tomparryharry

If you want to destroy cylinder vacuum, open the cylinder draincocks.... Same with a stuck safety valve over pressure. Brake on, mid gear, and open the regulator. Keep an eye on the boiler gauges, and as soon as the gauges drop, put the injector on. 

I've got Tuplins book somewhere. Personally, a lot of it is just sensationalism, being GWR 150. Holcroft is a far better read; he was there....  

If a 'run' was in the notices, then there was a good chance of an inspector or 3 somewhere in the area to time it through the section. 

I never  think of Mallard as a speed machine. The severely knackered Bulleid Pacifics put up some top-notch work on the south Western. I'd give my eye-teeth to fire on a job like that, just to see if I'm up to the mark.... 

Apart from un-numbered wagons mentioned earlier, how about the extra signal boards needed for a Western area signal?  Such as:- 

Shunt signal; backing signal, that sort of thing. There's about a dozen variations, but it's late, I'm tired, and I can't find a signals book.

Bulldog please, by Bachmann. They've got nearly all of the bits in stock. Just a new boiler diagram & some adjustment to the footplate.  It's an easy gap in the range. 

Edit:- Actually, what I should have said, is the tooling. Most of this already exists in Bachmanns' back catalogue.  

Ian.

Just now, Dagworth said:

clear nail varnish?

Vote #2 from here. Also, shellac, but I'm not too sure you can get it any more.

Edit:- Oh yes you can! have a look on google.

40 minutes ago, Steamport Southport said:

 

Loads of comments about Steam Punk, yet they seem to have sold an awful lot of them. 

 

Maybe people on here aren't the intended audience for them?

 

Plenty of people commenting in this section are openly admitting they don't buy Hornby. So why comment at all....

 

 

Jason

Aha, Jason, not so fast!

When Hornby bought out the 42xx, There were-was hundreds of pages on froth. Then, when the little Avonside came along, it started a new trend of high-end models. Good for them, I say. People do indeed buy Hornby; perhaps they don't want to admit it... "Who? Me? Never" sort of thing. 

I can foresee the demise of the yearly catalogue, and (from a personal perspective) it would take a lot of pressure off the people making false promises. I'd much rather see a new model unexpectedly, than have a promise which may, or may not, happen. 

Do I want to see Hornby prosper? Yes, without question. Why? Because Hornby now know full well, they have competition to the degree unheard of in recent years. When the new Toad was released, it was pretty much right on the money. The prairie, new coaches, all good stuff. 

Remember, Hornby Hobbies have a quite large product catalogue, and it's not just Flying Scotsman, if you get my drift... Scalextric, Airfix, and the TT model line. 

On 29/11/2023 at 04:19, Mr chapman said:

 

Honest question. Don't you GWR guys get bored of 4-6-0's? From a visual standpoint. As a southern modeller I have all sorts available. I'd be crying out for an Aberdare or something a bit more distinctive.

 

Jokes about all GWR locos looking the same aside... 

Aberdare, Stella, Bulldog, Railcar 18, the (wish) list is longer than you think!

One of the first rules of business:- Have a look at how the competition does it. 

Keep your business flexible; be prepared to change it. 

Have a look at what the customers would like to have . Be honest. If it's a niche model, then tell the client that it's not a viable project. BUT! If the client would want it, then expect to pay.

Engineering (in any scale) there is no such word as 'cant' unless you're going around the bend....

You can't really knock Triang.  Both them and Bachmann have set themselves up as 'the' people in model railways. Give them a couple of years to sort themselves out.

As a personal observation. Steam Punk? Oh dear...

Remember.. The only thing that's worse than being talked about, is not being talked about.

Enough of negative press though. It must be a least 6 months since we had a 'totally exclusive ' release of Flying Scotsman! 

On 24/12/2023 at 14:49, The Stationmaster said:

Regrettably that was not true although  doubt the WR wished it was so.  It might have been true prewar (but even then Enginemen expressed considearle distaste for one particular batch of 'Castles' which they claimed weren't as good as the earlier built example).  There were one or two well known poor ones and one with an atrocious reputation until it was given a double chimney which transformed ib nto an engine with a top notch reputation.

7018 Drysllwyn Castle. A poor steamer until rebuilt. 

We had a 56xx (modern day) where the brick arch was built too low in relation to the firebed. As a consequence, the fireman couldn't get coal into the front, leaving gaps. Once the fire got pushed forward, the steaming rose dramatically.

One of the things that happen is when an individual expands his collection.

Then we'll hear phrases like 'nothing for me here' . Taken out of context, it's a bit of a downer. 

In fairness, the manufacturers are closing down the niche gaps, so the missing links get even more niche.  In turn, manufacturers are less likely to commission a model when the returns on investment gets a bit sketchy.  A bit of Catch-22, methinks...

The ever advancing age demographic plays a deadly hand; how many people remember seeing steam in real life? 

Missing in my collection is:-

Large Metro,

39xx tank,

Ex- Cardiff Railway Kitson,

Armstrong standard goods

So you see, we're straight down to niche in just 4 sentences... None of those locomotives exist in real life; only in photographs.

Un-numbered wagons, please, especially the large fleets.

Cheers,

Ian.

By the way, did I mention un-numbered wagons....? 

No, it's not idle wish-listing...

A prime contender for a gasworks layout; looks good.  Dumb buffers is a bit of a no-brainer:- Nice!

34 minutes ago, 34theletterbetweenB&D said:

Absolutely so. It's a game, the occasional trawl through their s/h stock to spot useful items at low prices, particularly because incorrectly identified in some respect.

Slightly off-topic, but relevant, nonetheless.

A friend accompanied me to a Kidlington railwayana auction, many years ago. He was amazed at the amount & diversity of things on offer. But! He also had some money, and it was burning a hole in his wallet. 

I told him to view meetings like this as a circus, or a merry-go round. Bid on lots by all means, but don't get too hung up on missing out on lots. The chances are that the same item, or similar, will come around again.  Sure enough about 2-3 years later, he bagged what he wanted, which was a pannier numberplate.

I'm sure other readers can recall similar situations. 

'It's Soc-fest time

No need to be afraid,

It's Soc-fest time,

Where we change Argyle, and put on Plaid,

And with a slug of brandy,

to drink with auntie Joy,

Throw your arms  around the World,

It's Soc-Fest time!

But say a prayer,

And pray for the other ones,

At Soc-Fest time it's hard,

When the sprouts are under-done

'There's a shop outside your window,

And the curry's not too dear,

And the only water flowing

is a tin of pound-shop beer,

And the ringing bells you're hearing

as Argos makes a sale

And soon it's Easter eggs.... Never fail......

And there won't be chips in Accrington this Soc-fest Time,

The greatest gift they'll get this year is pies.... Oo-oh

When transport never goes,

It gets right up your nose,

Do they know it's Soc-fest time at all.....? 

Heel the World!

Let them know it's Soc-Fest time!

Heel the World!

Let them know it's Soc-Fest Time!

In fairness to Hattons, some their offerings are pretty good, whilst some are less so. I managed to buy 20+ Airfix mineral 16t  wagon kits for £25 some years back. Likewise, a Baccy 56xx for £30, with a loose wire. A 5 minute fix, and it happily ran, but in wrong direction.

Yes, I'd reversed the polarity.....

Don't mention their rubbish H&M knock-off point motors... Oh dear.....

On 23/08/2023 at 12:04, HExpressD said:

I'd be willing to bet that the prices are set by a person, or team of people, presumably some more aware than others as some prices seem pretty good, and some are completely out there

 I'll bet a certain E-Bay retailer works there part-time.....

It's a typical production technique. Manufacturers will deliberately over-run stock for any number of reasons. Then, it'll dwell in stores until the demand is there, or the price rises to the desired profit margin.

A job we did was for console buttons for National Panasonic. We made a lot; 24/7, 6 days a week. The tool came off on a Sunday, ready for Sunday night to the following Sunday morning. The draw down was prodigious, so we always kept a weeks worth of production in stock for the customer. 

Hello Quirky Poll Team,

Excellent diversity as usual. I must sadly confess that I wouldn't be buying any of your current selection. My collection of Work In Progress far outweighs my desire to vote, and buy, anything. 

On a really positive note, the discussions which surround  the Polls are extremely worthy of note. It appears the manufacturers are gaining confidence to look at the niche stuff, instead of 'sorry, not here' response. 

Nice!

On 13/12/2023 at 21:49, MarkSG said:

Although having a working model railway runing round the tree does seem to have been popularised first in the USA, a toy train under a Christmas tree is as old a tradition in the UK as a Christmas tree itself. Here's a contemporary drawing, from 1848, of Victoria and Albert's Christmas tree that year. Look closely at one of the toys in the foreground under the tree.
 

  

Queen Victoria is not amused... "Take this wretched thing away! 'Tis nothing for me here!"

" In years to come, grown men will fight & die over the scale, gauge & colour, especially the green bits..."  

Mama! Papa! What is a Froth Machine, please?  

On 18/11/2022 at 17:12, ianLMS said:

To expand a little on how i did it......

 

First, choose the right motor. This is a 12v dc dual shaft D model, 16000 rpm from ebay. About £7.80 plus postage i think. 

 

Leave motor on gearbox. Undo only one of the side screw on the gear box (1st pic above).

 

Using a large drill bit, gently ream out enough of the rivet tops so u can ease the side off. Take it slowly as the other shafts are pushed into the side holes and you dont want to displace these. 

 

Remove main drive shaft and gear. Leave all other gears and shafts in place.

 

Tap out the drive shaft gently, supporting just the gear. I used a hollow socket and tapped the shaft out with a pin hammer. The middle of the shaft is ribbed so the gear slots in and doesn't rotate, but the shaft will come out without issue.

 

Ream out the gear slightly to remove the tip of the ribs so its a tight fit on your chosen axle. 1/8" in my case. Slide on gear onto new axle. 

 

Slide on brass bearing with thin end facing the gear. Add other bearing on the other side of the gear and make sure the drive gear lines up with the other gears and it fits with only the slightest side play before soldering the bearings to the gear and shaft.

 

You may need to ream out the axle hole in side of gearbox to take new axle. A little at a time and test for a nice loose, but not sloppy fit. Relocate axle and gear into gearbox making sure everything lines up.

 

Add side back on, lining up the other shafts in the holes. Tap side over rivets and fit back the screw. If you removed too much rivet, a little solder or superglue with fix it. 

 

Test and make sure all works.

 

Either build chassis around gearbox, or use hornblocks. 

 

Hope this explains it. 

 

Ian

 

 

Hello Folks, Sorry I've been away...

Ian LMS: Yes, spot on. The rivet holes accept a small set-screw which can pass through the frame, from one side to the other.  If you use a countersunk setscrew, you can tap the one side to keep the motors on station, and you don't need a torsion bar, as those 2 screws  takes care of it. 

I'd suggest going for 'size' at least as axle diameter. Measure the axle first. If it's 3mm, use a reamer that size, or 1/8",  if it's imperial. If you've got doubts, try the hole with a ground HSS drill bit, but not a Chinese version. Pay the slight extra cost, and get it right. That  Micrometer is just there....

I'm very interested in how everyone has got on thus far. I've had to box up everything, and my memory is a bit dim. I do remember I've got an Aberdare or two somewhere, and if these work, there's a couple of 1701 panniers in the distance.

Many thanks,

Ian. 

The change from inside pipes to outside pipes would only happen if there was a cylinder change. 

I hope Dapol continue on their present course; Seems to be going in the right direction. 

Private owner wagons in 00...

I really wish the large fleet wagons (such as the Welsh coal fleets ) would not put the running numbers on. Some of these wagons easily ran to 5 figures. In fairness to many model wagon manufacturers, some of the detail is first rate; tare & return details, etc. Thus, covering over existing numbers is not always ideal.

In this highly pleasant era of customer focus, it'll be nice to see small changes like this. After all, the prospect of different numbers on wagons might need to increased sales. 

Naturally, any manufacturer would issue a disclaimer to the effect that said manufacturer bears no responsibility for cack-handed application of running numbers.  Something to the effect of:-

"Dapol, its staff, employees & agents, bear no responsibility for the mis-application of running numbers to our wagons... "

I deleted a lot (and I mean, a lot)  of text before posting this.... Moderators were on hand with rubber mallets  & tranquilisers...

5 hours ago, Miss Prism said:

6750–79 were a shunting-only subclass of the 8750s. They were built very late (1947 - 50), so most would never have had GWR livery. Here's 6763 looking in good nick with a shiny safety valve bonnet on 15 January 1961 at Canton.

 

 

A nice photo. 6763 was a Swansea-based locomotive for most of her life.

On 05/12/2023 at 16:47, Star-rider said:

All we wanted was a Pannier without top-feed and now we’re having to deal with the consequences of our actions. We’re reaping what we have sown, a week of sleepless nights worrying about which one(s) to order.

 

Perhaps I should have spent the last few years researching, instead of participating in the sport of wish-listing so that I could pounce with a quick order on the glorious day.

 

I thought I’d share my working out so far in the search for something to suit the wider west midland area in the 1930’s:

 

• 5741 – Disregard (post-war GWR livery)
• 5754 – Disregard (Lot number 258, no evidence (yet) of any activity in the area / period)
• 7714, 7754, 8763, 9681, 9741 – Disregarded (lamentably lacking in Great Western livery 😁)
• 7755 – Possibility (NBL, Lot number 274 – may suffice for 7759 or 7763 both allocated to Oxley?)
• 6743 – Possibility (Yorkshire Engine, Lot 265 – may suffice for 6748 first allocated to Stourbridge?)

 

So, there’s a couple I think I can work with and two is enough for a pre-order from this batch. 9741 would have been a perfect 8750 for my timeframe and region except for the British Railways lettering. I’m disinclined to get the angle grinder out of the garage to clear off the lettering and then attack it with a rattle can, but who knows, I may change my mind.

 

I think I’ll take another week or so to see what information I can turn up before pulling the trigger. Any observations on my thought process would be welcome. I’m wildly surmising the lack of vacuum and steam heat on 6725-49 would mean that 6748 spent most of its time local to Stourbridge, shunting, on short trains or doing empty carriage working?

 

The fact that there is anything at all to chose from is hugely welcomed.

Worry not, research will gain, and continue.

It totally depends upon what era & locality you wish to portray. To be fair Bachmann made a nice job of their pannier. Good weight & tractability, etc. What Bachmann missed was the longevity of the class, and all of the iterations gained over the first 12-15 years. To compound that, Bachmann knew full well that the sans-topfeed model was wanted: After all people (like me) have been banging on about this since Granny was a boy.... 

Will I buy the Accurascale model? Yes, both early 57xx model, and   67xx model. Llantrisant had quite a few panniers down the years, so an extra 2 or 3 won't be a problem.

It wouldn't surprise me if Hornby made a re-tool of the venerable 27xx, upgraded to the early 1930's. These worked turn & about with the 57xx & 8750's. Fit right in, they would....

1 hour ago, Wickham Green too said:

Once the advantages had been established, I presume Swindon would have aimed to convert all boilers to top feed when they came into works - so a loco departing with a side fee boiler would be very much a rarity.

No, not really. Conversion was done on a loco-by-loco basis. Converting a boiler entailed tank changes, new pipe routes, and additions & subtractions of the existing fittings. 

On 04/12/2023 at 14:44, RCP said:

Many thanks for the reply's @PMP @Captain Kernow @Miss Prism , based off this I guess 6743 is the one for me and I should then add some steam/ vacuum pipes and screw link couplings to it as the alternative is adding rivet detail, a bridge too far for my skills currently. Is there any other things that differentiated the 67xx from the 57xx that I've missed?

 

https://www.accurascale.com/collections/gwr-57xx-67xx-8750-pannier-tank/products/6700-class-6743-great-western-green

Sorry old chap, but 6743 is one of the 'unfitted' batch. No vacuum, no steam heat, no topfeed as built. Delivered to Ebbw Jcn in 1930, and was shedded mostly at Pill & Ebbw.

A slight aside from this. Taff Vale 28 had the distinctive twin sliding ventilators to allow the 'aerials'  push pull to work, via the cab roof. Sadly, the cab roof was plated over at Llangollen, where the staff failed to understand the significance.  Despite the locomotive being class 01, the cab structure might indeed be an earlier M class The giveaway being a plated-over section of the cab-sheet, where the vacuum ejector pipework passes forward to the smokebox.

The extant boiler has probably saved the locomotive to its present day. the firebox crown is festooned with a multitude of flanges & takeoffs. I wondered about this for ages, and I finally realised the boiler was designed to be a universal fitment, being compatible  for Vacuum, air, and steam heat. There are photographs depicting a Barry Railway cab layout, with such an arrangement.

Here endeth the lesson....