Wright writes.....

[TrevorP1]

It would be sad if the Willoughby were to close. So many villages are becoming ‘dormitories’, no shop, no pub, no post office, no life.

[MarkC]

9 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

Good evening Trevor,

 

Sadly, the Willoughby Arms' proprietor died about four months ago, and it's not been open since, even after the lockdown restrictions were lifted. 

 

However, driving past it the other day, the lights were on, so here's hoping. It's a great asset to the village.

 

That's sad to hear, Tony - it was a really good lunch that we had there when I came down with Dave.

 

Fingers crossed for a reopening.

 

Mark

[richard i]

9 hours ago, TrevorP1 said:

It would be sad if the Willoughby were to close. So many villages are becoming ‘dormitories’, no shop, no pub, no post office, no life.

There is a garden centre with a cafe/ tearoom with great food. My three hungry boys can vouch for that. Where there “Grandfather” kindly took them out to eat when we visited him.

richard 

[Tony Wright]

9 hours ago, Jeepy said:

Hello Tony, 

 

I, for one, would love to pay a visit sometime!

That's a very kind offer, thank you! 

 

Kind regards, 

 

Jim. 

Good morning Jim,

 

You'll find my card in the packaging of the model I send to you. Please get in touch via email or phone and fix up a visit for next year.

 

The same arrangement applies to all purchasers of the second-hand items.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Tony Wright]

31 minutes ago, richard i said:

There is a garden centre with a cafe/ tearoom with great food. My three hungry boys can vouch for that. Where there “Grandfather” kindly took them out to eat when we visited him.

richard 

Good morning Richard,

 

It is, indeed, a really good facility. It's where I take visitors now for lunch with the Willoughby's closure (though let's hope it will reopen). 

 

I was astonished at your sons' ability to demolish food! It was matched entirely by their perfect manners.

 

I thought I was more of an 'uncle' than a granddad, even though I'm more than old enough.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Jeepy]

9 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

Good morning Jim,

 

You'll find my card in the packaging of the model I send to you. Please get in touch via email or phone and fix up a visit for next year.

 

The same arrangement applies to all purchasers of the second-hand items.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

Good morning Tony, 

 

Thanks ever so much! 

 

Best wishes, 

 

Jim. 

[Tony Wright]

A few more sales, but no interest in the K's Auto-coaches (£25.00 each too much? Probably). 

 

Well, how about this?

 

 

One of the Auto-coaches plus a K's 48xx 0-4-2T, for £45.00?

 

The loco is basic K's, and, considering that, it runs rather well, if the opposite polarity to the norm (the whole K's motor just needs turning round and the pick-up wires attached then to the other brush). 

 

I'm told that D&S kits go for 'silly' money on Ebay............

 

 

Is £40.00 for this complete, untouched kit silly? 

 

The artwork copyright shows '85 (which, I assume, is 1985). That being the case, a tenner is probably what it cost originally (it looks like Danny's hand).

 

As always, anyone interested, please PM me. 

 

 

[MJI]

14 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

A few more sales, but no interest in the K's Auto-coaches (£25.00 each too much? Probably). 

 

Well, how about this?

 

 

One of the Auto-coaches plus a K's 48xx 0-4-2T, for £45.00?

 

The loco is basic K's, and, considering that, it runs rather well, if the opposite polarity to the norm (the whole K's motor just needs turning round and the pick-up wires attached then to the other brush). 

 

I'm told that D&S kits go for 'silly' money on Ebay............

 

 

Is £40.00 for this complete, untouched kit silly? 

 

The artwork copyright shows '85 (which, I assume, is 1985). That being the case, a tenner is probably what it cost originally (it looks like Danny's hand).

 

As always, anyone interested, please PM me. 

 

 

 

Hello Tony

 

Just had a look on Ebay and £40 is pretty fair.

 

Except I have just blown nearly £90 on a repair kit for a propshaft!

 

Oh but out of era for me anyway.

Edited November 13, 2021 by MJI

[MJI]

And now just blown another £60 at Comet

[TrevorP1]

A photo of a little personal rescue project I've undertaken this week. This poor defenceless Parkside loco coal wagon was the recipient of one of my early weathering attempts. It was so awful that it was robbed of it's wheels and found it's way to the bottom of the Box of Doom. Earlier in the week I remembered it whilst rummaging for something else and then spotted the bottle of Modelstrip on my desk.

 

The stripper was really effective at removing the mess I'd made and I set to on the repaint. As I'm totally idle, the grey is Halfords rattle can primer but the weathering is Lifecolor acrylics. The job also coincided with mention on my Burngullow Lane thread of weathering with pieces of sponge so I thought I'd give that a go for the rust. The rust was followed by a wash of dirty black. The coal is genuine Welsh steam coal. I'm very pleased with the result, especially as I've rejuvenated a 'useless' wagon and the other materials were to hand.

 

It will join another half dozen wagons of loco coal bound for Truro but quite what an LNER loco coal wagon is doing in Cornwall I've no idea...

 

 

 

[EHertsGER]

On 07/11/2021 at 03:41, Jesse Sim said:

I think I just haven’t done enough coaches yet. I can knock up a brass/whitemetal/plastic wagon kit with my eyes closed. 

That might be the issue…

[Tony Wright]

On 11/11/2021 at 13:20, dibateg said:

I think I would have thanked them profusely!

Good morning Tony,

 

When I told the lady my actual age, she said she didn't believe me.

 

I then thanked her profusely. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Jesse Sim]

7 hours ago, EHertsGER said:

That might be the issue…

I didn’t have doubt when I went into wagon building. After the first two or three they went together quite easily. I’ve build four coaches and a number of NPC’s….

[Dunsignalling]

16 hours ago, TrevorP1 said:

A photo of a little personal rescue project I've undertaken this week. This poor defenceless Parkside loco coal wagon was the recipient of one of my early weathering attempts. It was so awful that it was robbed of it's wheels and found it's way to the bottom of the Box of Doom. Earlier in the week I remembered it whilst rummaging for something else and then spotted the bottle of Modelstrip on my desk.

 

The stripper was really effective at removing the mess I'd made and I set to on the repaint. As I'm totally idle, the grey is Halfords rattle can primer but the weathering is Lifecolor acrylics. The job also coincided with mention on my Burngullow Lane thread of weathering with pieces of sponge so I thought I'd give that a go for the rust. The rust was followed by a wash of dirty black. The coal is genuine Welsh steam coal. I'm very pleased with the result, especially as I've rejuvenated a 'useless' wagon and the other materials were to hand.

 

It will join another half dozen wagons of loco coal bound for Truro but quite what an LNER loco coal wagon is doing in Cornwall I've no idea...

 

 

 

Those went into traffic coal from (AIUI) the mid-1950s. There's a published photo of one, still in black livery, in the goods yard at Axminster, so Cornwall won't be too much of a stretch.

 

One point of warning though, depending on your era, is that the K suffix didn't come into use until the early 1970s.

 

John

[TrevorP1]

17 minutes ago, Dunsignalling said:

Those went into traffic coal from (AIUI) the mid-1950s. There's a published photo of one, still in black livery, in the goods yard at Axminster, so Cornwall won't be too much of a stretch.

 

One point of warning though, depending on your era, is that the K suffix didn't come into use until the early 1970s.

 

John

 

Thank you for pointing that out. I had a feeling about that K... A dab of black paint will sort it out.

[St Enodoc]

37 minutes ago, Dunsignalling said:

the K suffix didn't come into use until the early 1970s

What does the "K" signify please, John?

[Dunsignalling]

Just now, St Enodoc said:

What does the "K" signify please, John?

Simply to avoid confusion.

 

It indicates a 21T wagon so they can be distinguished in notices etc from the much more numerous 16 tonners.

 

The 24.5T ones received an L suffix.

 

John

[Tony Wright]

Out of possible interest..........

 

A Bachmann split-chassis B1 and split-chassis J39 have popped up (both boxed and in BR livery). Both work as well as any of these types I've seen. 

 

 

I really should dust models before I take their pictures!

 

They're being sold for CRUK and I'm asking £30.00 each, should anyone be interested. If so, please PM me. 

 

Though I've never bothered making replacement chassis for Bachmann's J39, I've done several for the B1................

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tony Geary did a couple as well.....................

 

 

 

As did John Houlden.....................

 

 

There are several more. Though certainly not perfect, all run beautifully (much better than on their split-chassis things) and they complement the kit-built Bytham ones rather well. 

[Tony Wright]

One thing I'm noticing more and more when taking pictures of models on layouts is how any specs of dust appear to be small boulders in the image. Luckily, Little Bytham is housed in a very stable environment, and has far less dust present than, say, in a fully-furnished environment. 

 

I do on occasions resort to a little 'digital dusting' to remove particularly large blobs, but small bits of fibre/fur (from Jilly, the cat - who is fascinated by the railway) appear like lengths of rope. 

 

I do try to brush things off beforehand, but, as always, the camera never lies! 

[BrushVeteran]

Wait until she does things like this Tony!...........................this was Badger eying up the fish train!

[Tony Wright]

A rather nice memory Grahame.

 

Our cat has already circumnavigated Little Bytham, without damaging anything.

 

Previous cats have also taken to other railways I've had, slumbering comfortably across tracks, but rarely breaking things.

 

Are cats naturally model railway enthusiasts?

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[FarrMan]

If I am allowed to pick the assembled brains here again, what advice would you give for cleaning old nickel silver track. It has not been touched for 25 years! I have come across suggestions for alcohol (on the track, not in me!), acetone, a cleaning pad and CRC 2-26. All appear to have advantages and disadvantages, and any advice will be much appreciated.

 

Lloyd

[gr.king]

You're in danger of having yards of un-proven theory quoted at you by self appointed experts in answer to that question.

 

 

[jwealleans]

I've not long built a loop and small fiddle yard using NS track from the 1970s.  M'learned colleague Mr. King has even made use of it.   I used a track rubber (I prefer the DOGA ones to PECO) and cellulose thinners on a cloth for the really cruddy bits.

[Dunsignalling]

I'm also a track rubber user, the sort I use comes from Squires Tools, known as a Polifix Block. I think this is possibly the same as or very similar to the DOGA item. The Peco ones are cheaper but leave too much residue for my liking.

 

I used to use cellulose thinners too, but apparently contact with it should be avoided as its been rule carcinogenic. I now use lighter fuel (petrol type) from Poundland on a damp pad to wipe off any "leftovers" from the cleaning block remaining on the rail head. Finish off with a light hoovering.

 

John