Tony Wright

Good evening Frank, We've been here before........... D11 and D13 open-framed motors have one brush live to the motor frame. The O4/3 Jesse expressed an interest in has a Mashima can motor, where both brushes are insulated. Regards, Tony.

I mentioned yesterday my inability to take my own advice................ Can you sell this, please, with donations to charity? It's an old Wills kit, mounted on a Tri-ang Jinty chassis, fitted with Romford wheels. It's had a replacement five-pole motor, but it was wired the opposite polarity to convention. On test, it stuttered a lot. Rather a lot! Though nominally 'live-to-one-side', the rear drivers were both insulated, meaning it was picking up as an 0-5-0! It was encrusted with muck! So, after an evening's 'entertainment', punctuated with blasphemous language in the extreme, it now works quite well. What might it be worth now? I'll have it with me at the Cotgrave show (Bingham club) over the weekend, if anyone is interested (I'll be on my own, so please keep monies simple). The next one was rather more-promising - until I investigated more-fully after some 'twiddling' at York............. This is what it looks like now after almost half a day's work on it.............. It had no front numberplate nor a vacuum standpipe. It has now. The pick-ups were hopeless (it's a dead chassis), appearing to be made from 1mm wire, none of which was making good contact. It has a new set of pick-ups now. There was no clearance for the pony because the whole thing was nose-heavy, with the front frames resting on the pony wheels. It's now been sorted. The tender's brake gear was bent and loose. It's 'sort of' sorted now. It's beam-compensated, but a fair bit of tweaking was necessary to obtain smooth-running; it's very smooth now, with a chunky Mashima driving through a Comet two-stage 'box which the builder fitted. It has no brakes (because of the compensation?). It's very well-painted, but it was chipped/scuffed in places, which I've now tidied up. After yesterday's efforts, I put it back together....................... And away she went, hauling this full-length express fish train with absolute ease. A decent enough 'layout loco' now? I've said before, our contribution to CRUK is our time (we don't actually donate any money ourselves), but I occasionally wonder how cost-effective it is. At my 'rate of pay' per hour, this would add over £75.00 to the cost of this loco, meaning it just wouldn't be worth it on a commercial basis for a model like this. Material costs - kit, plus the bits to complete it? Over £250.00? That's without paying for it to be built and painted. No, just not viable in a way, but I'd get very little for it as it was. Comments welcome, please............ I should add that, apart from the need of the odd tweak, clean and oil, all of Peter Lawson's locos run beautifully. Neither of the above is his work.

I've been going through the Peter Lawson locos, bit by bit. One thing which was disappointing about the Pro-Scale B1 from the collection was its inability to pull anything but the lightest trains (it really struggled with the empty stock rake I put behind it). So, I lifted the lid..................... To find this interesting drive arrangement; very smooth, quiet and, potentially, very-powerful, but not without weight (it's a pity Pro-Scale appears to have designed the motion using the Roche drawing, with its too short eccentric rod (a mistake initially made by Comet). Having just built a Pro-Scale B1, I was surprised to find this one has a brass boiler (mine was cast metal - a later kit?). There was no ballast, but now it's packed with lead, and, so equipped, happily romped away with a full-length, kit-built train this morning.

Good morning Robert, I saw you (with Sandra) watching Grantham at the front, but I was in deep conversation with someone at the south end of the fiddle yard, then had to take something upstairs, and by the time I returned, you'd both gone. Sorry we missed each other. Regards, Tony.

Duplicate post - I don't know why...........

Tomorrow, I'll post some shots of locos I should have said an emphatic NO to. Why can't I take my own advice? Fear not, these are not from the current collection................

A good idea, Tom, I'll have to try it! Regards, Tony.

Good evening Graeme, My apologies - I should have told the rude individual (I think I know to whom you are referring) to wait his turn! Regards, Tony.

Good afternoon Chas, When you next see me, and I appear to be in deep conversation, please make your presence known. Mo is always telling me that I should look around more, and see those who might be patiently waiting. Then (tactfully?) say to those with whom I'm in conversation for some time that there are others. It is difficult, though I need to be more aware. This year, it's my perception that York was busier than ever; quite rightly so. To me, it's a 'far superior' show to Ally Pally. By that I mean it's much more of a modellers' show, particularly with regard to the trade support. If I'm wrong, please put me right, but was any trader at Ally Pally selling wheels, gearboxes, motors, loco kits, carriage kits, fittings and all the necessary bits and pieces to complete models? York doesn't really have 'box-shifters' as well. Granted, the layouts at Ally Pally will be as good as anywhere and it's wonderfully well-organised. However, parking is no longer free, I believe. To me, York is still one of the best shows in the calendar; it really caters for those who actually 'make things', and need all the bits to do so (similar ones are the likes of Aylesbury and Wells, as well as the Society shows; there are others). Yes, the ex-GC RU I had on display was the 3D-printed one . Nobody has told me yet that it's wrong! Regards, Tony.

Good afternoon Captain, Thanks for that; it's gratifying to see that Peter's locos are being used, and cherished. What your short video also shows is how nicely his locos run. Every one I've tested so far runs very well. Regards, Tony.

Good morning Steve, Of course - it is my intention, but I only got the remaining locos at the weekend. Anything ex-GWR has gone off elsewhere (I was amazed how difficult it was to sell the residue, though perhaps Doncaster, Preston and York are not the best locations to try). What I've got now is a collection of ex-LMS and BR Standard locos in the main. I'll photograph each one, and post them on here. Regards, Tony.

At York, Geoff Haynes delivered my latest B1 he's weathered............ What a cracking job! Thanks Geoff. I'd built it mainly from a Pro-Scale kit (with a fair bit of modification). Coincidentally............. There's a Pro-Scale B1 in the Peter Lawson collection. I know comparisons are odious, but............. This afternoon, I set them to work on Bytham............. Mine. Peter's. Since it has a scale coupling on the tender, a converter wagon had to be employed. Mine. Peter's. Mine. Peter's. The differences will ne noted..................

What a fantastic event the York Show was over the Easter weekend. Brilliant, one of the best in the calendar. May I please thank the organisers, all the exhibitors, all those with whom I spoke and, most especially, those who donated to CRUK, either because of my fixing their models, direct donations or material donations? Mo and I made over £260.00 for the charity (who suggested Yorkshire folk were parsimonious? Whoever it was, they're dead wrong!). Speaking of Mo........... Here she is behind my display, checking all the monies (without her diligence, everything would be a muddle - as is always the case when she's not with me). My most-grateful thanks. I had little chance to photograph anything........... Though Andy Ross' incredible workshop in 7mm was a must. Bob Dawson always has something new to show, and this year it was this OO9 micro layout. His grandson, Scott Waterfield............. Showed how a magazine cover free hut could be made into a lovely model. I put some of Peter Lawson's locos up for sale......... This Gibson 'Austin Seven' sold, though for no more than the current price of the kit. This Little Engines O4/3, however, didn't. Neither did this DJH Crab. Since Peter used prototype references, I must conclude that someone had cleaned the '3' on the cabside. I'll be putting pictures on here soon of many more of his locos I'm trying to sell. All run beautifully.

Good evening, I don't have any Raven A2s in my possession. However, I've made two and had another pass through my hands. Seen before, but hundreds of pages back................ This example (DJH/builder unknown/painting possibly Goddard) came my way to sell from the collection of the late John Brown of Spalding MRC. I sold it to Jesse Sim. Then I built a DJH one (my second - the first was for a friend years ago. Sadly, his home was broken into and the scum responsible, rather than steal his models, hurled them against the walls, smashing everything to bits! They were never caught). Thus, Jesse, learning of my building another, said he'd like it; and would I resell the one I sold him? Of course. So he sent it back from Oz to Blighty. Naturally, whoever was responsible for the carriage of the model saw FRAGILE not as a fact but as a challenge! Meaning, the poor thing got rather dented! However, there was a sort of happy ending........... The couriers paid full compensation, and I put the loco back together again, patch-repainting as necessary......... Then sold it again! This is the one Jesse now has, painted by Geoff Haynes (he wanted it with the larger tender). It was thoroughly tested before it went down-under (and arrived in one piece, thankfully). But, it was too clean. So Jesse weathered it (very-naturally), and brought it back with him when he visited last year. Regards, Tony.

I think the A1 below is another example of Tom Foster's weathering............ Seen on Grantham, which can be seen at the York Show over the weekend. I've actually built a few locos which run on Grantham (they'll probably be seen over Easter), including........ This SEF J69 (painted by Graham Nicholas himself), which is always employed. This DJH C2 (painted by Geoff Haynes). And this Jamieson V2 (also painted by Geoff). York is one of the best modellers' shows in the calendar - I recommend a visit.

Good morning Alan, It's a good idea, but where the locos are now is anyone's guess. One or two might be on Grantham, which will be running at York over the Easter weekend. Regards, Tony.

Me again, Of possible interest............. This rather dark slide shows 60029 heading south on Gamston Bank (a few miles south of Bawtry) in 1961. I'd venture to state that this is limestone ballast, though very dirty. Stoke Summit is definitely limestone country. Which is why WMRC used Slater's N Gauge limestone ballast when building Stoke Summit, though it could be a bit too clean - I take full responsibility, since I ballasted the lot! Norman Solomon also used Slater's limestone ballast when he laid the scenic-side trackwork on Little Bytham. He weathered it more than I did. Finally.......... Trackwork doesn't have to be ballasted to look impressive. Carlisle (EM), in 2016. Regards, Tony.

Good evening Nik, Very impressive. Ballast? It's my experience that granite ballast turns 'greenish' when wetted. Limestone ballast is more-appropriate for the ECML during your period. It's what was used on Little Bytham. Regards, Tony.

I can certainly recommend Tom Foster's entirely-natural weathering. He's worked his magic on several of my locomotives............ This Pro-Scale A1 was mostly-built by the late Geoff Brewin. I completed it, painted it and Tom weathered it. I detailed/altered this pair of Bachmann ECML stalwarts, then handed them over to him. Doing the same to this Hornby B1, his weathering really lifts it. My painting is best described as 'adequate'............... Seen here on this DMR K1 I built (with the lining the right way round!). However................ It's only after the touch of a 'master' that a loco really comes to life! As seen in this same transformation of my Crownline J17. Other examples of Tom's weathering work for me include............ This ECJM L1. And this PDK B16/2 (built originally by Mike Edge and painted by me). Tom's visited LB from its early days........... And this splendid quartet of Hornby Gresley Pacifics represents some very subtle weathering. It's not just locos he weathers............ His mastery of stock-weathering is equally evident. The best of luck, Tom, in whatever you do........... Best wishes, Tony.

Good afternoon, To ECML 'spotters of steam, a 'Streak' (A4) was always the most-wanted. Certainly, when one came into view at Retford, the shriek 'Streak' from the mass gathering of 'skoolboys' (I never saw a girl trainspotter) would assault the ears. Though not at Little Bytham, the first A4 I saw was the doyen of the class - SILVER LINK. Naturally, I had to build a model of her (from a Wills kit on a scratch-built chassis, which Ian Rathbone painted). Thanks to my model time machine, here 'I' am taking a picture of her! It's been seen before, but worth it again? Though I suppose the A4s were the most-exciting, I really loved the A1s as well........... Thanks to the same wonderful time machine, and a fair bit of imagination, here 'I' am taking a picture of GREAT CENTRAL (DJH/Wright/Rathbone). Which, given the quality of my model Rollieflex............ Turned out fine! Regards, Tony.

Good afternoon Andy, Though technically 'second-hand', the Tortoise point motors I have (x 5) are brand new; it looks like they've not even been taken out of their boxes. Speaking of boxes, they're priced at £12.99 - which might indicate their ages. There are also some 'remote' adaptors. So, £10.00 seems fair then? That said, it would be nice to get the original asking price! Regards, Tony.

Thanks for that info Mike, Being lazy (and not really knowing how to find out from the interweb), what's the price of a brand new Tortoise point motor now, please? I've had some donated for sale on behalf of CRUK. I've never used the type (though I'm sure they're quieter that the Fulgurex ones I installed and Norman Solomon wired up for Bytham). Regards, Tony

Good afternoon, Given the kinetics of the crash, the rolling stock faired reasonably well (the only 'casualty' noted this morning was a snapped-off buffer, which I've yet to find). In fairness, there was no fairness in the collision. The A4 was made from a South Eastern Finecast kit, packed with ballast, hauling 11 heavy Pullman cars. It ran into the back of a fitted goods train, mainly made-up from plastic kits (unlike the 'Yorkshire Pullman', not my work). There was the inevitable 'domino' effect with the 'victim' train. The wagons went upwards and sideways, knocking over some wagons in an adjacent road on one side, and bouncing off some passenger stock in the one the other side. No real damage was done - it's a trainset, after all. In fact, though I don't deliberately try to damage things, years of rigorous exhibition running have convinced me that one cannot be too 'precious' about locos/trains I've made. I can't imagine one of my SEF A4s having its front end ripped off by a 'hideous' point; more likely, the point would be 'ripped-up'! Regards, Tony.

Good afternoon Stewart, The problem is not the fixing of the Seeps to the underside of the board (it was a doddle when I was only 61), it's the horrendous failure rate of the awful things. I certainly never used Seep's (hopeless) switching mechanism, employing a microswitch worked off the end of the point's tiebar to change polarity. I also use choc-block connectors. Never throw one away? I have, loads. It's nothing to do with dry joints; the problem is always the same - one coil has failed completely - deep inside by the look. I'll be delighted to see shots of how you've installed them, but the problem for me is always going to be the same; Seep's failure rate is way, way too high. As a comparison, Stoke Summit's fiddle yard points were operated by Peco point motors. In nearly 80 (yes 80!) shows, requiring full-on operation for hours on end, not one Peco point motor failed (out of 40+). On Charwelton there were even more, and how many failed during the time WMRC operated it? None! I hate potentially 'doing a product down', but in my opinion, based on my Bytham experience, Seeps are not worth it. There is nothing unusual in their installation and operation - two screws (diagonally-opposite), not too tight so as to obviate distortion yet more than enough for security, and operation through a standard CDU. Regards, Tony.

Eric, I'll tell that to my knees! Tony.