Wright writes.....

[Clive Mortimore]

Just a word of constructive criticism, if I may.

 

The DMU marker lights with red discs were not used as rear lights during the green era - regulations required an oil lamp, as new-fangled electricity was considered to be too unreliable !!

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

Hi John

 

I thought that was the case, remembering the Italian porter at Bedford Midland Road practicing his new English words of profanity when the lamps didn't sit on the lamp irons without a struggle. That was until I noticed in a few colour photos of green DMUs, pre yellow panel, with a red disc being lit. Not many but there were lines where this happened. Most did carry a tail lamp. 

[Jack P]

 

That S15 looks gorgeous. SR stuff doesn't appear much on these pages, I don't suppose you have any more photos of anything Southern?

[uax6]

Just a word of constructive criticism, if I may.

 

The DMU marker lights with red discs were not used as rear lights during the green era - regulations required an oil lamp, as new-fangled electricity was considered to be too unreliable !!

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

 

And of course, twin reds on the back was reserved for the Royal Train....

The other thing is they are far too bright, the real things were quite pathetic really...

 

Andy G

[jwealleans]

twin reds on the back was reserved for the Royal Train....

Not quite.

 

Edited March 28, 2018 by jwealleans

[Tony Wright]

Just a word of constructive criticism, if I may.

 

The DMU marker lights with red discs were not used as rear lights during the green era - regulations required an oil lamp, as new-fangled electricity was considered to be too unreliable !!

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

Constructive criticism is always most welcome, John,

 

 

You are, of course, quite right. That's why the MTK DMU we ran on Stoke Summit carried an appropriate tail lamp. 

 

Tony Geary built it, and it was months before he stopped twitching!

 

It's a shame the current RTR DMUs in green have such prominent lamps (at the front as well, which are like high-intensity headlamps). I've got two Bachmann DMUS on LB and would like to remove the lamp wires, but how do you get inside these things? I've tried, but all I get are ominous 'cracking' noises. One working is particularly annoying; where I attach two vans to the rear of the DMU. The last vehicle has a tail lamp, but those twin red lamps still glow!

 

Any ideas on how to remove the wires? 

[Tony Wright]

 

That S15 looks gorgeous. SR stuff doesn't appear much on these pages, I don't suppose you have any more photos of anything Southern?

Just a few, Jack........................

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I've loads more, but too little time to search..........................................

[31A]

The bodies of the Cravens units just unclip by running your fingernails along the bottom of the sides; some scraps of Plastikard my be useful in keeping the 'catches' disengaged until you have released them all, then the the top just lifts off.  I have 'disabled' the tail lamps on mine by putting black insulation tape over the red diodes; this doesn't involve cutting any wires or the risk of cutting the wrong ones, and means they could be reinstated if I ever wanted to (although I can't envisage why).  The diodes are surprisingly powerful and you may need a double thickness of tape to blank them out fully.  I've left the destination blinds and headlights working (as well as the interior lights), but am becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the big yellow headlights and think they'll have to go soon too!

[BrushVeteran]

Constructive criticism is always most welcome, John,

 

MTK-built Cravens 02.jpg

 

You are, of course, quite right. That's why the MTK DMU we ran on Stoke Summit carried an appropriate tail lamp. 

 

Tony Geary built it, and it was months before he stopped twitching!

 

It's a shame the current RTR DMUs in green have such prominent lamps (at the front as well, which are like high-intensity headlamps). I've got two Bachmann DMUS on LB and would like to remove the lamp wires, but how do you get inside these things? I've tried, but all I get are ominous 'cracking' noises. One working is particularly annoying; where I attach two vans to the rear of the DMU. The last vehicle has a tail lamp, but those twin red lamps still glow!

 

Any ideas on how to remove the wires? 

Tony, I'll show you how to get into them when I next come over, hopefully soon. I've had to get into several to fit DCC chips so should find it relatively painless! As stated may be better to blank them off rather than cut any wires.

[glo41f]

I was around when DMUs were introduced and we loved them as they gave us a drivers eye view which hitherto had never been available. (Though some drivers came into the cab and immediately pulled the blinds down! )  I have to say that at no time did I observe a DMU with headlights and tail lights lit. They always carried separate lamps. 

 

Similarly, the main diesel locos also used lamps rather than the indicator lights they were built with. One of my (many) current model railway "hates" is the RTR models that display intense white lights to the front and bright red lights to the rear even when hauling a train. As for those that have cab lights well we had better not go there! I wish manufacturers would provide a switch whereby these things could be permanently disabled. I am writing about the green transition period which in East Anglia started in the late fifties sadly for us.

 

Is anyone going to York this weekend?

 

Martin Long

[nickrail]

You should have done.

 

Part of the shed operator's duties is to converse with visitors. I can't concentrate, anyway. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

I did chat with Mr Wright at Ally Pally (until being called away by family wanting lunch) and very enjoyable and insightful it was too.  Before having to leave abruptly I meant to say a thanks to Tony for getting me back on track some 10-12 years ago whilst chatting with him at an exhibition in Gateshead where he had Stoke Summit. Having had a model railway in my teens (of Market Rasen in Lincolnshire), I'd done nothing since then other than dabble with possibilities. Work, family etc took away a lot of my time but not my interest. Chatting with Tony in Gateshead, I became interested not only in the trains running and formations but got curious about the layout construction itself ie. beneath the tracks - needless to say I was obviously impressed with what was running on top!  Tony invited me to look under his skirting (no jokes please) to reveal what (to many) is fairly standard baseboard construction but to me was a revelation and having some carpentry skills, made me see that I could build a layout in sections and gradually piece it together over time. I was also given the opportunity to help run part of Stoke Summit briefly (think someone needed a cup of tea or other type of break) and that made it all feel possible. Long story short, this got me going again and I've managed to build my version of Leeds Central. The main reason behind this choice of location was the operating complexities and possibilities (and it being a small cramped but mainline terminus) and it's this subject that interests me the most and why I enjoyed my 30 minutes or so of chatting to Tony and watching how the model of Grantham revealed many idiosyncratic aspects of railway operation - the engine change over routines and especially the released south bound engine giving the north bound train a shove to get going around the infamous Grantham curve. Amidst the phenomenal modelling skills exhibited throughout the hobby, capturing how the railways were run and replicating elements of this is, for me, something that should be admired as much as having the correct lamps on front and back, precision ballasting or the right tender for the period. Congratulations on the team that made Grantham work so well and deliberate or not, putting one operator so close to the viewing public does make for interesting conversations.  If there's ever a chance to learn the ropes on Grantham and help fill in on the tea breaks that the main crew need, I'd be interested in giving it a go.

And I do think an East Coast Main Line Exhibition that brings together many of the layouts that represent locations along this route (and joins them all up!) would be an interesting possibility.

 

Thanks

Nick

Edited March 28, 2018 by nickrail

[jamie92208]

Constructive criticism is always most welcome, John,

 

MTK-built Cravens 02.jpg

 

You are, of course, quite right. That's why the MTK DMU we ran on Stoke Summit carried an appropriate tail lamp. 

 

Tony Geary built it, and it was months before he stopped twitching!

 

It's a shame the current RTR DMUs in green have such prominent lamps (at the front as well, which are like high-intensity headlamps). I've got two Bachmann DMUS on LB and would like to remove the lamp wires, but how do you get inside these things? I've tried, but all I get are ominous 'cracking' noises. One working is particularly annoying; where I attach two vans to the rear of the DMU. The last vehicle has a tail lamp, but those twin red lamps still glow!

 

Any ideas on how to remove the wires? 

 

If you can get into the wires I believe that it is possible to dim them by putting a resistor in line and thus reducing the voltage.

 

Jamie

[petrovich]

Constructive criticism is always most welcome, John,

 

MTK-built Cravens 02.jpg

 

You are, of course, quite right. That's why the MTK DMU we ran on Stoke Summit carried an appropriate tail lamp. 

 

Tony Geary built it, and it was months before he stopped twitching!

 

It's a shame the current RTR DMUs in green have such prominent lamps (at the front as well, which are like high-intensity headlamps). I've got two Bachmann DMUS on LB and would like to remove the lamp wires, but how do you get inside these things? I've tried, but all I get are ominous 'cracking' noises. One working is particularly annoying; where I attach two vans to the rear of the DMU. The last vehicle has a tail lamp, but those twin red lamps still glow!

 

Any ideas on how to remove the wires? 

All

 

Excuse my ignorance does Stoke Summit Layout still exist with the Wolverhampton Group ? Probably one of the few layouts I could watch all day.

 

Regards

 

Peter

[nickrail]

 

 

Anyone else like to share their layout pictures? 

 

Here are a couple of older pictures of my version of Leeds Central. Many liberties taken due to usual space restrictions but I can replicate all the main operations that I'm aware of (and grateful to the Xpress publishing of typical days workings of 1957). I've tried to incorporate the main features of the station save that I've still got to do the overall roof - at the moment, for speed and ease, I have a Peco arched train shed, to be replaced soonish...once I master mass production of girder sections. The signals were a significant feature at Leeds and these are built using a combination of the wonderful MSE components and burnt fingers. The links and cranks all work but I've yet to find away of operating remotely with 4 signals per gantry - any advice welcome, I'm looking at model aircraft servos as a possibility.

The loco pictured in the first photograph is an A1 conversion of an old Trix A2 body - before Bachmann A1 models were available. It was my first attempt at this sort of thing and invariably has its faults but it worked and plugged a gap at the time.

 

 

Always good to pick up tips here and there chatting to people at exhibitions - I've always found most exhibitors very helpful.

 

Nick

Edited March 28, 2018 by nickrail

[Tony Wright]

All

 

Excuse my ignorance does Stoke Summit Layout still exist with the Wolverhampton Group ? Probably one of the few layouts I could watch all day.

 

Regards

 

Peter

Wolverhampton MRC sold Stoke Summit some five years ago, and it now lives (and still works) in a Devon barn. I donated it to the club because I (we) were building Little Bytham, WMRC members built it and it had gone to just about every show we ever wished to go to - over 70 events in its exhibition life (1997-2013).

 

It certainly wasn't worn out, but every exhibition layout has a 'life' in my opinion. Too many have struggled on at too many shows in my view. They are naturally transitory things. Though the locos and stock on layouts might well last a lifetime and more, trackwork, signalling and the electrics can get worn, scenery (certainly) gets shabby and faded, structures can (and will) warp and de-laminate and the whole thing can look very tired. Time to retire them or break them up in my view. I once photographed parts of a quite famous layout, but never used the shots. 1940s/'50s cardboard, brick papers, Seccotine, Pafra and balsa wood do show their ages!

[Chamby]

...I've got two Bachmann DMUS on LB and would like to remove the lamp wires, but how do you get inside these things? I've tried, but all I get are ominous 'cracking' noises. One working is particularly annoying; where I attach two vans to the rear of the DMU. The last vehicle has a tail lamp, but those twin red lamps still glow!

 

Any ideas on how to remove the wires?

 

A dab of paint over the offending lights, maybe?

 

Phil

[Tony Wright]

I did chat with Mr Wright at Ally Pally (until being called away by family wanting lunch) and very enjoyable and insightful it was too.  Before having to leave abruptly I meant to say a thanks to Tony for getting me back on track some 10-12 years ago whilst chatting with him at an exhibition in Gateshead where he had Stoke Summit. Having had a model railway in my teens (of Market Rasen in Lincolnshire), I'd done nothing since then other than dabble with possibilities. Work, family etc took away a lot of my time but not my interest. Chatting with Tony in Gateshead, I became interested not only in the trains running and formations but got curious about the layout construction itself ie. beneath the tracks - needless to say I was obviously impressed with what was running on top!  Tony invited me to look under his skirting (no jokes please) to reveal what (to many) is fairly standard baseboard construction but to me was a revelation and having some carpentry skills, made me see that I could build a layout in sections and gradually piece it together over time. I was also given the opportunity to help run part of Stoke Summit briefly (think someone needed a cup of tea or other type of break) and that made it all feel possible. Long story short, this got me going again and I've managed to build my version of Leeds Central. The main reason behind this choice of location was the operating complexities and possibilities (and it being a small cramped but mainline terminus) and it's this subject that interests me the most and why I enjoyed my 30 minutes or so of chatting to Tony and watching how the model of Grantham revealed many idiosyncratic aspects of railway operation - the engine change over routines and especially the released south bound engine giving the north bound train a shove to get going around the infamous Grantham curve. Amidst the phenomenal modelling skills exhibited throughout the hobby, capturing how the railways were run and replicating elements of this is, for me, something that should be admired as much as having the correct lamps on front and back, precision ballasting or the right tender for the period. Congratulations on the team that made Grantham work so well and deliberate or not, putting one operator so close to the viewing public does make for interesting conversations.  If there's ever a chance to learn the ropes on Grantham and help fill in on the tea breaks that the main crew need, I'd be interested in giving it a go.

And I do think an East Coast Main Line Exhibition that brings together many of the layouts that represent locations along this route (and joins them all up!) would be an interesting possibility.

 

Thanks

Nick

Thanks Nick,

 

My apologies for not remembering that we'd chatted before. 

 

It's interesting that you allude to ECML layouts. A friend is giving a talk to his local society and requested some pictures showing layouts depicting the ECML. I was astonished how many I could supply. It is, without doubt, way ahead of any of the other principal main lines in the number of layouts depicting it. The list included pictures of...........

 

Kings Cross x 2

Copenhagen Fields

The Gresley Beat (not entirely prototypical, but it couldn't be anywhere else)

Welwyn North

Hitchin x 2

Biggleswade

Tempsford

Huntingdon North

Peterborough North x 3

Greatford

Little Bytham

Stoke Summit

High Dyke

Grantham

Gamston Bank

Retford

 

I might have missed some out. 

 

That's on the GN. I also have shots showing layouts based further north. 

 

I'll post some of the images later..................

Edited March 28, 2018 by Tony Wright

[cctransuk]

Constructive criticism is always most welcome, John,

 

MTK-built Cravens 02.jpg

 

You are, of course, quite right. That's why the MTK DMU we ran on Stoke Summit carried an appropriate tail lamp. 

 

Tony Geary built it, and it was months before he stopped twitching!

 

It's a shame the current RTR DMUs in green have such prominent lamps (at the front as well, which are like high-intensity headlamps). I've got two Bachmann DMUS on LB and would like to remove the lamp wires, but how do you get inside these things? I've tried, but all I get are ominous 'cracking' noises. One working is particularly annoying; where I attach two vans to the rear of the DMU. The last vehicle has a tail lamp, but those twin red lamps still glow!

 

Any ideas on how to remove the wires? 

 

Tony,

 

My comment was directed to Manxcat, and referred to the DMU photo in his post.

 

Many RTR DMUs have switches to isolate lights if they are not required; if not, there are bound to be list members who are far more au fait with internal electrics than I am!

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

[nickrail]

Thanks Nick,

 

My apologies for not remembering that we'd chatted before. 

 

It's interesting that you allude to ECML layouts. A friend is giving a talk to his local society and requested some pictures showing layouts depicting the ECML. I was astonished how many I could supply. It is, without doubt, way ahead of any of the other principal main lines in the number of layouts depicting it. The list included pictures of...........

 

Kings Cross x 2

Copenhagen Fields

The Gresley Beat (not entirely prototypical, but it couldn't be anywhere else)

Welwyn North

Hitchin x 2

Biggleswade

Tempsford

Huntingdon North

Peterborough North x 3

Greatford

Little Bytham

Stoke Summit

High Dyke

Grantham

Gamston Bank

Retford

 

I might have missed some out. 

 

That's on the GN. I also have shots showing layouts based further north. 

 

I'll post some of the images later..................

Thanks Tony

That is a significant list. One addition to that list is another layout that mesmerised me in my childhood and that's the one of the Gainsborough Model Railway Society that covered aspects of KX to Leeds Central, don't know if you've ever photographed it. Always worth a visit if only to hear the clanging bells of the signalling operations.

 

And Retford is somewhere I spent time watching the end of steam and the arrival of Deltics. My other haunt was up the line at Dukeries Junction (Tuxford) an interesting track layout and with the ECML crossed by the LDEC (although it never made it to Lancashire).

 

I think the ECML offers a broad range of landscape and scale and size of station (eg Little Bytham) with, of course, the possibility of running large engines, not to everyone's taste but for exhibition it can be an attractive proposition. Has anyone done Selby?

 

Nick

[Clive Mortimore]

Thanks Nick,

 

My apologies for not remembering that we'd chatted before. 

 

It's interesting that you allude to ECML layouts. A friend is giving a talk to his local society and requested some pictures showing layouts depicting the ECML. I was astonished how many I could supply. It is, without doubt, way ahead of any of the other principal main lines in the number of layouts depicting it. The list included pictures of...........

 

Kings Cross x 2

Copenhagen Fields

The Gresley Beat (not entirely prototypical, but it couldn't be anywhere else)

Welwyn North

Hitchin x 2

Biggleswade

Tempsford

Huntingdon North

Peterborough North x 3

Greatford

Little Bytham

Stoke Summit

High Dyke

Grantham

Gamston Bank

Retford

 

I might have missed some out. 

 

That's on the GN. I also have shots showing layouts based further north. 

 

I'll post some of the images later..................

Hello Tony

 

Over done Dave has a model of Sandy but that is a Bedford and Cambridge Railway station with the GNR tacked on.

[31A]

I was around when DMUs were introduced and we loved them as they gave us a drivers eye view which hitherto had never been available. (Though some drivers came into the cab and immediately pulled the blinds down! )  I have to say that at no time did I observe a DMU with headlights and tail lights lit. They always carried separate lamps. 

 

Similarly, the main diesel locos also used lamps rather than the indicator lights they were built with. One of my (many) current model railway "hates" is the RTR models that display intense white lights to the front and bright red lights to the rear even when hauling a train. As for those that have cab lights well we had better not go there! I wish manufacturers would provide a switch whereby these things could be permanently disabled. I am writing about the green transition period which in East Anglia started in the late fifties sadly for us.

 

Is anyone going to York this weekend?

 

Martin Long

 

 

Yes, I'll be stewarding at York on the Saturday and the Monday.

[31A]

Here are a couple of older pictures of my version of Leeds Central. Many liberties taken due to usual space restrictions but I can replicate all the main operations that I'm aware of (and grateful to the Xpress publishing of typical days workings of 1957). I've tried to incorporate the main features of the station save that I've still got to do the overall roof - at the moment, for speed and ease, I have a Peco arched train shed, to be replaced soonish...once I master mass production of girder sections. The signals were a significant feature at Leeds and these are built using a combination of the wonderful MSE components and burnt fingers. The links and cranks all work but I've yet to find away of operating remotely with 4 signals per gantry - any advice welcome, I'm looking at model aircraft servos as a possibility.

The loco pictured in the first photograph is an A1 conversion of an old Trix A2 body - before Bachmann A1 models were available. It was my first attempt at this sort of thing and invariably has its faults but it worked and plugged a gap at the time.

Leeds Central 1.jpg

 

Leeds Central 2.jpg

 

Always good to pick up tips here and there chatting to people at exhibitions - I've always found most exhibitors very helpful.

 

Nick

 

 

I use an underground arrangement of weighted cranks to work my semaphore arms, connected to levers by thread or (better) braided fishing line - you can find some pictures in my signalling thread over here:

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/115667-31a-st/

 

You do need a lever frame, but you don't need any electrickery at all; it's very reliable and the arms sometimes bounce in a prototypically random manner.

[nickrail]

Thanks Nick,

 

My apologies for not remembering that we'd chatted before. 

 

 

By the way Tony, it was quite a while ago and I'm sure you've chatted many times to many people in between!

It was a worthwhile chat though for me - even if some of it was about the shenanigans of modellers from the west midlands....

Edited March 28, 2018 by nickrail

[St Enodoc]

Constructive criticism is always most welcome, John,

 

MTK-built Cravens 02.jpg

 

You are, of course, quite right. That's why the MTK DMU we ran on Stoke Summit carried an appropriate tail lamp. 

 

Tony Geary built it, and it was months before he stopped twitching!

 

It's a shame the current RTR DMUs in green have such prominent lamps (at the front as well, which are like high-intensity headlamps). I've got two Bachmann DMUS on LB and would like to remove the lamp wires, but how do you get inside these things? I've tried, but all I get are ominous 'cracking' noises. One working is particularly annoying; where I attach two vans to the rear of the DMU. The last vehicle has a tail lamp, but those twin red lamps still glow!

 

Any ideas on how to remove the wires? 

Go DCC and just reprogram the decoder.

 

Hat, coat, etc.

[nickrail]

I use an underground arrangement of weighted cranks to work my semaphore arms, connected to levers by thread or (better) braided fishing line - you can find some pictures in my signalling thread over here:

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/115667-31a-st/

 

You do need a lever frame, but you don't need any electrickery at all; it's very reliable and the arms sometimes bounce in a prototypically random manner.

 

Ah, very useful. This is something I'd considered and thought it might create a 'bounce'. I had wondered if the weights, connected to the balance levers with wire then hit light springs on the drop within the mechanics  of the system, it might accentuate the bounce - using the sort of springs in old biros. I assume you pull the lever to just put the signal to off and the weight will return it once lever is thrown back.

 

Thanks, Nick

[31A]

Ah, very useful. This is something I'd considered and thought it might create a 'bounce'. I had wondered if the weights, connected to the balance levers with wire then hit light springs on the drop within the mechanics  of the system, it might accentuate the bounce - using the sort of springs in old biros. I assume you pull the lever to just put the signal to off and the weight will return it once lever is thrown back.

 

Thanks, Nick

 

Yes, that's how they work.  I did think of sprung 'stops' as you describe but so far haven't done that.  The key is getting the connection between the underground cranks and the signal just the right length that the weight hangs vertically when the signal is 'on', then it'll rock a bit to and fro when returned to danger before coming to rest.  What those pictures don't show is that I put a tension spring in the cord run between the signal and the lever, which works as a 'damper' when you pull off giving a nice action, and holds the crank firmly against the 'off' stop when the signal is pulled.  I collect these springs from broken gadgets like tape recorders etc!