Wright writes.....

[grob1234]

6 hours ago, Barry Ten said:

 

I think the main lesson I've learned is that there aren't many mistakes

you can't dig yourself out of given a clear head and maybe a nip of whisky.

I like to think of myself primarily as a mistake corrector, model maker second.

 

Knowing when to put said model down, before it takes a one way trip out the window is something I have learned over the years too…

[RichardT]

Briefly de-cloaking to say firstly that I've enjoyed the Edward Thompson discussion on historical sources for obvious reasons (see signature below).  If it got a little tense at times it always remained civil - compared to some of the heated discussions and personal animosity I've seen in academia/heritage circles it was positively somnolent...

 

Secondly, news in another thread started by Jol of this parish that some may not have seen - the Ian Kirk LNER coach kits (and the Coopercraft range) have been rescued from their exile in unavailability and are going back into production:

Merry Christmas everyone

 

RichardT

(Formerly Archivist for London Transport, Railtrack, and Project Director, Search Engine, NRM)

[t-b-g]

3 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

Good evening Tony,

 

I wish I could take my own advice to others when problems occur; that is to put something down, walk away and 'cool off'. Then, come back to it after a cup of tea or a nip of something stronger. Or better still, 'sleep on it' and come back refreshed in the morning with a clearer mind. Sound advice? Pity I never take it! 

 

I find it impossible to go to bed if I'm struggling with a model, particularly with regard to its running. I'll keep on at it, which is often counter-productive. I end up spending more time 'undoing' what I'm not happy with, effectively having to do a job twice. Still, I never admit to being 'beaten'. 

 

When we lived in Wolverhampton, one of our cats used to sleep in the workshop when I was working in there, snugly in her basket. On occasions, she'd stretch and request to be let out. Almost without fail, this was but a minute before all Hell broke loose as I bellowed out a stream of profanities as something I was making went wrong. She could predict it, saving herself from the worst of my excesses. Then, after the storm, she'd politely ask to be let back in. A rather calming influence.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

Time spent getting a loco to run well is never time wasted. Too many people get a loco nearly right and then stop. I am like you in that respect, just a bit calmer! Valour ended up with a third set of wheels because the first two were almost right. The second set were Sharmans and usually, you can tweak them to run true and they will stay that way. This set, maybe because of their age and the plastic being a bit more brittle, just would not stay square to the axle.

 

The LNER pacific wheels from Markits did the trick and now she is rock steady and smooth. I would have ordered Ultrascale wheels but the build had already taken far too long and I didn't want to wait 8 months.

 

The LMS pacific has been the subject of much fine adjustment over quite a few modelling sessions as it was "nearly right". It has old Romford wheels, the ones where you had to drill the crankpin holes. They were done many years ago (not by me) and they are not all at exactly the right centres. Ken didn't want to pay lots of money for a new set of drivers so it took lots of swapping wheels from one axle to another and fiddling with the rods until a combination was found that runs smoothly at all speeds in either direction.

 

Again, Roy Jackson was a great influence. If I was working on something and not sure if it was "good enough", I would ask him whether I should leave it alone or do more work. His reply was always "I'm sure you will do the right thing." and the extra work would get done.

 

I have mellowed as the years pass and very little gets to me in modelling nowadays. I have more patience now than I ever have had. Ken says that if I was any more chilled I would be horizontal.

 

Earlier tonight, I made a new interior for the SR tender I am building because I had lost the previous one. There was a time when I would have gone ballistic and probably have given up and gone on to something else but tonight I shrugged my shoulders and decided that making a new one would be quicker than spending hours looking for the old one. An hour and a half later it was done.

 

At the end of it all, we are just grown ups building little railways. None of it matters enough to get too stressed about.

Edited December 21, 2022 by t-b-g
typo

[drmditch]

5 hours ago, t-b-g said:

 

At the end of it all, we are just grown ups building little railways. None of it matters enough to get too stressed about.

 

'Grown up' indeed!

Never mind the debates on historical sources, and the worth (or otherwise) of particular engineers and engineering managers.

Never mind the evolution of a transport system over three and a half centuries.

Never mind the role of social, economic and political forces.

Never mind the effects of parliament, politicians, and the press.

 

But to imply that I might be 'grown up', that is really quite disturbing.

I would have you know that my railway is one of the aspects of life that keeps me sane.

 

Struggling as I am with crises of health and house maintenance, I know that if I can work on my railway, 'little' though it may be, then I am capable of recovering.

 

Even if the current project on my workbench is nothing more than a trio of LNER unfitted covered vans, with more control wiring, and locomotive construction, temporarily held in abeyance, then my railway provides physical and mental stimuli which keep me alert and motivated.

 

'Grown up' indeed!

 

Merry Christmas to everybody

 

(And J S Bach is Composer of the Week on Radio 3 as well!)

 

Edited December 21, 2022 by drmditch

[rodent279]

Railway modelling is one of those pastimes where, sometimes, the doing is more important, enjoyable, rewarding, therapeutic, call it whatever you want, than the end game.

[Bernard Lamb]

10 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

 

 

I wish I could take my own advice to others when problems occur; that is to put something down, walk away and 'cool off'.  

One day at work things had kicked off and I decided to go for a walk round the site to cool down and regain my focus. As I was about half way along the first side I passed a colleaue going the other way. When I reached the far side of the site, it was some minutes later as it was a very large site, I passed him again. We both stopped and enquired as to what the other was doing. He was doing exactly what I was doing. 

I think you are right Tony. Walk away and cool off is a sound policy.

Bernard

[Michael Edge]

7 hours ago, t-b-g said:

 

 

 

Earlier tonight, I made a new interior for the SR tender I am building because I had lost the previous one. There was a time when I would have gone ballistic and probably have given up and gone on to something else but tonight I shrugged my shoulders and decided that making a new one would be quicker than spending hours looking for the old one. An hour and a half later it was done.

 

At the end of it all, we are just grown ups building little railways. None of it matters enough to get too stressed about.

You will probably find the tender interior now that you have made another one...

Growing old is inevitable but growing up is optional.

[Tony Wright]

Grown up?

 

I hope not. If you think about it, most folk who die are grown ups.

 

I've only ever grown upwards! 

 

I'm sure others have felt like this............... When I was in my early 20s (and, thus, an adult?), I thought all my previous-generation relatives (including my parents) were 'old' and, thus, grown up. Apart from a couple of aunts (one still surviving) and an uncle, I've lived at least 20 years longer than that generation (near-50 more years than my mother and 41 more years than my father!), yet I've never felt myself to be grown up (though my knees tell me I'm getting on!).

 

I'm still a trainspotter at heart. I'm building stuff I can recall seeing (vividly) well over 60 years ago, 'transporting' myself back into short trousers and watching my ECML favourites racing by. Would a real 'grown up' experience that emotion?

Edited December 21, 2022 by Tony Wright
to add something

[LNER4479]

Ooh - we've got all philsolophical all of a sudden 🤔

 

On a very similar theme: You don't stop playing because you grow old; you grow old because you stop playing.

 

Re getting stuff done, I find I have days when things just seem to work out ... and other days when things just turn to sh... er ... don't work out so well(!) If I sense it's a relatively good day then that's the day to tackle that binding coupling rod. If it's not so good a day then perhaps just paint the frames black. I mean, what could possibly go wrong with that task🤣

 

Felicitations of the season, one n all

[uax6]

Time is a strange thing, when you are young a day takes what seems like years to pass, and then at some time in your 30's suddenly a day is over in a blink of an eye. The day I turned forty I got out of bed with aches and pains in my joints that I hadn't had the day before....

 

My body feels older than it ever has done, but I still feel mentally about 15 or 16, and find it odd that I'm treated as an experienced man with integrity, and am often the go to person for issues, but yet I'm still learning to do things that I haven't done before. I find it all very perplexing! 

 

It was brought home on Monday when I got a certificate and enamel badge for being a continuous member of the Morris Minor Owners Club for the last 25 years! I've run minors as daily drivers for all that time, and I can't quite believe it.

 

As for building stuff, when I actually do something model wise, I do it inbetween trains up in the signalbox. The breaks I have to have for dealing with the trains are invaluable for getting away from the model and allowing some thinking space, allowing progress to be made (or damn annoying as you are halfway doing something and have to stop!).

 

Andy G

[Dunsignalling]

Yes, there are days when, as soon as I pick up a model or tool, I know it won't end well.

 

It took me a good few years to accept that one has to be in the right frame of mind to model or all you will  make is more work to sort out the mess tomorrow or the next day.

 

John

[TheSignalEngineer]

I think we all need escapism to stay sane. 

I find that taking some old rolling stock and converting to something not available RTR for the layout is theraputic just as long as I stick to the rule that it's not museum grade, it's one of my toys. 

I built a branch terminus but found just running it was frustrating so laid a roundy. My escapism is to do some rolling stock work but while working to set up a train of LMS Vestibule stock with a Black Five and set it running. Then we're off to Weston for a day by the sea or Blackpool to see Mallard arrive on the Northern Rubber Special. Added bonus that day was cabbibg the Midland Compound. It pilotted an excursion from Leicester in order to double head with Mallard on the return NRS. Some days my Dubdee numbered as the first I saw will trundle by on a long coal train. 

 

[D-A-T]

Being a returnee to the hobby after many years away I can vouch for the good days and the bad days regarding making things.

 

It took me a while to learn to walk away from my continuing kit building journey as I had the ‘I won’t be beaten’ by a piece of metal mindset. Now I do, whether it’s an hour, a day or longer.

 

This is strange as model railways is very much my winter, stay in the warm, secondary hobby. My main hobby (passion!) is sailing and there you are positively encouraged to take a break (if not life or property threatening) if things aren’t going well. A different mindset.

 

PS If you thought model railways was expensive just have a look around a Chandlery! 🤣

[MJI]

Mistakes are easy measure twice cut once.

 

Double or triple check before starting.

 

I messed up my first Airfix conversion many years ago. I cut out and moved the wrong toilet.

 

When i resurrected it for a correctly numbered set i redid all 8 joins and used laserglaze to look better.

[rodent279]

32 minutes ago, uax6 said:

 

It was brought home on Monday when I got a certificate and enamel badge for being a continuous member of the Morris Minor Owners Club for the last 25 years!

Now I feel old! Got mine in 2008, not enamel though, it's stainless steel.

 

[New Haven Neil]

Regarding the 3H coke hoppers, by sheer chance while looking for something else entirely, I came across an advert this morning in Model Railways for July 1974. 'The 'New' 3H Mouldings first 4mm scale wagon kit the 20 ton coke hopper, proprietors E D Hewson (is that Doug Hewson? later of very large scale wagons) and one R Jackson.

 

So yes, July 1974.

Edited December 21, 2022 by New Haven Neil
add an 'e'

[gr.king]

14 hours ago, t-b-g said:

 

A three bottle problem must have been pretty serious.

 

My "go to" stress relief is stop, walk up the path to the house and put the kettle on for a cup of tea. Then I take the cup down to the shed and let it go cold while I grapple with whatever is on the workbench.

 

Maybe I am doing it wrong.

Your liver may think that you're doing it the right way.

[uax6]

40 minutes ago, rodent279 said:

Now I feel old! Got mine in 2008, not enamel though, it's stainless steel.

 

Is it? I've not unwrapped it yet....

Whats the next milestone they give you something for?

 

Andy G

[t-b-g]

In this context, I use grown up to mean that we have evolved our interest beyond playing with Brio trains on the floor.

 

All other aspects of not taking life too seriously are to be admired. If we don't have some fun while we are here, then we are not doing it right.

 

I always say that I take building model railways seriously but never myself.

 

For many years I really struggled to remain calm when things go wrong. Once again, Roy Jackson was my inspiration. Having watched him literally destroy a carriage that wasn't going well, along with one or two other items over the years, I decided that I didn't want to be like that!

[jollysmart]

48 minutes ago, New Haven Neil said:

Regarding the 3H coke hoppers, by sheer chance while looking for something else entirely, I came across an advert this morning in Model Railways for July 1974. 'The 'New' 3H Mouldings first 4mm scale wagon kit the 20 ton coke hopper, proprietors E D Hewson (is that Doug Hewson? later of very large scale wagons) and one R Jackson.

 

So yes, July 1974.

 

Doug Hewson is the large scale wagon and ground level railway one, 3H mouldings were based in his garage in North Kelsey, Lincs at that time. Doug was a talented modeller, I remember him building a fully sprung 8F on 0 gauge around then and he was an experienced senior engineer

.

Edited December 21, 2022 by jollysmart

[John Isherwood]

46 minutes ago, New Haven Neil said:

Regarding the 3H coke hoppers, by sheer chance while looking for something else entirely, I came across an advert this morning in Model Railways for July 1974. 'The 'New' 3H Mouldings first 4mm scale wagon kit the 20 ton coke hopper, proprietors E D Hewson (is that Doug Hewson? later of very large scale wagons) and one R Jackson.

 

So yes, July 1974.

 

Indeed it was THE Doug Hewson.

 

Quite a few expletives were expended in the building of those kits - but I still run them!

 

John Isherwood.

[t-b-g]

48 minutes ago, New Haven Neil said:

Regarding the 3H coke hoppers, by sheer chance while looking for something else entirely, I came across an advert this morning in Model Railways for July 1974. 'The 'New' 3H Mouldings first 4mm scale wagon kit the 20 ton coke hopper, proprietors E D Hewson (is that Doug Hewson? later of very large scale wagons) and one R Jackson.

 

So yes, July 1974.

 

Yes, it was Doug Hewson. My recollection is that there were 4 people involved. There was Roy and 3 others, whose surnames began with H. Hence the name.

 

I just can't remember who the other two were.

[robertcwp]

1 hour ago, New Haven Neil said:

Regarding the 3H coke hoppers, by sheer chance while looking for something else entirely, I came across an advert this morning in Model Railways for July 1974. 'The 'New' 3H Mouldings first 4mm scale wagon kit the 20 ton coke hopper, proprietors E D Hewson (is that Doug Hewson? later of very large scale wagons) and one R Jackson.

 

So yes, July 1974.

Good find, thanks for answering my question. 

[rodent279]

38 minutes ago, uax6 said:

Is it? I've not unwrapped it yet....

Whats the next milestone they give you something for?

 

Andy G

Dunno, and thinking about it, it was 2015, not 2008. We didn't even have a Minor in 1983, so it can't have been 25 years in 2008.

I doubt if many have got as far as 50 years yet, but quite a few will have passed 40 years as a member.

Do you go on MOT?

[Barry Ten]

Re: growing up, maturing etc - someone asked Clint Eastwood how he remained so active and engaged in his nineties. His advice: "Don't let the old man in."

 

I also watched an interview with Simon Weston (the Falklands soldier) who said he was pleased not have matured. He said he'd tried it once and didn't like it!