Wright writes.....

[Clive Mortimore]

The practice weekend is also necessary for the simple time taken to put the stock on the track, connect up three links and to decide on full coaching stock formations (we assume that 8-9 coach formations won't 'cut it' on Little Bytham!) - that in itself usually takes several hours of set up at a show as it is.

 

Looking forward to it immensely

Hi Graham

 

Are you leaving the stock once you have set it up.....I am sure "Sir" will give it a good test during the week.

[Michael Edge]

From a thread about twitching servos a week or so ago.

 

Yesterday at the club I had the DAB radio on 'Planet Rock', very occasionally there was a crackle as a train ran through (dirty track?) and the message 'Poor signal' came up on the display probably not helped by the metal framed building and the hot dry weather conditions at the time. I thought - good time to try the TV suppressors on the Tortoise motors that had caused bad radio interference previously. I operated the two points at that end of the layout and boy the crackle on the radio was so bad that the DAB radio signal would drop out for a couple of seconds so, fitted both Tortoise motors of this crossover with the TV/radio suppressors and BINGO no more crackles or signal drop outs.

As I said before most of my locos have suppressors fitted but many people's kit built locos won't have and they could be the reason for twitching servos. I'll check out the type of suppressor I used from Maplins (sic) and I'm sure they will be available for buttons on Ebay. Ofcourse it also goes without saying, keeping ones track clean and pick ups in good fettle also helps.

When fitting suppressors they should be as close to the offending motor as possible i.e. motor terminals, I fitted them across the tags on the Tortoise and it seems to work.

The reason I know a wee bit about this interference is because my dad was an electrical engineer first for Reyrolle in Hebburn then Honeywell in Scotland. He used to complain that my trains were interfering with the telly so he got some suppressors and soldered them across the track terminals of the Hornby Dublo trainset (posh Eh), yes there were suppressors in the locos too but it was probably dirty track however, it cured the problem.

 

Dave Franks.

 

Edit, I should have said, this is DC I'm talking about. DCC chips have TV/radio suppessors already incorporated and may require the orignal suppressor disconnecting.

This is similar to the item I've fitted, dirt cheap :   https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/50-x-100nF-0-1uF-Ceramic-Disc-Capacitor-104-25V-UK-1st-CLASS-POST/291263960300?hash=item43d0af54ec:g:CRkAAOSwpDdU84z2

 

When I test run motors (without suppressors) in the workshop the DAB radio goes silent.

[MJI]

Possibly both - Darlington and Doncaster Green were slightly different Of course -whether either of those two were in the correct shade of the period - I do not know.

 

But they both look fantastic

 

Pretty sure Humbrol did Darlington But Precision did both, my A3 is painted with Precision and I only did it to wire handrail, better lining and boiler daylight.

[ArthurK]

Most of my eastern region photos are contained in the my thread Photos from the Eastern Region 1960s-1980s http://www.rmweb.co....dpost__p__11782

 

There are more from Darlington and Everton crossing. There are a lot in that thread so it might take some time to find what you are looking for but they are more or less in order from North to South.

 

The standby locos at Darlington were taken in sucessive winters of 1863/64 if my memory seves me correctly. We always returned via Darlington in the Winter months. less likely to meet snow that way rather the gorring the moors via  Middlesto in Teesdale. Kirkby Stephen and Tebay.

 

Even that way we sometimes met up with snow.

 

ArthurK

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Photos from the Eastern Region 1960s-1980s http://www.rmweb.co....dpost__p__11782

Edited July 26, 2018 by ArthurK

[jacko]

 

The standby locos at Darlington were taken in sucessive winters of 1862/63 if my memory seves me correctly.

 

ArthurK

 

Photos from the Eastern Region 1960s-1980s http://www.rmweb.co....dpost__p__11782

 

 

You must be very old

[ArthurK]

You must be very old

 

Let me just say that my dad took me to see the Silver Jubilee at Newcastle and that I saw the Coronation several times at Tweedmouth. Nuff said!!!

 

ArthurK

[richard i]

Let me just say that my dad took me to see the Silver Jubilee at Newcastle and that I saw the Coronation several times at Tweedmouth. Nuff said!!!

 

ArthurK

Where is the jealousy button?

[Tony Wright]

The practice weekend is also necessary for the simple time taken to put the stock on the track, connect up three links and to decide on full coaching stock formations (we assume that 8-9 coach formations won't 'cut it' on Little Bytham!) - that in itself usually takes several hours of set up at a show as it is.

 

Looking forward to it immensely

I'm looking forward to it immensely as well. 

 

You can make the trains up as long as you all like, Graham (up to 15 cars or 50 wagons on the longest roads). However, don't expect any modified RTR locos to take those with ease, at least as far as my experience goes. Never mind, if they 'fail', post-War Pacifics could be substituted!

 

What's the longest train you run on Grantham? 

 

See you on Sunday.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[gr.king]

I'll bring a couple of hammers in case any of my stock needs fine adjustments....

[jamie92208]

I'll bring a couple of hammers in case any of my stock needs fine adjustments....

The good old Manchester Spanner also known as the Birmingham screwdriver.

 

 

Jamie

[Barry Ten]

The good old Manchester Spanner also known as the Birmingham screwdriver.

 

 

Jamie

 

aka "percussive maintenance".

 

Al

 

ps - good luck all with the big LNER weekends, the results will be keenly anticipated.

[Tony Wright]

Tony ... interested in your thoughts on this. Would accurate prototype representation with something like this simply look wrong on a model - ie as if you have failed to fix it on level and true .... or would it add to the character. In my mind the jury is out.

 

Same with other prototypical deviations from the true and straight (wobbly tender lines etc)

An interesting question...................

 

I hope the following pictures give food for thought. Please observe copyright restrictions.

 

 

It would seem that for any accurate depiction of an ex-GC 2-8-0, the front buffer beam and valance should be bent down, indicating a hefty shunt at some point in the past. 

 

 

In fact, such a shunt that it's actually fractured the valance!

 

 

Ex-GC passenger locos were not exempt, either. And, would anyone solder such rough patches on the base of the cab? 

 

 

 

Many ex-NB locos seemed to have a ding in their handrail, but only on the RH side. I wonder why? 

 

 

Whenever I build A1s, I endeavour to get the smoke deflectors vertical. Why do I bother?

 

And, not even the aristocrats were exempt from dents and dings.

 

 

I've built a model of 60002, but didn't put the dent in the front casing or that scuff behind the buffer on the LH side.

 

 

Could Doncaster out-shop an A4 to perfection? It would seem not. Note the dent in the side of the casing and that really 'leaning-back' cab!

 

What do the above show? That if we scrupulously followed prototype practice in our loco-building, that building would just look roughshod and poor? Perhaps there is an excuse for 'grotty' modelling. 

 

I must admit, I've never striven to replicate anything like the examples above. Yet, because of this, are my models less accurate? Probably. 

Edited July 26, 2018 by Tony Wright

[jwealleans]

I think the answer to the longest train question is 25 plus brake (both loaded and empty coals) and 10 bogies (it gets slightly complex with twins and quints).  The heaviest train is the 16:00 (Set 5 iteration 2) which always demands a Cock.

[Tony Wright]

I think the answer to the longest train question is 25 plus brake (both loaded and empty coals) and 10 bogies (it gets slightly complex with twins and quints).  The heaviest train is the 16:00 (Set 5 iteration 2) which always demands a Cock.

Short trains then, Jonathan? 

 

It'll be something different. 

 

Safe journey tomorrow. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

Edited July 26, 2018 by Tony Wright

[Headstock]

I think the answer to the longest train question is 25 plus brake (both loaded and empty coals) and 10 bogies (it gets slightly complex with twins and quints).  The heaviest train is the 16:00 (Set 5 iteration 2) which always demands a Cock.

 

A What ?!!!!

[Bucoops]

I can't wait to see this either. You guys have a challenge however - convert Tony to the bright (green) side

 

Seriously - should look great!

[Wibble]

An interesting question...................

 

I hope the following pictures give food for thought. Please observe copyright restrictions.

 

What do the above show? That if we scrupulously followed prototype practice in our loco-building, that building would just look roughshod and poor? Perhaps there is an excuse for 'grotty' modelling. 

 

I must admit, I've never striven to replicate anything like the examples above. Yet, because of this, are my models less accurate? Probably. 

Just a quick observation here Mr W........ are you preaching to the vast majority of railway modellers that a layout should follow prototype practice, and even better an exact copy of the track plan of one's choice of location, but when it comes to rolling stock you model just what you see through rose tinted glasses? 

 

Each and every item of rolling stock I model is copied faithfully from photographs - that's the way it was, warts an' all. Nothing roughshod and poor about that!

[Tony Wright]

Just a quick observation here Mr W........ are you preaching to the vast majority of railway modellers that a layout should follow prototype practice, and even better an exact copy of the track plan of one's choice of location, but when it comes to rolling stock you model just what you see through rose tinted glasses? 

 

Each and every item of rolling stock I model is copied faithfully from photographs - that's the way it was, warts an' all. Nothing roughshod and poor about that!

Thanks Kier,

 

I can (and do) preach on a wide variety of subjects (except religion, because I'm not superstitious), including the building of actual prototypes. How can anyone model 'accurately' somewhere which doesn't or didn't exist, with, obviously, no photographs available? 

 

 

Does this old thing have enough 'warts an' all'? It's based on a prototype picture, though I haven't included the droopy front platform. In its defence, it's very old - nearer 50 years old than 40, and I built it from a K's kit (after chucking anything mechanically K's away!). 

 

Definitely roughshod and definitely poor. No brakes, not much detail, though it still runs very well. Even viewed through 'rose-tinted' specs, it's still rather grotty!

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

Edited July 26, 2018 by Tony Wright

[Jon4470]

Everything is now in readiness for the practice LNER weekend on LB, starting tomorrow.

 

fiddle yard empty 01.jpg

 

fiddle yard empty 02.jpg

 

The last time I took a picture like this was a decade ago, when I first laid all the fiddle yard/non-scenic section track. The time taken on insisting on large-radius points, transitional curves (where possible) and the greatest care in laying/wiring have not been wasted, because (apart from the odd SEEP point motor failure) operation and reliability have been impeccable. Though there is definitely a lot of track (comparatively, though not in the same league as Retford or Carlisle), my decision to make the 'entrance' to every road as 'straight' as possible (not using curved or smaller-radius points) has been vindicated; and not trying to cram too much in, which leads to compromised running. 

 

I look forward to these roads being filled with delicious stock from the likes of Graeme King, Jonathan Wealleans, Graham Nicholas, Roy Mears, Barry Oliver and Jesse. The practice weekend will be necessary to ensure that all the locos/stock perform faultlessly; any adjustments being made before the full running-session.

 

Hello Tony

 

A question if I may?

When I see the fiddle yard empty like it is in these photos it makes me wonder how you designed it. Is there a secret or is it trial and error?

 

Jon

[Hollar]

On the subject of modifying Mk1s, can anyone recommend the best way to remove numbers from the new Hornby maroon examples, and the best-matching decals with which to replace them? I have a stack of SKs to differentiate...

 

Regards,

Gavin

For my money, you can't do better that CCT transfers (usual disclaimer)

 

Tone

[jwealleans]

A What ?

Andrew, you can't possibly have followed the Grantham thread and not seen Mr. King's splendid array of Cocks? He has so many they have their own area (the Cock Holding Area) in the loco storage arrangememts.

 

I have no doubt they'll be on display at the weekend, although I'm bringing mine too in the hope I'm allowed to get it out at some point.

 

Fnarr.

[2750Papyrus]

Andrew, you can't possibly have followed the Grantham thread and not seen Mr. King's splendid array of Cocks? He has so many they have their own area (the Cock Holding Area) in the loco storage arrangememts.

 

I have no doubt they'll be on display at the weekend, although I'm bringing mine too in the hope I'm allowed to get it out at some point.

 

Fnarr.

Does he have one called Bantam?

[jwealleans]

He does.

[Headstock]

Andrew, you can't possibly have followed the Grantham thread and not seen Mr. King's splendid array of Cocks? He has so many they have their own area (the Cock Holding Area) in the loco storage arrangememts.

 

I have no doubt they'll be on display at the weekend, although I'm bringing mine too in the hope I'm allowed to get it out at some point.

 

Fnarr.

 

I have often wondered why my browser keeps blocking the Grantham thread. Hopefully, there will be an audio-only version of the LNER take over of LB for followers of a more sensitive disposition. I may take a peek at the M&GN section but if anything threatening hoves into view I will immediately unplug the computer.

[LNER4479]

You can make the trains up as long as you all like, Graham (up to 15 cars or 50 wagons on the longest roads). However, don't expect any modified RTR locos to take those with ease, at least as far as my experience goes. Never mind, if they 'fail', post-War Pacifics could be substituted!

 

What's the longest train you run on Grantham?

 

Regards,

 

Tony.

Flying Scotsman set usually loads to 10 or 11 as it doesn't stop at the station. All others tend to be 8 or 9.

 

We'll need to bring every last teak that'll turn a wheel with us to make rakes up to 15. Jonathan's in charge of the 50 wagon goods consists.