Tony Wright

Seeing the couple of panned shots I posted earlier, prompted me to take some more this afternoon............. Last year I bought this SE Finecast A4 off Geoff West, to whom I'd originally sold it some years early from the estate of the late Geoff Brewin. I renumbered/renamed it from 60007 to 60032 (one of the last pair of A4s to retain a single chimney). Today, I panned her going south. Views such as this can be 'highly-critical'; note the wrong angle of the slidebars on this side (correct on the other side), rather like 'Hornby's with the rear end higher than the front. Such views also 'invite' comparisons........... With the likes of a Golden Age A4. Despite this being superior to the old white metal A4 (it should be, considering it cost nearly ten times as much! Why I bought it I'll never know), I hold it in almost no affection. There's nothing of me in it (it's a real example of 'chequebook modelling'), whereas GANNET is a tangible memory of a late friend, with a little of me in it. 60032 gets used, while 60027 lives in its (rather swanky) box. More panned comparisons.......... 60847 (Crownline/DJH/Bachmann/Wright/Rathbone). 60885 (Nu-Cast/Comet/Wright/Rathbone). 60948 (Nu-Cast/Comet/Wright). Observers can pick out the differences. And, some B1 comparisons.............. 61002 (Bachmann/Comet/Smallshire/Wright), complete with leaning-back cab. 61139 (Pro-Scale/Comet/Wright/Haynes weathering). It leans forwards slightly. And 61213 (Bachmann/Wright). A wreck of a thing, bought for a fiver just over a week ago. Now, after a fair bit of work, a more-than-useful Bytham loco - a spilt chassis which works! It needs the tender-to-loco gap narrowing, and a fall plate. Then a further selection of panned shots. 61846 (builder/painter unknown); one I got running recently. It leans forward a lot! Power and speed epitomised; Tony Geary's superb DJH A1. And, something of a contrast, 61553 (Coopercraft/Wright - one of only three Coopercraft B12/3s known to have been made to work, and all having run on Little Bytham). These images show that (in some cases) I still have work to do.

Yesterday, I took some pictures for the CM of Ian Wilson's American HO layout........... The layout contains much in the way of scratch-built structures.

Good afternoon Mike, I used 'standard' Romford/Markits drivers I had in stock of the correct (scale) 5' 8" diameter (actually, 5' 6", but that's more than made up for by the over-scale flanges). I assume Markits makes the correct pattern wheel type (with the bevel) for all the BR Standards. They're certainly available for the Brits (and Clans and 71000)............ I fitted them when I made this previously tender-drive Hornby Britannia into a loco-drive one using Comet frames. The bevel is certainly there. It's now the property of Graham Nicholas and works on Shap. Later Hornby loco-drive Brits have the correct pattern wheels now........... Though why Hornby's rendition of BR green varies so much is anyone's guess. However, under weathering any 'oddity' is hidden (the work of Tom Wright). The bogie wheels have been changed. When 'I' took its picture on Little Bytham, it was hard to tell it was green! A recent DJH Brit build of mine, certainly has the 'correct' wheels........... Now painted/weathered by Geoff Haynes. But, that was not always the case............. This one has the 'generic' drivers supplied by DJH in the kit, though I changed the bogie wheels (painted by Ian Rathbone). When Mick Peabody built this DJH Brit, he used the driving wheels supplied as well (though not the bogie wheels). I painted it and Mick weathered it. For years and years and years, Model Loco/DJH 9Fs I've built have run on the drivers supplied in the kits.......... With too many spokes! Until Markits made the correct-type 9F driving wheel. Still.............. At speed, counting spokes is difficult! Regards, Tony.

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.