Wright writes.....

[Tony Wright]

1 hour ago, cctransuk said:

 

Picky, I know (sorry), but the lettering on the maroon wagon would have been straw yellow.

 

CJI.

Thanks John,

 

The maroon wagon has not been altered much (it came from a job lot), and David is going to repaint it in bauxite. Were any meat vans ever in maroon?

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[geoff west]

3 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

Happy to say that Geoff West bought Gilbert's eight Pullman cars. They might run one day on Biggleswade! 

 

We had a good time operating LB today, but what a shock; a derailment! One carriage bogie came off, an unprecedented occurrence. My investigation proved to be inconclusive, but I'll find the cause.

 

No matter, apart from my operating incompetence, other than that one derailment (in over 60 train movements), all worked well.

 

Geoff brought some interesting things along to run. Including............

 

 

This DJH A3. Originally built/painted by John Houlden, it ran on Ranford and Gamston Bank. I sold it to Geoff after John graduated to O Gauge.

 

 

This SE Finecast K3, originally Gilbert Barnatt's property (builder/painter unknown). 

 

 

And this Nu-Cast & Partners J6, which I built from the first production kit. I painted it, sold it to Geoff and he's weathered it.

 

David Rae brought along this cut of interesting wagons.............

 

 

Which he's resurrected from old Airfix kits. 

 

Thanks chaps for a most-entertaining day.............

 

 

 

 

Thanks Tony for another most enjoyable day.

Apologies for not being a very good fat controller today, at least my signalling was slightly better.

 

Geoff.

[John Isherwood]

39 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

Thanks John,

 

The maroon wagon has not been altered much (it came from a job lot), and David is going to repaint it in bauxite. Were any meat vans ever in maroon?

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

Yes - all of that particular diagram; they only became bauxite when they ceased to be meat vans.

 

Before maroon - ie. from new, they would have been crimson - hence airfix moulding them in red plastic!

 

John Isherwood.

[Woodcock29]

Tony a few of my hand held 'snaps' from our visit back in May 2017. It was a wonderful few days staying with you and Mo back in 2017 - many thanks.

 

Andrew

This appears to be one of your SE Finecast based A4s

 

 

 

This O4/3 seems to be of Ks origin

 

Your old WSM J6 - I took this because I built one of these back in the mid 80s

 

This shows others present that day, including my 2 travelling companions - Gavin Thrum inside the M&GN and Peter Pickering operating on the right.

 

Now here's your photo of all present that day including me on the left at the back inside the M&GN. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[St Enodoc]

5 hours ago, Compound2632 said:

Looking up the article on Moy in Keith Turton's Fifth Collection, I see that as well as using wagons built by his own works, he hired wagons, including from Gloucester.

Not forgetting the 3ft gauge 6-wheelers on the Southwold Railway.

[Compound2632]

5 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

Not forgetting the 3ft gauge 6-wheelers on the Southwold Railway.

 

No indeed; I had not mentioned them as they are hardly relevant to the standard gauge fleet. Who were the builders? They can hardly have been part of any firm's hire fleet so I suppose Moy owned them outright - unless hired from the Southwold? They seem too specialised to have been built in the firm's own wagon works.

[St Enodoc]

1 hour ago, Compound2632 said:

 

No indeed; I had not mentioned them as they are hardly relevant to the standard gauge fleet. Who were the builders? They can hardly have been part of any firm's hire fleet so I suppose Moy owned them outright - unless hired from the Southwold? They seem too specialised to have been built in the firm's own wagon works.

According to Taylor & Tonks' 1979 history of the SR, there were a total of 18, all built by Moy. 13 were owned by the railway and five by Moy (of which three were later sold to the railway leaving just two in Moy's ownership).

[Tony Wright]

8 hours ago, Woodcock29 said:

Tony a few of my hand held 'snaps' from our visit back in May 2017. It was a wonderful few days staying with you and Mo back in 2017 - many thanks.

 

Andrew

This appears to be one of your SE Finecast based A4s

 

 

 

This O4/3 seems to be of Ks origin

 

Your old WSM J6 - I took this because I built one of these back in the mid 80s

 

This shows others present that day, including my 2 travelling companions - Gavin Thrum inside the M&GN and Peter Pickering operating on the right.

 

Now here's your photo of all present that day including me on the left at the back inside the M&GN. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for those Andrew,

 

Quite a gathering, and great fun; we must do it again some day! The other chaps present are Mel, John and George - and me. 

 

The A4 is certainly SEF, and that ancient O4/3 is K's (though not mechanically). Now, at over 50, it's the oldest loco running on Little Bytham.

 

I see in the distant background of one shot, the DJH 'Big Bertha' I was building for a customer (surely the most-unlikely loco, other than the LNER Garratt, to run on the M&GN?). 

 

I think 2017 was a 'watershed' year for LB, because most of the buildings were completed by the start of 2018. Your pictures show a few gaps still present, but I'd started on the cottages at the south end of Station Road........

 

 

 

In 2017, they were just mock-ups.

 

But that year saw Bob Dawson complete the cottages in the station yard.........

 

 

They're present in your pictures.

 

I was building the wooden artisan cottages at the junction of Station Road and Witham Road.........

 

 

 

From Wills bits and Plastikard.

 

Not long after your visit..................

 

 

 

Bob Dawson had built the semis in Station Road, and Ellen Sparkes had 'planted' the gardens.

 

 

I'd started on the point rodding stretching out from the signal box. 

 

Your picture of my ancient J6 was taken before I installed............

 

 

The trap point on the MR/M&GNR bit, the job completed later in the year. 

 

If you recall, you very kindly gave me a DJH A1 kit...................

 

 

 

Which I built, and Geoff Haynes painted.

 

These shots of SILURIAN were taken after my much-fudged (and not good-looking) girder bridge (present in your pictures and mine) was replaced by the proper one, and I'd completed the point rodding.

 

It really is fascinating looking back (six years ago soon) to see the progress made on Little Bytham. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

 

[Pint of Adnams]

14 hours ago, Compound2632 said:

 

The whole thing shouts Gloucester because that's what it is. When it comes to models, RTR or kit, of pre-RCH 1923 specification PO mineral wagons, there's a disproportionate overabundance of Gloucester wagons owing to information bias - Gloucester's photo archive survived and has been readily accessible to researchers.

 

Looking up the article on Moy in Keith Turton's Fifth Collection, I see that as well as using wagons built by his own works, he hired wagons, including from Gloucester. So a Gloucester wagon in Moy livery is not an unreasonable thing, though whether that's what No. 584 was I cannot say, as I have not seen the photo on which, I presume, the model is based.  

 

Moy's business as a coal factor in East Anglia may have included shipping from east coast ports, for which an end door would be desirable, but for delivery to industrial customers or coal merchants, it was unnecessary, so the model seems perfectly reasonable for such "inland" traffic. As to whether or not the wagon has bottom doors, the tell-tale should be the release catch, which is anyway very rarely modelled! (I suppose if one looks inside at the pattern of the floor boards...) 

 

Was the "London" lifting plank such a common thing? As far as I can see, not, but in fact something of a rarity.

 

But I dare say all this has been thoroughly chewed over in the WT discussion.

 

EDIT: Found that but folk had more to say about the Gauge O Guild than the wagon, so I left quickly but not before seeing a photo that showed the inside in part. It's a complete ****-up with the side knees on the line of the door hinges!

See also Bill Hudson's Volume 1 Revised Edition, with a Moy wagon hiding in the shops at the foot of the page opposite the contents listing with a plain top plank, but the 3rd wagon along has the height reduction. Plate 68 is a 1938 Roberts-built Moy wagon with all the types of doors and lowered top plank, as do the Ricketts wagons in Plates 86 and 87. The 'London' plank, top-flap or cupboard-hinged section above the side doors was in response to some rule or regulation in the London Coal area (defined by markers beside the approach routes). I'm sure someone will clarify, as I cannot find the source at the moment, it was either due to a restriction of the height over which coal could be shovelled manually, or it was the height at which the shoveller had to be paid more.

 

The GER, although mainly flat, did make use of coal chutes (or 'shoots' in its terminology). I cannot image a first-purchaser/user choosing to pay extra for door fittings that would not be used.

[Chuffer Davies]

 

A year or so ago you may remember that I posted a picture of a J52 that I had built from a set of my own etches.  At the time I thought I’d done a good job but it subsequently came to light that I’d made some errors in my design, specifically I’d given it an Ivatt cab whereas it should have been a Stirling, there was some detail missing from the cab roof, and the footplate was 2mm too wide.  I discovered these errors during a conversation with Paul Craig.  Paul has spent many years researching GN locomotives and is responsible for the design of several of the GN/LNER kits available from London Road Models.

 

It transpired that Paul was in the process of designing a J52/53 kit for LRM.  He convinced me that I needed a second J52 for Clayton, and I might like to test build his model rather than correct my original etches.  So in May last year a set of etches arrived along with some draft assembly instructions and the construction began.

 

Whilst I discovered a few errors in the prototype etches there were no showstoppers and progress was steady.  Any mistakes discovered were reported back to Paul, along with occasional suggestions as to how the design might be simplified/improved.  Changes have since been made to the CAD design as necessary.

 

Although it is not apparent from the picture, a key feature of the new kit will be a 3D printed saddle.  Initially I intended to build this model with the printed saddle, but it transpired that the one supplied at the time was dimensionally incorrect.  In the interests of maintaining momentum I replaced it with an etched saddle from my own J52.

 

The model is at last complete, the delay being only due to the need to await delivery of castings, all of which are new for this model.  These include the castings required to represent the condensing gear.

 

As far as this model is concerned I will break it down into its sub-assemblies before final cleaning in an ultra-sound bath in readiness for painting.  I don’t as yet have any information as to when it is likely that this kit will be available from LRM.  We will need to check that the corrections have been made successfully, but once ready I am sure it will prove popular.

Frank

Edited January 31, 2023 by Chuffer Davies
Spelling

[Tony Wright]

I know it's a bit late for New Year resolutions, but I've told my darling wife to insist I say 'No'! when I'm faced with a hard luck story of kit-built locos not working. Why are so many of them so poor?

 

Take this example..........

 

 

It's a J21, built from an etched brass kit (might anyone know which manufacturer?). 

 

I've taken off the hopeless friction-fit drivers. Why hopeless? They weren't quartered properly and they'd managed to attract rust on their tyres and on their axles, one axle being effectively solid in its bearings. Speaking of the bearings, they'd not been reamed to one eighth, so even a non-rusted axle was a tight fit. One can see the evidence of my having reamed those bearings. 

 

Amazingly, the High-Level gearbox appeared to be well-assembled, which is an unexpected bonus. 

 

The brakes have been soldered on so poorly, that they just flop loosely about. 

 

I'll have to re-bush the coupling rods because their bearing holes are enormous (a futile attempt at getting good running despite the poorly-quartered wheels?). 

 

Obviously, I've acquired Markits replacement drivers (with tyres which don't rust), and I'll report accordingly.

 

Why do I take this sort of cr@p on? Am I a kind of sucker? Obviously, I'll be paid for what I do, but it's just not worth it.

 

So, anyone out there with a kit-built sob story in future, I'll give you a box of Kleenex! 

 

Speaking with Gilbert Barnatt of late (who's gone almost exclusively RTR, loco-wise), his experience of kit-built locos (made by others) would seem to be the same as mine; mechanically, over 90% are rubbish! 

 

 

Edited January 31, 2023 by Tony Wright
to add something

[richard i]

23 hours ago, micknich2003 said:

Richard, a lovely model, the GCRly stopped using side lamps on passenger stock 1907.

Perhaps it lasted. I have photo of a coronation tank with carriage with side lamps. The loco design is from 1911 and the carriage looks in varnished wood. It is certainly not in brown and cream livery.

 

[davidw]

7 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

I know it's a bit late for New Year resolutions, but I've told my darling wife to insist I say 'No'! when I'm faced with a hard luck story of kit-built locos not working. Why are so many of them so poor?

 

Take this example..........

 

 

It's a J21, built from an etched brass kit (might anyone know which manufacturer). 

 

I've taken off the hopeless friction-fit drivers. Why hopeless? They weren't quartered properly and they'd managed to attract rust on their tyres and on their axles, one axle being effectively solid in its bearings. Speaking of the bearings, they'd not been reamed to one eighth, so even a non-rusted axle was a tight fit. One can see the evidence of my having reamed those bearings. 

 

Amazingly, the High-Level gearbox appeared to be well-assembled, which is an unexpected bonus. 

 

The brakes have been soldered on so poorly, that they just flop loosely about. 

 

I'll have to re-bush the coupling rods because their bearing holes are enormous (a futile attempt at getting good running despite the poorly-quartered wheels?). 

 

Obviously, I've acquired Markits replacement drivers (with tyres which don't rust), and I'll report accordingly.

 

Why do I take this sort of cr@p on? Am I a kind of sucker? Obviously, I'll be paid for what I do, but it's just not worth it.

 

So, anyone out there with a kit-built sob story in future, I'll give you a box of Kleenex! 

 

Speaking with Gilbert Barnatt of late (who's gone almost exclusively RTR, loco-wise), his experience of kit-built locos (made by others) would seem to be the same as mine; mechanically, over 90% are rubbish! 

 

 

I've not many kit built locos but what I've got run very well thanks to your right track DVDs and the occasional visit. 

 

At the moment time defeats me from building more.

Edited January 31, 2023 by davidw

[micklner]

7 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

I know it's a bit late for New Year resolutions, but I've told my darling wife to insist I say 'No'! when I'm faced with a hard luck story of kit-built locos not working. Why are so many of them so poor?

 

Take this example..........

 

 

It's a J21, built from an etched brass kit (might anyone know which manufacturer). 

 

I've taken off the hopeless friction-fit drivers. Why hopeless? They weren't quartered properly and they'd managed to attract rust on their tyres and on their axles, one axle being effectively solid in its bearings. Speaking of the bearings, they'd not been reamed to one eighth, so even a non-rusted axle was a tight fit. One can see the evidence of my having reamed those bearings. 

 

Amazingly, the High-Level gearbox appeared to be well-assembled, which is an unexpected bonus. 

 

The brakes have been soldered on so poorly, that they just flop loosely about. 

 

I'll have to re-bush the coupling rods because their bearing holes are enormous (a futile attempt at getting good running despite the poorly-quartered wheels?). 

 

Obviously, I've acquired Markits replacement drivers (with tyres which don't rust), and I'll report accordingly.

 

Why do I take this sort of cr@p on? Am I a kind of sucker? Obviously, I'll be paid for what I do, but it's just not worth it.

 

So, anyone out there with a kit-built sob story in future, I'll give you a box of Kleenex! 

 

Speaking with Gilbert Barnatt of late (who's gone almost exclusively RTR, loco-wise), his experience of kit-built locos (made by others) would seem to be the same as mine; mechanically, over 90% are rubbish! 

 

 

London Road Models, which was George Norton originally or perhaps Jidenco . At a guess Jidenco only due to the dire washout plugs on the Firebox.

Its not superheated, so the handrail should stop on the sides of the smokebox as well.

Wrong gearbox as well , it looks like a Roadrunner , a Roadrunner plus or a Compact would allow centre axle running with the motor sitting in the Firebox. As shown the box would be on full  view in the Cab and not much better fitted on the centre driver.

[Tony Wright]

Mention in an earlier post of the last buildings for LB, led me to search for these shots..........

 

 

 

I finished these Station Road cottages in early 2018, writing them up in BRM (and, yes, I should have made a better job of the outside corners). 

 

I made them from Wills sheets, detailing bits and Plastikard. They're half-relief, because of space restraints, but I don't think the effect is too bad (especially given my limited architectural modelling skills). 

 

Not too bad an effect...............

 

 

If viewed from front on (the third cottage, to the left, had yet to be installed).

 

 

Or in a tight crop. 

 

As mentioned, 2017 saw almost all the buildings completed.......

 

 

Enabling me to get this sort of shot.

 

However, that original girder bridge never convinced............

 

 

Until 2020, when Dave Wager had completed it and installed it. Out of all the structures, I think this is the most-striking of all on Little Bytham.

 

 

And, somehow, B&W imagery seems more fitting to depict scenes from so many years ago. 

 

 

[Tony Wright]

14 minutes ago, micklner said:

London Road Models, which was George Norton originally or perhaps Jidenco . At a guess Jidenco only due to the dire washout plugs on the Firebox.

Its not superheated, so the handrail should stop on the sides of the smokebox as well.

Wrong gearbox as well , it looks like a Roadrunner , a Roadrunner plus or a Compact would allow centre axle running with the motor sitting in the Firebox. As shown the box would be on full  view in the Cab and not much better fitted on the centre driver.

Good evening Mick,

 

Many thanks.

 

The gearbox isn't fixed, and will lean forwards to fit inside the body. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[john new]

1 hour ago, Tony Wright said:

I know it's a bit late for New Year resolutions, but I've told my darling wife to insist I say 'No'! when I'm faced with a hard luck story of kit-built locos not working. Why are so many of them so poor?

 

Take this example..........

 

 

It's a J21, built from an etched brass kit (might anyone know which manufacturer). 

 

I've taken off the hopeless friction-fit drivers. Why hopeless? They weren't quartered properly and they'd managed to attract rust on their tyres and on their axles, one axle being effectively solid in its bearings. Speaking of the bearings, they'd not been reamed to one eighth, so even a non-rusted axle was a tight fit. One can see the evidence of my having reamed those bearings. 

 

Amazingly, the High-Level gearbox appeared to be well-assembled, which is an unexpected bonus. 

 

The brakes have been soldered on so poorly, that they just flop loosely about. 

 

I'll have to re-bush the coupling rods because their bearing holes are enormous (a futile attempt at getting good running despite the poorly-quartered wheels?). 

 

Obviously, I've acquired Markits replacement drivers (with tyres which don't rust), and I'll report accordingly.

 

Why do I take this sort of cr@p on? Am I a kind of sucker? Obviously, I'll be paid for what I do, but it's just not worth it.

 

So, anyone out there with a kit-built sob story in future, I'll give you a box of Kleenex! 

 

Speaking with Gilbert Barnatt of late (who's gone almost exclusively RTR, loco-wise), his experience of kit-built locos (made by others) would seem to be the same as mine; mechanically, over 90% are rubbish! 

 

 

A post summing up the issue of why people have drifted to rtr. Even if like Tony you do want to make things some kits are complex needing too many tools, and the skills to use them, to achieve good results. There are ways to do it obviously, but too many posts indicate there isn't an easy step to get into the routine of metal kit building with the loco you want to make.

 

Edited January 31, 2023 by john new
Clarity

[micklner]

4 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

Good evening Mick,

 

Many thanks.

 

The gearbox isn't fixed, and will lean forwards to fit inside the body. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

Yes I realised that, it will however still be on view behind the splashers, if fitted to the centre axle.

[Tony Wright]

1 minute ago, john new said:

A post summing up the issue of why people have drifted to rtr. Even if like Tony you want do to make things some kits are complex needing too many tools, and the skills to use them, to achieve good results. 

Good evening John,

 

I often state that with kit-built locos, 'it's a problem of aspiration over ability'. 

 

What 'shocks' me most (and I'm not easily shocked) is that many passing through my hands (including that J21) have been built by so-called 'professional modellers'.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Tony Wright]

1 minute ago, micklner said:

Yes I realised that, it will however still be on view behind the splashers, if fitted to the centre axle.

My brief is to get it going, not disguise the motor/gearbox. It'll drive on the rear axle. 

 

I have some others to fix; would you be interested, Mick? 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[micklner]

1 minute ago, Tony Wright said:

My brief is to get it going, not disguise the motor/gearbox. It'll drive on the rear axle. 

 

I have some others to fix; would you be interested, Mick? 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

No time for commisions anymore, I have decided I dont like working to deadlines  or trying to rescue other peoples models !!.   Sorry !!

 

Fittings to rear axle Oh No !! All on view , echos of XO4 etc period models !!

[Barry Ten]

A few weeks ago there were a few different models of City of Manchester shown. Mine was still in the raw plastic and metal at that point, but it's progressed a bit further since, with only a few jobs left to do.

 

 

The model is the 1970s Hornby body on a Comet chassis, with a DJH motor and gearbox. The tender is from the newer releases, since the original one wouldn't suit a de-streamlined engine.

 

 

The model was sprayed with Railmatch maroon and lined/numbered with Fox and HMRS transfers. The main colour should perhaps have been red but judging by photos, it does seem to have weathered down to quite a maroon shade, perhaps depending on lighting conditions. I've seen the real shade described variously as crimson lake, red and maroon, sometimes in the same book.

 

Among the jobs remaining are to reinstate the front number plate, add glazing, cab doors and electrification flashes.

 

Apologies for the fluff on the lens.

 

 

 

 

 

[jwealleans]

This one's driven on the middle axle and you have to look very hard to see any evidence of the mechanism.

 

 

The motor sits along the top of the frames behind the middle splasher and in the firebox.   With a RoadRunner you might be able to get it upright in the firebox, depending how big a motor it is.

Edited February 1, 2023 by jwealleans

[Northmoor]

1 hour ago, Tony Wright said:

 

 

 

And, somehow, B&W imagery seems more fitting to depict scenes from so many years ago. 

When you first posted these images Tony, I remember commenting how converting this image to B&W makes it very Colin Gifford-esque.

[micklner]

Re the J21 , I am not sure if the gearbox/motor  will even fit inside the Boiler , it looks like it will be a tight fit at best.