Wright writes.....

[bbishop]

Looking at the Chelsea photograph, the third vehicle appears to have "Gresley" bogies and the fourth vehicle a flat topped lookout.  That might mean GNR, but were there others?  Thoughts??

In pre-grouping days there was a 7:09am departure from Addison Road to Waterloo bringing in all the transfers.

Bill

[PMP]

18 minutes ago, dibateg said:

Making front handrails:- 

They are a pain to get right - I use these round nose jewellers bail pliers to form the sharper bends, and a length of dowelling of a smaller diameter for the main smokebox curve. I use a Sharpie marker to mark where the rail crosses the edge of the smokebox and where to make the return bend to the handrail knob on the other side. A bit at a time. Be prepared that the first one might not be right and it might take two or three goes. I'm using brass on this one - it takes paint better than N/S . Unless you want shiny Hornby Dublo handrails or your loco is in for some heavy handling, brass wire is quite adequate.

How do you actually form the large radius? Is it rolling it, or bending it round/over it? I’m interested in working it out as I’d ideally like to replace RTR pannier handrails as below. I can remove the original and use it as a template

Edited January 4, 2022 by PMP

[dibateg]

Hi Paul - After I have done the first tight bend, the large radius is formed by firmly holding the wire against the dowel at the start of the curve with one hand and then pulling it round the dowel with the other. The dowel needs to be a good size smaller than the smoke box as the wire will spring back of course. Avoid square nose pliers at all cost as they will mark the wire.

 

Cheers

Tony

[Headstock]

16 minutes ago, bbishop said:

Looking at the Chelsea photograph, the third vehicle appears to have "Gresley" bogies and the fourth vehicle a flat topped lookout.  That might mean GNR, but were there others?  Thoughts??

In pre-grouping days there was a 7:09am departure from Addison Road to Waterloo bringing in all the transfers.

Bill

 

Good morning bbishop,

 

to elaborate on my previous post, SR PMV, LMS Van, LNER BG, ECJS or GNR BG, 2X LNER vans, possible Conflat S, 3X LMS vans, SR NPC, then it gets hazy.

[dibateg]

Wagon rarities - In O gauge, the Parkside wooden framed, wooden ended van was really the only LNE example available in recent years. I spotted ( from a distance ) this rare 2nd hand Freightman example of a Diag. 102 corrugated end van. The colour is a bit brown rather than bauxite, but it adds to the variety in colours.... At some stage I'll give it a revamp as there are no rollers for the door! 

 

[Jesse Sim]

50 minutes ago, bbishop said:

Be careful Jesse, Tony may be in a very bad mood depending on the state of the Test Match.  Bill

Oh an even better opportunity to ring him! 

[gr.king]

2 hours ago, dibateg said:

Making front handrails:- 

They are a pain to get right - I use these round nose jewellers bail pliers to form the sharper bends, and a length of dowelling of a smaller diameter for the main smokebox curve. I use a Sharpie marker to mark where the rail crosses the edge of the smokebox and where to make the return bend to the handrail knob on the other side. A bit at a time. Be prepared that the first one might not be right and it might take two or three goes. I'm using brass on this one - it takes paint better than N/S . Unless you want shiny Hornby Dublo handrails or your loco is in for some heavy handling, brass wire is quite adequate.

???

I've long understood it to be the case that ordinary paints adhere poorly to brass unless very throroughly roughened, that etch primers are often consequently recommended, and that nickel silver or tinned brass was a far better base for paint. What do others find or think?

[FarrMan]

3 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

"Five and twenty ponies, Trotting through the dark -

Brandy Hornby for the Parson, 'Baccy Bachmann for the Clerk.

Them that asks no questions isn't told a lie -

Watch the wall my darling while the Gentlemen go by!"

 

(with apologies to Rudyard Kipling)

I think that that is a lot older than Rudyard Kipling. I think it is traditional Wiltshire, and probably further West as well. It was Wiltshire folk who buried the beverages in the mill pond and were raking it out of the pond when the excise men came by. They played the daft laddie and claimed they were raking in the moon! Hence Wilts folk are known as 'Moonrakers'.

 

Lloyd

[Denbridge]

2 hours ago, gr.king said:

???

I've long understood it to be the case that ordinary paints adhere poorly to brass unless very throroughly roughened, that etch primers are often consequently recommended, and that nickel silver or tinned brass was a far better base for paint. What do others find or think?

Yes. Paint does adhere to NS than to brass. I've long wished manufacturers would produce their etched kits in NS. Not only does it take paint better, it is a nicer material to work with and to solder.

Edited January 4, 2022 by Denbridge

[Compound2632]

4 minutes ago, Denbridge said:

Yes. Paint does adhere to NS than to brass. I've long wished manufacturers would produce their etched kits in NS. Not only does it take paint better, it is a nicer material to work with and to solder.

 

Some do. Currently building a LRM Coal Engine - engine in NS, tender in brass...

[teaky]

7 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

Good morning Jesse,

 

Are you serious? If you'd like her, she's yours (we'll negotiate a price, which you can pay in stages if you wish). 

 

You already have 2400, of course (with a small tender and Westinghouse brakes). I could get Geoff to do this one as 2401 if you wish (assuming someone makes the 'plates), because, in this condition, she could run with A4s in blue. 

 

Best regards,

 

Tony. 

247 make suitable plates.

http://www.247developments.co.uk/ex_lner_names.html

[Michael Edge]

1 hour ago, Denbridge said:

Yes. Paint does adhere to NS than to brass. I've long wished manufacturers would produce their etched kits in NS. Not only does it take paint better, it is a nicer material to work with and to solder.

We do both, n/s is considerably more expensive now and brass rolls and forms much more easily. To keep costs down we keep to one sheet for nearly all our kits so anything with bright motion work is in n/s, others are mostly brass for the reason given above. Other exceptions are kits which incorporate pantographs (not always though) which are better etched in n/s for strength.

In larger scales (9mm for New Zealand) they have insisted on .022" n/s which I find really difficult to form - they would have been much easier in brass.

As far as painting is concerned I don't find any significant difference, the best surface I find to paint on is steel (which I use for scratchbuilding) but this can't be etched.

All in all this isn't the simple choice that many people imagine and we'll never please everyone.

[cctransuk]

5 minutes ago, Michael Edge said:

.... the best surface I find to paint on is steel (which I use for scratchbuilding) but this can't be etched.

 

Really? I have the MRJ steel etch for LMS valvegear, and the recent model of 18000 comes with magnetic etched headcode letters, presumably in steel. I am sure that there have been others.

 

John Isherwood.

[Tony Wright]

6 hours ago, Jesse Sim said:

Oh an even better opportunity to ring him! 

Thanks for the phone call Jesse,

 

As usual, most-entertaining.

 

Regarding the Raven A2.................. as discussed. 

 

This morning, after packing the boiler with lead, I gave her a thorough test on LB.............

 

 

She toyed with the ten-car Pullman rake.

 

 

And was equally at home on a heavy freight. 

 

As discussed, she's far more appropriate for your chosen LNER period, which brings us on to the one I sold to you on behalf of the late John Brown's family......

 

 

This is representative of an earlier period (pre-blue A4s) with its small tender and Westinghouse brakes. 

 

I don't know who made this, but it's got a lovely Larry Goddard paint job. As you know, it runs superbly as well with its quiet Portescap. 

 

May I ask, is anyone interested in buying this model? If so, will you please PM me, and, if agreed, I'll get it sent back here. I thoroughly tested it before sending it to Oz, and I've seen it run on the erstwhile Brighton Junction. 

 

Whatever happens, a substantial donation will be made to CRUK. 

 

 

 

[LNER4479]

35 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

May I ask, is anyone interested in buying this model? If so, will you please PM me, and, if agreed, I'll get it sent back here. I thoroughly tested it before sending it to Oz, and I've seen it run on the erstwhile Brighton Junction. 

 

Good plan!

[St Enodoc]

6 hours ago, FarrMan said:

I think that that is a lot older than Rudyard Kipling. I think it is traditional Wiltshire, and probably further West as well. It was Wiltshire folk who buried the beverages in the mill pond and were raking it out of the pond when the excise men came by. They played the daft laddie and claimed they were raking in the moon! Hence Wilts folk are known as 'Moonrakers'.

 

Lloyd

Romanticised tales of smuggling certainly go back a long way but "A Smuggler's Song" was definitely written by Kipling and is included in "Puck of Pook's Hill". The poem was probably inspired by the tales of smuggling on Romney Marsh, which wasn't all that far from his home at Burwash (see also Russell Thorndike's "Dr Syn").

[Michael Edge]

5 hours ago, cctransuk said:

 

Really? I have the MRJ steel etch for LMS valvegear, and the recent model of 18000 comes with magnetic etched headcode letters, presumably in steel. I am sure that there have been others.

 

John Isherwood.

They are stainless steel which can be etched, it’s not great to paint or solder. What I was referring to is mild steel or the high carbon shim steel I use.

[john new]

On 01/01/2022 at 12:24, Tony Wright said:

I wonder what this year will bring us with regard to new RTR models?

 

Last year I had the good luck to be able to take a few pictures of what the manufacturers were introducing. Including.......................

 

GT3, here in action on LB. There seems to be a market in 'one-offs', no matter how unsuccessful the prototypes were (isn't someone producing a 'Leader'?). 

 

O Gauge coaches featured.........

 

 

From Dapol/Lionheart.

 

 

And, from Heljan.

 

Plenty of Heljan O Gauge diesels, too........

 

 

 

 

These were hernia-inducing! But, very good-looking models.

 

Heljan also featured in OO.........

 

 

A Class 86.

 

 

And a 'Blackpool tram' GWR railcar.

 

And narrow gauge as well.

 

 

In the form of Lyn from Heljan.

 

 

Oxford brought out a J27.

 

 

And a tank wagon.

 

 

Kernow gave us some LSWR road vans.

 

In the smaller scale we had.........

 

 

A Kato Class 800 presentation pack.

 

 

And this weird little electric.

 

 

We had Cemflos from Revolution.

 

Hornby gave us plenty. Including.........

 

 

 

 

Thompson Pacifics. 

 

 

 

At least two new BR Mk.1s. 

 

 

Churchill's hearse car.

 

 

And Coronation Scot carriages.

 

Plus two locos reviving the Hornby Dublo name.

 

 

A Princess Coronation.

 

 

And an original Merchant Navy. 

 

I hope to have the chance of photographing at length Hornby's latest W1, in both original and rebuilt forms. 

 

I share the BRM product photography with Andy York (he, obviously does more). 

 

 

Catching up with this thread. Is it just an optical illusion or had the transfer/printing on both those N gauge items gone on off square? I doubt you can see it on the model at normal viewing distance but it is noticeable in the pin sharp photo.

[Tony Wright]

45 minutes ago, john new said:

Catching up with this thread. Is it just an optical illusion or had the transfer/printing on both those N gauge items gone on off square? I doubt you can see it on the model at normal viewing distance but it is noticeable in the pin sharp photo.

Good morning John,

 

It does look as if the symbols on the sides of the Cemflos aren't quite straight.

 

I never noticed it; certainly not on the real things and not, until you mentioned it, in the picture.

 

Another example of the camera finding things missed by the naked eye? Or, my eyesight being not quite as good as it used to be?

 

I think it's very true that the ultimate 'acid test' of one's model-making is to take an image of what one has made, using a powerful camera; then, blow it up big!

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Tony Wright]

23 hours ago, dibateg said:

Making front handrails:- 

They are a pain to get right - I use these round nose jewellers bail pliers to form the sharper bends, and a length of dowelling of a smaller diameter for the main smokebox curve. I use a Sharpie marker to mark where the rail crosses the edge of the smokebox and where to make the return bend to the handrail knob on the other side. A bit at a time. Be prepared that the first one might not be right and it might take two or three goes. I'm using brass on this one - it takes paint better than N/S . Unless you want shiny Hornby Dublo handrails or your loco is in for some heavy handling, brass wire is quite adequate.

Good morning Tony,

 

A Happy New Year to you and Les'.

 

Thanks for showing us your method (the dowel dodge is most-useful).

 

May I ask, how do you keep your work in progress so clean? I know we at Wolverhampton introduced you to flux (which, I assume, you still use), but my brass-work (or any metalwork) always looks a complete mess during the build, with flux residue everywhere; mind you, I do flood every joint with it. It's not a problem, of course, other than visually, because both Ian Rathbone and Geoff Haynes are extremely diligent in their cleaning regimes prior to painting. 

 

Do you clean your work between sessions? The regular contributor to the model press, 'Robbo' Ormiston Chant (not many modellers rejoice in such a name these days!) always advocated using a 'bosh' - a sort of cleaning bath - in which the model under construction was regularly dunked. Despite all his writings, I never saw any examples of his work, though I did witness a rather heated 'argument' between him and Cyril Freezer at one Manchester Show many years ago. They were standing either side of a corridor, both talking in high-pitched voices simultaneously. They were both having a conversation, but not with each other, since both were talking at the same time, neither listening to the other at all. Passing between them was 'interesting'. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony.

 

 

[cctransuk]

21 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

The regular contributor to the model press, 'Robbo' Ormiston Chant (not many modellers rejoice in such a name these days!) ......

 

........ and famously spoofed as Rollo Gregorian-Chant in a Christmas issue of MRC.

 

CJI.

[cctransuk]

11 hours ago, Michael Edge said:

They are stainless steel which can be etched, it’s not great to paint or solder. What I was referring to is mild steel or the high carbon shim steel I use.

 

I'm sure that you are correct - however, my MRJ valvegear etch has none of the characteristics that I associate with SS, and has shown a tendency to rust.

 

CJI.

[Tony Wright]

32 minutes ago, cctransuk said:

 

........ and famously spoofed as Rollo Gregorian-Chant in a Christmas issue of MRC.

 

CJI.

I'd forgotten that John,

 

Did you ever see examples of Robbo's work?

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[cctransuk]

16 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

I'd forgotten that John,

 

Did you ever see examples of Robbo's work?

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

Nope - but as a 'Swindon Premium Apprentice', such mythical productions must have been a huge cut above the output of the common herd!

 

John.

 

 

[Dunsignalling]

1 hour ago, Tony Wright said:

Good morning John,

 

It does look as if the symbols on the sides of the Cemflos aren't quite straight.

 

I never noticed it; certainly not on the real things and not, until you mentioned it, in the picture.

 

Another example of the camera finding things missed by the naked eye? Or, my eyesight being not quite as good as it used to be?

 

I think it's very true that the ultimate 'acid test' of one's model-making is to take an image of what one has made, using a powerful camera; then, blow it up big!

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

Thing is, our brains unconsciously edit the input from our eyes so we "see" what we expect (or want) to see. Even the latest digital cameras aren't that clever, yet! 

 

The same happens to me when typing documents; they look fine on the screen and I only notice the errors when I print a hard copy....

 

John

Edited January 5, 2022 by Dunsignalling