Wright writes.....

[Dr Gerbil-Fritters]

Photography has become a national pastime since cameras were incorporated into everyone's Mobile. No knowledge necessary either....just point and click. Forty years ago, photography-speak was typically 125th @ f9.3 with fill-in flask on Tri-X developed with little agitation in Guinness 9-to-1 @ 33 rpm on a gramophone.  

 

And subsequently therefore completely negating my first degree... not one of my graduating cohort is now employed in any kind of photography....

 

Fortunately I saw the way things were going in the late 80s and successfully changed careers, although not without some effort it has to be said.

[billbedford]

Regarding lace pins - I ordered a box of all-brass ones a while ago to help with valve gear, and I've been struggling to get the solder to adhere to them - it seems to want to form a blobby mess anywhere but on the shaft of the pin itself. 

 

The pins were likely to have been varnished. Just rub them with some fine wet 'n' dry before trying to solder them. If you are clever you could try leaving the varnish on the bit that you don't want soldered.

Edited February 4, 2016 by billbedford

[grob1234]

1000 0.55mm brass lace pins winging their way to me courtesy of Ebay, and five of my GBP. Helpful bunch on here 

[Tony Wright]

Yes, in this case I added flux, although for 90% of my soldering I just use Carr's solder paste straight out of the syringe which works remarkably well as it is. I wonder if I'd have had more luck filing the pins to start with - maybe there's some laquer or something on them.

Alastair,

 

I use brass lace pins for assembling valve gear. Mine were obtained from Phil Atkinson at Hobby Holidays. 

 

If there appears to be a lacquer on them (Phil's don't have it), hold them flat against a board and rub them vigorously with a fibreglass propelling pencil, gently rolling the pin with the end of your finger as you go. Place a piece of paper between the joints (instructions' paper is perfect thickness!), add a small amount of liquid phosphoric acid flux on the end of a (not-any-good-for-painting-anymore) small brush and solder the rear component only. Mr Grantham suggests PECO track pins from the rear, soldered to the front component. I personally dislike this because the lace pin head makes a good representation of a bearing head and any cleaning up can be achieved absolutely flush at the rear - important where there is limited clearance. I also find PECO pins too soft and too small a diameter.

 

I've just put together a set of V2 valve gear with the lace pins, using Jamieson and Nu-Cast bits and pieces.

 

 

 

The completed loco can be seen running on Grantham over the weekend at the Stafford Show (a most-recommended event). I'll post some shots of her in action. This pioneer V2 was built from an ancient Jamieson kit (thanks Ray) and laziness has meant I've just used the coupling rods as supplied. I should have made up proper bosses for the bearings. 

 

 

Another loco I'd have liked to have completed for the weekend is this almost-as-old Nu-Cast K2 kit. However, and despite my having made hundreds of sets of Walschaerts gear, it's taken me all but all day to complete the V2 motion. What with bits jamming, interference with the body, not to mention dropping the whole thing (it just bent a guard iron - Jamieson chassis are bomb-proof) and my exhausting my dictionary of profanity, it's taken far too long. Are there many modellers out there who are now coming to the inevitable equation of experience being over-balanced by crumbling faculties? Gloomy sight, less-than-nimble fingers, an inability to get up from the floor with ease after rummaging around because the union link (it's always the smallest part!) just pinged from the tweezers, and a constant struggle not to cough at a critical time because of the flux fumes. My best models (if 'best' is an apposite description) are long in the past.

 

Still, resurrecting a bit of an old dud like that K2 can have its rewards. I can't believe it, it's over 60 years since I saw my first one.   

Edited February 4, 2016 by Tony Wright

[2ManySpams]

Photography at shows... As an exhibitor I have no issue with folk taking shots with camera phones or other subtle, flash-free cameras. I do object though to folk turning up with pro gear and massive tripods that barge the other paying punters out of the way and demanding rather than asking politely for the operators to behave like puppets on strings.

[LNER4479]

Mr Grantham suggests PECO track pins from the rear, soldered to the front component. I personally dislike this because the lace pin head makes a good representation of a bearing head and any cleaning up can be achieved absolutely flush at the rear - important where there is limited clearance. I also find PECO pins too soft and too small a diameter.

 

I've just put together a set of V2 valve gear with the lace pins, using Jamieson and Nu-Cast bits and pieces.

 

V2 motion.jpg

 

The completed loco can be seen running on Grantham over the weekend at the Stafford Show (a most-recommended event). I'll post some shots of her in action. This pioneer V2 was built from an ancient Jamieson kit (thanks Ray) and laziness has meant I've just used the coupling rods as supplied. I should have made up proper bosses for the bearings. 

 

That's a tantalising glimpse of 4771, Tony - looks like a stunning finish!

 

Slightly in pedant mode, I wasn't 'suggesting' use of Peco track pins, merely stating that was what I used - I did say I was a bit strange!

[wagonbasher]

Photography at shows... As an exhibitor I have no issue with folk taking shots with camera phones or other subtle, flash-free cameras. I do object though to folk turning up with pro gear and massive tripods that barge the other paying punters out of the way and demanding rather than asking politely for the operators to behave like puppets on strings.

 

Leave Andy York alone..

 

Andy

[2ManySpams]

Leave Andy York alone..

 

Andy

 

So that's who it was.... ;-p

[runs as required]

I feel I've done all that photography thing - from the early stuff juggling light meters and aperture/shutter speeds for depth of fucups focus through heavy interchangable lens SLRs with bells and whistles ( pre and post digital) to a couple of generations of digital compacts . 

And in truth I've always been disappointed with my 'catch'. Holiday snaps have invariably been of dirty black foreign locos (under-exposed) in absurdly bright sunlight in highly reflective dry landscapes.

 

I now have to admit to finding that the camera on my recent  iPhone 5something and my wife's Samsung Galaxy bring home 'a good enough' raw trawl of images that I can happily tweak on Photoshop into what I need.

The "idiots' eye" camera on the phone means that at exhibitions I can relax and engage in interesting exchanges with exhibitors without all the fumbling with small dials and my spectacles.

dh

Edited February 4, 2016 by runs as required

[Focalplane]

Though I take a camera of some kind to shows I have to admit I have only ever taken photos of Dolgoch and Bellepheron at the 2014 Warley Show. After coming away from various shows it dawns on me that I have been too busy to take any photos at all.

 

One of the world's top photographers, Annie Liebowitz, was recently asked what camera she would recommend. Her answer was surprising to me - an iPhone. As one who also grew up with f stops etc. I have to admit the smart phone camera can take good photos, but only if the light us in the right place, there is not too much contrast, and so on. But one blessing that comes with an iPhone is no flash. Another comment, this time from the late Steve Jobs, was that a well made lens is more important than how many mega pixels the camera supports. There's a lot of truth in that observation..

[gr.king]

Beautifully fine lining on those V2 wheels and the running plate valance. Same painter as the Klondike and recent B16?

[Tony Wright]

Beautifully fine lining on those V2 wheels and the running plate valance. Same painter as the Klondike and recent B16?

The painter is Geoff Haynes, he who painted the Klondike. The B16's painting is Ian Rathbone's work. 

 

In some ways I feel a bit of a 'can't do it myself' among you self-reliant modellers contributing to Grantham. I've never been entirely happy with my own painting ability. Yes, if it's plain black and/or weathered, then I'm quite happy to do that, but complex lining always seems to defeat me. It's been mentioned before, but transfer lining, especially on boiler bands, can often seem too thick and too bright. I think Geoff (like Ian) lines blank transfer paper, cuts it out, then applies it to the bands. The rest of the lining is done with a bow-pen. As for lining wheels and valances, no chance with me. I'm afraid I become a cheque book modeller when it comes to the highest-standard of painting. Still, at least I've built the locos. 

 

I'll post some pictures of the whole loco tomorrow, then hope to take some more on Grantham over the weekend. I promise not to shove folk out of the way. 

[MJI]

Though I take a camera of some kind to shows I have to admit I have only ever taken photos of Dolgoch and Bellepheron at the 2014 Warley Show. After coming away from various shows it dawns on me that I have been too busy to take any photos at all.

 

One of the world's top photographers, Annie Liebowitz, was recently asked what camera she would recommend. Her answer was surprising to me - an iPhone. As one who also grew up with f stops etc. I have to admit the smart phone camera can take good photos, but only if the light us in the right place, there is not too much contrast, and so on. But one blessing that comes with an iPhone is no flash. Another comment, this time from the late Steve Jobs, was that a well made lens is more important than how many mega pixels the camera supports. There's a lot of truth in that observation..

 

I prefer a Nokia N8 for photography, unfortunately I cannot get mine to power on

[coachmann]

I started lining with a very old brass handmade bow-pen compass left to me when my father's dad died in 1962. I didn't take much interest in his drawings of steam boilers at the time. It eventually gave up when one of the bows snapped off so I wrote to Lomas & Baines, Manchester and bought three very small Kern bow-pens and two compass bow pens for the equivalent of something like two weeks wages around 1973. All were allocated specific tasks and all are still in use 43 years later. One pen became a 'jobber' for filling in coach droplights and lining guttering etc., and filling in block of colour on pre-group loco liveries. One was for fine lining only while the third was for drawing corners on lining. Of the two bow-compasses, one was for lining out splashers etc and the other used as a tramel for lining out edges of panels and wheel tyres. A fourth pen was added some years ago when another full-time painter/builder offered me a brand new one. I use this for waist lining on coaches carrying 'simple lined' livery such as 1930's LMS and GWR. Honing them is done with the finest emery I have seen on a pad that females use for sanding hair off of their legs!

Edited February 4, 2016 by coachmann

[jrg1]

Another loco I'd have liked to have completed for the weekend is this almost-as-old Nu-Cast K2 kit. However, and despite my having made hundreds of sets of Walschaerts gear, it's taken me all but all day to complete the V2 motion. What with bits jamming, interference with the body, not to mention dropping the whole thing (it just bent a guard iron - Jamieson chassis are bomb-proof) and my exhausting my dictionary of profanity, it's taken far too long. Are there many modellers out there who are now coming to the inevitable equation of experience being over-balanced by crumbling faculties? Gloomy sight, less-than-nimble fingers, an inability to get up from the floor with ease after rummaging around because the union link (it's always the smallest part!) just pinged from the tweezers, and a constant struggle not to cough at a critical time because of the flux fumes. 

 

Know the feeling-plus putting something down on the workbench, and being unable to find it five minutes later.

[Focalplane]

While visiting the Bristol Gauge O show on Sunday we popped out for lunch with a couple of Bristolian friends who are jewellers.  It was fascinating to learn how they see many of the craft skills that we, as railway modellers, share.  One of the most fascinating comparisons is the use of 3D printing in jewellery making - in fact some of the desktop 3D printers used for modelling were actually designed for jewellery designers.  Tthe Creator B9 for example, which is now being adopted by the model world.  (Modelu3d gave me a sample of an LMS loco lamp currently under development, printed on a Creator B9 - his 7mm lamp is not much bigger than the current 4mm offerings and the handle is almost if not actually to scale).

 

But this thought is compounded by reading "jrg1"'s post above.  When I talked about the idea of using a jeweller's leather apron to catch small items that suddenly spring off the workbench, then having to spend precious minutes on my knees searching for them, one of them said, oh yes, we call that the "Jeweller's Position".

[Tony Wright]

As promised, pictures of the Jamieson V2 for Grantham. 

 

 

 

Geoff Haynes has done a very nice job of the painting (though I need to weather the motion). 

 

This morning she ran at around a scale 90 m.p.h on 40+ vans, so she should be OK for Grantham. No derailments, no stuttering, no stalling (though she doesn't have a tender pick-up yet for dead-frog crossings) and I'm happy with her performance. 

 

It's exactly the sort of 'layout loco' I strive to build (though more clumsily these days). Yes, I should have replaced that cast-on dart, the Jamieson buffers don't have square bases and I've added none of the little bits on the front platform. However, for the layout she's been made for, which is impressively big, where most of her jobs will be fast through freights, I hope she'll do. And, I hope she behaves at Stafford!

 

Looking at these two pictures, I'm astonished how different lighting affects the colours. The first picture was taken using the ambient light in the room, whilst the second was lit with pulses of fill-in flash, it being on the shadow side of the central lighting. 

Edited February 5, 2016 by Tony Wright

[unclebobkt]

        ... .

  But this thought is compounded by reading "jrg1"'s post above.  When I talked about the idea of using a jeweller's leather apron to catch small items that suddenly spring off the workbench, then having to spend precious minutes on my knees searching for them, one of them said, oh yes, we call that the "Jeweller's Position".

 

      The 'Jeweler's Position.' - clearly not related to the possibly better known 'Missionary position.'!  

 

      

[Barry Ten]

 

 

But this thought is compounded by reading "jrg1"'s post above.  When I talked about the idea of using a jeweller's leather apron to catch small items that suddenly spring off the workbench, then having to spend precious minutes on my knees searching for them, one of them said, oh yes, we call that the "Jeweller's Position".

 

I spent a few weeks last year sealing the gaps between the floorboards in my modelling room - I'd finally lost one item too many down the dreaded gap. When they tear up the floorboards in our house, they'll be able to cobble together a pretty good locomotive kit from the bits, I reckon.

[johnarcher]

      The 'Jeweler's Position.' - clearly not related to the possibly better known 'Missionary position.'!  

 

      

You pick up what you're looking for after adopting the first position, it's the other way around with the second.

Edited February 5, 2016 by johnarcher

[grob1234]

That V2 is absolutely gorgeous Tony. I'll be attempting something with valve gear soon, and a SE Finecast C12. 

 

I've surprised myself just how quickly these kits go together. 

[Tony Wright]

That V2 is absolutely gorgeous Tony. I'll be attempting something with valve gear soon, and a SE Finecast C12. 

 

I've surprised myself just how quickly these kits go together. 

Thanks Tom,

 

In a way the V2 is a throw back to the past, inasmuch as how it was created. Jamieson kits were generally accurate but very basic. Anything like beading, spectacle surrounds, window surrounds were just never thought of, but what appealed to me about its construction was the old-fashioned (are they old-fashioned?) methods entailed in building it - no slots or tabs, careful soldering essential (actually, all soldering should be careful), using squares to get everything square (and round) and having to mark out, then drill out all the holes for handrails and pipe runs, etc. If done well (well, as well as I can), the end result is something very different from the RTR-swamped (an emotive term?) layouts one often sees at shows or in the model press these days, especially if little or nothing has been done on the individual models. Time was, if one saw a 4mm V2 on a layout, it must have been built from a kit or scratch. With Bachmann's forthcoming re-bodied V2 on the (distant) horizon, many of these will then appear on layouts. I'm sure it'll be good, but I keep on returning to the same personal conclusion (apologies if this is old hat), that the gratification I've felt from making a loco like this prehistoric V2 is so much more than just buying something. As I've mentioned, I recently bought a Hornby J50. It's good, very, very good, probably better than I could make  from a kit, but so what? That's what the market expects and demands but all it means to me is that I sold enough books at St. Albans to be able to buy it. It's now back in its box (I've written a short review for BRM) and that's where it'll stay because I can't be motivated to personalise it right now (though I will for a forthcoming book). It's anonymous, mine only in terms of my possessing it, that's all. There's nothing of me in it (other than I earned the money to buy it). In a similar way, I'm disappointed with myself that I couldn't paint the V2 myself. I have painted V2s in the past, but not as well as Geoff Haynes or Ian Rathbone. Hypocrisy or pragmatism? 

 

Your modelling is coming on in leaps and bounds; indeed, my most sincere compliments. I'm glad my advice about the loco kit turned out to be sound. You're just the kind of modeller the hobby needs right now. Not an old git like me, self-sufficient, making things yourself, finishing things yourself and entirely self-reliant. You obviously don't rely on RTR/RTP, neither do you ask others to do your modelling for you. Good on you!

Edited February 5, 2016 by Tony Wright

[jrg1]

Leading on from your post Tony, I take a slightly different view.  I like building metal kits, but also have a lot of satisfaction cutting and shutting proprietary models.  I am currently producing a Hornby J52, but with a Mainly Trains P4 chassis, upgraded body-eg cylinder cock rodding, roof clerestory, sprung buffers, etc, and also using a Mainline GS tender to produce a self-weighing variant.  Next on the list will be a Bachmann K3 married to a Mainline B1 footplate for a K5-producing these using mass-produced models is just as satisfying as building metal kits.

[31A]

Thanks Tom,

 

In a way the V2 is a throw back to the past, inasmuch as how it was created. Jamieson kits were generally accurate but very basic. Anything like beading, spectacle surrounds, window surrounds were just never thought of, but what appealed to me about its construction was the old-fashioned (are they old-fashioned?) methods entailed in building it - no slots or tabs, careful soldering essential (actually, all soldering should be careful), using squares to get everything square (and round) and having to mark out, then drill out all the holes for handrails and pipe runs, etc. If done well (well, as well as I can), the end result is something very different from the RTR-swamped (an emotive term?) layouts one often sees at shows or in the model press these days, especially if little or nothing has been done on the individual models. Time was, if one saw a 4mm V2 on a layout, it must have been built from a kit or scratch. With Bachmann's forthcoming re-bodied V2 on the (distant) horizon, many of these will then appear on layouts. I'm sure it'll be good, but I keep on returning to the same personal conclusion (apologies if this is old hat), that the gratification I've felt from making a loco like this prehistoric V2 is so much more than just buying something. As I've mentioned, I recently bought a Hornby J50. It's good, very, very good, probably better than I could make  from a kit, but so what? That's what the market expects and demands but all it means to me is that I sold enough books at St. Albans to be able to buy it. It's now back in its box (I've written a short review for BRM) and that's where it'll stay because I can't be motivated to personalise it right now (though I will for a forthcoming book). It's anonymous, mine only in terms of my possessing it, that's all. There's nothing of me in it (other than I earned the money to buy it). In a similar way, I'm disappointed with myself that I couldn't paint the V2 myself. I have painted V2s in the past, but not as well as Geoff Haynes or Ian Rathbone. Hypocrisy or pragmatism? 

 

Your modelling is coming on in leaps and bounds; indeed, my most sincere compliments. I'm glad my advice about the loco kit turned out to be sound. You're just the kind of modeller the hobby needs right now. Not an old git like me, self-sufficient, making things yourself, finishing things yourself and entirely self-reliant. You obviously don't rely on RTR/RTP, neither do you ask others to do your modelling for you. Good on you!

 

I must admit I'm in a big dilemma these days, in this context.  In the past (for as long as I can remember), railway modellers have wished 'if only they made a model of xxx', and new models have always been heralded as 'welcome additions to the range', etc.  In the meantime (in the past), I've made models of locos, coaches and wagons from kits (and sometimes, from scratch).  In recent years, not only have the standards of RTR models improved beyond the wildest dreams of (say) 30 years ago, but we can now buy models which I would never ever have thought I would see mass produced.  Surely this can't be a bad thing - we are spoilt!

 

Consequently, I haven't built a loco kit for years.  Apart from the time, effort and cost I couldn't possibly produce a loco up to current RTR standards.

 

Nevertheless, I do feel there's something missing if I just take a model out of a red or blue box and plonk it on the layout, where it almost without fail looks wonderful and works beautifully.  It's as if I somehow feel cheated if there isn't something I can do to improve it, and personalise it.  One I struggled with was the Hornby K1 - it was one of the few locos I've bought recently that I couldn't think of any way to improve.  Finally I've got around to adding coal, fire irons, a crew and weathering it - here's the result, and I feel happier now I've 'personalised' it; in some way it feels more 'my own' rather than just a mass production from a box from China.

 

 

Some people don't like to weather engines (and we are sometimes told it reduces their value), but apart from the 'personalising' factor, with plain black engines at any rate, it helps to give them character and brings out the beautifully moulded detail.  I've just splashed out on two Hornby J50s and at the moment they are clocking up some running in miles while I consider how to improve them; in the meantime I can't help thinking how 'antiseptic' they look; they run beautifully, almost too good, but I'm sure once I've given them 'the treatment' (whatever that might turn out to be), I'll feel happier about them.

 

In the meantime, if anybody would like the bits of a Jamieson V2 to put together, please drop me a line.  I've got a partly assembled one I acquired shortly before Bachmann announced theirs, since which I haven't touched it!

[polybear]

Purists may balk at my use of filler (the green stuff), and also epoxy to glue the dome and chimney on (and also the weird box on top with the prongs!), but as I am nowhere near pure, it bothers me not! 

A certain Mr. Wright can be seen using epoxy to secure such items in one of his Right Track Loco Construction DVD's, so I wouldn't be overly concerned......