Tony Wright

I don't think I implied that Ambergate didn't work very well, Jol, P4 or what. The layout I was referring to was the only one I've encountered in my taking of thousands of layout photographs where, despite it being set up in a purpose-built room, I was unable to move locos/trains into position for photography without jerking or derailing. Some of the locos were very poor at running (despite their being built by a well-known professional builder) and, compared to how well it had run as an EM layout, it seemed like a great waste of money to me. Anyway, why shouldn't I use my 'usual scepticism' with regard to poor running? Until someone can prove to me that it's possible to build the likes of Little Bytham in P4, in a normal lifetime, even in a larger space, where there are over 100 RA9 big locos hauling up to 14-car trains at speeds of up to 100 mph without fuss, failure or derailments then I'll remain a sceptic. Of course, not everyone wants to model an ECML depiction in BR steam days (in any scale/gauge), but I do, and, with help, have done. Today two dear friends came round and we ran every train on LB (over 50 movements) - in and out of kick-back sidings, round and round, at speed and at a crawl; with one derailment. Why? because I hadn't set the road correctly. One of the friends who came today was Graeme King. He brought some most-interesting pieces to run. And, they did run - perfectly. How appropriate for the MR/M&GNR bit of the railway. This will go through its paces when LB goes LNER in August. This was suitable for LB in its current guise. Graeme will give chapter and verse as to how these ingenious conversions have been created.

I'll take some pictures tomorrow Mark

Thanks Tony, I hope it works well. It's just that a certain well-known layout built by Roy Jackson, Geoff Kent and John Phillips in EM (which worked perfectly) was converted (after being sold) to P4, renamed, had extra junctions added and never worked as well again.

Please, Use it again when the time comes......................

Heresy, Gavin? Not at all. However, in fairness to the preponderance of large, green locos on LB and for the multiplicity of rakes in carmine cream/maroon/umber and cream, they are far more representative of what would have fizzed through the station on a summer's day in 1958. The WTT I have is far more biased to these types of trains, rather than the slower freights. But then, very fast trains on Stoke Bank are what the ECML is really all about. Regards, Tony.

Thanks Gavin, Balanced workings like these? Since I took these pictures, any unlettered/numbered wagons now have their correct brandings. Both are around 45-wagons long (the empties should be longer?). I believe that the full train would have originated from the Notts pits and the empties are returning there (via the junction at Grantham). Any coal from the Yorks pits would probably have gone down the Joint Line, either to the GE via Cambridge or the GN via Peterborough. I must admit that in my trainspotting days, other than taking the locos' numbers, I paid trains like these little attention. At Retford, they were an irritation inasmuch as they interrupted traffic on the main line over the flat crossing, and at Chester on the CLC/GC they were really of little interest (even though I could see them from my bedroom window). Though scores of the types of locos which hauled them are underlined in my rotting Ian Allan abcs, I really have no real recollection of them individually - other than a gleaming O4/7 heading for Dee Marsh Sidings through Blacon (near Chester). The working wasn't unusual, but a clean O4 certainly was. It must have just come out of Gorton. Happy days indeed.

I never had to, Mike, As I said, his name appeared in a class register shown to me by a mate who taught in another comprehensive school. I assure you, it was true. Anyway, as we fast-approach 1,000 pages on Wright Writes, let's hope the 'big moment' has pictures and notes about model railways, rather than peculiar names. I've got two friends visiting today, so I hope they bring something for me to photograph. One of them was an operator on the late John Webb's stunning depiction in EM of Ambergate. I'm not sure what happened to this masterpiece, though I heard it was being converted to P4. I think it's the range of models shown on Wright Writes (certainly not just by me) which makes this thread so interesting to me. It's not just about what I do, and not just what I've made (heck, I couldn't get near this standard), but a whole raft of top-drawer model-making done by others - personally.

Good morning Steve, Naturally, I cannot find the picture I used for reference regarding the clear window (it's in one of my books, and it shows a car in carmine/cream, with a clear attendant's compartment window). It would seem, then, that I'll have to paint mine white (easily done, because the bodies come off). We learn something every day. The curtains are prominent, though. Regards, Tony.

Thanks Jonathan, Mine have three dynamos.

So that's where he ended up.

Thanks Kevin, I trained with a bloke whose christian names were Christopher Robin. Apparently his parents liked the names but wouldn't transpose them because 'RC', when pronounced, was rather unflattering. Still, not as bad as parents whose surname is Hunt who christen their son Michael. Thanks to all for their amusing comments on names. 'Daft' names, in some cases, are common on ECML locomotives, so they are apposite. Regards, Tony.

I assure you that they were in the register, in their correct alphabetical place. At the beginning of each term I would write down the names of all my class in the register (in alphabetical order), then call out each name at the beginning of every day. How would 'miscreants' add names? The pupils never had access to the register. When I began teaching (in Birkenhead, in 1970) I was told that failure to keep an accurate class register (in every way) would result in (strict) disciplinary action. The school secretary collated the registers every Friday and the weekly attendances were sent to the LEA offices. Just across the Mersey, 20 years before, things were obviously different from the way they were in the 'Pool, as they were in Wolverhampton in 1974. Regards, Tony.

These are outstanding vehicles, Gilbert, My compliments to both the builders, Steve and Phil. Just a few things........ It's really well worth putting the little steps on the outer end of the bogie at the saloon end of the RF and at the inner end of the bogie on the kitchen side, adding curtains to the saloon, putting 'Kitchen' on the kitchen doors and fitting the blue 'First Class' 'sausages' to the windows (both of mine now have this done). It's good to see the the corridor-side windows in white as well, something omitted from one of your earlier commissions if you recall (though one window should be clear in the kitchen). As you know (you were working alongside me), I've done several Hornby/Trice conversions (the best thing to do with Hornby's gangwayed Gresleys?), including two RFs. I hope these are of interest to your thread readers........ I hope this one has the correct number for one with turnbuckle trussing. And that this one has the correct number for one with angle trussing. I think Phil/Steve have done a better job with the ventilators, and does anyone know which side the conduit should be on or which end the train alarm gear should be, or where exactly should 'Restaurant Car' be on the sides?

I hope these two are not readers of RMweb (they were shown to me in the register of a class taught in another school by a mate)............ It was not a wind-up; the register was one of the most important documents for a teacher to accurately record. Yoric Hunt and Dwayne Pipe. You couldn't make it up, could you? They'd be in their late '50s by now. Assuming they haven't murdered their parents and been incarcerated (though they's still be that age).

Please forgive my ignorance, Gavin, I'm old enough to remember no one ever being christened Summer, or Sky, or Chardonnay, or Chantelle, or Brooklyn, or any other 'modern' names given to children these days. I think the most exotic name given to any of the bods I went to school with was Gregory (after the actor?), though I did once teach a Buddy (after the singer?), and a Tyrone (after the actor?). Teaching in Wolverhampton, great christian names like Spencer, Winston, Wellington, Horatio and Florence were not uncommon. I'm glad I was born when I was. Regards, Tony.

Just a couple of things to follow up the lovely little video made by Tom Rance................... Those little wooden cottages are now weathered, Tom - as you so rightly observed they should be. And, 'summer' is not a proper noun. It was a pleasure to see you.

John, I agree, and I've found this to be true. What I do is to lower the interior ever so slightly, so that one can't then see the near edges of tables or seats being a bit too far away from the sides.

Thanks Andrew, I did know that lime wash was not used on cattle wagons from the 1920s. That's why those wagons aren't used, except behind locos of pre-Nationalisation status - as I pointed out to Tom. And, this is the best 'cop-out', because so little of the freight/goods stock on LB is my work, if it's wrong, then someone else is to blame! Regards, Tony. Neither can I!

Thanks ever so much, Tom, I think part of the privilege was mine (by the way, privileged is spelled this way, with no 'a'), in my being able to see such beautiful examples of your work. As your video shows, they work as well as they look so good. Speaking of the video, it's rather good and fully up to the standard of many others seen of Little Bytham. I think the manual focus mode works better, but it's still very impressive overall. It's impressive enough for us all to see your personal work - and that's where I'm privileged to have so many visitors (all of whom are friends or soon become friends) who bring examples of their own work. I'm not in the least bit interested (in comparison) in folk bringing their latest purchase along, either RTR or commissioned work, because such items are never their personal creations. They're just their property, but that's all. Above all else, this thread shows personal model-making - long may it continue. As I mentioned to you, I think you're far more 'noble' than I am, in that you're doing everything yourself. This should be the aim for all modellers, but, in my case that isn't practicable. I'm either too indolent or too lacking in skill to do the lot myself, but, as has been mentioned many times, I'm very good at bartering (skills). And, speaking of doing things for oneself, though (as you acknowledge) I've made most of the locos and passenger rolling stock for LB, the goods/freight stock is mostly the work of others, and that should be clarified. As should the fact that the track is 'perfect' because I had the best in the business (Norman Solomon) make and lay the scenic-side of it. Kind regards, Tony.

Rich, The MJT extruded aluminium LNER roof profile is pretty accurate. As an aside, and with a huge 'thank you' to my recent visitors and RMweb members, adding on what I've got for my loco-doctoring and donations of stock, I've just sent off a cheque for over £200.00 to Cancer Research this afternoon. That's over £700.00 sent this year so far. With a target of £1,000 for 2018 (which Mo and I achieved last year - or rather 'you' achieved), then we're well on course. That doesn't include donations made by RMweb members independently, so our most grateful thanks to them as well. Thank you all.

Rich, I hope the following pictures help.............. This is the way D&S kits are designed as to be able to separate the body (complete with roof) from the floor pan, using 8BA nuts/bolts. The roof is thus permanently fixed in place. The Isinglass LNER Milk Van separates in the same way, though with 6BA nuts/bolts. Though there is no interior in this van, it's still wise to be able to get it apart, if nothing else than for ease of painting. All interior nuts MUST be soldered in place (apologies for 'shouting', but it's vital). Gluing them in place is no good. A similar arrangement is employed in Rupert Brown's kits (available from Comet Models), where four 10BA nuts/bolts are employed. It's important that any interior is clear of these fixings. Though nice and secure right now (I finished this set a year ago, and Geoff Haynes painted it to perfection), there's always the risk that interiors and/or glazing will come loose over time. One must then be able to get inside. It is not good practice to seal the whole coach together once it's finished (believe me - ever tried replacing popped-in glazing or re-fixing interiors on/in an all-sealed coach?). The other method of separating carriages is to have a lift-off roof. This car was built by David Scott, and I completed it and added the seating. Two holes were drilled in the floor pan (see one) and 8BA nuts were glued into the ceiling, into which two (long) 8BA screws are positioned to hold on the roof. I prefer the other method, not least because this is more of a fiddle to put together and the screws can be seen, particularly in an open car. The one advantage is that interior partitions can be soldered in place. Either way, both methods ensure that one can subsequently get inside a carriage, and not by trying to lever-off a glue-on roof.

Rich, When I get time, I'll illustrate 'my' two methods of fixing carriages together so that they can be dismantled where necessary.

Thanks Stewart, I don't think anyone can deny that, used correctly and of the right type, glued-together components can be very secure. It's just that, in my experience with models, I've had too many fail (over time) which have been glued together. I agree entirely that the original Araldite (at least 24hr curing-time) is immensely strong - more so than any 'rapid' equivalent, but it's not as quick (obviously!) nor secure, in my opinion, as a bonding agent for white metal/brass/nickel silver as solder in all its forms. I can cite from personal experience (in examining the work of others) an etched brass chassis which was slightly 'out'. When all the wheels were placed on a flat surface there was a slight 'rock' from one corner to the other. This, I have to say, is quite common with a 'thin' set of frames and normally (is this heresy?) I just twist the lot slightly 'twixt fingers and thumb. Fine, if it's soldered-together. Not in this case - it was glued! Several of the spacers just sheared apart. The cure? Strip the lot, and solder together. I've had epoxied-together white metal loco bodies which I've been able to pick apart, with little resistance - impossible with a soldered-together body. How does one solve the problem of (in some cases, professionally-built) carriages where the Evo-Stuck-together interiors have either warped (because of reaction to the adhesive?) or come completely adrift over time? Or etched-brass sides have 'sprung' off donor vehicles over a period of time because the adhesive (Evo-Stik/Bostick/UHU/etc) has failed. Over a quarter of a century ago, I built a complete Elizabethan rake by melding Southern Pride sides on to (old) Bachmann Thompson donors. I used Evo-Stik as a bond. Half the sides have failed over 25 years, and have had to be re-fixed. Contemporaneously, I built some standard Comet Thompsons, all soldered together. Their bonding is as strong and good as new. I state again; for 'normal' model-making using white metal, nickel silver or brass (or combinations of all three) solder is by far the best way of putting things together (apart from bolting/screwing-together). It's quicker, longer-lasting and more secure than any glue I know. Regards, Tony.

Rich, Araldite and filler are the answer to the MJT roof (you'll only find out it isn't a perfect match until you prime it). There are two ways of making the coach body removable from the roof/floor pan. Either have the roof come off the body (using nuts in the ceiling) or have the roof and body come off the floor pan (separated by undoing screws beneath the floor). I prefer the latter method. I hope this helps. Regards, Tony.

Thanks Mark, But they're not really my work. I just repaired them.