Wright writes.....

[jamie92208]

My school was rather late to the idea of teaching craft skills tough we had a lovely art teacher who had been the forger during the great escape but was fortunate not to get out. He was apparently waiting in the hut to go down the tunnel when it was discovered.   Anyway by the time I got to the 6th form the school took a great leap forward and built a woodwork block and I enrolled for one double period per week, as something different to sciences.  Our teacher was great and I thoroughly enjoyed my time turning bowls and learning how to make mortice and tenon joints.   This stood me in good stead years later when I helped to restore a horse drawn tram.   

 

Jamie

[APOLLO]

Yes computers are ever increasingly being used to do a myriad of tasks unimaginable just a few years ago, education also. I did ONC Mechanical Engineering then HNC Gas Engineering 1969-74. No computers - we were shown a college electronic calculator (add, subtract, multiply, divide) - a spin off from the NASA space programme - but there being only one it was all slide rules and log tables for us. 

 

My son last year graduated with a Mech Eng masters degree at Liverpool. I remember looking at his final year thesis (checking for spelling mistakes & comprehension) - I understood hardly any of it. All (complex) calculations auto done by computer etc. Basic engineering (as I was taught) is still there, just, but everything else is computer oriented these days, and it's all increasingly ever more complex. 

 

Joinery ? - I'll stick to my 3" x 2" legs connected with angle brackets to the floor and nailed together 2" x 2" framework !!

 

 

No Dettol needed - and it's neither craftsmanship or clever - but it's bl***y strong and does the job !!!!

 

Brit15

[jwealleans]

I had a woodwork teacher who came to school variously in his Austin 7 (regularly), an E-type Jag (rarely) and at least once on his Traction engine. I remember meeting him as he removed the bar from a soon-to-be-demolished pub in Guisborough and then again as he served behind it in its new home in a buffet car on the NYMR. He turned up at our house in a home made open top car, resplendent in flying jacket, helmet and goggles. He was my form teacher for a year and came in to do the register without a pen every morning until the day every child in the room threw one at him when he asked. He once sprinkled the contents of a bottle of Ammonia all over the woodowrk room floor and then shut us in with the smell. I forget why.

 

There is still the odd character among the teachers I meet at parents evenings now, but I wonder whether there are as many or as characterful?

Edited November 29, 2018 by jwealleans

[bbishop]

My craft teacher at school was a lovely man, who had been a Welch triallist before a bu99ered knee had finished his career.  No pain, except to other schools' packs - we were taught a few little tricks.

 

Bill

[Enterprisingwestern]

I don't quite know what to say about your comment as I was a teacher of woodwork in a Middle School and was neither a borderline psychopath nor a raving lunatic.

 

In your opinion.

Pupils usually had differing views!

 

Mike.

[Niels]

Speaking of A2's...

 

"Build them and they will run" - sometimes eventually. 60506 was one of the first kits I built, bought at a Newcastle MRS show when DJH came with all their kits, and parts. This year, I couldn't even buy a tube of Miliput…

 

The A2/2 looks very nice considering You have not made 25 or so before.

I am very tempted to make a modified non- running model to se how the Corbs rebuilding looks in flesh

 

https://imgur.com/ZQjgKpG

 

Can some of the kits be built to EM or P4 to look more true?

Will it be very difficult to move cylinders up front?

Will it be possible to put conrods inside coupling rods?

What is the least expensive kit or RTR way for a first test?

 

I have no layout but asking the full two size P2 groups for assistance is not wise I think.

 

[Tony Wright]

Enough of maniacal teachers for now............................

 

However, some situations exist in schools today where the pupils are 'untouchable, know their rights (way above their responsibilities) and are effectively 'unteachable'. But, I left the chalk face a long, long time ago and some of the recent comments show little respect for teachers, nor any understanding of how hard a job it can be. 

 

All that said, if the comments are said in jest (and I hope they are), then let's all have a giggle. 

 

Now, back to what this thread is all about (or should be) - modelling......................

 

Friend, Andy Sparkes (The Green Howards) has been up for a couple of days, for tuition and to run LB. With regard to the latter, I think I surprised him with how ruthless I am about good running and will not tolerate anything less. My apologies, Andy, if my language was rather Anglo-Saxon and colourful! 

 

 

As for tuition, I've built the valve gear for him on this side of a scratch-built V4 he's acquired. It's Jamieson and Nu-Cast bits, and probably needs adjustment, but it works well and is the guide for his 'homework'; to erect the gear on the other side. Previously it had capital ship-type valve gear, modified from Hornby stuff.

 

He brought along some other models he's completed..............

 

 

An A8

 

 

And an N8

 

 

And the most-recent, a K3 (I think I helped him with this in the past).

 

 

And, finally, a rather weird and wonderful Kitchen Car.

 

Andy, would you mind telling us all about these, please?

 

 

[peach james]

Interesting woodworking teachers-

 

I have a Technical endorsement on my Grade 12 diploma.  So, I have 8 shop credits in high school, (grades 9-13 when I was there, now just 9-12...)

Metalworking- we had a couple of great older guys who taught us metalworking.  Living in a city that had hard rock mines (Dennison was still open when I started High School, and Stanrock lasted until after I was in the mob...), there was quite some use to learning mechanical skills if you were a bit brutish and had a future ahead of you underground.  Welding, Auto, Metal, Drafting, woodwork were the tech courses, with each offered at 9-12 levels.  So, you could finish up with up to about 12 credits (courses, 2 hrs/day, 90 days, or about 180 hrs of instructional time per course) in mechanical skills if you wanted to.  I started with Grade 10 metalwork, being as I had a lathe at home & had spent a bunch of time working for my dad as his slave  cheap labourer doing turning jobs that he had.  I built a Stuart #10V in my grade 11 machine shop, and generally pottered around.  This included playing on a rather less than useful small CNC mill that had been purchased.  It was practically useless, even in aluminum, taking a lot of physical work to make it do anything.  The CAD-CAM-Machine process was interesting to learn, but the machine was definitely the weakest link.  (my homemade mill was a better mill...made from a jig borer head, an x-y table for a drill press & a pump base...)

 

Our woodworking staff were very good, I did woodworking mostly for fun rather than anything serious.  I have my carved guy at home, and a bowl that I turned which has slowly shortened due to delamination.  (it started as a 4 segment deep bowl, is now 2 segments...).  The skills taught in general have done me well, considering that I am right now at work in a mechanical job.  (heating plant boiler operator)

 

I do my own woodwork for the railway, which isn't always as good as it could be, but is about 13 years old now and is still together.   It's not fancy cabintmaking, but does the job.  I'd like to think my woodworking teachers would approve of it- they helped me enough with some ideas for the 1st set of Long Marton baseboards.  I don't remember where I built them, if it was at home or at school, but certainly there was some advice from Mr Lawrence, Mr Houdishell & Mr Fortan involved in them, along with Mrs Jacobson.

 

Some of the shop teachers I had were...interesting... mostly on the substitute side.  But they all did have the good interests of the students in their minds...some of the students were also very much interesting ! (not me, I was always a perfect student !)

 

Students in school:  Oh, you should have heard what a certain 12 (soon to be 13!) year old had fall on his head yesterday.  He's in Grade 8, and the current policy is not to fail students until grade 9.  Well, that's the school boards policy !.   He came home with an I (incomplete) assignment, and moaned about it.  You'd think he'd have learned last year that dad's a dirty rotten so and so when it comes to actually, DOING, your work.  Apparently, this is in Social Studies (History/Geography), and is on Napoleon (Bonaparte).  He said the project had 18 hours of class time to work on it, but that he missed 12 of them.  (which is probably true...he's out of class because he's Autistic, so he goes to other activities for some of his class time).  However, dad doesn't put up with much...he's about to find that his "spare time" at home is now 0 until his work is done...

[Bucoops]

I strongly suspect any craziness of teachers is likely as a result of having to teach reprobates like me.

[petrovich]

I strongly suspect any craziness of teachers is likely as a result of having to teach reprobates like me.

All my teachers were some of the mentally strongest people alive when I look back at some of the reprobates at my place of education, I heard from a old school friend the other day that at least four out of sixteen in our class have visited Her Majesty's establishments for various misdemeanours. Not something to be proud of.

 

So all power to the teachers within reason.

 

Anyway back to railways now 

[2750Papyrus]

My woodwork teachers were appropriately named named Naylor and Sloggett…..

Edited November 29, 2018 by 2750Papyrus

[Northmoor]

However, some situations exist in schools today where the pupils are 'untouchable, know their rights (way above their responsibilities) and are effectively 'unteachable'. But, I left the chalk face a long, long time ago and some of the recent comments show little respect for teachers, nor any understanding of how hard a job it can be. 

 

All that said, if the comments are said in jest (and I hope they are), then let's all have a giggle. 

My comments were absolutely not intended to offend you, or anyone else, in any way, Tony.  If I have, my apologies.  

 

Actually, if the woodwork teacher concerned was reading this, I wouldn't care much if HE was.  But he was a standout exception during my school years.  I had one or two teachers who were very boring and one or two who were quite lazy, just going through the motions of teaching.  They should have gone off and done something else.  I also had one or two who I have very fond memories of, as they were inspiring and kind in equal measure.  It's not like it was an easy job (then or now), but they made it look easy.

 

My wife works at a school and when it comes to "knowing their rights", it isn't the children who are the problem, but the parents.  Their knowledge of responsibilities is frequently, less apparent.

[MJI]

Without meaning to stir the pot I will agree with Northmoor in that some teachers were not the most agreeable and did have somewhat nasty tendencies.

 

In my case near enough all were strict but fair and certainly did a good job of teaching. But one stands out as an absolute nasty b'stard who seemed to take great delight in either humiliating or physically abusing. I won't say too much but many years later I worked for someone who had been one of my form teachers and mentioned this persons name and his behaviour. My former teacher agreed and said the other teachers thought he was not the right person for the job. This P'eed me off even more as with a career of 20+ years no one around him did anything about his behaviour.  

 

Back to modelling, some etches arrived this week.....

 

I had a variety of teachers, must were decent, even the really strict ones. But one was a sadistic b'stard, taught history (well was supposed to) but I managed to get off the subject completely (I did sciences) partly because he was the most sadistic person I have ever met.

 

ALL the pupils hated him.

 

All I can remember was having a foot stepped on quite hard for something minor (I was generally quite good) no idea what it was, possibly poor homework I don't know.

 

Due to this the only history I am interested in is World Wars and transport history.

 

Done a good job this person must be just over 40 years ago and I still detest the b'stard.

 

I had a lot of exposure to science and maths teachers via railway society and my dad repairing cars. All great people.

 

Oh my woodwork and metalwork teachers were fine as well.

[Mallard60022]

In your opinion.

Pupils usually had differing views!

 

Mike.

 

Thank you for that interesting thought. I shall forget it immediately.

P

[Mallard60022]

I have never seen one of these modelled as far as I can remember (and that's not far back......). Interesting Bogies; from a really ancient pre grouping coach I would imagine?

P

[Tony Wright]

My comments were absolutely not intended to offend you, or anyone else, in any way, Tony.  If I have, my apologies.  

 

Actually, if the woodwork teacher concerned was reading this, I wouldn't care much if HE was.  But he was a standout exception during my school years.  I had one or two teachers who were very boring and one or two who were quite lazy, just going through the motions of teaching.  They should have gone off and done something else.  I also had one or two who I have very fond memories of, as they were inspiring and kind in equal measure.  It's not like it was an easy job (then or now), but they made it look easy.

 

My wife works at a school and when it comes to "knowing their rights", it isn't the children who are the problem, but the parents.  Their knowledge of responsibilities is frequently, less apparent.

I wasn't offended at all,

 

In fact, I rarely am offended (more often than not, the other way round). 

 

Keep on posting....................

[Tony Wright]

I have never seen one of these modelled as far as I can remember (and that's not far back......). Interesting Bogies; from a really ancient pre grouping coach I would imagine?

P

Phil,

 

Andy left us about a couple of hours ago, and headed home.

 

He'll post some information about all the models I've shown pictures of later, or tomorrow. The car above certainly has an interesting build-history. 

 

Speaking of build-histories, we really got on well with projects over the last two days. Not only is the gear on one side of the V4, but he now has a sweet-running J6 chassis as well. He builds things, wants to build more things and to learn the dodges of how to build many more things. 'An excellent pupil', one might have written on his report. 

 

Whether I was an excellent teacher is debatable, at least with regard to subsequently running the railway. My zeal and ruthlessness really came through when (because of my mistake) I caused a train derailment. This is something not to be tolerated and 'Sir' rather lost his temper. 'It comes with the territory' was his response. If nothing else, it proved my intolerance of poor running/poor operation. However, the end result was two sessions of running the sequence, with the layout's performance virtually faultless (not my performance). We both had a most-enjoyable time.

 

Thanks Andy. 

[Willie Whizz]

 

My wife works at a school and when it comes to "knowing their rights", it isn't the children who are the problem, but the parents.  Their knowledge of responsibilities is frequently, less apparent.

 

Mmmm ... I blame the parents of the parents, i.e those of us born in the fifties, sixties and early seventies.  I was a Governor, and eventually Chair of Governors, at a local primary school in the nineties and noughties and the trend was rapidly gaining traction even then, and I understand it's worse now.  My generation don't seem to have done a very good job of setting an example and training our own kids to be parents!  And the other major problem is the "Yuman Rites" issue, which has been developed in ways that would have seemed insane to those who devised the concept in the aftermath of World War II.  Don't get me wrong, I do believe in the principle of Human Rights - I just don't believe they can or should be divorced from Human Responsibilities.

Edited November 29, 2018 by Willie Whizz

[rowanj]

Apologies.. My photo of the A2/2 was posted on this thread in error so I'll delete it..it was intended for my layout thread.

I blame my parents, Latin Master,and lots of other folk..nothing to do with me.

John

[Clive Mortimore]

I would like to say sorry, I seem to have started something about teaching, parents, schools etc. All I was saying was my woodworking skills were limited because Mrs Groves, my form teacher and Mr Knight my metalwork teacher thought it was better I didn't do woodwork anymore. Two very good teachers who I still hold in the highest regards. I had a lot of good teachers who helped me.

[St Enodoc]

'An excellent pupil', one might have written on his report. 

My fourth-form history report read "He must work harder to maintain this standard". My grade was D. I took this as a coded message that there was no point continuing into my O Level year, so I didn't!

[LNERandBR]

In secondary school, the History and Geography classrooms had blackboards which streached from floor to ceiling. They were a 'roll over' type.

 

One of my History teachers had an interesting punishment if you misbehaved. He would instruct the class to copy down in their books what he wrote on the blackboard. He wrote quickley and could churn out enough for what he'd written first to start appearing from the bottom of the board. He'd then start wiping off and continueing.

 

He expected your best handwriting and if you didn't write fast enough to keep up then the section you were copying would dissapear over the top of the board. You knew you'd be in more trouble when he marked the books and found you were missing some!

[westerner]

When I was teaching and it came to report time our head Dai Jones banned the use of the phrase s "could do better" of " needs to work harder" on the grounds that they were meaningless as they applied to everyone including us the staff.

[jamie92208]

As I had two teachers for parents I have to be careful and am also aware that Sir has asked us to desist but on a lighter note, my music teacher had an unusual punishment for any of us who misbehaved in his class.   The miscreant would be given 15 od 30 minutes "Drill" which normally consisited of PT run by a prefect but in Mr Stalker's case you had to climb the 300 feet up to the school chapel and hand pump the Willis organ while he practised such thngs as Bach's toccata and fugue. 

 

No more school related stories now as I'm off over to the shed to continue adding detail parts to my 2F, which now runs well.

 

Jamie

Edited November 30, 2018 by jamie92208

[Barry O]

Any news on the 12 wheel kitchen car please?

Baz