Wright writes.....

[Clive Mortimore]

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

Ah! Shenfield, the last time I went to the station was following a telephone call. " Hi Dad, I am at Billericay, I got on the wrong train and I am waiting for one back to Shenfield. I have been told there are no more trains until the morning to Chelmsford."

 

Pre- or post the dive under for down Southend trains. All that lovely OLE.

 

Now 14 months ago I had several signaling diagrams for Shenfield, some dating from the early colour light signals and some from the resignaling that took place in the 80/90s but in the pre move clear out they were introduced to the Chelmsford City Recycling chaps.

[Bucoops]

Ah! Shenfield, the last time I went to the station was following a telephone call. " Hi Dad, I am at Billericay, I got on the wrong train and I am waiting for one back to Shenfield. I have been told there are no more trains until the morning to Chelmsford."

 

Pre- or post the dive under for down Southend trains. All that lovely OLE.

 

Now 14 months ago I had several signaling diagrams for Shenfield, some dating from the early colour light signals and some from the resignaling that took place in the 80/90s but in the pre move clear out they were introduced to the Chelmsford City Recycling chaps.

 

Ha ha I have a friend who has made it to Norwich more than once instead of Chelmo lol

 

C'est la vie as the French may say with the signalling stuff Although of course now you have told me you had them... 

[Jol Wilkinson]

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. 

Tony,

 

you should be congratulated on the funds you and Mo have raised.

 

Some people can be very parsimonious. My wife is heavily involved with the local branch of the Samaritans (and so, by default, am I) which is a difficult charity to promote.

 

The majority of suicides in the UK are younger men between 25 and 45. However a "shake the tin" opportunity last year at a  Ipswich FC collected £400, from an attendance of about 14,000. We have also found that it is the womenfolk who are most generous with their contributions.

 

Slightly tongue in cheek, perhaps you should take a lead from the catering industry across the Atlantic who put a suggested "tip" on the check/cheque and have a suggested contribution list on display. Some ideas:

 

Rebuilding badly built kit bought on Ebay - £20:00

Straightening RTR pickups - £2:00

Sorting out bent valve gear  - £3:00

 

More seriously, perhaps one of those "fix the church roof" thermometers with your achievement so far this yeas (but no specific target) might open wallets a little wider.

 

Jol

[Tony Wright]

Tony,

 

you should be congratulated on the funds you and Mo have raised.

 

Some people can be very parsimonious. My wife is heavily involved with the local branch of the Samaritans (and so, by default, am I) which is a difficult charity to promote.

 

The majority of suicides in the UK are younger men between 25 and 45. However a "shake the tin" opportunity last year at a  Ipswich FC collected £400, from an attendance of about 14,000. We have also found that it is the womenfolk who are most generous with their contributions.

 

Slightly tongue in cheek, perhaps you should take a lead from the catering industry across the Atlantic who put a suggested "tip" on the check/cheque and have a suggested contribution list on display. Some ideas:

 

Rebuilding badly built kit bought on Ebay - £20:00

Straightening RTR pickups - £2:00

Sorting out bent valve gear  - £3:00

 

More seriously, perhaps one of those "fix the church roof" thermometers with your achievement so far this yeas (but no specific target) might open wallets a little wider.

 

Jol

That's very kind of you Jol,

 

Actually the idea of a 'loco-clinic/fund-raising' stand for me at shows was not mine. Edward Dickerson, the erstwhile exhibition manager of the Spalding Show suggested it. It's just grown from that.....................................

[Tony Wright]

Some more shots from 80 years ago on LB.

 

 

 

 

Perhaps Graeme King will tell us all about this beautifully-antique train.

 

 

 

And also this one, though I built the loco, from a DJH kit.

 

Please note for all of those who seem keen to blame 'rubber' stock on camera/lens distortion - there is none (nor ever has been) here. 

 

With Graham Nicholas' help yesterday (thanks Graham), I did the first moving footage shots of LB. I must say I'm mightily-impressed with the Panasonic camcorder (though it does show every slight undulation in the trackwork and occasionally wobbly running, especially in tight perspective). The depth of field and the resolution are amazing. 

 

I only really unpacked everything from the camera's box yesterday, and guess what? There IS a battery charger/adapter plug supplied, despite being told 'it's an optional extra'. I've wasted over seven quid on something I didn't need because a pair of chumps in a retail store don't seem to have a clue about what they're selling! 

Edited August 7, 2018 by Tony Wright

[Clive Mortimore]

Some more shots from 80 years ago on LB.

 

Trains running 38 J3.jpg

 

Trains running 39 J3.jpg

 

Trains running 40 J3.jpg

 

Perhaps Graeme King will tell us all about this beautifully-antique train.

 

Trains running 41 Klondike.jpg

 

Trains running 42 Klondike.jpg

 

And also this one, though I built the loco, from a DJH kit.

 

Please note for all of those who seem keen to blame 'rubber' stock on camera/lens distortion - there is none (nor ever has been) here. 

 

With Graham Nicholas' help yesterday (thanks Graham), I did the first moving footage shots of LB. I must say I'm mightily-impressed with the Panasonic camcorder (though it does show every slight undulation in the trackwork and occasionally wobbly running, especially in tight perspective). The depth of field and the resolution are amazing. 

 

I only really unpacked everything from the camera's box yesterday, and guess what? There IS a battery charger/adapter plug supplied, despite being told 'it's an optional extra'. I've wasted over seven quid on something I didn't need because a pair of chumps in a retail store don't seem to have a clue about what they're selling! 

There you go Tony......the kids from 3C

 

I have always liked GNR locos and stock, and seeing them on Little Bytham is quite a treat. 

 

 

Glad to hear you are now in the movie business.

[Markeg]

Tony is now the director and producer rather than the star in front of the camera.   I have a few of those DVDs on building Locos.

 

Move over Clint Eastwood and Ron Howard.

 

Looking forward to seeing what you produce Tony and keep the camera rolling.  Enjoying the photos of LNER stock too.

 

Mark in Oz

[queensquare]

Kim and I were at the excellent Southwold show at the weekend and enjoyed a couple of evenings in the pub with Mo, Tony and Mike Corp putting the world to rights - nothing much seems to have changed but the banter was fun even if we were told off a couple of times for discussing 'wheels and stuff'!

 

I'm also really enjoying the 1930s shots of LB, looking forward to the movie! Will you be borrowing Roy's speedometer to ensure that Mallard passes LB at the correct speed for the filming. It would be interesting to see exactly what 126mph looks like on a model - I suspect slower than we would imagine. I've often run trains at what, to the naked eye, appears to be a realistic speed only to be shocked at how fast it looks when playing the footage back.

 

Jerry

[Hollar]

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.

 

Riffelalp 26.jpg

 

Edited to add photo!

No apologies needed to me at any rate for posting such a beautifully evocative photo. 

 

I worked in Switzerland for a while and fell in love with its railway system in all its guises.  Iain Rice likes to use the word modellogenic, but Swiss railways are downright model-like with their variety, sharp curves, shortish trains, freight services, and heir general air that the whole thing has been specially preened up for a royal visit.  Little need for weathering skills on a layout set in Switzerland.  If there is a station in the world less like a train set than Montreaux I would like to see it.

 

Tone

[Tony Wright]

Kim and I were at the excellent Southwold show at the weekend and enjoyed a couple of evenings in the pub with Mo, Tony and Mike Corp putting the world to rights - nothing much seems to have changed but the banter was fun even if we were told off a couple of times for discussing 'wheels and stuff'!

 

I'm also really enjoying the 1930s shots of LB, looking forward to the movie! Will you be borrowing Roy's speedometer to ensure that Mallard passes LB at the correct speed for the filming. It would be interesting to see exactly what 126mph looks like on a model - I suspect slower than we would imagine. I've often run trains at what, to the naked eye, appears to be a realistic speed only to be shocked at how fast it looks when playing the footage back.

 

Jerry

Thanks Jerry,

 

Mo and I thoroughly enjoyed our time, too. 

 

It was good to meet up again with Mike, though neither of us could believe that it's nearly 20 years ago since I photographed his West Harptree. 

 

Still, his latest is a little cracker, and I'm glad I got the opportunity of taking some photographs. Three mm Scale is beautiful, isn't it? 

 

 

 

 

This is 'real' modelling in my book. No RTR-reliance, and much-the-more-interesting because of it. 

 

And, it's going in the MRJ? 

Edited August 7, 2018 by Tony Wright

[Enterprisingwestern]

Thanks Jerry,

 

Mo and I thoroughly enjoyed our time, too. 

 

It was good to meet up again with Mike, though neither of us could believe that it's nearly 20 years ago since I photographed his West Harptree. 

 

Still, his latest is a little cracker, and I'm glad I got the opportunity of taking some photographs. Three mm Scale is beautiful, isn't it? 

 

Heybridge Wharf 10.jpg

 

Heybridge Wharf 11.jpg

 

Heybridge Wharf 12.jpg

 

This is 'real' modelling in my book. No RTR-reliance, and much-the-more-interesting because of it. 

 

And, it's going in the MRJ? 

 

3mm.

The lost opportunity?

 

Mike.

[Tony Wright]

Some more shots showing the delicious trains now running on LB...................

 

 

Both these locos are by Graeme King, the nearer one being the 'proposed' Ivatt/Gresley 2-6-2 (which would have been a V1 were it built?). 

 

 

More beautiful wagons. The C12 is scratch-built, and the property of Ian Wilson. 

 

 

I know LNER carriages/vans had white-painted roofs when new/ex-works, but they never look natural to me.

 

Might we have tail lamps for the running weekend? 

 

 

And, a D9 heads eastwards on the MR/M&GNR heading for Bourne, Spalding and South Lynn. 

Edited August 7, 2018 by Tony Wright

[jwealleans]

Did someone ask about tail lamps?

 

[davidw]

Some more shots showing the delicious trains now running on LB...................

 

Trains running 43 P2 & V something.jpg

 

Both these locos are by Graeme King, the nearer one being the 'proposed' Ivatt/Gresley 2-6-2 (which would have been a V1 were it built?).

 

Trains running 44 C12 & V something.jpg

 

More beautiful wagons. The C12 is scratch-built, and the property of Ian Wilson.

 

Trains running 45 A1 passing 4-4-0.jpg

 

I know LNER carriages/vans had white-painted roofs when new/ex-works, but they never look natural to me.

 

Might we have tail lamps for the running weekend?

 

Trains running 46 D9 on M&GNR service.jpg

 

And, a D9 heads eastwards on the MR/M&GNR heading for Bourne, Spalding and South Lynn.

The earlier liveries are a striking contrast. Hope you all have a lot of fun. I'm looking forward to the video.

[Tony Wright]

 

When the LNER weekend is over, and LB returns to 'normal', I'll be starting to make the MR/M&GNR girder bridge. These sheets arrived the other day, beautifully-etched by Grainge & Hodder, to the design of Jamie Guest. Thank you once more, Jamie. To me, they represent incredible value - just over £140.00, including postage. Imagine trying to scratch-build something like this. 

 

 

'Proper' green will also be restored. This is my latest SE Finecast A3, painted by Geoff Haynes.

 

 

As will maroon. My latest Tourist Buffet, again painted by Geoff. 

 

 

[LNER4479]

Slightly tongue in cheek, perhaps you should take a lead from the catering industry across the Atlantic who put a suggested "tip" on the check/cheque and have a suggested contribution list on display. Some ideas:

 

Rebuilding badly built kit bought on Ebay - £20:00

Straightening RTR pickups - £2:00

Sorting out bent valve gear  - £3:00

Bit like this, perhaps?

 

[davidw]

MR M&GNR bridge fret.jpg

 

When the LNER weekend is over, and LB returns to 'normal', I'll be starting to make the MR/M&GNR girder bridge. These sheets arrived the other day, beautifully-etched by Grainge & Hodder, to the design of Jamie Guest. Thank you once more, Jamie. To me, they represent incredible value - just over £140.00, including postage. Imagine trying to scratch-build something like this.

 

A3 60102 05.jpg

 

'Proper' green will also be restored. This is my latest SE Finecast A3, painted by Geoff Haynes.

 

Tourist Buffet painted 04.jpg

 

As will maroon. My latest Tourist Buffet, again painted by Geoff.

Tony,

 

Who supplies the buffet?

Edited August 7, 2018 by davidw

[gr.king]

 

 

Trains running 40 J3.jpg

 

Perhaps Graeme King will tell us all about this beautifully-antique train.

 

Trains running 41 Klondike.jpg

 

 

 

And also this one, though I built the loco, from a DJH kit.

 

I shall endeavour humbly to oblige, although those with stridently pure ideas on pre-group rolling stock may be better off going to make a cup of tea while I deal with the first train as that may save them from swallowing their false teeth as they are seized by indignation! There are one or two bogus coach diagrams in the train behind the J3 you see.....

 

The J3 itself is pure K's, including the "D-fit" wheels and the K's motor, both of which I am frequently assured are useless, except they work perfectly well in this particular case.

 

The first and third coaches in the train have many of the features of GN pre-group vestibule stock but they conform to no known specific diagram. They are both conversions of Hornby "Margate" Gresley coaches with cut-and-shut sides to rearrange doors/windows, and/or other tweaks such as extra dividing bars in window apertures to create toplights, ventilator hoods cut out to create more toplights, new resin ends to portray the boarded-over end windows, new guards duckets for the brake-first and in the case of the third vehicle a resin clerestory roof. Underframes have had full replacement of original trussing, battery boxes (or gas tanks) and brake gear. The BFK has replacement Fox bogies. Why?  Well it became apparent that Grantham and my home layout could do with a quick addition of some GN flavour in the vestibule stock and failing anybody offering alternative, expensive, authentic GN coaches built from etched kits, conversion and "modeller's licence" offered the route of least resistance. I did four coaches in all along similar lines.

 

The second coach in the J3's train is I believe one of my earliest attempts to upgrade a Margate Gresley - simply a CK repainted and rebranded as a TK with some replacement of underframe parts, possibly only the trussing in this case.

 

The fourth coach is yet another Margate item, a BCK but much more extensively altered to create a three compartment TK which involved scratch building of most of the necessary new side panels for the extra-long luggage portion. I venture to suggest that the extreme surgery on the sides has introduced a touch of misalignment or "rubberiness" in very tight perspective views of that vehicle, but I have tried to match all ride heights and angles as well as possible.

 

Lurking at the very rear of the J3's train is the only accurate carriage, a former ECJS clerestory luggage brake built from one of the extremely useful past items in the D & S etched brass kits range.

 

 

The train behind the C2 has much cleaner pedigree. The first vehicle is one of the Kirk non-vestibule brakes, built very much as per the instructions. The other five carriages are one of the 1935 steel-panelled sets built for London-Grimsby and London-Leeds services, possibly diagrams 190 and 194/195,  formed as BTK+TK, CK, TK+BTK.

 

I built them from the mostly aluminium Phoenix / Southern Railways Group kits (descendents of the former BSL range) but I chose to use ready-made Hornby Margate bogies as the "normal" bogies, Bachmann Thompson bogies as the articulation bogies, with mostly MJT underframe parts and corridor connectors. They were quite a chore to build, sides having to be trimmed down in height above the windows and the roofs similarly trimmed at the eaves / gutters in order to get coaches that would be true in height and visually compatible with other Gresley coach models. The punched out window apertures needed a lot of careful straightening up with files, door lines needed scribing in, the pressed and therefore rounded "set" in the sides where the brake portion meets the passenger-carrying portion needed careful building up and filing to shape to produce a clean square edge, roof ends needed a deal of work to get them to the right shape and to make them meet the ends neatly. The constructed coaches then needed finishing in attempted "mock grained teak" which should also have full mock beading, although I settled for simply ruling in the primrose yellow ling which suggests to most viewers that the beading on which it should sit is also there.

 

After labouring through the tricky construction of these less than ideal aluminium kits I promptly discovered that some very good etched brass sides for the very same vehicles were available as part of the (then) Southern Pride range. Still, it was all good modelling practice.....

[richard i]

Keep these 1930s photos coming, I am loving them.

Many thanks to all concerned with the endeavour.

Richard

[t-b-g]

MR M&GNR bridge fret.jpg

 

When the LNER weekend is over, and LB returns to 'normal', I'll be starting to make the MR/M&GNR girder bridge. These sheets arrived the other day, beautifully-etched by Grainge & Hodder, to the design of Jamie Guest. Thank you once more, Jamie. To me, they represent incredible value - just over £140.00, including postage. Imagine trying to scratch-build something like this. 

 

A3 60102 05.jpg

 

'Proper' green will also be restored. This is my latest SE Finecast A3, painted by Geoff Haynes.

 

Tourist Buffet painted 04.jpg

 

As will maroon. My latest Tourist Buffet, again painted by Geoff. 

 

Proper green? Cough, cough splutter!

[richard i]

Proper green? Cough, cough splutter!

It is close to GCR express green.

[Tony Wright]

Tony,

 

Who supplies the buffet?

Good morning David,

 

The Tourist Buffet was to be part of a range of etched brass kits for all the Tourist stock. It was etched over 25 years ago, but remained no more than a test piece, consisting of the sides, ends and floor pan. For reasons lost in time now, the range never came on to the market, and the bits I had were all that was produced. They were given to me by a friend of a friend. 

 

The best way of acknowledging the gift of a kit is to put it together, which I did last year. I acquired MJT bogies, underframe/roof/end detailing parts from MJT and Comet, and fitted an MJT extruded aluminium roof. The interior came from Southern Pride and the concertina gangways from Modellers Mecca. 

 

I'd normally paint my own carriages, but Geoff and I barter with regard to his skills and my photography. I think (at least I hope) it's turned out quite well.  

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Chamby]

It is close to GCR express green.

Surely, the colour is most closely associated with the Great Western Railway?

[jamie92208]

Thanks for posting the photo of the etches Tony. I just hope that it actually goes together. I look forward to seeing the results.

 

The 1938 weekend looks as if it is going to be a great affair and I am looking forward to seeing the photos and videos.

 

Jamie

[St Enodoc]

Kim and I were at the excellent Southwold show at the weekend and enjoyed a couple of evenings in the pub with Mo, Tony and Mike Corp putting the world to rights - nothing much seems to have changed but the banter was fun even if we were told off a couple of times for discussing 'wheels and stuff'!

 

I'm also really enjoying the 1930s shots of LB, looking forward to the movie! Will you be borrowing Roy's speedometer to ensure that Mallard passes LB at the correct speed for the filming. It would be interesting to see exactly what 126mph looks like on a model - I suspect slower than we would imagine. I've often run trains at what, to the naked eye, appears to be a realistic speed only to be shocked at how fast it looks when playing the footage back.

 

Jerry

126 mph in 4 mm scale is just over 29 inches per second.