Wright writes.....

[Dr Gerbil-Fritters]

Never been on that one... what's it like?

 

lots of mums, very huggy and furious arguments about minutiae and esoterica

 

pretty much the same as RMWeb.

 

if you want REAL arguments, check out PPRUNE - there are vitriolic thread wars on there going back generations.

[Ian Abel]

lots of mums, very huggy and furious arguments about minutiae and esoterica

 

pretty much the same as RMWeb.

 

if you want REAL arguments, check out PPRUNE - there are vitriolic thread wars on there going back generations.

Indeed - PPRUNE has to be bun-fight central!!!

Mix a bunch of wannabees/knowitalls with professionals not exactly known for their discretion in voicing their opinion on their topic and it becomes incendiary at almost every turn

 

At least here we're just discussing a hobby - and even then I'm amazed at how hot-under-the-collar some folks get  best to avoid saying you're playing with your train set

Edited October 7, 2014 by Ian Abel

[Nelson Jackson]

Excellent photos Tony, always enjoy reading this thread, it's always filled with inspirational modelling from many people.

 

As far as I'm concerned this hobby isn't going to go anywhere just yet, there's at least 60 more years to it happy modelling everyone!

[Peter Kazmierczak]

Fortunately, I live many miles from anyone................

[Mallard60022]

Fortunately, I live many miles from anyone................

Mutually beneficial?

Already gone..................

[robmcg]

Tony I have been a photographer for a very long time, railways, press, magazines, candid, 'street', you name it, and sometimes I come across a portrait which has all the elements of 'the critical moment',  taken by Jeff at LB last weekend,   I think it is a superb photograph, says a lot about the laughter, pleasure, seriousness and marvellous nature of your creation    thank you,  and I think your camera is lovely too , I'm jealous as I exchanged my many Canon lenses and a camera for help in shifting after the Christchurch earthquake in NZ in 2011. 

 

This photo by Physicsman 'gets' what I imagine is some sort of Little Bytham reality, and your good self, I hope.

 

 

cheers,

 

Rob

 

typo edit

Edited October 7, 2014 by robmcg

[geoff west]

Another great day yesterday playing trains on LB, and meeting Jeff, Jason, George and Ian.  Thanks Tony for your ongoing tuition and look forward to next months lesson.  Also thank you to Mo for another wonderful lunch.

 

Geoff

[gr.king]

Apologies for slipping one in here (no smutty thoughts please). Progress pictures of models of locos that really ought to have run through Little Bytham far more in their original forms.....

 

It turns out that the Hornby or GBL A4 front, with altered upper slope and marginally repositioned chimney (which will require restyling and extending later) suits the P2 requirement very nicely. It fits over the chassis weight without a hitch.

[robmcg]

Is there a response button for 'beautiful'?        Nice to see the potential for the A4 front working, too.

 

I can just see a wartime express with such an engine thundering through the night....!  

 

Great work.

 

Rob

[davidw]

Apologies for slipping one in here (no smutty thoughts please). Progress pictures of models of locos that really ought to have run through Little Bytham far more in their original forms.....

STA79669.JPGSTA79667.JPG

 

It turns out that the Hornby or GBL A4 front, with altered upper slope and marginally repositioned chimney (which will require restyling and extending later) suits the P2 requirement very nicely. It fits over the chassis weight without a hitch.

 

I really wish ET hadn't meddled... 

 

Stunning work Mr King

Edited October 8, 2014 by davidw

[Clive Mortimore]

Apologies for slipping one in here (no smutty thoughts please). Progress pictures of models of locos that really ought to have run through Little Bytham far more in their original forms.....

STA79669.JPGSTA79667.JPG

 

It turns out that the Hornby or GBL A4 front, with altered upper slope and marginally repositioned chimney (which will require restyling and extending later) suits the P2 requirement very nicely. It fits over the chassis weight without a hitch.

Hi Grahame

 

All you need to do now is the one with the bigger firebox/cumbustion chamber or whatever it was then you have the 4 variants of the LNER "standard" class of 5 locos. :)

Edited October 8, 2014 by Clive Mortimore

[Tony Wright]

Tony I have been a photographer for a very long time, railways, press, magazines, candid, 'street', you name it, and sometimes I come across a portrait which has all the elements of 'the critical moment',  taken by Jeff at LB last weekend,   I think it is a superb photograph, says a lot about the laughter, pleasure, seriousness and marvellous nature of your creation    thank you,  and I think your camera is lovely too , I'm jealous as I exchanged my many Canon lenses and a camera for help in shifting after the Christchurch earthquake in NZ in 2011. 

 

This photo by Physicsman 'gets' what I imagine is some sort of Little Bytham reality, and your good self, I hope.

 

z_post-13778-0-33558000-1412677499a.jpg

 

cheers,

 

Rob

 

typo edit

Many thanks Rob,

 

I'm delighted with your observations, but I would disagree in one small way with your use of 'your'. You're right that, in a legal sense, the layout is my property but the statement also carries the implication (to me) that it is all my work. It isn't, by any means. Ian Wilson (in the background of the picture) has done a huge amount with regard to the planning and the making of the buildings, and the list of the other contributors is very long indeed. 

 

I think it's vital that the expertise of others (far more capable than I am) is continuously acknowledged and credited.

[Tony Wright]

Yesterday I had the great pleasure of visiting an old mate in the dear old North Riding (actually Tees-side now but neither of us recognise 1974!) to photograph his layout in a garden. 

 

Since the discussions about 'selective compression' have taken place, this layout set me thinking of what one might do if there were not enough space indoors. Build outside, where 40 x 30-odd feet is not an issue and neither are tight curves.

 

Yes, it's seasonal thing and next week it'll all be taken down for winter storage. But, the Peco Code 100 stands up well, all joints are hard-bonded and it's great to watch scale-length trains disappearing into the distance. Suspension of disbelief I think it's called, and it's great fun. It also works exceptionally well. 

 

Photographing it was easy (the Lord's light, with a bit of fill-in flash), though to make the scenes more 'realistic' I'll do some Photoshopping, but not on every one. 

 

Any thoughts?

 

 

 

 

A description will appear in the spring of next year in BRM.

[Peter Kazmierczak]

Sorry, but it somehow doesn't quite work for me.

 

I'd be interesting if it were illuminated, so that beyond the railway platforms there was darkness. I think that'd make it something special.

 

Just my opinion of course; to each their own.

[geoff west]

Hi Tony

 

Must admit i like the idea of an outdoor layout myself. Not sure if i would want the hassle of clearing it away every winter although i suppose the thought of scale length trains running off into the distance and no tight curves would be an advantage. Glad the weather held out for you. Nice photos looking forward to reading about it soon.

 

Geoff

[Tony Wright]

Sorry, but it somehow doesn't quite work for me.

 

I'd be interesting if it were illuminated, so that beyond the railway platforms there was darkness. I think that'd make it something special.

 

Just my opinion of course; to each their own.

No need to apologise; as you say, to each their own.

 

I think what appeals to me about the layout is how my mate has solved the problem of getting enough space. He lives in a modern semi-detached 'estate' house, has a garage full of motorcycles (and bits) with an extension for his fiddle yard. No indoor space for even a smallish railway in other words.

 

Though clearly it's not as 'comfortable' as an indoor layout (though on a balmy summer's evening with a glass of favourite plonk to watch scale-length ECML expresses go by - well), it does allow him to partly relive his memories. 

 

Though the two locos in the pictures are modified RTR, the majority of the locos and stock he's made himself (from kits or scratch), including a pair of outstanding breakdown trains. I think that is meritorious in itself. 

Edited October 8, 2014 by Tony Wright

[teaky]

"... including a pair of outstanding breakdown trains."

 

Can you talk him into putting something on RMweb Tony?

[Tony Wright]

"... including a pair of outstanding breakdown trains."

 

Can you talk him into putting something on RMweb Tony?

I'll put some images on tomorrow.................

[Tony Wright]

As promised, pictures of the two crane trains running on the outdoor layout I photographed this week.

 

 

 

I'll ask about their origins but I think the larger crane uses some Hornby parts (with a lot of scratch-building) and is representative of the Peterborough breakdown train. The ancillary vehicles are built from kits or scratch.

 

The NE-based one is from a D&S kit (I think) and represents part of a track-lifting train. Again, I think the ancillary wagons are kits and scratch-building.

 

I'll post some more details when I know.

[Tony Wright]

 

Just in for photography is Hornby's latest 2 HAL EMU.

 

A full review will be appearing in the next issue of BRM.

[jwealleans]

Those two Engineers' trains are beautiful.  I think I recognise some elements of them, but I shall be interested to know the rest.

 

In the first one the leading van is ex-ECJS (D & S) and the 4 wheel van is GN (D & S again).  The trailing saloon I'm not familiar with.

 

The second one has an ex-NER D 171 van at the rear (D & S or John Fozard).  If the crane is D & S then he's done a great deal to it or not used very much of the kit.  It's a lovely job.

[PGC]

Yesterday I had the great pleasure of visiting an old mate in the dear old North Riding (actually Tees-side now but neither of us recognise 1974!) to photograph his layout in a garden. 

 

Since the discussions about 'selective compression' have taken place, this layout set me thinking of what one might do if there were not enough space indoors. Build outside, where 40 x 30-odd feet is not an issue and neither are tight curves.

 

Yes, it's seasonal thing and next week it'll all be taken down for winter storage. But, the Peco Code 100 stands up well, all joints are hard-bonded and it's great to watch scale-length trains disappearing into the distance. Suspension of disbelief I think it's called, and it's great fun. It also works exceptionally well. 

 

Photographing it was easy (the Lord's light, with a bit of fill-in flash), though to make the scenes more 'realistic' I'll do some Photoshopping, but not on every one. 

 

Any thoughts?

 

DSC_9320.JPG

 

DSC_1293.JPG

 

Dsc_1293 altered.jpg

 

A description will appear in the spring of next year in BRM.

 

As an earlier posting said, opinions on editing photos are personal, and for me, the last photo doesn't work. Even in East Anglia, where big skies are famous, there are items such as trees etc. behind the railway, so having the sky coming right down to the railway all the way across is certainly better than the fence, but my feeling is that it could be made better still.

 

Phil

[PGC]

As an example of what I mean in posting 2628, Tony visited the Barking club when I was a member and took photos of some of the layouts, one of which is the picture below of Marshwood, an O gauge layout. To me, this is so believable because of the addition of the interesting skyline above the railway. I'll let other people decide.

 

 

Phil

 

PS - I trust Tony doesn't mind me attaching this photo, he took it for a prospective article in BRM, I believe it never appeared but I left the club 10 years ago. If Tony would prefer, I will delete the photo.

 

 

[it's-er]

Oh please don't delete the photo at post 2629! - it ranks among the very best of model railway photography. Am I really seeing grass grow by the sleeper chairs, or am I imagining it?! The effect is really superb.

 

And am I right in thinking that the station building in the second photo of the breakdown train is Otterington, on the ECML between Thirsk and Northallerton, rebuilt in the 1930a after track widening?

 

John

Edited October 10, 2014 by it's-er

[Tony Wright]

Yesterday saw another splendid time spent with visitors who brought a wide variety of very interesting items of motive power to run on Little Bytham.

 

 

 

 

 

Nigel Robertson brought his usual mixture of kit-built GWR locos which happily trundled round. I hope the last two ARE Bulldogs. If not, my apologies for my remarkable ignorance. I think several of his were old K's kits, built well into the last century. 

 

 

 

 

Eric Place brought this trio of locos, built and finished by himself. The Black Five is a DJH kit, the 75XXX a Replica body on a Comet chassis and the Royal Scot a complete Comet kit. How often a 55A 7P ran on the M&GNR is open to conjecture.

 

 

Eric also brought this J50 he built from a DJH kit. Though a GNR/LNER-prototype, LB would never have a station pilot, but it looks nice.

 

 

Of great interest was this OO works C13. It's sold unnumbered, the buyer choosing (one assumes) which one. It's well-finished, though the lining is a little thick and it was a bit noisy. Interestingly, Jason Thomas brought an OO Works loco earlier in the week and that was noisy too. 

 

Thanks gents for a great day!