass etches , I have built a  couple ,nice kits. Looks like next year now?.

 

https://www.five79.co.uk/4mm-Standard-Gauge-Kits/

 

 

 

 

ISTR a statement a while ago that further runs of up to three brass kits are planned for each year.

 

AIUI each batch will be a "buy-it-while-you-can" proposition and they will move on to other prototypes from their extensive back catalogue in subsequent years.

 

John

[Michael Edge]

1 hour ago, polybear said:

 

 I'm sure all manufacturers (and traders) have horror stories of some members of the public.

Actually, that could make a very interesting thread in itself.... 

We all do - but I'm not putting any on here.....

[micklner]

34 minutes ago, Dunsignalling said:

ISTR a statement a while ago that further runs of up to three brass kits are planned for each year.

 

AIUI each batch will be a "buy-it-while-you-can" proposition and they will move on to other prototypes from their extensive back catalogue in subsequent years.

 

John

I have just emailed Five 79 re any e.t.a for them. I will post on here with any reply.

[Tony Wright]

4 hours ago, 2750Papyrus said:

 

Can that justification be extended to include a J50 from Hornby, a sweet runner?

 

I wonder if the preserved J52 ran through LB?

I suppose anything shopped at the Plant, allocated to one of the ER Southern Area sheds might well have run through Little Bytham on its way back home (conversely, on its way north for repair). Thus a freshly-painted Hornsey J50 or J52 could well plod southwards light engine through LB (or on a pick-up?). I have no photographic evidence to substantiate this, though I do have shots of brand new 76XXXs running-in on pick-up duties, and even a shining A3 on one occasion shunting the yard. 

 

That's set me thinking.......... Yes, I'll build a J50 and a J52! 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Tony Wright]

4 hours ago, Jesse Sim said:

Always a good chat Tony on the phone, mostly swearing and laughing with talk of the meaning of life. As I said I finished that Chivers CCT van today, very easy to put together I must say apart from the roof which was a bit of a fag. Can I still say that? Anyway. 
 

Lettering was proving troublesome as I couldn’t find a photo, this is the LNER design based on the NER version, built in 1940 so the small lettering is better suited. Every photo or drawing I found was in pre-37 large lettering.  
 

I’m quite happy with it, it was going in the parcels train but after a good day or two of non stop chatting with JW I’m planning a stock train. So this will go into that with another couple of NPC’s, a brake van or two and some coaches at the rear. I do like the weird the wonderful. 

 

edit: just noticed I haven’t put door handles on…rookie mistake 

You've made a splendid job there, Jesse.

 

Thanks for showing us. I love the weathering. 

 

I think you've missed off the radiused rainstrips on the roof as well as the door furniture. And the inboard bogie footboards................

 

Here's mine............

 

 

 

Which I built from the same source.

 

I'm not sure if I got the underframe correct. I just built it as supplied.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

 

Edited October 20, 2021 by Tony Wright
to add something

[ecgtheow]

22 hours ago, ecgtheow said:

Jol,

 

Happy to report that I have an example of your work designing the Jubilee model. It's excellent. I will try to take a photo soon of it & post it on here. I probably have other examples of your design work too but I don't know the order in which they were introduced. Rest assured I am a very satisfied customer.

 

William

 

Here is the not very good photo (taken with an iPhone) of my LNWR Jubilee built from the kit designed by Joe Wilkinson.

[Tony Wright]

With talk of the Kings Cross range of etched nameplates from long ago on here of late, I've just encountered a coincidence.

 

Clearing through some drawers (on Mo's insistence - at last!) I came across a couple of yellowing invoices. Both are from Model Railways (prop. E. H. Blackburn) of 41 White Friars, Chester. Both are from 1968. 

 

The first is from the 10th of February for 5900 Hinderton Hall (I was renaming a Tri-ang 'Hall', having hacked away  - and bled! - at the obese backgrounds to the nameplates. Because the set included cabside numbers, I was charged eight shillings and nine pence.

 

The second is from the 26th of October for 60103 Flying Scotsman (I was fitting decent 'plates to a Trix A3). The charge was five shillings and three pence. 

 

What do those prices acquaint to today, I wonder? I was a student in teacher training at the time, so any money tended to go on essentials - drink, for instance! 

 

Needless to say, I no longer own the two models in question, and haven't done for many a year. 

 

Does anyone else remember that model shop in Chester? It certainly sold some good stuff and was not tied to a supplier - as was The Model Shop (Tri-ang) or Barnbys (Hornby-Dublo), both located in Frodsham Street.  

[MikeParkin65]

On 19/10/2021 at 13:03, ecgtheow said:

Jol,

 

Take heart. I don't build many loco kits (actually only 2 built) as I don't have the time while getting my layout finished, but a friend has built many LRM LNWR loco kits for me, most of which I think you design, & the builder universally praises the quality of the kits & the results are superb. I have few photos of them but I guess that's it's probable that you designed the kit for the Precedent model loco below.

 

William

 

 

I appreciate that it takes skill and expertise to build and paint a model to this standard but the results are so much better than will ever be achieved by the RTR manufacturers. This for example looks real. Please keep inspiring us mere mortals. Beautiful model 

[Chuffer Davies]

1 hour ago, ecgtheow said:

 

Here is the not very good photo (taken with an iPhone) of my LNWR Jubilee built from the kit designed by Joe Wilkinson.

Nice kit, nicely built I’d say! Congratulations both.

Frank

[MJI]

Oh well I do need to make some comments here.

 

Painting, my airbrush I bought a few years ago has doubled in price, just spent nearly what I paid for needle jet and valve.

 

Iwata Neo CN

 

Getting bubbles in paint and poor spraying, both needle and jet look worn and the valve leaks (seals exposed to hydrocarbon based solvents).

 

Every time I spray I get better, I reckon I am not far off RTR quality paint jobs.

 

Carriages, how long do they take to build?

 

Decided to try a Comet kit after quite a few plastic and bitsof builds. Thought it would be much quicker than my bitsof non corridor thirds. Not really just that it took a couple of hours to get a decent set of ends cut.

 

Three hours and so far both ends made and one side hinged. Still another side, assembly of body, lots of roof stuff then chassis.

 

How long for a full set?

 

Not impressed with one set of bogie frames.

 

Got 5 of them to do, and another bitsof when Mousa restart.

 

My DMUs are on hold until I get my spares for airbrush and I also want a project change to keep me excited.

[FarrMan]

4 hours ago, Steven B said:

 

My Dad would disagree - he's a mostly retired patter maker with 60+ years experience under his belt but would struggle to start a CAD application, let alone begin to use on to convert a drawing into a 3d item.

 

The skills needed to produce decent, reliable tooling from a series of 2d drawings are still as much a dark-art as they were back in the days of pen and ink. Even interpreting a 3d scan takes time and effort. It's probably a faster process now (less time needed sharpening pencils) and the skill set may be a little different, but it's certainly no less skilled.

 

Steven B.

Is a patter maker another word for a comedian? I assume he was a pattern maker, which is a very highly skilled job.

 

Lloyd

[robertcwp]

1 hour ago, Tony Wright said:

With talk of the Kings Cross range of etched nameplates from long ago on here of late, I've just encountered a coincidence.

 

Clearing through some drawers (on Mo's insistence - at last!) I came across a couple of yellowing invoices. Both are from Model Railways (prop. E. H. Blackburn) of 41 White Friars, Chester. Both are from 1968. 

 

The first is from the 10th of February for 5900 Hinderton Hall (I was renaming a Tri-ang 'Hall', having hacked away  - and bled! - at the obese backgrounds to the nameplates. Because the set included cabside numbers, I was charged eight shillings and nine pence.

 

The second is from the 26th of October for 60103 Flying Scotsman (I was fitting decent 'plates to a Trix A3). The charge was five shillings and three pence. 

 

What do those prices acquaint to today, I wonder? I was a student in teacher training at the time, so any money tended to go on essentials - drink, for instance! 

 

Needless to say, I no longer own the two models in question, and haven't done for many a year. 

 

Does anyone else remember that model shop in Chester? It certainly sold some good stuff and was not tied to a supplier - as was The Model Shop (Tri-ang) or Barnbys (Hornby-Dublo), both located in Frodsham Street.  

According to the Bank of England inflation calculator, £10 in 1968 equates to £177.36 in 2020 and it would be a bit more than that now.

[stewartingram]

7 hours ago, Chamby said:

 

John beat me to it... clearly I am the one confused with TV channels!  I believe the episode is repeated on Thursday evening at 8pm?  This was the second episode, the first is  available on catch-up.

Also availableon UKTv - as a form of 'iplayer' like BBC is.

[sandra]

On 19/10/2021 at 20:06, Tony Wright said:

One Crownline loco kit I forgot to mention when I was listing those I've made was the B17.

 

 

 

 

I built 61620 originally for Little Bytham (in OO) but pictures of B17s running on the main line between Grantham and Peterborough are as rare as hens' teeth, even though the type could be seen regularly at both locations. 

 

Thus, she now runs on EM frames and is on loan (probably permanently) to Retford, where she's far more at home, running on the boat train. 

 

I'm sure I've taken pictures of her complete on Retford, but I can't find them at the moment. Perhaps Sandra Orpen has some. 

 

Geoff Haynes painted/weathered CLUMBER perfectly.

 

As did Ian Rathbone on this Crownline B17 I built for Gilbert Barnatt.

 

 

Seen on his previous layout, it's a pity about those gross lamps.

 

Images of her appear from time to time on Peterborough North.  

 

 

Tony,

 

I took some photographs of “Clumber” this afternoon. Here she is on the down boat train which passed Retford at 12.37. The B17 worked the train from March to Sheffield. She was turned at Sheffield and returned from there in the afternoon. So the same B17 worked both trains at Retford. As Robert Carroll has now very kindly assembled the carriages for the train in both directions I have photographed “Clumber” hauling it both ways.Here she is heading east with the up train to Harwich and here’s a closer view of her on the same train.”Clumber” is the only loco apart from the Britannia which can haul this 11 coach train out of the fiddle yard. As this is the only passenger train which regularly crossed the flat crossing in the east/west direction I wanted a representation of the working in both directions. So an extra road has been added to the fiddle yard, as there was not a great deal of space this had to be squeezed in but there was just enough room. The problem is that I don’t really want to use this locomotive on both trains as this would involve too much handling of the loco so at the moment I’m using 70037 “Hereward the Wake”on the up train. However she is out of period so I’ll have to build another B17 and really it should be another model of “Clumber” but I could never build or paint it as beautifully as this one so I’ll make a model of 61657 “Doncaster Rovers”. This engine was shedded at March and I do have a photo of it on the boat train.

 

Sandra

[sandra]

5 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

With talk of the Kings Cross range of etched nameplates from long ago on here of late, I've just encountered a coincidence.

 

Clearing through some drawers (on Mo's insistence - at last!) I came across a couple of yellowing invoices. Both are from Model Railways (prop. E. H. Blackburn) of 41 White Friars, Chester. Both are from 1968. 

 

The first is from the 10th of February for 5900 Hinderton Hall (I was renaming a Tri-ang 'Hall', having hacked away  - and bled! - at the obese backgrounds to the nameplates. Because the set included cabside numbers, I was charged eight shillings and nine pence.

 

The second is from the 26th of October for 60103 Flying Scotsman (I was fitting decent 'plates to a Trix A3). The charge was five shillings and three pence. 

 

What do those prices acquaint to today, I wonder? I was a student in teacher training at the time, so any money tended to go on essentials - drink, for instance! 

 

Needless to say, I no longer own the two models in question, and haven't done for many a year. 

 

Does anyone else remember that model shop in Chester? It certainly sold some good stuff and was not tied to a supplier - as was The Model Shop (Tri-ang) or Barnbys (Hornby-Dublo), both located in Frodsham Street.  

Tony,

 

I do remember the model shop at White Friars in Chester. I only went there a few times but as I remember the shop it was the only Chester model shop which catered for the more finescale side of the hobby. That is he sold lots of bits and pieces which enabled you to actually build something. Probably it wouldn’t be considered very finescale in comparison with today’s standards but it was the best we had. It was actually my cousin Eddy who tipped me of about this shop as I don’t remember it being advertised in any magazines.

 

Before I found this shop I had only gone to Arts and Crafts in the arcade off Brook Street and that shop sold mostly RTR, however I did buy some Wrenn flexible track there which was perhaps a first step towards a more serious approach to the hobby but the Wrenn track was pretty awful.

 

Sandra

[Chas Levin]

12 hours ago, Jol Wilkinson said:

 

Chas,

 

I usually put my name, together with the kit/model name, design year and brand name on any etch items I designed - space permitting -  as  a little protection against it being copied (not at all usual in this hobby but not entirely unknown in the past). I did that because I was designing for someone else. I expect though that those designing for their own business might leave their name off, leaving the brand name as identification.

 

Jol

Ah - apologies Jol, I didn't know that: clearly, I haven't built a kit designed by you yet! Not to worry - the evening is young...

[Barry Ten]

Just a follow-up on the Dave Hunt locos, for anyone interested: the Spinner only needed a little tweaking to become a very nice runner. I added an extra pickup to the rear wheel and this cured the tendency to stall that it had before. This is entirely reversible so doesn't affect Mr Hunt's handiwork.

 

As mentioned, a captive nut had also come loose inside the tender. I couldn't live with it rattling around so a small hole was opened in the tender base and the nut extracted. I then resoldered it to a thin piece of flat brass and fixed it back in position, adjusting the rear bogie slightly to maintain ride height.

 

In the process of examining the loco I found a build date of November 1976. Perhaps we'll have a little 45th birthday celebration next month.

 

I'll take another video of the Spinner in due course.

[Woodcock29]

7 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

You've made a splendid job there, Jesse.

 

Thanks for showing us. I love the weathering. 

 

I think you've missed off the radiused rainstrips on the roof as well as the door furniture. And the inboard bogie footboards................

 

 

Also the strip along the edge of the roof which will hide the join. Still the timber work looks very nice.

Andrew

[Jesse Sim]

7 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

You've made a splendid job there, Jesse.

 

Thanks for showing us. I love the weathering. 

 

I think you've missed off the radiused rainstrips on the roof as well as the door furniture. And the inboard bogie footboards................

 

Here's mine............

 

 

 

Which I built from the same source.

 

I'm not sure if I got the underframe correct. I just built it as supplied.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

 

Yes I have, I’ll add the rainstrips and the door handles today. I’ve always left off bottom steps as I’ve heard they were often removed on most wagons/NPCs. Considering I’ll have to solder them on, I might leave them off. I’m a prototypical lazy modeller….. 

 

The under frame was a bit of a pain in the backside and as I said I couldn’t find any photos in any of my books and neither could JW. He could only find the NER version. 
 

 

[Jesse Sim]

42 minutes ago, Woodcock29 said:

Also the strip along the edge of the roof which will hide the join. Still the timber work looks very nice.

Andrew

I think I’d need a few beers to do that strip! 

[Jesse Sim]

7 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

I love the weathering. 

 

 

Well seeing as you mentioned that and that we were speaking of weathering on the phone, here are those Bachmann fish wagons I was telling you about. 
 

 

For those that weren’t in the phone call, I was saying to Tony that it’s amazing what can be done to RTR stock with some transfers and paint. I purchased about a dozen of these fish vans for the fish train (obviously) and they’ve been running out of the box for a few years. Now that I’ve been kit building wagons, building the fish train up and also the meat train, I decided I’d weather these, which then led to altering them.
 

So from left to right: the first one has just been weathered, no renumbering, I’ve weathered it as if someone has cleaned the outside whilst the door was open awaiting to be loaded. So you get a nice dark stain from where the door was against the side, I’ve also tried to show scratch marks from the door being opened and closed. Not sure how well it shows up in the photo but they’re there. Next we have a single number change, no prizes for which number as the Bachmann numbering is quite large. Then a heavy weather with the lettering and numbering being cleaned away to be visible. The third wagon has just been weathered to a nice in use effect. Now, the next wagon I’m rather proud of and has had the most work done to it. It’s had its factory lettering removed apart from the large NE, it’s had a repaint so you can still see said NE. It’s been numbered in the post 37 scheme and weathered, still showing the older type of lettering underneath. I’ve always wanted to have a go at that and I think it worked a treat. The roof also didn’t get a coat of black/grey I left the white roof and weathered it with black powders. Last but not least, this wagon had the same work as the second wagon, a simple one number change and weathered, but some cheeky weathered has been used to hide the smaller number. You can see when you are this close to the wagon but in a train of 30+ vehicles travelling at a scale speed…you won’t notice it. 

The other thing I am very happy about is this photo, it shows the characteristic different heights of wagons you see in photographs. This is down to kitbuilding stock, as you can’t get this from a complete train of RTR wagons. 

 

And oh god does it show up the horrible ancient fiddleyard board. Even though it’s got more humps and bumps then Parramatta road (Sydney Siders will know what I mean) it works fine. 

 

 

[Tony Wright]

10 hours ago, sandra said:

Tony,

 

I do remember the model shop at White Friars in Chester. I only went there a few times but as I remember the shop it was the only Chester model shop which catered for the more finescale side of the hobby. That is he sold lots of bits and pieces which enabled you to actually build something. Probably it wouldn’t be considered very finescale in comparison with today’s standards but it was the best we had. It was actually my cousin Eddy who tipped me of about this shop as I don’t remember it being advertised in any magazines.

 

Before I found this shop I had only gone to Arts and Crafts in the arcade off Brook Street and that shop sold mostly RTR, however I did buy some Wrenn flexible track there which was perhaps a first step towards a more serious approach to the hobby but the Wrenn track was pretty awful.

 

Sandra

Good morning Sandra,

 

Thanks for the shots of CLUMBER in your previous post. 

 

I think you'll find that the Arts & Crafts shop was in the arcade off Bridge Street in Chester, at the same level as The Rows (the two tiers of shops, unique to the city). It was run by Mr Hutchinson, whose son (Mike) I went to art school with. Mike eventually took over the business from his father. The model railway shop has long gone (as have all the others), though a model shop exists now in Bridge Street Row, not far away.

 

A friend and I bought Trix A3s and A2s (though, strangely, no A4s) from the Arts & Crafts (the model railway stuff was downstairs). The A3s' running was diabolical and we were advised to take them to Thernglade Industrial Estate, in Wrexham (not far away), where they'd been assembled. Despite sets of new drivers and new motors, nothing could persuade those ghastly A3s to run properly (I believe my friend still has his) and I'm told eventually that tender-drive was substituted. I eventually acquired a Trix A4 from City Models in Liverpool, which ran just as badly. The A2s ran superbly and would pull anything, but what a dreadful model it was in appearance; a German chassis with out-of-gauge cylinders, a banjo dome and a 1928-style corridor tender! That same tender which was fitted to the Trix BR A3 60103, completed with all-black rear (and with the loco sporting a banjo dome - which FLYING SCOTSMAN never carried in any of its manifestations). These models weren't cheap (far more expensive than Tri-ang/Hornby) yet were really poor, both in appearance and performance. None of the faults I've mentioned was noted in any reviews of the time (over 50 years ago now). Imagine the case today! 

 

Finally, do you remember Trickett's in Garden Lane (half a mile from where I lived in Chester)? He would order whatever one wanted, including Wills kits to go on top of Tri-ang chassis. He had an A2 he'd made from the combination in the window one day. I was hooked! 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Tony Wright]

11 hours ago, sandra said:

Tony,

 

I took some photographs of “Clumber” this afternoon. Here she is on the down boat train which passed Retford at 12.37. The B17 worked the train from March to Sheffield. She was turned at Sheffield and returned from there in the afternoon. So the same B17 worked both trains at Retford. As Robert Carroll has now very kindly assembled the carriages for the train in both directions I have photographed “Clumber” hauling it both ways.Here she is heading east with the up train to Harwich and here’s a closer view of her on the same train.”Clumber” is the only loco apart from the Britannia which can haul this 11 coach train out of the fiddle yard. As this is the only passenger train which regularly crossed the flat crossing in the east/west direction I wanted a representation of the working in both directions. So an extra road has been added to the fiddle yard, as there was not a great deal of space this had to be squeezed in but there was just enough room. The problem is that I don’t really want to use this locomotive on both trains as this would involve too much handling of the loco so at the moment I’m using 70037 “Hereward the Wake”on the up train. However she is out of period so I’ll have to build another B17 and really it should be another model of “Clumber” but I could never build or paint it as beautifully as this one so I’ll make a model of 61657 “Doncaster Rovers”. This engine was shedded at March and I do have a photo of it on the boat train.

 

Sandra

Thanks again Sandra,

 

I'm glad 61620 continues to do what she was (eventually) built to do.

 

 The beautifully-natural painting/weathering is the work of Geoff Haynes.

 

I still can't find the picture I took of her complete on Retford, but here she is before I erected the valve gear.

 

 

During my late-'50s 'spotting days at Retford, CLUMBER was by far the most-common B17 on the boat train, sometimes rostered for a whole week's work on the service. GAYTON HALL was also common, though I never saw any B17 with the larger tender.

 

 

Did I say I'd make Retford's telegraph poles?!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

Another classic flat crossing scene, to be replicated now you've got an O4/8? 

 

I also murmured something about point rodding................

 

What a delicious amount of clutter.

 

Please (all) observe copyright restrictions on the protototype shots.

 

Regards,

 

Tony.