Wright writes.....

[Hollar]

Being of a certain vintage myself, I have yet to see what is so new and/or special about Internet Shopping that gets everyone so passionate.

 

We had a virtually identical mechanism back in the 1970s when I got married and my new wife, to generate a little extra income, became an agent for the "Kay's Catalogue" (there were others, such as Littlewoods, Grattan etc.).  The only real difference was that instead of computer screens you 'browsed' a dirty great thick paperback book about two inches thick and in Glorious Technicolour.  You read the descriptions, selected the item you wanted, filled-in a form to order it, your Agent submitted the form (by 'snail mail' of course), you sat back and waited, and two or three days later a Man in a White Van turned-up with a parcel ... which you examined the contents of and then, 50% of the time, immediately sent it back by a 'returns' procedure - because once you actually saw 'it' in the flesh, or felt the material, or whatever, you realised it wasn't actually  what you'd expected or wanted - and had you only gone to a proper shop in the first place you'd have known that within seconds.

 

For all practical purposes, where's the difference?  Or am I missing something? 

 

Yes, actually I realise I am - you could, if you wished, pay for the goods in instalments to the Catalogue Company, rather than as nowadays having to pay up-front and in full, with any 'instalments' then owed to your Credit Card Company instead.  Big deal!

Perhaps - browsing across suppliers worldwide to get the best price; doing your prepurchase research to make sure what you buy is actually (a) what you need and (b) fit for purpose; listening to samples before buying a recording; buying from suppliers that know you can post your verdict on their wares and customer service - and in such a way that other potential customers will be able to read what you have written and factored it into their own decisions; your own choice of payment and credit arrangements; having an absolute legal right to return items without needing to specify why.

 

Choice, credit options,  information access and legal rights - seems a long way from Kays or Littlewoods.

 

And what have the Romans ever done for us?

 

Tone

Edited August 5, 2018 by Hollar

[robertcwp]

 

 

Seriously though, were you the author of the RM article on scratchbuilt BTH Type 1s back in the late 80s?  Don't know why it sticks in my head.

Many years ago, I was on a railtour with Graham Broad (not on this forum - he is the main person behind the P4 'Harton Gill' and HO Villefranche la Chapelle). We found ourselves sitting next to the person who built those BTH Type 1s. I recall he said he had several commissions after the article appeared.

[Tony Wright]

Tony,

 

It is with great sadness that I am writing this post to let you know that It is being reported on the New Forum on the "O" Gauge Guild website,that your dear friend and amazing modeller of buildings Allan Downes has passed away.

I am reluctant to start a new topic on this subject just in case it is incorrect,  although I fear that is not the case as many respected people are posting on the subject.

It is a very sad day for all of us that one of the best  old school modellers of fine buildings is no longer with us.

 

Kindest Regards,Derek.

 

PS:- despite doing a search,it would appear that Ian (Old Dubbers) has already started a topic named "Allan Downes..

Thanks Derek,

 

I learned this morning, at the Southwold Show, of Allan's death. 

 

I last spoke with him a few months ago, in the hope of photographing what he was working on (another epic), but it was not to be. 

 

He was a dear friend, and I will remember him fondly. He could be (all at the same time) funny, annoying, frustrating, maddening, giving great joy, offering unconditional friendship and being a marvellous companion. As a gesture once, he offered to make something for me (at mates' rates). At the time WMRC was building Charwelton, and two platelayers' huts were required. I gave him some pictures; simple affairs, timber-built, wooden window frames, brick chimney and stovepipe stack. What arrived? Stone mullioned windows, decorative barge boards, ornate chimneys and, would you believe it (?), crazy paving all around! 'Where are the flying buttresses?' I asked. They were also huge, palatial in their grandeur and quite unlike anything ever seen on the GC. Needless to say, they were rejected. What a guy! RIP my dear old friend. 

 

 

Given a tight brief, his architectural modelling was tremendous. Witness this beautiful model of Spalding station (rendered in red brick) built on commission for Gilbert Barnatt. 

 

Sadly, most of what I photographed of Allan's work was on MF transparency, so where those are at base I have no idea now. However, I have a few digi' mages around, so I'll dig them out in the not too distant future. 

 

My sincerest condolences to his family. 

[westerner]

Tony, I am sorry that I was the bearer of the sad news this morning. But it was good to see and talk to you and Mo again. Oh by the way the Fish and chips down by the harbour were excellent.

[Tony Wright]

Having not long returned from a marvellous weekend at the Southwold Show, may I please thank all the organisers and all those with whom I spoke?

 

 

The winning layout was the ever-popular Gresley Beat, by Cliff Parsons and his excellent crew (this picture was taken some little time ago). 

 

 

I particularly like Stoke by Nayland by David Hawkins of the South Hants Club, in P4. This will be appearing in BRM. There was also another layout I photographed, a little gem in 3mm FS by Mike Corps (pictures to follow). 

 

Between us, Mo and I made around £45.00 for CRUK. And, yet again, I was confronted by two extremes in generosity (or lack of it). Job number one consisted of curing a short (believe it or not caused by the builder mixing up his Romford drivers - on his 0-4-0T, both sides had insulated and non-insulated wheels!). Find it (two seconds), out with the trusty Romford screwdriver and change the wheels around (45 seconds) and tweak the pick-ups (ten seconds). Check, oil and test-run (30 seconds). The donation, £5.00. My most grateful thanks. 

 

Job number two. Dead short on a kit-built loco. Investigate, take body off, discover motor loose and stray wires touching everywhere (four minutes). Check tender; shorts on there caused by wheels touching frames. Adjust, fit insulated washers, check for further stray shorts (eight minutes). Part-dismantle mechanism, adjust motor, make and fit new pick-ups, rewire, clean oil and check for smooth running (20 minutes). Still not happy with bogie alignment, so adjust, tweak and file off metal from lower frames (fifteen minutes). Reassemble whole lot and discover motor is wrong polarity (never, never assume that a loco will run the same way as all the others - my fault!). Alter motor's polarity, changing the wire to the opposite brush (two further minutes). 

 

Check all again and hand back to delighted owner. 

 

'How much?' he asked.

 

'I don't fix a fee, just make a donation to CRUK, please'. 

 

What was handed over? Two quid!!!!!!! 

 

One lives and learns.

 

If ever I see this chap again, it'll be a statement of 'Sorry, can't you see I'm too busy!'

[Tony Wright]

Having a quick dig-around this morning, I found the following images illustrating the work of my dear friend, the late Allan Downes. The buildings in these pictures were built on commission for another friend, Gilbert Barnatt, for his original 'Peterborough North' layout. This has since been dismantled and the buildings sold-on. The locos in these shots were built/modified by a variety of folk, including me. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One could always tell an Allan Downes building. They had that real sense of 'style'. 

[Tony Wright]

See Teenagers! for a more in-depth examination of this topic.

 

I'm looking forward to the Little Bytham 1938 photo gallery. Sorry to hear the somersault signals aren't hanging around - given the joshing about Little Bytham 2018 and Jonathan's work on GNR 6-wheelers, I had started wondering what would be involved in setting up for Little Bytham 1898 but reference to the OS 25" map shows that it would involve a very major rebuild!

It would indeed!

 

The main line was quadrupled in late Edwardian days and an entirely new station built. 

 

We could, of course, go back even further and include Lord Willoughby's Ednam branch.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Tony Wright]

Having worked in a shop the rewards are not that good for such a boring job. So sometimes the devil takes hold and you act like the customers thinks you should, thick. You must be because you are in such a lowly position of serving others. That can be fun, especially when two of you are on the same wavelength. Conversely when you have a customer with what appears to be little knowledge of the product he or she is buying, well the expression "Bulls doings baffles brains" comes into play. So don't perceive your shop assistant as being stupid and useless, he or she might just be living up to your expectations and having fun doing so.  

I'll say little more on this topic, Clive, because it's diverting from the main purpose of this thread - which is modelling. 

 

If I thought the shop assistants were having fun at my expense because I was basically 'ignorant' of the product I wished to buy, and was (genuinely) asking their advice, I would sue! 

 

What kind of a retail world are we living in if this is commonplace? 

 

On entering, I did not assume the assistants were dimwits and didn't consider them of 'lowly position', though, with regard to the former, my opinion quickly changed as the conversations developed. If they were acting being 'stupid and useless', then they deserved Oscars!. If, as you've intimated, that might have been the case, I shall never (on your recommendation?) ever enter Currys/PC World again. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

Edited August 6, 2018 by Tony Wright

[Clive Mortimore]

Having seen the photos of Alan Downes wonderful model of Spalding has inspired me to get out a few snaps of some modelling I did nearly 40 years ago. 

 

I had just joined the Witham club and somehow volunteered/was talked into/ press ganged to make the station building for the new layout. It is supposed to be a mirror image of Spalding station, owing to the station being on a curve the parcels office and gents part of the building was left off. A gents was provided on the facing platform. I learnt a lot about making large structures, some techniques I still use and others were at best called experimental. It never got any guttering or down pipes. I couldn't work out how to make a curved canopy so the poor passengers had to stand in the rain.

 

Street side.

 

Track side.

 

One of the club members had taken a series of very good side on photos of the buildings which I was able to do drawings from. To get the size of the building I counted the number of bricks both across and up and down, not as clever as first it seemed. The problem was I didn't know how big a brick was, so I ran outside and measured one.

 

Looking back the station building showed it was a club layout as it wasn't the best . Now either the guys at the club thought it was good enough (and maybe they couldn't do better) or they didn't want to upset the new guy. I did go on and build the next two club layout station buildings and there never seemed to be any competition by anyone else to have a go.

 

One feature of mine on the layout which I do feel was quite good was this little cameo of RAF airmen debusing either going on leave or being posted to a new airfield.

Edited August 6, 2018 by Clive Mortimore

[Barry Ten]

Looks good to me, Clive.

 

Is anyone else torn by the constant dilemma of whether to view the station from the front or the back? Most of my layouts have ended up with the station being seen from

the platform side, for reasons usually due to space and track constraints, but I always like the atmosphere of a good forecourt, that sense of anticipation of the journey

ahead, and the chance to pose some figures and vehicles in an enticing cameo.

 

Al

[The Fatadder]

Looks good to me, Clive.

 

Is anyone else torn by the constant dilemma of whether to view the station from the front or the back? Most of my layouts have ended up with the station being seen from

the platform side, for reasons usually due to space and track constraints, but I always like the atmosphere of a good forecourt, that sense of anticipation of the journey

ahead, and the chance to pose some figures and vehicles in an enticing cameo.

 

Al

It was a big debate for me with Brent, especially given there was a long wall to the rear of the goods yard parallel to the station.  In the end my hand was forced to have the building at the rear (so looking on from the platform side) purely because having the mainline as far back as possible allowed for larger radius curves.  If that hadn't been the case I think I would have gone the other way round.   Of course I am not complaining that it means I did not need to bother modelling one side of the building! 

 

I think the view from the forecourt out towards the railway gives something akin to the way you see the real thing when travelling. 

[Chamby]

Looks good to me, Clive.

 

Is anyone else torn by the constant dilemma of whether to view the station from the front or the back? Most of my layouts have ended up with the station being seen from

the platform side, for reasons usually due to space and track constraints, but I always like the atmosphere of a good forecourt, that sense of anticipation of the journey

ahead, and the chance to pose some figures and vehicles in an enticing cameo.

 

Al

 

I think it depends on a number of factors, not least the size of the station building.  With smaller buildings some nice effects can be achieved, encouraging people to peer behind the station, but larger structures tend to block too much of what people really want to see.  As an example, here is a picture taken in 1992 of my former Swiss narrow-gauge layout "RiffelAlp" which sited the station building on the viewing side of the layout.  A rather odd railway to post for this thread, but it illustrates the point.

 

 

Edited to add photo!

Edited August 6, 2018 by Chamby

[Barry Ten]

This William Clarke station design (modelled after Abbotsbury) is quite compact and low, so would work well in a foreground scene, but the back of the building is quite boring, with no doors, so I've always preferred to have it this way round. Passengers made their way onto the platform via a side gate, rather than going through the building.

 

 

The goods shed visible on the right is an old Metcalfe kit for a Midland shed, which I tried to make a bit more Great Western in appearance. I'm quite pleased with it as a model (especially as my wife made most of it) but it does act as quite a large view-block when you're looking in on the layout. That said, goods sheds were often much larger than station buildings.

 

Al

[Enterprisingwestern]

Having not long returned from a marvellous weekend at the Southwold Show, may I please thank all the organisers and all those with whom I spoke?

 

Introduction 14.jpg

 

The winning layout was the ever-popular Gresley Beat, by Cliff Parsons and his excellent crew (this picture was taken some little time ago). 

 

Stoke By Nayland 01.jpg

 

I particularly like Stoke by Nayland by David Hawkins of the South Hants Club, in P4. This will be appearing in BRM. There was also another layout I photographed, a little gem in 3mm FS by Mike Corps (pictures to follow). 

 

Between us, Mo and I made around £45.00 for CRUK. And, yet again, I was confronted by two extremes in generosity (or lack of it). Job number one consisted of curing a short (believe it or not caused by the builder mixing up his Romford drivers - on his 0-4-0T, both sides had insulated and non-insulated wheels!). Find it (two seconds), out with the trusty Romford screwdriver and change the wheels around (45 seconds) and tweak the pick-ups (ten seconds). Check, oil and test-run (30 seconds). The donation, £5.00. My most grateful thanks. 

 

Job number two. Dead short on a kit-built loco. Investigate, take body off, discover motor loose and stray wires touching everywhere (four minutes). Check tender; shorts on there caused by wheels touching frames. Adjust, fit insulated washers, check for further stray shorts (eight minutes). Part-dismantle mechanism, adjust motor, make and fit new pick-ups, rewire, clean oil and check for smooth running (20 minutes). Still not happy with bogie alignment, so adjust, tweak and file off metal from lower frames (fifteen minutes). Reassemble whole lot and discover motor is wrong polarity (never, never assume that a loco will run the same way as all the others - my fault!). Alter motor's polarity, changing the wire to the opposite brush (two further minutes). 

 

Check all again and hand back to delighted owner. 

 

'How much?' he asked.

 

'I don't fix a fee, just make a donation to CRUK, please'. 

 

What was handed over? Two quid!!!!!!! 

 

One lives and learns.

 

If ever I see this chap again, it'll be a statement of 'Sorry, can't you see I'm too busy!'

 

Whilst I am not taking issue with your exertions, and I fully agree with your sentiments, but might not the "widows mite" have applied here. The £2 chap might only have £5 available, where as the £5 chap might have had £100, so you got 40% and 5%?

The subject of voluntary contributions is littered with many corpses.

 

Mike.

[petrovich]

Thanks Andrew,

 

As requested................

 

Trains running 30 D3 on local.jpg

 

Trains running 31 D3 on local.jpg

 

Trains running 32 D3 on local passing O2.jpg

 

I finished off last evening following the progress of this lovely little Up stopper. 

 

Trains running 33 K2 on freight.jpg

 

It'll almost be a shame to 'uproot' this beautiful signal in less than a fortnight. Aren't those wagons gorgeous? 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

Those wagons are impressive.

 

Regards

 

Peter

[jamie92208]

It was a big debate for me with Brent, especially given there was a long wall to the rear of the goods yard parallel to the station.  In the end my hand was forced to have the building at the rear (so looking on from the platform side) purely because having the mainline as far back as possible allowed for larger radius curves.  If that hadn't been the case I think I would have gone the other way round.   Of course I am not complaining that it means I did not need to bother modelling one side of the building! 

 

I think the view from the forecourt out towards the railway gives something akin to the way you see the real thing when travelling.

I ended up with a substantial station building hiding the platforms on Green Ayre. It was the only way I could do it and have not yet got the forecourt filled with detail and people, though that will happen. The flip side is that some very nice views have opened up looking underneath the canopies from either end. This photo, taken 3 years ago shows what I'm trying to achieve.

 

There's a lot of barrows, seats and people to go on here plus the footbridge but the effect is starting to show.

 

Jamie

[richard i]

^{Will the 1930s little bytham hae one of these?}

^{I have never seen it modelled or a colour image, so this was coloured in by me. Makes me feel i should have a go at a model of it.}

^Richard

[Tony Wright]

It was a big debate for me with Brent, especially given there was a long wall to the rear of the goods yard parallel to the station.  In the end my hand was forced to have the building at the rear (so looking on from the platform side) purely because having the mainline as far back as possible allowed for larger radius curves.  If that hadn't been the case I think I would have gone the other way round.   Of course I am not complaining that it means I did not need to bother modelling one side of the building! 

 

I think the view from the forecourt out towards the railway gives something akin to the way you see the real thing when travelling. 

Because Little Bytham is not an exhibition layout and thus viewed from the inside, it was entirely natural to have the station booking office facing the inside. 

 

 

Of course, it meant that viewers now get the best view of the Willoughby's back (unless, as here, they're tiny folk walking south along Station Road). Apart from the (just visible) tops of signals and the typically simple GNR station architecture, there's not much model railway stuff here. 

 

 

 

Ian Wilson built the booking office, designing it on his computer. The BR station sign will not be removed for the forthcoming LNER weekend.

 

 

Were the layout of exhibition status, this is the view spectators would get of the booking hall. Not much happening here - entirely prototypical. 

[Andy Hayter]

^{Will the 1930s little bytham hae one of these?}

A4 whitelaw1.jpg

^{I have never seen it modelled or a colour image, so this was coloured in by me. Makes me feel i should have a go at a model of it.}

^Richard

 

Not in that state I hope.  Someone has stolen her outer garments and exposed the mechanism.

[Tony Wright]

Whilst I am not taking issue with your exertions, and I fully agree with your sentiments, but might not the "widows mite" have applied here. The £2 chap might only have £5 available, where as the £5 chap might have had £100, so you got 40% and 5%?

The subject of voluntary contributions is littered with many corpses.

 

Mike.

You could be right Mike,

 

However, in the two cases I cited, the first guy was building the thing himself and the second guy had had the loco built for him. If it were a case of the 'widow's mite', it's the other way round it would seem. 

 

Anyway, despite the menial offerings from the second chap, I sent away a further cheque this afternoon to CRUK for over £70.00 (much more than I first thought). With the £100.00 for Graham Nicholas' signals (thanks again William), that takes us now very close to £2,500 for this year. Will we make £3,000? I hope so, but only with fewer parsimonious customers.  

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

Edited August 6, 2018 by Tony Wright

[Clearwater]

Not in that state I hope.  Someone has stolen her outer garments and exposed the mechanism.

I think 4462 was renamed in the war. If so, wouldn't she have been painted in wartime black first and wasnt that the time some of the valences were first removed?

 

David

[Clive Mortimore]

With this chat about which way is the station facing, does it matter? As long as it is in the right place. It nice to see a station forecourt with some suggestion of activity. But sometimes it is nice to see the platform side as you get a better view of the trains.

 

Something I feel is much more noticeable is the poor siting of goods sheds at country stations which do not follow a prototype. My first question on seeing many is "Would the railway really spend that much money on a second lane to the goods yard?" Many prototype stations had one road to them, like LB.  Second question "How the hell would they get a horse and cart to the goods shed let alone a lorry?" Many of the plans that have appeared in Railway Modeller and the like over the years are guilty of "Now where shall we put the goods shed, oh look there is space there." Don't even think about cattle docks, "Do you heard the cows over the running lines to get them in that dock?"

 

Back to station buildings, I am not going to have one on Sheffield Exchange, instead I am only going to have a small section of concourse and the platform gates. The idea being when you view along the station from the buffer stops you get that "that sense of anticipation of the journey ahead" as Al mentioned.

 

 

There is also a practical reason. If I had a station building the view into the station  would be limited as would access to any errant locomotives. I would not be able to get around the end of the layout, I am not ducking under anything, this is a layout for my old age. I could make the platforms and trains shorter but that would look naff. Trust me it will work.

 

Along the two outer platforms will be building fronts, Platform 8 is wider than the others and will have the parcels office and is just wide enough for road parcels vans to park on. The headshunt for the steam loco yard is long enough to take a GUV, without causing problems when shunting the coal wagons,  and will have an end loading bay on platform 8.

 

"After bumping your gums about goods yards, where's yours" I am sure some of you are saying. The goods yards are the other side of Dignity Street,  the road entrance, exit and goods offices will be placed between the two bridges.

[richard i]

I think 4462 was renamed in the war. If so, wouldn't she have been painted in wartime black first and wasnt that the time some of the valences were first removed?

David

Definitely a change of colour on the b/w picture and lining clearly present so assumed still in blue. I know it is too late for 1930s but still .... looks speedy.

[westerner]

I like your thinking Clive, I would imagine that without a station building you could take some very good up the platform photos.

[Bucoops]

I'm still a long way (very long way!) from layout building but my station of choice has a bit of high level so I will likely want to include a bit of the surrounding area for interest - and by need to have ground level!

 

http://www.history-in-pictures.co.uk/store/index.php?_a=viewProd&productId=7639

 

One thing I noticed on this that was a bit strange - the station wasn't renamed from Shenfield & Hutton Junction until the 1960s yet the sign says Shenfield Station. Nothing's ever simple lol