Wright writes.....

[thegreenhowards]

45 minutes ago, robertcwp said:

I was referring to an etched one:

 

P1020651_edited small by Robert Carroll, on Flickr

 

This was a carriage I built with printed sides in the 1990s and Brian Kirby rebuilt with etched sides. The overall shape did not match very well with a Bachmann Mark 1 and the maroon is brighter than that on the old Thompson RK that Roy had in the set, which I think dates back to Highdyke days nearly 40 years ago.

Interesting. I will have to go and check my shapes! The colour, I presume, would apply whoever’s kit you used!

[Clive Mortimore]

8 hours ago, robertcwp said:

Thanks, I have a Southern Pride RSO and did try it on Retford but it looked rather out of place in a train of Bachmann Mark 1s. I think a better match would be a Bachmann open second with SPM or Comet sides. I'm not sure if the SPM ones are still available. The window spacing makes a cut and shut of Bachmann ones difficult. The HoM would also benefit from a Mark 1 RK in place of the Thompson one it currently has, which gain could be Comet sides and bits on Bachmann or Hornby Mark 1s. That is probably the most likely route. By 1957, they could also be maroon, which would deal with any colour clash issues with the crimson and cream Bachmann ones either side. This is a medium-term project but something that I have in mind.

 

Like many other East Coast trains, the HoM changed considerably in September 1957.

Hi Robert

 

Depends on your starting point and ones attitude to modelling, to me this is fun.

My Tri-ang one started as a pair of CKs.

 

[Tony Wright]

With all this recent talk of carriages, I've just rummaged through my pile of 'to-build' coaches. And, found this.................

 

 

 

A Southern Pride Mk.1 BSO, with pre-printed sides. I must have had it for over 20 years!

 

Though I've used Southern Pride etched sides before (either as part of a complete kit - the Griddle Car, featured in the RM years ago - or as overlays on donors), I've never used this method before.

 

I'll report accordingly tomorrow. It'll be interesting to see how it compares........................

[thegreenhowards]

17 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

With all this recent talk of carriages, I've just rummaged through my pile of 'to-build' coaches. And, found this.................

 

 

 

A Southern Pride Mk.1 BSO, with pre-printed sides. I must have had it for over 20 years!

 

Though I've used Southern Pride etched sides before (either as part of a complete kit - the Griddle Car, featured in the RM years ago - or as overlays on donors), I've never used this method before.

 

I'll report accordingly tomorrow. It'll be interesting to see how it compares........................

I’ll be interested to see what you think of it. I’m my opinion, they’re delightfully quick and easy to build. Even quicker if you choose to slot the sides into an old Triang Hornby body shell which they’re designed to fit. The problem is the over shiny finish which would probably be OK in a rake of SP mark 1s but doesn’t mix well with Bachmann or Hornby.

[Steamport Southport]

The pre printed Southern Pride kits are discontinued apart from the TPOs. I think there may still be one or two still on the website though. Mostly things like Bulleid stock and EMUs.

 

The etched sides are still available though.

 

http://www.southernpridemodels.co.uk/

 

 

Jason

[Tony Teague]

4 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

I thought phone cameras give excellent depth of field because their lenses are so small, though, never having used one (I cannot get on with weeny cameras of any kind) I don't know from personal experience.

 

 

I think phone cameras also give great depth of field because the sensor is so close to the lens, so that with the tiny aperture they work like a pinhole camera.

[Woodcock29]

4 hours ago, thegreenhowards said:

My D80 gets very grainy when I try to take photos on long timed exposures with high F numbers. 

 

Andy

I have a D70S and a D7000. I don't have any grainy problems. Although I don't use these now for model railway photography, preferring to use a compact Canon G12 like Gilbert and  Andy York use. (Although I don't use photo stacking like Andy does.) With the D80 it sounds to me like the ISO is too high when being use in low light conditions? I wouldn't use an ISO higher than 400 for good high resolution shots of models and layouts and generally as low as possible.

Andrew

[LNER4479]

11 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

What a splendid day's project, Graham.

 

I look forward to seeing it completed!

 

Regards,

 

Tony.

Well, I'm still going but appreciate that not everyone is a night owl so here's where I'm up to as of a few minutes ago.

[robertcwp]

21 hours ago, pete55 said:

 

The Deltic and rake of Mk2 coaches belonged to John Phillips, and would indeed hurtle at full tilt around the GN section and then onto the GC and back to the GN via Whisker Hill curve in excess of 160 scale mph; hence the "silly use only" switches at the back of the GC yard.

 

I wondered what those switches were for. For less silly use, do they permit the GN controllers to drive all the way through the GC section?

[t-b-g]

10 minutes ago, robertcwp said:

I wondered what those switches were for. For less silly use, do they permit the GN controllers to drive all the way through the GC section?

 

They do but as the GN driver cannot see what is happening in the GC fiddle yard, such as where to stop a train in the loops and the switches were worked by the GC operator, so there was somebody there to drive a train, nobody ever found any reason to use them other than for the Deltic, hence the name.

 

You could leave the points set for a clear road through the GC fiddle yard and set the "silly switch" and then run something all round the GC line from the GN panel but it wasn't part of the operation of the layout normally.

 

In normal running, the trains were stopped on "The bridge" behind the loco shed and the GC operator then either took over a train leaving Retford that the GN operator had driven onto the bridge section by changing the relevant switch, or they handed a train on to the GN operator by driving it onto the bridge with the GC controller and operating the switch to put the bridge onto the GN controller. The train would remain isolated on the bridge until a route was set at one end or the other.

[Headstock]

30 minutes ago, LNER4479 said:

Well, I'm still going but appreciate that not everyone is a night owl so here's where I'm up to as of a few minutes ago.

 

Interesting brake gear arrangement.

[thegreenhowards]

2 hours ago, Steamport Southport said:

The pre printed Southern Pride kits are discontinued apart from the TPOs. I think there may still be one or two still on the website though. Mostly things like Bulleid stock and EMUs.

 

The etched sides are still available though.

 

http://www.southernpridemodels.co.uk/

 

 

Jason

That’s a shame. They were a good resource, particularly for some of the 1957 prototypes for which they were the only realistic way of building the coach ( unless you are a Clive!). Looking at the website, it’s the roofs which seem to be sold out, so he may still be able to do the printed sides. As I said above, they clip simply into a Triang Hornby bodyshell. A bit cheap and nasty but a quick watery of making an unusual vehicle. E.g. I built E3083 (the FO with strange windows which still runs on the SVR) that way.

 

 

 

[thegreenhowards]

44 minutes ago, Woodcock29 said:

I have a D70S and a D7000. I don't have any grainy problems. Although I don't use these now for model railway photography, preferring to use a compact Canon G12 like Gilbert and  Andy York use. (Although I don't use photo stacking like Andy does.) With the D80 it sounds to me like the ISO is too high when being use in low light conditions? I wouldn't use an ISO higher than 400 for good high resolution shots of models and layouts and generally as low as possible.

Andrew

Thanks. I thought that initially, but I now fix the ISO at 100 and still get the problem.

[LNER4479]

10 minutes ago, Headstock said:

 

Interesting brake gear arrangement.

It's on a 1-in-90 gradient and would roll away otherwise, evading the camera 

[robertcwp]

38 minutes ago, t-b-g said:

 

They do but as the GN driver cannot see what is happening in the GC fiddle yard, such as where to stop a train in the loops and the switches were worked by the GC operator, so there was somebody there to drive a train, nobody ever found any reason to use them other than for the Deltic, hence the name.

 

You could leave the points set for a clear road through the GC fiddle yard and set the "silly switch" and then run something all round the GC line from the GN panel but it wasn't part of the operation of the layout normally.

 

In normal running, the trains were stopped on "The bridge" behind the loco shed and the GC operator then either took over a train leaving Retford that the GN operator had driven onto the bridge section by changing the relevant switch, or they handed a train on to the GN operator by driving it onto the bridge with the GC controller and operating the switch to put the bridge onto the GN controller. The train would remain isolated on the bridge until a route was set at one end or the other.

Thanks, it might be handy for testing trains through the curves and points going from the GC via the station and back round again. 

[Clive Mortimore]

37 minutes ago, thegreenhowards said:

That’s a shame. They were a good resource, particularly for some of the 1957 prototypes for which they were the only realistic way of building the coach ( unless you are a Clive!). Looking at the website, it’s the roofs which seem to be sold out, so he may still be able to do the printed sides. As I said above, they clip simply into a Triang Hornby bodyshell. A bit cheap and nasty but a quick watery of making an unusual vehicle. E.g. I built E3083 (the FO with strange windows which still runs on the SVR) that way.

 

 

 

Hi Andy

 

I have considered E3083 as it so different with all those windows. Scratchbuilt sides on any old Mk1 chassis. The Doncaster prototypes didn't have a Mk1 profile they were more like a Thompson with flat sides with a turn under than the more characteristic continuous curve.

[Headstock]

1 hour ago, LNER4479 said:

It's on a 1-in-90 gradient and would roll away otherwise, evading the camera 

 

Yes I know that gradient well. I was on Tebay shed at one exhibition, when the twins failed on the Royal Scot. The only relief I could appropriately supply was a WD to work the train forwards, resplendent with headboard of course. Banking engines were in attendance. 

 

I forget who was on northbound but they had some difficulty getting the train started. Not due to the gradient, there wasn't one, it just looked as if there was, more the formation of the Royal Scot had a notorious amount of drag. One twin couldn't shift it if I recall, hence why they both had to come off, either that or they were permanently coupled.

 

The WD incident actually happened, hence the choice of that particular locomotive. It was only on shed because it worked a daily freight into the yard, both on the model and in reality.

Edited December 27, 2020 by Headstock
extra info.

[Dunsignalling]

9 hours ago, thegreenhowards said:

Thanks. I thought that initially, but I now fix the ISO at 100 and still get the problem.

A pal of mine had a D80, and later replaced it with a D300 which he said was a big advance, so it may be a  (Nikon) generational thing. I have a D5000 which has the same sensor the 300 had. Most of the pics on the Bournemouth Central thread were taken using it if you want to compare the noise levels.

 

John

[Tony Wright]

10 hours ago, thegreenhowards said:

Thanks. I thought that initially, but I now fix the ISO at 100 and still get the problem.

Good morning Andy,

 

I set the D3 at 200 ASA and the Df at 100 ASA, because they're the lowest general ASA (ISO) settings on both cameras respectively. Neither suffers in the slightest from digital noise, even if the ASA is cranked up higher.

 

I wonder if it's because both cameras are considerably more expensive than the other Nikon DSLRs mentioned?

 

Regards,

 

Tony.  

[Dunsignalling]

1 hour ago, Tony Wright said:

Good morning Andy,

 

I set the D3 at 200 ASA and the Df at 100 ASA, because they're the lowest general ASA (ISO) settings on both cameras respectively. Neither suffers in the slightest from digital noise, even if the ASA is cranked up higher.

 

I wonder if it's because both cameras are considerably more expensive than the other Nikon DSLRs mentioned?

 

Regards,

 

Tony.  

Hi Tony

 

Mainly because they have full-frame sensors (which makes them more expensive by definition), whereas Andy's and mine have the smaller DX size. 

 

It's also an age thing, though, older models start to exhibit quite a lot of noise/grain as soon as turned up over 400ASA, whereas many newer ones are fine at 800. They are often acceptable 1600, too, though that can depend on other factors such as subject type, lighting and whether you're intending to make big prints off the files. 

 

Glossy paper is much less forgiving than a laptop screen.

 

Regards

 

John

Edited December 27, 2020 by Dunsignalling

[Tony Wright]

1 hour ago, Dunsignalling said:

 

After a rather idle morning (reading the book on battleships given to me by my brother for Christmas, and a contented puss purring on my lap), I've got on with the Southern Pride BSO........................

 

 

A basic box was achieved in no time at all. Obviously, care must now be taken during the subsequent construction phases, so as not to mark the pre-printed sides.

 

The roof will pull down once the internal screws are inserted. Those roof ribs look too prominent, though not as much as Bachmann's. 

 

I strengthened the sides/ends bond with epoxy. 

 

 

A very early job was to cut off the tension-locks from the bogies and replace the plastic wheelsets (with Jacksons I've had for decades). 

 

Some sort of plastic inserts are supplied for the pivot, but it puzzled me how to fit them. I just used a brass washer to give a perfect clearance. 

 

I suppose I could finish the carriage today, but I rather suspect I'll blob out in front of the footie this afternoon...............................

 

 

Edited December 27, 2020 by Tony Wright
to add something

[Tony Wright]

1 hour ago, Dunsignalling said:

Hi Tony

 

Mainly because they have full-frame sensors (which makes them more expensive by definition), whereas Andy's and mine have the smaller DX size. 

 

It's also an age thing, though, older models start to exhibit quite a lot of noise/grain as soon as turned up over 400ASA, whereas many newer ones are fine at 800. They are often acceptable 1600, too, though that can depend on other factors such as subject type, lighting and whether you're intending to make big prints off the files. 

 

Glossy paper is much less forgiving than a laptop screen.

 

Regards

 

John

Thanks John,

 

I'd forgotten about the full-frame capabilities, though would that impact on the digital noise? As you say, it's down to age. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Tony Wright]

One thing I noticed was the too-high ride height on the SP BSO.

 

I've filed the bogie supports down on the car's floor pan, losing about a mil'.

 

 

Using the  plastic rails either side as a guide, it can be done uniformly. It was good to find this out before I fixed the 8BA pivots in place.

 

Anyone else encountered this anomaly?

 

By the way, many thanks Brendan (Beechnut). Your sister dropped off those Romford wheels. 

[robertcwp]

3 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

One thing I noticed was the too-high ride height on the SP BSO.

 

I've filed the bogie supports down on the car's floor pan, losing about a mil'.

 

 

Using the  plastic rails either side as a guide, it can be done uniformly. It was good to find this out before I fixed the 8BA pivots in place.

 

Anyone else encountered this anomaly?

 

By the way, many thanks Brendan (Beechnut). Your sister dropped off those Romford wheels. 

Yes. All the remaining SPM stock on my layout has the etched sides but the rest is the same. They all rode too high and have been lowered in similar style.

[Tony Wright]

3 hours ago, robertcwp said:

Yes. All the remaining SPM stock on my layout has the etched sides but the rest is the same. They all rode too high and have been lowered in similar style.

Good evening Robert,

 

I wonder why the SP MK.1 carriages ride high at source. To match the earlier Hornby cars?

 

Bachmann's ride higher than Hornby's latest Mk.1s. Still not all carriages rode exactly at the same height - those on new springs riding higher, of course. 

 

Apart from two SP Mk.1 cars in 'The Elizabethan' (which match the ride height of the PV Thompsons), I don't have any others on Little Bytham. It'll be interesting to see how this latest one matches up in comparison.

 

Regards,

 

Tony.