Wright writes.....

[Tony Wright]

1 hour ago, Bucoops said:

 

Hi Steve,

 

They aren't currently in stock at Roxey but other suppliers may stock them https://www.roxeymouldings.co.uk/product/1131/4mb004-lner-spencer-loco-buffers/ - these suit A1/A3s. A2s etc. are too modern for me, I am not sure what they use.

Good evening Steve,

 

The Spencer-type buffers won't suit Peppercorn Pacifics (A1s/A2s).

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Tony Wright]

Just now, cctransuk said:

 

..... Slaters .......

 

CJI.

Slater's,

 

Of course, John. Many thanks.

 

All I did was look through my buffer stocks (no pun intended), and I don't have any Slater's ones.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Chuffer Davies]

Good weather at last!  I've been waiting several weeks for a break in the weather to paint some models.  Not having a spray booth any painting I do (which is very little) is done in the patio with Halford rattle cans.  I had three projects queued up and the first to be released is this test build of a new chassis kit I am designing for Bachmann's ROD/O4 models.  The kit will be for P4/EM modellers wishing to completely replace the Bachmann chassis.  So far I have test assembled the tender chassis, and with a couple of minor adjustments the build has been successful.  The chassis is designed around my now signature MIT (motor in tender) drive system which maximises the haulage potential of the completed model.  The kit will still allow the builder to install the motor  in the the loco if that is their preference.  The chassis is designed for CSB suspension and the drive system is designed around High Level gears and 1320 coreless motor. 

The Bachmann GW ROD receiving the new chassis is a model I have had for several years and which has run a couple of times on Hungerford but the model's poor haulage ability has meant that it has been limited to relatively short trains, not representative of the kind of trains to which the prototype would normally have been allocated.  The MIT system should ensure that when it is next exhibited it can be allocated to a more suitable train.

The test build of the loco's chassis will be delayed whilst I finish off two other projects that were again held up awaiting painting.

  

[Tony Wright]

16 hours ago, Ray Flintoft said:

  Another couple of Millholme kits to look at.

   Ivatt 4MT no.43071 & Thompson A2/2 no 60503 " Lord President

  Hope they are of interest,

                                    Ray.

Good morning Ray,

 

Thanks for showing your Millholme pair.

 

With regard to the A2/2, that can't be the original Millholme tender, surely? 

 

60503 was, of course, a 50A loco.

 

 

Here's the real thing, acting as standby at the south end of York in 1959.

 

Graeme King made a very nice model of her..................

 

 

Using parts from Hornby, Bachmann and his own resin castings.

 

Though Hornby does an RTR A2/2 now, it will require extensive modifications if 60503 and 60504 are to be represented (the pair which kept their original shortened P2 boilers through to withdrawal). 

 

I'm still convinced the best way to produce a 4mm A2/2 is to............

 

 

Build the DJH kit (in this case painted by Ian Rathbone).

 

I must have built at least four DJH WOLVES OF BADENOCH (WOLF OF BADENOCHS?). As well as this one, one for DJH themselves and one for a customer of my own..............

 

 

I also built this one for one of Geoff Haynes' customers, which Geoff painted.

 

Both these examples are far to clean, of course!

 

 

This is how I remember seeing them. In BR 'standard grime' condition!

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

 

 

[Tony Wright]

Continuing with the theme of A2/2s (this thread started with them), though most of the following pictures will have been seen before, I hope they're still of some current interest (I'll take some new ones when the day cools!).

 

Who would have thought that an RTR A2/2 (or any Thompson Pacific) would ever appear? 14 years ago, I wrote in one of my books that it would never happen (which shows how much - or how little - I know about this hobby!).

 

Nonetheless Hornby produced one.........

 

 

The main 'criticism' (other than some quality-control issues) was the BR green and the lining being the 'wrong' colours. 

 

 

Nevertheless, the one I had to photograph (I didn't write the review because I'd helped Hornby with the model's development - even I have ethics) didn't half run well!

 

 

It represented 60501 in an earlier period than in this 1959 view on 50A (which rather proves that one should treat any 'source of reference' with extreme scrutiny - both the RCTS and Isinglass claim that 60501 never received AWS!). 

 

 

I altered it to represent 60502, extending the principal horizontal handrails at the front to clip to the smokebox front (with great care - plastic doesn't take kindly to soldering heat!). 

 

Geoff Haynes weathered it to disguise the livery problems.

 

 

And it still ran well!

 

It not being 'mine' (because I didn't build it), it now runs on Giles Baxter's magnificent York layout.

 

Weathering not only improved the loco's livery.............

 

 

By varnishing the base colour (with a drop of black), Geoff also improved the same green on Hornby's A2/3 (this one altered to 60519 for a Scottish friend). 

 

 

60502 was the last A2/2 in service, but the model represents the loco in earlier guise. 

 

Hornby also introduced..........

 

 

60505 (the only A2/2 to carry a Thompson boiler). 

 

The green was still 'wrong', so............

 

 

David West weathered his example. 

 

I can't remember who altered the Hornby A2/2 below..........

 

 

But he certainly made an excellent job of it, creating 60506 (this could well be a complete repaint). 

 

And other A2/2s?

 

 

Ray Flintoft brought another of his A2/2s, in the form of 60502 (in the condition it was at withdrawal).

 

 

Simon Martin brought along this Bachmann/King conversion of 60506 (still retaining its original boiler).

 

 

I made my own 60506 (DJH) to represent the loco with a Peppercorn boiler. Ian Rathbone painted it.

 

 

Which ran on Stoke Summit to begin with.................

 

 

And now on LB (an older picture, with the original - incorrect - girder bridge in the background).

 

 

It replaced an earlier scratch-built 60506 (Mike Edge/Wright/Rathbone) which has run over the last near-50 years on my loft-based Stoke Summit, Leighford, the exhibition Stoke Summit and Peterborough North. It's now the property of a friend.

 

Speaking of Peterborough North.......

 

 

Timara Easter produced this 60505 from a King/Bachmann conversion for Gilbert Barnatt. 

 

 

And I made 60505 (DJH) from a DJH kit (one of four THANES OF FIFE I've built) for a friend, which Geoff Haynes painted. 

 

 

And then weathered for greater A2/2 realism. 

 

Peterborough was one of the places to see A2/2s, half the class being shedded there..........

 

 

Including 60504.

 

 

My model of which, I built from a Crownline kit (which Ian Rathbone painted).

 

And, finally..........

 

 

My prototype DJH A2/2 (described earlier), painted by Ian Rathbone.

 

Who else has models of A2/2s? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited Tuesday at 13:32 by Tony Wright
to add something

[Tony Wright]

In answer to the question in my last post................

 

 

Barrie Walls' magnificent scratch-built 60501 in O Gauge. Resting on Wallsea shed, it represents the loco still carrying its original boiler. 

 

 

In order to prove how good Ian Wilson's Pacific front numberplates are, I fitted one to this Crownline A2/2, built for Gilbert Barnatt by John Houlden.

 

While searching through my A2/2 model images, I came across two more of my own 60504.........

 

 

Amazingly, posed on Peterborough North (the power must have been switched off because PN is DCC, and my MONS MEG isn't!). 

 

 

And, much earlier, running on Stoke Summit. 

[Dr Al]

3 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

 

Who else has models of A2/2s? 

 

 

I'll offer you one, Tony.

 

Maybe a bit different from most you'll get though - namely because this one is in 2mm N Gauge, and also you'll like the mechanicals.

 

 

 

This was built from

- Farish A1 tender (not one from Tornado though!)

- Farish V2 loco chassis, modified to change the wheel separation and position of rear driver

- Farish V2 connecting, eccentric rods, and custom coupling rods

- Farish B1 driving wheels

- Dapol A3 front bogie

- Foxhunter A1 etched brass loco cab

- whitemetal A3 boiler/footplate

- various scratch and resin parts to make up the A2/2's ungainly front end

- brass detail parts, custom turned front buffers

 

The Farish tender retains the factory paint; the loco is Fox BR Green, and luckily once varnished the match is pretty close.

 

The party piece of her, however, is that this is a dual motor loco. The tender drive is complete from the A1 with its self contained all wheel drive, and the V2's loco drive motor was also retained. Both (remarkably) run at identical speeds through the speed range, and thanks to similar design methodology, the A1 tender couples straight to the V2 rear truck with no mechanical or electrical mods needed, despite the two being about 10 years apart in terms of design. All this means this model is a formidable performer with a total of 14 powered wheels (4 of which on the tender also have traction tyres) on track. 

 

Probably better than the originals!

 

I also have "60502 Earl Marischal", built in the same way. I am currently building A2/3 60512 "Steady Aim", but this will be based on a Farish Peppercorn A2 model with Dapol A3 cab, and Farish A1 smokebox.

 

Cheers,
Alan

 

Edited Tuesday at 17:20 by Dr Al

[Tony Wright]

1 hour ago, Dr Al said:

 

I'll offer you one, Tony.

 

Maybe a bit different from most you'll get though - namely because this one is in 2mm N Gauge, and also you'll like the mechanicals.

 

 

 

This was built from

- Farish A1 tender (not one from Tornado though!)

- Farish V2 loco chassis, modified to change the wheel separation and position of rear driver

- Farish V2 connecting, eccentric rods, and custom coupling rods

- Farish B1 driving wheels

- Dapol A3 front bogie

- Foxhunter A1 etched brass loco cab

- whitemetal A3 boiler/footplate

- various scratch and resin parts to make up the A2/2's ungainly front end

- brass detail parts, custom turned front buffers

 

The Farish tender retains the factory paint; the loco is Fox BR Green, and luckily once varnished the match is pretty close.

 

The party piece of her, however, is that this is a dual motor loco. The tender drive is complete from the A1 with its self contained all wheel drive, and the V2's loco drive motor was also retained. Both (remarkably) run at identical speeds through the speed range, and thanks to similar design methodology, the A1 tender couples straight to the V2 rear truck with no mechanical or electrical mods needed, despite the two being about 10 years apart in terms of design. All this means this model is a formidable performer with a total of 14 powered wheels (4 of which on the tender also have traction tyres) on track. 

 

Probably better than the originals!

 

I also have "60502 Earl Marischal", built in the same way. I am currently building A2/3 60512 "Steady Aim", but this will be based on a Farish Peppercorn A2 model with Dapol A3 cab, and Farish A1 smokebox.

 

Cheers,
Alan

 

Thanks Alan,

 

Extraordinary!

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Jesse Sim]

Hello Tony, would Giles be interested in another? I have Thane of Fife, an impulse buy that I am trying to offload so I can make room for other projects. I am having trouble selling due to my weathering of it, which perhaps isn't my best work; I tried to replicate some extensive lime wash from a prototype photo that might need some toning down. 

 

I think we're about due for another telephone call to talk about religion, politics, DCC, rule 1 and the meaning of life... 

[thegreenhowards]

I have another Wolf. You helped me build this one…it was my first big loco kit.

 

[bbishop]

27 minutes ago, Jesse Sim said:

I think we're about due for another telephone call to talk about religion, politics, DCC, rule 1 and the meaning of life... 

... and cricket?

[polybear]

6 hours ago, bbishop said:

... and cricket?

I suspect that may well be definitely off the agenda after Aus lost to that that well-known Cricketing Superpower known as Afganistan….

[Tony Wright]

7 hours ago, Jesse Sim said:

Hello Tony, would Giles be interested in another? I have Thane of Fife, an impulse buy that I am trying to offload so I can make room for other projects. I am having trouble selling due to my weathering of it, which perhaps isn't my best work; I tried to replicate some extensive lime wash from a prototype photo that might need some toning down. 

 

I think we're about due for another telephone call to talk about religion, politics, DCC, rule 1 and the meaning of life... 

Good morning Jesse,

 

I'll ask him.

 

Do you have a photograph of your 60505, please?

 

Definitely time for another chat..............

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Tony Wright]

As promised, new pictures of Bytham's trio of A2/2s (I took these early yesterday evening, and was going to process them this morning, thinking I'd watch the footie for the rest of the evening. What a bore! Despite being paid an obscene amount, why can't our players trap a ball, pass a ball to a colleague and shoot with venom? 20 minutes was enough, so here are the pictures ready-processed). 

 

 

 

Sitting (not sat!) on the Down station building's roof to get this shot.

 

 

And I hope 'I' got a decent going away shot of 60501 (DJH/Wright/Rathbone).

 

 

As I hope 'I' got a decent front three-quarter shot of 60504.

 

 

Another photographer further along the platform did. 

 

Note the vacuum ejector pipe on the nearside of this model - it's got a joggle in it (the opposite bend to 60501). It's wrong - it should be straight for this 1958 period. It was joggled when MONS MEG was first rebuilt (as seen in a photograph), and it's shown as such on the Isinglass drawing. Thinking that, because 60504 always retained its original boiler it would always have been the case, that's how I modelled it - then found a later picture! Will it be altered? No. 

 

 

Finally, surging north, 60504 (Crownline/Wright/Rathbone) will come off its train at Grantham.

 

At a quarter of a century old, it's been in existence a lot longer than its prototype. 

 

 

As has 60506 (DJH/Wright/Rathbone). 

 

 

I think this is the real context in which the locos I build should be critically-assessed. As 'layout locos' running on a layout. 'Good enough' (I hope) to pass muster under these circumstances, but not destined for a static life in a glass case (the same could be said of the lovely train it's hauling; mainly Tony Geary's work). 

 

 

I hope 'I' get another decent going-away shot.

 

Better than the one I managed 66 years ago!

 

 

Brownie 127s (especially in the hands of an 11-year old) were hopeless at 'freezing' a fast-moving train! 

 

Controversy will follow this class of locomotives as long as there are enthusiasts alive to discuss the A2/2s.

 

It's hard to believe, isn't it?

 

 

That something which started life as a P2 (Hornby/Wright/Haynes)................

 

 

Would eventually be rebuilt to look like this (DJH/Wright/Haynes)!

 

But, that's how I saw these unloved and 'downgraded' Pacifics.

 

The literature regarding them tends to be of extremes, so the truth must lie somewhere in the middle. They certainly make interesting models.........

 

 

[Tony Wright]

After taking the pictures of the A2/2s..........

 

 

I grabbed this shot of two of Bytham's B1s placed on the headshunt for comparative purposes. Both are from the same source (Bachmann/Comet/Wright), and 61213 just needs its motion painting/weathering. 

 

Most of Bytham's B1s are derived from this source.

 

 

Edited Wednesday at 14:21 by Tony Wright
clumsy grammar

[Bucoops]

1 hour ago, Tony Wright said:

As promised, new pictures of Bytham's trio of A2/2s (I took these early yesterday evening, and was going to process them this morning, thinking I'd watch the footie for the rest of the evening. What a bore! Despite being paid an obscene amount, why can't our players trap a ball, pass a ball to a colleague and shoot with venom? 20 minutes was enough, so here are the pictures ready-processed). 

 

You lasted 10 minutes longer than my daughter did, despite her having special permission to stay up! I stuck to my usual not interested at all in the windbag,

[LNER4479]

9 hours ago, bbishop said:

... and cricket?

That'll be covered under the 'religion' section of the discourse.

[Mark Laidlay]

I've picked up a brass model of a Glasgow built loco, the previous owner said "it's got a short".  So I found if I remove the brakes from the 6 drivers that it runs through my 1:6 turnouts and 30 inch (762mm sorry) curves very nicely.  But we don't buy brass locomotives to remove accurate details.  The chassis is nominally dead so the brake components are touching two wheels at least to cause a short, the clearances are very tight between the wheels so it could be the back of the brake or front touching.

 

So there's been talk of using nail polish or something to insulate component that are causing shorts.  What have other people used and does that material last?

 

Mark in Melbourne

(I wonder if nail polish is available in brake dust brown colour?)

Edited Wednesday at 12:28 by Mark Laidlay

[JeremyC]

2 hours ago, Mark Laidlay said:

..........

So there's been talk of using nail polish or something to insulate component that are causing shorts.  What have other people used and does that material last?

 

Mark in Melbourne

(I wonder if nail polish is available in brake dust brown colour?)

 

I use a smear of epoxy or thin super glue on the offending component. I sometimes add a layer of tissue paper and saturated it with the thin super glue, as it's more durable than just the glue alone.

Edited Wednesday at 14:02 by JeremyC

[Ray Flintoft]

On 25/06/2024 at 14:27, Tony Wright said:

Continuing with the theme of A2/2s (this thread started with them), though most of the following pictures will have been seen before, I hope they're still of some current interest (I'll take some new ones when the day cools!).

 

Who would have thought that an RTR A2/2 (or any Thompson Pacific) would ever appear? 14 years ago, I wrote in one of my books that it would never happen (which shows how much - or how little - I know about this hobby!).

 

Nonetheless Hornby produced one.........

 

 

The main 'criticism' (other than some quality-control issues) was the BR green and the lining being the 'wrong' colours. 

 

 

Nevertheless, the one I had to photograph (I didn't write the review because I'd helped Hornby with the model's development - even I have ethics) didn't half run well!

 

 

It represented 60501 in an earlier period than in this 1959 view on 50A (which rather proves that one should treat any 'source of reference' with extreme scrutiny - both the RCTS and Isinglass claim that 60501 never received AWS!). 

 

 

I altered it to represent 60502, extending the principal horizontal handrails at the front to clip to the smokebox front (with great care - plastic doesn't take kindly to soldering heat!). 

 

Geoff Haynes weathered it to disguise the livery problems.

 

 

And it still ran well!

 

It not being 'mine' (because I didn't build it), it now runs on Giles Baxter's magnificent York layout.

 

Weathering not only improved the loco's livery.............

 

 

By varnishing the base colour (with a drop of black), Geoff also improved the same green on Hornby's A2/3 (this one altered to 60519 for a Scottish friend). 

 

 

60502 was the last A2/2 in service, but the model represents the loco in earlier guise. 

 

Hornby also introduced..........

 

 

60505 (the only A2/2 to carry a Thompson boiler). 

 

The green was still 'wrong', so............

 

 

David West weathered his example. 

 

I can't remember who altered the Hornby A2/2 below..........

 

 

But he certainly made an excellent job of it, creating 60506 (this could well be a complete repaint). 

 

And other A2/2s?

 

 

Ray Flintoft brought another of his A2/2s, in the form of 60502 (in the condition it was at withdrawal).

 

 

Simon Martin brought along this Bachmann/King conversion of 60506 (still retaining its original boiler).

 

 

I made my own 60506 (DJH) to represent the loco with a Peppercorn boiler. Ian Rathbone painted it.

 

 

Which ran on Stoke Summit to begin with.................

 

 

And now on LB (an older picture, with the original - incorrect - girder bridge in the background).

 

 

It replaced an earlier scratch-built 60506 (Mike Edge/Wright/Rathbone) which has run over the last near-50 years on my loft-based Stoke Summit, Leighford, the exhibition Stoke Summit and Peterborough North. It's now the property of a friend.

 

Speaking of Peterborough North.......

 

 

Timara Easter produced this 60505 from a King/Bachmann conversion for Gilbert Barnatt. 

 

 

And I made 60505 (DJH) from a DJH kit (one of four THANES OF FIFE I've built) for a friend, which Geoff Haynes painted. 

 

 

And then weathered for greater A2/2 realism. 

 

Peterborough was one of the places to see A2/2s, half the class being shedded there..........

 

 

Including 60504.

 

 

My model of which, I built from a Crownline kit (which Ian Rathbone painted).

 

And, finally..........

 

 

My prototype DJH A2/2 (described earlier), painted by Ian Rathbone.

 

Who else has models of A2/2s? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  Afternoon,Tony,

      The Ivatt 4 is built more or less as it comes . No. 60503 has a number of alterations, although the boiler, firebox & running plates are still dimensionally wrong . The tender is mainly Millholme but with sides & back cut from brass sheet & narrowed to the scale width . As a layout loco I think it passes muster. I have just completed 60506 from the DJH kit & when photographed I will post a shot of it . This gives me all 6 of the class; I don't care ,I liked them !

               Best wishes ,

                  Ray.

[Ollie K]

On 25/06/2024 at 14:27, Tony Wright said:

 

Hornby also introduced..........

 

 

60505 (the only A2/2 to carry a Thompson boiler). 

 

The green was still 'wrong', so............

 

 

David West weathered his example. 

 

Who else has models of A2/2s? 

To slightly differentiate my (weathered, coaled) Hornby 60505 I swapped the black-backed nameplate for a red one, having come across this image.

 

It’s less clear, but this shot of a grimy Thane Of Fife may also show a careworn red nameplate on the same loco. I think I found a couple more at the time.

 

Not sure when this was changed or for how long it was carried, but an interesting detail worth modelling IMO.

 

 

Edited Wednesday at 18:39 by Ollie K

[60027Merlin]

Another A2/2 being a DJH kit built a few years ago. Not much choice available to run on the layout set in the late 50s as they were rare visitors (i.e. the York three) to The Waverley. A decade or two earlier this one was based at Haymarket in quite a different guise!

 

 

 

[Tony Wright]

18 minutes ago, 60027Merlin said:

Another A2/2 being a DJH kit built a few years ago. Not much choice available to run on the layout set in the late 50s as they were rare visitors (i.e. the York three) to The Waverley. A decade or two earlier this one was based at Haymarket in quite a different guise!

 

 

 

Thanks for that Eric.

 

From the time of their rebuilding to their moving south to York and New England in the early-'50s, they remained in Scotland. Worth having one as first rebuilt? Rule 1 and all that. 

 

I think I've read just about every work on the subject of their interesting (though depressing) conversion from 2-8-2s to 4-6-2s. Certainly Geoff Lund's and Eric Trask's notes from the time of the rebuilding (both were involved in running the P2s at Haymarket) suggest they did not want the P2s rebuilt (didn't Peppercorn have to travel north to 'quell a riot' at the time?). Yes, the giants had their faults, but the rebuilds (because of their much lower factor of adhesion) could no longer take the heaviest trains. Didn't one of the drivers state that 'they'd slip on Portobello Sands'? Their subsequent move south to depots where the work was less taxing rather says it all. 

 

As I said yesterday, controversy will always follow the A2/2s. Some notable authors (the likes of Rogers and Yeadon) have nothing but contempt for the A2/2s (all Thompson's Pacifics in fact), and Nock couldn't understand the rebuilding at all. More recent authors have been more sympathetic to ET, perhaps with some justification.

 

All I know is that I saw the A2/2s in my trainspotting days, but puzzled why the COCK O' THE NORTH photo in my Eagle Book of Trains (or some other contemporary boys' book) looked so different to the one standing on 50A in 1957. At the time, I knew nothing of the story, though it was a 'cop'!

 

Let's see what my mentioning of ET (again) brings this time!

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Tony Wright]

42 minutes ago, Ollie K said:

To slightly differentiate my (weathered, coaled) Hornby 60505 I swapped the black-backed nameplate for a red one, having come across this image.

 

It’s less clear, but this shot of a grimy Thane Of Fife may also show a careworn red nameplate on the same loco. I think I found a couple more at the time.

 

Not sure when this was changed or for how long it was carried, but an interesting detail worth modelling IMO.

 

 

Great stuff Ollie,

 

Thanks for showing us.

 

One point on your model (and I could be wrong here), if you haven't done so already, paint the green area between the top of the cab and the horizontal rainstrip on the cab roof, black. It's difficult to see on your model because in both shots the cab is out of focus. 

 

 

 

 

Hornby got this wrong.

 

Another interesting feature of Hornby's model of 60505.................

 

 

 

Is that it was equipped with a lipped chimney - something only carried for the last few months of the loco's life, up to November 1959. Hitherto, it had a rimmed chimney, the sort which only 60506 carried to withdrawal.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

 

 

 

[Tony Wright]

Regarding Hornby's A2/2 models, does anyone know when the next manifestation is coming out, please?