Wright writes.....

[Barry Ten]

Having been away for a couple of days, sweating* either in the car or in Cambridge, I've only just seen the pictures of the lovely new station buildings on Little Bytham. They make a wonderful difference.

 

*I enquired this morning, after a very uncomfortably warm night in a Premier Inn, why in obviously hot weather they diligently turn the basic electric cooling fans OFF in guest rooms during the day before the arrival of the guest(s), leaving only the restricted window openings to vent the veritable furnace that most of their structures are, air-con not being on offer. Apparently it is so that the fans don't burn out......

 

So longevity of electric motors matters more than guest comfort?

 

I had exactly the same thing over the weekend - different Premier Inn, same problem. Left my cooling fan on during the day, only to find it turned off when I got back. Result: two nights of restless sleep.

 

In other news, I mentioned what went wrong with the painting of this Collett 70 foot brake when the primer failed and the paint lifted. I finally got it all done, though, barring small details:

 

 

 

(I could have sworn I posted this last night, by the way, but I must have forgotten to press "add reply" or something.)

 

Alastair (Barry Ten)

Edited July 19, 2016 by Barry Ten

[jwealleans]

They look lovely. I've just built a pair of Collett carriages and I quite like the look of them.

[The Stationmaster]

Slightly OT but......

Seaton Junction Station and Yards did not have Water Cranes for loco's. Seaton had water for the Branch loco's.

In a book I have about summer workings and WR diversions along the SR due to incidents on the WR main line, there is mention of a group of big wigs trying to sort out a diverted WR train coming west. They find out it is a Hall, ask a trainspotter what the tender capacity would be (tenders varied so that's a laugh for a start and I forget where the trainspotter was supposed to be) and then arrange for it to stop for water at Seaton Junction. Good eh! Bit of fiction thrown into a so called record of actual events there methinks as these blokes were supposedly at Seaton Junction. Or, a very irate driver and fireman when they reach SJ. Sorry but I don't believe it (Meldrew's voice). As if the Stationmaster or Signalman at SJ would not have asked why the diverted train was stopping.

Anyway Tony, your cheque-book buys you fine art for your layout (buildings and maybe some other items). It is your collection so you do as you wish. Would you not buy a really fine painting by a superbly talented artist for your art collection or a beautiful piece of furniture for your home? You can paint and do woodwork but hey, they are better at it so get that cheque-book out and let it work for you.

If I didn't have a 'cheque-book' my railway would not exist. 

Phil  

 

If a train was required to make an unbooked stop to take water it would (should) be 'wired' by Control etc to ensure it is routed to a suitable spot to take water. 

[Mallard60022]

They look lovely. I've just built a pair of Collett carriages and I quite like the look of them.

Some sort of strange influence taking over J?

P

[Mallard60022]

If a train was required to make an unbooked stop to take water it would (should) be 'wired' by Control etc to ensure it is routed to a suitable spot to take water. 

Yes, I thought that would be the case, that's why I suspect the 'tale' as being a little inaccurate despite being in one of those 'operations' books. However, the memory plays tricks in older age and the rest of the book, although a little 'loose' in detail occasionally, is a superb resource for me.

Phil

[glo41f]

Tony

 

Those buildings really set off the station and take it to another plateau of realism. All credit to the makers. May I ask you if you intend to tone down the finish to make them look a little more lived in and exposed to the weather? You say you have been asked to provide an article for MRJ. Well that marks your passage into one of the hobby's "greats" as being one of their contributors is the acme of model journalists!  Will the pictures to accompany the article be in monchrome?

 

Really great not modelling but artwork.

 

Martin

[Tony Wright]

May I please thank all those commentators who've expressed their appreciation of Bob Dawson's and Scott Waterfield's wonderful buildings for LB? I'll pass those appreciations on. 

 

 

Before the buildings were installed, shots like this would not have worked, and I now have loads more unexplored options for taking pictures. 

 

 

Writing the piece on LB for the MRJ set me thinking as to how many places there were in the country where two entirely independent sections of railway crossed over each other, yet the same classes of locomotives could be seen, one on top of the other. I don't mean flying or burrowing junctions, nor where lines might meet a few miles further on. There must be many, but I just found it an interesting thought (probably as dull as ditch-water to many). Not only that, how many model railways can show this? 

 

In this shot, a South Lynn-allocated B12/3 takes the 'Leicester' westwards, whilst a Grantham-allocated B12/3 takes a Peterborough-Grantham stopper northwards. I built both locos and Ian Rathbone painted the top one. The girder bridge still irritates me, because I'd hoped to have the correct one installed by now, but I've heard no more about any 3D-printed possibilities. Probably more to do with my indolence than anything else. 

 

The picture above also illustrates the conundrum of what to do when the main lines take a sharp bend off scene, when they really should go dead straight. Viewed from the side, this isn't as much of a problem because the curves don't start until they're 6" beyond the bridge, and usually out of sight. However, I've still had to cheat by cloning some grass beyond the bridge in the picture below. 

 

Edited July 19, 2016 by Tony Wright

[teaky]

Tony

 

Those buildings really set off the station and take it to another plateau of realism. All credit to the makers. May I ask you if you intend to tone down the finish to make them look a little more lived in and exposed to the weather? You say you have been asked to provide an article for MRJ. Well that marks your passage into one of the hobby's "greats" as being one of their contributors is the acme of model journalists!  Will the pictures to accompany the article be in monchrome?

 

Really great not modelling but artwork.

 

Martin

It'll be Tony's 6th apearance in MRJ Martin, so he's already in the hall of fame.  (Cue modest response from Mr Wright.)

[Tony Wright]

Tony

 

Those buildings really set off the station and take it to another plateau of realism. All credit to the makers. May I ask you if you intend to tone down the finish to make them look a little more lived in and exposed to the weather? You say you have been asked to provide an article for MRJ. Well that marks your passage into one of the hobby's "greats" as being one of their contributors is the acme of model journalists!  Will the pictures to accompany the article be in monchrome?

 

Really great not modelling but artwork.

 

Martin

Martin,

 

Thanks again.

 

It could be the limitations of my photography but the buildings are actually weathered - in a most-subtle manner. I'm certainly not going to touch them further in that regard. 

 

I'll be submitting all the pictures in colour (though not with blue skies) and then it'll be up to Barry and Paul what they do with them. 

[Tony Wright]

It'll be Tony's 6th apearance in MRJ Martin, so he's already in the hall of fame.  (Cue modest response from Mr Wright.)

Rob,

 

Will it be the 6th? I wonder how many subscriptions will be returned (or burnt) this time!

 

A great man once made me chuckle a great deal by announcing that modesty had never been one of his failings. I hope it's one of mine. 

 

The previous MRJ articles included descriptions of Stoke Summit, its trains and stock and also an article on Charwelton (were there others?). Though I wrote them, they really highlighted the work of others. While my first loyalty will always be with BRM (I wrote some of the MRJ pieces when I was assistant editor of BRM - I had a most-enlightened publisher), I've always been drawn to the MRJ. It's a privilege to be asked to write for it again, and I hope I don't let the team down. The magazine has consistently shown the highest standards of modelling in all scales and gauges. True modelling - work presented in the main by those who'd made the things and described in a highly-personal and helpful way. 

Edited July 19, 2016 by Tony Wright

[The Stationmaster]

Yes, I thought that would be the case, that's why I suspect the 'tale' as being a little inaccurate despite being in one of those 'operations' books. However, the memory plays tricks in older age and the rest of the book, although a little 'loose' in detail occasionally, is a superb resource for me.

Phil

 

As it's in one of those I would definitely take it with a pinch bucketful of salt.  Some silly b*ggers who don't know much about the sharp end of railway work would believe all sorts of nonsense when fed to them, and then put it in a book as gospel.

[asmay2002]

Writing the piece on LB for the MRJ set me thinking as to how many places there were in the country where two entirely independent sections of railway crossed over each other, yet the same classes of locomotives could be seen, one on top of the other. I don't mean flying or burrowing junctions, nor where lines might meet a few miles further on. There must be many, but I just found it an interesting thought (probably as dull as ditch-water to many).

The South Wales valleys would be a prime place to look with the Crumlin and Walnut Tree viaducts in mind.

[The Stationmaster]

The South Wales valleys would be a prime place to look with the Crumlin and Walnut Tree viaducts in mind.

 

There were innumerable places in South Wales where, Pre-Grouping, totally independent railways passed one over (or under?) the other.  The Grouping brought most of them into the GWR fold and led to the same classes being seen on both routes.

 

Examples are Newport (High St), Landore (Swansea), Quakers Yard, several locations in the Cardiff area east of Cardiff General where lines to the docks crossed over the SWML, Neath Riverside. Merthyr, St Fagans and so on.  

[APOLLO]

At Ince Wigan the Lancashire & Yorkshire (Pemberton Loop) on an embankment crossed over the L&NWR Springs Branch which bridged over the Great Central Wigan branch, in a cutting.

 

The first two became LMS, the GC LNER but in BR days it was mostly all LMS / BR standards on all lines, an occasional LNER loco from time to time. 

 

Centre of this map

 

 

This is the very grand L&Y bridge over the Springs Branch. The pannier (& the rest) are on their last journey to Central Wagon and the cutters torch. The LNER line passed underneath just behind the photographer. Photo courtesy of Wigan World 

 

 

Brit15

[John B]

Hull. The "new" Hull and Barnsley-built line to the Joint Docks drew an elevated semi-circle around the city, and crossed the street level NER lines radiating to Scarborough, Hornsea and Withernsea, In LNER and BR days, most of the unique H&B locos were gone, so the "standard" ex NE, LNE and BR types such as WDs, J71 / J72 / J27 etc would be seen on both.

[Clive Mortimore]

A place that readily comes to mind where the same classes could be seen crossing over/under each other was Tamworth, not only daily but at times hourly. Black Fives, Jubilees, 8Fs, Black Fives  and 4Fs 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edit....did I mention Black Fives

Edited July 19, 2016 by Clive Mortimore

[Tony Wright]

Thanks for all those comments about the same classes crossing over each other on different lines.

 

I should have thought about it a bit more, because I had an example in my home town of Chester, where the CLC crossed over the line from Chester to the Wirral adjacent to where Brook Lane crossed the same line. Though it would be unlikely that any ex-LNER locos might head for Birkenhead or ex-GWR locos enter Chester Northgate, there were plenty of ex-LMS locos and BR Standards which used both lines.

 

It must, however, have been the only location where, say, a D11 might pass over a Castle Class in BR days on a regular basis. Rather than use the turntable in the centre of the triangle making up the lines to Chester General, to North Wales/Wrexham or the Wirral, the WR locos use to turn on this triangle, and, thus, pass under the CLC and Brook Lane bridge. It was a favourite trainspotting haunt of mine as a youth.  

Edited July 20, 2016 by Tony Wright

[jrg1]

Back to Lincolnshire, and the GN/GE Joint from March to Doncaster would see GCR 04s passing over the GNR Grantham line used by GCR 04s.  Other locomotives seen were Austerities and B1s

[bluebottle]

.....

It could be the limitations of my photography but the buildings are actually weathered - in a most-subtle manner. I'm certainly not going to touch them further in that regard. 

.....

 

I'm not at all familiar with the Little Bytham area, but looking at Streetmap online at 1:2500 scale, it seems very rural, with no signs of heavy industry likely to produce a great deal of pollution. Obviously, the steam haulage in use at the time in which the model is set would begrime the lineside buildings to some extent, and in IMHO the balance is just about right. 

 

Edit: OED doesn't recognise "engrime"!

Edited July 20, 2016 by bluebottle

[glo41f]

There were railways crossing at Buxton where the LNW line crossed over the Midland one. On my last visit there some of the earthworks and infrastructure is still extant.

 

As to the MRJ article, well Tony you are contributing your own system not a club effort. There is a difference.In LB's case you are like the conductor of a great orchestra who melds the component parts into a wonderful result. Love the two B12s as a GE type. They too were wonderful old locos.

 

By the way last night I spotted on you tube a film of Roy Jackson's Retford. Another stonking tour de force and everything running as it should at "proper" speeds. What another marvellous system. If only...... (sigh!)

 

Martin

[Flood]

On 14/07/2016 at 19:47, Tony Wright said:

Graham,

 

.... Speaking of your 60506 (which looks superlative), please, please chuck away those horrid bogie wheels and fit Markits' replacements. The LNER Pacifics' bogie wheels had prominent bosses and flared spokes. Those don't! 

 

Just to appease you Tony, I managed to 'phone Markits on Monday morning...

 

 

Hopefully these make a good model (of a beautiful loco 😈) even better.

Edited April 5, 2022 by Flood

[Mallard60022]

Some time back I mentioned the new Mike Trice/ Shapeways catering car Vents. 

To illustrate their lovely shape, here are 3 fitted to a D144. Please ignore other mess. It will be alright on the night.

Other details about this conversion available but Tony has (and others have) provided far better info than mine many times before.

Phil

Edited July 22, 2016 by Mallard60022

[Headstock]

Bits of plasticcard and brass for me, but I would have used those 3d vent covers if they had been available.

[Headstock]

3d is definitely the way forwards for producing all the bits and bobs that are not so easily available in the hobby anymore. John Marsh of our group produced some rather nice items from the original works drawings. An LNER carriage tail Lamp, LNER brake van tail lamp, and a replacement Silvertown mechanical lubricator for an Ivatt Atlantic.

[Headstock]

I have also got the 'shunting truck finished for the new yard shunter, the photo was taken before the lamps were fitted. John also created some rather nice deck lamps to go on the side, but I am waiting for the paint to dry.