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Wright writes.....


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43 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

Good morning Jesse,

 

I don't think the D2 would be too difficult to fix. Because it was glued together (with what looks like brown slime!), the impact reduced it to its component parts. A 24-hour soak in Nitromors and it should be build-able again.

 

The 'problem' is, what will happen to the wrecks once the insurance claim has been settled. I was requested as an 'expert witness' to assess the situation, write a report, take photographs and come to a valuation (which I've done and am doing). Many of the locos didn't have motors, or, if they had, they'd never run or hardly ever. It would seem that the deceased chap just liked building locos, and kept them in display cases. 

 

None was what you'd call 'professionally built/painted', so my evaluations were based on my observations above and what they (would have) looked like before destruction. Since most of the valuations hardly covered the cost of the component parts, I'd be surprised if the insurance company objected. They could, of course, ask for a second opinion. 

 

I'll keep folk posted as to what happens after the claim is settled.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

Well if it passes through your hands again to be sold, or if they are being sold on after the claim, I’d happily take the D2, be a good bit of practice. 

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14 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

I've been conducting an insurance assessment for a friend today.

 

Her car was involved in a crash (not her fault), and many models she was carrying were wrecked. 

 

The locos she brought represented a lifetime's work by a deceased modeller. Though not to the highest standards, they were built with ingenuity and self-reliance. Many were interesting RTR adaptations.

 

644017129_A21.jpg.482e33b48de14bbd90bd658b2c94bda9.jpg

 

Including this A2/1 derived from Hornby parts. 

 

146003438_WSMD2.jpg.3d9241e671b4824d1e15de492e8f92f1.jpg

 

Many were built from kits, including this D2 (WSM or Nu-Cast?). This might well be worth resurrecting because, fortunately, as it's turned out, he glued his kits together and the prang has 'reduced' them back to kits again.

 

1169510003_HornbyStreamlinedCoronation.jpg.2fb7f3270d8749c68da071b3c230f042.jpg

 

Some were just detailed/repainted RTR.

 

Rather a shame, don't you think? 

 

Certainly a shame.

 

The A2 looks like it might be an old Trix body shell, which were obtainable separately.  I had one for a long time but sold it on eBay a while ago.  Tone

 

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47 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

 

 

76XXX.jpg.9b0591ad3f3de9a59f5205c20eb32919.jpg

 

Another from the same collection was this Kitmaster/Airfix/Branchlines 76XXX. As with the A1, the running was really poor, with tight spots all round. I've dismantled most of the running gear, adjusted it, reassembled it and the end result is a really sweet runner (which I'll complete). Yes, there's a Bachmann equivalent, but that's not been 'made'.

 

I have three 76XXXs about to be built - one is an Airfix kit which I built and fitted to a Tri-ang chassis years ago; one is an unbuilt Airfix kit; and one is the GBL static model. All three will receive Kemilway chassis that I have acquired via E-bay, plus Markit's wheels, High Level gearboxes and Mitsumi motors.

 

Following these three will be two 82XXXs; one a complete Kemilway kit, and the other a Tri-ang model that I 'scaled' years ago, and which will now receive a Kemilway chassis to the same spec. as the 76XXXs.

 

I certainly enjoy such projects as an alternative to buying another Bachmann product.

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

Edited by cctransuk
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Evening Wrighterlites,

 

some progress on the corridor third. Not much facilities for the passengers as yet but it makes a nice steel carrier. I knocked up one of the lovely LNER quints and will donate it to the new steel train that Andrew Hill is constructing for LSGC. Speaking of passengers, perhaps it is time to modelu me, so that I can lurk in the yet to construct corridor, complete with Fedora and trench coat.

 

 

TK 8 Quint D.jpg

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9 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

Further to my previous above.......................

 

900949724_DJHA1.jpg.6fc1e492a7cd479f18e4eb40a0575cc9.jpg

 

This is a DJH A1 from the wrecked collection. It had no motor and the painting is certainly grotty. However, my assessment of its value (before being damaged) was around the cost of the wheels (yes, I know the bogie wheels are ghastly). The motion was not DJH, but for any 'determined resurrectionist ' (Geoff West, please stand up!), a decent A1 would be the result - the kit parts being given, effectively, free!  

 

Speaking of decent DJH A1s.................

 

A1.jpg.ed2776e5da231915ef7c990a02d82d70.jpg

 

This is from the same collection of a deceased modeller as the wee Ivatt seen yesterday. 

 

Most of it had been built, and I've just finished it off (why he painted the deflectors and cab roof beforehand, I have no idea). It ran, but the gearbox and motion were very stiff, and the motor had suffered accordingly. I've replaced the motor, sorted out the chassis stiffness, and the end result is a very nice, and very powerful A1. Needless to say, it's travelling no further than LB, and will eventually become 60119 PATRICK STIRLING. 

 

76XXX.jpg.9b0591ad3f3de9a59f5205c20eb32919.jpg

 

Another from the same collection was this Kitmaster/Airfix/Branchlines 76XXX. As with the A1, the running was really poor, with tight spots all round. I've dismantled most of the running gear, adjusted it, reassembled it and the end result is a really sweet runner (which I'll complete). Yes, there's a Bachmann equivalent, but that's not been 'made'. 

 

The more I see of locos/chassis built from kits, the more I'm convinced that most of them are 'almost there' with regard to running. I've heard far too many excuses along the lines of 'It'll run-in, and the tight spot will go' to know that's just self-delusion. Do some just tolerate stiff/poor running without investigating why, and curing it? 

 

I think my future career path in loco-doctoring means I'm never going to be redundant! 

Yes Tony that A1 looks like a job for me.

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1 hour ago, Headstock said:

Evening Wrighterlites,

 

some progress on the corridor third. Not much facilities for the passengers as yet but it makes a nice steel carrier. I knocked up one of the lovely LNER quints and will donate it to the new steel train that Andrew Hill is constructing for LSGC. Speaking of passengers, perhaps it is time to modelu me, so that I can lurk in the yet to construct corridor, complete with Fedora and trench coat.

 

 

TK 8 Quint D.jpg

 

Lovely work Andrew but isn't that Quint an unbalanced (and unsecured!) load in that position? ;)

 

Looking forward to seeing the corridor third progress.

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18 minutes ago, Atso said:

 

Lovely work Andrew but isn't that Quint an unbalanced (and unsecured!) load in that position? ;)

 

Looking forward to seeing the corridor third progress.

 

I should hope so, otherwise I shall have to build the carriage body around it.

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On 19/02/2019 at 09:20, Tony Wright said:

...

 

Anyway, who knows. At least one of the class was shedded at Nottingham in the mid-'50s, so might it have run on the M&GNR?

 

Away from my sources at the moment, but I seem to recall that Nottingham Midland Shed's solitary 2MT 2-6-0 at this time was often used on some sort of daily workmen's train that was run from Mansfield Town station to the Royal Ordnance Factory on the south-western outskirts of Nottingham City Centre.  Lord only knows why such a working was still required in the mid-1950s, but there you go ... not that this would have precluded some turns on the M & GN too, of course.

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34 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

I've just had a splendid day in the company of four visiting friends from the Ely Club. 

 

Thank you gentlemen for your hospitality, banter and most-generous donations to CRUK.

 

What really made my day was the work brought along by 14-year old Jamie Rands. 

 

K2.jpg.2b018539f7f213a93f44d532c6817a13.jpg

 

He built this rather nice K2 using a Graeme King resin body and tender, fitting it on top of a modified Bachmann K3 chassis. It's all his own work.

 

O1.jpg.03e16679fa322a9ca07ea7720be7f9f4.jpg

 

As is this scratch-built O1 on a modified Hornby 8F chassis. 

 

1620388431_GNRsix-wheeledvan.jpg.9c6e8d2e599e2b2af93e9a1357840b5c.jpg

 

He also brought along this 3D-printed van running on a Mike Trice chassis. 

 

Maybe the hobby's future isn't as lugubrious as I make it out to be. This self-reliant, inventive and developing youngster could teach many an old-lag modeller a great deal. Especially those who don't seem inclined to even try.

 

I've given him a simple white metal wagon to build (he's a solderer!), and when he finishes it (and shows it to me at the Ely Show), his birthday present from me will be a D&S etched-brass ex-NBR horse box. 

 

Good on you my young friend. 

 

 

 

Evening Tony,

 

far more advanced than anything I was doing at 14. How fantastic to see an 01, the Grantham boys should be borrowing that one.

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49 minutes ago, JamieR4489 said:

Thank you, Tony, for your hospitality today. We all had a great day and it is certainly one I'll remember well. Thanks also for the advice,complements, answering my questions and of course the kits - I'll try not to make a mess of them!

It was really inspirational to see the amazing layout that Little Bytham is and there are a few features I might steal for future layouts of mine.

I managed a few snaps in between running trains

IMG_2192.JPG.f67804ead2fc74670812c97e0f987820.JPG

IMG_2193.JPG.6df09f3fdf11797acc8ba8d947b0a76a.JPG

IMG_2194.JPG.ce91eff07446c2506f8182ca2ff2e1e8.JPGIMG_2196.JPG.b4c7a1365784830ed76fa8c40689b717.JPG

 

There are also some videos but I'll put them here later.

 

Thanks again,

Jamie

Wow Jamie,

 

They are wonderful.

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8 hours ago, Buhar said:

Do your friends from Ely take a more relaxed approach to signalling than other visitors? :diablo_mini:

They do, Alan, and why not?

 

Apart from my very few minutes of instructing them on running LB (which is apparent on the moving footage), they were left to their own devices for the best part of three quarters of an hour while I did some photo-processing. Considering that none of them had ever operated the layout before, I think they did very well. It was agreed that to explain the signalling procedures would have taken too long, and they just wanted to have fun running trains. 

 

I wonder how many other layouts could have the owner entertain new guests, explain (very briefly) how it worked, and then leave them to it for over three parts of an hour? I think their running was exemplary, so my compliments to them all (especially John and Andrew who operated the fiddle yard). And, it's yet another testament to the team which built LB that there were no derailments during that time, no failures and, because of these, a great time was had by all. 

 

I say well done, and b*gger the signals! 

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10 hours ago, JamieR4489 said:

Thank you, Tony, for your hospitality today. We all had a great day and it is certainly one I'll remember well. Thanks also for the advice,complements, answering my questions and of course the kits - I'll try not to make a mess of them!

It was really inspirational to see the amazing layout that Little Bytham is and there are a few features I might steal for future layouts of mine.

I managed a few snaps in between running trains

IMG_2192.JPG.f67804ead2fc74670812c97e0f987820.JPG

IMG_2193.JPG.6df09f3fdf11797acc8ba8d947b0a76a.JPG

IMG_2194.JPG.ce91eff07446c2506f8182ca2ff2e1e8.JPGIMG_2196.JPG.b4c7a1365784830ed76fa8c40689b717.JPG

 

There are also some videos but I'll put them here later.

 

Thanks again,

Jamie

My thanks are due to you Jamie (and my compliments - note the spelling, please - nobody gets away with incorrect English on LB!

 

You'll make  an excellent job of those models I gave you, I know it. 

 

And, thank you also for proving to this crusty old git that this hobby has an exciting and innovative future, especially with talented youngsters in it. Nice moving footage as well.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

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12 hours ago, JamieR4489 said:

Thank you, Tony, for your hospitality today. We all had a great day and it is certainly one I'll remember well. Thanks also for the advice,compliments, answering my questions and of course the kits - I'll try not to make a mess of them!

It was really inspirational to see the amazing layout that Little Bytham is and there are a few features I might steal for future layouts of mine.

I managed a few snaps in between running trains

IMG_2192.JPG.f67804ead2fc74670812c97e0f987820.JPG

IMG_2193.JPG.6df09f3fdf11797acc8ba8d947b0a76a.JPG

IMG_2194.JPG.ce91eff07446c2506f8182ca2ff2e1e8.JPGIMG_2196.JPG.b4c7a1365784830ed76fa8c40689b717.JPG

 

There are also some videos but I'll put them here later.

 

Thanks again,

Jamie

Good on ya bud! Nothing better then your own work!!!!!!

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