Tony Wright

Good morning Captain, I, too, have arranged the drive on the middle axle, using a big Portescap................. The lower firebox sections were made from brass sheet, cut to shape and soldered to the inside top of the frames. One other thing I noticed was that with the new chassis, there was no representation of the bottom of the boiler. As luck would have it, I'd just acquired some dud Hornby A3 bits, so I used a section of one of the boilers from those. Though flat at the bottom, the effect works. I've added plenty of lead ballast, too. I know the Portescap will be visible between the boiler and the frames, but there'll be plenty of 'stuff' in the way when the loco is complete to mitigate this. And, from most viewing angles it won't be seen (a poor excuse, perhaps). The thing is, this already works superbly! Regards, Tony.

Little Bytham gets used a lot by manufacturers these days............ Peterborough North as well...

The replacement Comet frames for the Mainline 75XXX.............. Fitted perfectly.

Good morning, The absolute minimum radius this big engine will negotiate is 3'. The rear frames are fixed to the main chassis. With a swivelling inner truck carrying the pony wheels (there is precious little side-to-side movement, but enough for 3'). Anything less, then it's a ghastly RTR-style whole-swivelling unit or flangeless pony wheels (the later pair of Ivatt 'Princess Coronations', with the 'Delta' truck beneath the cab is better in this respect). This 'Semi' was travelling so fast on Little Bytham that this was the best I could do to 'freeze' it! The weight of Geoff Haynes' lovely painting obviously slowed it down a bit.............. Regards, Tony.

Thanks for your help, Paul. One can only take 'decent' pictures if the subject matter (I mean the whole layout, not my couple of locos) is of a high standard. Your club layout certainly is! It was a pleasure to photograph it. Regards, Tony.

Mo and I have spent a splendid day at the Colne Valley HQ of the Braintree (I think) MRC, my photographing 'Little Colne'. It's really rather nice................. The group was kind enough................. To let me take a picture of a couple of my (appropriate) locos on it. Thanks chaps, and look out for it in BRM in the future.

Fairburn 2-6-4Ts have been popular on Little Bytham........... This is my own modified/detailed/renumbered Bachmann one, weathered by Geoff Haynes). The prototype appeared on a train for Gorleston at Saxby one summer Saturday. Another altered Bachmann one, brought a few years ago by some SR modelling friends. I sold one from Brian Lee's collection, built from a DJH kit. And another DJH example, from another collection. Stanier 2-6-4Ts don't seem to have been anything like as numerous......... Apart from the Peter Lawson one, this Hornby pair is all I've got in my photo library.

Oh, I should point out from the post above that these three ex-GWR coaches are all that remain of Peter's carriages (which I've been selling - the ex-LMS and ex-LNER carriages went even before I needed to take their pictures; just an email or phone call!). And, all that's left locomotive-wise is this pair.......... A DJH Fairburn 2-6-4T (Portescap-powered), now just £130.00. And a Nu-Cast Stanier 2-6-4T, now just £90.00. Anyone interested, please PM me.

Good evening Al, Seen before a few weeks ago, but maybe forgotten by now............ Is this the same diagram as one of yours? Built by Peter Lawson from a BSL kit, I'd originally asked £50.00, but now I'm asking £40.00. Another ex-GWR carriage from a BSL kit, also now £40.00. And a much-detailed/modified/weathered RTR autocoach, now £30.00. Anyone interested, please PM me. Regards, Tony.

Despite my getting that original Mainline 75XXX chassis to 'work' again, the racket from it has proved too much! So, I've decided to put a set of Comet frames underneath it. It looks as if they're designed to fit exactly underneath the body. A Rolls Royce chassis underneath a (very) second-hand Ford 'Pop' body? Perhaps, but that body is very good, especially considering its age. Can it be justified on Little Bytham? Very unlikely, though some 75XXXs were repaired at Doncaster. That being the case, if running-in, it would probably be clean. Rule 1? Especially as I've got multiples of all the classes that would have been seen. Maybe one didn't turn left at Helpston!

Good afternoon Giles, Probably Dia. 354 (page 103 in LNER Carriages by Michael Harris, T&L 1994), built originally for service in the post-War 'Flying Scotsman'. Regards, Tony.

Good morning Mike, What isn't widely known is the fact that the Tri-ang B12/Hall chassis was the same block as used underneath Tri-ang's A3, but turned round and with larger drivers. It's the one in the foreground, with block for the glowing firebox at the rear and extension for the cylinders at the front. From the same 'duds' drawer, I bought enough parts to 'make' a Tri-ang/Hornby A3. The bogie and the later valve gear needed modifying to suit this earlier (1960s) FLYING SCOTSMAN. Someone had gone to great lengths to remove the moulded-on handrails, presumably intending to replace them with wire ones. I certainly won't, but will hand it over to an 'inexperienced' modeller (I have a 15 year-old in mind) to practise on. Total cost? Little more than a fiver. With still some bits left over! Including that other chassis/motion seen in the earlier shot. Is that 'scale' seagull faecal matter? Regards, Tony.

Fantastic stuff, Roy.......... Thanks for showing us. My BLUE PETER (from much the same source as your HAPPY KNIGHT) still gets used......... She has no problem in hauling heavy trains. Granted, it's not in the same league as Bytham's other Peppercorn A2s; the likes of............. TUDOR MINSTREL (DJH/Wright/Rathbone) on a Donny running-in turn. OR BRONZINO (DJH/Wright/Rathbone). Or SUGAR PALM (DJH/Wright/Haynes). Actually, 60526 isn't on Bytham at the moment; riding on her EM frames, she currently sees service on Retford. Or my own HAPPY KNIGHT (Crownline/Kinsey/Wright/Rathbone). Or even my detailed/renumbered/renamed Bachmann RTR VELOCITY (weathered by Tom Foster). However, Who knows? She might well be running in another 50 years' time! Regards, Tony.

Thanks for all the comments on my 'budget modelling'; the discussions about wheels, bearings and axles have been enlightening. As far as the Tri-ang Jinty goes, that really is as far as it goes. From an initial cost of four quid, by adding vacuum standpipes, ejector gear, buffers, lamps and a crew, plus the cost of paint and transfers, I've probably taken it over a tenner! And, that's the point in a way. By buying effectively 'duds', spending a little bit of time and resources, then a 'useful' model can be the result; at a very low cost overall. Yes, the Tri-ang wheels are gross, but they'll run on current set-track and Peco Code 100, which many modellers use. I'm taking it no further; it's satisfied the brief.

Good evening Captain, I had to fit Romford bushes to a Hornby Jinty chassis (over) 50 years ago to get Romford axles to fit (bushing the gear wheel as well). I then put a BEC J11 cast metal kit body on top of it, instantly becoming a 'scale' modeller. Where that dismal creation is now, I have no idea, though flushed with success................... A year later, I did the same thing to a Tri-ang Britannia chassis, turning down the Romford wheels so that I could get all-flanged drivers, and made Jamieson valve gear for it. I latterly even fitted brakes! What did it go underneath? A modified Wills A2 kit, towing a DJH tender some years later. A shot taken in Bytham's early days. And one from last year. Now in her 51st year (or thereabouts), I still keep her. The old XO4 still goes well, though not with the finesse of much more-modern motors. If nothing else, with the whole thing being my own work, it shows how much (or how little?) I've progressed with my model-making in the last half century. Regards, Tony.