Wright writes.....

[polybear]

5 hours ago, LNERandBR said:

Very much open to constructive advice on how I could improve. 

 

Switch to steam locos....

 

Too late - already gone......

[Jol Wilkinson]

18 hours ago, PMP said:

Correct, John did indeed do that. His work quality was unbelievable, it still inspires me today to try and get a clean finish, his was the best I’ve ever seen, and over the years I’ve seen many excellent ‘tidy’ modellers. 
 

I’d forgotten that tip of his, I’ll get onto it next time I’m building something.

 

He also used a set of scrapers he made from old hacksaw blades, which he used to remove unwanted fillets of solder where they intruded along joints. I once asked him if he had actually soldered his models together so he generously made me a set when and which I still have and use regularly. He also gave me a small etched tag "chisel" also made from a hacksaw blade which cuts through brass and nickel silver cleanly and leaves very little if any cleaning up needed.

 

He was a great modeller, modest and very generous with his advice and guidance.

[Tony Wright]

16 hours ago, LNERandBR said:

On cameras, I moved over to a Mirrorless Canon M50 a few years ago now. 

 

I've had one serious attempt at taking layout photography with it. One of the results of which is below, the Boston MRS's club layout, Tytton Hall Yard:

 

 

Very much open to constructive advice on how I could improve. Looking at it now I think I should have removed the couplings from the locomotives at least.

Good morning Stephen,

 

I think the picture is fine. You've achieved more than adequate depth of field and the lighting is nicely even.

 

What a shot like this illustrates to me (and this is not a criticism of your picture) is the problem of 'realism' (or lack of it) when right-angle bends are needed to enter-exit the off-scene section/fiddle yard. If your eye follows that bend round, where would it end up? Suspended in the sky? 

 

It's one of the greatest obstacles to 'realism' in my book, this going on-/off-scene via a ridiculously tight, visible curve. It's not 'physically' ridiculous; not in model railway terms, because our models traverse it with ease (Bytham's hidden main line curves are 3' minimum radius, which might just be tolerated in a colliery, works or dockyard, and then only by 0-4-0Ts or very short-wheelbase 0-6-0Ts). Those tight curves just look so wrong on main lines.

 

The trick, if 'trick is the right description, is to lose a bit of scenery and go on-/-off scene on the straight, disguising those tight curves by hiding them with a bridge/tunnel with a light-blocker behind. 

 

As has been done on Little Bytham's main line depiction.......

 

 

Taken from the 'far side', this view illustrates the curve beyond the bridge at the south end. 

 

I agree, it's visible from this point of view..........

 

 

But not from this more-normal viewing angle. The train arrives in view on the straight.

 

 

And there's no visible too-tight curve. 

 

It's even more effective as a view-blocker at the north end.................

 

 

Here, the straight bit extends even further off-stage. 

 

 

Yes, in reality, the straight bit should carry on beyond the bridge to the right, but painted trees on the backscene 'deceive' the eye well enough in my opinion. 

 

And who's not convinced that the lines continue straight on behind the photographer? 

 

 

The start/end of that tight off-scene curve is visible from this head-on angle, but only just.

 

If anyone would like to know how Jamie Guest designed and Dave Wager built the magnificent MR/M&GNR overbridge featured, an article is appearing in the next issue of the Railway Modeller.

 

By making the MR/M&GNR bit a complete circle, there was no way of disguising the fact that the rails went on-/off-scene via a tight curve..............

 

 

The dodge here was to put overbridges at both ends, but half way on-/off-stage, tightening the radius out of sight. 

 

By (prototypically) using shorter locos hauling shorter trains comprised of shorter coaches, then the 'unrealism' is mitigated to some extent. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

 

[Dylan Sanderson]

Morning everyone,

 

I was wondering if anyone can help me out here, I remember hearing about some 1950s/60s graffiti at a station or similar somewhere along the ECML that said something like 'Have you seen Cicero?'

Have I completely made that up? Or was that actually a thing? I know she was very rarely found South of the border!

[Hollar]

On 05/01/2022 at 19:52, Tony Wright said:

Thanks Nigel,

 

Have you discovered pictures of his work? As far as I can recall, though he wrote extensively, there were few, if any, photographs of what he was talking about. I could be wrong (and, more probably, forgetful) and be doing him an injustice.

 

Anyone got any pictures of Robbo's work, please? If nothing else, out of historical interest.  

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

I mostly remember him for his letter-writing, where the model-related topic was often shadowed by fairly reactionary views, trenchantly expressed.  It seemed as though he was well to the right of [insert favourite back-bencher's name here], but then it occurred to me that he must have been the son (or conceivably grandson) of the formidable Mrs Laura Ormiston-Chant who was a leading light in the Moral Rearmament movement and thought that light entertainment (and much 0f the rest of Creation) was a Snare of Satan.  Not a house I would choose to grow up in, certainly, and it softened my view slightly.

 

Tony

[4630]

21 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

Good afternoon John,

 

Ah yes, the renowned Nikon F; the camera which went to Vietnam and saved a photographer's life by deflecting a bullet! Did it still work afterwards?

 

 

Regards,

 

Tony.  

 

 

 

You're talking about Don McCullin there, Tony.

 

He describes the moments in Cambodia leading up to the demise of his Nikon F here, for anyone interested - Don McCullin - Sleeping with ghosts

 

I don't think his Nikon F worked afterwards judging from the damage on the right of the top plate in this view - Don McCullin's bullet damaged Nikon F3

 

The camera has been on display at some of the exhibitions of Don's work, which are well worth a visit to see the breadth of his work over the years, not just his photography in war torn conflict zones.

 

 

 

[Tony Wright]

43 minutes ago, Dylan Sanderson said:

Morning everyone,

 

I was wondering if anyone can help me out here, I remember hearing about some 1950s/60s graffiti at a station or similar somewhere along the ECML that said something like 'Have you seen Cicero?'

Have I completely made that up? Or was that actually a thing? I know she was very rarely found South of the border!

Good morning Dylan,

 

The anecdotal evidence I've heard about this (from someone who recalls it) is that it was found at Hadley Wood and was written as 'I died waiting for Cicero'. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[polybear]

20 hours ago, PMP said:

Correct, John did indeed do that. His work quality was unbelievable, it still inspires me today to try and get a clean finish, his was the best I’ve ever seen, and over the years I’ve seen many excellent ‘tidy’ modellers. 
 

I’d forgotten that tip of his, I’ll get onto it next time I’m building something.

 

It would be interesting to know what the baking powder/water ratio is, should you give it a try.....

[zr2498]

2 hours ago, polybear said:

 

It would be interesting to know what the baking powder/water ratio is, should you give it a try.....

Me too. Can't think that I will ever use it for baking!

 

I saw early post about removing sticky rubber (with aging) from the Nikon camera. Baking powder as a paste can also clean off that sticky surface from rubber compounds as it is the surface coating over the rubber that degrades. I solved this problem with some remote controllers after a few minutes of cleaning this way.

[Tony Wright]

I've just submitted a modest article to The Clearing House (the journal of the British Railway Modellers of Australia) on my building of this London Road Models J3. 

 

 

 

 

 

The TCH is an excellent publication, so I hope my piece is accepted. 

 

[Dylan Sanderson]

4 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

Good morning Dylan,

 

The anecdotal evidence I've heard about this (from someone who recalls it) is that it was found at Hadley Wood and was written as 'I died waiting for Cicero'. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

Thanks Tony, I knew I wasn't going insane! Yet anyway, I'm starting my wiring tomorrow...

 

I take it no picture exists of this vandals act?

 

Dylan

[Jol Wilkinson]

4 hours ago, polybear said:

 

It would be interesting to know what the baking powder/water ratio is, should you give it a try.....

 I though John said he used a dilute solution of caustic soda, not baking soda, although my memory could be at fault.

[Ray Flintoft]

5 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

Good morning Dylan,

 

The anecdotal evidence I've heard about this (from someone who recalls it) is that it was found at Hadley Wood and was written as 'I died waiting for Cicero'. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

Happy New Year ,Tony ,and all who frequent this site . When I was a very young train spotter at York station ( 1958 onwards ) the wall in the gents carried a similar plaintive message , in this case " I died here waiting for William Whitelaw ".

                  Best wishes ,

                              Ray .

[Andy Hayter]

1 hour ago, Jol Wilkinson said:

 I though John said he used a dilute solution of caustic soda, not baking soda, although my memory could be at fault.

 

Either will work in neutralising acid flux residues.  Both are alkaline but caustic soda is stronger.

[Tony Wright]

2 hours ago, Dylan Sanderson said:

Thanks Tony, I knew I wasn't going insane! Yet anyway, I'm starting my wiring tomorrow...

 

I take it no picture exists of this vandals act?

 

Dylan

Not that I know of Dylan..........

 

Speaking of vandal's acts (or vandals' acts), an old friend recalls being questioned by the railway police for scribbling something on a poster at Doncaster Station. 

 

On one occasion, at Retford Station, a poster proclaimed the glad tidings of 'Life is Gay at Whitley Bay', complete with an attractive female and, if I recall correctly, a poodle. One kid decided that the girl would look rather better if her breasts were enlarged, and proceeded to accomplish this with his number-noting Biro. I thought it was a remarkable feat of draughtsmanship. A porter witnessed this and administered a practised clip around the ear, whereupon the artist's mates (of which all of us must have been suspected of being) scattered as the culprit bawled! We were then all booted off the station, probably thought of as being complicit. 

 

Think of it today. No doubt the poster's message would be questioned, the visual subject matter itself questioned as well, the scribbler's parents prosecuted for abandoning their offspring (he'd be about 12, and, like the rest of us, totally unsupervised) the scribbler himself taken into care and as for the porter. He'd be charged with common assault, be fined, or even imprisoned, definitely lose his job and all 'spotting would be banned. 

 

Yet now, even far greater abhorent defacing of railway property is endemic in the form of graffiti. 

 

Happy days...........

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

Edited January 7, 2022 by Tony Wright
to add something

[The Pilotman]

28 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

One kid decided that the girl would look rather better if her breasts were enlarged, and proceeded to accomplish this with his number-noting Biro. I thought it was a remarkable feat of draughtsmanship.

That is one of the funniest things I’ve read in a long time. Brilliant Mr.W!

[Bernard Lamb]

To continue with the diversion into female anatomy.

At work we had a young lady who had very large breasts and vey spindly legs.

The structural engineers had great fun making drawings of her anatomy, complete with figures for weight distribution, to prove just how she was able to walk.

Bernard

[robmcg]

On 07/01/2022 at 02:40, Tony Wright said:

Good afternoon John,

 

Ah yes, the renowned Nikon F; the camera which went to Vietnam and saved a photographer's life by deflecting a bullet! Did it still work afterwards?

 

 

Here's mine on the right, bought second-hand decades ago. It has a 60mm Micro lens on the front (just for effect, since I never use the camera now). 

 

The Df to the left is my camera for 'layout photgraphy', and I love it. To all intents and purposes it's exactly the same as the F, except it's digital rather than film, with all the controls grouped as buttons or switches on the outside. No fiddling about in digital sub-menus, which, once accessed (in my case) mean I can't seem to return to the default position I want. As well as a pair of Micro lenses, the 18-35 zoom on its nose (always set at 35) is brilliant for 'eye-level' shots, giving incredible depth of field.

 

....

 

.....

 

I use none of the automatic functions on the camera.

 

I bought it second-hand seven years ago now and it's been in constant use ever since. It's very nicely weathered (like the F).

 

Like all professional cameras should be, it's black; and, equally-professionally, bits of the black are being rubbed off, revealing what's underneath (again, just like the F). It's full-frame and the file sizes are large.

 

With its lenses, it suits me entirely. I can't stack (Andy York once tried to explain the process to me, but was bright enough to give up trying after a short while!), and I achieve depth of field optically, not digitally. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony.  

 

 

 

Good evening Tony,  

 

An interesting and enjoyable post, and I particularly like the reference to obtaining depth-of-field optically rather than digitally.

 

Although I am a mere youngster compared to you, being just turned 71 years, I had a great love of cameras and photography from childhood, the Agfa Clack being my first camera, a hand-me-down from an older brother. Eventually I became a press photographer, and even used my Lieca III bought 2nd-hand in 1968 for about 30 Pounds,  what a thing of beauty that was!  Made in 1936, spent WW2 in Poland, 50mm Summicron lens, rangefinder 35mm and so compact and strong, lovely.

 

I nevertheless enjoyed doing my job well with quite cheap cameras, and much as I would like a full frame digital I have found my answer in a half frame 31MP Canon M6 MkII with 15-45mm lens... 

 

The top end Nikons and even Leicas are things of beauty, as are the best lenses, but fitness for duty is the main thing, short of taking out a mortgage.  I would certainly spend on the good stuff if younger and/or professional. .

 

Now just for fun I photograph 00 models as you know, and don't rely on a digital program to stack things for depth of field, I do it manually with re-size, copy and paste, all very fast and flexible when you do it a few times, and am always in awe of your Df and 35mm macro.

 

And just now, just for mischief, made a faux-1930s look at Top Shed... c1935. In no way an historical document, but enjoyable memory of old b+w photos generally.

 

 

I do hope it does not offend. Very fine Hornby R3840 model too.

 

 

 

 

Edited January 7, 2022 by robmcg
typos

[LNER4479]

Caption contest:

 

[stewartingram]

17 minutes ago, LNER4479 said:

Caption contest:

 

 

1 hour ago, robmcg said:

 

Good evening Tony,  

 

An interesting and enjoyable post, and I particularly like the reference to obtaining depth-of-field optically rather than digitally.

 

Although I am a mere youngster compared to you, being just turned 71 years, I had a great love of cameras and photography from childhood, the Agfa Clack being my first camera, a hand-me-down from an older brother. Eventually I became a press photographer, and even used my Lieca III bought 2nd-hand in 1968 for about 30 Pounds,  what a thing of beauty that was!  Made in 1936, spent WW2 in Poland, 50mm Summicron lens, rangefinder 35mm and so compact and strong, lovely.

 

I nevertheless enjoyed doing my job well with quite cheap cameras, and much as I would like a full frame digital I have found my answer in a half frame 31MP Canon M6 MkII with 15-45mm lens... 

 

The beautiful top end Nikons and even Liecas are things of beauty, as are the best lenses, but fitness for duty is the main thing, short of taking out a mortgage.  I would certainly spend on the good stuff if younger and/or professional. .

 

Now just for fun I photograph 00 models as you know, and don't rely on a digital program to stack things for depth of field, I do it manually with re-size, copy and paste, all very fast and flexible when you do it a few times, and am always in awe of your Df and 35mm macro.

 

And just now, just for mischief, made a faux-1930s look at Top Shed... c1935. In no way an historical document, but enjoyable memory of old b+w photos generally.

 

 

I do hope it does not offend. Very fine Hornby R3840 model too.

 

 

 

 

I can't do the speech bubble, but....

"Not a bad job repairing that smoke deflector, with a bit of Sellotape hidden on the back, but if it had been 40 years from now, superglue would have been better!"

N

[robmcg]

11 minutes ago, stewartingram said:

"Not a bad job repairing that smoke deflector, with a bit of Sellotape hidden on the back, but if it had been 40 years from now, superglue would have been better!"

N

 

We have no knowledge of the alleged incident.

[cctransuk]

3 hours ago, Andy Hayter said:

 

Either will work in neutralising acid flux residues.  Both are alkaline but caustic soda is stronger.

 

Quite so - and you can also use caustic soda to unblock sinks!!

 

Look for caustic soda / washing soda crystals in your local supermarket / DIY store or, if you still have one, hardware store.

 

John Isherwood.

[PMP]

12 hours ago, Jol Wilkinson said:

 

. He also gave me a small etched tag "chisel" also made from a hacksaw blade which cuts through brass and nickel silver cleanly and leaves very little if any cleaning up needed.

 

He was a great modeller, modest and very generous with his advice and guidance.

That’ll be one of these then  

 

A really simple and effective tool. Jol will also recognise a rivet former/punch, John made me one of these prior to them being incorporated into the London Road range, another simple but effective tool.

Re the Soda cleaner, I think you’re right  to recall it being caustic soda rather than baking. It was 25’ish’ years ago I used the technique and your ‘caustic comment’  reminded me it was with wear suitable gloves and treat with caution instructions!

[john new]

soda crystals - for cleaning, comes in biggish green packets from most supermarkets.

 

Baking soda - although I haven't had success with it yet in the couple of trial goes I've done when mixed with superglue it is supposed to be a good filler. Plenty of videos on YouTube showing it for repairs to diecast models.

 

Edited January 8, 2022 by john new
Corrected re soda crystals (see later post)

[Ian Rathbone]

On 05/01/2022 at 16:09, Tony Wright said:

Good afternoon Al,

 

I don't know how many 'critical' letters I've written to model railway magazines in the past, but certainly more than one. A few have been published, and some just dumped. One resulted (after a long period) in a lasting friendship, and work coming my way. Obviously, I'll not mention names, but the story goes something like this.........

 

Quite a few years ago, a certain model railway magazine published an article on how to make a Pullman train, using the then-current Hornby starting points and a range of etched additions. The problem was that none of the Hornby cars was suitable, even after extensive alterations. What was needed were entirely new sides (which nobody made, nor ever has done), different bogies and different underframes, among other things. I pointed these out in my letter to the (then) editor. What I got back (in as polite terms as possible) was a reply stating that the editor had been in model railway publishing for decades, knew his market and doubted that anyone else would know. I accepted that, and there the matter rested. 

 

Until, a few years later, I was confronted by the publisher of the said magazine at one Warley show, threatening legal action against me! When I asked why, he aggressively told me (not asked) that I was 'Felstead'. 'Who?', I asked. 'You know, the bloke who's been putting it about on the internet that our recently-featured article on detailing a Hornby A3 is absolute rubbish. It's damaging potential sales!'. 

 

One can imagine my incredulity. It was at a time when, though I'd heard of the internet, my knowledge of it was even less (much less) than it is now. I pointed out to the fuming questioner that 'Felstead' was the first production A3, but any association I had with it was nothing, other than knowing its history. 'But you must be 'Felstead'', he replied. 'Why do you insist upon this?'. 'Because, when I asked on the internet who 'Felstead' might be, I got this answer' - 'Could it be a modeller, domiciled in Wolverhampton, who's built dozens of A3s, written several articles about them (both prototype and model) and has taken many photographs of them?'. Two and two made a lot more than four in this case! 'Then who is 'Felstead'?', he demanded (typically, as is far too common on social media, 'Felstead', whoever he was, didn't give his name - or her name if it were a woman). 

 

Anyway, 'Felstead' had provided a list of at least 50 (yes 50!) faults with regard to the model. By coincidence, Ian Rathbone and I had discussed the self-same model, and, although we didn't find that many faults, we found several. The loco in question (60035 WINDSOR LAD) was fitted with German deflectors and a GNR tender, somethings it never had. There were numerous detail inaccuracies, and the livery was a work of fiction. Since the article was headed 'Masterclass', I puzzled over which class it was supposed to be aimed at. Though in use when I first started teaching (over 50 years ago), the term 'educationally sub-normal' (ESN) was used to describe the mentally less-able, but it is now (correctly) far too un-PC, but it did spring to my mind! Can one be 'cancelled' for thinking something? 

 

After the publisher had accepted my not being 'Felstead', he said to me 'We need to talk'. It thus transpired that I was invited over to the magazine's HQ for a meeting with him and the editor, where it was discussed how I might contribute to the publication. The previous Pullman correspondence was mentioned, but we all parted as friends, and I then received numerous commissions for photography, writing how-to articles and prototype histories. A situation I fulfilled until taking full-time employment with BRM in 2003. An excellent conclusion all round, especially as Warners allowed me to fulfil commitments I'd already made to the other magazine. 

 

So, who knows what might happen after a critical letter? And, who is 'Felstead'?

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

I remember criticising the article on an early web forum - can’t remember which it was. Yes, the editor was somewhat upset but, as I remember, there were 103 errors in it, not 50. It was appalling.

 

Happy New Year

 

Ian R