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Post by Deleted on Oct 9, 2014 20:16:35 GMT
I did my BFPO Postal Courier training in Mill Hill
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Post by Roger on Oct 9, 2014 21:23:56 GMT
I guess enthusiasts soon find common ground. I'm afraid much of what you said goes right over my head, I've never been a rail enthusiast, but an Engineering one. I've always been interesting in steam but I've never had an interest in what locomotive class is what, who ran them or what colour they were painted. I guess that makes me the odd one out here because I don't look at them that way.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 9, 2014 23:25:26 GMT
Actually Roger I'm very much the same as you. I'm interested in locos and the design and engineering involved but have no specific interest in any particular railway company. They all had good and bad engines and I certainly don't know what half of them are. I was never into train spotting as a kid and never really had that much interest in railways until relatively recently even though my father worked for the railways all his life.
John
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Post by Roger on Oct 10, 2014 6:26:27 GMT
Thank goodness for that John, I was beginning the think that I was on my own!
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Post by ejparrott on Oct 10, 2014 8:36:50 GMT
I'm a rail enthusiast, not a train spotter, that's what I always say to folks. As much as I am a Midland man through and through, while I often comment on the Greasy Wet and Rusty and the funny green engines, its in jest rather than rivalry. Much advancement of available technology was made by all the railway companies, from 1830 to the 1980's, all contributing to the greater good...
And in any case..you can't beat a Quarry Hunslet any day.....!!
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dscott
Elder Statesman
Posts: 2,440
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Post by dscott on Oct 10, 2014 8:44:12 GMT
I get the feeling that most people on here have either an engineering background or a railway one. Being born in Bushey Hearts 1959 and being taken up the valley to watch real locomotives steam over the viaduct as mum described it set things going. Dad had worked for the Great Western for two years in Paddington just after the war for a change from Chatham Dockyard. And from my mothers side both her father and an uncle had worked on railways round Manchester...so I am hooked.
Yes I do have a set of Black Five drawings sat in the house which are far more do able than say a Castle!
The only way out of the Bulldog valve gear mess is I think, do the Duke that has a greater throw on the eccentrics and put the already machined cylinder block from the bulldog into her. Then complete the block with modified ports via computer for the Bulldog!!! In 35 years of visiting exhibitions I have yet to get my left hand out of pocket to continue counting the number I have seen in that time!!!
Castles we are into double figures!!!
There could be a poll on the number of abandoned projects, why they were? and possibly the outcome would be that of course the drawings were not good (nearly said crap) oops! Computer compiled figures sometimes shock people into doing something our suppliers!!!!
Malcolm High has done wonders with many of the designs and if you look down his list has a few chosen comments about some of the designs.
David. Currently waiting for the new workshop roof to dry out and trying to remember some more Southern Locomotives!
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Post by Deleted on Oct 10, 2014 9:20:56 GMT
1).."Many are the roads that lead to Rome"-------2)..“The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”...........3)...In the style of Shakespeare}---"This story shall the good man teach his son;
And ordinary people shall ne'er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remember'd;
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that machines his metal with me
Shall be my brother; be he of--OR NOT a railway man,
This day shall gentle his condition:
And gentlemen in England now a-bed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
And hold their manhoods (?) cheap whiles any speaks
That micro-formed with us upon Saint Churchward's day."............................After that last one I've decided to take up basket weaving !!
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Midland
Elder Statesman
Posts: 1,875
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Post by Midland on Oct 10, 2014 9:28:00 GMT
My alternative is stamp collecting, no broken taps, no oil under the finger nails and no bags of funny bits of metal to the dump but oh so booooooooorrrrrrrrrring!!!
D
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Post by Deleted on Oct 10, 2014 9:47:55 GMT
Sorry to hear that-------here's a few more interesting ones for your collection >>>>>>>>>>  |
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Post by Roger on Oct 10, 2014 10:04:48 GMT
My guess is that less than half the locomotives started actually end up in steam...
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Post by ejparrott on Oct 10, 2014 11:30:10 GMT
You're probably not far wrong. I know a 5" City of Truro that'll never be finished, I for my sins have a 2" scale Showman's in the attic which might be revived one day as a retirement project, or might also never steam.
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Post by cplmickey on Oct 10, 2014 11:48:59 GMT
My guess is that less than half the locomotives started actually end up in steam... but with the internet and places like Station Road Steam I suspect there's a greater chance of them being finished by others than there ever was. certainly when I finish all of my current projects I shall be keeping my eyes open for a part built model to speed up the build. |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 10, 2014 11:58:33 GMT
The problem with buying part builts, at least in my experience, is that many of them are badly made and full of mistakes and by the time you've sorted everything out that needs putting right it would have been quicker and easier to start from scratch. If you want to go down that route then make sure you see the item before you buy it and give it a good going over. There are good part builts to be had but there's a lot of junk as well, especially on places like Ebay.
John
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Post by Roger on Oct 10, 2014 11:59:21 GMT
I agree with John, I think you have to be cautious in what you buy. The reason some builds stall is possibly due to issues with what's been made. I think I'd want to cast a very critical eye over what was there to see if I'd be building on the sand.
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Post by sncf141r on Oct 10, 2014 12:13:18 GMT
My guess is that less than half the locomotives started actually end up in steam... A few years ago I was talking with one of our regular visitors to our club about his 4-6-4 locomotive, built to castings/plans from a man in Kitchener, ON Canada. The answer went something like this "When I purchased my set, over 300 had been sold in Canada, and who knows how many more in the USA, and I've only seen two completed" (look in youtube for "George Lovett Ottawa Model Engineers" for a short clip if at all interested) Now, mind you, I do have another locomotive with some of the exact same castings, but point taken. A few years ago now, I looked around for a set of castings for this locomotive, found 2 sets in Winnipeg, and shortly after, another set went on sale in Montreal, and I've seen chassis for sale and ... But certainly no more completed locomotives. I'm sure about 95% of the castings sold are in land fill or recycling in China or... (mind you, my castings are sitting, too! Ah, to be retired and have lots of time on my hands...) JohnS. |
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Post by Roger on Oct 10, 2014 12:20:03 GMT
You have some amazing ground level tracks over there, I'm rather jealous. I take it that the clip you're referring to is the one where he's riding 'side saddle' but it's a poor quality video and hard to see what it looks like.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 10, 2014 12:20:18 GMT
Yes, there's all sorts to be found "out there"---------and as always it's "Buyer beware!!" ------So either you a) Buy whatever is that takes your fancy with the strict, personal proviso that you'll strip it completely down to component parts, de-paint, wash and measure each item against the CURRENT drawings ( Thus you can then incorporate any mods. that have been found ).....Then build-up etc.......... OR b) Buy a chassis that's running on air or preferably steam.....At least with Station Road Steam in particular you're dealing with a fellow Model Engineer whose been involved---one way or another--- for many a year and can be relied upon to give a fair and accurate appraisal of what's on offer including a comprehensive set of photos to go with it.................... There are others also offering similar services, I must add for balance !!
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Post by Deleted on Oct 10, 2014 12:23:09 GMT
(mind you, my castings are sitting, too! Ah, to be retired and have lots of time on my hands...) You what  ----------- I take it you're not "With partner" then ??--------LoL !! |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 11, 2014 12:59:00 GMT
I think LBSC is partly to blame for many of the stalled projects. He made it all sound too easy. Not everybody has the mechanical skills or aptitude to build what is after all a fairly precision piece of kit. Joe Bloggs would read the write up, buy the castings and materials, get part way through the build and then realise that it's not that easy after all and give up. Obviously, a lot come up for various other reasons such as the builder passing away, financial reasons, etc.
I 'rebuilt' a couple of 5" gauge chassis last year for people and frankly they were both only really fit for the scrap bin and not worth spending my time on them. I don't like to say no to people though so did them anyway but it was a lot of time I could have spent on other things. One of the locos came from a reputable dealer as a runner but it must have run extremely badly! The owner eventually called it a day, scrapped the chassis, and built a new one from scratch. He managed to reuse the wheels but that was all.
John
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Post by Roger on Oct 11, 2014 14:18:53 GMT
I'd definitely agree with that sentiment. A lot of the instruction is glib and frankly misleading. I've only ever read how important it is to get the quartering right without any real indication that all of the geometry needs to be good if you don't want to end up with a bag of nails.
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----------- I take it you're not "With partner" then ??--------LoL !!