Silver Sidelines

Success Mick, there is a grey 'comments' button at the bottom of the Blog Post - IGNORE it! Further down there is an orange 'B' for Blogger with a space at the right - click in the space and it should bring up another choice, allowing you sign with a Google address, annonymously or with a url, If it doesn't work try reloading the page. Regards Ray

Hello again Mick, I have just tried leaving a commnet and I am offered the chance to leave an annonymous comment or to sign in with my Google account (of which we have many!) Regards Ray

Over the years I have given my time for free to create over 150 quality Blog Posts, I see this creating significant trafic for RMweb. RegaRds Ray

I don't know, i have hove only ever had half a dozen commments in ten years so perhaps there is a catch or I haven't ticked sall the boxes. Any way good to hear form you. Regards Ray

Happy Christmas Mick, I don't know how I missed your comment. Briefly the slow running and overheating occurred quite quickly after purchase. The engine was bought new, tested and left at the back of the sheds. After an extended period of running, maybe an hour or so it was obvious that the engine was running much slower than sister models. The body shell was also getting to feel quite warm!which is when I deceided to take the bodyshell off and investigate. THe motor would actually burn your fongers. I am getting tired of RMweb and its attempts to get me to remove Adblocker - you can contact me and read the same Blog here: https://longsheds.blogspot.com/2019/10/no-152-remotoring-Hornby-q6.html Regards Ray PS Have a good New Year

I wonder why it didn't have separate cab door handrails? Ray

I see you have been and seen, thanks Mikkel for sparing the time. Regards Ray

Thanks Mikkel, it is hard to believe that the station platforms in the above picture have been standing unfinished for ten years! As you might know from Flickr I have been remembering the Cambrian and have been running some Earls and just this weekend a Dean Goods (the Mainline variety)of . https://flic.kr/p/2nnEXVd I need to write a Post about 'The Tunnel' - otherwise referred to as the Great Way Round: It seems hard to believe that I retired some 15 years ago and 'they' are still asking me for assistance - so very busy. Regards Ray

Hello Tom, you will need a good sharp saw with fine teeth. Cutting with the saw blade heats the resin up and clogs the blade so lots of patience. The dust is very fine so you might want to work outside. I cut the rail overbridge, in the top of the picture in half using a heavey duty hacksaw. No bowls of water or sealed bags. The surplus piece was sold on eBay. Just be sensible. Regards Ray

Hello John Very impressive work Can I second those positive comments about Railtec transfers. I have made good use of them for changing cab side numbers. For some Hornby models the font and colour match is perfect and there has not been any need to change the whole number. Regards Ray .

Yes, you too, we had the family here - watching trains going in and out of tunnels! Ray

Hello John you have certainly been quietly beavering away. I think lots of work - super looking models. I go in awe of your painting, something that I have not ventured to do. 'Glass half empty' - I have the same problem. Somebody once said "Stop, put the model away out of sight and then come back to it after you have done something else". Cheers Ray

Thanks I think SSE stands for Scottish and Southern Energy which comprised Southern plus Scottish Hydro. Scottish Hydro were based in Perth and there is a lot of unhappiness up there as Ovo have notified their intentions to shut down the Perth operation. Scottish Hydro was the company ten years ago that were seriously criticised for door step mis-selling. I remember my aged aunt being bamboozled into swapping her BT telephone account to Scottish Hydro - including her Broadband which she didn't have..... That took a few days and the rest to unwind. As to being forced to move supplier, we were with Yorkshire Energy which folded in November 2020 and were then transferred to Scottish Power. As asked we provided meter readings on the due date. Sadly the Accountancy Firm managing the transfer chose to use different dates but kept the same readings. Quite clever - they gained two or three days standing charge. If they did this for all customers it mounts up to a tidy little bonus. After the usual number of emails and telephone calls I was told it was too difficult to change all the numbers but Scottish Power made an ex gratia payment. Scottish Power is of course owned by the Spanish company Iberdrola. Cheers Ray

Are you sure, it was Scottish Hydro that went bust and was taken over by Ovo? Sadly we are still with Scottish Power - we have a Smart Meter and they email every two months for a manual reading because their system has failed. I understand that in England and Wales Smart Meters are read using the 2G mobile netwrk (soon to be switched off). In Scotland I believe the Smart Meter is interrogated via the electric supply. As with rural Wales I guess that we here in rural Scotland only have electricity. We have had a ground source heat pump now for around ten years - one big saving was it didn't need an annual service like a boiler. Is the house hot enough - we think so - but I am certain a lot of people would not agree. If it gets really cold we light the stove. Cheers Ray

An expensive week, but two super smooth running models. Not a lot of difference in the two paint finishes either. Hornby 60700 and Bachmann 60964

But perhpas not in 1960? Anyway a picture of another green footplate: Hornby R3643 aka 70046 'ANZAC' ANZAC also features buffers without a step which 'cctransuk' drew attention to further back up this thread as a positive for the new Clans. Cheers Ray

Coincidently I have just unboxed 'ANZAC' R3643 and it too has an all green running board. Hornby has some consistency - both my early NRM Oliver and the Oliver out of the 15 guinea special both had green running plates. I have added a picture of the latter now backdated to 1960. I was bothered about the green running plate - it may well get blackened. Ex Hornby R3607 with added speedo drive and overhead warning plates

I suppose that depends on how confident you are that you can paint the running plate and tender top black? Cheers Ray

Now where did Hornby find this image.......maybe one I posted earlier? I should stress that it 'belongs' to Gary Straiton on Flickr. https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/224-Hornby-clan/&do=findComment&comment=4599419 Cheers Ray

On the theme of quality control I will add a picture from this afternoons activities. I have spent an inordinate amount of time trying to get Oliver Cromwell to run slowly (the one from the 15 guinea boxed set). I have been playing mix and match with wheels and rods and have made progress. I was intrigued with this comparison of the main driving wheel set from Oliver with one from a newly purchased set of spares - Olivers is the short brass bearing which was splopping around in the usual sized slot in the chassis. Oliver left, spares right

I doubt the gearing is different - just a change in design of the motor. I would add to your list of 'improvements' - a fixed engine to tender coupling. As to a better quality - I will reserve my judgement for a little bit longer. Cheers Ray

I had concerns about the position of the lining on the cylinders and have fitted some spares. A comparison of the cylinders from Clan MacDonald compared to Hornby's spare Britannia / Clan cylinders is quite informative. Clan MacDonald fitted with replacement cylinders - old stock? For those of you who like watching trains go by another video featuring Clan Stewart (alias Clan McLeod) showcasing some improvements that I have been making to some elderly Dining and Restaurant cars.

Thanks Bill Yes I will second that comment. When I posted my video back a few pages: https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/224-Hornby-clan/&do=findComment&comment=4606159 I commented that the New Clan MacDonald seemed to run faster than my old Clan McLeod (alias Clan Stewart). I doubt very much that Hornby have altered the gearing. However the motor is different - in particular the diameter of the part that fits into the motor retainer (nearest the tender) is a smaller diameter. I came across this problem when I bought a replacement motor and it was a loose fit in the retainer on an old Britannia. I had to find a suitable piece of plastic pipe to use as packing. Cheers Ray

Yes me too - My L/C came to quite an abrupt stop and even jumped off the track. My first inclination was to shorten the bits of wire (sand pipes). They are actually very clever because they are bent in two different planes and just need to be moved a tincy bit sideways and the problem is sorted. Cheers Ray

I can second that. My first E/E went back with bent rods etc. The replacement and the L/C are excellent runners and could teach Hornby a lesson or two. Cheers Ray