Wright writes.....

[Atso]

1 minute ago, jwealleans said:

The advantage of doing it this way is that it's much easier to hide the join at solebar level than cantrail.

 

I would have thought that it would also provide strength at the cantrail - only c. 0.6-0.7mm thick in 2mm scale!

[Jesse Sim]

5 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

It's Alan Buttler of ModelU who does the scanning, Jesse.

 

Two years ago he was at the Stevenage Show and I was alongside him. I was thus scanned! 

 

He'll probably be at Warley. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

Well, I’ll see if I can get in contact with him and see what happens. 

 

Cheers Tony 

 

Everything’s looking good to be over in November, I have given the boss (Mum) the dates and there wasn’t a complaint in sight, more of a “wish I was going” look.

 

Jesse 

[Jesse Sim]

3 hours ago, Atso said:

 

I'm more interested in how Jesse plans to paint representations of his tattoos on his miniature... 

 

Being the late 1930s, I’d obviously have be scanned in a pose that closely resembles a criminal, in order to fit in! 

 

 

[Jesse Sim]

5 hours ago, Buhar said:

Jesse, you do realise you'll have to paint your tattoos and the peak of the backwards baseball cap may be too thin to print. And then you'll still be an anachronism on Brighton Jct.

 

One thing I thought of..... a minor set back, just do black blobs. 

 

Theres a high chance that my left arm will be tattooed aswell by November, (I only have the right arm at the moment). 

 

Dont tell Tony, or I might not be let in his front door! 

[Tony Wright]

8 minutes ago, Jesse Sim said:

 

One thing I thought of..... a minor set back, just do black blobs. 

 

Theres a high chance that my left arm will be tattooed aswell by November, (I only have the right arm at the moment). 

 

Dont tell Tony, or I might not be let in his front door! 

It's your body, Jesse,

 

One thing has always puzzled me about tattoos. They cost a lot and pain is inflicted. Beats me. 

 

The only time I 'suffer' such a situation is on visiting the dentist. But, that's out of necessity.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

 

[stewartingram]

3 hours ago, Atso said:

 

I'm more interested in how Jesse plans to paint representations of his tattoos on his miniature... 

Ask Railtec to do some transfers?

 

Stewart

[Barry Ten]

I agree with the general principle of being able to get back into a coach once it's made, but I'm not sure how I'd arrange it with the PC type design in which the sides are bonded to both the floor and the roof, without weakening the structure.

 

My Slaters toplights (which are also all-plastic) are also sealed, but I imagine I could crack the bond between the roof and the sides if I wanted to get back into them. I haven't had to in 12 years though, so fingers crossed....

[MJI]

That avatar looks good Tony, as to proper model shops I grew up near Gloucester.

 

I can remember Fletchers in KIngs Square, good, bought some Mainline Mk1s from there, also start of Lima. Another model shop up Westgate Street RTR and miserable owner.

 

Later The Model Shop and Cotswold Models, bought lots from those two, including Mainline Peaks at £7.50 each and most of my Airfix aircon stuff.

 

Also not too far frm Cheltenham Model Centre. I knew Trevor

 

There were other Gloucester Model Shops including one up Eastgate which opened after I ended up in Worcester, here is not great for models, had Antics and a small independent did spend money there, for my Heljan City of Truro and Bachmann Evening Star.

[Jol Wilkinson]

4 hours ago, Atso said:

In the days of my childhood I remember Puffers of Kenton being an excellent model shop. The ground floor level being devoted to RTR, plastic kits and various accessories while the basement was full of locomotive kits. I spent many a happy weekend in that shop. After Kenton closed I found the Harrow model shop which was almost as good but sadly that closed as well.

 

Following on from the discussion on the old PC coaches, I thought I'd share what dropped through the letter box this morning.

 

 

 

These are Worsley Works scratch aids for some Gresley 51' non-corridor stock. Betweeen the 2mm Association, Ultima Models and my 3D printer, I'm sure I can source the missing bits and pieces.

 

These will be my first attempt at etched coaches and as such I've been reading the Comet booklet on etched coach building. However, I would appreciate some advice from those who have experience building etched coaches. The scratch aid seems to provide for building the body and underframe as separate components. I'm concerned that as the etch is only 0.25mm (10 thou) thick, there will not be sufficient strength in the sides if I build the body as a separate part. On the other hand, building the body and underframe as a single unit presents the problem of how to secure the roof. Any help would be most gratefully received.

Puffers of Kenton was an excellent place, better than any other that I ever visited during my travels in the south east.  John Redrup (London Road Models) ran the basement with its wide collection of kits and bits.

 

Blunts was good  but didn't have Puffers range. Collets of Southsea, run by Tony Collet, was also well worth a visit.

 

PC coaches (Peter Chatham is still producing kits in the Parly Trains 7mm range) were a great introduction for those creating pre-group models.The earlier kits had cast w/m ends and bogies,  pre-printed plasticard floors to provide cutting and gluing guides and pre-formed tinplate supports for the coach sides. IIRC. Those came in cardboard boxes. Later kits had extruded aluminium side supports, incorporating the solebars and upper steps, etched carriage and and etched bogies with cast detail parts. More sophisticated than the earlier kits, I think they came in clear plastic packaging

[Manxcat]

Tony,

 

When you build a loco for yourself what criteria determine the gear ratio you use? Do you always stick with one particular ratio for particular types of loco? Do you ever have problems meshing them to your satisfaction? Many years ago I heard a suggestion that a tiny bit of toothpaste helped them mesh well but from what I have heard you say, some mechanisms are excellent from the start and need no such attention.

 

Archie

[Tony Wright]

1 minute ago, Manxcat said:

Tony,

 

When you build a loco for yourself what criteria determine the gear ratio you use? Do you always stick with one particular ratio for particular types of loco? Do you ever have problems meshing them to your satisfaction? Many years ago I heard a suggestion that a tiny bit of toothpaste helped them mesh well but from what I have heard you say, some mechanisms are excellent from the start and need no such attention.

 

Archie

An interesting question, Archie.

 

Whichever loco I build, I fit the biggest motor I can get inside the body.

 

For a Pacific/V2/etc., it's a Mashima 1624/26/28 (or their equivalents). I then use the appropriate DJH/Comet/Markits 'boxes. Ratios are about 38-1, which gives a top speed of over 100 mph. 

 

For smaller locos, the current Canon/Comet combination is ideal. I think it's about 45-1, which gives a lower top speed, but excellent running. High Level 'boxes are also excellent. 

 

Toothpaste? Why? I know toothpaste has a 'grinding' compound in it, but save it for teeth. If a gear mesh is noisy at source, it's been assembled incorrectly. 

 

I know the two locos I've built for you have appropriate-sized Portescaps, which are dead easy to install. However, in my experience, they whine too much and are too expensive. 

 

I hope this helps.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Jesse Sim]

1 hour ago, Tony Wright said:

It's your body, Jesse,

 

One thing has always puzzled me about tattoos. They cost a lot and pain is inflicted. Beats me. 

 

The only time I 'suffer' such a situation is on visiting the dentist. But, that's out of necessity.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

 

They don’t hurt, but the dentist sure as sh*t does! 

 

Although the A4 on the inside of my arm hurt, that’s the reason why I haven’t been back to finish it off! 

 

I emailed Model U about possibly getting scanned when I’m over in November, fingers crossed. 

[Jesse Sim]

So as to not clutter the thread again about my tattoos, long hair and piercings, here’s the bridge that spans the north end of Brighton Junction. 

 

Third attempt of this bridge ended with success yesterday afternoon. I’m pretty proud of myself with it so far, considering it will be completely scratchbuilt. It’s not the best, but as you say Tony, it’s mine, I alone built it.

 

I reckon it could be completed by the end of the week. 

[96701]

2 hours ago, Jesse Sim said:

 

Well, I’ll see if I can get in contact with him and see what happens. 

 

Cheers Tony 

 

Everything’s looking good to be over in November, I have given the boss (Mum) the dates and there wasn’t a complaint in sight, more of a “wish I was going” look.

 

Jesse 

Jesse,

 

He is based in Shrewsbury which is a bit of a trek from LB, though thinking about it possibly not in Oz terms.

 

[Northmoor]

13 hours ago, thegreenhowards said:

Doesn’t Ian Allen at Waterloo count as a model shop in London?

 

On the subject of childhood model shops,I spent mine at a mainly, if not exclusively, second hand shop in a back street near Penge East station. It had a very approachable proprietor and a fantastic range of (crude) models for my teenage eyes to feast on. Does anyone else remember it and what it was called?

There is a thread elsewhere called "Gone but not forgotten" or something similar, where there is much reminiscing of model shops now passed into history.

[Izzy]

4 hours ago, Atso said:

 

Thank you Tony, those photographs are really helpful. Interesting to see the strengthening pieces along the length of the body, I'll have to see about fashioning something similar out of scrap etch. 

 

I use either 0.7 or 0.9mm hard brass wire along the tops and bottoms to strengthen the sides, with crossways strips at each end, (on top of the bottom wire and where convenient), to attach them to the chassis. I also tend to screw the roofs in place via bolts through the chassis as gluing them doesn’t seem to last, ( they seem to spring up in the middle, probably because I am casual at handling them along with their small size), and it is also easier to paint them when they are separate sections. A bit more leeway with the smaller scale which I find I need since my hands are still the same size as when working in 4mm or 7 mm.....

 

Making a Cravens 2-car dmu at the moment this way from WW etches on Farish 101 underframes. If I can find any decent shots to illustrate I’ll post them so long as it’s okay.

 

Izzy

[Woodcock29]

Model Shops where does one begin? Having emigrated to Australia as an 8 year old in 1964 I don't have much if any personal recollection of model shops in the UK in my early years. Although I do recall before we left that Dad and I went down to Devon to visit his father's grave in Torquay - our outward journey to Exeter was on the ACE behind Clan Line! What I remember is that we went to visit someone selling secondhand stuff in Brixham. On offer was a sratchbuilt LNER C1 and as Sentinel Railcar both at £25 but we came away with a Triang L1 as both the others were way beyond our budget.

 

On arrival in Adelaide mostly we had to make do with the two local model shops in Adelaide who strangely enough were directly opposite each other in a small side street. From one of these, Bridgelands we bought my Triang Rocket set which I still have - but its no good to a collector as I modified it by painting the chimney white and replacing the tender wheels with metal ones so I could add additional pickup. I can't run it now as I haven't had any old Code 100 track or points with wide clearances!

 

However, to get a lot of what we wanted we had to deal with UK shops from afar. I recall also in the early 70s I think there was a shop in Liverpool (?) - Vanguard Models who had an agent in Sydney with whom you could place your order, pay in Aussie $ and eventually a parcel would arrive direct from the UK. I think we got a BEC J11 and D11 in this way.

 

My first experience of ordering direct in 1976 was purchasing a NuCast Q6. It eventually arrived via South Africa because I had only put SA in the address not South Australia or even Australia - lesson learnt! Once I had it I noted there was no chassis so they had to then send that but of course it was a lump of W/M and only had 3 axles parallel, the front axle was at an obscure angle to the others. I ended up building it in the early 80s using Ks O4 brass frames which were available separately from Ks and close enough at the time in wheelbase - I had already purchased a set for an old secondhand O4 which had the original key slot chassis and all metal Ks wheels to which I wished to fit Romfords. Another early experience in the late 70s was with Bristol Models from whom I purchased a V2 and chassis as well as a chassis for a Wills K3.

 

Another shop that Dad dealt with in the UK was Bob Denny, in Nottingham I think, who supplied lots of HD spares. 

 

From the late 70s I started to deal with Peter Bramley at Holt Model Railways , who at that time stocked a wide range of kits and components, although I was mainly buying points for my layout initially. I recall one parcel in 1985 comprised a Millholme B5 and a Proscale V2. The B5 was built in 1987 and the V2 still sits a long way down in the unbuilt kit pile - but I know its shortcomings so maybe one day?

 

On my first visit back to the UK in 1981, on my second day up in London I just happened upon Hamblings - pure coincidence as I had no idea where they were. I came away with the new Hornby B17 which was on my list. That week I managed to get to Chris Crawley at Tottenham and bought 4 volumes of LNER Greenies, terrific. I also started my love affair with D&S kits that day buying a couple. Another quick visit to Chris before we came home and I purchased a Craftsman A5 and a range of D&S wagons including GC, NE and GE cattle wagons, GC double bolster and 5 LNER fish vans, which started my fish train which now comprises about 30 vans with another 8 to build. I was sorely tempted to buy a DJH A1 but it didn't fit my period although I could have got it for Dad. Before flying home I made a quick visit to Rails of Watford (name?) where I got another B17 - this time for Dad as well as A4 Seagull and because they were so cheap there I also bought a Fowler 2-6-4T - wow 3 locos in one hit. I dealt with Chris Crawley a few more times in the early 80s but from afar - I think he moved to Lincolnshire, to an old station building - was it Spilsby? 

 

Thereafter for many years I dealt with Holt and also Dave Cleal at Mainly Trains who was a godsend to us overseas with his extensive catalogue of 4mm kits and parts. Dad visited Dave with my extensive lists at both Chandlers Ford and Watchet on two of his visits back! But I never got to meet Dave as much as I would have liked to. Another shop I did deal with in the early to mid 1980s was A Bodel, up north somewhere, maybe at Hartlepool who had a very extensive range of wagon kits - so more D&S kits for me.  From the 90s onwards I dealt directly with Danny Pinnock when purchasing his D&S kits - I still do.

 

Anyway enough of my twoddle I've taken up way too much of your reading time.

 

Andrew

[Chuffer Davies]

13 hours ago, Richard E said:

Local model shops - mine was Max Williams in Bristol. Ever so helpful and knowledgeable, the model side closed when he retired, the cycle shop part kept on by his family for some years after as I recall. Kits, parts, whatever you wanted seemed to be in stock or he knew where to get them from.

Richard,

thank you for referencing Max Williams, I had tried and tried to remember the name of this shop without success until now.  

 

As I remember Bristol had several excellent shops in the sixties.  The nearest to me was Model Highways on the Gloucester Road.  As a young teenager, My two favourite shops for ready to run items  were Hobbies and Salinson’s both on Fairfax Street in Broadmead.  As my modelling developed I discovered Max Williams which was probably the best shop for fine scale modellers because if they didn’t have what you needed they could order it in for you.  Finally there was a shop on Colston Street (whose name still escapes me) that specialised in remote control boats and planes, this was a good source of scratch building materials.  All in all railway modellers in Bristol were really well supported.

 

Thanks for the memories,

 

Frank

 

Edited February 5, 2019 by Chuffer Davies

[DougN]

13 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

"Proper model shops".

 

I was lucky over the years. Blunt's in Mill Hill to start me off; Harburn Hobbies in Edinburgh; Dick Buckley's at Wakefield wasn't too far from Leeds; Kemp Models in Brighton (Hove, actually); the Train Shop at Lichfield wasn't too far from Polesworth; Scale Rail in Eastbourne (then after it moved the Hobby Box at Uckfield); then I moved overseas - nothing in Singapore but there are a couple in Sydney.

You obviously missed the model shop in Orchard Rd in Singapore. My uncle who is about the same age as you, John, told me of the model shop when the family was stationed there as part of the Australian Army deployment during the run up to the Malayian Emergency in the mid to late 1960's.... when I had my honeymoon there in 1999, the model shop, much reduced still survived! It was funny to hear about it, then go and see it, and no doubt it had changed over the years in location and size. No idea if it is still there or not!    

Edited February 6, 2019 by DougN

[St Enodoc]

8 hours ago, The Stationmaster said:

Model railway shops -

 

Then - Eames almost on the doorstep of Reading station so readily accessible plus a couple of excellent pubs nearby; all long gone alas.  All ideally situated for those of us working just up the road in Western Tower (it's gone too).

 

Now - well Alton Model Centre is pretty good and Paul really does sell kits, not just wagon etc kits but kits containing pieces of metal to build into locos.   Nice and handy for me as it's only 27 miles away by road.

Ah, model shops near railway offices is a different subject altogether. Kings Cross Models of course, and the aforementioned Puffers was always a reason to finish London meetings in time to go via Kenton and pick up a main line train at Watford Junction.

[St Enodoc]

7 hours ago, jwealleans said:

The advantage of doing it this way is that it's much easier to hide the join at solebar level than cantrail.

One disadvantage is making such things as compartment partitions and seats the full width when the body sides are curved. Generally I do the same though as there are other advantages such as the ease of using short screws between underframe and body.

[St Enodoc]

1 hour ago, DougN said:

You obviously missed the model shop in Orchard Rd in Singapore. My uncle who is about the same age as you, John, told me of the model shop when the family was stationed there as part of the Australian Army deployment during the Melanesia incident in the mid to late 1960's.... when I had my honeymoon there in 1999, the model shop, much reduced still survived! It was funny to hear about it, then go and see it, and no doubt it had changed over the years in location and size. No idea if it is still there or not!    

There were a few general model shops when I lived there in the early 2000s. There was one near the East end of Orchard Road, appropriately enough in the Specialists' Shopping Centre (it's now gone, as has the whole building), that sold a few RTR N gauge trains (mostly Fleischmann). There was another in Orchard Road in a shopping centre towards the West end (still there a couple of years ago), which was/is more concerned with plastic kits - tanks, ships and planes. Another such was/is in Far East Plaza on Scotts Road, where I have bought tools and paint, and there was a fourth in the basement of the Adelphi Centre opposite St Andrew's Cathedral, which (oddly) featured a lot of LGB. I knew of a few N gauge layouts in Singapore but railway modelling really wasn't a very common activity.

[Bernard Lamb]

10 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

 However, in my experience, they whine too much and are too expensive. 

 

 

I thought for a moment that we had wandered OT and were talking about former girl friends.

 

Bernard

[MikeTrice]

15 hours ago, CF MRC said:

I may be thick, but no matter what I do, the thread does not appear, unless I pick it up be seeing a post from someone else as having just visited. 

 

Can Andy help?

Thanks

Tim

Annoying isn't it? By default only posts appear that have unread items in them, so as you say a topic only appears when someones posts something new to it. To show ALL posts on the first page of results there are a number of filters displayed including one "Read Status" which by default is "Unread". Click on the little down arrow to the right of it and select "Everything". All topics should now appear. Unfortunately the forum does not appear to remember this setting and you have to change it on each visit.

[Tony Wright]

11 hours ago, Jesse Sim said:

So as to not clutter the thread again about my tattoos, long hair and piercings, here’s the bridge that spans the north end of Brighton Junction. 

 

Third attempt of this bridge ended with success yesterday afternoon. I’m pretty proud of myself with it so far, considering it will be completely scratchbuilt. It’s not the best, but as you say Tony, it’s mine, I alone built it.

 

I reckon it could be completed by the end of the week. 

That's excellent work, Jesse,

 

And, as you say, it's all by your own hand. Nothing beats that.

 

Occasionally, when I'm asked to comment on models made by or acquired by others, do you think I'm too blunt (or sharp?) in my assessments, caring not for folk's feelings? 

 

Yesterday, a chap I've known for some time came along. I've helped him with his modelling on occasions, and he is doing things for himself. He brought along a P2 he'd acquired from a well-known retail outlet, for the princely sum of £125.00. It had been made as well as one might 'reasonably' expect from a K's kit, but - Oh dear. It represented 2002, with the big deflectors. However, the original side sheets at the front had not been cut-back, the inner drivers were flangeless to accommodate the replacement Romford wheels, the cab was wrong (representing the type fitted to 2003-6), as was the tender (no beading, and no curve-in at the front). The cab roof only had one ventilator and the valve gear (which was a bit of a mess) had the return cranks leaning the wrong way. The boiler was misshapen as well. Not only that, on running (he'd removed the DCC chip in 'deference' to me!) it was a bit slow and had a tight spot, more so in forward motion.

 

On showing it to me, I wonder what he expected? 'Well done, that's a bargain'? 'An excellent purchase'? And so on............. He asked the questions and he got the responses above. 

 

I don't imply for one moment that the loco was not good value, but only as a starting point. It was painted in grey primer, and I didn't investigate if it had been soldered together or not. My suggestion of either to chuck the lot in paint stripper or boiling water didn't go down too well. Thus, back to a kit again, it might well have been worth continuing with, especially if RP25 Markits' drivers had been substituted. A different gearbox would have made it quicker (it had a Branchlines' 'box and a big Mashima motor), and the tight spot could have been removed. It got quite hot when it ran at top (slow) speed, which suggests mechanical interference. 

 

'What do you think I should do?' 

 

'Ebay!' 

 

Should I be more sensitive to folk's feelings?

 

Regards,

 

Tony.