Wright writes.....

[Corbs]

Merry Christmas to all on Wright Writes!

 

Here's a little present - Mallard thunders through Little Bytham as seen on the BRM DVD, but this time with a little sprinkling of VFX and sound magic!

 

 

(with apologies to Tony, Jesse, BRM, Great Western MGM and everyone else as this is completely made from 'borrowed' elements)

[Tony Wright]

Knowing that the president of this particular thread has a real soft spot for the little blue t**t, I thought it high time the latter appeared on here to wish everybody a peaceful and relaxing Christmas:

 

Festive Thomas.JPG

In the spirit of goodwill to all men on this jolly Christmas Eve, herein lies a story................

 

As is probably well known, during my various outings with Grantham, I usually take some pictures. Such was the case at Nottingham, nearly three years ago. Now, as anyone who has ever taken model railway pictures knows, one composes the picture with the iris wide open, focusing on a particular point. Anything in the distance is way out of focus, and thus 'invisible'. Until the picture is taken, when the iris stops down - in the case of the following picture to F32. 

 

 

I'd set this picture up, focusing around about the cab of the approaching ROD. Lo and behold, just as I was about to take the picture, that sneaky Mr King slipped the little blue t**t on to the layout, and click! 

 

In case you don't believe he's there, here's a close-up. 

 

 

I didn't have the heart to Photoshop him into oblivion. 

 

Though the following has been seen before, I think it sums up the season (even if there's no snow). 

 

 

To all the fantastic contributors to this most-lively thread (is there any more lively?), may I wish you all the very best for Christmas and the New Year?  

Edited December 24, 2018 by Tony Wright

[Tony Wright]

Merry Christmas to all on Wright Writes!

 

Here's a little present - Mallard thunders through Little Bytham as seen on the BRM DVD, but this time with a little sprinkling of VFX and sound magic!

 

 

(with apologies to Tony, Jesse, BRM, Great Western MGM and everyone else as this is completely made from 'borrowed' elements)

That's brilliant!

 

Many thanks.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[60027Merlin]

Merry Christmas to all on Wright Writes 

 

 -  Another vintage year.

 

 

 

[Chamby]

Merry Christmas everyone! Woken up before dawn by very excited grandchildren... and Santa has brought me a nice German flock grass applicator. (No excuses now).

[Atso]

Merry Christmas to all on this thread!

[Richard E]

Merry Christmas to all, may the season bring all that you wish.

[mullie]

Happy Christmas everyone and thank you for all the inspiration this thread has provided this year.

 

Martyn

[Atso]

Thanks to a very understanding and tolerant girlfriend, I can now contribute to the wagon discussion (to a limited extent).

 

 

These are 2mm scale etches for a Toad E, an LNER cattle van (to become one of the ones pressed into fruit traffic), GC and GE MACs, some plastic Loco coal wagon bodies and various wagon chassis etches along with some more bearings and conversion axles to mount N gauge wheel sets.

 

I'm really pleased with my Christmas gifts and hope that I'll be able to find time to build them all soon!

 

Hope everyone else has been as lucky and has a fantastic festive day!

[jamie92208]

Merry Christmas to all from Lincolnshire where Sausage rolls and champagne has been consumed for breakfast.   However my main present is a little lathe that someone, sadly, is no longer able to use so this afternoon I plan to get it out of the car and have a good look at it.   Best wishes to all and sundry and I look forward to a time lapse video, like Network Rail release, of the Christmas Engineering works on LB.

 

Jamie

[Tony Wright]

Merry Christmas to all from Lincolnshire where Sausage rolls and champagne has been consumed for breakfast.   However my main present is a little lathe that someone, sadly, is no longer able to use so this afternoon I plan to get it out of the car and have a good look at it.   Best wishes to all and sundry and I look forward to a time lapse video, like Network Rail release, of the Christmas Engineering works on LB.

 

Jamie

Merry Christmas Jamie,

 

The engineering possession to replace the MR/M&GNR girder won't be starting for a day or two. The main reason is because my brother gave me a book on British battle-cruisers for Christmas, and I'll be immersed in that.

 

 

 

One of Ian Wilson's Christmas presents to me was this replacement goods yard/weighbridge office for LB. The original, though a very nice model, was too big and the door was in the wrong place - the conclusive photographic evidence was discovered moments after the original one was complete - isn't it always the case? 

 

Having 'trodden water' water for several days with regard to freight stock, yesterday afternoon I returned to my 'comfort zone'. 

 

 

I put together this basic chassis for A3 60111 ENTERPRISE, which will be built complete from a SE Finecast kit. I must have had about six or seven Hornby A3s - the guinea pigs for several modifications/improvements/renaming/weathering/etc - but none of them ever 'satisfied'. Though basically good models (though with detail faults and a bit puny), I could never call them 'mine'. So, they've all been sold-on (I hope the new owners are still happy with them).

 

Why ENTERPRISE, after the fairly recent completion of SIR FREDERICK BANBURY? Both those locos, in their Hornby guise, ran on Charwelton (primarily) and also on Stoke. Both, along with other GC ones, have a special place in my memory, particularly after their transfer to the GN in 1957/'58. A visit to Doncaster Station in August 1958 saw 60111 departing on an Up express, while 60102 simmered light engine on the Down through road. 

 

What's next? 60049 and 60070, both Hornby examples I had. Then A4s 60032 and 60016 (the latter in EM, for Carlisle). My loco-building programme for next year is pretty much sorted, especially with sub-contract commissions.

 

Can one have (by building them) too many locos? I don't think so. Acquiring masses of RTR examples is not for me. 

 

Best wishes to all today. 

[mullie]

Inspiration arrived today, my next conversion to EM gauge, a Hornby D16/3 after I've done the J15 and I have the Yeadon for that too.

 

 

This looks interesting too, been fascinated by this line for years.

 

 

I already have tomes on the Stoke Ferry Branch.

 

This arrived to replace a 20 year old Parkside kit that having survived a fall to the garage floor was just too battered to survive a conversion to EM. I did consider the Parkside version but I have very little time at the moment so chose the rtr alternative but one day I will build the kit in post war LNER condition I hope.

 

 

J72 chassis rebuilt in EM is now running sweetly, just needs pick ups and a chip.

 

 

Thanks for the inspiration everyone.

 

Martyn

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[timbowilts]

Merry Christmas to you all.

My wife didn’t buy me any kits or rtr stuff but she did get me the attached inspirational volume.

Roll on the new year when I get my workshop back

[Enterprisingwestern]

Merry Christmas Jamie,

 

The engineering possession to replace the MR/M&GNR girder won't be starting for a day or two. The main reason is because my brother gave me a book on British battle-cruisers for Christmas, and I'll be immersed in that.

 

Goods Yard office 01.jpg

 

Goods Yard office 02.jpg

 

One of Ian Wilson's Christmas presents to me was this replacement goods yard/weighbridge office for LB. The original, though a very nice model, was too big and the door was in the wrong place - the conclusive photographic evidence was discovered moments after the original one was complete - isn't it always the case? 

 

Having 'trodden water' water for several days with regard to freight stock, yesterday afternoon I returned to my 'comfort zone'. 

 

60111 01.jpg

 

I put together this basic chassis for A3 60111 ENTERPRISE, which will be built complete from a SE Finecast kit. I must have had about six or seven Hornby A3s - the guinea pigs for several modifications/improvements/renaming/weathering/etc - but none of them ever 'satisfied'. Though basically good models (though with detail faults and a bit puny), I could never call them 'mine'. So, they've all been sold-on (I hope the new owners are still happy with them).

 

Why ENTERPRISE, after the fairly recent completion of SIR FREDERICK BANBURY? Both those locos, in their Hornby guise, ran on Charwelton (primarily) and also on Stoke. Both, along with other GC ones, have a special place in my memory, particularly after their transfer to the GN in 1957/'58. A visit to Doncaster Station in August 1958 saw 60111 departing on an Up express, while 60102 simmered light engine on the Down through road. 

 

What's next? 60049 and 60070, both Hornby examples I had. Then A4s 60032 and 60016 (the latter in EM, for Carlisle). My loco-building programme for next year is pretty much sorted, especially with sub-contract commissions.

 

Can one have (by building them) too many locos? I don't think so. Acquiring masses of RTR examples is not for me. 

 

Best wishes to all today. 

 

Enjoy your book on British pubs, will you be sampling their wares over the festive period?

 

Mike.

[Tony Wright]

Enjoy your book on British pubs, will you be sampling their wares over the festive period?

 

Mike.

I've already sampled the wares of the Willoughby over the festivities, Mike, though I don't think that's named after a battle-cruiser.

 

Interesting which were, though - or had the same name. The Lion, Princess Royal, Tiger, Queen Mary, Indefatigable, Inflexible, Invincible, Indomitable, Australia, New Zealand, Hood, Renown, Repulse, Courageous, Glorious (the last two converted to aircraft carriers) - any more? 

 

Yet another tangent for this thread to follow.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

Edited December 25, 2018 by Tony Wright

[The Stationmaster]

If you're interested in the history of RN ship names this is a useful place to go.  Semmingly fairly wuthoritative and definitely in agreement with what I've read elsewhere (also secondary sources) on various name histories which I've checked.  Search by first letter of the ship's name in the alphabetical list at the top of the page - 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Royal_Navy_ship_names

[grahame]

I've already sampled the wares of the Willoughby over the festivities, Mike, though I don't think that's named after a battle-cruiser.

 

 

All pubs are called 'battlecruisers' - it's rhyming slang for 'boozer'.

;-)

 

G.

[APOLLO]

 

Another of Dad's photos. This pub was named after the railway behind it (better known as the Whelley loop line or LNWR Wigan avoiding line). Situated between Ince & Hindley the Loco (8F ?) is southbound. Pub is now a private residence & the  line long gone. Another pub beside this line is the still open "White Lion & Railway" pub at Whelley, a couple of miles to the north. Strange pub sign !!

 

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.554164,-2.6149892,3a,24.6y,347.38h,93.62t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1skrf32X4Wt9dj3S8k7YWVpQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

 

Other interesting railway themed pubs around Wigan were the recently closed Swan & Railway (opposite NW Station). This pub replaced two earlier pubs when North Western station was rebuilt in the late 1800's. Not far away near Prescott St (L&Y) loco shed was "The Platelayers Arms" pub. A rough and tumble railwaymans boozer as you would expect !!

 

Hope you all have had a pleasant Christmas day - we have, full of roast spuds turkey & pudding !!

 

Brit15

[Richard E]

I've already sampled the wares of the Willoughby over the festivities, Mike, though I don't think that's named after a battle-cruiser.

 

Interesting which were, though - or had the same name. The Lion, Princess Royal, Tiger, Queen Mary, Indefatigable, Inflexible, Invincible, Indomitable, Australia, New Zealand, Hood, Renown, Repulse, Courageous, Glorious (the last two converted to aircraft carriers) - any more? 

 

Yet another tangent for this thread to follow.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

I can come up with a trio of pubs that I frequent that have namesakes by the way of naval vessels, one is Bluebell (seriously!), the second is Crown and the third is Prince of Wales, being a corvette, a destroyer and a rather well known battleship respectively.

[richard i]

My great uncle flew off glorious between the wars before being lost in a flying accident off Malta. Would most likely have been on board in 1940 if hadn’t so out look was not good even if he had survived.

As an aside parts of his plane are now in the Malta museum.

I have looked for a model of the ship to build because of the connection.

Richard

[mullie]

I've already sampled the wares of the Willoughby over the festivities, Mike, though I don't think that's named after a battle-cruiser.

 

Interesting which were, though - or had the same name. The Lion, Princess Royal, Tiger, Queen Mary, Indefatigable, Inflexible, Invincible, Indomitable, Australia, New Zealand, Hood, Renown, Repulse, Courageous, Glorious (the last two converted to aircraft carriers) - any more? 

 

Yet another tangent for this thread to follow.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

I have a brother named after HMS Rodney, I was not named after her sister ship!

 

 

Martyn

Edited December 25, 2018 by mullie

[Jon4470]

I've already sampled the wares of the Willoughby over the festivities, Mike, though I don't think that's named after a battle-cruiser.

 

Interesting which were, though - or had the same name. The Lion, Princess Royal, Tiger, Queen Mary, Indefatigable, Inflexible, Invincible, Indomitable, Australia, New Zealand, Hood, Renown, Repulse, Courageous, Glorious (the last two converted to aircraft carriers) - any more? 

 

Yet another tangent for this thread to follow.

 

Regards,

 

Tony.

 

I seem to recall that Courageous and Glorious were called “large light cruisers” at one point.

 

If you are including these two ships then I think you should also include Furious - even if she did lose her forward gun before being commissioned. Not quite sure what her designation was when completed - half battlecruiser and half aircraft carrier.

 

Jon

[grahame]

I seem to recall that Courageous and Glorious were called “large light cruisers” at one point.

 

If you are including these two ships then I think you should also include Furious - even if she did lose her forward gun before being commissioned. Not quite sure what her designation was when completed - half battlecruiser and half aircraft carrier.

 

Jon

 

The Courageous class (Courageous and Glorious) were designated large light cruisers as a bit of deception to get the necessary money for their construction. The Furious was a half-sister to the class with larger 18" guns. The trio were known as 'Curious', 'Outrageous' and 'Spurious'.

 

G.

[Tony Wright]

All pubs are called 'battlecruisers' - it's rhyming slang for 'boozer'.

;-)

 

G.

I didn't know that.

 

Many thanks. One learns something every day.

[Headstock]

Goodness me,

All it takes is a bit of turkey, a roast potatoe and a brussel sprog for the beautiful wagon thread to be derailed by gratuitous loco chassis (undercarriage) building, books that are not Tatlow and Battle cruisers of all things. The latter may have had Chimneys (funnel in nerd speak) but they certainly didn't have four wheels, good and true. Thank goodness for Altso and his tiny etchings. Will Tony ever fit his brick wagon with vac pipes, I bet his A3 will have them.

 

HMS Humbug, was that a Battlecruiser?