Wright writes.....

[Tony Wright]

I find that interesting, because it chimes a little with my 'tastes' in research. When I was younger, nothing but the gleaming expresses would do. Now, though? Give me goods or freight any day of the week. The variety of rolling stock, the condition of the vehicles, the loads themselves all intrigue me far more than the more uniform passenger services. 

 

Is that a heresy on LB?

Heresy, Gavin?

 

Not at all.

 

However, in fairness to the preponderance of large, green locos on LB and for the multiplicity of rakes in carmine cream/maroon/umber and cream, they are far more representative of what would have fizzed through the station on a summer's day in 1958. The WTT I have is far more biased to these types of trains, rather than the slower freights. But then, very fast trains on Stoke Bank are what the ECML is really all about. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Tony Wright]

D'oh I got so excited to find the picture I got the post ready but didn't actually intend to post it yet! 

Please,

 

Use it again when the time comes......................

[Tony Wright]

I was talking to the gentleman who has Ambergate now at a recent exhibition. 

 

It is P4, has been brought forward in period (I can't remember if it is now an LMS or BR layout) and is set up in a new permanent home.

 

There was an article on the conversion to P4 in the MRJ, which described how the existing trackwork was altered from EM to P4 by easing the rails outwards on their soldered joints. Quite an accomplishment with those double junctions.  

Thanks Tony,

 

I hope it works well.

 

It's just that a certain well-known layout built by Roy Jackson, Geoff Kent and John Phillips in EM (which worked perfectly) was converted (after being sold) to P4, renamed, had extra junctions added and never worked as well again. 

[landscapes]

Could be worse.

 

 

Mike.

 

Absolutely brilliant, can't stop laughing every time I see this clip.

 

Tony please excuse me for saying this, but thanks Mike for posting it.

 

Regards

 

David

Edited May 25, 2018 by landscapes

[Markeg]

Hi Tony,

 

I have been meaning to ask this for a while.  I have been to China and back.  Been on 300km and 430km trains.

Talking about WTT.  I noticed in your recent book on east coast running on LB, a number of stopping trains listed.  How many do you have of these?

Can you show/photograph them to us East coast fans/fanatics?  I have seen some photos in all these 999+ one pages.

 

Not quite 1000 pages yet.  But Congrats in advance.

Thanks

Mark in Oz

Edited May 25, 2018 by Markeg

[MarkC]

And this should be page 1000! Well done all

[Barry O]

Hopefully there will be a lot more pages beyond this milestone!

Baz

[t-b-g]

I could post a photo of a certain MR Compound but as it is RTR, I regard it as entirely inappropriate!

 

Many congratulations on the milestone.

 

The best thread on here, by some distance and very often the only one I bother to look at.

 

Long may it continue.

[Bucoops]

Springbok would like to congratulate Tony on another milestone on his epic thread

 

 

The next arrival at platform 2 is the Party Train

[Jol Wilkinson]

Thanks Tony,

 

I hope it works well.

 

It's just that a certain well-known layout built by Roy Jackson, Geoff Kent and John Phillips in EM (which worked perfectly) was converted (after being sold) to P4, renamed, had extra junctions added and never worked as well again. 

 

It is owned by Tony Montgomery, who converted Ambergate to P4 having rescued it from being scrapped. I believe it had been been purchased from John Webb's Estate but the new owners found it was too large for them to erect/store and so put it on Ebay. Tony saw it and although it didn't fit his original layout plans, bought it to save it. It is erected in a purpose build room, converted to P4 and is being extended to include Buxton Station, involving  a lot of work.

 

Despite your usual scepticism, it works very well and I have run some of London Road's stock around it on several occasions, including over sections of temporarily laid track. The gradients require that you actually have to drive the locos. Tony and his delightful wife Denise are also members of London Road's operating group.

 

[Clem]

Hi Tony,

I don't post very often, but I just thought I'd do a quick one to say well done for reaching 1000 pages of this most interesting and inspiring thread. I find it most informative and educational (and not only in a model railway way :-) ) and always a joy to dip into to see your and other people's chat and latest railway creations. Best wishes for the next 1000!

 

Clem

[PMP]

Congratulations, 1000, not out!

 

 

Here’s a kit built cattle wagon to celebrate!

[Enterprisingwestern]

 

Congratulations on the milestone Tony.

By way of my contribution, the only 1000 worth having!

 

Mike.

[Barry Ten]

Congratulations on 1000 pages! Many thanks, Tony.

 

I'm typing this at 314 km/h on a TGV, by the way. Just thought I'd mention that...

 

Al

[jwealleans]

I’m typing this at 32mph on a Scotrail 156. The glamour.

 

Well done on 1000 posts: next stop 2750?

[Lecorbusier]

 

Congratulations on the milestone Tony.

By way of my contribution, the only 1000 worth having!

 

Mike.

nah! ...its got to be this....

[Tom F]

Congratulations Tony! Well deserved and the best thread by far on this forum.

 

You are a genuine gentlemen....wish there were more like you in this hobby....and I will continue to at least try and improve my grammar in your presence!

[31A]

I’m typing this at 32mph on a Scotrail 156. The glamour.

 

Well done on 1000 posts: next stop 2750?

 

 

That would be legendary; well done Tony!

[EHertsGER]

Many congrats on the milestones, Tony. I hope to be able to say the same thing again at 2000 (and help you along the way with some contributions too!)!

 

Best,
Marcus

[Grovenor]

It is owned by Tony Montgomery, who converted Ambergate to P4 having rescued it from being scrapped. I believe it had been been purchased from John Webb's Estate but the new owners found it was too large for them to erect/store and so put it on Ebay. Tony saw it and although it didn't fit his original layout plans, bought it to save it. It is erected in a purpose build room, converted to P4 and is being extended to include Buxton Station, involving  a lot of work.

 

Despite your usual scepticism, it works very well and I have run some of London Road's stock around it on several occasions, including over sections of temporarily laid track. The gradients require that you actually have to drive the locos. Tony and his delightful wife Denise are also members of London Road's operating group.

 

Ambergate Station.jpg

I believe the ex-Roy Jackson layout was Dunwich, renamed by the new owner on rebuilding in P4.

The P4 version was offered for sale some years ago.

Regards

[Manxcat]

A thousand pages. Wow. So much information, entertainment, support and fun.

 

If you don't count the speed of rotation of the planet, I am typing this at home, sitting at my desk at zero miles per hour.

 

Archie

[Tony Wright]

Hi Tony,

 

I have been meaning to ask this for a while.  I have been to China and back.  Been on 300km and 430km trains.

Talking about WTT.  I noticed in your recent book on east coast running on LB, a number of stopping trains listed.  How many do you have of these?

Can you show/photograph them to us East coast fans/fanatics?  I have seen some photos in all these 999+ one pages.

 

Not quite 1000 pages yet.  But Congrats in advance.

Thanks

Mark in Oz

I'll take some pictures tomorrow Mark

[Tony Wright]

It is owned by Tony Montgomery, who converted Ambergate to P4 having rescued it from being scrapped. I believe it had been been purchased from John Webb's Estate but the new owners found it was too large for them to erect/store and so put it on Ebay. Tony saw it and although it didn't fit his original layout plans, bought it to save it. It is erected in a purpose build room, converted to P4 and is being extended to include Buxton Station, involving  a lot of work.

 

Despite your usual scepticism, it works very well and I have run some of London Road's stock around it on several occasions, including over sections of temporarily laid track. The gradients require that you actually have to drive the locos. Tony and his delightful wife Denise are also members of London Road's operating group.

 

Ambergate Station.jpg

I don't think I implied that Ambergate didn't work very well, Jol, P4 or what.

 

The layout I was referring to was the only one I've encountered in my taking of thousands of layout photographs where, despite it being set up in a purpose-built room, I was unable to move locos/trains into position for photography without jerking or derailing. Some of the locos were very poor at running (despite their being built by a well-known professional builder) and, compared to how well it had run as an EM layout, it seemed like a great waste of money to me.

 

Anyway, why shouldn't I use my 'usual scepticism' with regard to poor running? Until someone can prove to me that it's possible to build the likes of Little Bytham in P4, in a normal lifetime, even in a larger space, where there are over 100 RA9 big locos hauling up to 14-car trains at speeds of up to 100 mph without fuss, failure or derailments then I'll remain a sceptic. 

 

Of course, not everyone wants to model an ECML depiction in BR steam days (in any scale/gauge), but I do, and, with help, have done. Today two dear friends came round and we ran every train on LB (over 50 movements) - in and out of kick-back sidings, round and round, at speed and at a crawl; with one derailment. Why? because I hadn't set the road correctly.  

 

One of the friends who came today was Graeme King. He brought some most-interesting pieces to run. And, they did run - perfectly. 

 

 

How appropriate for the MR/M&GNR bit of the railway.

 

 

This will go through its paces when LB goes LNER in August.

 

 

This was suitable for LB in its current guise. 

 

Graeme will give chapter and verse as to how these ingenious conversions have been created. 

[mullie]

I turned to page 1000 where I've spent much of my last two years, sat in my car outside our youngest daughter's school waiting for her to come out of a rehearsal before fighting my way through the Weymouth traffic home. However, today was her last ever proper day  at school as it's A level time.

 

Once I got home and chores were completed I worked on this EM turnout based on a Templot plan

 

 

And, having primed it the other night, put some paint on the tursty Comet J72 chassis. This model has been a real guinea pig, having got it working in 00 I decided to desolder it and rebuild in EM. 

 

 

I've come to really enjoy soldering things and have become a real expert at de soldering things when I've got it wrong! The chassis is not as black as it seems as it is painted in a combination of gun metal, black, browns etc with talc to add texture over a coat of Halfords primer.

 

Congratulations on 1000 pages, a truly great thread, I've learnt loads that has given me the confidence to try more challenging modelling. Last week I spent a very enjoyable day at Expo EM where I felt very welcome and got some very good advice from various demonstrators and layout operators. Worth the 230 mile round trip.

 

Martyn

Edited May 25, 2018 by mullie

[Headstock]

I don't think I implied that Ambergate didn't work very well, Jol, P4 or what.

 

The layout I was referring to was the only one I've encountered in my taking of thousands of layout photographs where, despite it being set up in a purpose-built room, I was unable to move locos/trains into position for photography without jerking or derailing. Some of the locos were very poor at running (despite their being built by a well-known professional builder) and, compared to how well it had run as an EM layout, it seemed like a great waste of money to me.

 

Anyway, why shouldn't I use my 'usual scepticism' with regard to poor running? Until someone can prove to me that it's possible to build the likes of Little Bytham in P4, in a normal lifetime, even in a larger space, where there are over 100 RA9 big locos hauling up to 14-car trains at speeds of up to 100 mph without fuss, failure or derailments then I'll remain a sceptic. 

 

Of course, not everyone wants to model an ECML depiction in BR steam days (in any scale/gauge), but I do, and, with help, have done. Today two dear friends came round and we ran every train on LB (over 50 movements) - in and out of kick-back sidings, round and round, at speed and at a crawl; with one derailment. Why? because I hadn't set the road correctly.  

 

One of the friends who came today was Graeme King. He brought some most-interesting pieces to run. And, they did run - perfectly. 

 

M&GNR 0-6-0.jpg

 

How appropriate for the MR/M&GNR bit of the railway.

 

P2 2003.jpg

 

This will go through its paces when LB goes LNER in August.

 

A2 2 60503.jpg

 

This was suitable for LB in its current guise. 

 

Graeme will give chapter and verse as to how these ingenious conversions have been created. 

 

No O62, I was really hoping that something special would make an appearance on the top shelf, a genuine bit of M&GN, superb. The main line will have to come up with something a little special to beat that.

 

A small contribution to a million years of make it for yourself. Some traffic off of Dringhouses, or picked up on route, all bound for Southhampton. An SR Banana van (ABS kit) an LMS 5 plank (Parkside conversion) and an LNER Conflat S (Parkside). I also soldered up an LNER 10 ton Perishables van (D&S) last night, just in time for page one thousand. Congratulations on the most long-winded thread on RM web.