Wright writes.....

[Tony Wright]

Another five locos parcelled-up and posted off this morning...................

[Woodcock29]

4 hours ago, manna said:

G'Day Folks

 

I could do with a little help, I need some chassis spacers, ( as seen below), are they still available, if so where ! Living in Oz can have it's drawbacks. I haven't seen any for sale for many years, and those that I do have, I've had for 50 years. Thanks in advance to everyone who can point me in the right direction.

 

Terry. (aka manna)

Terry

How many do you need?

I could supply you with a few to save Tony sending them from UK.

Andrew

[Tony Wright]

Further to what I was mentioning this morning...................

 

Seen already, this is the pair of DJH Austerities from the collection of the widow mentioned last month. 

 

The top one, which looks much more-natural and runs superbly, was sold immediately. 

 

There was no interest in the lower one (even though its driving wheels are superior in appearance). Why not? 'Despite' being built by DJH some 40 years ago (in the firm's Banbury days) and described as being 'Yet another superb RTR model from DJH', it ran like a lame dog and sounded like a chain saw. The DJH provenance with it claims that 'It's been thoroughly tested on a large layout'. I can only presume that the testers were myopic and deaf! It was also wired to the opposite polarity. 

 

What might it be worth in the state it was? £50.00, if lucky? Since the original (deceased) owner only had his models on display in glass cabinets, perhaps he didn't care how it ran or how loud it was, but for resale value, good running and lack of grinding noises are prerequisites. 

 

Last month, I showed what I did with it. Here are some further images..............

 

 

 

 

 

I've decided to buy it for myself, for not a huge amount. Should folk think that that's profiteering, I might point out that (after stripping down the chassis - amazingly, I've been able to retain the friction-fit drivers) it now runs superbly, and without the accompanying racket. It also goes the right way when current is applied. Not only that, I've dry-brush-weathered it, added a crew and fitted a lamp. It now fits in perfectly as a layout loco on LB (not that I really need any more WDs). 

 

Out of interest, what might it be worth now, I wonder? 

 

As much as a Bachmann RTR equivalent? 

 

 

What's one of these cost nowadays? 

 

 

The late Dave Shakespeare certainly made a magnificent job of weathering one of his, and it's certainly the equal (or better) of anything I've ever produced WD-wise. 

 

Returning to DJH Austerities.................

 

This is one from the current collection. It's very well-made and runs fine (visually) but it's noisy because of its open-framed motor. I don't have time to make it silent, so I've sold it for £75.00 (it'll be on its way to Australia next week - thanks Iain). 

 

Here's another one..........

 

 

This is not as well-made, but it runs beautifully and is much quieter than the other one (amazingly, it has a silent Portescap). The numbers are lifting off this side and it needs a touch-up of the paintwork in places. 

 

Someone has expressed an interest (also at £75.00), so we'll see. A bit of TLC and weathering and it'll be fine.

 

Interestingly, access to the motor is by lifting off the boiler, which is not attached to the footplate. .  

 

 

[grahame]

And now for something completely different, and in N/2mm scale. . . . .

 

I've been bashing a couple of old Farish TEA tankers (Met-Cam types with non-continuous sole-bars/stub chassis) in to representation of more modern 102t GLW class A bogie tank wagons with continuous sole-bars, long catwalks and riding on Gloucester GPS 25 bogies as built by The Standard Wagon Company in 1980, batch numbered 82200 to 82213, for use by Total in delivering petroleum products. 

 

I've got them to this stage and next need to consider weathering and getting out the dry brushes, washes and powders to grubby them down;

 

 

[polybear]

5 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

Another five locos parcelled-up and posted off this morning...................

 

Hi Tony,

At this rate you'll soon be granted your own "named" parking space outside the Post Office.

Kind regards,

Brian

[Ray Flintoft]

Good afternoon, Tony et al . I have just completed a DJH Raven class A.2 , modified to represent one of the later engines with Cartazzi  truck .This is the first time I have attempted LNER livery & also hand lining & I have to say I have great admiration for those modellers who  build & paint LNER livery engines .

   This isn't in the same class , but I did have fun , especially with my slightly shaky hands . The kit , incidentally , was no. 149 of 175 .

                   Ray .

[APOLLO]

3 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

Despite being built by DJH some 40 years ago (in the firm's Banbury days) and described as being 'Yet another superb RTR model from DJH', it ran like a lame dog and sounded like a chain saw. 

 

Didn't they all !! - Springs Branch ones certainly did, A very loud Clink Clank while lugging mineral wagons at 15mph top speed is how I remember them - I rarely took their numbers as most were unreadable under a 1/4" of filth. !!

 

Tony, why not build a model of Central Wagon Co. Wigan for your (very few) errant locos ? A small "plank" layout.

 

One of Dad's photos.

 

 

You could include a pacific also. The only one scrapped at Wigan, 46243 City of Lancaster stands awaiting scrapping on February 6th 1965.

 

 

A little tale added to the above Photo (Wigan World website)

 

https://www.wiganworld.co.uk/album/photo.php?opt=3&id=15811&gallery=central+wagon+%26+thompson..

 

Just to make another point, the low wagon to the right of the loco, we were paid the grand sum of £4 for cutting one of those up, all the timber floors had to be taken off first and stacked to one side, for the loco we were paid £2 a ton and all scrap had to be of a size no more than 4ft by 2 ft by 1ft hard work, and dirty work, the blue asbestos boiler boiler blankets were dropped where you were working and you sat on them, burned into them, and at times even had your meals sat on them, being on a piecework rate you were out in all weathers, I doubt you would be allowed to work like that in this day and age.

 

Brit15

[TheSignalEngineer]

43 minutes ago, APOLLO said:

 

Didn't they all !! - Springs Branch ones certainly did, A very loud Clink Clank while lugging mineral wagons at 15mph top speed is how I remember them

Stanier 8Fs could make a similar noise when they had a few miles on the clock, especially the ones without the star on the cab side which IIRC actually had the wheels correctly balanced.

[Manxcat]

Are you an experienced railway modeller? If you think you are then, just for a bit of fun, how many of the following can you say you have done or relate to you? 

 

1. Burnt yourself with a soldering iron.

2. Cut yourself with a bladed scalpel you were using as a modelling knife.

3. Stuck your fingers together with superglue.

4. Left a fingerprint in a plastic model because liquid solvent got onto your fingers.

5. Knocked over an open bottle of solvent which then covered more than 10% of your working surface.

6, Taken a loco to Tony Wright's loco clinic at a show for him to service or repair,

7. Been to three or more "How To" talks at a model railway show. 

8. Been to a model railway show at the Central Halls Westminster.

9. Have at least 20 railway related books which you have not read nor browsed through for over a decade.

10. Hand built a point in any gauge.

11. Modelled a building from scratch.

12. Constructed a complete loco from a kit.

13 Been given a piece of rolling stock as a birthday or Christmas present  in exactly the period, gauge and livery you wanted.

14. Built a working semaphore signal from a kit.

15. Used an electric static grass applicator.

16. Painted a model loco crew.

17. Spray painted your hand instead of your model.

18. Built a complete layout yourself.

19. Exhibited it at a model railway show.

20. Written an article published in a model railway magazine.

 

If you have done all 20 then you are clearly an experienced, and probably gifted, railway modeller. (Well IMHO anyway.)

 

Archie

[t-b-g]

13 minutes ago, Manxcat said:

Are you an experienced railway modeller? If you think you are then, just for a bit of fun, how many of the following can you say you have done or relate to you? 

 

1. Burnt yourself with a soldering iron.

2. Cut yourself with a bladed scalpel you were using as a modelling knife.

3. Stuck your fingers together with superglue.

4. Left a fingerprint in a plastic model because liquid solvent got onto your fingers.

5. Knocked over an open bottle of solvent which then covered more than 10% of your working surface.

6, Taken a loco to Tony Wright's loco clinic at a show for him to service or repair,

7. Been to three or more "How To" talks at a model railway show. 

8. Been to a model railway show at the Central Halls Westminster.

9. Have at least 20 railway related books which you have not read nor browsed through for over a decade.

10. Hand built a point in any gauge.

11. Modelled a building from scratch.

12. Constructed a complete loco from a kit.

13 Been given a piece of rolling stock as a birthday or Christmas present  in exactly the period, gauge and livery you wanted.

14. Built a working semaphore signal from a kit.

15. Used an electric static grass applicator.

16. Painted a model loco crew.

17. Spray painted your hand instead of your model.

18. Built a complete layout yourself.

19. Exhibited it at a model railway show.

20. Written an article published in a model railway magazine.

 

If you have done all 20 then you are clearly an experienced, and probably gifted, railway modeller. (Well IMHO anyway.)

 

Archie

 

Interesting selection. I can manage them all except No. 6. I don't need anybody else to fix my locos!

[Northmoor]

21 minutes ago, Manxcat said:

Are you an experienced railway modeller? If you think you are then, just for a bit of fun, how many of the following can you say you have done or relate to you? 

 

1. Burnt yourself with a soldering iron.

2. Cut yourself with a bladed scalpel you were using as a modelling knife.

3. Stuck your fingers together with superglue.

4. Left a fingerprint in a plastic model because liquid solvent got onto your fingers.

5. Knocked over an open bottle of solvent which then covered more than 10% of your working surface.

6, Taken a loco to Tony Wright's loco clinic at a show for him to service or repair,

7. Been to three or more "How To" talks at a model railway show. 

8. Been to a model railway show at the Central Halls Westminster.

9. Have at least 20 railway related books which you have not read nor browsed through for over a decade.

10. Hand built a point in any gauge.

11. Modelled a building from scratch.

12. Constructed a complete loco from a kit.

13 Been given a piece of rolling stock as a birthday or Christmas present  in exactly the period, gauge and livery you wanted.

14. Built a working semaphore signal from a kit.

15. Used an electric static grass applicator.

16. Painted a model loco crew.

17. Spray painted your hand instead of your model.

18. Built a complete layout yourself.

19. Exhibited it at a model railway show.

20. Written an article published in a model railway magazine.

 

If you have done all 20 then you are clearly an experienced, and probably gifted, railway modeller. (Well IMHO anyway.)

 

Archie

Well my modelling experience amounts to Diddly-Squat compared to most on this thread, but was surprised I could say Yes to five of them.

 

There is of course a flaw if this is a tick-list to be an "experienced modeller"; if you aren't one now you never will be as it's no longer possible to complete #8.  Not sure the combination of 18 & 19 is fair on many of the accomplished modellers on this thread either.....

 

I appreciate the list is not meant to be taken too seriously though.  I would add, "Cannot remember when they last built a model kit completely in accordance with the instructions".

[Tony Wright]

31 minutes ago, Manxcat said:

Are you an experienced railway modeller? If you think you are then, just for a bit of fun, how many of the following can you say you have done or relate to you? 

 

1. Burnt yourself with a soldering iron.

2. Cut yourself with a bladed scalpel you were using as a modelling knife.

3. Stuck your fingers together with superglue.

4. Left a fingerprint in a plastic model because liquid solvent got onto your fingers.

5. Knocked over an open bottle of solvent which then covered more than 10% of your working surface.

6, Taken a loco to Tony Wright's loco clinic at a show for him to service or repair,

7. Been to three or more "How To" talks at a model railway show. 

8. Been to a model railway show at the Central Halls Westminster.

9. Have at least 20 railway related books which you have not read nor browsed through for over a decade.

10. Hand built a point in any gauge.

11. Modelled a building from scratch.

12. Constructed a complete loco from a kit.

13 Been given a piece of rolling stock as a birthday or Christmas present  in exactly the period, gauge and livery you wanted.

14. Built a working semaphore signal from a kit.

15. Used an electric static grass applicator.

16. Painted a model loco crew.

17. Spray painted your hand instead of your model.

18. Built a complete layout yourself.

19. Exhibited it at a model railway show.

20. Written an article published in a model railway magazine.

 

If you have done all 20 then you are clearly an experienced, and probably gifted, railway modeller. (Well IMHO anyway.)

 

Archie

A splendid selection Archie,

 

Real food for thought. How did I do?

 

Obviously not 6, nor 13 and 15. I have built a complete layout by myself, but it was never exhibited (just as well!). So, 16 out of 20; probably average...............

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Tony Wright]

3 minutes ago, Northmoor said:

Well my modelling experience amounts to Diddly-Squat compared to most on this thread, but was surprised I could say Yes to five of them.

 

There is of course a flaw if this is a tick-list to be an "experienced modeller"; if you aren't one now you never will be as it's no longer possible to complete #8.  Not sure the combination of 18 & 19 is fair on many of the accomplished modellers on this thread either.....

 

I appreciate the list is not meant to be taken too seriously though.  I would add, "Cannot remember when they last built a model kit completely in accordance with the instructions".

"Cannot remember when they last built a model kit completely in accordance with the instructions".

 

That bit's easy. Never!

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Tony Wright]

Three new interesting books for review this month in BRM...........

 

 

Very comprehensive.

 

 

A few muddled locations, but pretty much the 'standard work'.

 

 

And, something brand new!

 

 

 

 

[t-b-g]

50 minutes ago, Manxcat said:

Are you an experienced railway modeller? If you think you are then, just for a bit of fun, how many of the following can you say you have done or relate to you? 

 

1. Burnt yourself with a soldering iron.

2. Cut yourself with a bladed scalpel you were using as a modelling knife.

3. Stuck your fingers together with superglue.

4. Left a fingerprint in a plastic model because liquid solvent got onto your fingers.

5. Knocked over an open bottle of solvent which then covered more than 10% of your working surface.

6, Taken a loco to Tony Wright's loco clinic at a show for him to service or repair,

7. Been to three or more "How To" talks at a model railway show. 

8. Been to a model railway show at the Central Halls Westminster.

9. Have at least 20 railway related books which you have not read nor browsed through for over a decade.

10. Hand built a point in any gauge.

11. Modelled a building from scratch.

12. Constructed a complete loco from a kit.

13 Been given a piece of rolling stock as a birthday or Christmas present  in exactly the period, gauge and livery you wanted.

14. Built a working semaphore signal from a kit.

15. Used an electric static grass applicator.

16. Painted a model loco crew.

17. Spray painted your hand instead of your model.

18. Built a complete layout yourself.

19. Exhibited it at a model railway show.

20. Written an article published in a model railway magazine.

 

If you have done all 20 then you are clearly an experienced, and probably gifted, railway modeller. (Well IMHO anyway.)

 

Archie

 

Can I have an extra point for a variation on No 5? In addition to knocking over solvent (more than once), I have shaken a tin of paint which didn't have the lid on properly and put a blotchy strip of bright yellow paint on the ceiling and also knocked over a bottle of superglue (the nozzle was blocked so I had cut it off and I was dipping a wire into the bottle) and mopped it up with kitchen roll, which then stuck to my fingers and got so hot that it started smoking. So I ended up with smoking kitchen roll stuck to my fingers.

 

Experience and ability don't always go hand in hand. 

[TheSignalEngineer]

10 minutes ago, Northmoor said:

Well my modelling experience amounts to Diddly-Squat compared to most on this thread, but was surprised I could say Yes to five of them.

Likewise, but I managed over half of them. I have done No.8, but it must have been about 50 years ago. 

I've not taken a loco to Tony but he did give me some advice on using etched sides on RTR donors. I don't exhibit but one of my scratch built buildings is on a layout which has been exhibited and featured on here. Oh, and the last time I did grass I don't think applicators had been invented. I don't have use for one at the moment as I am doing Black Country in the days when we were an industrial nation and the only signs of green were the canal water and the Bournmouth-Birkenhead train.

[Bernard Lamb]

I am a miserable failure.

Beaten by 6 and 19.

Although I might be able to claim half a point as I have just bought a loco from Tony and he has checked it over.

Bernard

[grahame]

1 hour ago, Manxcat said:

Are you an experienced railway modeller? If you think you are then, just for a bit of fun, how many of the following can you say you have done or relate to you? 

 

1. Burnt yourself with a soldering iron.

2. Cut yourself with a bladed scalpel you were using as a modelling knife.

3. Stuck your fingers together with superglue.

4. Left a fingerprint in a plastic model because liquid solvent got onto your fingers.

5. Knocked over an open bottle of solvent which then covered more than 10% of your working surface.

6, Taken a loco to Tony Wright's loco clinic at a show for him to service or repair,

7. Been to three or more "How To" talks at a model railway show. 

8. Been to a model railway show at the Central Halls Westminster.

9. Have at least 20 railway related books which you have not read nor browsed through for over a decade.

10. Hand built a point in any gauge.

11. Modelled a building from scratch.

12. Constructed a complete loco from a kit.

13 Been given a piece of rolling stock as a birthday or Christmas present  in exactly the period, gauge and livery you wanted.

14. Built a working semaphore signal from a kit.

15. Used an electric static grass applicator.

16. Painted a model loco crew.

17. Spray painted your hand instead of your model.

18. Built a complete layout yourself.

19. Exhibited it at a model railway show.

20. Written an article published in a model railway magazine.

 

If you have done all 20 then you are clearly an experienced, and probably gifted, railway modeller. (Well IMHO anyway.)

 

Archie

 

Nope, to No.6

No.10 - I've hand built a point kit but not very successfully

Nope to No.14 - semaphore signals are outside my modeling era/area but yes to CLS.

 

So, assuming only half a point each for 10 and 14 then 18 out of 20. Is that a pass mark or is grade inflation pushing that up these days.

;-)

 

 

[Andy Hayter]

I've never knocked over a bottle of solvent - firstly by good luck and latterly because I use the Tamiya solvent bottles which are very stable.  I have however done the equivalent with flux.  Do I get a half point?

[James Fitzjames]

1 hour ago, Manxcat said:

Are you an experienced railway modeller? If you think you are then, just for a bit of fun, how many of the following can you say you have done or relate to you? 

 

1. Burnt yourself with a soldering iron.

2. Cut yourself with a bladed scalpel you were using as a modelling knife.

3. Stuck your fingers together with superglue.

4. Left a fingerprint in a plastic model because liquid solvent got onto your fingers.

5. Knocked over an open bottle of solvent which then covered more than 10% of your working surface.

6, Taken a loco to Tony Wright's loco clinic at a show for him to service or repair,

7. Been to three or more "How To" talks at a model railway show. 

8. Been to a model railway show at the Central Halls Westminster.

9. Have at least 20 railway related books which you have not read nor browsed through for over a decade.

10. Hand built a point in any gauge.

11. Modelled a building from scratch.

12. Constructed a complete loco from a kit.

13 Been given a piece of rolling stock as a birthday or Christmas present  in exactly the period, gauge and livery you wanted.

14. Built a working semaphore signal from a kit.

15. Used an electric static grass applicator.

16. Painted a model loco crew.

17. Spray painted your hand instead of your model.

18. Built a complete layout yourself.

19. Exhibited it at a model railway show.

20. Written an article published in a model railway magazine.

 

If you have done all 20 then you are clearly an experienced, and probably gifted, railway modeller. (Well IMHO anyway.)

 

Archie

Dismal dozen - Och well, I'll just hand my Modeller's Card in on the way out... 

[Tony Wright]

12 hours ago, Dunsignalling said:

It's been interesting to follow your (mainly) altruistic efforts to find good homes for locos whose owners are no longer around to enjoy them, to the benefit of those left behind and CRUK.

 

A pal and I are doing something similar on a smaller scale for a mutual friend recently departed and I think once will be enough for us! It might be a bit easier if we hadn't been friends with their source.....

 

Latest discovery is a nicely built DJH (we think) Britannia with a gummed up Portescap but no tender - hopefully that will be in another box we have yet to open.....

 

John

 

   

Thanks John,

 

I wonder (though might it always have been thus?) if we're seeing an 'alarming' rise in the number of models coming on to the market now; because there are more modellers dying that ever before? 

 

I can recall down the years, WMRC members helping out bereaved families, but not at this rate. I'm off next week to see yet another collection on behalf of a widow..........

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[john new]

4 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

Thanks John,

 

I wonder (though might it always have been thus?) if we're seeing an 'alarming' rise in the number of models coming on to the market now; because there are more modellers dying that ever before? 

 

I can recall down the years, WMRC members helping out bereaved families, but not at this rate. I'm off next week to see yet another collection on behalf of a widow..........

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

An alternative thought is that the current crop of modellers passing on have managed to accrue much larger collections than modellers managed in previous eras. 

[TheSignalEngineer]

25 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

I wonder (though might it always have been thus?) if we're seeing an 'alarming' rise in the number of models coming on to the market now; because there are more modellers dying that ever before? 

Or is it just the better communication now through the internet? I now know more modellers albeit some 'Penfriends' and their work that I did in the days of just paper magazines and getting to the occasional exhibition. I've had a lot of discussions about various projects with modellers I would never have known about without RMweb

Edited August 18, 2021 by TheSignalEngineer
typo

[TheSignalEngineer]

10 minutes ago, john new said:

An alternative thought is that the current crop of modellers passing on have managed to accrue much larger collections than modellers managed in previous eras. 

I did wonder that as well. My collection has certainly improved greatly in number and hopefully sometimes in quality with more time in retirement and better materials/RTR availabble to work with.

[PMP]

2 hours ago, Manxcat said:

Are you an experienced railway modeller? If you think you are then, just for a bit of fun, how many of the following can you say you have done or relate to you? 

 

1. Burnt yourself with a soldering iron.

2. Cut yourself with a bladed scalpel you were using as a modelling knife.

3. Stuck your fingers together with superglue.

4. Left a fingerprint in a plastic model because liquid solvent got onto your fingers.

5. Knocked over an open bottle of solvent which then covered more than 10% of your working surface.

6, Taken a loco to Tony Wright's loco clinic at a show for him to service or repair,

7. Been to three or more "How To" talks at a model railway show. 

8. Been to a model railway show at the Central Halls Westminster.

9. Have at least 20 railway related books which you have not read nor browsed through for over a decade.

10. Hand built a point in any gauge.

11. Modelled a building from scratch.

12. Constructed a complete loco from a kit.

13 Been given a piece of rolling stock as a birthday or Christmas present  in exactly the period, gauge and livery you wanted.

14. Built a working semaphore signal from a kit.

15. Used an electric static grass applicator.

16. Painted a model loco crew.

17. Spray painted your hand instead of your model.

18. Built a complete layout yourself.

19. Exhibited it at a model railway show.

20. Written an article published in a model railway magazine.

 

If you have done all 20 then you are clearly an experienced, and probably gifted, railway modeller. (Well IMHO anyway.)

 

Archie

2-7 9 & 17 all nope for me, so that’s 12, I can live with that