Woodcock29

14 hours ago, micklner said:

The LNER versions of the V1/3 body. They appear to be still the very old original moulding? Giveway appears to be the oversize handrail knobs as used on the old mouldings.

Edit . Also look at the Cab Roof area still the same faults as before , missing the overhang on the front and side edges and the original design front vac pipe attached.

 

"Revised" may only refer to the new chassis previously issued with the old BR version body moulding a few years ago.

I remain to be convinced that anything other than a few J72s ever had red lining on the wheels. This seems to be a recent addition on models e.g. the Sonic Models LNER black A5 appears to have its wheels lined in red as well.

Andrew

5 hours ago, t-b-g said:

Has anybody checked the size of the splashers on the Ks model?

 

They look too big to my eyes but I couldn't be sure without measuring.

 

On the real thing, there is a gap between the top of the splashers and the boiler cladding but on the model, they are almost touching.

 

It may be that the splashers are too wide from front to back, to hide OO Gauge wheels better, or it may be that they are too high, or it may just be my eyesight!

Tony

They are definitely too big. Across the footplate they're about 2 mm too big in diameter. This is the one aspect on my 'hybrid' that is significantly out of scale. But the overall impression that it is a J3 is still ok as the most important aspects look right to me.

Andrew

I have just run my digital callipers (bought maybe 10 years ago and now my most used measuring device!) over my 'hybrid' J3. The boiler is 20.6mm in diameter across the centre line. Smokebox is 21.7mm horizontally and about 22mm vertically - a bit difficult to measure. Boiler pitch is about 0.5mm too low. Dome and chimney are the correct heights individually. Total height over chimney is 1mm too low. Cab width about 1mm too wide. Footplate correct 32mm at front but only 31mm at the rear. Overall not a bad result I thought.

Thinking further about the source of my chimney - I think I stole it from an unbuilt Connisseur J50 I was given. The dome just came from my spares.

Andrew

Tony

John does supply parts separately. I got some w/m C12 smokebox doors and some cast brass boiler fittings and whistles etc from him. 

In respect to your J3 why not see if Graeme King can supply a J6 smokebox front - that's what I used on my J3.

I've also re-measured my Ks J3 boiler and it's not much under size at all. Graeme's J6 smokebox front fitted nicely.

Andrew

On 14/10/2022 at 01:12, micklner said:

I have never seen any LNER Black loco with red lined wheels. The first time i saw it was on the Bachmann LNER  J72 rendition , as to Red Coupling Rods I haver read different opinions . Some say painted others that they are covered in Rust , all the very few colour photos I have seen the colour is a dark/dirty  Orange shade.

RCTS Part 8B page 24 indicates that the 10 J72s built at Doncaster got full red lining including on the wheel rims and centres. They lost this when shopped after 1928. There is a picture of J72 No 500 on page 82 of Yeadon Volume 43A which clearly shows red lining of the driving wheels. This was then replicated on the two Gateshead shunters J72s 2313 and 1720 in the late 1930s. I'm sure I've seen a photo of one of these shunters which clearly shows the red lined wheels but can't lay my hands on it at the moment.

I'm fairly certain its not right for an A5 though. The LNER black A5s should of course have black buffer shanks but that is easily fixed.

Andrew

LNER Locos in black livery, where lined, were normally red lined. In Yeadon Vol 21 there is picture of 5045 in what is described as red and white lining but in the photo it all appears to be white as the Sonic model has. Whether in fact there was red lining as well which doesn't  show up in the photo can't be determined.

It seems to me that Sonic still haven't got the chimney correct. The sides of the chimney should have more curve in them. I'm sure I read somewhere that this was being corrected on the final models but it doesn't appear to be so.

I'm curious about the red lining on the wheels of 5024. The only LNER locos where I've seen evidence of red lined wheels is on some ex NER J72s and they would have been painted at Darlington.  Darlington also commonly painted coupling rods red. Can anyone provide any evidence that the wheels had red lining on locos overhauled at Gorton? Red of course doesn't come out on most B&W photos of the period.

Andrew

Heard yesterday the sad news that Iain had passed. We had him as our UK speaker at our BRMA Convention in Perth, WA in 2005. I recall he was very entertaining.

Andrew

8 hours ago, KNP said:

I have decided to post my pictures in batches of three, each picture is taken using a process called post focus and on average this is 35 individual frames focused between 25mm and infinity.

They are then edited and merged using a focus merge program (in my case Serif Affinity) together to give, as near as it can, a focused picture from foreground to background.

 

 

 

 

 

Hi KNP 

What camera are you using?

Andrew

Tony the C1 in the photo you show above appears to be a DJH model because it looks too big. The smokebox diameter in particular.

Andrew

19 minutes ago, great northern said:

The 5.05 Newcastle-KX brings another local engine running through non stop to KX. Mons Meg this time.

 

 

This was taken on the 8th, after which I stopped playing trains, and left it where it was. The following day was not good for photography, but in the evening I decided to go and see what images taken after dark might look like now I have the new lighting. I never could stand the results with fluorescent lights, but here is what I got this time. The first one was taken using the daylight setting, as I normally do, but for the second I tried the daylight fluorescent one, which I haven't had reason to use before. I thought this might be no good with LED lighting, but got a surprise.

 

Here are the two, daylight setting first, daylight fluorescent second. I can't make my mind up which I prefer. What do you think?

 

 

 

 

Either way, I now think that evening photo sessions are more likely in future.

 

 

The second one as it has more warmth to it.

Andrew

41 minutes ago, St Enodoc said:

The Wills 2251, a really old cast kit, was designed to fit a Tri-ang Jinty chassis, which had a large chunk of mazak above where the valve gear should have been. It also came with a curved infill piece for the boiler bottom that you could fit if you used Wills' own chassis. When I built mine, over 50 years ago now, I combined the two by cutting the mazak away and fitting the infill. You could still see the worm but it looked much better overall. Later I fitted Romford wheels (too small, in my ignorance) but it's never been converted to DCC so doesn't run on the layout nowadays.

I did similar with a J39. But it's so long ago now I can hardly remember the details. We sold it back in the 80s I think.

Two of my favourite A3s. Thanks Gilbert. I also have BR models of both despite the fact I mainly model 1930s! I've also got an LNER version of Galtee More as Dad took me onto her footplate at KX not long before she was withdrawn.

Andrew

9 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

Good afternoon Al,

 

I cannot comment on how well (or not) the Dapol 'Black Label' A4 sold, because I don't know. Like you, I've never seen one on a layout (other than on Little Bytham). I had one to review, five years ago............

 

 

I thought it quite impressive; at a price, of course.

 

 

The fixed lamps might have discouraged some purchasers.

 

 

There was a fair amount 'under the bonnet'.

 

 

Including a smoke unit (which worked on plain DC). 

 

I wonder how many were actually sold, but it's not been perpetuated as far as I know. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

Tony

I borrowed a Dapol Mallard from one of our local BRMA members so I could do a comparison with my Hornby version and write a review for The Clearing House. I'll dig out the review and send it to you for interest.

Looking at the side on photo of the silver version above I note that Dapol have got the tender wrong. The rear sheeting around the water filler on the four silver A4s had gaps between it and the curved over sides of the tender. I'm currently modifying my Hornby A4 Silver Fox tender accordingly - of course the Hornby tender didn't have the sheeting to start with.

Andrew

3 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

 

Finally, may I ask, are tension-locks your preferred coupling?

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

Yes they are - the small ones. Bachmann seem to be the best.  I've too much stock to change to anything else now. I do have dedicated goods stock for running on the Spirsby exhibition layout which are fitted with Kadees. Coaching stock and locos used on that have NEM pockets so I can temporarily fit Kadees instead of tension lock.

Andrew

The last coach was running a hot box and needed to be removed by the lovely little N5?

1 hour ago, great northern said:

My own experience is that although crabbing could be seen when the locomotives were first run, it has become less noticeable as they are used more. For that reason I have not asked Tim to make any  alterations. I stress that is based on my personal observations only.

Oh but that gap! On my one and only new V2 I replaced the coupling with a brass hook and 'goal post'. I was able to retain the 'guts' of the Bachmann coupling for electrical connection to tender pick ups as well. I've also done 3 others for a friend. They do look so much better. I also did the smokebox on all of them and on mine I fitted Comet valve gear. I also removed virtually all the surface rivets on the footplate of mine as its in early LNER condition, when from my observation of numerous photos they were not evident. On your heavily weathered version Gibert the chunky valve gear is not as obvious. Sorry can't post a photo of mine as I'm not at home but in Qld currently.

Andrew

Hope you're able to keep cool Gilbert. I know your houses aren't designed for heat like ours here in Oz. I expect its much hotter in the railway room than downstairs.

Andrew

3 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

Thanks Mick,

 

Regarding the extra plating to some of the GNR eight-wheeled tenders, I've never seen any reference to it, anywhere. 

 

I surely can't be the only one to have ever noticed it.

 

Some examples..............

 

 

Extended plating. 

 

Every picture of HUMORIST I've seen shows this type of tender.

 

 

Extended plating.

 

 

More common, open rails to the rear of the bunker.

 

 

Extended plating.

 

 

Extended plating.

 

 

More common.

 

 

More common.

 

On every A3 I've built with a GNR tender, I've always picked a loco with the 'normal' rails.

 

Has anyone ever modelled the extended plating type? I've never seen one.

 

Regards,

 

Tony.

 

 

Yes I have Tony. Can't show you the evidence at the moment as I'm away in Queensland until end of next week. A number of my LNER A1s and BR A3s have had their coal rail tenders modified in this manner. Maybe too many actually. I've been meaning to go back and check photos now I have acquired more books and of course the range of photos on websites is continually expanding.

Andrew

Very sad indeed. I remember going there in early 2012. For some reason I don't appear to have taken any photos inside which is most unusual for me!

Andrew

6 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

Good idea. It will cut down the amount of scenery you need too.

Not really as they're hidden anyway so no scenery there - must be one of my favourite parts of the layout!

And belated best wishes from me. I've just started to contemplate the idea of a couple of 'tea trays' over my hidden storage loops to facilitate changing locos as one way to reduce the number sitting in the loco yard (excessive congestion so it looks like its always a Sunday) and also to extend the operating sequence.

5 hours ago, Barry Ten said:

 

Just chipping in with a follow-up to this; at the time I mentioned that I'd had trouble with a 4MT developing an apparent split gear after a short period of not being used. This week I decided to strip it down to identify which gear was the culprit, but of the two I could easily inspect, there didn't seem to be a problem. It seemed to roll quite happily on the bench without the motor on, so I put it back together again and it's right as rain. The only thing I noticed was that some of the grease had gone quite hard and gritty (which I cleaned off), but other than that it's a bit of a mystery.

 

Al

That's not that unusual. I've had the grease solidify on several Hornby locos and had to clean it all out and regrease with something different. Its happened twice on one loco - my 4498 so maybe I didn't clean enough out the first time? You can usually tell if this has become a problem when one or more driving wheel axles don't slide sideways easily.

Andrew

11 hours ago, Jesse Sim said:

I have no details about the convention …

Jesse

All the update info for the convention this year in Adelaide is on the BRMA website and will be in June TCH which should arrive in the next week or so. Dates are Fri, 30/9 - Tues, 4/10.

I'll probably have a go at Sparrow Hawk myself at some stage but thanks for the offer. I looked through the remains of my Mum's art gear the other day and found a nice flat Windsor Newton Sable so Tony should approve of me having the right tool.

Andrew