Tony Teague

Hear, hear!

As a Southern modeller I wanted one of these 6 wheel brakes and about 6 years ago found a 3D printed version on Shapeways. It cost £41 then, and still needed wheels, couplings, paint, transfers, etc. Even in the best quality material that they offered at the time, it made up into a pretty awful model, but I was happy to have such an unusual prototype in my collection and did not expect that something RTR would ever appear. (it's the one on the left!). Of course, it has no internal detail, but will probably now be consigned to a drawer somewhere! Tony

Apologies for there being almost a month between updates; health issues plus leisure activities have got in the way of modelling, however, there HAS been progress. This update continues the run-through of coaching stock, but the next one will show some long overdue updates on scenic progress. So the first of two RTR sets shown today is a recent update to stock being the long awaited but newly arrived Bachmann Bulleid 63'5" stock, in the shape of Set No.790: I must say that I am pretty impressed with the beautiful finish on these vehicles: No.4342 is a semi-open brake 3rd, whilst No.5771 in the centre is a corridor composite No.4341 book-ends the set, being a further semi-open brake 3rd. The individual coach packs include accessory bags with such things as corridor 'blanking off' boards (as on No.4342 above, various hoses, a simulated buck-eye coupling, and a replacement "hose coupling" which is a new one on me: I feel these look good and have fitted one as shown, but I now need to test whether this will navigate the regrettably over-tight curves on my train set (2'6" radius), plus whether they are robust enough to consistently manage a full load over a longer period of time. I will be ftting paper corridor connections - I just don't have them in stock! The set is posed here with Hornby Q1 class No.C34. The second set for today is No. 239, a Hornby four coach, Maunsell high window set: Along with the Bachmann / EFE Set No.253 shown recently, one can only feel encouraged by recent improvements in the quality of new OO RTR coaches which make it really hard to justify the expense and / or effort of constructing kit-built equivalents, unless of course no RTR version is available. No.2802 is a 6 compartment brake 3rd In the centre are Nos 5688 & 5689 being corridor composites Whilst a further 6 compartment brake 3rd completes the set: This set is seen behind Hornby Battle of Britain class No.21C155 'Fighter Pilot'. Still plenty of caoching stock to go, but next up will definately be some scenic progress updates! Tony

Before we depart from the topic of weathering, I'd like to pay tribute to the late Mick Bonwick who taught me and many others the art of weathering during courses at Missenden. Here is one he did for me, a Hornby RTR King Arthur: Plus a whole train weathered by me using his methods: A Bachmann N class with assorted RTR & kit-built wagons. For me, weathering is essential, but it takes time, and there is so much stock to get through! Tony

Must be tall - the cat was completely obscured! 🤣

Jack Steve bilt all of my semaphores (pics of those installed so far on my thread) and he also has a lot of videos on YT, see: https://www.youtube.com/@steveatbax The DCC levers work fine with his method of operation which is via servos which use the two way on/off functionality of the levers rather than the passing contacts. Tony

Have a look at Steve Hewitt's thread: Tony

Back on p.61 I exposed the very poor job that I had made of adding the 3rd class decals to the two brake coaches of Set 253, in that I had tried to get away with varnishing only those door panels that contained the "3". I am pleased to say that I have now re-varnished all of the previously unvarnished areas and this given an even finish has solved the problem: I deliberately left the centre trailer composite untouched so that I could compare the before and after appearance, from which you can see that aside from being glossier, the addition of wo coats of varnish has also considerably darkened the look of the paintwork. The trailer will now get the same treatment which will allow the Set to finally enter service! Tony

Jack I think you're about right - they need a bit of TLC but the results look good and they have good functionality. Another thing that I found through experience is that when they are mounted close to the front of the control panel - as mine are - and in the 'pulled' position, it is far too easy to turn around in a chair or whatever, and catch the lever with a sleeve or the back of the chair - so I have also bent a couple, to my extreme annoyance! Yes I have used thepre-soldered plug-in units and what my previous picture was showing was the underside of the little plug-in board; in practice it would be very hard to use a normal soldering tag strip within the same space and it makes it easy to swap connections in and out - alos to swap levers if / when one fails. In terms of painting, I didn't want to dis-assemble each lever, so I put masking tape across the tops of the lever frame and then painted the levers down to that level - the paint does not continue down inside the lever frame. I used a primer and then Humbrol enamels. Tony

Hi Jack Otto looks beautiful! As you know I too have used the DCC Concepts levers; they look great, they provide for multiple functions, and they are as you say very tactile, however, my word of caution is that I have experienced a high failure rate and I am now out of spares, having replaced at least 5 of a bank of 24 levers. After the first two went I bought some further spares but I have since got through those and am finding it hard to source further stocks in the UK. The faults have included loose soldered connections & dry joints inside the switches and on the tag boards used to connect them, and most oddly, solder joints under those tag boards spreading once screwed down and shorting with adjoining tags. Clearances are very fine but you can see in this image where I have had to scrape away solder to avoid shorting. Despite all of this I remain committed to using these levers as I haven't identified any alternatives that look the part - plus I'd have to re-sdesign the front of my panel for anything different! Tony

In this case any proceeds will probably be swallowed up in care home fees, which will sadly be very significant against whatever is raised.

In the end, whether one is happy or not with the amount to be gained from the sale of 2nd hand stock might come down to whether it was perceived as an investment when bought, or as a consumable. My personal view is that anything spent on my hobbies is 'consumable'; if I want to invest it wouldn't be in model railway stock or photographic kit (my other hobby). I am currently working (with others) through the disposal of a large collection of railway modelling artefacts, the property of a modeller who is permnently and very seriously incapacitated; it is taking an inordinate amount of effort to which his family make no contribution whatever, and whilst we are managing their expectations, they certainly started by thinking that it was a pot of gold.......😧 Tony

I quite agree - but would add that the other driver that I have seen is that bereaved families may want to get a house sold rapidly so as to cash in on the 'main chance' and in doing so they seem prepared to consign the deceased's valued collection to the skip rather than seek help or advice from others who might realise the true emotional & financial value of it's contents. Tony

Thanks guys; will give him a try. Tony

Morning Iain I really am most grateful for your offer to take this on and for the work you have since completed! Both coaches look excellent and in painting & finishing them I will try to maintain the very high standard that you have set. Together with the Bachmann crane and another coach, these will form a breakdown train; my remaining problem is to source some suitable transfers. I have had an order in for these (& paid for) with Modelmaster Jackson Evans for about 6 months but there is no sign of them and reading elswehere on RMWeb it seems unlikely that they will ever arrive, so I must find another source. Thanks again for your significant assistance with these vehicles. Tony

Hi Ian Apologies for the delay in responding but I wanted to check sources with the friend who is helping me with the scenic stuff. You are right that we are using a combination of mats and scatter materials, plus scenic grass; the mats are really excellent and are by Martin Welberg. The scatter materials & grasses come from many different suppliers but a lot are from War World Scenics. The baseboards are first painted direty brown and then either the mats or multiple layers of scenic materials are added. It is a time consuming process, not least becasue of the size of the area to be covered. I intend positing some further images shortly. Tony

Old cattle trucks are even shorter!

Thx Jack. I think it was the result of extreme wheelspin on start up but it has since been removed using sky hooks.

As planned, further scenic progress today with help from a good friend; the bit we are working on is that large area down the centre of the room that has been un-scenic'd until now. Progress is slow, which may not be surprising as the area is around 18' x 4' when including the branchline station at the far end, so it is absorbing a lot of effort! The backscenes themselves have long been completed and are ready to install but the baseboards are up to 5' wide in places and so access from the rear is essential whilst we complete this work. I was also able to complete this pair of SR, ex-SECR 12T bolster wagons from a Cambrian kit, which I have been working on for some time: They have been very fiddly and are carrying quite a bit of lead under their decks, but I am quite pleased with the result. Tony

I have no opinion on this whatever, but surely one has to recognise that this is TW's thread and that he is therefore entitled to give weight to his preferred approaches - as you are on your thread?

Three weeks since my last post, largely due to a few recurring health issues but managed to get back onto the layout this weekend; too early to show scenic progress but it is coming along slowly. In the meantime a bit more coaching stock; 1st Set No.98, which is probably the least authentic that I have and is retained purely for nostalgic reasons: This was my first attempt at building a set of plastic coaches, and the keen-eyed amongst you (and probably the less keener-eyed) will realise that these are not models of SR coaches at all! The set was built from Ration Midland Railway kits and originally painted in MR crimson; I have no idea why, because I never had an inclintaion to build an MR layout - but they seemed like simple kits to start with - and they were. I like to think that No.2753 at the top is now an ex-LSWR 48' 6 compartment brake 3rd, whilst beneath that, No, 4561 is an ex-LSWR 48' 8 compartment 3rd. Bringing up the rear is No.603, an ex-LSWR 48' 4 compartment brake 3rd, and all are masquerading as some kind of imaginary Isle of Wight set! When I really got into building an SR era layout I had to choose between dumping this set or somehow refurbishing it - and that is what I chose to do, fitting metal replacement bogies whilst undertaking a re-paint. The set runs with CCT parcels van no. 1764 which is of similar vintage and from a Parkside kit; this is also showing is age and is looking poorly painted and far too shiny! The set looks reasonable in action and I will keep it if only for the nostalgia! It is posed here behind Hornby Arthur No.786 Sir Lionel: Pausing briefly, we move from the ridiculus to the sublime, represented by Set No.159: This 3 car ex-LSWR set is all from Roxey kits, assembeled by Ian Willets, painted and exquisitely lined by Dave Studley. No.3003 is a 56' 4 compartment lavatory brake 3rd and this is followed by 58' rebuilt lavatory composite: Finally, No.3002 which is a mirror of No.3003, brings up the rear: It might be considered dubious that such a set would be running in ex-works lined olive condition by 1938, but this is such a beautiful set that I can certainly stretch my imagination..... Seen above with Hornby Arthur No,739 King Leodegrance. Tony

Tend to agree as to speed - and so far, the clearance & reinstatement of the formation, plus the tracklaying has progressed pretty quickly in my view - thus the frutrtation at time to finish. For clarity my 'incompetence' accusation was an alternate take on what is going on at DFT, as opposed to the more treacherous angles posted previously!

I accept that these are the likely unfinished issues - but another 18 months? Really? How long did it take the Victorians / Edwardians to build the line in the first place, without modern equipment to help them? Regret I don't buy the DFT conspiracy theories - to me this looks more like incompetence than anything deliberate. Tony

What on earth is going to take them another 18 months to complete?

Or his frigging of the rigging.........