Wright writes.....

[MarkC]

13 minutes ago, Clive Mortimore said:

Hi Mark

 

I don't think any other manufacturer can beat Bachmann's first generation DMUs. I have been running a DMU heavy session  on Sheffield Exchange and watching a six coach train made up of a Bachmann Cravens, Derby and Met Cam 2 car units. Not only looking the part but just gliding along.

Hi Clive

 

I completely agree - they are just stunning. Pity they're usually so expensive, but there you go. (I was doubly lucky with my 3-car 108. I got it as a cheeky eBay bid price-wise - I love auctions that finish at daft o'clock! Then I realised that not only was it numbered as a NE Region unit, but it had Scarborough at one end & Middlesbrough at the other. Result!)

 

I acquired a Bachmann Derby Lightweight 2-car unit in green earlier this year, another lovely model, so I'll be building a couple of DC Kits cars to be centre cars, to give me a 4-car set.

 

Mark

[MarkC]

26 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

Good evening Andy,

 

Serious omissions!

 

Little Bytham has played host to many B16s of all types, and none has failed to negotiate the 3' minimum radius (on the main line - I wouldn't dare try one on the MR/M&GNR).

 

A selection............

 

 

As you know, I often build locos in 'batches', and two from such a build were a Nu-Cast B16/3 (on a scratch-built chassis) and a DJH A1 (which became 60157). 

 

 

Geoff Haynes painted the new B16/3 (beautifully), and it's seen here in company with a PDK B16/2 (PDK/Edge/Wright/Foster), my much older Nu-Cast B16/3 (Wright) and a DJH B16/1 (Geary).

 

Some closer views of three of those above.......

 

 

Tony Geary's magnificent DJH B16/1.

 

 

The PDK B16/2; originally built by Mike Edge, part-mechanically-rebuilt by me, painted by me and weathered by Tom Foster.

 

 

A Nu-Cast B16/3 built/painted by me when the kit first came out (the mid-'70s?) on a scratch-built chassis (the original white metal lump of a chassis was pounded and cut up for ballast!). You can tell how old it is - it's got Hamblings' driving wheels! 

 

Visiting B16s have included...........

 

 

This DJH B16/1 (I can't recall who brought this).

 

 

This DJH B16/3 (again, I can't recall its provenance). 

 

 

A PDK B16/1, built/painted originally by Paul Hill and mechanically tweaked by me; now the property of Geoff West.

 

 

A PDK B16/3, built/painted by John Houlden and weathered by Geoff West (it's now his property). 

 

I've built a PDK B16/1 which now runs on Grantham, which Ian Rathbone painted............

 

 

 

Superbly! 

 

It has no difficulty going round Grantham's curves. 

 

Plenty of B16s, then? Selfishly, I couldn't give a fig if one is produced RTR - I have no need of any more.

 

B2s?

 

Only two Thompson ones on LB, I'm afraid (more Robinson ones).

 

 

I think this is from a DMR kit, but whose is it? 

 

 

A scratch-built one, which Geoff Haynes painted (builder unknown).

 

Geoff West bought it...........

 

 

And weathered it rather well. 

 

It's now the property of Sandra Orpen, and she'll convert it to EM gauge for use on Retford. 

 

I've never thought of the situation between RTR and kits as a 'contest'. I suppose I'm lucky inasmuch as I have no need for RTR steam-outline locomotives, because building locos is much more liberating - one is not beholden to products made in far-away factories. Yes, not all can build good-running locos (I've had far too many duds through my hands to know that), but it would be a much-poorer hobby (in my view) if so many layouts become RTR-reliant, motive power-wise (I'm talking steam-outline here).

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

 

Hi Tony

 

How did you arrange the bogie & cylinders on your DJH B16s please? It's an ongoing topic amongst us NER modellers, as a common problem for folk is the bogie swing & clearance on the DJH B16, A8, H1 & at least one of the Atlantics. I've just completed a Little Engines A8; I modified the bogie pivot to allow the bogie to move in a curved slot rather than on the supplied arm; it is a well known modification & seems to work well, as the loco is happy on 3' radius curves, but I'm sure that I'm not the only one curious as to how you did the job.

 

Cheers

Mark

 

 

[john new]

1 hour ago, MarkC said:

Hi Tony

 

How did you arrange the bogie & cylinders on your DJH B16s please? It's an ongoing topic amongst us NER modellers, as a common problem for folk is the bogie swing & clearance on the DJH B16, A8, H1 & at least one of the Atlantics. I've just completed a Little Engines A8; I modified the bogie pivot to allow the bogie to move in a curved slot rather than on the supplied arm; it is a well known modification & seems to work well, as the loco is happy on 3' radius curves, but I'm sure that I'm not the only one curious as to how you did the job.

 

Cheers

Mark

 

 

Would also like to know if any mods are needed on the DJH B16’s.

[LNER4479]

(Very late!) Evening Tony,

 

Would have posted it anyway but the following piece of video filmed earlier today at the Bristol show fits nicely with recent posts and is certainly a kit-built tour de force. Just the loco of the second train(!) that is RTR.

 

You might  just recognise the leading loco of the principal train ...

 

 

[St Enodoc]

4 hours ago, Northmoor said:

No particular comment to make, just wanted to get one in as near to #80,000 as possible.  Wow this thread shows no sign of "terminating".

Clive beat you!

[John Besley]

Love this thread, so much to learn from others.... can anyone help me I need a drawing (or dimensions) of an A4 chime whistle as I need to make a pattern for a traction engine rebuild I am about to embark on converting a pair of Wilesco Traction engines into a model of Fowler "Talisman"

 

Anyone near the RH&DR as some of their locos have A4 whistles

[Tony Wright]

9 hours ago, MarkC said:

Hi Tony

 

How did you arrange the bogie & cylinders on your DJH B16s please? It's an ongoing topic amongst us NER modellers, as a common problem for folk is the bogie swing & clearance on the DJH B16, A8, H1 & at least one of the Atlantics. I've just completed a Little Engines A8; I modified the bogie pivot to allow the bogie to move in a curved slot rather than on the supplied arm; it is a well known modification & seems to work well, as the loco is happy on 3' radius curves, but I'm sure that I'm not the only one curious as to how you did the job.

 

Cheers

Mark

 

 

Good morning Mark,

 

I'll take some pictures this morning.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Tony Wright]

7 hours ago, LNER4479 said:

(Very late!) Evening Tony,

 

Would have posted it anyway but the following piece of video filmed earlier today at the Bristol show fits nicely with recent posts and is certainly a kit-built tour de force. Just the loco of the second train(!) that is RTR.

 

You might  just recognise the leading loco of the principal train ...

 

 

Thanks for that, Graham,

 

It's good to see the C2 (DJH/Wright/Haynes) is still running well.

 

I take it the Bristol show was a success? I used to go but some folk didn't like my after-dinner comments about the award trophies (one fell to bits and would have crushed someone's foot had it landed on it!). 

 

I thought the shows were excellent (a tribute to the late Nigel Mann, with whom I was a friend) and I'm sure this latest one was, too, following his legacy. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony

[Sayajirao]

What has happened to Nu-Cast Partners?
I have searched the entire BRM site which times out the search engine and various topics including WWS and has also drawn a blank.

Google churns up out of date links which go no where, one BRM posting suggested emailing "sales@branchlines.com" which bounces by return.
The link up with SEF some time ago is I assume dead as Squires has SEF and no reference to either SEF or Nu-Cast on their web site (or DJH for that matter).
I am specifically looking for a K2 kit, searched eBay but that has drawn a blank.

[polybear]

25 minutes ago, Sayajirao said:

What has happened to Nu-Cast Partners?
I have searched the entire BRM site which times out the search engine and various topics including WWS and has also drawn a blank.

Google churns up out of date links which go no where, one BRM posting suggested emailing "sales@branchlines.com" which bounces by return.
The link up with SEF some time ago is I assume dead as Squires has SEF and no reference to either SEF or Nu-Cast on their web site (or DJH for that matter).
I am specifically looking for a K2 kit, searched eBay but that has drawn a blank.

 

From the "Small Suppliers" Board on RMWeb (as posted by @hayfield):

 

"As I am 80 this year I have finally decided to retire.  So with immediate effect Nucast at Forest Row has ceased trading.  All of the stock of the reissue kits I held is being passed to Brian at Branchlines who is not closing down.

The future of the Nucast range has not been decided yet and is currently on hold. The moulds and casting machines are now in storage.  We are unable to provide any spares or special orders from the range, or produce more stock.

Please contact Brian on 01373 822231 as he's currently experiencing email problems."

 

HTH

Brian

[hayfield]

50 minutes ago, polybear said:

 

From the "Small Suppliers" Board on RMWeb (as posted by @hayfield):

 

"As I am 80 this year I have finally decided to retire.  So with immediate effect Nucast at Forest Row has ceased trading.  All of the stock of the reissue kits I held is being passed to Brian at Branchlines who is not closing down.

The future of the Nucast range has not been decided yet and is currently on hold. The moulds and casting machines are now in storage.  We are unable to provide any spares or special orders from the range, or produce more stock.

Please contact Brian on 01373 822231 as he's currently experiencing email problems."

 

HTH

Brian

 

I think this is a growing problem with the older type kit building businesses, all too often many are being run by folk who are past retirement age and in some cases keep doing it as its their baby which no one else would take on and run. I spoke with one owner who wants to carry on for another 3/4 years so he can say he ran the business for 50 years. I know another well into his 70's who just loves being involved in the model railway world, covid in someways helped him by showing he could survive well from mail order only, so both cherry picks the shows he attends, and has reduced his range to his own range plus outside parts needed to complete them

 

As for Nucast, I assume those kits already updated may become available again, but I doubt few if any already released would be reissued. I would say if you find an unavailable kit of a model you require on the s/h market, buy it.  

[Tony Wright]

As promised............

 

Tony Geary's B16/1 bogie arrangement. 

 

The chassis is electrically-dead, but still some little nibbles have been needed out of the front inside edges of the cylinders.

 

 

From this angle, those nibbles are hardly visible. 

 

 

Mike Edge's bogie arrangement on the B16/2.

 

Again, the chassis is electrically-dead, and no nibbles have been necessary to the insides of the cylinders. 

 

I had to elongate the slot in the bogie stretcher so that it would negotiate 3' radius curves.

 

 

I think it's a beautifully-made loco; I know Mike did a lot more work on the motion, but it needed my fitting of a DJH motor/gearbox to quieten it down. With the original drive (straight worm/gear), it was deafening. 

 

 

My bogie arrangement on the B16/3.

 

This has a live chassis, so I had to nibble a bit more off the inside of the cylinders, then smeared the inside angle with Araldite.

 

 

The angle is just visible, but only at extremely close quarters.

 

What all the three models above have are 'scale' bogie wheels. So many kit-built ex-NER locos with bogies have 'standard' ten-spoke wheels of too large a diameter. Fitting the correct wheels (Gibson/Markits) immediately helps with clearance issues. 

 

When Jesse Sim was over last year, I gave him a part-completed scratch-built C9.............

 

 

 

He took it to this stage.

 

The bogie wheels are larger than on most ex-NER locos, so some nibbling and Araldite was necessary on this.

 

 

I got this (rather dubious, though 'professionally-built/-painted') DJH C7 to (just) go round curves by substituting the bogie wheels with the correct style/diameter and nibbling away at the inside of the cylinders, later smeared with Araldite. 

 

 

Oddly, by actually restricting bogie sideplay.............

 

 

 

It allows a loco to negotiate tight curves without the risk of fouling.

 

This SEF Schools' chassis is arranged as a 'sort-of flexible' 0-8-0 (a daft explanation, but I hope it makes the point).

 

To have the rear bogie wheels splashers present (essential!) and those front steps (even more essential), it was the only way. 

 

I hope all these help...............

 

Comments/observations, please. 

 

 

 

 

[Tony Wright]

Is there a thread on here relating to eBay madness?

 

Personally, I've never used it, but a mate does - the same mate who bought the V2 I showed last week. That turned out to be a bargain, but how about this?

 

 

Bought for £69.00 as a 'runner'; except it wasn't!

 

It's an old K's O4 with a K's Mk.1 motor. So poor is the meshing of the gear/worm is that for half a revolution it engages and the other half it doesn't. Tighten the mesh and it locks-up solid! 

 

Though the drivers are Romfords, only half have flanges. 

 

'Can you get it to work, please?'. 'Yes, but the end cost (just for a new drive) will be more than the finished thing is worth - a lot more'. 

 

I await his response. 

 

Why don't I ever take my own advice? I should have said an emphatic 'NO' immediately. 

 

 

[MarkC]

3 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

As promised............

 

Tony Geary's B16/1 bogie arrangement. 

 

The chassis is electrically-dead, but still some little nibbles have been needed out of the front inside edges of the cylinders.

 

 

From this angle, those nibbles are hardly visible. 

 

 

Mike Edge's bogie arrangement on the B16/2.

 

Again, the chassis is electrically-dead, and no nibbles have been necessary to the insides of the cylinders. 

 

I had to elongate the slot in the bogie stretcher so that it would negotiate 3' radius curves.

 

 

I think it's a beautifully-made loco; I know Mike did a lot more work on the motion, but it needed my fitting of a DJH motor/gearbox to quieten it down. With the original drive (straight worm/gear), it was deafening. 

 

 

My bogie arrangement on the B16/3.

 

This has a live chassis, so I had to nibble a bit more off the inside of the cylinders, then smeared the inside angle with Araldite.

 

 

The angle is just visible, but only at extremely close quarters.

 

What all the three models above have are 'scale' bogie wheels. So many kit-built ex-NER locos with bogies have 'standard' ten-spoke wheels of too large a diameter. Fitting the correct wheels (Gibson/Markits) immediately helps with clearance issues. 

 

When Jesse Sim was over last year, I gave him a part-completed scratch-built C9.............

 

 

 

He took it to this stage.

 

The bogie wheels are larger than on most ex-NER locos, so some nibbling and Araldite was necessary on this.

 

 

I got this (rather dubious, though 'professionally-built/-painted') DJH C7 to (just) go round curves by substituting the bogie wheels with the correct style/diameter and nibbling away at the inside of the cylinders, later smeared with Araldite. 

 

 

Oddly, by actually restricting bogie sideplay.............

 

 

 

It allows a loco to negotiate tight curves without the risk of fouling.

 

This SEF Schools' chassis is arranged as a 'sort-of flexible' 0-8-0 (a daft explanation, but I hope it makes the point).

 

To have the rear bogie wheels splashers present (essential!) and those front steps (even more essential), it was the only way. 

 

I hope all these help...............

 

Comments/observations, please. 

 

 

 

 

Thank you very much, Tony - as the saying goes, there are many ways to skin a cat*. You've got several solutions there, and yes, the issue of bogie wheel size has been a problem for years - thank goodness for the likes of Gibson.

 

I'll see if I've got a photo of the arrangement on my LE A8 with me, & if so, I'll post it.

 

Many thanks

Mark

 

*for the removal of doubt, no cats were harmed in the making of this post...

Edited May 6 by MarkC

[polybear]

1 hour ago, Tony Wright said:

 

I got this (rather dubious, though 'professionally-built/-painted') DJH C7 to (just) go round curves by substituting the bogie wheels with the correct style/diameter and nibbling away at the inside of the cylinders, later smeared with Araldite. 

 

I'm often amazed by how many Locos sold on Ebay that are described as "professionally built" - yet the "professional" is very rarely, if ever named.

 

57 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

Is there a thread on here relating to eBay madness?

 

Personally, I've never used it, but a mate does - the same mate who bought the V2 I showed last week. That turned out to be a bargain, but how about this?

 

 

Bought for £69.00 as a 'runner'; except it wasn't!

 

 

If it was described as a "runner" and it doesn't then the buyer can return it for a full refund (including postage) as "mis-described".  Some sellers will refund (and if they don't then Paypal does) or alternatively some will offer a partial refund and the buyer has the option of accepting it (and keeping the purchase) or not.  If the buyer is happy with the rest of the Loco then this sounds like a good option in order to cover at least some of the cost of the repair.

[Barry O]

My (scratchbuit by my late Fater) B16 gas the bogie pivot just behind the buffer beam. Doing this has been a revelation.. so this idea has been used on other NER locos..

 

Baz

[Barry Ten]

18 minutes ago, polybear said:

 

I'm often amazed by how many Locos sold on Ebay that are described as "professionally built" - yet the "professional" is very rarely, if ever named.

 

 

If it was described as a "runner" and it doesn't then the buyer can return it for a full refund (including postage) as "mis-described".  Some sellers will refund (and if they don't then Paypal does) or alternatively some will offer a partial refund and the buyer has the option of accepting it (and keeping the purchase) or not.  If the buyer is happy with the rest of the Loco then this sounds like a good option in order to cover at least some of the cost of the repair.

 

That's what I did when I bought a Wills King from Ellis Clarke. It had suffered damage in transit, but I still felt it was worth having. I contacted them and suggested a partial refund, which they then offered to double, sort of like the reverse haggling scene in "Life of Brian"! 

[thegreenhowards]

53 minutes ago, Barry Ten said:

 

That's what I did when I bought a Wills King from Ellis Clarke. It had suffered damage in transit, but I still felt it was worth having. I contacted them and suggested a partial refund, which they then offered to double, sort of like the reverse haggling scene in "Life of Brian"! 

I find Ellis Clarke are always very fair. Their prices are reasonable to start with and they definitely put customer service first.

 

No connection…just a happy customer.

 

Andy

[26power]

2 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

Is there a thread on here relating to eBay madness?

 

A variety of eBay topics here:

https://www.rmweb.co.uk/forums/forum/86-ebay-topics/

[thegreenhowards]

2 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

 

Oddly, by actually restricting bogie sideplay.............

 

 

 

It allows a loco to negotiate tight curves without the risk of fouling.

 

This SEF Schools' chassis is arranged as a 'sort-of flexible' 0-8-0 (a daft explanation, but I hope it makes the point).

 

This kind of arrangement is common in O gauge. As I understand it, this is more like the bogie does on the prototype as it actually helps steer the loco round a curve. I’m away at the moment, but I’ll post some pictures later.

 

Andy

[1471SirFrederickBanbury]

6 hours ago, John Besley said:

Love this thread, so much to learn from others.... can anyone help me I need a drawing (or dimensions) of an A4 chime whistle as I need to make a pattern for a traction engine rebuild I am about to embark on converting a pair of Wilesco Traction engines into a model of Fowler "Talisman"

 

Anyone near the RH&DR as some of their locos have A4 whistles

As the whistles were built by Crosby in America, I have some doubt that drawings can be found easily.
 

 Replicas used to be available on eBay, which could be reverse engineered, but I can’t seem to find the at the moment

 

I can tell you that it is a 3 chime, 3” whistle, but I there isn’t much in terms of drawings or other dimensions. 

[Steamport Southport]

3 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

Is there a thread on here relating to eBay madness?

 

Personally, I've never used it, but a mate does - the same mate who bought the V2 I showed last week. That turned out to be a bargain, but how about this?

 

 

Bought for £69.00 as a 'runner'; except it wasn't!

 

It's an old K's O4 with a K's Mk.1 motor. So poor is the meshing of the gear/worm is that for half a revolution it engages and the other half it doesn't. Tighten the mesh and it locks-up solid! 

 

Though the drivers are Romfords, only half have flanges. 

 

'Can you get it to work, please?'. 'Yes, but the end cost (just for a new drive) will be more than the finished thing is worth - a lot more'. 

 

I await his response. 

 

Why don't I ever take my own advice? I should have said an emphatic 'NO' immediately. 

 

 

 

I bought a started K's GWR 28XX with the same problem regarding the strange arrangement of flangeless Romford driving wheels on the inner two axles. Probably a case of someone wanting it to go around tight curves although I don't quite see how it would work properly.

 

Thankfully I only wanted the body and tender which were both untouched and still on the card. It'll eventually get a Comet chassis and the correct type of wheels.

 

Price was a fraction of that O4 though, ISTR about £30. I'll see if I can find it.

 

 

Jason

[jwealleans]

I bought something very similar to that (on Ebay) but with more parts missing as my first loco kit.   Mike Griffiths, who then owned NuCast, supplied what was missing, the late Graham Varley advised me on a motor/gearbox combination and I completed it, flangeless middle drivers and all.   Although I now know the tender is wrong, it stays as it was when I built it and it spent the last three days at Bristol Show moving coal and iron ore round Grantham with no fuss and no problems.

 

 

I know there's less incentive to build one now the Bachmann one is out, but it started me off on the path of loco building.   I almost bought another one at Bristol, the kit was on a stand for £25.

 

 

Edited May 6 by jwealleans

[Keith Turbutt]

10 hours ago, John Besley said:

Love this thread, so much to learn from others.... can anyone help me I need a drawing (or dimensions) of an A4 chime whistle as I need to make a pattern for a traction engine rebuild I am about to embark on converting a pair of Wilesco Traction engines into a model of Fowler "Talisman"

 

Anyone near the RH&DR as some of their locos have A4 whistles

John,

 

Have a look at LNER Encyclopedia

"Original Chime Whistle Drawings - The LNER Encyclopedia"

https://www.lner.info/forums/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=12988 and

https://www.lner.info/forums/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=8897

These are quite old discussion threads but someone (Eightpot) on there seems to have access to drawings. It's a long shot but worth a try.

 

I think one of the railway magazines did an article on A4 chime whistles a few years ago but I can't remember which or when.

 

The history is interesting. It seems that these whistles were introduced to Gresley by Capt.Howey who bought 2, one he gave to Gresley and the other for an RHDR loco - currently on Winston Churchill.

Gresley liked it and adopted it for his A4s. I shall always remember the sound of a chime whistle at KingsX just before a train emerged from Gasworks Tunnel giving away the fact that it was a 'Streak' arriving. Some or all of the original US made Crosby whistles were removed during WW2 and new ones made in the UK were fitted as replacements. I believe the Britannias also had chime whistles.

 

Good luck with your search.

 

Keith

 

 

[MarkC]

My Little Engines A8, here waiting for its call to the paint shop

 

As I mentioned earlier, the kit came with a swinging link, pivoting adjacent to the leading driving wheels. I wanted better control, in an effort to avoid shorting via the cylinders.

 

I don't have all the photos with me, but basically the bogie is controlled via a curved slot; here the guides are waiting to be soldered to the bogie casting

 

then the slot was opened out

 

I turned up a bush, which goes onto a bolt coming down from the body at the middle of the bogie itself, with the arc pointing forward. (The bush collar goes underneath, so the orientation is as per the photo). It's secured underneath with a washer & nut. The bogie itself is heavy enough to not require a light control spring, but I would have fitted one, had it been necessary.

 

The loco now handles 3' radius curves with ease.

 

Mark