Tony Wright

Good evening Willie, I don't know anyone who'd want to build a B16 to go round 2nd radius curves. So much would need removing from the insides of the cylinders, or the bogie wheels made to too small a diameter that it would look rather 'unrealistic'. Regards, Tony.

Good afternoon Nigel, The Super D should have flangeless wheels on its third axle - just like the prototype. In the same way that a 9F should have no flanges on its middle drivers. I'm sure there were other prototypical examples of flangeless drivers - the HR Jones Goods? All RTR steam-outline locos I've seen of late have far more sideways play in their wheelsets than kit-built equivalents; in order to be able to negotiate Set-track curves. Kit-builds can have more side-play built in (or built out?), but often it means filing down the outside faces of the bearings. The downside of having so much 'slop' is the tendency for pick-ups to lose contact on the tyres' rears and a propensity to 'waddle' along the track, especially on straights. There's also the risk of locos with so much slop mangling their valve gear. Regards, Tony.

Good morning John, The model in the photo looks like it was built by DJH in their Banbury days. The firm offered a kit-building/painting service in those days, using both their own kits and others. The work was usually signed underneath. Regards, Tony.

Another loco has come my way to sell on behalf of a good cause; an ABS L1. It's well-built, very naturally-finished and, most-important, it runs well. I'm asking £90.00. Anyone interested, please PM me.

The usual monthly get together to run Little Bytham resulted in just one guest operator today, Geoff West (others had bank holiday commitments). No matter, Geoff and I had a great time running the Bytham sequence. One day, we'll get it dead right, but we weren't far off today. A derailment (a coupling bar too high - immediately fixed) and my forgetting to change a point and that was that. What better way to spend a day? Geoff bought the last of the Peter Lawson 4Fs (the best of the five). I set it up for these two pictures, on a typical Notts-Norfolk three-set. What a lovely model. Thanks Geoff for your great company today and thanks to Susan for the excellent cake.

Is there a thread on here relating to eBay madness? Personally, I've never used it, but a mate does - the same mate who bought the V2 I showed last week. That turned out to be a bargain, but how about this? Bought for £69.00 as a 'runner'; except it wasn't! It's an old K's O4 with a K's Mk.1 motor. So poor is the meshing of the gear/worm is that for half a revolution it engages and the other half it doesn't. Tighten the mesh and it locks-up solid! Though the drivers are Romfords, only half have flanges. 'Can you get it to work, please?'. 'Yes, but the end cost (just for a new drive) will be more than the finished thing is worth - a lot more'. I await his response. Why don't I ever take my own advice? I should have said an emphatic 'NO' immediately.

As promised............ Tony Geary's B16/1 bogie arrangement. The chassis is electrically-dead, but still some little nibbles have been needed out of the front inside edges of the cylinders. From this angle, those nibbles are hardly visible. Mike Edge's bogie arrangement on the B16/2. Again, the chassis is electrically-dead, and no nibbles have been necessary to the insides of the cylinders. I had to elongate the slot in the bogie stretcher so that it would negotiate 3' radius curves. I think it's a beautifully-made loco; I know Mike did a lot more work on the motion, but it needed my fitting of a DJH motor/gearbox to quieten it down. With the original drive (straight worm/gear), it was deafening. My bogie arrangement on the B16/3. This has a live chassis, so I had to nibble a bit more off the inside of the cylinders, then smeared the inside angle with Araldite. The angle is just visible, but only at extremely close quarters. What all the three models above have are 'scale' bogie wheels. So many kit-built ex-NER locos with bogies have 'standard' ten-spoke wheels of too large a diameter. Fitting the correct wheels (Gibson/Markits) immediately helps with clearance issues. When Jesse Sim was over last year, I gave him a part-completed scratch-built C9............. He took it to this stage. The bogie wheels are larger than on most ex-NER locos, so some nibbling and Araldite was necessary on this. I got this (rather dubious, though 'professionally-built/-painted') DJH C7 to (just) go round curves by substituting the bogie wheels with the correct style/diameter and nibbling away at the inside of the cylinders, later smeared with Araldite. Oddly, by actually restricting bogie sideplay............. It allows a loco to negotiate tight curves without the risk of fouling. This SEF Schools' chassis is arranged as a 'sort-of flexible' 0-8-0 (a daft explanation, but I hope it makes the point). To have the rear bogie wheels splashers present (essential!) and those front steps (even more essential), it was the only way. I hope all these help............... Comments/observations, please.

Thanks for that, Graham, It's good to see the C2 (DJH/Wright/Haynes) is still running well. I take it the Bristol show was a success? I used to go but some folk didn't like my after-dinner comments about the award trophies (one fell to bits and would have crushed someone's foot had it landed on it!). I thought the shows were excellent (a tribute to the late Nigel Mann, with whom I was a friend) and I'm sure this latest one was, too, following his legacy. Regards, Tony

Good morning Mark, I'll take some pictures this morning. Regards, Tony.

Good evening Andy, Serious omissions! Little Bytham has played host to many B16s of all types, and none has failed to negotiate the 3' minimum radius (on the main line - I wouldn't dare try one on the MR/M&GNR). A selection............ As you know, I often build locos in 'batches', and two from such a build were a Nu-Cast B16/3 (on a scratch-built chassis) and a DJH A1 (which became 60157). Geoff Haynes painted the new B16/3 (beautifully), and it's seen here in company with a PDK B16/2 (PDK/Edge/Wright/Foster), my much older Nu-Cast B16/3 (Wright) and a DJH B16/1 (Geary). Some closer views of three of those above....... Tony Geary's magnificent DJH B16/1. The PDK B16/2; originally built by Mike Edge, part-mechanically-rebuilt by me, painted by me and weathered by Tom Foster. A Nu-Cast B16/3 built/painted by me when the kit first came out (the mid-'70s?) on a scratch-built chassis (the original white metal lump of a chassis was pounded and cut up for ballast!). You can tell how old it is - it's got Hamblings' driving wheels! Visiting B16s have included........... This DJH B16/1 (I can't recall who brought this). This DJH B16/3 (again, I can't recall its provenance). A PDK B16/1, built/painted originally by Paul Hill and mechanically tweaked by me; now the property of Geoff West. A PDK B16/3, built/painted by John Houlden and weathered by Geoff West (it's now his property). I've built a PDK B16/1 which now runs on Grantham, which Ian Rathbone painted............ Superbly! It has no difficulty going round Grantham's curves. Plenty of B16s, then? Selfishly, I couldn't give a fig if one is produced RTR - I have no need of any more. B2s? Only two Thompson ones on LB, I'm afraid (more Robinson ones). I think this is from a DMR kit, but whose is it? A scratch-built one, which Geoff Haynes painted (builder unknown). Geoff West bought it........... And weathered it rather well. It's now the property of Sandra Orpen, and she'll convert it to EM gauge for use on Retford. I've never thought of the situation between RTR and kits as a 'contest'. I suppose I'm lucky inasmuch as I have no need for RTR steam-outline locomotives, because building locos is much more liberating - one is not beholden to products made in far-away factories. Yes, not all can build good-running locos (I've had far too many duds through my hands to know that), but it would be a much-poorer hobby (in my view) if so many layouts become RTR-reliant, motive power-wise (I'm talking steam-outline here). Regards, Tony.

Good afternoon Chas, In response to yours (and Captain's) comments, I'm sure some of the details such as chimneys, domes and fittings are 'open to interpretation'. For certain, the chimney and dome on my scratch-built O1 are too short (they're Jamieson fittings), but in 1977 who made chimneys and domes for O1s or O4/8s? I'm not sure that the Hornby O1 chimney is right, either. Graeme King's resin one is better...... As seen here on my 'Heinz 57' O4/8. Little Engines' O1 chimney is probably better, too. The Heljan O2's chimney isn't much cop, either............ Which one would you choose? I replaced the chimney on the one shown yesterday, with a Markits turned brass one. As I did on this much-altered Heljan O2/3; turned into an O2/2. A hybrid thing with probably too many errors, but.............. On a layout? In company with another much-altered RTR loco (which now runs on Shap). When I assisted Heljan with its O2s' developments, I was presented with several spare parts, including different cabs. The GN one went on to the O2/2................ And the side window one on to a Nucast O2 was building (from an incomplete kit), turning it into an O2/1 (as with the O2/2, I used a Nu-Cast GN tender). Weathered down (by Geoff Haynes).................. In the company of a PDK O2/4 (ex-O2/1) it looks the part (I think). Speaking of the PDK O2s............ This (in my opinion) is the best way to 'achieve' an O2 of any denomination. What do the above images 'prove', if anything? That, with a bit of work, current RTR locos can be made into something worthwhile? Or that the 'best' way is still to kit-build, which is the situation in my case. Regards, Tony.

Good afternoon Martin, I was one of those who helped. However, our collective comments/suggestions with regard to the (poor) valve gear and the hopeless plastic handrail pillars were not acted upon. It certainly will pull a house down, however! Regards, Tony.

Good morning, The tarp-covered van is the work of the late Dave Shakespeare. It's a privilege to have something running on Little Bytham which once ran on his Tetleys Mills. Regards, Tony.

This evening I've done some direct comparison pictures between locos I've built and RTR equivalents. In some ways it could be said it's not an entirely fair set of comparisons, because none of the RTR locos is as-supplied; all have been worked on in several ways. Anyway, here goes. I'll leave viewers to make their own conclusions (comments welcome, please). A much-modified Bachmann A1 - rear loco footplate raised up, new bogie wheels, wiggly pipes, replacement etched brass smoke deflectors, a new identity and weathering by Ian Rathbone. A DJH A1, painted by Ian Rathbone. A Bachmann A2 with similar alterations as to the A1; weathered by Tom Foster. A DJH A2; painted by Ian Rathbone. A Hornby A3 with several alterations/additions; weathered by Tom Wright. A Wills/scratch/Jamieson A3; all my work, made in 1978. A DJH A3 with a K's tender; painted by Geoff Haynes. A Hornby A4, detailed by me: painted by Ian Rathbone. A Pro-Scale A4; painted by Ian Rathbone. A Hornby Britannia with several alterations by me; weathered by Tom Wright. A DJH Britannia; painted by Geoff Haynes. A Bachmann Austerity; weathered by me. A DJH Austerity/painted/weathered by me. A Hornby O1; altered/detailed/weathered by me. A scratch-built O1 from 1977; painted/weathered by me. A Heljan O2/3; detailed/altered by me, weathered by Geoff Haynes. One of the problems in being a cat's servant, is that many of her hairs get everywhere - including on my models. In my attempt to remove one hair with a soft brush, I've dislodged the crossrail on the smokebox door. Heljan's handrail pillars on this model are far too weak. A Nu-Cast O2/3; painted/weathered by me. I think there's no doubt that (with a bit of work) visually, RTR locos are at least the equal of kit-built equivalents. However, out of all these models, only the Heljan O2/3 matches the pulling power of the kit-built equivalents. Interesting?

Thanks for these APOLLO, The two pictures at Chester are particularly interesting to me. In the shot by Chester No. 6 'box, beneath the church spire to the centre right horizon is Victoria Road School, where, a year before your pictures were taken I completed a few week's teaching practice in charge of an ESN class (ESN, by the way, stood for 'educationally sub-normal'! And the members were - such a description would be incredible today). My classroom overlooked the deep cutting between Chester's two tunnels. Also in the picture is the roof of Chester Northgate's loco shed. In the lower picture, if one were to walk 400 or so yards from the right hand end of the bridge, along Westminster Road, one would pass by infant/junior school. The headmaster allowed us to trainspot at lunchtimes (imagine that today!). The L&NWR lower-quadrant semaphores at Chester were the last of their type in operation in the realm. Regards, Tony. Another 100 pages on Wws. Gosh!

Good morning Rob, Yes, the XP64 set................ Dave Lewis of Southern Pride produced kits for it almost 30 years ago. His made-up set ran on Stoke Summit (here hauled by a modified/detailed Lima Brush Type 4). We were very lucky at Wolverhampton MRC having a 'pet' kit-manufacturer as part of the team. It enabled us to create trains way beyond the imagination (at the time) of RTR manufacturers. Trains such as 'The Elizabethan', made up of the post-War Thompson PV vehicles (with two Mk.1s making up the Aberdeen portion). At much the same, Bachmann produced a presentation Elizabethan set in a polished wooden box. Despite claims from the then MD that 'much research has taken place to make it accurate', none of the cars was appropriate for the 'Lizzie'. So far, no RTR manufacturer has produced Thompson PV cars. Other Southern Pride kits created which first appeared on Stoke Summit included.......... The Mk.1 Pullman cars for use in the 'Master Cutler' and 'Tees-Tyne Pullman'. In the case of the former, modified Hornby cars were also employed. As they were with the latter, but only the brake cars this time. The motive power is a modified Lima EE Type 4 and a SE Finecast A4 respectively. Of course, now there are the Bachmann Mk.1 Pullmans RTR and the later Hornby Pullmans............ But it's a pity the colours don't match (which they did on Stoke's Pullmans). Dave Lewis even produced the Mk.1 Pullmans in reversed blue/grey (the Deltic is a much-altered Lima product). Other rolling stock types now available RTR include........... The TPOs (the two leading cars are altered RTR Mk.1 BGs and the motive power for both trains is modified Lima). And the 'Anglo Scottish Car Carrier', here made-up from Dave's own Southern Pride kits - including the four Mk.1 passenger-carrying cars (the A4 is Wills/scratch/Wright/Rathbone). Heljan now makes the carriers RTR............... And very nice they are, too - motive power respectively SE Finecast/scratch/Wright/Haynes, modified Bachmann/Davey and Crownline/Wright/Rathbone. The passenger-carrying cars are modified Bachmann and modified Hornby products. Who would have thought, all those years ago, that so much would now be available RTR? However, both the XP64 and Elizabethan stock remain for the kit-builders. Regards, Tony.

Thanks for all the recent comments on RTR/kit-built stuff - a topic which seems never far away from Wws. Obviously, my personal interest is the ER/ECML in later steam days, and it crossed my mind as to which locomotives might be needed for which there is no RTR offering. Here's a selection................ Theories abound (though I've heard nothing concrete) that GREAT NORTHERN might be on some RTR radar, though I'd be astonished if it ever came to pass (the words of someone who, in 2010, had a book published where he claimed no RTR manufacturer would ever touch a Thompson Pacific!). Frankly (and selfishly?), I really don't care, since I've had this one (Crownline/Wright/Rathbone) for almost 30 years. Out of interest, the DMU in the background is a modified/detailed/weathered Bachmann item. Time was when the only way to get such a model was kit- or scratch-build. Tony Geary chose the former route, building this MTK Cravens. You're a (much) better man than I, Tony! The other Thompson Pacific unlikely to ever appear RTR is the A2/1, here represented by my Jamieson hand-cut kit example from 1976 (all my own work). Nu-Cast and Crownline/PDK produced kits for the type (I've built both), but I've only ever seen one other Jamieson A2/1........ Which I'm in the process of resurrecting. K2s tend to rate quite highly on RTR wish-lists I'm told. However, for the moment the only option is to build............ From a Nu-Cast kit (Wright/Haynes). Or from London Road (Wright/Rathbone). Or scratch-build.................. Which is what Ray Lightfoot did. I have a couple of Nu-Cast K2s for the top bit of LB, this one representing earlier BR days (my build, my painting and weathered by Geoff Haynes). As for the K5, I think a kit for one from DMR was proposed. This one is from many years ago (Wright/Wills/scratch). Another loco high on RTR wish-lists is the J6. I have several, including............. This Ivatt example (London Road/Wright). And this Gresley one (Nu-Cast/Wilson/Wright). Is there an RTR J6 on any manufacturer's horizon? Lesser-known 'J's are highly-unlikely to ever be considered RTR; locos like the following pair........... A J3 (London Road/Wright). Or this other J3 (K's/scratch/Wright/Haynes). As for smaller 'D's? Like this D2 example (London Road/Wright/Haynes). Or this D3 (London Road/Wright/Haynes). Who knows? Though a Robinson ex-GC 2-8-0 has been available RTR for many years......... For the likes of an O4/7, it's kit-building (Little Engines/Wright/Haynes). And an O4/8 (K's/Bachmann/scratch/Wright). As for a K4? Though certainly not ER or ECML, I might have thought a K4 a possibility for RTR. This one represents the preserved example (scratch/Wright). I think Dave Alexander once made a kit for the type. All the above examples are OO, of course. I don't feel qualified enough to comment on other scales. Tomorrow I'll photograph some RTR/kit comparisons.............

Which is which, please, Robert? The one on the right looks to be a larger scale. Regards, Tony.

Good morning Captain, The answer is 'no', and that's based on history. Nearly 50 years ago, when I first started building locos with a specific time (late-'50s) and place (ECML), the only way to get the variety of big motive power was to scratch-build or kit-build. Things like Thompson Pacifics were unheard of, and the Trix Peppercorn A2 was an abomination - the Tri-ang/Hornby A3 wasn't much better, neither was the Trix one, and the various RTR A4s were poor. Thus, having been in that situation, it's natural that I've continued to build my own locos, and will continue to do so; not only because they'll haul more (steam-outline) but because I enjoy doing it. There's also the satisfaction of being able to say 'I made that' as, say, an A1 on 13+ heavy bogies races past at over 80! One cannot say that about equivalent RTR steam-outline A1, no matter how good it might look. Granted, there's also the satisfaction of taking an RTR loco and 'personalising' it - detailing/renumbering/renaming/weathering/etc; there is great merit in that. It matters not if it doesn't then attain the 'highest standards'; it's work that is entirely personal. Those who, for whatever reason, don't try to do things for themselves will only have the satisfaction of a 'possession'. If I were starting on my 'journey' now, would I adopt the same 'make it myself' stance? What with the 'magnificence' of current RTR? I honestly don't know - in the same way that some EM modellers with whom I've spoken aren't sure if they'd have adopted the more-accurate gauge all those years ago if what's available RTR now in OO had been available RTR then. That said, I think the answer(s) would still be 'no'. Regards, Tony.

Good morning Tony, I really enjoy running them - they're wonderful models! It's a privilege to own them now. I wonder how many other locos have seen regular service on so many layouts? Did those V2s run on Kirkfield? If not, it's still at least four - Stoke Summit, Charwelton, Peterborough North and now Little Bytham (if I made EM frames for them - a possibilty - they could run on Retford!). When I say 'regular' service, they were always in use on Stoke and Charwelton, so that's scores of shows! The best part of their now running on Little Bytham (spoiler alert!)? My taking out the DCC decoders from their PN days! Regards, Tony.

I took a few more pictures of Ian Wilson's HO layout yesterday............ It's really rather good.

Good morning John, My 'generalisation' about a kit-built loco being able to pull more than an RTR equivalent was with reference to steam-outline. You mentioned the Accurascale Deltic. Not only is that far superior in appearance to any kit- or scratch-built equivalent I've ever seen, when I tried to count how many carriages it could pull on Little Bytham, I couldn't - loaded into the mid-30s, the front of the rake collapsed on the end curves due to the train's weight, though the Deltic was still pulling it with ease prior to that! Is there a 4mm kit which could equal this, no matter who built it? And, after expert weathering by Geoff Haynes.................. Has anyone seen a more-realistic kit- or scratch-built equivalent Deltic? I never have. It's not the Accurascale Deltic, either........... This is the Bachmann/NRM prototype Deltic (weathered by Geoff Haynes). Though I made a model of this decades ago (Kitmaster/modified Lima), it was rubbish in comparison. OO RTR diesel-/electric-outline has no equal in my experience. Regards, Tony.

I've managed to fix the buckled motion on the LNER green Pro-Scale V2 seen the other day............. It now works without jamming, but aesthetically there are issues. The slidebars are from a Millholme 'Goldcast' pack from the last century. Gold, I would think meant high-quality, but no. I did think of using a Comet slidebar, but the crosshead was far too fat, so this will have to do. It's for a friend, at no charge, so I have to be pragmatic. For a really good job (at some expense, mind), I would have replaced all the motion with Comet V2 components, but that's not the brief. Toning down/weathering the motion would improve the appearance. At least it runs now; with Portescap power, rather well. And, at an eBay price of £100.00, a bargain could one say now? Painting has been mentioned - the paint job on this is good enough to justify even more than £100.00, so yes! Here its passed by one of my Hammett/Geary Pro-Scale V2s, this one (like the other) towing a Bachmann tender (Pro-Scale's tender is the rarest behind V2s). I think 60862 was originally 60831 (a GC section engine, but Gilbert Barnatt, the previous owner, had someone change the number; and it shows - a touch more weathering?). I built my own GREEN ARROW.................... From a Crownline kit, which Ian Rathbone painted (beautifully). A favourite V2, but 'namers' always were.

Good morning John, 'Trigger warning' acknowledged. A fine RTR model 'inferior' to a scratch- or kit-built one? Only in terms of haulage? I took this Hornby RTR A3, changed its identity, replaced the bogie wheels and weathered it; then sold it. Why? Because it just couldn't haul trains like these, here pulled by my South Eastern Finecast ENTERPRISE (painted by Geoff Haynes). The train in the first shot is 14-cars long. Seen here in its entirety............... All built from metal kits! Here, it's hauled by a DJH A1 - no Bachmann RTR A1 will look at this. Granted, not all layout owners/builders are 'loonies' like me, but, for my needs, it has to be kit-built locos. Garsdale Road? The most-exciting thing David Jenkinson ever created. Though my memory crumbles, I saw it (I think) at Central Hall, and never looked at anything else. Nick Campling was helping him operate it. Regards, Tony.

Good evening Brian, The Olney Club members are very friendly, too - certainly by today's evidence, where five visited and we all had a most-enjoyable time (though apologies to Malcom for our decking!). Great fun was had running the railway, though there were a couple of MR/M&GNR derailments caused by a rogue coupling - now fixed. In fact, the most-popular loco on the day ran on the 'little bit'.............. My McGowan D9 (painted by Geoff Haynes). Only one 'visiting' loco was brought (though more will be brought on the next visit)................... This J50. I recognised it instantly, since it's a lot of my work. It originally came from the estate of the late Gordon Stolliday. Now, if memory serves, Gordon had started it (its origins unknown). To reach this stage. I took it further. To completion. Then painted it. It was then weathered by Geoff Haynes, Geoff West or Tom Foster (I can't remember which). To produce................. The rather attractive loco seen above (I've added the crew and lamps today). I sold it originally to one of the Olney Club members, but he has no further use for it, so, via some 'wheeler-dealings' it's back with me. Chances are I'll keep it! Thank you gentlemen for your most-entertaining company and conversation, and your most-generous contributions to CRUK. Particular thank to............. Barrie Trinder, who gave me this fascinating (and recommended) book he's written. Gentlemen, here's to the next time.....................