Tony Wright

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Good morning, The former, though only if you're modelling an actual prototype. As St. Enodoc has said, everything will depend on how much space you have. Though Bytham has a footprint of 32' x 12', we still had to 'shorten' the main line by about 14" to fit it all in. Real railways, even modest locations, sprawl................ Regards, Tony.

Thanks Paul, Though the real thanks should go to Chris and Wendy Walsh who shot and edited the Right Track videos; making a thoroughly professional job. Regards, Tony.

Good morning, Many thanks. There are other videos on Chris Walsh's Youtube site. They were first made 20 years ago, and sold exceptionally well, meaning a whole series on modelling disciplines could be shot and edited. Anyway, here's the next instalment....................... Clip 10. More to come.......... Regards, Tony.

Class A1 60116 HAL O' THE WYND takes the northbound Northumbrian at speed through Little Bytham.

I'm delighted Richard, Not only are my presentations useful for those who can't sleep, but I'm told they're equally marvellous at removing guests who've overstayed their welcome. Put me on, and all you see are their @rses disappearing in a cloud of dust, at speed! Regards, Tony.

Good evening Rob, Normally each train goes round once, though we're quite happy to run a set round more than once if the fancy takes us; if it's a new loco, or a visiting one that's been fixed for instance. One thing which rarely happens in the sequence (though it's written in to it) is any shunting. I think we all find that rather boring. There's no doubt Little Bytham is a roundy-roundy trainset. If I'm on my own when I run the railway (occasionally, but never the sequence), I'll often set an express off at high speed and just duck and weave around the circuit, watching it from every angle. It's rather good fun! Regards, Tony.

Each month the 'usual suspects' gather to operate Little Bytham (the monthly running sessions have been going for ten years!). During each month, I try to change all the locomotives (50 needed), and it's usual that A1s (as per the prototype) had most of the principal trains. Yesterday, four A1s were on named trains, including............... 60116 (DJH/Wright/Rathbone) on the Down Northumbrian. 60117 (DJH/Wright/Rathbone) on the Down Queen of Scots (Hornby/MJT/Comet/Wright/Rathbone). 60119 (DJH/started by unknown/Wright/Haynes) on the Up West Riding. And 60156 (DJH/Wright/Rathbone) on the Down Flying Scotsman. All of these represent my personal (miniature) time machine! Thanks to the operators yesterday for their (almost) perfect performance!

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Good afternoon Brian, What a coincidence! Chris Walsh (who made the Right Track videos) is putting some of them on his Youtube channel, and he suggests he puts some on here. Thus, here goes - the first clip from building locomotive kits............. Remember, these were made 20 years ago, and I don't quite look like this now! More to follow...............

Good morning John, Probably the latter, though what do I know about such things? Other than those GWR cranked lamp brackets are a very fag to form from strip brass! Regards, Tony.

Today saw Bytham's monthly running session. One of the delights is where friends bring models along to test/run, and so it was today, when Geoff West brought some locos. Including.......... This very nice ABS L1. It had once belonged to a deceased modeller who had no layout, and just displayed the models he'd had made for him (he didn't build himself) in glass cases. I knew nothing of his builders/painters, apart from one loco built/painted by the late Graham Varley. This L1above ran very well indeed. One of the things which interests me is the comparative element. Folk bring along models they've made/made by others and I note if I've made a similar (or identical) item. In this case it's my own ABS L1 (actually its forerunner, ECJM) which I built/painted and Tom Foster weathered. Another loco from the same collection was this Nu-Cast B1. Have I built just such a thing? Yes, and painted/weathered it, too. It's shown running in Bytham's early days. Yet another from the same collection which Geoff bought was this Nu-Cast O2/3 (which also ran superbly). And............ I've made/painted/weathered exactly the same thing. The big difference is in the respective finishes. The late collector never had anything weathered (everything was pristine on display), but I like my locos to look 'more-natural'. Geoff is definitely going to weather the ones he's bought. Another loco he bought (from a different collection) was......... This South Eastern Finecast K3, built/painted by Ray Lightfoot, which fairly romped round LB on an express fish train. Do I have something similar? Of course; my own SEF K3, built/painted/weathered by me. Again, Geoff will weather his K3. He's also got some WR stuff! He's working on this Bachmann pannier to produce something different. David Rae.................. Brought along this Craftsman C12 which he'd acquired part-finished, which he's now completed. I built/painted exactly the same kit, which Tom Foster weathered for me. Thanks for a splendid day's running, chaps!

Just to report an excellent weekend spent at the Ivanoe MRS' show at Mountsorrel. It was a friendly event, well-organised and, it seems, well-attended. Through various donations and my fixing things, over £50.00 was raised for CRUK. May I please thank the show's organisers and all those with whom I spoke?