2mm Andy Posted March 3, 2013 Share Posted March 3, 2013 Is it the late Ray Fricker's layout? Spot on, Steve! It is the layout Ray built (called 'Saxted'). Ray's brother had spoken to one of the 2mm guys at the St.Albans show earlier in the year and advised that the layout was available (without stock), having been stored in his loft since Ray's death. I've been looking to acquire a layout (my attempts to build anything like that are pitifully slow as I usually get sidetracked by building more wagons!) and to cut a long-ish story short I went down to Dunstable today and collected it with the help of a good friend with a perfectly-sized van (thank you Julia!) The locos and stock that Ray built are being kept by his family, hence the appearance of the class 24. I thought it would be a nice touch for the first train under new ownership to be an inspection special! Attempts to run a DMU were frustrated by me forgetting to bring the blanking plug for the DCC socket with me! From first inspection the layout looks to be very well built, beautifully detailed and was working within about an hour of unloading it after we'd cleaned the rails and fathomed-out how the electrics worked! There is a tiny bit of paintwork damage to the backscene, but given that it has spent so long in a loft it is in fantastically good condition. If anyone wants to read more, there is a very good article written by Ray in MRJ number 99. Andy 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium DavidLong Posted March 3, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 3, 2013 As East Anglia was home to a number of Derby Sulzers in the early/mid 1960s then devotees of the railways of the swede-growing counties shouldn't be too offended by the presence of one at Saxted. Looks excellent, Andy David 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold queensquare Posted March 3, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 3, 2013 (edited) Is it Ray Fricker';s layout? On a related topic, what happened to Ray Fricker's locos? His GE stock was stunning. I remember that he was about the only one who had a chance of winning the coveted Groves Trophy at the AGM in a year that Denys Brownlee also entered. Brilliant modellers sadly no longer with us. Jerry Edit: You posted whilst this was in the ether Andy. Glad its found a good home - I remember it being a cracking little layout. I had a play with it a few times - Rays locos always ran beautifully. Edited March 3, 2013 by queensquare 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
2mm Andy Posted March 3, 2013 Share Posted March 3, 2013 (edited) Is it Ray Fricker';s layout? On a related topic, what happened to Ray Fricker's locos? His GE stock was stunning. I remember that he was about the only one who had a chance of winning the coveted Groves Trophy at the AGM in a year that Denys Brownlee also entered. Brilliant modellers sadly no longer with us. Jerry As I mentioned very briefly in my post above, Ray's locos and stock have been with his family since his death, and are obviously still treasured by them as something to remember him by. Unfortunately I never met Ray - I understand he passed away in 2007 after suffering from Parkinson's disease (which must have been a cruel blow for such a superb modeller). Interestingly I've just scanned some 35mm slides from the 1994 2mm AGM of various models by Messrs Fricker, Greenwood, Brownlee, Wright, Raithby (and including a SDJR 2-8-0 by someone by the name of J. Clifford.... ) Andy Edited March 3, 2013 by 2mm Andy 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold queensquare Posted March 3, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 3, 2013 As I mentioned very briefly in my post above, Ray's locos and stock have been with his family since his death, and are obviously still treasured by them as something to remember him by. Unfortunately I never met Ray - I understand he passed away in 2007 after suffering from Parkinson's disease (which must have been a cruel blow for such a superb modeller). Interestingly I've just scanned some 35mm slides from the 1994 2mm AGM of various models by Messrs Fricker, Greenwood, Brownlee, Wright, Raithby (and including a SDJR 2-8-0 by someone by the name of J. Clifford.... ) Andy Eee, I were nowt but a lad - what a line up of modellers. Pete Wright was one of the nicest people I've known and ran the loco bits shop for years. He was hugely helpful and used to send little notes and tips with orders. Pete made the Whitakers tablet catchers on the 7F and wrote them up for his booklet on loco bits and pieces Needless to say my 7F (No 84, currently in the works for a new UJ and drive shaft) didn't win the Groves - what did that year? John Greenwood will be at Nottingham with Wenfordbridge and is also helping me out at Aylesbury this year. Any chance you could post some of the pictures Andy. Jerry 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
autocoupler942 Posted March 3, 2013 Share Posted March 3, 2013 I seem to remember the power source for Ray's layout was half-a-dozen or so batteries to provide pure DC. Was this still the case when you started up the dormant layout? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold bcnPete Posted March 4, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 4, 2013 If anyone wants to read more, there is a very good article written by Ray in MRJ number 99. Thanks Andy...and if you could take a few more phots of it and post it too... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
2mm Andy Posted March 4, 2013 Share Posted March 4, 2013 I seem to remember the power source for Ray's layout was half-a-dozen or so batteries to provide pure DC. Was this still the case when you started up the dormant layout? Yes, although we used a Pentroller (which was Ray's back-up method of powering the layout) yesterday. The last set of seven batteries were still under the layout though. with more under the fiddle yard. I wil start a separate thread for the layout later on tonight as I think we're probably going a bit off-topic for a workbench thread. Andy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
2mm Andy Posted March 5, 2013 Share Posted March 5, 2013 Eee, I were nowt but a lad - what a line up of modellers. Pete Wright was one of the nicest people I've known and ran the loco bits shop for years. He was hugely helpful and used to send little notes and tips with orders. Pete made the Whitakers tablet catchers on the 7F and wrote them up for his booklet on loco bits and pieces Needless to say my 7F (No 84, currently in the works for a new UJ and drive shaft) didn't win the Groves - what did that year? Any chance you could post some of the pictures Andy. Jerry Might be a bit tricky Jerry, the original slides are marked as "copyright Philip Hall" so I'd prefer not to post them here unless I can get permission from Mr Hall (who I think was associated with MRJ?). I'll see if I can dig out any other photos of those models. It was Ray Fricker's GER 2-4-0 that won the Groves Trophy that year - it's on the front cover of the December 1994 2mm Magazine. Andy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold queensquare Posted March 5, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 5, 2013 Might be a bit tricky Jerry, the original slides are marked as "copyright Philip Hall" so I'd prefer not to post them here unless I can get permission from Mr Hall (who I think was associated with MRJ?). I'll see if I can dig out any other photos of those models. It was Ray Fricker's GER 2-4-0 that won the Groves Trophy that year - it's on the front cover of the December 1994 2mm Magazine. Andy Yes I remember that now, a beautiful little loco. I seem to remember there being four locos - a tram engine, an o-6-0 and I can't remember the other - a GE single perhaps? Jerry Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold 2mmMark Posted March 6, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 6, 2013 Might be a bit tricky Jerry, the original slides are marked as "copyright Philip Hall" so I'd prefer not to post them here unless I can get permission from Mr Hall (who I think was associated with MRJ?). I'll see if I can dig out any other photos of those models. It was Ray Fricker's GER 2-4-0 that won the Groves Trophy that year - it's on the front cover of the December 1994 2mm Magazine. Andy I'll send you Phil's contact details. I'm fairly regular contact with him. Mark Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Armchair Modeller Posted March 6, 2013 Share Posted March 6, 2013 Yes I remember that now, a beautiful little loco. I seem to remember there being four locos - a tram engine, an o-6-0 and I can't remember the other - a GE single perhaps? Jerry I think he was making a model of one of Massey Bromley's 4-2-2 singles, but I don't remember ever seeing a photo of it. I wonder if he ever finished it? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
2mm Andy Posted March 6, 2013 Share Posted March 6, 2013 This one....? (photo taken at the 2002 2mm AGM by Mark Fielder). Andy 16 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Armchair Modeller Posted March 6, 2013 Share Posted March 6, 2013 (edited) Ah, that makes me drool Thanks Andy Edited March 6, 2013 by Armchair Modeller Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold A Murphy Posted March 6, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 6, 2013 What can you say about modelling as good as that? What a gifted man. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold queensquare Posted March 6, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 6, 2013 This one....? (photo taken at the 2002 2mm AGM by Mark Fielder). Andy What a beautiful model and the right colour for an engine too! That really is a little masterpiece as you would be hard pushed to find a trickier loco to build with a curly footplate on three different levels and outside cylinders. Jerry 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buckjumper Posted March 8, 2013 Share Posted March 8, 2013 My comments about Saxted are on its thread, but Ray's locos were superb. He only had the G53 tram, the Y14 and the Little Sharpie 2-4-0 when I saw the layout in 1997. Their running quality was impeccable, but look at the neatness of the lining on the Bromley Single. What you ladies and gents working in 2mm achieve never ceases to amaze me. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Armchair Modeller Posted March 8, 2013 Share Posted March 8, 2013 What you ladies and gents working in 2mm achieve never ceases to amaze me. Agreed! Even RTR has an amazing level of detail - sometimes better than the 4mm equivalents. I just wish some magazine editors and photographers would resist the temptation to blow 2mm images up so they look more like 4mm or even 7mm models to the uninitiated - that does tend to show up the perfectly reasonable limitations of the scale just a little bit 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buckjumper Posted March 8, 2013 Share Posted March 8, 2013 Yep, I'd agree with that in general, but I was chatting to some fellow 7mm scale modellers at a Gauge 0 Guild trade show last weekend and we were saying how much some of the 2mm photos we've seen (just to embarrass him, Jerry's name was one that came up) could easily be taken for P4. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orinoco Posted March 8, 2013 Share Posted March 8, 2013 Yep, I'd agree with that in general, but I was chatting to some fellow 7mm scale modellers at a Gauge 0 Guild trade show last weekend and we were saying how much some of the 2mm photos we've seen (just to embarrass him, Jerry's name was one that came up) could easily be taken for P4. Ah, but we all know the only reason people model in 7mm scale is because their eyesight is fading, so is that really a reliable opinion? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
-missy- Posted March 8, 2013 Share Posted March 8, 2013 Why not have a go Adrian? I would really love to see something you built in 2mm scale. With your top quality modelling skills I am sure it would be very impressive... M 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buckjumper Posted March 9, 2013 Share Posted March 9, 2013 Ah, but we all know the only reason people model in 7mm scale is because their eyesight is fading, so is that really a reliable opinion? Ha, some chance! The larger the scale the more detail you have to add...for those of us working to finer standards anyway 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buckjumper Posted March 9, 2013 Share Posted March 9, 2013 Why not have a go Adrian? I would really love to see something you built in 2mm scale. With your top quality modelling skills I am sure it would be very impressive... M Cor, you're a flatterer, Missy! Actually I'd be really up for it, but time is the current enemy as I'm committed to have an layout built for the ScaleSeven Group's Challenge 33 by October next year. I've got a pile of bits for both an S Scale and S132 projects, but if inspiration hit hard enough a 2mm project could easily leapfrog both of those. Seeing Saxted again stirs the waters that's for sure, and I've just seen David Eveleigh's link from the 2mm Soc site. His etches for a GER K9 loco and various carriages/NPCS are all a bit tempting. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
-missy- Posted March 9, 2013 Share Posted March 9, 2013 but if inspiration hit hard enough a 2mm project could easily leapfrog both of those. I've just seen David Eveleigh's link from the 2mm Soc site. His etches for a GER K9 loco and various carriages/NPCS are all a bit tempting. What harm will one little engine do? Go on...... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold queensquare Posted March 9, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 9, 2013 What harm will one little engine do? Go on...... Julia's absolutely right Adrian, just think of all that detail you could leave off!! Jerry 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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