Wright writes.....

[Mallard60022]

These must have had an impact on DJH as I see quite a few S15 kits turning up on ebay lately.

 

Al

Also PDK did a very nice S15 (but with a milky bar boiler IIRC?); better looking loco than the DJH one IMO. The late Geoff Brewin built one for me about 15 years ago.

Phil

 

So you are a H15 fan.

 

Bill

Sort of, but they were a bit Chonky! I really must finish the old DJH kit I have .......... certain to result in a RTR product appearing.

P

Edited September 16, 2018 by Mallard60022

[Tony Wright]

Thanks, Tony. You've seen this one in the flesh, fully painted, as it got a trot around Little Bytham in 2015. I tried searching for one of the images you took, but haven't yet been able to locate

it.

 

Hornby do the later straight-footplate S15 but they haven't yet done one of the Urie builds, although I imagine they might tackle it if sales of the first type were strong. They could even do

one in LSWR goods green, if they changed the chimney. 

 

These must have had an impact on DJH as I see quite a few S15 kits turning up on ebay lately.

 

I think the footsteps on an S15 must be more forgiving than an Arthur, as this one didn't present any difficulties. I do remember having a struggle getting my Hornby Arthurs to traverse all my

curves with steps fitted.

 

Al

 

This the one, Al?

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Barry Ten]

Thanks, Tony! I've since added etched cabside number plates (courtesy of Narrow Planet, who do bespoke numbers). It still needs lamp irons, and some gentle weathering.

[Headstock]

The first ever photographs that I have taken of locomotives on a layout, I don't think Tony has much to worry about. Still, my two new locomotives didn't disgrace themselves over the weekend, is there a better feeling in model railways when the time and effort pays off? I'm tired now but content.

Edited September 16, 2018 by Headstock

[Clearwater]

Tony

 

I was flicking through the current Railway Modeller and saw your pictures of Euxton Junction. I was wondering if you could enlighten us as to the thought process you go through in posing/selecting your pictures. What do you look for? Do you ask the layout owners to pose stock specifically or work with what they like and then develop the scene?

 

I particularly liked the shot of the 350 on the bottom of page 802. However, whilst some of the stock is weathered, one observation I'd make is that few of the fronts of the stock are weathered. I spent an hour or so today on the platform at Sandwell and Dudley, a station with fairly light facilities, so there was little to do but to watch the procession of trains coming through. Whilst the sides were clean, most of the front seem to be black speckled. I assume these are from repeated insect strikes and this seems to be something that isn't often looked at in the weathering

 

David

[Clem]

The first ever photographs that I have taken of locomotives on a layout, I don't think Tony has much to worry about. Still, my two new locomotives didn't disgrace themselves over the weekend, is there a better feeling in model railways when the time and effort pays off? I'm tired now but content.

 

Lovely models! You captured the essence there, Andrew. And both beautifully painted and weathered. Must be on the Great Central London Extension ?

[Headstock]

Lovely models! You captured the essence there, Andrew. And both beautifully painted and weathered. Must be on the Great Central London Extension ?

 

Morning Clem,

 

many thanks. I was looking down the row of locomotives at the head of southbound trains on Saturday morning. Amongst others, a Hall on the Leicester Woodford Ord, along side an Ivatt Alantic on the Sheffield Swindon passenger, a C13 tank on the Queens walk Leicester pick up goods, a B16 on the York Woodford fitted freight, an A3 on the afternoon Manchester Marylebone express, and an O1 on a General merchandise runner. I thought to myself, it could only be the London extension.

[Headstock]

A little comment if I may, some pages back, some rather derogatory comments were made about the young folk of our country. Along the lines of them being knife wielding maniacs and how they should have all been beaten on a regular basis while at school. One of these apparent hooligans came to run our layout on Sunday, nobody was killed and no beatings happened. Instead, the individual ran the layout  like clock work, despite having never operated before. In stark contrast to to the situation on Saturday morning when the old fogies made such a cock up of errors, with trains being run into the wrong line, that proceedings came to a halt for fifteen minutes while the mess was sorted out. My conclusion, the hobby could benefit from more talented young people and less grumpy old men who chase them away.

[Tom F]

In agreement with the above. The weathering and build on the B16/1 is exceptional! Looks so natural!

 

Sadly I didn’t get to make it to Shipley this year.

[Headstock]

In agreement with the above. The weathering and build on the B16/1 is exceptional! Looks so natural!

 

Sadly I didn’t get to make it to Shipley this year.

 

Thank you very much, talented youngster.

[Tony Wright]

Tony

 

I was flicking through the current Railway Modeller and saw your pictures of Euxton Junction. I was wondering if you could enlighten us as to the thought process you go through in posing/selecting your pictures. What do you look for? Do you ask the layout owners to pose stock specifically or work with what they like and then develop the scene?

 

I particularly liked the shot of the 350 on the bottom of page 802. However, whilst some of the stock is weathered, one observation I'd make is that few of the fronts of the stock are weathered. I spent an hour or so today on the platform at Sandwell and Dudley, a station with fairly light facilities, so there was little to do but to watch the procession of trains coming through. Whilst the sides were clean, most of the front seem to be black speckled. I assume these are from repeated insect strikes and this seems to be something that isn't often looked at in the weathering

 

David

David,

 

Being a 'control freak', I take over completely, requesting (demanding?) that trains be placed into position where I want them for photography. 

 

I'll go through the locos/stock available and ask for this or that to be run. Obviously, I'm much more interested in anything kit-/scratch-built or modified/weathered RTR items. This often causes 'offence' among club members who, naturally, want their own stock to feature, and are dismayed when I refuse to take a picture of what they've just taken from a box. I say 'refuse', but just to placate an individual, I'll take a picture, then not use it!

 

 

Like this. I think I've shown this picture before, and I didn't even bother to process it. Why? It's just an out-of-the-box Bachmann (or Hornby?) TORNADO. Nothing has been done to it, except putting it on the train (which is equally out-of-the-box). The cylinder drain cock operating rod is floating about in the wind as well.

 

In fairness to the blokes who displayed Euxton Junction (the Preston club), by its very nature (up-to-date) the majority of the locos/stock was RTR, but most (if not all) of it had been detailed/modified/weathered in some way. I think the bug-spattered fronts of locos/units is something which could be seen more of in model form.

 

Despite views to the contrary, I'm not against modern RTR locos/stock. It's just that I feel it's short-changing readers/viewers to show unmodified/unaltered RTR locos and stock in the press and at shows. This is, after all, a constructional hobby.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Tony Wright]

The first ever photographs that I have taken of locomotives on a layout, I don't think Tony has much to worry about. Still, my two new locomotives didn't disgrace themselves over the weekend, is there a better feeling in model railways when the time and effort pays off? I'm tired now but content.

Thanks for posting those, Andrew,

 

Lovely work, by the way. However, may I make a couple of 'critical observations', please?

 

I assume the O4/8 is on a Bachmann O4 chassis? If so, isn't it worth changing the pony wheels? 

 

And, something I'm a bit of a zealot about, please ensure that all the numbers on a cabside are level (I know one can find prototype pictures where they're all over the place). That front '6' on the O4/8 is definitely high!

 

As for recent posts...................... I don't think anyone has advocated the flagellation of children. Most just commented on the way it used to be. Like I did. I did wrong, and received corporal punishment as a schoolboy. I didn't whinge about it, I didn't claim my human rights were compromised and I didn't do naughty things again (or, at least, I didn't get caught). As a result, discipline was much stricter and (could it be?) learning took place without having to quell rowdiness first. 

 

I'm glad the show went well. And, it's my experience that youngsters are much more adept at operating model railways than old gits like me! 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Clive Mortimore]

David,

 

Being a 'control freak', I take over completely, requesting (demanding?) that trains be placed into position where I want them for photography. 

 

I'll go through the locos/stock available and ask for this or that to be run. Obviously, I'm much more interested in anything kit-/scratch-built or modified/weathered RTR items. This often causes 'offence' among club members who, naturally, want their own stock to feature, and are dismayed when I refuse to take a picture of what they've just taken from a box. I say 'refuse', but just to placate an individual, I'll take a picture, then not use it!

 

Dsc_6447.jpg

 

Like this. I think I've shown this picture before, and I didn't even bother to process it. Why? It's just an out-of-the-box Bachmann (or Hornby?) TORNADO. Nothing has been done to it, except putting it on the train (which is equally out-of-the-box). The cylinder drain cock operating rod is floating about in the wind as well.

 

In fairness to the blokes who displayed Euxton Junction (the Preston club), by its very nature (up-to-date) the majority of the locos/stock was RTR, but most (if not all) of it had been detailed/modified/weathered in some way. I think the bug-spattered fronts of locos/units is something which could be seen more of in model form.

 

Despite views to the contrary, I'm not against modern RTR locos/stock. It's just that I feel it's short-changing readers/viewers to show unmodified/unaltered RTR locos and stock in the press and at shows. This is, after all, a constructional hobby.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

Hello Tony

 

The first thing I noticed was the man on the platform seat, swinging his legs in the air. I then looked at the OLE, wow they have the insulators in line with the platform edge, that is impressive as most models with OLE seem to lack this very basic safety feature of no electrickery above the sitting down passenger exercising his legs. Then I realised you were discussing the stuff on the rails.

 

Well done the guys who made the OLE.

Edited September 17, 2018 by Clive Mortimore

[Tom F]

Thank you very much, talented youngster.

Ha, you will be making me blush! Ever learning but enjoying the journey!

[Mike 84C]

I did get to Shipley this Sunday and had a very pleasant day. Leicester South Goods is one of those layouts that  I can watch and time just drifts away!  9793 has summed up my thoughts about your weathering.  I was brought up with Western engines, always the best! but I do like the lines of a B16. But why were they called " blood spitters"? Or so I read somewhere.

[Headstock]

Thanks for posting those, Andrew,

 

Lovely work, by the way. However, may I make a couple of 'critical observations', please?

 

I assume the O4/8 is on a Bachmann O4 chassis? If so, isn't it worth changing the pony wheels? 

 

And, something I'm a bit of a zealot about, please ensure that all the numbers on a cabside are level (I know one can find prototype pictures where they're all over the place). That front '6' on the O4/8 is definitely high!

 

As for recent posts...................... I don't think anyone has advocated the flagellation of children. Most just commented on the way it used to be. Like I did. I did wrong, and received corporal punishment as a schoolboy. I didn't whinge about it, I didn't claim my human rights were compromised and I didn't do naughty things again (or, at least, I didn't get caught). As a result, discipline was much stricter and (could it be?) learning took place without having to quell rowdiness first. 

 

I'm glad the show went well. And, it's my experience that youngsters are much more adept at operating model railways than old gits like me! 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

Morning Tony,

 

I have the replacement pony wheels but they arrived too late to get them painted, dried and tested prior to the exhibition, I will not run new locomotive or features without testing. They came with a set of driving wheels, as I intend to eventually replace the chassis. The short window of time when the layout was up for testing was insufficient to do anymore at this stage. I am aware of the number discrepancy, though I think it is the three that is slightly low, easily sorted.

 

The lack of corporal punishment in schools was advocated for all manor of evils in two post, not by yourself I would add. That's a discussion that can be made as simple or complicated as people like, but what I object to is when all young people are tarred with the same brush. I would rather make note of the achievements of young people, especially within the hobby, as many of them may actually be reading the thread and be encouraged to participate, or be put off, by what they are reading.

[Headstock]

I did get to Shipley this Sunday and had a very pleasant day. Leicester South Goods is one of those layouts that  I can watch and time just drifts away!  9793 has summed up my thoughts about your weathering.  I was brought up with Western engines, always the best! but I do like the lines of a B16. But why were they called " blood spitters"? Or so I read somewhere.

 

My understanding is that there is possibly more than one explanation given for the term 'blood spitter'. It certainly comes from a rivalry between NE and GC men as regards the attributes of the two former companies locomotives. The most common explanation that I have received from former GC drivers is that they regarded the B16 as a little hard on the fireman. They were seen as being notorious for throwing the fire and raining down sparks from the chimney, thus setting the surrounding countryside alight. The NE men similarly complained about the GC 4-6-0s, especially the B7 locomotives, they termed them 'black pigs', due to what they said were the unpleasant working conditions on the footplate. It is quite possibly that this is more of a reflection of different working practices of the two companies footplate crews rather than the individual locomotives. Everybody loved the V2s, even those drafted from the Midland.

 

Thank you very much for your comments, it really makes the hard work worthwhile.

Edited September 17, 2018 by Headstock

[Clive Mortimore]

Back to the subject of having someone else take photos of your layout to go with an article. Now I have only written a couple which have been published mainly because my own photos are naff so having someone take them for me is great, or not so. One layout was photographed by a friend who at the time was a graphic designer, he had an understanding of composition of photos. He also allowed me to chose what I wanted photographed to match the narrative text.

 

The other time I had a photographer from the magazine come to my house. I found it quite awkward, he knew what he was doing photograph wise but he didn't allow me to guide him as to what photos I wanted to go with my essay. He spent ages setting up photos of things that I would never do on my layout and mainly with RTR locos he liked. When he got down the far end, "Oh this is very interesting" we had run out of time and he had to be heading home.  So no interior shots of Hanging Hill's engine shed, everything inside was scratchbuilt.

Edited September 17, 2018 by Clive Mortimore

[5 C]

Just for the halibut I thought it might be interesting to find out how practical it is to produce components using the latest stuff. I found some info on Brit chimneys on the Interwotsit and cooked this up. (It's practically impossible to do this without decent CAD software.)

 

Brit.jpg

 

It's designed to sit on a 24.5mm diameter smokebox. You should be able to buy it in two grades of plastic resin, or even brass if you want to spend that much, at this link:

 

https://www.shapeways.com/product/2CYB3AAC9/br-britannia-class-chimney-in-1-76-2-scale-00?optionId=65992816&key=1dab7af3d4b41472f520716a8685b10d&li=shop-inventory

 

Warning! I have not sampled this part myself but I'm not making any money on it either. The cost is all Shapeways.

 

EDIT: I can add the rivets if someone can tell me where they go.

 

Winding the clock back nearly three months, there were several posts on here about BR Britannia chimneys. I needed three to backdate some ebay Hornby Duchess models to single chimney. The smokebox diameter of the Britannia and Duchess is the same and the chimney sizes and shapes are almost identical.

 

Andy ID had very kindly produced a CAD design and made it available on Shapeways. Now the weather's cooled down, I've been able to spend some time preparing the smokeboxes and chimneys.

 

The chimneys are printed on a sprue of four and arrive like this:

 

I'm right up against the limits of my iPhone camera's abilities here, so hopefully these pictures still do it justice.

 

Here is one posed on top of a modified Duchess smokebox, awaiting fixing and painting.

 

Pictures of Duchesses with single chimneys are quite rare and going from the drawings in JWP Rowledge's "The LMS Pacifics", I still need to file down the rear half of the chimney to form a capuchon lip. Nevertheless, judging by the photos I do have, this 3D printed Britannia chimney definitely looks the part.

 

Andy

Edited September 17, 2018 by 5 C

[Tony Wright]

Back to the subject of having someone else take photos of your layout to go with an article. Now I have only written a couple which have been published mainly because my own photos are naff so having someone take them for me is great, or not so. One layout was photographed by a friend who at the time was a graphic designer, he had an understanding of composition of photos. He also allowed me to chose what I wanted photographed to match the narrative text.

 

The other time I had a photographer from the magazine come to my house. I found it quite awkward, he knew what he was doing photograph wise but he didn't allow me to guide him as to what photos I wanted to go with my essay. He spent ages setting up photos of things that I would never do on my layout and mainly with RTR locos he liked. When he got down the far end, "Oh this is very interesting" we had run out of time and he had to be heading home.  So no interior shots of Hanging Hill's engine shed, everything inside was scratchbuilt.

Clive,

 

When I take pictures of layouts for publication (far fewer now since I'm retired) I do ask the layout builder/owner what he/she would like photographed. Most just leave it up to me. 

 

I'm interested in the fact that your photographer seemed to like the RTR locos. Quite the opposite of me. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[davefrk]

Maybe that photographer was working for a magazine that only wanted RTR, anything else would be much too difficult for it's readers....

 

Or am I just being cynical again.

 

TFIC.

 

Dave Franks.

[jamie92208]

Winding the clock back nearly three months, there were several posts on here about BR Britannia chimneys. I needed three to backdate some ebay Hornby Duchess models to single chimney. The smokebox diameter of the Britannia and Duchess is the same and the chimney sizes and shapes are almost identical.

 

Andy ID had very kindly produced a CAD design and made it available on Shapeways. Now the weather's cooled down, I've been able to spend some time preparing the smokeboxes and chimneys.

 

The chimneys are printed on a sprue of four and arrive like this:

IMG_1314.JPG

 

I'm right up against the limits of my iPhone camera's abilities here, so hopefully these pictures still do it justice.

 

Here is one posed on top of a modified Duchess smokebox, awaiting fixing and painting.

fullsizeoutput_8d1.jpeg

fullsizeoutput_8d2.jpeg

fullsizeoutput_8d4.jpeg

 

Pictures of Duchesses with single chimneys are quite rare and going from the drawings in JWP Rowledge's "The LMS Pacifics", I still need to file down the rear half of the chimney to form a capuchon lip. Nevertheless, judging by the photos I do have, this 3D printed Britannia chimney definitely looks the part.

 ll early October

AAndy

Hi Andy

 

I have quite a collection of books about Duchesses ready for a 7mm build that will happen in due course. I'm away from them at the moment till early October but am happy to look through all the photos and drawings for single chimney details when I get back home and let you know.

 

Jamie

[robertcwp]

I did get to Shipley this Sunday and had a very pleasant day. Leicester South Goods is one of those layouts that  I can watch and time just drifts away!  9793 has summed up my thoughts about your weathering.  I was brought up with Western engines, always the best! but I do like the lines of a B16. But why were they called " blood spitters"? Or so I read somewhere.

I made the journey to Shipley too and spent most of my time at the show watching Leicester South. A combination of a severely reduced Northern service and an LNER cancellation meant I had to leave a bit earlier than intended, but that was compensated by getting there earlier too. Well worth the trip though.

[Tony Wright]

Maybe that photographer was working for a magazine that only wanted RTR, anything else would be much too difficult for it's readers....

 

Or am I just being cynical again.

 

TFIC.

 

Dave Franks.

Cynical?

 

You Dave?

 

Without a doubt, RTR has become so dominant in the hobby these days, almost to the exclusion of anything kit/scratch-built, especially in the 'popular' media. Or, is that just my own cynical perception? A few years ago, the editor of a model railway magazine admitted to me that he was a bit 'twitchy' about an article which included drilling a hole into an older chassis block and installing a smoke unit which required some basic soldering. He thought it was way beyond most of his readership. 

 

When I described my building of an SR 4-6-2T from a Millholme kit in the RM a little while ago, a reader praised the magazine for publishing such an article, suggesting that its sort were now very rare. Steve Flint told me that he now receives very few such articles (he has one more of mine), and, how can he publish what he doesn't have? 

 

 

Are articles describing this sort of thing becoming rarer and rarer?

 

 

I did have an article describing my build of this dinky little SE Finecast 16XX published in the RM as well last year. 

 

 

However, there would be no mileage in my writing an article on building a SE Finecast A3. Hornby's one is so dominant these days, on exhibition layouts, on RMWeb and in the press (though not on LB, thank goodness!).

 

 

 

When the DJH kit of an A2/2 appeared, I built the first four kits; one, the prototype; two one for DJH; three, one for review and; four, one for myself. The review was published in BRM, so there's no point in writing another 'how-to' article about it.

 

 

A couple of issues ago, BRM did publish an account of my building a pair of V2s, including this Jamieson one. Perhaps there is 'hope' then, that the sort of accounts which seemed to be a staple of the model press still have their place, even if they require the use of a soldering iron. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[davidw]

Cynical?

 

You Dave?

 

Without a doubt, RTR has become so dominant in the hobby these days, almost to the exclusion of anything kit/scratch-built, especially in the 'popular' media. Or, is that just my own cynical perception? A few years ago, the editor of a model railway magazine admitted to me that he was a bit 'twitchy' about an article which included drilling a hole into an older chassis block and installing a smoke unit which required some basic soldering. He thought it was way beyond most of his readership.

 

When I described my building of an SR 4-6-2T from a Millholme kit in the RM a little while ago, a reader praised the magazine for publishing such an article, suggesting that its sort were now very rare. Steve Flint told me that he now receives very few such articles (he has one more of mine), and, how can he publish what he doesn't have?

 

H16 17.jpg

 

Are articles describing this sort of thing becoming rarer and rarer?

 

16XX SE Finecast built by Tony Wright 02.jpg

 

I did have an article describing my build of this dinky little SE Finecast 16XX published in the RM as well last year.

 

A3 07.jpg

 

However, there would be no mileage in my writing an article on building a SE Finecast A3. Hornby's one is so dominant these days, on exhibition layouts, on RMWeb and in the press (though not on LB, thank goodness!).

 

A2 2 DJH complete 01.jpg

 

When the DJH kit of an A2/2 appeared, I built the first four kits; one, the prototype; two one for DJH; three, one for review and; four, one for myself. The review was published in BRM, so there's no point in writing another 'how-to' article about it.

 

Jamieson V2 21.jpg

 

A couple of issues ago, BRM did publish an account of my building a pair of V2s, including this Jamieson one. Perhaps there is 'hope' then, that the sort of accounts which seemed to be a staple of the model press still have their place, even if they require the use of a soldering iron.

 

Regards,

 

Tony.

To be honest Tony, the articles you mention (wrt Thompsons) are old and possibly hard to come by. A refreshing step by step guide may have some mileage and be welcomed. Edited September 18, 2018 by davidw