Wright writes.....

[Woodcock29]

Tony

I said a week or so ago that I would post a photo of the DJH J10 I've built recently - a rather old kit that I've had for sometime. Its powered with an old Portescap 1219 that I've had in stock for some time. The crew are not as blue as appear in the photo! Something I've not done before, although it doesn't show up well in this photo, is to build it with an open spectacle plate on the driver's side.

Andrew

[grob1234]

Tom,

 

I'm coming to this slightly late, but I think number 7 looks pretty good as well - as presumably do precision paints!

 

One questions I may. You have some very effective knots in the wood effect on your samples. What size are your samples? Either you've got very big knots for 4mm scale, or you have painted them incredibly finely.

 

Regards

 

Andy

 

Hi Andy, I wish I was able to recreate that in 4mm scale!

 

The samples are actually about 1.5 by 3in, so at this stage more of a test of concept not actual prototypes. 

 

Once I have developed the colour, I will move onto painting a few old Hornby Teak coaches to see how it looks on the actual model.

Tony

I said a week or so ago that I would post a photo of the DJH J10 I've built recently - a rather old kit that I've had for sometime. Its powered with an old Portescap 1219 that I've had in stock for some time. The crew are not as blue as appear in the photo! Something I've not done before, although it doesn't show up well in this photo, is to build it with an open spectacle plate on the driver's side.

Andrew

 

I think your model looks fantastic Andrew.

[petrovich]

Tony

I said a week or so ago that I would post a photo of the DJH J10 I've built recently - a rather old kit that I've had for sometime. Its powered with an old Portescap 1219 that I've had in stock for some time. The crew are not as blue as appear in the photo! Something I've not done before, although it doesn't show up well in this photo, is to build it with an open spectacle plate on the driver's side.

Andrew

All

 

There are some really excellent models coming to the fore here, thank you for posting.

 

Regards

 

Peter

[Tony Wright]

Speaking of modifying/renumbering rtr stock, below is my latest project - or rather latest project I've started with the best intentions of finishing!

 

Grand Parade Renumbering.JPG

 

A Dapol Grand Parade purchased very cheaply at the Dapol open day as a returned item needing attention to its valve gear. While it still has its nameplates, it has now been stripped of its number and lettering as well as the steam pipe which, along with the reversing gear, will be transplanted onto the right hand side of the locomotive. Apologies for the poor picture, it was taken on my iPad in poor light (again!).

 

Just to clarify on my assigning 'fault' to my desire to attempt things like this, it was very much a tongue in cheek comment and inspired would be the only worthy word the substitute if I was being serious!

Lovely stuff as always, Steve. Thanks for posting. 

 

Just one point with regard to 'naming of parts'. The 'steam' pipe you refer to (always on the driver's side, like the reversing lever) is actually the vacuum ejector pipe (used for train braking).

 

Along with the standpipe on the buffer beams of locos/tenders, it's an indication that a loco is capable of hauling passenger-carrying trains or fitted goods. It's usually associated with a screw shackle as well (though not always, and I've also seen non-fitted locos with screw shackles). Some locos of the same class could appear with vacuum braking or not - sub-divisions of the O4s for instance. 

All

 

There are some really excellent models coming to the fore here, thank you for posting.

 

Regards

 

Peter

Thanks Peter,

 

This is what this thread is all about.....................

Edited October 26, 2017 by Tony Wright

[gr.king]

David Jenkinson arranged with either Williamsons or Masons transport paint suppliers, to prepare dry sample of various railway colours. The LNER green I was sent is the Doncaster shade and closely matches Precision Paints.

 

I accept that the colour the Precision paint is supposed to be is probably very close to the correct one, but I had an interesting experience with my first ever tin of Precision Doncaster Green, possibly around ten years ago. On opening, it immediately looked too dark to me. I stirred it to death and it still looked too dark to me. I agonised, I showed it to other people (who didn't think that there was much, or anything, wrong with it) and then I sprayed it on my newly built DJH Atlantic and was still deeply un-convinced. I went once again through the process of agonising and consulting, and still got the impression that nobody else could see a serious problem, so I finished the livery on the loco and weathered it a little. It still looked a bit "cold" and "pea green" to my eyes, compared to my ideal mental picture of Doncaster green. Somewhat later, when I needed a new tin of Precision Doncaster green, the instant I opened it the colour was so "right" - and so distinctly different to what had been in the first tin.

So beware. Consistency of Precision paint shade has clearly not always been achieved!

 

The Atlantic is still in the original green and still looks different. I don't have the time and willpower to completely re-do the livery......

Edited October 26, 2017 by gr.king

[Anglian]

Tony

I said a week or so ago that I would post a photo of the DJH J10 I've built recently - a rather old kit that I've had for sometime. Its powered with an old Portescap 1219 that I've had in stock for some time. The crew are not as blue as appear in the photo! Something I've not done before, although it doesn't show up well in this photo, is to build it with an open spectacle plate on the driver's side.

Andrew

 

 

Although I don't have knowledge of the prototype to my eyes this is a fantastic kit build that looks totally convincing. It's completely cohesive, which isn't always the case, if that makes sense in this context. May I ask which range and type of paints and presumably which matt varnish you have used?

Edited October 26, 2017 by Anglian

[92220]

What a really interesting day's posts. Thanks to all for such wonderful contributions.

 

If I can answer a few questions, and maybe clarify a point or two, please...................

 

The Golden Age A4 is very powerful, but not as powerful as my kit-built A4s (all of which have extra ballast, even the cast metal ones). I've not taken the body off to examine the mechanism. I'm afraid it just lives in its box.

 

Chris and Wendy Walsh, who were Activity Media and the makers of the Right Track DVDs have retired and closed the business. Like many one man/one woman businesses, the value of the company is in that one man/woman - the skills and experience they possess. I have no idea whether the DVDs are still available for sale. To begin with (my being a Warners' employee at the time) they were sold through BRM as well as Activity Media. They were very successful.

 

As is evident, some appear now on You Tube (though the quality is poor in comparison with the originals). Whether this contravenes copyright, I don't know.

 

RTR/kit-building? I don't think anyone here has ever looked down at N Gauge modellers and considered them to be 'inferior'. In my case, quite the opposite. I'm amazed at what the likes of Steve (Atso) can do. It's way beyond my capabilities and exploits to great effect what is available RTR. Of course the market is smaller than 4mm, with far fewer kits (especially), but most who've posted on here have done a fantastic job on conversions and adaptations.

 

If an RTR model (in whatever scale) has been personally altered/improved/adapted/renumbered/renamed/weathered/etc, then that is laudable in my book. I'll quite happily see it, photograph it and, most probably, learn something from it. And, there's no guarantee that a kit-built loco/carriage/wagon will be better than its RTR equivalent. Quite the opposite, having seen some real abominations. Assembling a kit successfully requires a level of skill, expertise and (as one develops) experience. Then there's the painting. There are many who cannot reach the 'heights' of kit-building, and improving RTR is then their goal. They must do it themselves, though, to have merit in my opinion.

 

I suppose some of my recent comments on RTR have been because of what I consider a deluge of unaltered products appearing recently on layouts at shows or in the press. One layout I looked at last year had two identical, unaltered locos on it!

 

Speaking of both RTR adaptations and kit-building, it was my pleasure to have Iain Henderson here today. He's building a model of Camden in OO and brought some locos he's made/modified. A year ago, he'd never built a loco and asked my advice. I'm amazed at his progress (not because of my 'teaching', but because of his innate ability and perseverance). He's producing locos of a very high standard, and they run (with just a tweak here and there) as well as they look.

 

Caprotti Five.jpg

 

Comet Scot.jpg

 

Hornby Scot.jpg

 

Princess Coronation.jpg

 

Stanier Five.jpg

 

I know what most of these are, but I've asked Iain to describe them personally. I think they're jolly fine.

 

Huge thanks as ever, Tony, for a wonderful day. It is always great to see you both and to catch up.

 

The progress on Little Bytham, since I was last there a year ago, is most impressive. The consistency and excellence of what you have created (and orchestrated, as you rightly point out), set a benchmark for the rest of us to aim for. Your advice and teaching have been invaluable, and even yesterday when the workbench wasn’t required, your suggestions of how to tweak/refine/fettle these locos were really helpful. I must apologise at the outset that there were a couple of derailments, though it must be emphasised, only of my locos, and only because they weren’t yet properly sorted.

 

Thank you too for the excellent photos above, which flatter my models and show where they can be further improved. Only one has had any weathering as yet, as can be seen. To give a bit of background, all the builds are documented in my Motive Powerfor Camden Shed thread:

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/65335-motive-power-for-camden-shed/

 

while the layout is at:

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/52339-camden-shed/

 

Briefly, or maybe not briefly enough, and in no particular order:

 

The Comet Rebuilt Scot 46145 is built mainly as the kit was supplied. It is an older version of the current kit, and required relatively little modification. Mashima 1626, Comet gearbox, Markits bespoke Scot drivers. A few extra pieces of detailing. Front coupling, cab interior and draincocks will go on after painting and lining.

 

45027 is a DJH kit. Followers of my thread may already know that picking its identity (LFB, sloping throatplate boiler, top feed next to dome, short chimney, riveted tender) was a challenge. But 45027 is ok, we think. Steam heat pipe needs removal though. It hauled the Pullman rake without any issues, but did drop its bogie retaining nut in the process, happily without (yet) causing an untraceable short circuit.

 

46146 is a Hornby Rebuilt Scot body on Comet frames. Mashima 1626, Comet box and Markits drivers as above. The tender has been heavily reworked, the body has been given most of the Brassmasters treatment, and the odd paint finish enlivened with klear. It runs smoothly but won’t pull anything of note yet until further efforts to weight it effectively are successful. I will persevere.

 

46248 is a Hornby China Leeds, with much Comet detailing to the body, Mashima 1628, Comet box, Markits Duchess bevel rim drivers and a fair bit of lead weight.

 

73274 is the planned but never built Caprotti Crosti Standard 5 described in a few books. A huge mishmash of methods and materials perhaps best observed in the thread above and this one:

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/99006-br-caprotti-crosti-standard-5/

 

It needs a small amount of filing of the front frames by the bogie wheels, and a smear of araldite, but otherwise ran smoothly and pulled a decent load.

 

46256 also put in an appearance but is half painted, so Tony decided not to take a full detail photograph. In fact, we decided yesterday to phone Geoff Haynes and it will be stripped to join his queue, as I am quite pleased with the construction so would like to do it justice. I feel sure that I won’t do so on my own. It is a fairly heavily modified DJH kit, with altered cab and roof profile, trailing truck, correct size Comet deflectors and plenty of added or altered details. It is a bit of a beast, weighing in at 700+g plus an unmodified 200g tender. Same motor, gear is and drivers as 46248. As can be seen below, it runs smoothly and powerfully. It needs a slight tweak around the trailing truck.

 

45034 (Hornby body, much modified, Comet frames and box, Mitsumi motor) ran smoothly enough but with no added weight yet, couldn’t manage a full rake of 10 light rtr carriages. It isn’t yet painted and lined either.

 

My Bachmann Jinty body/Comet frames combination also had a quick run, if a little noisily, but was happy downto the crawl it will usually run at around the shed area.

 

I took a couple of videos too:

 

Comet Rebuilt Scot 46145 (on the Yorkshire Pullman?). Tony may correct me, but I think this is a reasonably heavy 10 car rake, which the Scot had no trouble with. It hasn’t had any extra weight added yet, and was pretty smooth, as is hopefully evident.

 

https://youtu.be/HsMyuorrEkc

 

46248 City of Leeds (on the Flying Scotsman?). Again, I may have the train details incorrectly noted. 12 in the rake, mainly Bachmann mk1s with one or two kits, but 46248 ran very smoothly and had no problems. It had some wheelslip trying to move the heaviest rake but once moving was fine. Even so, it is so much more powerful than the Hornby original, and to my mind, looks better at rest and in motion.

 

https://youtu.be/6okw8ZLmknA

 

46256 Sir William A. Stanier FRS on Tony’s heaviest rake of 14, mainly metal kits.

 

https://youtu.be/F-M9JATYcRo

 

Sir Bill just strolled away with this and would haul a fair bit more probably.

 

We also ran a selection of Tony’s trains, which ran perfectly, and served to provide further inspiration.

 

Thanks again, Tony, and to anyone who has had the patience to read my scribblings.

 

Iain

Edited October 26, 2017 by 92220

[92220]

As an addition, I would be interested in the opinion of Duchess experts on the new Billie Stannier FRS. It dosn't look quite right to my eye.

 

I wouldn’t claim to be an expert, Andrew, and I’ve not seen it in the plastic yet. But it looks good in very many respects, including the paint, on which I’m inclined to trust Larry (Coachmann) before most. The bit that doesn’t quite look right to me in photos is the reverser, which joins the cab lower than it looks as if it ought to, so the slope on it is too shallow. Having just built a DJH one, I looked at drawings and photos a good deal.

 

 

 

Hornby pic:

 

 

Hornby model:

 

 

In case anyone thinks I’m being overly critical, I’m not trying to be so. Worst case scenario, run it as it is and it will be very, very close indeed. Otherwise, it’s a great starting point for improvement.

 

Iain

[92220]

 

 

 

Trying again to make the YouTube links embed correctly.

 

Iain

Edited October 26, 2017 by 92220

[coachmann]

I accept that the colour the Precision paint is supposed to be is probably very close to the correct one, but I had an interesting experience with my first ever tin of Precision Doncaster Green, possibly around tend years ago. On opening, it immediately looked too dark to me. I stirred it to death and it still looked too dark to me. I agonised, I showed it to other people (who didn't think that there was much, or anything, wrong with it) and then I sprayed it on my newly built DJH Atlantic and was still deeply un-convinced. I went once again through the process of agonising and consulting, and still got the impression that nobody else could see a serious problem, so I finished the livery on the loco and weathered it a little. It still looked a bit "cold" and "pea green" to my eyes, compared to my ideal mental picture of Doncaster green. Somewhat later, when I needed a new tin of Precision Doncaster green, the instant I opened it the colour was so "right" - and so distinctly different to what had been in the first tin.

So beware. Consistency of Precision paint shade has clearly not always been achieved!

 

The Atlantic is still in the original green and still looks different. I don't have the time and willpower to completely re-do the livery......

Interesting.  Would it be possible for you to photograph the 'odd' green loco beside another LNER green loco and post it on here please?  Re PPC changes in colour, the only time I came across this was with GWR Lining Orange, which is now supplied as virtually identical the their BR lining orange, whereas it used to be a lot paler.  LNER Doncaster green could be said to be grass green, but of course it depends on which grass. When I retired from painting locos 10 years ago, I used up the LNER Cellulose on external scenery.  

[coachmann]

I wouldn’t claim to be an expert, Andrew, and I’ve not seen it in the plastic yet. But it looks good in very many respects, including the paint, on which I’m inclined to trust Larry (Coachmann) before most. The bit that doesn’t quite look right to me in photos is the reverser, which joins the cab lower than it looks as if it ought to, so the slope on it is too shallow. Having just built a DJH one, I looked at drawings and photos a good deal.

I hadn't realised the cat was out of the bag and I don't think Hornby or I had mentioned my input.  I am glad it has helped make the latest Hornby "Duchess's" so popular.  

[The Blue Streak]

I hadn't realised the cat was out of the bag and I don't think Hornby or I had mentioned my input.  I am glad it has helped make the latest Hornby "Duchess's" so popular.  

 

I think Ian Hargrave may have dropped a hint a little while back.

 

Nothing obvious, but not hard to work out !

Edited October 26, 2017 by The Blue Streak

[Atso]

Hello Steve

Please keep us posted on progress of this.

 

Regards

 

Peter

 

Thank you Peter, an update is below

Lovely stuff as always, Steve. Thanks for posting. 

 

Just one point with regard to 'naming of parts'. The 'steam' pipe you refer to (always on the driver's side, like the reversing lever) is actually the vacuum ejector pipe (used for train braking).

 

Along with the standpipe on the buffer beams of locos/tenders, it's an indication that a loco is capable of hauling passenger-carrying trains or fitted goods. It's usually associated with a screw shackle as well (though not always, and I've also seen non-fitted locos with screw shackles). Some locos of the same class could appear with vacuum braking or not - sub-divisions of the O4s for instance. 

 

Thank you Tony, I stand duly corrected and will try and ensure that I refer to the pipe as the vacuum ejector pipe from now on.

 

Grand Parade, or Harvester as it will most likely be known has had the worst of its surgery completed this morning and currently looks like this.

 

 

I've sanded and patch painted the scars on the left hand side but it appears that a tiny amount of filler will be required to make good on the damage caused by removing the vacuum ejector pipe. However, I've noticed another issue with this A3 which will need to be rectified. As bought the A3 wasn't running due to some damage to the valve gear which, while trivial, needed repairs. Since I've started this conversion, I've noticed that the cylinders don't want to sit properly against the running plate. On the Dapol A3, the cylinders are a clip fit to the running plate but it would appear that somebody (I'm leaning towards the previous owner and not Dapol here) tried to glue them into place (badly) and has left a significant lip of glue that prevents the cylinders from being seated properly. This will require a more thorough strip down of the locomotive to rectify, which I was hoping to avoid - at least until I get around to another A1 conversion...

[Woodcock29]

Although I don't have knowledge of the prototype to my eyes this is a fantastic kit build that looks totally convincing. It's completely cohesive, which isn't always the case, if that makes sense in this context. May I ask which range and type of paints and presumably which matt varnish you have used?

Nothing very special in the painting - airbrushed with a blend of Humbrol 85 satin black and 186 matt brown, probably around two thirds black to one third brown. Humbrol Satin varnish and a final light dusting over with Carrs weathering powders which I haven't used for years until I built this loco.

 

Andrew

Edited October 26, 2017 by Woodcock29

[micklner]

Connoisseur LNER N9 ready for paint. A nice easy build.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 26, 2017 by micklner

[grob1234]

Genuine question Mick, when do you attach the buffer stocks?

[micklner]

Genuine question Mick, when do you attach the buffer stocks?

 

After painting,

 

 Much easier to prime the body , then mask the buffer beam off , paint the body colour and then add already primed buffers and paint Red all at same time. I glue them on. Instructions say solder them on. Easy to say when your not trying to paint them, had a occasional one come off , two minute repair.

[Tony Wright]

 

 

 

Trying again to make the YouTube links embed correctly.

 

Iain

Thanks for posting those moving images Iain,

 

They do show how smooth-running your creations are. I'm glad they had a chance to 'stretch their legs'.

 

I hope you enjoyed the show.

[grob1234]

After painting,

 

 Much easier to prime the body , then mask the buffer beam off , paint the body colour and then add already primed buffers and paint Red all at same time. I glue them on. Instructions say solder them on. Easy to say when your not trying to paint them, had a occasional one come off , two minute repair.

 

 

Good reason for doing it your way. I solder mine, but then the painting is harder!

[gr.king]

Interesting.  Would it be possible for you to photograph the 'odd' green loco beside another LNER green loco and post it on here please?  Re PPC changes in colour, the only time I came across this was with GWR Lining Orange, which is now supplied as virtually identical the their BR lining orange, whereas it used to be a lot paler.  LNER Doncaster green could be said to be grass green, but of course it depends on which grass. When I retired from painting locos 10 years ago, I used up the LNER Cellulose on external scenery.  

 

No reasonable request refused, when time permits, so.....

 

DJH Atlantic at front, now looking a bit mossy in colour after a bit of weathering to try to disguise the darkness of colour from the older Precision DULL Doncaster Green tin, V2 and A4 sprayed using the later tin of DULL Doncaster green (much glossier than the older one too), as yet un-weathered, and at the rear the Locomotion NRM Atlantic in factory colour (save for repainted tender front, which may or may not be correct in being green).

Here rearranged.

 

Under halogen lighting.

Edited October 26, 2017 by gr.king

[Headstock]

I wouldn’t claim to be an expert, Andrew, and I’ve not seen it in the plastic yet. But it looks good in very many respects, including the paint, on which I’m inclined to trust Larry (Coachmann) before most. The bit that doesn’t quite look right to me in photos is the reverser, which joins the cab lower than it looks as if it ought to, so the slope on it is too shallow. Having just built a DJH one, I looked at drawings and photos a good deal.

 

78E43BC5-2227-41DC-A92F-9A6CB8802D70.jpeg

 

62B15675-EEE6-4BD4-B18E-DBF7F934DC55.jpeg

 

Hornby pic:

 

5C63A9C3-17E9-464E-A39C-FB5D6767F2F2.jpeg

 

Hornby model:

 

D242B285-023A-404F-B837-76583504937B.jpeg

 

In case anyone thinks I’m being overly critical, I’m not trying to be so. Worst case scenario, run it as it is and it will be very, very close indeed. Otherwise, it’s a great starting point for improvement.

 

Iain

 

Good evening Ian.

 

thanks for the reply, I am a great fan of your work, a third way neither kit or RTR, probably closer to my own preference of choosing the best bits you can get from a variety of sources and then cobbling them together. The reason that I ask about WS FRS is that I recently came across enough bits and pieces to assemble a model of the loco, left to me by my late Father. I think his intention was to build a Comet tender for the loco, however a Hornby one is included in the box of parts

 

There are a couple of details that I am not certain about as regards the locomotive and the Duchess locomotives in general. It will probably require a god drawing to pin the queries down but your opinion would be welcome. Looking at the variolous RTR versions has only added to my confusion in this respect. My first question to anybody who would know, did Hornby retool the locomotives because there is a fundamental problem with the earlier version? Secondly, the firebox looks a bit spindly were it meats the spectacle plate. I have provided a photo below of WS FRS were the firebox seems to have a much greater slope, admittedly this may be a limitation of the photography rather than the model itself. I'm finding the spectacle plate area rather confusing depending on the angle of the photo, did the locomotives have different style spectacle plates?

 

The big elephant in the room for me is that the tender seems to tower over the locomotive. I'm not sure if this is a matter of ride height, wrong dimensions or the curve over in the tender side sheets being in the wrong location. Certainly the dimensions on the same companies A3 tenders are dimensional correct but they ride about 2 or 3 mm too high in relation to the locomotive ( this has led to people relocating the lettering on the tender side because it is amused that they have been put on too high in relation to the cabside numbers.. I also enclose a photo of City of Leeds for comparison, as you can see the bend over in the tender side sheets is below the top edge of the cab side sheet, while that on all the recent and new models it is way above the cab side sheet. Has anybody have an experience of the Comet tender?

 

Sir WS FRS

https://static.premiersite.co.uk/35748/img/35748_6882347.jpg

 

City of Leeds

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/9a/f5/a1/9af5a1559f5a0410ac5ecc5a659e4a87.jpg

[Bernard Lamb]

Andrew

There definitely was a fundamental problem with the original Hornby Duchess.

Comet did a detailing and conversion kit and this included a totally new front end besides various fittings of more accurate dimensions.

The original Hornby model also lacked any cab interior detail and the tender was rather basic. Lack of coal pusher for a start.

The rear frames around the trailing truck were very mush a bodge to get it to go round corners and the comet kit provided the parts to improve this. I deliberately write improve not correct.

Having spent many hours working on improving a model I feel reluctant to replace mine with the new RTR version. Mine is my effort and while not as good as the new Hornby model does remind me of how I obtained an improvement on my first ever locomotive namely the ancient HD Duchess.Bernard

[Headstock]

Andrew

There definitely was a fundamental problem with the original Hornby Duchess.

Comet did a detailing and conversion kit and this included a totally new front end besides various fittings of more accurate dimensions.

The original Hornby model also lacked any cab interior detail and the tender was rather basic. Lack of coal pusher for a start.

The rear frames around the trailing truck were very mush a bodge to get it to go round corners and the comet kit provided the parts to improve this. I deliberately write improve not correct.

Having spent many hours working on improving a model I feel reluctant to replace mine with the new RTR version. Mine is my effort and while not as good as the new Hornby model does remind me of how I obtained an improvement on my first ever locomotive namely the ancient HD Duchess.Bernard

 

Thanks Bernard,

 

There is a full Comet chassis, valve gear, cylinders, front bogie and replacement cab, rear truck etc in the box. Is the Hornby body okay with the exception of the front end that you mention? is this the area around the middle cylinders?

[coachmann]

No reasonable request refused, when time permits, so.....

 

DJH Atlantic at front, now looking a bit mossy in colour after a bit of weathering to try to disguise the darkness of colour from the older Precision DULL Doncaster Green tin, V2 and A4 sprayed using the later tin of DULL Doncaster green (much glossier than the older one too), as yet un-weathered, and at the rear the Locomotion NRM Atlantic in factory colour (save for repainted tender front, which may or may not be correct in being green).

 

Under halogen lighting.

 

The Atlantic is noticeably darker, but as the other green looks a cross between Doncaster and Darlington greens, it is hard to say what is going on there.  The real LNER Doncaster green was not as bright as many modellers (and RTR manufacturers) seem to think. It was slightly distressed with black to remove the fairground appearance of straight mixed primary colours. I was offered large tinlets of Precision Paints in GLOSS before the company changed hands. Modellers preferred and bought satin and matt colours and so the gloss range was discontinued as far as I am aware even though the colours were truer. By this, I mean they were not discolored by the addition of matting agent, which is white. 

 

One may observe that real railway colours were never garish and so differed from those used on fairground engines and the like.  With almost a working life of mixing British railway company colours in cellulose behind me, it was obvious they had additional colours added to tone them down. This applied to carriages as well as locomotives. Odd ones out were the crimson lakes, maroons and the almost pure dark blues used by the Great Eastern and earlier Caledonian locos.

Edited October 26, 2017 by coachmann

[Tony Wright]

Just a couple of pictures from my fiddling about with taking photos this afternoon. 

 

 

The pedigree behind this BR Standard Five is impeccable - it was built from a DJH kit by Roy Jackson (yes, in OO) and painted/weathered by Geoff Kent. Roy very kindly gave it to me (many, many thanks) in return for my doing bits and pieces for Retford. Though it ran for a time 'all right' (it hadn't been used for years and years), on lending it to a friend for service on his layout (where it's really more suitable), he reported the motor (a D11) had just died. I investigated, and 'buried' the dead prime mover. I've now fitted a DJH gearbox/Mashima combination and the running is now beautiful (as I hope Iain will testify, having seen it yesterday); smooth, quiet and powerful.  

 

It's seen on a Peterborough-Doncaster secondary express working. Quite what a 55A-allocated Standard Five is doing on LB is a moot point, though I did see 55A's 70054 one day at Retford on a fully-fitted freight. 

 

One thing I am pleased about in this shot is the appearance of the ballast. In response to some suggestions, I've started 'distressing' some of Norman Solomon's perfect ballasting, in this case the shoulders of the Down fast, just beyond the platforms. It would seem most passenger trains stopped at the fast platforms and the Down fast (being uphill) might see locos slipping a bit on starting, depositing oil and dirty water from the motion/injectors on the shoulders. So far, I think it's working. 

 

 

 

Much more likely to be seen is an A4 on the Down morning 'Talisman', as depicted here. This has a modified Bachmann body, a SE Finecast tender (cut-down at the rear to suit 60034) and a SE Finecast chassis (the original Bachmann chassis did what it was described as - it split!). Ian Rathbone painted it perfectly. 

 

The train (all modified Bachmann Mk.1s) was described in BRM getting on for 20 years ago. 

Edited October 27, 2017 by Tony Wright