Wright writes.....

[Chas Levin]

On 07/08/2021 at 14:24, Woodcock29 said:

In John Crawley's book The Great Northern Railway in Focus there are two photos of GN Ballast Brakes (p118). (If one is not familiar with this book virtually all the photos are of extremely high quality as are the photos in the companion volume The London & North Eastern Railway in Focus.) One is the same photo as in Tatlow Vol 1 referenced previously, and appears to be a works photo. However, the photo is printed nowhere near as overexposed as the one in Tatlow. It clearly shows the lighter ends and they are not white as they are very distinctly different to the white roof. The sides are extremely dark and appear to be similar to the buffers in colour. I would hazard a guess that they might even be black or at least a very dark colour, and the ends red?

Andrew

Hi Andrew, late to the party on this one because I've been trying to find the reference and still can't, but somewhere I've seen it stated that the ends of these GN Ballast Brakes (and other similar PW vehicles) were definitely red (probably vermilion, given the GNR's fondness, and it was a properly researched statement in a reference book.

Sorry I haven't yet found it - I realise it's not quite as authoritative, my simply stating that I recall reading it, but the reason it stuck in my mind is that I too built a D&S GNR Ballast Brake a while back and originally intended GNR livery for it. I was particularly pleased to have found the colour details (I too had puzzled over the B&W photos) and was all geared up for GNR brown and red... before changing my mind and going with LNER Oxford Blue!

If I find it, I'll add details... though given the pace at which this thread moves, it may be quite an old post by then...

[St Enodoc]

3 hours ago, richard i said:

their mother did comment on the smell of glue in the living room.

 

3 hours ago, richard i said:

Spilt paint is a whole different kettle of fish.

She'd better get used to it...

[Tony Wright]

On 08/08/2021 at 19:39, richard i said:

The boys’ modeling Tony.

several happy days building them, though their mother did comment on the smell of glue in the living room.

painting next. I may encourage them to do that in the shed. Open a window and the smell leaves the room. Spilt paint is a whole different kettle of fish.

many thanks 

richard 

What a lovely job they've done Richard,

 

Please tell then all 'Well Done!'. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Tony Wright]

Despite my saying 'Never again', I'm once more tasked with finding new homes for kit-built locos on behalf of a bereaved family (in this case daughters).

 

The previous horde has now just about gone, and I've now got some 50 more locos of LNER/BR ER/NER/ScR origin, all in OO. Size-wise, the range is from a Sentinel to Pacifics (almost all in BR condition). 

 

The owner died late last year and he must have had hundreds and hundreds of locos; mainly RTR, but about 100 kit-builds. I've selected the best 50 or so (the rest were a bit of a mixture). A few are to the standard of the last lot (professionally-built/-painted), and the rest are competent. I collected them yesterday, and I've just finished checking/cleaning/oiling all of them. Some didn't work (gummed-up Portescaps or just plain muck), but, with one exception (which requires a new drive), they all work very well now. My intention is to drip-feed examples on here over the next month or so, stating the price I'm looking for (in the main they'll be less than the previous lot - no £500.00 examples here). It will be literally first come, first served. I'm not having any of the nonsense which occurred last time - my fault to begin with. (I certainly will not be offering any for sale to the 'unhappy' chappie).

 

Now, just a few observations on the latest lot (and previous ones) in the form of questions.................

 

1. If one is a professional builder of locos, surely he/she should follow the established convention on polarity (it's a bugg@r to have had to change so many).

 

2. Is it not a good idea to make subsequent body removal relatively easy? In one case, I've given up trying to get inside to change the polarity.

 

3. Why paint all the pick-up pads with black paint? They can't be seen unless a loco is inverted, and having to remove the paint to tweak pick-ups/change polarity is a real fag. 

 

4. Might it be a good idea to have some sideplay in the driving axles? Not every layout is dead straight.

 

5. Why attach bogies/ponies with a nut, when a shouldered screw is much more secure?

 

6. If one must employ a nut for holding such items, why not ensure that the screw to which it'll be attached is secure in a chassis spacer? 

 

7. Why not do the necessary research to ensure that an A1 representing a Darlington-built example does not have snaphead rivets on its cab and tender? 

 

8. Why build locos which sound like a load of lumberjacks are at work? 

 

9. Why not glaze cabs?

 

10. Why not standardise on a coupling system?

 

In case any items in my list above puts people off what's to come, have no fear . Apart from numbers 9 and 10, I've managed to 'fix' the vast majority of any problems and everything I'll be selling will work well. 

 

It's my intention to raise as much for the dead guy's daughters as I can (with 10% going to CRUK). I imagine I'll be asking about £200-£250 for the very best (you'll see the pictures I'll be taking), diminishing in value accordingly. I hope to raise a lot more than the £7.00 (yes £7.00) each, one of the big second-hand concerns was offering.

 

Look for the first items tomorrow.................. 

Edited August 9, 2021 by Tony Wright
typo error

[Northmoor]

8 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

It's my intention to raise as much for the dead guy's daughters as I can (with 10% going to CRUK). I imagine I'll be asking about £200-£250 for the very best (you'll see the pictures I'll be taking), diminishing in value accordingly. I hope to raise a lot more than the £7.00 (yes £7.00) each, one of the big second-hand concerns was offering.

 

Please Please Please Tony tell us who it was, do name and shame.......  OK I don't really expect you to, but I I would so love to offer to buy something they have "just in" for sale, offering them only 10% of the asking price.

 

There is a cheeky offer and there is the frankly insulting.

 

Rob

[richard i]

1 hour ago, Tony Wright said:

What a lovely job they've done Richard,

 

Please tell then all 'Well Done!'. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

Will do Tony.

[Headstock]

Having completed the conventional weathering, another pass was required down the rake of 13 ton hoppers. This time to recreate the accumulation of Gypsum dust on the inside of the hopper body. 13 tons of Gypsum didn't fill the whole of the body of the hopper, the distinctive weathering, created by the build up and displacement of the dust, is visible even in photographs of loaded wagons.

 

[Jesse Sim]

4 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

Despite my saying 'Never again', I'm once more tasked with finding new homes for kit-built locos on behalf of a bereaved family (in this case daughters).

 

The previous horde has now just about gone, and I've now got some 50 more locos of LNER/BR ER/NER/ScR origin, all in OO. Size-wise, the range is from a Sentinel to Pacifics (almost all in BR condition). 

 

The owner died late last year and he must have had hundreds and hundreds of locos; mainly RTR, but about 100 kit-builds. I've selected the best 50 or so (the rest were a bit of a mixture). A few are to the standard of the last lot (professionally-built/-painted), and the rest are competent. I collected them yesterday, and I've just finished checking/cleaning/oiling all of them. Some didn't work (gummed-up Portescaps or just plain muck), but, with one exception (which requires a new drive), they all work very well now. My intention is to drip-feed examples on here over the next month or so, stating the price I'm looking for (in the main they'll be less than the previous lot - no £500.00 examples here). It will be literally first come, first served. I'm not having any of the nonsense which occurred last time - my fault to begin with. (I certainly will not be offering any for sale to the 'unhappy' chappie).

 

Now, just a few observations on the latest lot (and previous ones) in the form of questions.................

 

1. If one is a professional builder of locos, surely he/she should follow the established convention on polarity (it's a bugg@r to have had to change so many).

 

2. Is it not a good idea to make subsequent body removal relatively easy? In one case, I've given up trying to get inside to change the polarity.

 

3. Why paint all the pick-up pads with black paint? They can't be seen unless a loco is inverted, and having to remove the paint to tweak pick-ups/change polarity is a real fag. 

 

4. Might it be a good idea to have some sideplay in the driving axles? Not every layout is dead straight.

 

5. Why attach bogies/ponies with a nut, when a shouldered screw is much more secure?

 

6. If one must employ a nut for holding such items, why not ensure that the screw to which it'll be attached is secure in a chassis spacer? 

 

7. Why not do the necessary research to ensure that an A1 representing a Darlington-built example does not have snaphead rivets on its cab and tender? 

 

8. Why build locos which sound like a load of lumberjacks are at work? 

 

9. Why not glaze cabs?

 

10. Why not standardise on a coupling system?

 

In case any items in my list above puts people off what's to come, have no fear . Apart from numbers 9 and 10, I've managed to 'fix' the vast majority of any problems and everything I'll be selling will work well. 

 

It's my intention to raise as much for the dead guy's daughters as I can (with 10% going to CRUK). I imagine I'll be asking about £200-£250 for the very best (you'll see the pictures I'll be taking), diminishing in value accordingly. I hope to raise a lot more than the £7.00 (yes £7.00) each, one of the big second-hand concerns was offering.

 

Look for the first items tomorrow.................. 

as I read this I heard my wallet scream

[polybear]

8 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

I hope to raise a lot more than the £7.00 (yes £7.00) each, one of the big second-hand concerns was offering.

 

 

I was going to describe that as taking the P*** (note the capital "P"), however that has far exceeded that accolade....

[jrg1]

7 hours ago, Headstock said:

Having completed the conventional weathering, another pass was required down the rake of 13 ton hoppers. This time to recreate the accumulation of Gypsum dust on the inside of the hopper body. 13 tons of Gypsum didn't fill the whole of the body of the hopper, the distinctive weathering, created by the build up and displacement of the dust, is visible even in photographs of loaded wagons.

 

Any chance of a YouTube tutorial on this extraordinary weathering?

[Tony Wright]

Right, let's begin..................

 

 

Two tanks to begin with. The A5 was built by Ray Lightfoot from a Craftsman kit and the A6 (builder/painter unknown) from a Little Engines kit. The A5 has an open-framed motor and the A6 a Portescap. I'm asking £150.00 for the A5 and £200.00 for the A6. 

 

Little & Large! The Sentinel is built from a Nu-Cast kit (with a Tenshodo power source) and the 9F is a real mixture. It's a much-modified Kitmaster body on top of a scratch-built mechanism, with an etched brass tender. I'm asking £75.00 each.

 

 

Two more tanks. The C12 is built from a South Eastern Finecast kit and has a Portescap. The C13 is built from a Nu-Cast kit and has an open-framed motor. Builders of both are unknown. 

 

I'm asking £125.00 for the C12 and £80.00 for the C13.

 

I've checked/cleaned/oiled/adjusted all of these and they all run well. 

 

Anyone interested, please PM me.

 

Thanks in anticipation. 

Edited August 10, 2021 by Tony Wright

[Jesse Sim]

43 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

Right, let's begin..................

 

 

Two tanks to begin with. The A5 was built by Ray Lightfoot from a Craftsman kit and the A6 (builder/painter unknown) from a Little Engines kit. The A5 has an open-framed motor and the A6 a Portescap. I'm asking £150.00 for the A5 and £200.00 for the A6. 

 

Little & Large! The Sentinel is built from a Nu-Cast kit (with a Tenshodo power source) and the 9F is a real mixture. It's a much-modified Kitmaster body on top of a scratch-built mechanism, with an etched brass tender. I'm asking £75.00 each.

 

 

Two more tanks. The C12 is built from a South Eastern Finecast kit and has a Portescap. The C13 is built from a Nu-Cast kit and has an open-framed motor. Builders of both are unknown. 

 

I'm asking £125.00 for the C12 and £80.00 for the C13.

 

I've checked/cleaned/oiled/adjusted all of these and they all run well. 

 

Anyone interested, please PM me.

 

Thanks in anticipation. 

The A5 has my attention, but I’m not sure if they were still south on the ECML around the mid to late 30s. I don’t have the Yeadon book to double check…

[manna]

13 minutes ago, Jesse Sim said:

The A5 has my attention, but I’m not sure if they were still south on the ECML around the mid to late 30s. I don’t have the Yeadon book to double check…

Hi Jessie

 

Pretty sure they were, think they worked out to Baldock and Royston.

 

manna (aka terry)

[Jesse Sim]

7 minutes ago, manna said:

Hi Jessie

 

Pretty sure they were, think they worked out to Baldock and Royston.

 

manna (aka terry)

No don’t tell me that, cause I’m very tempted! LIE next time….

[polybear]

27 minutes ago, Jesse Sim said:

No don’t tell me that, cause I’m very tempted! LIE next time….

 

It's ok, they were Great Western and never got outside Cornwall.....

[MJI]

42 minutes ago, polybear said:

 

It's ok, they were Great Western and never got outside Cornwall.....

 

 

Noooooooooooooo, I still need more small Praries.

[MikeParkin65]

2 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

Right, let's begin..................

 

 

Two tanks to begin with. The A5 was built by Ray Lightfoot from a Craftsman kit and the A6 (builder/painter unknown) from a Little Engines kit. The A5 has an open-framed motor and the A6 a Portescap. I'm asking £150.00 for the A5 and £200.00 for the A6. 

 

Little & Large! The Sentinel is built from a Nu-Cast kit (with a Tenshodo power source) and the 9F is a real mixture. It's a much-modified Kitmaster body on top of a scratch-built mechanism, with an etched brass tender. I'm asking £75.00 each.

 

 

Two more tanks. The C12 is built from a South Eastern Finecast kit and has a Portescap. The C13 is built from a Nu-Cast kit and has an open-framed motor. Builders of both are unknown. 

 

I'm asking £125.00 for the C12 and £80.00 for the C13.

 

I've checked/cleaned/oiled/adjusted all of these and they all run well. 

 

Anyone interested, please PM me.

 

Thanks in anticipation. 

Nice models and in my humble opinion those prices are pretty much spot on. Would be interested myself but am running DCC and fear conversion would be beyond me. Good luck with the sales

[cb900f]

Tony ,

PM sent.

 

Pete

[uax6]

Phew, day one and theres no proper Scottish locos in the photos yet...

 

Andy g

[Headstock]

8 hours ago, jrg1 said:

Any chance of a YouTube tutorial on this extraordinary weathering?

 

Apologies for the late reply,

 

my broad band has been on the blink for most of the day.

 

I wouldn't call the weathering extraordinary, I certainly don't claim to be a weathering guru. I do believe that it is crucial to understand and copy the real thing. The dust seems to get compacted on to the body of the real hoppers and some falls off and some remains. I just mixed up some rust coloured paint and sprayed the inside of the hopper body. When the rust coat was thoroughly dried, I repeated the process with a 'Gypsum dust' paint mix, spayed over the top. When that was reasonably dry, I scratched it off with cotton buds that were both dry and dipped in thinners. Hopefully that doesn't require a video tutorial, as I don't possess a suitable sensible jumper like Tony's.

[Tony Wright]

7 hours ago, Jesse Sim said:

The A5 has my attention, but I’m not sure if they were still south on the ECML around the mid to late 30s. I don’t have the Yeadon book to double check…

It's gone I'm afraid, Jesse.

 

It went immediately, and others have also expressed an interest. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Tony Wright]

Many thanks for all the responses,

 

I'm pleased to say that the A5, C13, Sentinel and 9F have all sold already. 

 

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

Edited August 10, 2021 by Tony Wright
to add something

[geoff west]

15 hours ago, Jesse Sim said:

as I read this I heard my wallet scream

Mine has gone into hiding.

[Tony Wright]

More sales.

 

Without even putting them on the thread, an A2/1, A2/3 and V2 have also been sold. And, another A5 and the C12!

 

Anyone interested in these J6s at £140.00 each? 

 

 

The top one is etched brass (London Road?), powered by an open-framed motor, and the lower one is Nu-Cast, powered by a Portescap.............

[thegreenhowards]

Tony,

 

I’m glad you’ve relented and are continuing to do a limited number of sales. You proved the doommongers (including me) wrong last time with the prices you achieved and it just shows that TLC from a respected name can achieve a good premium on these kits (compared with eBay or other auctions if not to the original price). I think you could charge a significantly greater premium for your time (for either CRUK or yourself) given the obvious increase in value that you achieve.

 

Concentrating on the best kits in the collection also seems like the best way to maximise value without getting overloaded. 
 

I’m resisting this batch so far but if you have the A1/1 lurking then I will be straight in!

 

Regards

 

Andy