Wright writes.....

[Tony Wright]

Digging through the 2015 folder of pictures, I came across some extremely interesting visitors to Little Bytham.

 

Though the year the following pictures were taken (2015) is in no doubt, I wasn't always diligent as to who made/brought what is illustrated. If I get things wrong, or can't identify the builder, my apologies. If so, perhaps those who know will comment, please. 

 

 

I think this is Sandra Orpen's work.

 

 

I think this is an A8.

 

 

More of Sandra's work.

 

 

Ian Wilson bought a Bachmann Derby Lightweight DMU and we gave it a run on Bytham. The much-modified 'Britannia' now sees service on Shap. 

 

 

I have no idea who made/brought along this rather nice C1. Is it K's? Or DJH? It surely can't be a WSM C1, can it? 

 

 

 

Baz Oliver brought along some of his late dad's work. 

 

 

And I helped a 14 year old build his first loco kit (well done, Jack!). 

 

 

I built stuff for myself, of course - yet another Nu-Cast V2 on the go, and long since finished; any wobbly bits were straightened out! 

 

The tender was borrowed from another Nu-Cast V2 for test purposes.

 

 

I wonder how many ECML layouts have run a K Class 2-6-0?

 

 

Or this GWR pairing?

 

 

Examples of some exquisite weathering also appeared.............

 

I think these are detailed RTR items.

 

 

A more-appropriate loco (for LB, that is) also got a run, in the form of this PDK A2/2.

 

 

Geoff West obtained this DJH A1 on eBay (I think he might have been paid to take it away!). 

 

Yes, the buffers were fixed to the drag beam!

 

He dismantled it and rebuilt it, producing an astonishing transformation (I'll have to look through 2016's or 2017's pictures to find it). 

 

I couldn't believe it, and I wouldn't have touched it with a barge pole! 

 

 

He also assisted me in laying some more kick-back sidings. 

 

It's been an immense privilege to have so many dear friends contribute to Little Bytham.

 

 

 

In 2015, all the fencing was completed by Rob Davey and me, and much of the scenic work was finished by Gilbert Barnatt and Richard Wilson.

 

It's astonishing how much has been done on Little Bytham in the last seven years. Thank you all...........

 

 

 

 

[micklner]

On 04/02/2021 at 11:00, Tony Wright said:

I find this a real puzzle regarding 'Pressfix' transfers..............

 

I wonder whether there are different batches produced? 

 

My recent experiences are that the newer sheets I've bought aren't anywhere near as good as those from years ago, yet others report the opposite. 

 

Hmmnnn.

Just had a LNER Lining sheet arrive. Simply dire , I have emailed them to see if all the sheets are as bad as this one . Buyer beware at the moment. I will update the response in due course.

 

Totally out of register and useless as a result.

 

 

 

[Coach bogie]

I am really enjoying seeing the GWR builds, especially the De Glehns. I have not seen too many made. Here are 102/3/4 lined up.  My Father built 103 as the Wills kit and I built 102/4.

 

102 is a major cut and shut being a much smaller loco than the other two. I nearly gave up, a couple of times but put it aside and kept going back. I finished it and then came across a Jamieson hand cut kit, which would have been much less work.

 

One issue with the Wills kit is the bogie wheelbase is too short. The dimensions of the bogie are correct for the smaller 102 but is longer on 103/4. In my line up the original still has the short bogie (I will correct one day) but the 104 rebuild has the bogie wheelbase lengthened. The two rebuilds were kits bought direct from Forest Row with a request to replace the French boiler/fittings with the same from a Saint/Star kit and I made up the rest from brass and copper.

 

 

As usual I had to do something different with the Side tank. In later years several were rebuilt with a cab, not provided in the Cadman/Waterman M&L kit. Using an unbuilt Wills/SEF 517 cab as a pattern, I soldered up on from scrap brass to fit, to represent 635 in its' last year of service.

 

 

Mike Wiltshire

 

 

[Woodcock29]

Tony the C1 in the photo you show above appears to be a DJH model because it looks too big. The smokebox diameter in particular.

Andrew

[Barry Ten]

2 hours ago, micklner said:

Just had a LNER Lining sheet arrive. Simply dire , I have emailed them to see if all the sheets are as bad as this one . Buyer beware at the moment. I will update the response in due course.

 

Totally out of register and useless as a result.

 

 

 

 

 

I didn't get a response when i complained about the register on the Midland sheet, with some of the printing seeming to be out by as much as a mm. It's a problem as the HMRS sheet is presently the only way to get S&DJR carriage lettering in 4mm.

[Tony Wright]

Just out of possible interest, I've taken some pictures from similar positions to the ones I took in 2015.

 

Not all are repeated; not all locos/trains are the same, and not all the angles are either, but they show how much has been done in the intervening years.....

 

 

A much more-complete M&GNR scene now, enhanced by Tony Gee's lovely Midland lower-quadrant signal (one of a pair). 

 

Bob Dawson's splendid bridge replaced the previous mock-up. 

 

 

And, the passing trains again.

 

Dave Wager's magnificent girder bridge really does show what it should look like. 

 

 

I don't think telephoto shots work that well, and my Photoshop cutting-out of Dave's bridgework lacks real expertise. 

 

 

This is much better than the previous one (with a different A4, I know). A Lawrence/Goddard ex-LMS BTK is now pulled by Dave Shakespeare's much-altered Ivatt 'Flying Pig'. 

 

Just look at the detail work on the bridge...............

 

 

I've left the background 'clutter' in in this one, showing the full sweep of Bytham's northern approaches. 

 

The A2 is a Crownline/Kinsey/Wright/Rathbone combination. 

 

 

Left in this one, too. 

 

It's time now to 'bury'/disguise the bases of the main line signals, now that they're all working entirely reliably.

 

Oh, and this is how Geoff West's A1 turned out after he'd rebuilt it and Geoff Haynes painted it. 

 

 

Not bad at all!  

 

 

[andytrains]

8 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

I couldn't believe it, and I wouldn't have touched it with a barge pole! 

I love that saying. How many people actually possess a Barge Pole?

I suppose people that own barges will have one.

It can be used to hold onto a wharf if it has a hook, as well as pushing off.

 

Hat coat, door!

 

Edited September 18, 2022 by andytrains
Sorry Sir. I put an rather than a.

[Evertonian]

Pleasing to see a good selection of GWR and WR locos featured recently, we 

all have our little niggles however - mine is so often seeing the Castles shown

with the wrong type of steam pipes - as evidenced on "Banbury Castle", sorry

Barry Ten !

Chris Knight

[davidw]

34 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

Just out of possible interest, I've taken some pictures from similar positions to the ones I took in 2015.

 

Not all are repeated; not all locos/trains are the same, and not all the angles are either, but they show how much has been done in the intervening years.....

 

 

A much more-complete M&GNR scene now, enhanced by Tony Gee's lovely Midland lower-quadrant signal (one of a pair). 

 

Bob Dawson's splendid bridge replaced the previous mock-up. 

 

 

And, the passing trains again.

 

Dave Wager's magnificent girder bridge really does show what it should look like. 

 

 

I don't think telephoto shots work that well, and my Photoshop cutting-out of Dave's bridgework lacks real expertise. 

 

 

This is much better than the previous one (with a different A4, I know). A Lawrence/Goddard ex-LMS BTK is now pulled by Dave Shakespeare's much-altered Ivatt 'Flying Pig'. 

 

Just look at the detail work on the bridge...............

 

 

I've left the background 'clutter' in in this one, showing the full sweep of Bytham's northern approaches. 

 

The A2 is a Crownline/Kinsey/Wright/Rathbone combination. 

 

 

Left in this one, too. 

 

It's time now to 'bury'/disguise the bases of the main line signals, now that they're all working entirely reliably.

 

Oh, and this is how Geoff West's A1 turned out after he'd rebuilt it and Geoff Haynes painted it. 

 

 

Not bad at all!  

 

 

DJH locos especially A1s have a tremendous sense of "presence"

[Tony Wright]

2 hours ago, davidw said:

DJH locos especially A1s have a tremendous sense of "presence"

I agree David,

 

In fact, I'd say that the DJH A1's introduction (over 40 years ago now!) was a critical moment for the hobby; critical inasmuch as it changed the face of loco kits forever. 

 

Previously, we'd had the likes of K's kits (which first-generation DJH kits were clones of, apart from not having K's wheels and motors provided), Wills 'bodyline-type' kits (married to RTR chassis), plus other rather lumpen cast metal offerings. Yes, Jamieson gave us nickel silver and brass kits (with the parts stamped out and formed), but they were just one step up from scratch-building. The day of really good etched brass kits was yet to come, and DJH showed the way with the composite loco kit (and still do, despite the firm not producing any new 4mm loco kits for 20 years). 

 

I have heard their likes criticised (with some justification, because the 'battleship' brass frames don't lend themselves to the likes of P4), but for OO and EM I think they're brilliant. How many DJH A1s have I built, I wonder? Probably nearing 40, double figures of which are running on Little Bytham. 

 

Certainly (as has been mentioned of late), they have (in my opinion) a much greater presence than a Bachmann A1 equivalent (not least because missing front steps and vacuum standpipes on DJH A1s in service are rare, unlike the 'glued-on' RTR specimens), and they make a delicious 'rumble' when running over track joints or on heavy loads out on the road at speed. 

 

Here's my latest one...........

 

Soon to be 60129 GUY MANNERING after Geoff Haynes paints her (him?). 

 

And, the first one I built for myself some 30 years ago now (I'd built a few for customers before)...........

 

 

In service on Stoke Summit.

 

 

And now still earning her keep on Little Bytham. 

 

Ian Rathbone's painting has lasted well! 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

 

 

[LNER4479]

15 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

 

It's time now to 'bury'/disguise the bases of the main line signals, now that they're all working entirely reliably.

 

 

Yikes - that's the kiss of death if ever I heard it!

 

Only really noticeable from a non-prototypical aerial viewpoint?

[Tony Wright]

2 hours ago, LNER4479 said:

Yikes - that's the kiss of death if ever I heard it!

 

Only really noticeable from a non-prototypical aerial viewpoint?

Good morning Graham,

 

'Only really noticeable from a non-prototypical aerial viewpoint?'

 

That's entirely true. I think the best way will be to just use some loose scatter of the same colour/consistency of the surrounding ground, making sure no bits get into the mechanisms. 

 

Thanks to you and Andrew, all the main line signals work perfectly now (Tony Gee's on the MR/M&GNR have always done the same; worked by servos). 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Barry Ten]

How about a bit of sandpaper of roughly the right texture, coloured to match, and cut to fit the base of the signal?

[Jesse Sim]

On 18/09/2022 at 18:47, Tony Wright said:

Digging through the 2015 folder of pictures, I came across some extremely interesting visitors to Little Bytham.

 

Though the year the following pictures were taken (2015) is in no doubt, I wasn't always diligent as to who made/brought what is illustrated. If I get things wrong, or can't identify the builder, my apologies. If so, perhaps those who know will comment, please. 

 

 

I think this is Sandra Orpen's work.

 

 

I think this is an A8.

 

 

More of Sandra's work.

 

 

Ian Wilson bought a Bachmann Derby Lightweight DMU and we gave it a run on Bytham. The much-modified 'Britannia' now sees service on Shap. 

 

 

I have no idea who made/brought along this rather nice C1. Is it K's? Or DJH? It surely can't be a WSM C1, can it? 

 

 

 

Baz Oliver brought along some of his late dad's work. 

 

 

And I helped a 14 year old build his first loco kit (well done, Jack!). 

 

 

I built stuff for myself, of course - yet another Nu-Cast V2 on the go, and long since finished; any wobbly bits were straightened out! 

 

The tender was borrowed from another Nu-Cast V2 for test purposes.

 

 

I wonder how many ECML layouts have run a K Class 2-6-0?

 

 

Or this GWR pairing?

 

 

Examples of some exquisite weathering also appeared.............

 

I think these are detailed RTR items.

 

 

A more-appropriate loco (for LB, that is) also got a run, in the form of this PDK A2/2.

 

 

Geoff West obtained this DJH A1 on eBay (I think he might have been paid to take it away!). 

 

Yes, the buffers were fixed to the drag beam!

 

He dismantled it and rebuilt it, producing an astonishing transformation (I'll have to look through 2016's or 2017's pictures to find it). 

 

I couldn't believe it, and I wouldn't have touched it with a barge pole! 

 

 

He also assisted me in laying some more kick-back sidings. 

 

It's been an immense privilege to have so many dear friends contribute to Little Bytham.

 

 

 

In 2015, all the fencing was completed by Rob Davey and me, and much of the scenic work was finished by Gilbert Barnatt and Richard Wilson.

 

It's astonishing how much has been done on Little Bytham in the last seven years. Thank you all...........

 

 

 

 

Also the year you met me, so it’s been basically down hill from then 🤣

 

 

[31A]

5 hours ago, Barry Ten said:

How about a bit of sandpaper of roughly the right texture, coloured to match, and cut to fit the base of the signal?

 

That's exactly what I've done with the signals on my layout.

 

A piece of medium coarse sandpaper torn to a rough shape, then with holes & slots cut in it to fit around the post, ladder and operating rods.  Glued to the cork underlay, and painted a suitable colour to blend in with the surrounding ground.  It could be further blended in with ground cover, ballast etc. although I haven't 'got around to it' yet!  Should the signal ever need to come out, hopefully it wouldn't be too difficult to peel back or cut away the sandpaper, and then replace it later.

 

 

 

[Barry Ten]

A bit more progress on the Nu-Cast 2021 class.

 

 

 

The dome is not a very good casting so I've just plonked it in place for now, pending a possible replacement.

 

Everything has been soldered apart from the tank filler caps and safety valve. I decided to go for the open-cab variant even though the kit does include a nice etched part for the rear cab sheet, if going for the closed option. The motor does protrude into the cab a bit, the way I've arranged it (I'm sure a cleverer solution could be found) but a driver and fireman will disguise it well enough for my needs. I had a fight with the cab side sheets, but that seems to be par for the course for me and white metal cabs. Getting them straight and level was half the battle, then I found that with the bunker in place, the gap between the two was far too narrow. I had to file away quite a bit of material to get it somewhere more acceptable. I also found it a bit of work to get the cab sheets flush with the tank sides. 

 

Despite these minor issues I'm very much enjoying the kit.

[Tony Wright]

One of the many privileges of owning Little Bytham concerns the number of visitors I have to see it (thankfully, back to 'normal' post-Covid). Many are returnees, and many bring models along which they've made/modified to run (even DCC-fitted locos can be accommodated, as long as visitors brings a controller with them). 

 

I honestly don't know where LB might stand with regard to its 'status' in hosting visiting locos/stock, but looking through a few layout threads, there aren't many systems which seem to host so much visiting motive power (though I could be looking at the wrong threads, of course). Certainly not with the same frequency, anyway.

 

And, what of today? Well, certainly a first without a doubt!

 

 

 

Has anyone else seen a model of the sleeve-valve-fitted Brighton Atlantic which Bulleid experimented with in preparation for his 'Leader' Class? These valves actually go in and out!

 

 

I believe this is a 2NOL (though my knowledge of the nomenclature of SR EMUs is woeful).

 

 

Regular readers might recall the sad tale of Elaine's (of Elaine's Trains) road accident, where the whole collection of a deceased modeller suffered serious damage (some beyond repair). Well, after I'd assessed the damage, and the culpable driver's insurance paid out, the smashed locos came my way for sale, with proceeds principally going to CRUK (the insurers weren't interested in the damaged locos). I repaired a few - the least-damaged ones, and sold the rest for around £10.00 each. 

 

The scratch-built B9 above was one of those 'tenner' locos. Ian Smith has worked wonders with it.

 

I've asked Ian how he's produced the above models, so, over to you my friend................

 

 

 

 

[Tony Wright]

Regular readers to Wright writes might recall this V2...............

 

 

It was originally built in OO for use on Gamston Bank by John Houlden, using a mixture of DJH parts, Comet parts, DMR parts and some scratch-building. It ran on Gamston until John burnt the layout, and I sold most of his OO stock for him (with a substantial amount going to CRUK).

 

This loco was not sold. Instead, John loaned it to Roy Jackson for use on Retford. Roy built an EM set of frames for it (though what happened to the original OO set, I don't know). With Roy's death, it went back to John.

 

Now, I was immensely privileged by having John give me the loco (despite my protestations) for my selling his OO locos and stock. 

 

However, an EM loco is no good for Little Bytham, so I built a Comet set of OO frames for it, using the original wheels/motion but re-gauged.

 

 

And, it cheerfully ran on LB for over a year............

 

I sold the (beautifully-made) EM frames to Ray Chessum, the money going to CRUK. Then, along came Sandra Orpen's acquisition of Retford. A Retford lacking in V2s! So, Ray Chessum very kindly (thanks Ray) gave me Roy's EM frames back, and I fitted wheels and (Comet) motion to it to run on Retford once more. It's back on loan. Now, I'll never be one of the Retford 'mob' (that august body is unique), but I can contribute to the project by making EM frames for a variety of locos. 

 

 

And here's the OO/EM/OO/EM V2 in action on Retford. As far as I'm concerned, 60826 can be a 'permanent' guest on this incredible creation (as it was such a generous gift, I'll still retain ownership).

 

Which means I'm left with the OO set of V2 frames.

 

I acquired a (yet another) Nu-Cast V2 kit of late for a very low price, and decided to build it to go on top of the OO chassis. Thus, this is progress so far (yesterday evening and this evening).

 

 

 

With 16 V2s already, do I need any more? Of course not, but Retford might, and it's easier to EM an OO chassis than the other way round....................

 

 

Edited September 20, 2022 by Tony Wright
to add something

[sandra]

Hello Tony,

 

When I acquired Retford there were only two V2s, both from Nucast kits and one of these was in LNER livery. I did think of repainting it in BR livery but it had been painted so well I couldn’t bring myself to repaint it.

 

Over the first lockdown I built a Nucast V2 and then Andrew Hartshorne of Wizard models gave me what had been the Comet display loco for the V2 chassis under a Bachmann body. However as the loco only had valve gear on one side I had to convert it to EM gauge and build the valve gear for the side which the public never saw when it was on display. 

 

However only three V2s is hardly enough for an East Coast layout so 60826 was a godsend. Here she is on a down parcels train passing an Ivatt 4MT. Her usual train is now the up Hull/Kings Cross fish train. She also occasionally appears on the Scotch goods.
 

I do have another Nucast V2 which I bought off eBay for a very low price. This had been built but not very well so it will have to be dismantled and rebuilt. On the Nucast V2 I built I used the white metal Nucast chassis but I fitted it with brass bearings.  This did work quite well but for the latest V2 I will use a Branchlines chassis which was very kindly given to me by Robert Carroll.

 

So thank you for lending me the V2 with the interesting history it is a great locomotive and it is a regular performer on the line.

 

Sandra

[Tony Wright]

9 hours ago, sandra said:

Hello Tony,

 

When I acquired Retford there were only two V2s, both from Nucast kits and one of these was in LNER livery. I did think of repainting it in BR livery but it had been painted so well I couldn’t bring myself to repaint it.

 

Over the first lockdown I built a Nucast V2 and then Andrew Hartshorne of Wizard models gave me what had been the Comet display loco for the V2 chassis under a Bachmann body. However as the loco only had valve gear on one side I had to convert it to EM gauge and build the valve gear for the side which the public never saw when it was on display. 

 

However only three V2s is hardly enough for an East Coast layout so 60826 was a godsend. Here she is on a down parcels train passing an Ivatt 4MT. Her usual train is now the up Hull/Kings Cross fish train. She also occasionally appears on the Scotch goods.
 

I do have another Nucast V2 which I bought off eBay for a very low price. This had been built but not very well so it will have to be dismantled and rebuilt. On the Nucast V2 I built I used the white metal Nucast chassis but I fitted it with brass bearings.  This did work quite well but for the latest V2 I will use a Branchlines chassis which was very kindly given to me by Robert Carroll.

 

So thank you for lending me the V2 with the interesting history it is a great locomotive and it is a regular performer on the line.

 

Sandra

Thanks Sandra,

 

I think it's fitting that 60826 remains on Retford, especially since Roy built its frames. In fact, my only contribution to its EM status was to install a motor/gearbox and erect the cylinders/motion, no adapting of the basic chassis being necessary. 

 

Looking through my other V2s, there are at least a couple to which I can fit EM frames for use on Retford. Some hardly get used on LB, yet I still keep building them! Do you think it's a 'condition' I have? 

 

Someone once described the acquisition of so many locos as being a 'locoholic' (an interesting new word). Several of those with the 'affliction' could be described as 'collectors'; by that, I mean they either just buy them (RTR or kit-built) or commission them from others (modified RTR or kit-built). The end result is, of course, a plethora of loco. In my own case, I just build them (over 200 now on LB) in the main. I wonder which 'condition' is the most serious?

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Obadiah]

Tony, thank you for your kind words about my H1. Having read the books featuring 2039 Hartland Point and the Leader itself, I thought that it might, just, be possible to recreate the beastie with working sleeve valve gear, in other words a challenge!  The Bachmann H1 basically had the front end sawn off. Ahead of the cylinders on the chassis, and behind the cylinders on the footplate. New chassis members and frame stretchers where cuts from brass, and added to the chassis, the new cylinders and their sleeves are formed from various brass and plastic tubes. The valve gear drive is taken from the rear of the crossheads, to a pair of levers, one for each side, situated above the rear bogie wheel, from there rods transmit the drive through the frame stretchers to the front, where another pair of levers, reverse the drive to the sleeves themselves, the levers and their brackets are formed from multiple layers of scrap brass etch. The rotation of the sleeves is achieved by pins inserted in the cylinder walls engaging with angled slots giving the sleeves, about 25 degrees of rotation. The steam passages, lubricators and other stuff is all fabricated from plasticard, and tubing, the plumber's nightmare of pipework is brass wire and old fashioned fuse wire. Nameplates are by Fox, and are now available from Fox for anyone else to have a go.

The 2 Nol is a cheap second-hand Hornby 2 Bil plus numerous bits of Hornby's 58' rebuilt coaches all cobbled together. The 2 Bil cab was cut into many pieces and then reassembled but much narrower. The unit is one of the last eight 2 Nols built with underfloor English Electric control gear, as against the usual Metro Vic Electro- Magnetic gear situated behind the cab.

The B9 is a nicely scratch built loco circa 1960 I guess. I could have completely rebuilt the engine, but the damage was mainly to the tender, so I elected to just refresh her, changing the smokebox door from a GE pattern to a GC pattern, and new safety valves. The old plain mazac un-insulated Romford drivers were retained for that vintage feel.

[Tony Wright]

8 hours ago, Obadiah said:

Tony, thank you for your kind words about my H1. Having read the books featuring 2039 Hartland Point and the Leader itself, I thought that it might, just, be possible to recreate the beastie with working sleeve valve gear, in other words a challenge!  The Bachmann H1 basically had the front end sawn off. Ahead of the cylinders on the chassis, and behind the cylinders on the footplate. New chassis members and frame stretchers where cuts from brass, and added to the chassis, the new cylinders and their sleeves are formed from various brass and plastic tubes. The valve gear drive is taken from the rear of the crossheads, to a pair of levers, one for each side, situated above the rear bogie wheel, from there rods transmit the drive through the frame stretchers to the front, where another pair of levers, reverse the drive to the sleeves themselves, the levers and their brackets are formed from multiple layers of scrap brass etch. The rotation of the sleeves is achieved by pins inserted in the cylinder walls engaging with angled slots giving the sleeves, about 25 degrees of rotation. The steam passages, lubricators and other stuff is all fabricated from plasticard, and tubing, the plumber's nightmare of pipework is brass wire and old fashioned fuse wire. Nameplates are by Fox, and are now available from Fox for anyone else to have a go.

The 2 Nol is a cheap second-hand Hornby 2 Bil plus numerous bits of Hornby's 58' rebuilt coaches all cobbled together. The 2 Bil cab was cut into many pieces and then reassembled but much narrower. The unit is one of the last eight 2 Nols built with underfloor English Electric control gear, as against the usual Metro Vic Electro- Magnetic gear situated behind the cab.

The B9 is a nicely scratch built loco circa 1960 I guess. I could have completely rebuilt the engine, but the damage was mainly to the tender, so I elected to just refresh her, changing the smokebox door from a GE pattern to a GC pattern, and new safety valves. The old plain mazac un-insulated Romford drivers were retained for that vintage feel.

Thanks for showing us these fascinating models, Ian.

 

I did say yesterday that I thought you were 'mad' (n the nicest possible way, of course); I think that H1 suggests that.

 

It really needs some moving footage taking - to actually show that the sleeve valves work! I've never seen the system modelled before, not even in static mode.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[robertcwp]

22 hours ago, sandra said:

I do have another Nucast V2 which I bought off eBay for a very low price. This had been built but not very well so it will have to be dismantled and rebuilt. On the Nucast V2 I built I used the white metal Nucast chassis but I fitted it with brass bearings.  This did work quite well but for the latest V2 I will use a Branchlines chassis which was very kindly given to me by Robert Carroll.

I don't remember that. Perhaps it came from that large collection I disposed of?

[Tony Wright]

With the cost of energy rocketing, today Bytham's 14 fluorescent tubes are to be replaced with equivalent LED strip lighting.

 

I'll report accordingly. There are several things to consider; the cost of the equipment, the electrician's time, potential energy savings and any differences in the light colour with regards to photography. 

 

We'll have to be very, very careful installing the new lights!

[Barclay]

59 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

With the cost of energy rocketing, today Bytham's 14 fluorescent tubes are to be replaced with equivalent LED strip lighting.

 

I'll report accordingly. There are several things to consider; the cost of the equipment, the electrician's time, potential energy savings and any differences in the light colour with regards to photography. 

 

We'll have to be very, very careful installing the new lights!

Preparing to do the same myself, though with fewer lights! Colour temperature is a subject I've been interested in for some time, and I intend to avoid 'warm white' and go for the brightest and whitest, but the differences will be interesting.