Wright writes.....

[johndon]

The last scheduled HST in to King's Cross.  Can't help but compare it to the last scheduled Deltic where you couldn't see the platform for the crowds...

 

 

[Lecorbusier]

1 hour ago, johndon said:

The last scheduled HST in to King's Cross.  Can't help but compare it to the last scheduled Deltic where you couldn't see the platform for the crowds...

 

 

I do vaguely wonder if this has more to do with the vastly reduced numbers and popularity of trainspotting as much as anything? The Deltics ran during a vastly different era.

 

I found this BBC Timeshift programme on the nationalised railways and particularly the modernisation including the APT and HST trains very interesting.

 

 

Edited December 16, 2019 by Lecorbusier

[polybear]

23 hours ago, Bucoops said:

Computer storage. My method is a little extreme but should hopefully prevent any loss.

 

My home setup for normal PC use is we have laptops that we then use to "remote desktop" into a server. So nothing is stored on the laptops if they get stolen or break. The server uses disks in RAID 10 - which means that everything is stored twice. If a disk fails, the server still runs. Inserting a replacement disk starts an automatic rebuild. If a second disk fails, depending on which one it is either the server carries on, or if it happens to be the twin of the first  then the server does go down.

 

Backups: I use software called Veeam. For small numbers of devices to back up it is free. Every night it copies any changes to a second server. From ebay I

bought a tape library. The tapes are about £10 each and the LTO5 tapes hold 1.5TB each. Each tape is rated for 260 full writes and a 30 year archive life.

 

Each day the latest backup is copied to tape. I then take the tapes into work and bring the oldest one home to be the next set.

 

Why do I do this? It's a cut-down version of what I do at work (where I have a 15 minute recovery point). Total cost for the servers and tape library and tapes was well under £1000 and allows me the confidence that we shouldn't lose anything more than one days photos etc. 

 

 

Finding the on button is an achievement.

I need a lie-down....

[johndon]

1 hour ago, Lecorbusier said:

I do vaguely wonder if this has more to do with the vastly reduced numbers and popularity of trainspotting as much as anything? The Deltics ran during a vastly different era.

 

 

Tim, I suspect that you are right, I was a little surprised at the almost total lack of enthusiasts though...

[30368]

A quick question for you Tony. I am building a London Road Models K2/2 for my local MR Club. The prototype is 61784. Whilst I am an SR/BRS modeller I am enjoying building one of Mr Gresley's graceful locomotives.

 

I see that the K2's were both LH and RH drive as far as I can see, 784 was RH drive. I am going by a cab photo of a Scottish K2/2 supplied to me by a fellow modeller which shows the vac brake valve on the RH side. The reversing lever on these locos is fairly well hiddeh behind a cover.

So Tony, can you please confirm my assumptions or is further research necessary? I do already have a good selection of images.

 

Thanking you in advance,

 

Richard B

[t-b-g]

3 hours ago, johndon said:

 

Tim, I suspect that you are right, I was a little surprised at the almost total lack of enthusiasts though...

 

I made a huge effort to go to see the last Deltic run through Doncaster.

 

The ECML runs right by my house and I made no effort to see the last HST runs. It seems I was not alone.

 

Perhaps we just have to accept that the modern railway scene just don't fire the enthusiasm in the way they did in older times.

 

I rarely bother even when a steam special goes by. The high metal security fencing and overhead wires just ruin the view at the places I have always gone to watch the trains go by.

 

I am much happier in my shed, where it is always 1907!

 

 

[Tony Wright]

2 hours ago, 30368 said:

A quick question for you Tony. I am building a London Road Models K2/2 for my local MR Club. The prototype is 61784. Whilst I am an SR/BRS modeller I am enjoying building one of Mr Gresley's graceful locomotives.

 

I see that the K2's were both LH and RH drive as far as I can see, 784 was RH drive. I am going by a cab photo of a Scottish K2/2 supplied to me by a fellow modeller which shows the vac brake valve on the RH side. The reversing lever on these locos is fairly well hiddeh behind a cover.

So Tony, can you please confirm my assumptions or is further research necessary? I do already have a good selection of images.

 

Thanking you in advance,

 

Richard B

Richard,

 

As far as I know, all K2s were RH drive.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[The Johnster]

Took this shot at Cardiff Central on Tuesday at about 16.35; station crowded as it usually is at that time of day but only 4 enthusiasts on plat. 2, which I was rather pleased about being 25% of.  It was chucking it down with rain which probably deterred some folks, and there was a much bigger crowd earlier this year for 'Britannia'.  There didn't seem to be that much of a crowd over on 3 closer to the loco, either.

 

Trainspotters seem to me to be increasingly middle aged and you just don't see kids doing it anymore.  There were child molesters about in the old days as well, but modern parents seem reluctant to let pre-teen and early teenage kids off the leash on their own.  I understand why, but it's a shame as I learned a lot about personal responsibility, making decisions in dynamic situations, planning, logistics, self reliance, problem solving, and many other lessons that were extremely valuable to me in later life from my spotting expeditions.  It seems unimaginable that a 14 year old would be let loose for a whole weekend on his own around the North of England, but I was, and came to no harm.

[Tony Wright]

As we reach that time of reflection over the last 12 months, I've been examining progress on and for LB this year.

 

These pictures are in no particular chronological order, just (in part) a record of 'progress' in 2019................

 

 

Early in the year, I acquired a Replica B1. It had been weathered. I sold the split chassis, made a Comet one for it and renumbered it into Retford's 'Rocket'. There was some surprise on here at the time from some commentators as to why I'd do such a thing!  

 

 

 

At shows now, as well as building metal locos/stock, I'll put together a Parkside wagon kit as well. They're ideal starting points for beginners, and I finish them off later at home. Should the ex-GWR van in the upper picture have more lettering?  

 

 

I'm always happier building locos, though, and one I made this year was this Nu-Cast V2, riding on a Comet chassis and painted by Geoff Haynes. Having seen Bachmann's first proving prototypes for their V2, this isn't as accurate, though it's far, far more powerful. 

 

 

I built this Parkside ex-LNER horesbox as well.

 

 

Yet another A3, do I hear you ask? Well, yes, a South Eastern Finecast one, built to replace a 'feeble' (in comparison) Hornby one I sold on. Another Geoff Haynes' paint job.

 

 

 

And Geoff also painted this DJH 'Semi' I built (numbers never stick too well over rivets). This sees a lot of work now, running on Shap. I'm told it performs very well!

 

 

 

At the start of the year, I acquired a load of stuff from the estate of a deceased modeller. I got several thousand pounds for his bereaved family by selling most of the collection, 10% of which went to CRUK. I bought this DJH A1 from the estate; the late builder had almost finished it, but, as usual, its running wasn't good. I stripped the frames, installed a new drive, completed the valve gear and completed the body, then asked Geoff to paint it. It's OK, if not perfect - the loco I mean, not the painting. It doesn't half go, though!

 

 

Another part-completed loco from the same collection was this modified Hornby Ivatt original 'Mickey Mouse'. The Comet frames had been started (not very well), so I stripped the lot and rebuilt the chassis, adding final details to body (front steps to follow). Again, Geoff painted it. 

 

More to follow..............................

Edited December 16, 2019 by Tony Wright
to clarify a point

[CUTLER2579]

1 hour ago, t-b-g said:

 

I made a huge effort to go to see the last Deltic run through Doncaster.

 

The ECML runs right by my house and I made no effort to see the last HST runs. It seems I was not alone.

 

Perhaps we just have to accept that the modern railway scene just don't fire the enthusiasm in the way they did in older times.

 

I rarely bother even when a steam special goes by. The high metal security fencing and overhead wires just ruin the view at the places I have always gone to watch the trains go by.

 

I am much happier in my shed, where it is always 1907!

 

Has the clock stopped then Tony ?

Have a good Xmas.

 

[Tony Wright]

Carrying on....................

 

 

Building continues, and the hope is I'll finish this McGowan B12/3 and Nu-Cast K1 by the end of the year. I'll post further pictures showing how I get on..............

 

 

Two locos which have been completed (and await delivery to Geoff for painting) are this DJH A1 (all my work) and a Nu-Cast B16/3 (one which was started by Roy Jackson, dismantled and - it would seem - then abandoned.

 

 

Two further 'abandoned' locos from Roy's 'box of bits' were this ECJM L1 and Nu-Cast A5. I stripped both, built OO frames, rebuilt them, painted and weathered them. They're fine 'layout locos' for LB.

 

 

I'm not so much of a 'nutter' to insist that I make all the locos and rolling stock for LB. When Dave Scott was selling this pair of D&S ex-NE vehicles he'd built, they were too good to miss. I re-gauged them from EM to OO (heresy?) and made my own couplings for them.  The loco is an altered Hornby D16/3.

 

 

When Robert Carroll was 'disposing' of a couple of kit-built locos, again this pair was too good to miss. The DJH 9F (builder unknown) didn't like his Peco track, and the DJH BR Standard 4 2-6-0 (again, builder unknown) didn't run very well. The 9F has no problems on LB's road, and, after a strip-down, the 2-6-0 now runs beautifully. 

 

 

As bought, the 2-6-0's front numberplate was wholly-incorrect in style. 

 

 

So, I fitted a substitute from Ian Wilson's Pacific range. Geoff Haynes weathered both locos for me. 

 

 

Larry Goddard had painted the 9F, but it was unrealistically-glossy (though the paint was beautifully-applied). I detailed the model, and Geoff's weathering has brought it to life. The incorrect first wagon has been given away!

 

 

Another loco, built by someone else, I took on this year was this SE Finecast K3. Though the chassis was the latest one, the body was the old Wills one (which I sold to The Green Howards for a fiver!). I just ordered a new body kit from Dave Ellis, made it, painted it and weathered it. Again, another excellent 'layout loco' for LB. 

 

 

I made this DJH A1 nearly 20 years ago for a customer. Since he felt that it should be used for what it was intended (rather than it living in a glass case), he gave it back to me this year! It's now on a 99 year-loan!  Building something from a virgin kit means I have to do no later remedial work to put right what others have 'fudged'; oh so common in kit-built locos! Ian Rathbone painted this one. 

 

Still more to come............................

 

 

[Tony Wright]

And more............

 

 

After Stoke Summit and Charwelton were sold, several members of WMRC had nowhere to run their ER locos. So, I bought this old K's O4 off Rob Kinsey. I'd painted it and weathered it for him many years ago, so it's good to be able to run it again.

 

 

 

I very rarely use RTR locos, but, from time to time, visitors brought some this year; including this rather nice Bachmann 'last' Ivatt C1 - though I think the tender (borrowed from a K2) should be lined. 

 

 

The Bachmann 'Porthole' stock in maroon arrived this year (at last!). After a bit of detailing, chucking away the couplings, making new ones and weathering, I'm quite happy to use such a coach of this quality. 

 

 

I've not done a great deal of coach-building this year, but I tackled this Airfix/Comet adaptation to make a Dia. 1791 Compo. I need to make a new roof. 

 

 

Late last year and early this year, some rather 'tatty'  BSL ex-LMS carriages appeared, minus bogies. I tidied them up, repaired any damage and made bogies for them. An acceptable 'layout' coach?

 

 

As is well-known, I try to help others with their modelling. This is Nick Logan's first loco kit (I helped him with the pick-ups). The transfer film has now been removed. What a lovely piece of work. 

 

 

 

Good friend Eric Kidd visits LB once a year from Scotland, always bringing with him some goodies he's made; including this fine pair of 'north-of-the-border' locos, which ran beautifully.

 

 

Anther 'tatty' acquisition this year was this Kirk Gresley BG (builder unknown). I tidied it up, built the underfames, painted it and weathered it.

 

 

Yet another V2? Originally built in OO by John Houlden (from scratch and modified DJH bits), Roy Jackson converted this to EM to run on Retford by building a new set of frames. I was given it after Roy's death, so I built a set of OO frames, and it now runs on LB. The EM frames were sold to a friend, the money going to CRUK. 

 

Still more to come.........................

[Tony Wright]

The greatest scenic development on LB this year has been the building of the correct MR/M&GNR girder bridge.

 

 

For too long it's been represented by a fudge of mine, cobbled together from Airfix/Dapol parts and brass section. 

 

 

Friend, Jamie Guest, produced the artwork for the correct one, and Grainge and Hodder etched the parts.

 

I was going to build it over last Christmas, but indolence took over. No matter, another friend, Dave Wager, said he'd build it; which he's doing. It should be completed, painted, weathered and permanently installed early next year. Thanks Jamie and Dave.

 

 

 

Even before completion and painting, it's already looking the part. 

 

An article on how it was made will appear in the RM next year..............

 

Still more to come. 

[Lecorbusier]

14 hours ago, t-b-g said:

Perhaps we just have to accept that the modern railway scene just don't fire the enthusiasm in the way they did in older times.

 

I rarely bother even when a steam special goes by. The high metal security fencing and overhead wires just ruin the view at the places I have always gone to watch the trains go by.

I never really considered that .... but modern stations and other places are not really user friendly for watching trains. Most concourses are secure with barriers etc dissuading the casual observer, and trains themselves feel much more enclosed and remote somehow. The heritage lines on the other hand allow you to wander along the platform and watch the world go by. Terminus describes a relaxed and accessible railway world which seems a world away now.

 

The HST was a classic design and a remarkable achievement .... the APT if the plug had not been pulled might also have been ground breaking - I find it interesting that the Pendolinos  make use of similar technology (or so I understand?). But even if you had dedicated tribes of Youthful spotters with little else to fill their time, I find it hard to believe that either would have held the attention long after their original novelty had worn off. Maybe it is because the separate identity of the locomotive and the separate personality of the carriage stock made for a more interesting life?

 

..... but even if we were catapulted back into the heyday of transporting, I suspect in todays market it would only ever have been niche ... given all the other attractions and entertainments  available.

Edited December 17, 2019 by Lecorbusier

[Clem]

Hi Tony, That lot would take me about 10 years! I have a health situation in the family which is limiting my modelling time at the moment but I'm still getting one or two bits done.

 

A question for anyone: does anyone make brass strip narrower than 1mm?  I'm looking for 0.7mm x 0.3mm strip. Does anyone make that? (To make supports for the outside step boards of the signal box). I realise that I could simply either use the 1mm strip (but doesn't look right) or put it length ways in a small vice and draw file it. But if available anywhere it would be far simpler. Thanks in advance.

 

Clem

[teaky]

Great modelling as always, Tony.  You've certainly had a productive year.

[Tony Wright]

The last......................... For now.................

 

 

One of the joys of seeing the work of others on LB is when they've been 'pupils'.

 

Geoff West modified and weathered this Bachmann Mk. 1 five-set to great effect.

 

 

This is a Gresley non-gangwayed, part-articulated four-set. Built by John Houlden, it saw service on Retford after being converted from OO to EM. I acquired it, re-gauged it back to OO (yet more heresy!), and now it runs on LB. 

 

 

 

Two more visitors (I can't recall who brought these this year), and very nice.

 

 

After years of being incorrect, and after much discussion on here, good friend, Ray Chessum, roped this pair of tractors down correctly.  

 

 

Some of the locos already seen earlier in their finished state are visible here in their unfinished state.........

 

 

The K3 seen above in its raw state was built for a Scottish mate, and Geoff Haynes painted it. 

 

 

I was asked to test two new motor/gearbox combinations for DJH this year. This small one went into the K1 seen earlier (still to be completed) and its larger sibling went into the still-to-be-painted, but complete A1.

 

 

I've not built as many locos for myself as normal this year (too much writing and photography?), but I've built a few for friends. The B16/3 already-mentioned is going off to Geoff Haynes soon for painting, and he's already got the DJH C2 behind, which I built for Jesse Sim. 

 

 

One great delight this year has been the bringing by friends of new RTR products to test on LB. Last week it was the latest Bachmann V2, but earlier this year, Ben Jones brought this Heljan GWR railcar to be put through its paces. It ran perfectly. 

 

 

One other delight has been my being able to resurrect old locos, usually from the estates of the deceased. This was one - an ancient scratch-built L&NWR PoW. The whole mechanism had seized solid, so I stripped the lot down, installed a modern drive and fitted new wheels. After touching-up, it went to Barry Ten who was delighted with it (I hope you still are, Al). £60.00 went to CRUK from the sale (thanks for the extra, Al). 

 

 

The 'big' job left for me on LB is, of course, to complete the point rodding (see how much I've still got to make!). My Christmas project this year?

 

Thanks for all the support given to me over the last 12 months from all on here. 

 

That's it for now, but I'll post more pictures of progress as it happens...........

 

Anyone else like to show what they've made this year?  

 

 

[Tony Wright]

17 minutes ago, teaky said:

Great modelling as always, Tony.  You've certainly had a productive year.

Thanks Rob,

 

And thanks also for your little bits and pieces you've made for the layout. They really are appreciated.

 

I'm very humbled by the fact that so many folk make things for LB, entirely out of the goodness of their own heart. It is a real privilege.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[4630]

9 hours ago, johndon said:

The last scheduled HST in to King's Cross.  Can't help but compare it to the last scheduled Deltic where you couldn't see the platform for the crowds...

 

 

 

There were a few at Leeds to greet the last LNER HST arrival from Kings Cross. 

 

https://twitter.com/railexpress/status/1206345169035022336

 

[31A]

35 minutes ago, Clem said:

 

 

A question for anyone: does anyone make brass strip narrower than 1mm?  I'm looking for 0.7mm x 0.3mm strip. Does anyone make that? (To make supports for the outside step boards of the signal box). I realise that I could simply either use the 1mm strip (but doesn't look right) or put it length ways in a small vice and draw file it. But if available anywhere it would be far simpler. Thanks in advance.

 

Clem

 

I got some 0.75mm from Hobby Holidays (not sure whether he's still trading though) but it was nickel silver rather than brass.

 

If not actually structural, and not needing soldering (I don't know what the rest of your signal box is made of), I sometimes cut thin strip from the metal from which drinks cans are made which I think is aluminium, and can be cut with a modelling knife and glued with Evo Stik.

 

 

[polybear]

52 minutes ago, Clem said:

Hi Tony, That lot would take me about 10 years! I have a health situation in the family which is limiting my modelling time at the moment but I'm still getting one or two bits done.

 

A question for anyone: does anyone make brass strip narrower than 1mm?  I'm looking for 0.7mm x 0.3mm strip. Does anyone make that? (To make supports for the outside step boards of the signal box). I realise that I could simply either use the 1mm strip (but doesn't look right) or put it length ways in a small vice and draw file it. But if available anywhere it would be far simpler. Thanks in advance.

 

Clem

 

Hobby Holidays lists the following:

 

K21 - NS flat 0.015" x 0.030"       Nickel silver Flat Strip approx 0.015" x 0.030" (0.4 x 0.8mm) approx 305mm (12 inch) long

J21 - NS flat strip 0.010" x 0.030'"    NS flat strip approx 0.010" thick 0.030" wide (0.25mm x 0.75mm) approx 12" lg

 

There are also various imperial brass sizes available:

http://www.hobbyholidays.co.uk/products.php?cat=67&pg=4

 

H.H. are due at the Stevenage exhibition on 11/12 Jan 2020

 

HTH

 

Edited December 16, 2019 by polybear

[JamieR4489]

36 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

Anyone else like to show what they've made this year?

2019’s been a big year for me as I built my first white metal kit this year and my first loco chassis. In comparison to the amount of items you’ve built this year, my efforts seem puny but I’m pleased with them.

First kits of the year were signals

This is the one I’m most pleased with as it took so long to get it to work.

When I visited you in February you gave me a few kits and this was the first of them.

A David Geen NER sleeper wagon.

At about the same time I made this GNR 6-wheeler from a 3D

printed kit.

My first loco this year (and my first full loco kit ever) was an SEF J6.

And I managed to pick up a Nucast Q1 for a bargain price.

The other kit you gave me was this D&S NBR dia110 Horsebox.

 

Thanks go to you and everyone else who has helped me this year. This thread has been really encouraging.

Regards,

Jamie

[Northmoor]

8 hours ago, Lecorbusier said:

I do vaguely wonder if this has more to do with the vastly reduced numbers and popularity of trainspotting as much as anything? The Deltics ran during a vastly different era.

 

A (non-enthusiast) colleague was on the last Southbound from Inverness this weekend and approaching Kings Cross, the guard announced the significance of that particular service, which explained the larger than usual number of photographers on platforms at York, Doncaster etc.

 

Note that the last Deltic into KX which made the TV News was on the final special, which in the case of the 125, runs this coming weekend.

[micknich2003]

One of the few things I have completed this year is this 4mm scale NERegion "Plate and Angle" bracket signal, apart from the arms etc which are modified D&S etches everything else is "Home Brewed".

[copleyhill007]

What a fabulous array of kit built beauties! Long may it continue Tony.