Wright writes.....

[Izzy]

15 hours ago, Keith Turbutt said:

For me, the best ever emus in the 60s and 70s were the Clacton express sets (309s) - we called them the 'red electrics' when all the other emus were green. They were based on the mk1s but with the latest Commonwealth (?) bogies and originally a notice in the cab said 'max speed 100 mph'. Sadly they brought down some overhead a few times and the GE track was not up to the higher speeds so the speed had to be restricted.

When traveling to school I saw the individual  coaches being delivered from York to Stanway sidings just outside Colchester where they were marshalled into their various units. I often stood in the connecting corridor by one of the driving cabs and watched the speed build up when traveling to school and later commuting to London.

One unit of the three sets (4+4+2) making up a 10 coach train included a griddle car which was very popular on the way home in the evening . If you weren't near the front of the queue at departure there was no guarantee that you would be served before you arrived at your station!

Happy days.

 

You mean these?

 

 

Look quite good in blue too

 

 

There will be an article hopefully detailing them, potted history etc. in a future MRJ. This just my little 2mm layout Priory Road, so only maroon 4-car and blue-grey 2/3 car units have been made. Brings back the memories though.

 

Bob

Edited July 29 by Izzy
Spelling…!!!!

[Tony Wright]

7 hours ago, Bob Reid said:

 

The first 50 Tony, were fitted from new with fluted coupling rods (73000 - 73049) the remainder (73050 - 73171) were all fitted on the instruction of E.S.Cox, with plain section rods from new.  None of the first 50 were retrospectively fitted.  It would appear in your photo's that the rods you are using are parallel along their length whereas they should really be fish-bellied.  

 

Bob

Thanks for that Bob,

 

It would appear that Bachmann's RTR rendition of the Standard Five's coupling rods is superior...............

 

 

This is an example which I detailed/renumbered/weathered for Ian Wilson, representing one of the Kings Cross-allocated trio. As you say, fish-bellied, plain coupling rods.

 

 

This was one of the limited-edition examples produced by Bachmann in conjunction with BRM and the NVR. Again, the correct style of rods.

 

 

This is how I (incorrectly) first attached mine.

 

 

But, by this stage I'd turned them round. However, as you say, they're parallel along their length.

 

Should I remove them and file them to the correct shape? 

 

I rather doubt it because............

 

 

 

Nobody has ever noticed the incorrect rods on 73069 when it's run on Little Bytham and on Shap. 

 

A 'layout loco'? 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

 

 

 

[45568]

Despite the weather being very wet and wintry here in Western Australia, I have managed to move another of my 'Welsh Oddities' from the workbench to completion! The Dapol Hawthorn Leslie 0.4.0 saddle tank has received almost universal acclaim. 

A couple of images of my just-completed conversion of 'Henry' to the ex-S.H.T./GWR/BR 1144. The conversion was made a little easier by the fact that the model can be easily disassembled into workable subsections. However, the very hard material of the saddle tank casting caused some problems during filing and drilling, with high mini-drill-bit attrition! I am very pleased with the overall result though. 

Finished using Tamiya spray cans for the black and varnish, with Vallejo acrylics for the minimal weathering. Transfers by Fox with plates etched to order by Narrow Planet well prior to the model release! Safety valve casting from Brian @ 247 developments and the bell is a Bachmann USA HO spares item. A shed plate (87D) is on order.

 

 

 

 

The day is still gloomy, but the rain is holding off!

Cheers from Oz,

Peter C.

 

[robertcwp]

10 hours ago, Keith Turbutt said:

For me, the best ever emus in the 60s and 70s were the Clacton express sets (309s) - we called them the 'red electrics' when all the other emus were green. They were based on the mk1s but with the latest Commonwealth (?) bogies and originally a notice in the cab said 'max speed 100 mph'. Sadly they brought down some overhead a few times and the GE track was not up to the higher speeds so the speed had to be restricted.

When traveling to school I saw the individual  coaches being delivered from York to Stanway sidings just outside Colchester where they were marshalled into their various units. I often stood in the connecting corridor by one of the driving cabs and watched the speed build up when traveling to school and later commuting to London.

One unit of the three sets (4+4+2) making up a 10 coach train included a griddle car which was very popular on the way home in the evening . If you weren't near the front of the queue at departure there was no guarantee that you would be served before you arrived at your station!

Happy days.

AM9_601-618-625_Stratford_0948-Clacton-LivSt_4-7-64 by Robert Carroll, on Flickr

[robertcwp]

14 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

 

 

 

 

This was one of the limited-edition examples produced by Bachmann in conjunction with BRM and the NVR. Again, the correct style of rods.

 

 

 

73050 has the wrong cab/tender arrangement. It was the first one to the revised design. I recall this error by Bachmann who initially denied it then were forced to concede they had got it wrong.

[Bucoops]

11 hours ago, Keith Turbutt said:

For me, the best ever emus in the 60s and 70s were the Clacton express sets (309s) - we called them the 'red electrics' when all the other emus were green. They were based on the mk1s but with the latest Commonwealth (?) bogies and originally a notice in the cab said 'max speed 100 mph'. Sadly they brought down some overhead a few times and the GE track was not up to the higher speeds so the speed had to be restricted.

When traveling to school I saw the individual  coaches being delivered from York to Stanway sidings just outside Colchester where they were marshalled into their various units. I often stood in the connecting corridor by one of the driving cabs and watched the speed build up when traveling to school and later commuting to London.

One unit of the three sets (4+4+2) making up a 10 coach train included a griddle car which was very popular on the way home in the evening . If you weren't near the front of the queue at departure there was no guarantee that you would be served before you arrived at your station!

Happy days.

 

They certainly were the best EMU around (well, in my opinion of course). Two-thirds of one of the remaining sets is now at the East Anglian Railway Museum, they are asking for donations to help - https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/309-homecoming

 

They certainly bounced around quite a bit at the "ton" making taking a photo rather a challenge, but when seated, you wafted along.

 

[Barclay]

I remember a particularly spirited late night run from Liverpool Street to Chelmsford. Although seated I wouldn't have wanted to be drinking a cup of tea at the time! I really wish I'd bothered to time it because it was 20-something minutes to Chelmsford despite a stop at Shenfield.

[MJI]

Another miss, only seen one or two trains of 309s.

 

Round here it lots of 1st gen DMUs, but at least we had 50s.

 

Been in one 1st gen (119 I THINK) at 90, was really shifting and I was in the front seat behind the driver.

Edited July 29 by MJI

[Tony Wright]

Just in for photography................

 

 

Hornby's latest L&MR 2nd Class carriage. 

[Compound2632]

28 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

Hornby's latest L&MR 2nd Class carriage. 

 

That should read, 'Hornby's latest flight of fancy'. Very, very loosely based on vehicles in the second class train in the 1833 version of the Ackermann prints, and in one of the Shaw views of Olive Mount cutting. As far as I can see, the doors are pure invention! Still, rather fun, I suppose. 

[Tony Wright]

5 hours ago, Compound2632 said:

 

That should read, 'Hornby's latest flight of fancy'. Very, very loosely based on vehicles in the second class train in the 1833 version of the Ackermann prints, and in one of the Shaw views of Olive Mount cutting. As far as I can see, the doors are pure invention! Still, rather fun, I suppose. 

Good evening Stephen,

 

'Still, rather fun, I suppose.'

 

I think that's the spirit whereby this model should be assessed.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Tony Wright]

Isn't this one of the most-handsome RTR models to be seen?

 

 

Handsome it is but handsome it doesn't! 

 

Not having a DCC system to operate it on, I took it over to friend Gilbert Barnatt's Peterborough North yesterday. I put it on the track, and the firebox lit up. Good. After that, despite all of Gilbert's attempts to make it go, other than a brief puff of steam - nothing. A very attractive static model.

 

Nothing daunted, I took it along to my local club (Market Deeping) yesterday evening, where there is plenty of DCC expertise. 

 

It was tried on the first system - same as on PN, though not even a puff of steam. Then, by some 'magic', an attempt was made to operate it via a mobile phone - something to do with 'blue tooth' apparently (what sorcery is this? Operating a loco from a phone!). Though the phone obviously recognised the loco (some sort of weird code appeared on the screen), the loco remained blissfully ignorant of the phone's presence, not recognising it at all (even though they were 'face to face'). The helpful DCC guru gave up, suggesting the decoder was faulty. It can't have been the pick-ups because the firebox glowed.

 

Anyway, it's on its way back to Hornby today, because what's the point of my reviewing it as it is? I can praise it all I like for its accuracy, quality of finish and attention to detail, but if it doesn't work..................... Anyone any ideas, please? 

 

Observing all the electronic 'gymnastics' yesterday, with three different DCC control systems in use (or attempted use), just confirms my belief even more that I'll never touch the stuff; it's way beyond my powers of understanding! 

 

At least the day wasn't totally wasted - I fixed one of Gilbert's coaches. 

[John Isherwood]

1 hour ago, Tony Wright said:

 

 

Shame about the snowplough / cowcatcher!

 

CJI.

[grahame]

I recall, some time back, in this thread a discussion of the closest church/religious building to a railway line. Well, and taking any excuse to post a gratuitous snap of something N/2mm, here's Southwark cathedral (far left) on my under-construction layout next to the railway line. In fact the line had to bend around it to avoid it when built.  

 

[Tony Wright]

26 minutes ago, cctransuk said:

 

Shame about the snowplough / cowcatcher!

 

CJI.

Good morning John,

 

It can easily be removed - just a screw to undo. Then the NEM socket is revealed, though how many times an A3 hauled a train in reverse is a moot point........

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

 

Edited July 30 by Tony Wright
typo error

[ecgtheow]

Hello Grahame, I have followed your building of this layout & continue to be amazed at the skill & speed with which you are doing it! Do you have a personal connection to this area? I have because I was a clinical medical student at Guy's Hospital from 1969-72 & then a junior doctor there from 1973-4 & remember well most of the buildings you are modelling. Seeing La Spezia in your latest post is what decided me to write this comment as I occasionally had lunch there. Is it still going?

 

William

[Chuffer Davies]

2 hours ago, cctransuk said:

 

Shame about the snowplough / cowcatcher!

 

CJI.

I agree.  There is something decidedly wrong about the front of that bogie. Very toy looking.

Frank

[Keith Turbutt]

3 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

 

 though how many times an A3 hauled a train in reverse is a moot point......

 

 or was double headed? Also light engine movements when two or more were coupled together.

[AdamOrmorod]

1 hour ago, Chuffer Davies said:

I agree.  There is something decidedly wrong about the front of that bogie. Very toy looking.

Frank

Wheel flanges look pretty coarse too, and the wheels themselves pretty small in diameter? A shame given the W1 from not too long ago had much improved bogie wheels imo

Edited July 30 by AdamOrmorod
remove whitespace

[John Isherwood]

42 minutes ago, AdamOrmorod said:

Wheel flanges look pretty coarse too, and the wheels themselves pretty small in diameter? A shame given the W1 from not too long ago had much improved bogie wheels imo

 

Exactly !!

 

I had to look at it twice to make sure that it wasn't 20th Century N gauge!

 

Why do Hornby insist on reinventing the wheel, and coming up with a round(ish) stone disc with a log for the axle?!?

 

CJI.

[grahame]

4 hours ago, ecgtheow said:

Hello Grahame, I have followed your building of this layout & continue to be amazed at the skill & speed with which you are doing it! Do you have a personal connection to this area? I have because I was a clinical medical student at Guy's Hospital from 1969-72 & then a junior doctor there from 1973-4 & remember well most of the buildings you are modelling. Seeing La Spezia in your latest post is what decided me to write this comment as I occasionally had lunch there. Is it still going?

 

 

In the early 70s I frequently travelled between Gillingham (Kent) and New Cross Gate often changing at London Bridge. In the mid 70s, when living in SE London, I used to drink in the local pubs (Becky's, the George, Harrow [later renamed the Market Porter], the Anchor, and others).

 

Much of the area has been re-developed. The businesses in the arches, including La Spezia, have all gone, with a new line installed on a bridge above and the road renamed as Guildable Manor Street (previously Station Approach). Many of the buildings I've modelled have also been demolished (including Fielden House, Dominion House, and along with many of the pubs in Tooley Street) or changed use like Bank Chambers now the Barrowboy and Banker pub, and Denmark and Emblem (formerly Colonial) Houses now part of a private hospital.

 

 

[Tony Wright]

2 hours ago, AdamOrmorod said:

Wheel flanges look pretty coarse too, and the wheels themselves pretty small in diameter? A shame given the W1 from not too long ago had much improved bogie wheels imo

Good afternoon Adam,

 

I agree. 

 

It was the advent of the Hornby A2/2 and A2/3 which gave us more 'correct' bogie wheels for LNER Pacifics (carried on with the W1). The A3s' and A4s' bogie wheels were always poor, and one of the first things I did was to replace them when detailing the Gresley Pacifics.

 

 

If anything, the bogie wheels on the latest Hornby A3 are worse than these on an earlier iteration.

 

 

Far better, though, when replaced with Markits bogie wheels.

 

I also altered the bogie's front framing, as well as adding a fair bit of detailing/weathering. 

 

 

The same as on Hornby's A4 (though Ian Rathbone's painting is the greatest change). 

 

As my only two Hornby ex-LNER Pacifics, I still keep this pair, though they see very little use.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[John Isherwood]

1 hour ago, Tony Wright said:

Good afternoon Adam,

 

I agree. 

 

It was the advent of the Hornby A2/2 and A2/3 which gave us more 'correct' bogie wheels for LNER Pacifics (carried on with the W1). The A3s' and A4s' bogie wheels were always poor, and one of the first things I did was to replace them when detailing the Gresley Pacifics.

 

 

If anything, the bogie wheels on the latest Hornby A3 are worse than these on an earlier iteration.

 

 

Far better, though, when replaced with Markits bogie wheels.

 

I also altered the bogie's front framing, as well as adding a fair bit of detailing/weathering. 

 

 

The same as on Hornby's A4 (though Ian Rathbone's painting is the greatest change). 

 

As my only two Hornby ex-LNER Pacifics, I still keep this pair, though they see very little use.

 

Regards,

 

Tony.

 

If and when you review a working example of Hornby's latest A3, will the deterioration of the representation front bogie and wheels merit a comment?

 

CJI.

[Tony Wright]

1 hour ago, cctransuk said:

 

If and when you review a working example of Hornby's latest A3, will the deterioration of the representation front bogie and wheels merit a comment?

 

CJI.

You'll have to buy BRM to find out, John.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[grahame]

3 hours ago, grahame said:

 

. . . , and Denmark and Emblem (formerly Colonial) Houses now part of a private hospital.

 

 

Should anyone be interested in these two buildings, here's a few words that I wrote about them for my self published magazine and a pic of my (unfinished) model of them:

 

Colonial House was designed by Stanley Peach in Edwardian Baroque style and built in 1903. Originally it was the headquarters of Mills and Sparrow who were butter brokers. Nowadays it has been renamed as Emblem House, is the London Bridge Hospital outpatients centre and is grade II listed.

The adjoining red brick Denmark House was built in 1908 as the offices for the Bennett Steamship Company and is topped with a highly decorative nautical relief panel above the cornice featuring a merchant steamship and cherubs either side of a scroll. It is said that the building resembles a 17thC Flemish style quay-side warehouse from the European low countries. It too is now part of the private London Bridge Hospital