Wright writes.....

[St Enodoc]

14 hours ago, davidw said:

Sadly the average 'Joe Public' can rarely see beyond cosmetic issues with models. Those who are prepared to tinker with a model are in the minority, and becoming rarer.

Well, as Tony knows a lot of my stock is RTR (otherwise I'd only have about a tenth of the quantity) but I do a bit of tinkering from time to time. Here's my conversion of a Bachmann 64xx to a 74xx. Not up to Tom Foster standard, but for a couple of weekends' work I'm pleased with it as a layout loco.

 

Oh, and Tony - it's got magnetic lamps (well, one anyway).

 

 

[Tony Wright]

14 hours ago, Porcy Mane said:

Never seen this before. Thought this might be an appropriate place to post it knowing Tim will probably See it..

 

 

 

P

Wonderful stuff, Paul,

 

Thanks for posting.

 

I'd say the date was no later than 1958 - single chimney A3s and second style of BR device on some tenders.

 

Unusual to see A3s on both the 'Queen of Scots' and 'afternoon Talisman'. Usually the former was a Copley Hill A1 and the latter a Top Shed 8P. 

 

Scenes gone forever!

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Porcy Mane]

21 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

Thanks for posting.

 

All plaudits to the fella that found it and posted it up on YouTube. The film has an official BR feel to it.

 

Any takers on what orders the loudhailer was used to convey?

 

P

Edited September 2, 2019 by Porcy Mane

[CF MRC]

Excellent piece of film. I will send it to the CF group to encourage them.  I wonder if it was shot on a cold day as the escaping steam is very conspicuous.   Whoever shot it had official access to high places. 

 

Tim

[Compound2632]

6 hours ago, jwealleans said:

What's that third van in the train the J50's leading (4:24)?   I don't recall seeing outside framing like that before.  It has an LSWR look to it, but the framing has thrown me.

 

@jwealleans, referring to to G. Bixley et al., Southern Wagons Vol. 1 (OPC, 1984), I'd say yes, a LSWR 10 ton covered goods wagon, Southern diagram D1409 - I think it's got wood rather than steel solebars - steel would be D1408. Built 1912-1922, with one photo in the book dated 1954. However, the vehicle in the film has some details that don't appear in any photos in the book: horizontal handrails at mid-height on the body and another 2/3 of the way up the drop-down flap below the cupboard doors. It must be at least 35 years old.

[Clive Mortimore]

11 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

'I must be doing something very wrong'

 

Why would you say that, Clive?

 

Unless it's in jest, which I think it is.

 

The likes of what you do is becoming rarer and rarer in my more-recent experience. What one might call 'actual modelling'. It's a kind of return to the past. A past of make-do-and-mend, adaptation, creativity, personal modelling and self-reliance. I commend you! 

 

More and more, what I see recently is a hobby awash with straight-out-of-the-box stuff, unaltered, running on layouts at (general) shows, through a landscape of ready-made 'mediocrity'. And, this is not just OO. Or it's 'get someone else to do my modelling for me' because I (the generic 'I') can't do it myself, won't do it myself, don't have time and I want it right now! Or it's 'fantastic' (in the truest sense of the word) model railways where 'creativity' is paramount. That they represent no known railway in the whole Universe is irrelevant. 

 

So much for 'progress'.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

Hello Tony

 

Me jest about such a serious subject like model railways, what ever next?

 

Now the layout stocked with all the nice RTR and read to plonk buildings is OK providing the person who is operating it is having fun. It isn't normally the type of layout for me as I like making things myself and I also like seeing layouts where others have made things themselves. Now I have fun making my own stuff, and hope others who also make their own models also have fun.

 

At an exhibition I like to see layouts where the builders have made most things themselves, but if they look miserable, then I slide off and am more than happy to watch an RTR layout with operators with smiling faces  who are having fun. Sadly there are too many layouts at shows where smiles are far and few.  I hope Jol doesn't tell he off again for saying model railways should be fun but if you are not enjoying what you do have a look at skydiving, stamp collecting, knitting or another past time.

Edited September 2, 2019 by Clive Mortimore

[Chamby]

58 minutes ago, Clive Mortimore said:

....Now the layout stocked with all the nice RTR and read to plonk buildings is OK providing the person who is operating it is having fun. It isn't normally the type of layout for me...

 

Agreed.  I think the problem with ‘ready to plonk’ is that it is nearly always associated with generally lazy modelling too.  

 

There is a actually some really nice ‘ready to plonk’ stuff around, for example the Bachmann Great Central station buildings.  I have only ever seen these nicely modelled buildings ‘plonked’ on layouts that are little better than a Hornby-Dublo-esque train set assemblage.  They could look really effective if used correctly on a Great Central island platform station, with its surroundings otherwise modelled to a high standard.   In the right context, done well.  But I have yet to see this... surprising, seeing as how many of them there must be around!  I am tempted to have a go myself sometime.

[bbishop]

2 hours ago, Compound2632 said:

 

@jwealleans, referring to to G. Bixley et al., Southern Wagons Vol. 1 (OPC, 1984), I'd say yes, a LSWR 10 ton covered goods wagon, Southern diagram D1409 - I think it's got wood rather than steel solebars - steel would be D1408. Built 1912-1922, with one photo in the book dated 1954. However, the vehicle in the film has some details that don't appear in any photos in the book: horizontal handrails at mid-height on the body and another 2/3 of the way up the drop-down flap below the cupboard doors. It must be at least 35 years old.

 

A mere youngster then.  The LSWR built to last.

 

Bill

[Tony Wright]

I've spent most of today 'rescuing' a couple of old models. The builders are long-since deceased, and unknown, and I'll be selling them on behalf of the current owner (whose modelling, because of failing health, has been severely curtailed - for ever!). A good percentage of the monies raised will be going to CRUK. My contribution to the charity is my time. My altruism doesn't extend to my supplying all the replacement parts free of charge. 

 

 

First we have an ex-Airfix 4F, from which the tender-drive has been replaced with what looks like a Comet set of frames for both loco and tender. It's carried on Markits wheels, has a small Mashima motor and Branchlines 'box, and is fully-compensated and built in EM. 

 

On initial inspection, it didn't run at all. The American-style of pick-up had been employed, but somewhere along the line one tender axle had been turned the wrong way round, causing an instant short. That 'nonsense' was quickly discarded, wiper pick-ups installed and it now runs, with a compensated 'waddle'. It's beam-compensation, with the driven-axle (the rear one) fixed. Why do folk employ such wobbly compensation? Were it mine, I'd solder the hornblocks solid, and have a non-wobbly rigid chassis. Anyway, it does run now, and I'm not bothering further.

 

 

Now for something really-interesting.....

 

 

A scratch-built Cooke-designed L&NWR 'Prince of Wales' in OO. I've tried to guess the age of this, but it must be all of 50+ years, maybe more. The original drivers were old-fashioned Romfords, with the non-insulated side having plain, mazak tyres. The centre drivers were flangeless. The motor was an old Tri-ang XO4, and was locked solid, as were all the axles. The motor was SOLDERED to the brass frames! Despite much muttering, belligerence and sweat, the Romford wheel nuts refused to budge, as did the motor. So, the trusty piercing saw was employed, cutting through the axles and cutting through the solder holding the motor. The result, a load of useless bits, once removed from the well-made frames. A new set of (older-style, though with nickel silver tyres all round) Romfords was fitted, and a small Portescap provides the power. This had been handed to me 'dead'! It can't have been used for two decades, and the original lubricant (red stuff) had gone solid. I cleaned it, freed it up, oiled it and it's now a beautiful runner - as is the whole loco. The tender wheels looked to be Nucro, and had jammed up in their plastic bearings. Thus, dismantle the tender frames, strip out the old wheels, re-bearing and fit new Markits tender wheels. Another sweet runner! 

 

I assume the builder himself/herself painted ANDROMEDA, and it's nicely-done. Not in the Rathbone/Haynes class of course but adequate. 

 

I'll paint the drivers, touch up the paintwork where necessary and then see what price to put on it.

 

If anyone is interested in either of these locos, please PM me.

 

The rebuilt 'Merchant Navy' featured recently is still available. Someone did express an interest, but obviously the price I asked (£175.00) was too high. I dropped the price to £150.00 at the Loughborough show over the weekend, and someone did express an interest, asking to see it run. 'It's noisier than my Portescaps' he said. I was astonished, because most Portescaps I've handled, whine (the one in the PoW doesn't). 'Mine don't, they're older ones' said he. When I pointed out that what I was asking for the finished/painted loco was less than half it would cost if all the bits were ordered from DJH/Markits/Comet today, he agreed; but still walked away! 

 

Thanks in anticipation.............

 

 

Edited September 2, 2019 by Tony Wright
typo error

[MarkC]

Hi Tony.

 

A compensated chassis can work well, as the 4MT with Kemilway chassis that I brought round to LB proved!

 

You have a PM, by the way.

 

Regards,

Mark

[Tony Wright]

16 minutes ago, MarkC said:

Hi Tony.

 

A compensated chassis can work well, as the 4MT with Kemilway chassis that I brought round to LB proved!

 

You have a PM, by the way.

 

Regards,

Mark

Thanks Mark,

 

I'm sure compensated chassis can work, and the one you brought didn't have anywhere near as much 'compensation' as the 4F in question. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[MarkC]

Hello Tony

 

You did comment on how much movement there was, on first inspection; yet she was stable when on the track. Compensation, be it beams or Flexichas, is certainly something which needs setting up properly, but once done should give little or no trouble. Don't get me wrong; I, like your goodself, believe that well laid track is the cornerstone of good running, but the majority of my locomotive builds since 1990 have had some form of compensation included. Why? Because it's a challenge, yes, but as we know, not all trackwork is perfect. OK, I'm not thinking of the notorious Mike Sharman demonstration track twists and bumps, inpressive though it was, but ordinary layouts. Keeping all wheels on the rails at all times does help with good electrical pickup too. Every little helps,  as the saying goes!

 

Mark

[Coach bogie]

9 hours ago, MarkC said:

Hello Tony

 

Keeping all wheels on the rails at all times does help with good electrical pickup too. Every little helps,  as the saying goes!

 

Mark

I just put pick ups on as many wheels as possible which gives good electrical pickup. The only locomotives that have any form of compensation are short wheel base 0-4-0 types on my set up. Otherwise any form compensation has been seen as superfluous. In the time taken to install compensation (and I have done this for friends), I could have assembled another chassis.

 

Any hesitant running has shown up to be dirty track/wheels/pickups or all three.

 

Mike Wiltshire

[Tony Wright]

14 minutes ago, Coach bogie said:

I just put pick ups on as many wheels as possible which gives good electrical pickup. The only locomotives that have any form of compensation are short wheel base 0-4-0 types on my set up. Otherwise any form compensation has been seen as superfluous. In the time taken to install compensation (and I have done this for friends), I could have assembled another chassis.

 

Any hesitant running has shown up to be dirty track/wheels/pickups or all three.

 

Mike Wiltshire

Thanks Mike,

 

The subject of compensation has been aired before on here, and I can only reiterate my own findings (in OO, EM and O - I don't have the talent/skills to build in P4). 

 

Though I've built about five compensated chassis, none has shown the slightest benefit with regard to trouble-free running. All have taken much longer to erect, for what benefit? None! 

 

Though (as Mark C has observed) no trackwork can ever be laid dead flat (note the 'dip' on LB!), if it's laid 'properly', with all electrical connections perfectly-made and live-frog points/crossings are always employed, then good running is possible. In fact, probable. Especially if the loco chassis are made square and pick-ups are well-adjusted (I've never found the need for tender pick-ups). 

 

These are not just my personal observations, but those of my visitors, too.  Too-tight curves have been avoided on LB (less of a risk of shorts and interference on loco cylinders), as has the tendency to try and cram too much in. 

 

Oh, one more point of (possible) interest with regard to 'good' track. Two people laid the trackwork on LB. Norman Solomon made/laid the scenic-side trackwork and I laid all the rest. I also did the majority of all the trackwork wiring. Such vital elements are best not left to committees! 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[davefrk]

Hi Tony, just thought you might be interested in what I've been working on recently:-

 

 

LNER electric loco lamp brackets, more info to come on the below link.

 

Edited September 3, 2019 by davefrk

[Atso]

Hello Tony,

 

I thought I'd share my progress with my N gauge C1 Atlantic.

 

 

After much effort, I finally got the center of gravity about right and it will now move itself up and down the track!

 

 

I'll do some haulage trials at some point, but I hope that I'll be able to finish detailing it now.

[30368]

2mm C1 Atlantic what a lovely piece of work  Well done.

 

Richard B

[Tony Wright]

25 minutes ago, Atso said:

Hello Tony,

 

I thought I'd share my progress with my N gauge C1 Atlantic.

 

 

After much effort, I finally got the center of gravity about right and it will now move itself up and down the track!

 

 

I'll do some haulage trials at some point, but I hope that I'll be able to finish detailing it now.

Lovely stuff Steve,

 

Thanks for posting.

 

I've had a C1 running on LB today - on a Pullman rake. A very nice apple green C1, from Bachmann, brought by a mate. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Tony Wright]

4 hours ago, davefrk said:

Hi Tony, just thought you might be interested in what I've been working on recently:-

 

 

LNER electric loco lamp brackets, more info to come on the below link.

 

Looks like they're exactly what's required for this latest Nu-Cast K1 I'm building.....................

 

 

This is the one I'm putting together to test one of DJH's latest motor/gearbox combinations.

 

Regards,

 

Tony.  

 

 

[Leander]

Buy them from LM&S at expoEM Autumn at Kettlethorpe High School, Sandal, Wakefield this coming weekend.

 

End of commercial break.

[davefrk]

2 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

Looks like they're exactly what's required for this latest Nu-Cast K1 I'm building.....................

 

 

This is the one I'm putting together to test one of DJH's latest motor/gearbox combinations.

 

Regards,

 

Tony.  

 

 

 

Oh buxxer, I forgot the K1s had them and I've just printed the labels as well. 

Thanks Tony.

 

Dave Franks.

[Tony Wright]

One of the great pleasures of retirement (at least to me) is being able to pick and choose how I spend my time. Today, of course, it should have been watching the Test in Manchester. As usual, in that part of the realm, it's rained!

 

So, what to do? I have a few books to review for BRM, but they'll do for this evening/early tomorrow. They're shy of one publisher's work because he objected to my pointing out the muddling up of some locations in a book I reviewed recently, and will send no more. Why then send a copy for review, if one doesn't like mistakes pointed out? Visually, the book's superb, but there you go.....................

 

No cricket, so loco-building? Some little time ago, I bought an old Wills K3 off my good friend, Geoff West. He'd acquired it off ebay (at a good price) but couldn't 'live' with the body's limitations and inaccuracies. Strangely, it was placed on top of a SE Finecast K3 chassis (which is excellent).

 

 

Here it is, next to my own-build SE Finecast K3. The poor cab and inaccurate boiler do militate against the old loco, even though Geoff weathered it. However, the chassis is very good.

 

 

It also runs very well, with its Branchlines' 'box and Mashima motor. What I've done is just order a K3 loco body kit off Dave Ellis of SEF (what a helpful gent), and I'm mounting it on top of the very-sound chassis. It fits, of course, or at least at this stage. I'll report progress as I go, though play's due to resume.

 

As yet, nobody has expressed the slightest interest in the old, scratch-built L&NWR 'Prince of Wales'. I've now patch-painted as necessary and replaced the old bogie wheels. With its replacement Portescap, it now runs beautifully.

 

 

 

 

It's reminiscent of a much-earlier time. Were it in EM, one could almost imagine it on Buckingham. It's the right period. 

 

 

[Clive Mortimore]

12 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

One of the great pleasures of retirement (at least to me) is being able to pick and choose how I spend my time. Today, of course, it should have been watching the Test in Manchester. As usual, in that part of the realm, it's rained!

 

So, what to do? I have a few books to review for BRM, but they'll do for this evening/early tomorrow. They're shy of one publisher's work because he objected to my pointing out the muddling up of some locations in a book I reviewed recently, and will send no more. Why then send a copy for review, if one doesn't like mistakes pointed out? Visually, the book's superb, but there you go.....................

 

No cricket, so loco-building? Some little time ago, I bought an old Wills K3 off my good friend, Geoff West. He'd acquired it off ebay (at a good price) but couldn't 'live' with the body's limitations and inaccuracies. Strangely, it was placed on top of a SE Finecast K3 chassis (which is excellent).

 

 

Here it is, next to my own-build SE Finecast K3. The poor cab and inaccurate boiler do militate against the old loco, even though Geoff weathered it. However, the chassis is very good.

 

 

It also runs very well, with its Branchlines' 'box and Mashima motor. What I've done is just order a K3 loco body kit off Dave Ellis of SEF (what a helpful gent), and I'm mounting it on top of the very-sound chassis. It fits, of course, or at least at this stage. I'll report progress as I go, though play's due to resume.

 

As yet, nobody has expressed the slightest interest in the old, scratch-built L&NWR 'Prince of Wales'. I've now patch-painted as necessary and replaced the old bogie wheels. With its replacement Portescap, it now runs beautifully.

 

 

 

 

It's reminiscent of a much-earlier time. Were it in EM, one could almost imagine it on Buckingham. It's the right period. 

 

 

Hello Tony

 

That is a pity it looks a lovely loco, sadly not of my modelling time period.

[t-b-g]

There are not many pre-grouping modellers about and most of those that do model that period do so because they like making things for themselves.

 

So buying in a rather ancient model, full of period charm and character as it is, doesn't really come into play.

 

The LNWR modellers I know could all build themselves a better one and in some cases already have.

[Tony Wright]

1 hour ago, t-b-g said:

There are not many pre-grouping modellers about and most of those that do model that period do so because they like making things for themselves.

 

So buying in a rather ancient model, full of period charm and character as it is, doesn't really come into play.

 

The LNWR modellers I know could all build themselves a better one and in some cases already have.

It rather looks as if I've been wasting my time, then. 

 

I rather took pity on it (am I becoming sentimental in my old age?), and thought it worth resurrecting, at least mechanically. 

 

At least it's something different from the 'swamping' of the hobby with RTR we see right now, and for that it has merit in my view. 

 

It's also not as bad as some other pre-Grouping scratch-built (and kit-built) locos I've seen down the years, some made by the 'well-known' in the hobby of years ago. I've photographed some pretty grotty stuff. 

 

If it doesn't sell, does it matter? Well, there'll be no donation to CRUK from it and I'll have put a lovely motor in it for no gain. Still, I watched it with joy purr around LB today.

 

Regards,

 

Tony.