Wright writes.....

[69843]

Just now, Jesse Sim said:

It got a new one in the rebuild didn’t she?

As per link:
"The tender was attached to Class W1 Nº10000 7/11/1929, through rebuilding in 1937, finally losing the tender during the course of a General Overhaul (27/4/1948 to 24/6/1948)."

The tender is now behind 60009 UoSA

[Jesse Sim]

25 minutes ago, 69843 said:

As per link:
"The tender was attached to Class W1 Nº10000 7/11/1929, through rebuilding in 1937, finally losing the tender during the course of a General Overhaul (27/4/1948 to 24/6/1948)."

The tender is now behind 60009 UoSA

Oh, I read it wrong. 

[69843]

All good mate. Happens to the best of us!

[Flying Pig]

A brief investigation of ballast colour for a diesel era Minories in N.  The layout was sadly not completed.

 

 

Edit - and some pictures of the excellent finishing of ready to lay N gauge track on Loch Tat, very much in the modern era with ballast tumbling down the bank.

 

 

Edited December 7, 2020 by Flying Pig

[Tony Wright]

5 hours ago, Jesse Sim said:

Anyway enough foreplay and social distancing in the pub, here’s something I’ve been working on.

 

Jonathan Wealleans milk train rang some ideas in my head and after countless emails and Facebook messages I have made my own., Using the same method as he did with the Hornby tank wagons and an Isinglass GNR milk brake. 
 

The tankers are awaiting some decals and then I can finish them off with the strapping.

The milk brake is off to NZ to get painted into Teak by Jack Pedersen, the reason I’m not painting it myself is because I think I’ll ruin the rake if I give teak a second attempt. I will learn eventually, but Jack and I are going to work out some horse trading for the services. 
 

This leaves me to work on another project...

 

 

Thanks to Graeme King I should have working W1 in a few days... although it’s coming together much to easy and it looks right....so no doubt I’ve done something wrong. 
 

I know Hornby are making one but at least I can say I’ve built this myself, well partially as the rest is in fact Hornby. A question if I may Tony? 
 

What tender should she haul? 

Good afternoon Jesse,

 

A 1928 corridor type; with beading and a flat back.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

[Tony Wright]

A couple more exhibiting stories...................

 

Quite a large number of locos brought to my loco clinic are old Tri-ang ones. Other than cleaning and oiling and, perhaps, new brushes, after a few minutes' work they're good for another 60 years! Later ones had a feature called 'Magnadesion' (or something like that). There were bar magnets fixed in the frames which, via the steel drivers, resulted in greater friction at the steel railheads, giving better haulage. The problem is that these are permanent magnets. On occasions, they'll pick up steel trackpins, lodging them between the wheels and the frames, including the insulated side - result, a short circuit. 

 

One such 'patient' was brought to me by a dad with a rather sorrowful young son. 'It's stopped working and we don't know why'. I spotted the offending black trackpin immediately and laid it on thick about the difficulties faced and the highly-likely fact that nothing could be done. Out of sight of the pair, I extricated the pin and said nothing, but just put the loco on the test track. It worked perfectly (I realise that this could have been 'egg on the face' time, with something far more serious, but I took the chance). They were astonished, and I added to their astonishment by stating that it was 'the laying on of hands' which had cured it. After a giggle, I explained what it was (for the future). The dad handed over a fiver, with lots of thanks.

 

On another occasion, at one of the CMRA shows in January a rather tearful youngster brought along a Hornby Thomas. His parents explained that he'd had the set for Christmas and played and played with it - so much so that the motor had failed. And it had; completely. It had been bought online and they didn't know what to do.

 

I asked for their details and explained that I'd contact Simon Kohler and see what could be done. Which I did. The result, a brand new Thomas was sent to him, with no charge (thanks again Simon). Some little time later, I received a 'thank you' letter from the lad (I resisted the great temptation to correct the spelling/grammar!). Doesn't it restore faith in human nature? 

[Tony Wright]

Jesse,

 

Do you remember Jonathan's wonderful milk train running on Little Bytham during the '38 weekend, over two years ago?

 

 

I must take an 'after' shot from this position, so much more having been completed on the layout. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

 

[drmditch]

Re: Ballast

 

I'm not sure if this book has been mentioned on this thread before:-

'The Railway - British Track since 1804' - by Andrew Dow. ISBN 978 1 47389 757 1

(I went for the low cost option with the paperback version, but for easy browsing the hardback volume would be better!)

It does make me ashamed that I don't model/make my track to a higher standard.

 

For ballast, see Chapter 12 and onwards, and there is a good index.

 

Whereas many people (including Mr Wright) seem to model post -1948, and in particular the former Southern Area of the LNER, my interests lie further north, in the NER/NEA in County Durham. So, minor lines and sidings might show evidence of small coal ( which was unsaleable till later in the 19th century and/or ash ballast. The NER opened Hulands Quarry (near Lartington) about 1911ish, thus producing a hard limestone ballast for new works and main lines.

 

Since most lines carried intensive coal traffic in open trucks (and hoppers which perhaps might leak some coal dust?) and were, except for Shildon to Newport between 1915 and 1935, hauled by steam locomotives, I tend to assume that most track would show evidence of this.

 

My ballasting therefore tends to be very dark in colour. I need to work out what the 'border' between ash on older section and limestone for the newer sections would look like.

 

One question concerns using the limestone ballast over iron and steel bridges, especially in considerable atmospheric pollution. Would it result in undesirable reactions?

 

[LNER4479]

On 04/12/2020 at 21:04, Tony Wright said:

I reckon the Thompson A2/2 I have here (and it's going back to Hornby next week) must be the most 'accurate' model of THANE OF FIFE I've seen in many a long day. It's so accurate that it can never be anything other than 60505 and cannot be anything but representative of the loco late in its life, in 1959. I call that top marks for research. 

 

Not normally like me, and I was only directed there because I was interested in progress with the LMS Coronation Scot coaches ... but - for those that haven't already seen it - there are some pix if you scroll down a little bit here:

https://www.Hornby.com/uk-en/news/the-engine-shed/crowning-glory

 

Only of passing interest to myself (although there were occasionally seen in Carlisle ... hmm ...) but I have to note the wide variety of eccentric crank orientations! Hopefully only a symptom of 'samples only' at this stage.

 

The headline picture on that link is of far more interest to me - looking forward to seeing that on Shap

Edited December 7, 2020 by LNER4479

[john new]

1 hour ago, drmditch said:

Re: Ballast

 

I'm not sure if this book has been mentioned on this thread before:-

'The Railway - British Track since 1804' - by Andrew Dow. ISBN 978 1 47389 757 1

(I went for the low cost option with the paperback version, but for easy browsing the hardback volume would be better!)

It does make me ashamed that I don't model/make my track to a higher standard.

 

For ballast, see Chapter 12 and onwards, and there is a good index.

 

Whereas many people (including Mr Wright) seem to model post -1948, and in particular the former Southern Area of the LNER, my interests lie further north, in the NER/NEA in County Durham. So, minor lines and sidings might show evidence of small coal ( which was unsaleable till later in the 19th century and/or ash ballast. The NER opened Hulands Quarry (near Lartington) about 1911ish, thus producing a hard limestone ballast for new works and main lines.

 

Since most lines carried intensive coal traffic in open trucks (and hoppers which perhaps might leak some coal dust?) and were, except for Shildon to Newport between 1915 and 1935, hauled by steam locomotives, I tend to assume that most track would show evidence of this.

 

My ballasting therefore tends to be very dark in colour. I need to work out what the 'border' between ash on older section and limestone for the newer sections would look like.

 

One question concerns using the limestone ballast over iron and steel bridges, especially in considerable atmospheric pollution. Would it result in undesirable reactions?

 

My memory of doing a bit of winter P Way work the NYMR way back in its early days when I lived up that way is that the bridge we were working on didn't have ballast on it. Way beams with an iron sheeted infill walkway. 

[robertcwp]

1 hour ago, LNER4479 said:

 

Not normally like me, and I was only directed there because I was interested in progress with the LMS Coronation Scot coaches ... but - for those that haven't already seen it - there are some pix if you scroll down a little bit here:

https://www.Hornby.com/uk-en/news/the-engine-shed/crowning-glory

 

Only of passing interest to myself (although there were occasionally seen in Carlisle ... hmm ...) but I have to note the wide variety of eccentric crank orientations! Hopefully only a symptom of 'samples only' at this stage.

 

The headline picture on that link is of far more interest to me - looking forward to seeing that on Shap

Hopefully when on Shap the train will be marshalled the correct way round with the brake third leading, not the brake first, and will have a single chimney pacific, not the early wartime double chimney one in the image.

[Compound2632]

18 minutes ago, robertcwp said:

Hopefully when on Shap the train will be marshalled the correct way round with the brake third leading, not the brake first, and will have a single chimney pacific, not the early wartime double chimney one in the image.

 

Are you saying that Hornby are producing a set of carriages for which they do not make a suitable locomotive?

[LNER4479]

15 minutes ago, robertcwp said:

Hopefully when on Shap the train will be marshalled the correct way round with the brake third leading, not the brake first, and will have a single chimney pacific, not the early wartime double chimney one in the image.

I'll do my best! I have the loco in stock, the slightly older Chinese model, so it needs a bit of 'blinging' anyway (I've got to economise somewhere!). Just checked - it is single pot, running number 6221 which I quite like.

[Steamport Southport]

Coronation has a single chimney. As did the recent 6221 Queen Elizabeth.

 

https://www.hattons.co.uk/513706/hornby_r3857_class_8p_streamlined_coronation_4_6_2_6220_coronation_in_lms_coronation_blue/stockdetail.aspx

 

 

Jason

[robertcwp]

2 minutes ago, Steamport Southport said:

Coronation has a single chimney. As did the recent 6221 Queen Elizabeth.

 

https://www.hattons.co.uk/513706/hornby_r3857_class_8p_streamlined_coronation_4_6_2_6220_coronation_in_lms_coronation_blue/stockdetail.aspx

 

 

Jason

And I have a 6221 waiting for the carriages to arrive. It's only 20 years out of period for my layout but it's the Coronation Scot, which trumps everything.

 

I'd have a Coronation and Silver Jubilee too if they were ever made RTR to a similar standard. 

[LNER4479]

... looking to emulate this:

https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/the-coronation-scot-ascending-shap-fell-cumbria-9496#

 

Hey! We've come over all LMS again. Excellent!

[APOLLO]

I like this shot of the Coronation Scot Passing north through Golborne (just south of Wigan) in 1937. Taken from Golborne Colliery slag heap !!

 

 

And of course the music - Music to watch the slag heaps roll by !!!

 

 

Brit15

[Tony Wright]

2 hours ago, LNER4479 said:

 

Not normally like me, and I was only directed there because I was interested in progress with the LMS Coronation Scot coaches ... but - for those that haven't already seen it - there are some pix if you scroll down a little bit here:

https://www.Hornby.com/uk-en/news/the-engine-shed/crowning-glory

 

Only of passing interest to myself (although there were occasionally seen in Carlisle ... hmm ...) but I have to note the wide variety of eccentric crank orientations! Hopefully only a symptom of 'samples only' at this stage.

 

The headline picture on that link is of far more interest to me - looking forward to seeing that on Shap

You're right about the return crank orientations on the Hornby A2/3s, Graham.

 

I can only comment on the A2/2 which I've had here, and both cranks lean the right way (forwards). As you say, 'samples only'. 

 

Regarding A2/3s, HONEYWAY (being shedded at Haymarket) might well have appeared at Carlisle; as might the Tyneside-allocated ones. The three A2/1s were more common, however, and I can't see those appearing RTR; yet! 

 

My A2/2 report should be appearing on digital BRM (along with the moving footage) some time this week. I'll flag it up on here......................

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Tony Wright]

Though I consider the 'Semis' among the finest British steam locos of all time (in terms of both appearance and performance) I cannot (personally) say the same for the appearance of the originals. Words like 'adipose', 'porcine', 'bulbous' and 'obese' spring to my mind. 

 

Once 'de-frocked', their true beauty was revealed. 

 

Fire away!  

[Compound2632]

2 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

Once 'de-frocked', their true beauty was revealed. 

 

They're North Staffordshire Railway engines really. Or at least, it was at Stoke that their designer, Tom Coleman, did his apprenticeship. Stanier wasn't very keen on the streamlining, considering it a publicity stunt (despite it being the only full scientifically-developed streamlining used in Britain - and being very similar to that on Wagner's DR05-001/2). He asked Coleman to prepare a drawing showing an un-streamlined version to show to the board. Coleman drew nameplates on it reading Lady Godiva which scandalised some members of the board and earned Coleman a reprimand. 

[LNER4479]

48 minutes ago, APOLLO said:

I like this shot of the Coronation Scot Passing north through Golborne

 

 

And of course the music - Music to watch the slag heaps roll by !!!

 

8 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

Though I consider the 'Semis' among the finest British steam locos of all time (in terms of both appearance and performance) I cannot (personally) say the same for the appearance of the originals. Words like 'adipose', 'porcine', 'bulbous' and 'obese' spring to my mind. 

 

Once 'de-frocked', their true beauty was revealed. 

 

Fire away!  

What a fantastic picture from Apollo15 - just love the people at the lineside. Not railway enthusiasts but just locals, knowing that they are seeing something special. I've seen similar pictures on the East Coast for the equivalent trains there. They really were the wonders of the age.

 

For that reason (Tony), I have some time for the original streamlined 'Coronations'; however, absolutely agree that the de-frocked versions (or ones originally built unstreamlined) were the ultimate expression of express steam power in this country. Stanier himself reputedly had little time for the whole streamlining thing.

[APOLLO]

Oh The Coronations were OK in my eyes - but over the pond ---

 

 

 

New York Central's rival - The Pennsylvania Railroad built this slippery monster

 

 

Chesapeake & Ohio

 

 

I reckon this is the best they did - Southern Pacific Daylight. Classy.

 

 

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder they say.

 

 

Brit15

Edited December 7, 2020 by APOLLO
typo

[LNER4479]

44 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

Regarding A2/3s, HONEYWAY (being shedded at Haymarket) might well have appeared at Carlisle; as might the Tyneside-allocated ones. The three A2/1s were more common, however, and I can't see those appearing RTR; yet! 

 

Spot on so far, Tony (I'd expect nothing less). I'm doing a systematic trawl through all my books that feature Carlisle station or the lines running into it and logging each loco whenever it's on an identifiable working. So far, 60507 and 60519 have been 'spotted', both on the northbound 'Waverley' in 1958.

[APOLLO]

Hey Yank get your greasy paws off that Buffer !!!!!

 

 

Hmmmm !!

 

 

Some nice metal bending amongst this lot !!

 

Brit15

 

[Northmoor]

2 minutes ago, APOLLO said:

The GG1 is a striking looking locomotive but must have the worst driver's view of any electric loco ever built.