Wright writes.....

[Clem]

43 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

The Down pick-up reverses into the Down north lay-by. The loco was built by Allen Hammett, and Tony Geary repainted/weathered it. A J39 would not be all that common at LB, but it's a really lovely runner.

Another lovely sequence of shots Tony. Great atmosphere.

 

64747 is interesting. It was the last surviving J39 (how I wish it could have been preserved) and lasted until 1964 stored at Woodford Halse (was it used as a stationary boiler?). It was also a Colwick engine in my period (1955) before moving to Leicester Central, Gorton and finally Woodford Halse. That's a smashing model of it. Is it SE Finecast or Pro-scale?

[grahame]

To take advantage of the lockdown my next project is building a block/row for the back of the layout. Here's the current aerial view of the block and my plan of how I'll make adjustments to it for my build. I'll be making it as one complete model.

 

 

Obviously it wont be an accurate replica and will need some backdating. The thick black line is the extent of the model (from the front) to produce a low relief building. I'll leave out the section between the red lines to provide some compression and reduce the overall length of the block. And I'll need to back date the structure by not including the modern block (behind the pub frontage) and the associated flat and modern roof above the yellow line.

 

Here's a pic of the pub in 1980 (in B&W) compared with how it looks now (last year when I took the photo). Unfortunately it's no longer a pub and only the façade exists with a modern office block built behind:

 

 

 

 

 

[Headstock]

5 hours ago, Clem said:

On the subject of the Bachmann O4 running plate, I am living with the wrong version on a couple of my O4s. I haven't figured out a way of reliably correcting it yet.

 

Afternoon Clem,

 

I hope your safe and well. I went the route of altering the Bachmann running board. It was actually a lot easier than I thought it would be. I just filed back the valance to the height of the platform, it was then a matter of measuring up and marking out the desired platform changes and filing that to shape. Once I was happy with this, I reinstated the valance from plasticard and blended it in to the original. Photographs of the finished locomotive and during painting. You may be able to just make out in the second photo, that I also cut away the bulk of the material between the left and right-hand  splashers, as far as the saddle, in order to represent the interior of the frames.

 

 

 

Edited April 3, 2020 by Headstock

[Clem]

44 minutes ago, Headstock said:

 

Afternoon Clem,

 

I hope your safe and well. I went the route of altering the Bachmann running board. It was actually a lot easier than I thought it would be. I just filed back the valance to the height of the platform, it was then a matter of measuring up and marking out the desired platform changes and filing that to shape. Once I was happy with this, I reinstated the valance from plasticard and blended it in to the original. Photographs of the finished locomotive and during painting. You may be able to just make out in the second photo, that I also cut away the bulk of the material between the left and right-hand  splashers, as far as the saddle, in order to represent the interior of the frames.

 

 

 

Good afternoon, Andrew. Wow, that's a massive improvement. I have thought about giving it a go before, but chickened out. Both modifications massively improve the model and seeing them in practice is a great encouragement. I've said it before, but your O4/8 hits the nail on the head all round. Perfection. I'll have a crack at the next O4 I do and if all goes well the built ones will be retrospectively modified.

 

I hope you're keeping safe and getting through this virus episode without too much inconvenience. Chris and I are both a bit obsessive with our hobbies  (Chris with photography and me with the trains), so self-isolating is not too bad.

 

Clem.

[Tony Wright]

5 hours ago, Clem said:

Another lovely sequence of shots Tony. Great atmosphere.

 

64747 is interesting. It was the last surviving J39 (how I wish it could have been preserved) and lasted until 1964 stored at Woodford Halse (was it used as a stationary boiler?). It was also a Colwick engine in my period (1955) before moving to Leicester Central, Gorton and finally Woodford Halse. That's a smashing model of it. Is it SE Finecast or Pro-scale?

Good afternoon Clem,

 

Many thanks for your kind comments.

 

I think it's Anchorage. 

 

I think Tony bought it from the estate of Stephen Gradidge (perhaps he'll confirm - he might have done so already). It was in LNER livery and Tony gave it the lovely appearance.

 

It was regularly used on Charwelton. It's too good a model not to use on LB.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

Edited April 3, 2020 by Tony Wright
to include a thank you

[Tony Wright]

The photographing of the Little Bytham sequence is now complete. 

 

It's taken time, but the reward has been the way it's been received.......

 

 

 

Time for the northbound Scotch Goods, the 266 Down. As usual it's hauled by a Top Shed Pacific, in this case 60026 MILES BEEVOR. 

 

 

Two Up train movements at once. 60539 has charge of the last Up Newcastle represented as it passes a light engine N2, returning to Top Shed after servicing at Doncaster. 

 

 

The N2 must be getting a shift on because the express is only just overtaking it. 

 

A passenger in the Gresley dining triplet (Comet) waves at me! 

 

 

 

Time now for the northbound 'Tees-Tyne Pullman', behind Top Shed's 60017 SILVER FOX. 

 

This set is anomalous because the Mk. cars did not appear until 18 months after LB's station was closed and demolished. Modeller's licence?

 

 

Peter Coster tells of a summer Saturday day out in 1958, from Kings Cross to Grantham return (splitting the journey). He travelled from Essendine to Grantham in a DMU - a Peterborough-Lincoln service via the main line to Barkston. I believe the service only ran on Saturdays, and didn't last long. Even more anomalies. Neither 'The Elizabethan' nor the 'Tees-Tyne Pullman' ran at the weekend! 

 

The DMU waits for the passage of the last Down express represented, to Edinburgh/Aberdeen. GREAT NORTHERN is probably unlikely motive power - a Top Shed A1 being more appropriate, but we've had one or two A!s. 

 

 

With the express out of the way, the DMU gets the fast road for Corby Glen, Ponton, Grantham, Barkston, then stations to Lincoln along the limestone escarpment.

 

 

The DMU is followed by a cement block train, 9F-hauled. 

 

 

Another simultaneous move, as the last 'parly' of the day from Grantham heads southward. It's running parallel with an Up fitted freight - York-Kings Cross. 

 

 

The parly departs, next stop Essendine, then Tallington and Peterborough.

 

 

The parly will be put inside at Essendine, so this fitted freight has been given the fast road, following the stopper before probably overtaking it. 

 

 

It'll have to get going because the afternoon 'Talisman' will be hot on its heels. This is the last express in the sequence. 

 

 

In 1958, a special was run from Little Bytham to Kings Cross on just one day. The loadings suggest the train was increased in size at Peterborough. I've surmised that only three carriages returned from Peterborough to Little Bytham, making this the last movement. After arrival (late in the day), and running round the set, this L1 then sets off back to Peterborough with empty stock. I live with the lamp on the carriage being anomalous. Fine for Down running as the last vehicle, but it's firmly glued in place!

 

Many thanks for all the very kind comments.

 

Now, back to that point rodding! 

 

 

 

 

[Chamby]

Tony, the sequence photographs are most excellent.  They give a real feel for the layout and the breadth of stock that you run on it.  Having returned to the hobby in retirement, the scale of LB is something I can but marvel at compared to my own endeavours, so many thanks for sharing it so openly with us.

 

I access RMweb via my iPad and a 27 inch Mac.  When using the latter, the photographs really come to life and the astonishing attention to detail becomes apparent.

 

Sir definitely deserves a team point and a gold star today!

Edited April 3, 2020 by Chamby
clarification

[jamie92208]

I do like the shots from under the bridge Tony, those smoke troughs that Dave did do look nice.  One minor thing you need to add police officer to the list of professions.

 

Jamie

[Tony Wright]

1 hour ago, jamie92208 said:

I do like the shots from under the bridge Tony, those smoke troughs that Dave did do look nice.  One minor thing you need to add police officer to the list of professions.

 

Jamie

Thanks Jamie,

 

I thought that's what you were, but I wasn't sure.

 

Quite a list of careers among the team.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[jamie92208]

There certainly is and most of them 'professions' in one way or another.   It's interesting that Model railway Clubs are usually blessed with a lot of talent but with that mix of professions to draw from it's no surprise.

 

Jamie

[Headstock]

3 hours ago, Clem said:

Good afternoon, Andrew. Wow, that's a massive improvement. I have thought about giving it a go before, but chickened out. Both modifications massively improve the model and seeing them in practice is a great encouragement. I've said it before, but your O4/8 hits the nail on the head all round. Perfection. I'll have a crack at the next O4 I do and if all goes well the built ones will be retrospectively modified.

 

I hope you're keeping safe and getting through this virus episode without too much inconvenience. Chris and I are both a bit obsessive with our hobbies  (Chris with photography and me with the trains), so self-isolating is not too bad.

 

Clem.

 

Thanks Clem,

 

once you break it down, the alteration is not as difficult as you might think. If you look at the underside of the running board, there is a distinct ridge that forms a valance. Once this is removed, then reshaping the platform is a much simpler piece of 2d fettling when viewed from above. The altered platform provides a perfect template to provide a replacement valance.

 

Bar one shopping trip after self-isolation and much to my Surprise, I'm now on day thirty of lockdown. Fortunately, I have lots of garden that keeps me busy at this time of year and plenty of space to run around in. I'm probably in a better position than most to sit out an extended period of going nowhere. Having made sure that if I did have the virus, there is no way I could have infected anybody else. I followed up with all the things that at least make you feel like you're doing something constructive in times of peril, burning grass clippings, that should stop it! Now I have actually found time to do some modelling. I shall endeavour to take some picks and post when I can.

[TrevorP1]

I always found it difficult to keep up with Wright Writes but now we're all on 'lockdown' it's next to impossible! Many thanks to all the contributors, your efforts are appreciated.

 

I've enjoyed Tony's photos of the LB sequence but I'm wondering  how this was arrived at from the huge number of trains that passed every day? My apologies if this has been covered and I have missed it.

 

[Tony Wright]

1 hour ago, Chamby said:

Tony, the sequence photographs are most excellent.  They give a real feel for the layout and the breadth of stock that you run on it.  Having returned to the hobby in retirement, the scale of LB is something I can but marvel at compared to my own endeavours, so many thanks for sharing it so openly with us.

 

I access RMweb via my iPad and a 27 inch Mac.  When using the latter, the photographs really come to life and the astonishing attention to detail becomes apparent.

 

Sir definitely deserves a team point and a gold star today!

Thanks Phil,

 

Remember the 'scale' of Little Bytham is the product of a highly-skilled team. A team made up by invitation, not by being inclusive.

 

I assume your 'endeavours' are solo? If so, you have my admiration. I've never been disciplined (or clever) enough, as well as being lazy, to build a whole model railway by myself - hence, anything I've been involved with, be they static (like LB) or exhibition layouts, has been through teamwork. 

 

Jamie mentioned that model railway clubs are often a rich source of talent (both intellectual and craft-wise), but they don't always build 'successful' layouts. Too often, the standard is levelled off to the lowest common denominator, rather than the highest common factor (if my sums analogy makes sense - have I got it the right way round?). The result can be a mish-mash of standards. Democracy doesn't always work.

 

Having photographed a thousand and more (it must be) model railways, I've come to the following conclusions. 

 

Regarding the 'best' layouts (best, of course, is open to interpretation, but my criteria would be that they look good, work well, have a real sense of time and place and that they're the product of individual modelling, be that by individuals in a group or by themselves). 

 

I have the greatest respect for those who do everything for themselves. They're self-reliant and single-minded and usually multi-talented. I wish I were one of that group. Often their creations take years; years of consistency, resulting in seminal works - Buckingham, Borchester, North Devon, The Highland in stud-contact, etc.

 

Small groups of modellers, with a common aim and of a consistently-mutual standard can also produce some wonderful layouts. By nature, they tend to be exclusive but the end results can be outstanding.

 

As alluded to, layouts built by large groups don't always satisfy, even though they might be vast. 

 

Of course, one can always 'buy' a layout. By that I mean just ask professional modellers to build this, that and the other. Some fine layouts have been arrived at this way, though the standards can be mixed. Obviously they require a significant fiscal resource, but, if properly-managed the results can be impressive. The Achilles' heel of most of these systems is that the owner often has little or no modelling expertise/ability and if something goes wrong is a hostage to fortune, or stuffed! 

 

These are my observations and opinions, based on observation and experience.

 

They should, in no way, be taken as a general template for 'success'. Real 'success' can be achieved by a modeller, working by himself/herself who just does what he/she enjoys - and hang the rest! 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Tony Wright]

6 minutes ago, TrevorP1 said:

I always found it difficult to keep up with Wright Writes but now we're all on 'lockdown' it's next to impossible! Many thanks to all the contributors, your efforts are appreciated.

 

I've enjoyed Tony's photos of the LB sequence but I'm wondering  how this was arrived at from the huge number of trains that passed every day? My apologies if this has been covered and I have missed it.

 

I've enjoyed Tony's photos of the LB sequence but I'm wondering  how this was arrived at from the huge number of trains that passed every day?

 

Thanks Trevor.

 

Many of Bytham's trains are ex-Stoke Summit, where the builders went through all the ECML trains of the day deciding on what to build. The GN/NER/NBR  main line in BR days probably had more named expresses than any other, so we just dipped into these. Obviously, it meant a vast amount of kit-building, but, with a good, consistent team the trains were made. I've made more for Little Bytham because not all the Stoke Summit trains were mine, particularly the freights. 

 

The choice for the trains for LB was really quite simple. It's naturally much more an express passenger line than a freight one, so that decided the majority. Some 47 trains are on the layout at any one time, so which to choose? 

 

Pullmans were a feature, so four were needed - 'The Queen of Scots', 'The Tees-Tyne Pullman', 'The Yorkshire Pullman' and 'The Master Cutler' - two UP, two Down. Two of these are ex-Stoke. 

 

Of the named Edinburgh trains, one had to be omitted - 'The Heart of Midlothian'. One 'Talisman' was made to go north and the other (a different set) made to go south. Both are ex-Stoke. 'The Elizabethan' (ex-Stoke) goes south and 'The Flying Scotsman' (made-up for LB) goes north. I would find it absurd to use the same set of carriages for both Up and Down trains where there are two rakes. The real things have to pass each other somewhere. 

 

Named Leeds trains comprise the Down 'White Rose' and the Up 'West Riding'. There are also two non-named West Riding trains, as well as one York/Hull.

 

Newcastle trains comprise 'The Northumbrian and two non-named rakes.

 

And so on. 

 

To represent all the trans would need a fiddle yard at least five times the size, with the space to put it. It's already taken me more than 40 years to build the locos/passenger/and some freight stock for LB, and I've already had more than my allotted three score years and ten! 

 

Even if I had the fiscal clout to get others to build what was needed, it would give me no satisfaction. It's very important to me that I have a large, practical input to a project. 

 

I think the LB sequence I've shown is 'representative'. It's up to others to decide if my 'thoughts' have worked.

 

Best regards,

 

Tony. 

[3rd Rail Exile]

5 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

I think the LB sequence I've shown is 'representative'. It's up to others to decide if my 'thoughts' have worked.

 

Yes, they definitely have! 

[TrevorP1]

18 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

I've enjoyed Tony's photos of the LB sequence but I'm wondering  how this was arrived at from the huge number of trains that passed every day?

 

Thanks Trevor.

 

Many of Bytham's trains are ex-Stoke Summit, where the builders went through all the ECML trains of the day deciding on what to build. The GN/NER/NBR  main line in BR days probably had more named expresses than any other, so we just dipped into these. Obviously, it meant a vast amount of kit-building, but, with a good, consistent team the trains were made. I've made more for Little Bytham because not all the Stoke Summit trains were mine, particularly the freights. 

 

The choice for the trains for LB was really quite simple. It's naturally much more an express passenger line than a freight one, so that decided the majority. Some 47 trains are on the layout at any one time, so which to choose? 

 

Pullmans were a feature, so four were needed - 'The Queen of Scots', 'The Tees-Tyne Pullman', 'The Yorkshire Pullman' and 'The Master Cutler' - two UP, two Down. Two of these are ex-Stoke. 

 

Of the named Edinburgh trains, one had to be omitted - 'The Heart of Midlothian'. One 'Talisman' was made to go north and the other (a different set) made to go south. Both are ex-Stoke. 'The Elizabethan' (ex-Stoke) goes south and 'The Flying Scotsman' (made-up for LB) goes north. I would find it absurd to use the same set of carriages for both Up and Down trains where there are two rakes. The real things have to pass each other somewhere. 

 

Named Leeds trains comprise the Down 'White Rose' and the Up 'West Riding'. There are also two non-named West Riding trains, as well as one York/Hull.

 

Newcastle trains comprise 'The Northumbrian and two non-named rakes.

 

And so on. 

 

To represent all the trans would need a fiddle yard at least five times the size, with the space to put it. It's already taken me more than 40 years to build the locos/passenger/and some freight stock for LB, and I've already had more than my allotted three score years and ten! 

 

Even if I had the fiscal clout to get others to build what was needed, it would give me no satisfaction. It's very important to me that I have a large, practical input to a project. 

 

I think the LB sequence I've shown is 'representative'. It's up to others to decide if my 'thoughts' have worked.

 

Best regards,

 

Tony. 

 

 

Thank you Tony. On a much smaller scale it's something that I shall need to get to grips with.

[60027Merlin]

Tony,

 

It has been extremely enjoyable viewing the Little Bytham sequences over the last few days. All aspects of the layout flow seamlessly into a complete picture of the ECML in the late 50s producing an accurate atmosphere of that period.

 

Wonderful work from the team over the years.

 

Of course from a strictly unbiased point of view, there is nothing to beat the LNER pacifics!

 

Eric

 

 

[Erichill16]

Evening everyone,

Some great pictures of a great layout. The thread seems to be enthusing readers and getting people to get their tool boxes out. It’s good that some positively is being shown. I’ve not been upto much due to work commitments but have found half an hour to ‘crew’ my A3 and add the necessary lamps. It’s only the Hornby model and I didn’t even have to renumber it. Just added brass plates, coal and a bit of weathering. Still need to change bogie wheels and add fire irons. Hopefully I’ll be able to get in my shed this weekend and do a spot of spraying.

All the best ROBERT

[dibateg]

Another wonderful series of photos Tony, thank you.

 

Yes the J39 was an Anchorage/Proscale kit built by Allen Hammett for the late  Stephen Gradidge. I did meet Stephen a couple of times, a lovely man and keen GC enthusiast. He sadly died on the day of his retirement and I and other members of the 'Risborough club bought items from his estate. His photos still turn up in magazines and books.

The J39 was in LNER livery, so I changed it to 64747 as it was a Woodford engine at one time and weathered it of course. So good to see it still earning it's keep. One J39 did end up as Woodford stationary boiler, I think that was ( confusingly ) 64727. It was known as 'The Chapel' as the fella that looked after it lived in or near a conversion.

 

Best Regards

Tony

 

 

Edited April 3, 2020 by dibateg
Duh got the numbers the wrong way round

[mullie]

J70 now completed and taking its first run on the layout since upgrading. To finish with, screw couplings have been added and relevant panels glazed using glue and glaze. I was going to add etched lamp irons but am now reluctant to tamper with the paint finish.

 

 

 

Martyn

 

 

 

[Tony Wright]

45 minutes ago, Erichill16 said:

Evening everyone,

Some great pictures of a great layout. The thread seems to be enthusing readers and getting people to get their tool boxes out. It’s good that some positively is being shown. I’ve not been upto much due to work commitments but have found half an hour to ‘crew’ my A3 and add the necessary lamps. It’s only the Hornby model and I didn’t even have to renumber it. Just added brass plates, coal and a bit of weathering. Still need to change bogie wheels and add fire irons. Hopefully I’ll be able to get in my shed this weekend and do a spot of spraying.

All the best ROBERT

'It’s only the Hornby model'

 

I think it's a little bit more than that. 

 

It's been very well-weathered and personalised.

 

Well done.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[St Enodoc]

5 hours ago, TrevorP1 said:

 

 

Thank you Tony. On a much smaller scale it's something that I shall need to get to grips with.

As Tony knows, and I think you do too Trevor, I culled the prototype timetable so that the Mid-Cornwall Lines runs about 60% of the real trains on a summer Friday and Saturday in the 1950s. I don't worry about doubling up sets though, as long as there is a decent interval between them reappearing. Remarshalling helps in this regard too. For space reasons, each train is also only about 60% of the prototype length, so for example the real 10-car Cornish Riviera Express is six cars long on the layout.

[Iain.d]

Here are some examples of what I have managed to achieve over the last couple of weeks. We are not as ‘locked down’ here as the in UK but we’re still encouraged to not go out unless its essential – it has meant more modelling time! Now working from home saves me 2 hours a day commuting. I’ve managed to build four Parkside Dundas wagons which, one day, I hope to place in a replication of the 8.25pm Templecombe-Derby perishable service.

 

Here are a two former Southern region parcels vans, a BY (Kit PC36) and a PMV (Kit PC34); the BY is crimson and roof boarded ‘To Work Between Yeovil And Derby’, I don’t have any photos to confirm if this was true but Mike King’s book on Southern Coaches makes mention of it. The PMV is in late Southern green but with BR markings – again not sure if this quite right but I wanted a variation of stock (and I just realised the number's wrong…) – I’m guessing this could have been the case for some vehicles.  The plastic kits have been modified through additions to the underfame detail, handrails and door handles, lamp irons, better roof vents, glazing (cut glass microscope slips), window bars, home made screw couplings, pipework and so on. Alan Gibson buffers on the BY and as they have longer wheelbases they’re both compensated on one axle (MJT).

 

 

There’s been a couple mentions of cattle vans on this thread a few pages back (and on other threads), these are my versions.  Again both Parkside (Kits PC64 and PC67) with added detail. I’ve made end handrails, lamp irons, grab rails, alarm gear, glazing, screw couplings and pipework, all the plastic steps on the underframe have been replaced with brass (the corner ones are Frogmore/Dart) the others soldered up scrap brass.  There’s not much in the way of brake levers and that sort of undergubbins yet, I have ordered a Mainly Trains fret from Wizard – no idea when that will get here, mind you stuff posted last week from the UK arrived yesterday! Again they are intended for use in the perishable service, although there’s more chance of Southern cattle vans being in the train rather than GW ones, but they’ll do.

 

 

 

 

The most disappointing part of building these four wagons has been the application of the transfers, I made a right pigs ear of those! I sprayed the vehicles  and then brushed gloss varnish where they were going to sit. I trimmed as much of the carrier film away as I could but unfortunately they didn’t take to well and silvered badly, especially the BY and the crimson cattle van, but it wasn’t evident before I sprayed the varnish. Time allowing I’ll strip them off this week and see what I can cobble up from old part HMRS sheets I have; failing that I'll probably order a sheet from CCT when they are back up and running.

 

I also have managed to finish off another carriage rebuild. This is a LMS D1696 brake third, Comet sides on a 1980s Mainline donor, Wizard bogie etch (DCC Concepts wheels) and the original Mainline side frames. Scratch built underframe with Comet bits, new buffers, roof vents, door handles and wire handles, screw couplings, corridor connectors and cut glass glazing. It’ll be on the end of a four carriage set.

 

Cheers, Iain

[Tony Wright]

2 hours ago, Iain.d said:

Here are some examples of what I have managed to achieve over the last couple of weeks. We are not as ‘locked down’ here as the in UK but we’re still encouraged to not go out unless its essential – it has meant more modelling time! Now working from home saves me 2 hours a day commuting. I’ve managed to build four Parkside Dundas wagons which, one day, I hope to place in a replication of the 8.25pm Templecombe-Derby perishable service.

 

Here are a two former Southern region parcels vans, a BY (Kit PC36) and a PMV (Kit PC34); the BY is crimson and roof boarded ‘To Work Between Yeovil And Derby’, I don’t have any photos to confirm if this was true but Mike King’s book on Southern Coaches makes mention of it. The PMV is in late Southern green but with BR markings – again not sure if this quite right but I wanted a variation of stock (and I just realised the number's wrong…) – I’m guessing this could have been the case for some vehicles.  The plastic kits have been modified through additions to the underfame detail, handrails and door handles, lamp irons, better roof vents, glazing (cut glass microscope slips), window bars, home made screw couplings, pipework and so on. Alan Gibson buffers on the BY and as they have longer wheelbases they’re both compensated on one axle (MJT).

 

 

There’s been a couple mentions of cattle vans on this thread a few pages back (and on other threads), these are my versions.  Again both Parkside (Kits PC64 and PC67) with added detail. I’ve made end handrails, lamp irons, grab rails, alarm gear, glazing, screw couplings and pipework, all the plastic steps on the underframe have been replaced with brass (the corner ones are Frogmore/Dart) the others soldered up scrap brass.  There’s not much in the way of brake levers and that sort of undergubbins yet, I have ordered a Mainly Trains fret from Wizard – no idea when that will get here, mind you stuff posted last week from the UK arrived yesterday! Again they are intended for use in the perishable service, although there’s more chance of Southern cattle vans being in the train rather than GW ones, but they’ll do.

 

 

 

 

The most disappointing part of building these four wagons has been the application of the transfers, I made a right pigs ear of those! I sprayed the vehicles  and then brushed gloss varnish where they were going to sit. I trimmed as much of the carrier film away as I could but unfortunately they didn’t take to well and silvered badly, especially the BY and the crimson cattle van, but it wasn’t evident before I sprayed the varnish. Time allowing I’ll strip them off this week and see what I can cobble up from old part HMRS sheets I have; failing that I'll probably order a sheet from CCT when they are back up and running.

 

I also have managed to finish off another carriage rebuild. This is a LMS D1696 brake third, Comet sides on a 1980s Mainline donor, Wizard bogie etch (DCC Concepts wheels) and the original Mainline side frames. Scratch built underframe with Comet bits, new buffers, roof vents, door handles and wire handles, screw couplings, corridor connectors and cut glass glazing. It’ll be on the end of a four carriage set.

 

Cheers, Iain

This is beautiful work, Iain,

 

Thanks for showing us. 

 

You've taken these vehicles far beyond my 'sketch-book' approach to modelling. The attention to detail is wonderfully well-observed.

 

In my defence (if defence is the right word) with over 250 carriages/bogie parcels stock and 300 wagons needed for a layout like LB, for everything to be detailed to the standard you've achieved would be impracticable, even impossible; even assuming I had the requisite skills. Granted, I've not made/modified every item of stock on Little Bytham (especially the freight vehicles), but I've made/modified most of the passenger-rated stuff. 

 

I'm certainly not advocating slipshod modelling, but pragmatism dictates some short-cuts, even if a modelling lifetime's is envisaged. 

 

Unless one has an enormous range of resources, where professionals can be brought in, populating a very large layout with high-quality items such as locos and rolling stock, then a very substantial 'sketch-book' is required.

 

Where those resources are available, a layout like Carlisle is possible.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With most of the hundreds of carriages built by Larry Goddard, and locos built by the likes of Mike Edge and Graham Varley, no sketching is necessary.

 

A lot more has been done since these pictures were taken.

 

 Which brings me back (to paraphrase Iain Rice) 'layout vehicles'. Although yours are layout-destined, I'd opine that they're more than that. I commend you.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[dibateg]

I thought I'd better put the record straight regarding Woodfords stationary boiler, to paraphrase the caption in Tony Newtons book ' J10 65158 was the stationary boiler, and that was replaced by 64742, which in turn was replaced by 64747 in 1962' 

 

There were a few J39s at Woodford over the years which included 64955, which I originally made in 4mm scale from the Wills kit on a Triang Jinty chassis - later upgraded with the correct size Romford wheels. It was replaced with Stephen Gradidge's loco.

I have a ready to run 7mm scale Tower one - which I have tinkered with ( and taken the slitting disk to in places! ). I cannot tolerate exposed screwheads, so they have all been dealt with. 64955 was one of the few J39s with the 4000 gallon tender.

 

Regards

Tony