The Railway Magazine Guide to Modelling - November 2018 - Preview

NOVEMBER 2018

GETTING STARTED: WHAT'S IN A TRAIN SET P32

Hornby's 'Rebuilt Patriot'

GRAHAM FARISH N-SCALE DIESELS

P13

TINPLATE WONDERS OF YESTERYEAR

P19

METCALFE MODELS: YORKSHIRE'S PRIDE P26

COMING FROM DAPOL IN THREE SCALES  WARLEY PREVIEW  SITTINGBOURNE & KEMSLEY LIGHT RAILWAY GRANTOWN RENAISSANCE  LIGHTS, SOUND & ACTION AT DIGITRAINS  DESIGN YOUR OWN LOCOS  SCENIC START AT ST. ANN'S COVE

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EDITORIAL | 3

November 2018

From the editor

GUIDE TO

Modelling Staff

Editor Pete Kelly RMModellingeditor@mortons.co.uk Contributors Nigel Burkin, Ian Lamb, Jon Longman Production editor Pauline Hawkins Designer Holly Furness Picture desk Paul Fincham, Jonathan Schofield Advertising manager Sue Keily Publisher Tim Hartley Publishing director Dan Savage Commercial director Nigel Hole Subscription manager Paul Deacon Circulation manager Steve O'Hara Marketing manager Charlotte Park

Right: RMM's ‘St Ann's Cove' is coming together nicely and there's a full description of how we built the first bit of scenery on pages 42-43.

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Copyright

© Copyright Mortons Media Group Ltd. Reproduction in any manner, in whole or part, without prior approval in writing is prohibited. The publisher cannot accept responsibility for errors in articles or advertisements, or for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or illustrations.

Printing Mortons Print, Horncastle, Lincs.

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Next edition Find stockists online at

www.railwaymagazinemodelling.co.uk.

December issue of RMM is out on Friday, November 23, 2018.

Pete Kelly Editor

S

o what did you make of it?

Railway modellers all over the country tuned in to Channel 5 TV’s The Great Model Railway Challenge with great anticipation about how our hobby would be portrayed to the masses, and as you’ll see, we’ve already had some reaction in our readers’ letters.

The first three teams to face the challenge of each building a complete working layout based on a movie (wish they still called them films!) theme in three days were the Missenden Modellers, the Porthcawl Model Railway Club and a diverse group calling itself Strangers on a Train, whose members had come together specifically for the show.

The rules allow a small number of pre-built items to be taken along, but the really hard work of basic construction, track layout, wiring, scenery and so on has to be done within each day’s strict allotted time. On top of all that, the teams have to find lots of extra imagination to meet the specific chosen theme of each episode, and in the case of the opening programme’s movie theme, this entailed dinosaurs, flying pigs (sadly not of the Ivatt kind), collapsing bridges and much more.

Perhaps those of us who are used to quietly and contentedly modelling away as we try to recapture some treasured railway memory from many years ago, or make an accurate scale portrayal of more modern railway practices, are not the best people to judge the very different requirements of a mass-audience TV programme in which ‘entertainment’ always has to be the prime consideration.

One aspect of prime time reality shows that always makes me suspicious is when certain individuals are taken aside to make unkind comments about each other, and I really hope The Great Model Railway Challenge does not go down that road. That said, we should be grateful that railway modelling, one of Britain’s most enduring hobbies, is being put before the public as a perfectly normal activity.

If anyone doubts the popularity of railways, either full-sized or in miniature, one only has to look at the number of TV programmes that have been made about them in recent years, and which are happily repeated time and time again. Indeed The Great Model Railway Challenge was followed immediately by another hour of absorbing TV railway viewing in Rob Bell’s wonderful new series of Walking Britain’s Lost Railways (which I actually liked better!).

I was expecting a bit of drama when it came to the judging by Railway Modeller’s esteemed editor Steve Flint and National Model Railroad Association member Kathy Millatt, a fine modeller who also sends video blogs about the hobby, and I wasn’t to be disappointed. Some of Kathy’s direct pronouncements complemented Steve’s demeanour to perfection.

Apparently seething with disgust during the judges’ behind-the-scenes deliberations, Kathy said of the Missenden Modellers (who’d taken along a lot more pre-built items than the rules allowed and had been advised to reduce them): “They ignored our ultimatum, and they’ve even left bare plywood on their model railway with screw holes in it, like they’re mocking us!”

This is railway modelling, folks, not World War Three – and what was all that about always looking for the good in people?

Tim Oglethorpe put his finger right on the button when he wrote in the Daily Mail’s Weekend magazine that the show was “rather like Bake Off with balsa wood”!

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News

Have you got a story for us? Email: RMModellingeditor@mortons.co.uk

Coming soon from Dapol Dapol revealed a host of model locomotives and trains in N, OO and O gauge at the ninth exhibition of the Swansea Railway Modellers’ Group over the weekend of October 6-7.

In O gauge comes a Y1/Y3 Sentinel shunter and a Class 122 DMU; in OO a GWR streamlined Railcar with a new parcels car variant and a Class 121/122 ‘Bubble Car’ DMU; and in N a Class 50 ‘Hoover’ diesel-electric, a Class 68 dieselelectric and Mk 3 sleeper coaches.

Dapol’s highly detailed O-gauge model of the vertical-boilered Sentinel shunter, expected in shops by the end of this year, will come in several liveries, as No 42 (LNER) livery, 68163 (ex-LMS 23, LNER), 7164 and 7160 (LMS), 68164 (early BR), No. 2 Isebrook (GWR) and No. 14 (NCB). It will feature a die-cast running plate, chassis and profiled wheels, a high level of separately applied detail, a glowing firelight effect, removable cab roof for the positioning of locomotive crews, sprung metal buffers and articulated screw coupling, and Dapol’s well-proven motor and gearbox.

Also available will be 21-pin DCCready and DCC fitted examples with sound option, and the little Y1/Y3 will make an ideal model for starting out in O gauge, or adding to the fleets of more established modellers.

In the same scale, the Class 121 unit will come in BR blue and grey, BR blue, BR green, BR green with speed whiskers and Regional Railways liveries, and should also be around by the end of the year.

The models will have a heavy diecast chassis for maximum tractive effort, dual-motorised power bogies with all-wheel pick-up, lowered flooring to minimise the intrusion of DCC, speaker etc., headcode and destination boxes with removable glazing, fine passenger compartment detailing, three buffer types, three exhaust types, independently controllable cab, passenger compartment, guard’s compartment and directional lighting and many other details.

Also on the way, and expected during the second quarter of next year, is a beautiful OO-gauge GWR Streamlined Railcar and a new parcels van variant with an appropriate body shell, glazing and interior with a fine representation of the parcel shelving.

The passenger railcar models will come in various chocolate and brown guises along with the early British Railways ‘blood and custard’, and will feature accurately moulded bodies with accurately applied livery

and decoration, finely detailed cast wheels, metal sprung buffers, a fivepole Super Creep motor for superbly controllable slow-running, all-wheel drive and pick-up, directional lights and interior lighting.

Also expected by the end of the year is an OO-scale Class 121/122 ‘Bubble Car’ DMU in no fewer than eight livery options.

The N scale Class 50 will come in BR blue, BR large-logo blue, original Network SouthEast and Dapol Collectors’ Club BR lined green 50007 Sir Edward Elgar liveries.

These ‘next-generation’ models will have an entirely redesigned chassis and electronics, a smooth five-pole ‘next generation’ motor, all-wheel pick-up, die-cast chassis and will be DCC sound-ready with a Next-18 decoder socket and much more, and are expected in the shops by the year’s end.

In the same small gauge, the model of the Class 68 Bo-Bo dieselelectric locomotive will come as No. 68 004 Rapid (DRS Compass), 68 019 Brutus (Trans Pennine Express) 68 004 (plain blue) and 68 034 (DRS Compass). All the expected goodies will be there, including DCC sound-readiness, all-wheel drive via a reworked ‘smooth drive’ low-maintenance mechanism, die-cast chassis, Next-18 decoder

Seen at the Swansea show was this example of Dapol’s upcoming O-gauge model of a vertical-boilered Y1/Y3 Sentinel shunter in early British Railways livery.

socket, sophisticated lighting control and an accessory bag with etched nameplates and detailed buffer beam fittings.

Finally, and expected in the second or third quarter of next year, come Dapol’s N-gauge Mk 3 sleeper coaches in Inter-City blue and grey and the later dark grey, light grey and red livery, along with today’s modern GWR livery.

They will have highly detailed bodies, underframe and bogies, NEM coupling as standard and an innovative light bar feature allowing an optional Dapol light bar (yellow for incandescent or white for modern lighting) to be fitted.

They should arrive in shops by the second or third quarters of next year.

Dapol has incorporated many advanced features in its O-gauge Class 122 DMU, seen here in the original and attractive ‘speed whiskers’ livery, which is specially weighted for maximum traction.

The upcoming GWR Streamlined Railcar from Dapol in OO gauge has several liveries to choose from, including this brown and cream version featuring the GWRs at the ends and body sides. A parcel car variant is also on the way.

4mm wagon subframes from Brassmasters Brassmasters have introduced a range of 4mm scale wagon subframes based on those in the Martin Finney-designed LSWR van kits.

They have been designed to fit beneath Slaters, Cambrian and Parkside pre-1923 private owner wagons, although they could also be used for private owner wagons from other manufacturers or scratch-built.

The provide an easy-to-assemble subframe with full single-sided or independent double-sided brakes, with a choice of brake levers and brake lever

guides, and can be built for OO, EM and P4 gauges and incorporate springing as standard. Comprehensive illustrated instructions and diagrams are provided.

R041 is for RCH 1907 9ft wheelbase, R042 for the Gloucester C&W 1905 99ft wheelbase, R043 for the RCH 9ft wheelbase to fit Slaters, Cambrian and Parkside kits and Bachmann ready-torun, and R044 is for the RCH 1923 9ft wheelbase to fit Oxford ready-to-run.

Individual packs cost £7, and packs of five retail at £30.

Wood Green shock for J&J collectors’ fairs After 23 years running toy and train collectors’ fairs at the Wood Green Animal Shelter in Huntingdon, J&J Fairs will be moving to the Burgess Hall Events & Conference Centre in nearby St Ives because the Wood Green visitor centre is being demolished and replaced by a more modern, welcoming and efficient visitor centre that will not be suitable for events of the toy and train fairs’ size.

Although not as big as Wood Green, the new venue will have room for around 125 pitches, and the 2019 dates there will be Sundays February 3, April 7, June 9, September 8 and November 3.

The remaining 2018 dates will still go ahead at Wood Green.

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Have you got a story for us? Email: RMModellingeditor@mortons.co.uk

The stuff that dreams are made of!

After reading RMM’s Editorial (September) in which a ‘what if?’ three-cylinder locomotive based on a Great Western ‘County’ 4-6-0 was dreamed about, Alec Bray of Tadley, Hants, kindly sent us a copy of his easy-to-use GWR Locomotive Sketchpad computer program.

He was so interested in that mind’seye doodle that he used the Sketchpad to produce an outline and ‘data sheet’ of that proposed ‘River’ class locomotive, with its very high boiler pressure and 6ft 8in driving wheels! The program makes this kind of ‘doodling’ so easy that you can ‘design’ a locomotive within about 20 minutes – and at least £10 from each sale goes towards the Great Western Society's rebuilds of ‘Saint’ and ‘County’ 4-6-0s, with Alec recouping just the cost of manufacturing.

Exclusive to the Great Western Society, the program is available from the refurbished Didcot Railway Centre Shop (details at end of story).

‘Data sheets’ similar to those found in the pages of the GWR publication GWR Engines, Numbers, Types & Classes can also be put together, and a theoretical calculation of tractive effort shows that such a three-cylinder locomotive would have been capable of putting down a surprising amount!

The Sketchpad allows you to put yourself in the position of one of the draughtsmen in the GWR’s Swindon drawing office during the first half of the 20th century – a task made easy because, thanks to G J Churchward and his successors Collett and Hawksworth, the Great Western drawing office had a set

of standardised components (although some parts were more ‘standard’ than others)!

The drawing office also had a very strong locomotive design house style which made it possible to ‘guesstimate’, using rules and algorithms, the positioning of many locomotive features, and the Sketchpad is particularly useful in encouraging youngsters to understand something of steam locomotive design and the engineering required. A drawing ‘wizard’ helps them through the design process, and the program even includes some ‘sanity checking’ to prevent some of the more extreme engineering impossibilities.

With your locomotive designed, you can change and create liveries and add backgrounds to your heart’s content, and the standard printouts can be compared to the coloured lithographs of locomotives in profile offered by The Railway Magazine during the early part of the 20th century.

In the drawing offices of every locomotive works, designers tried out a vast range of possible designs to make locomotives more efficient, and to be able to pull heavier loads at higher speeds and/ or at less cost per mile, and this approach was true even for the GWR, which already had a stock of efficient and relatively modern steam locomotive designs.

The GWR Locomotive Sketchpad allows users to see what these projected locomotives might have looked like and, using a graphical interface, manipulate the size and position of cylinders, wheels, boilers, cabs and so on, or enter the locomotive’s critical dimensions and

The Sketchpad program enables data sheets like this one of a four-cylinder ‘King’ 4-6-0 to be produced.

options in a form-based interface.

The GWR Locomotive Sketchpad program, release 5.0.0, runs either on Windows 32-bit platforms from Windows NT4 to Windows 8 (and 32bit Windows 10) or on Windows 10 64bit. A previous release runs on Linux platforms and on Raspberry Pi. Supplied either on CD-ROM or USB memory stick, it costs £12.50

if purchased while visiting the Didcot Railway Centre Shop, or £14 including postage when ordered from Great Western Retail Sales, Didcot Railway Centre, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 7NJ (01235 817200).

Payment can be made either by card or by cheque made payable to ‘Great Western Retail Sales’.

Available exclusively from the Great Western Society, the GWR Locomotive Sketchpad is for sale at the Didcot Railway Centre shop.

This image of the mind’s-eye doodle of a three-cylinder express passenger ‘River’ 4-6-0, based on a Hawksworth two-cylinder, high-boiler-pressure ‘County’, was generated on Alec Bray’s 5.0.0 version of his GWR Locomotive Sketchpad PCC software.

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Have you got a story for us? Email: RMModellingeditor@mortons.co.uk

TV 'Challenge' star Colin takes Best in Show at Swansea Colin Wilcox, a member of the winning team in Channel 5’s second The Great Model Railway Challenge programme on Friday, October 12, took best in show at the Swansea Railway Modellers’ Group’s ninth exhibition over the weekend of October 6-7 with his 009-gauge First World War model trench railway layout ‘Amiens 1918 – Tracks & Trenches’.

Later known as the Hundred Days Offensive, the Battle of Amiens was one of the last major battles of the conflict, with the Allies advancing more than eight miles on the first day alone, and ultimately led to the end of the war.

The Swansea show was attended by the RMM team and supported by Oxford Diecast and Dapol, who both showcased new projects, and this year’s event boasted 21 layouts from all over the UK as well as 16 trade stands and six stands for demonstrations and societies.

Encouragingly for the future of modelling, ticket sales for children and families were up on last year’s, and planning is already under way for the 2019 show that will see a change in both date and venue, taking place at Pentrehafod School, Pentre Mawr Road, Swansea SA1 2NN on September 21-22.

A group of soldiers relax es around a camp fire surrounded by tank s, a traction engine and lots of rubble after recapturing G erman-held fortifications and eq uipment.

Another superb art book from E ric B ottomley Railway modellers will find the images in the recently published Eric Bottomley’s Transport Gallery, A Journey Across the Canvas, extremely useful when recreating scenes from the 1948-1968 British Railways steam era in particular.

Published by Pen & Sword Books Ltd, this sumptuous 176-page hardback is crammed with a fine selection of Eric’s previously unpublished transport paintings, the railway ones covering all four BR regions.

The sad demise of steam, the dereliction of canals in the 1960s and the amazing restorations that have since taken place over the years have provided Eric with an enormous scope of subject matter, much of which is contained in this book.

Railways have been a passion of Eric’s, from trainspotting around the ex-Lancashire & Yorkshire system as a boy to painting commissions from customers both private and commercial.

From the lowly studio in Wimborne, Dorset, where his painting career took off, he never envisaged that one day he’d witness his paintings being presented to the Duke of

Kent, or that he’d meet the Duke of Gloucester, who happens to be a fellow railway enthusiast.

Since joining the Guild of Railway Artists in 1979, later becoming a full member, Eric has never looked back, and continues to paint and model the railways and industrial scenes of his youth in O gauge at his home in North Devon.

Eric Bottomley’s Transport Gallery – A Journey Across the Canvas, by Eric Bottomley GRA. Published by Pen & Sword Books Ltd, 47 Church Street, Barnsley, S Yorkshire S70 2AS. 176-page hardback, ISBN 9781-45738-762-86, £30.

G lobal cab action in train Simulator 20 1 9 Colin W ilcox is seen with his 0 0 9 -scale layout ‘Amiens 1 9 1 8 – Track s & Trenches’ at the Swansea R ailway M odel Show.

J ust look at the detail in this scene.

E ast Anglian M odel R ailway E x hibition moves out of E ast Anglia!

Because of the demolition of the Wood Green Arena in Godmanchester, near Huntingdon, the East Anglian Model Railway Exhibition will be moving to The Arena in Kettering Conference Centre, Thurston Drive, Kettering NN15 6PB, for the next three years.

Exhibition manager Mrs Jackie Kneeshaw, of the St Neots Model Railway Club, said: “Overflow car parks have been secured with a vintage bus service running between Kettering

Station and the venue. A 4in-scale miniature steam traction engine will be providing rides outside.”

The exhibition will be all in one large space, on a single level and has all the supporting facilities required.

The East Anglian exhibition cannot use the venue in March because the Gauge O Guild has its Spring Model Railway Event there, so it will be moving to the second weekend in June.

This means the exhibition will come after the Gauge O Guild Summer

Stylish Stobart-liveried coach This livery sample of a Mk 3 coach in stunning Stobart colours has been released by Oxford Rail. Also included in the Oxford range are three ‘Tirdonkin’-liveried seven-plank wagons, which were on show at the recent Swansea Railway Model Show.

Show and before the Great Central Railway Model Event.

Some people have already said: “You’ll no longer be in East Anglia”, but neither the name nor branding will be changed.

For further information, visit https://www.stneotsmrc.com/ exhibitions or find the East Anglian Model Railway Exhibition on Facebook at https://m.facebook. com/East-Anglian-Model-RailwayExhibition-308140952659301/

D ovetail G ames of Chatham, K ent, has released Train Simulator 2019, the latest instalment in its train simulation series.

The routes it features are The P ortsmouth D irect L ine, departing L ondon W aterloo and going via Clapham Junction, the Surrey hills and South D owns N ational P ark s; F rank furt H igh Speed, streak ing out of F rank furt and through the heart of H esse in D eutsche B ahn’ s vision of high-speed

travel, and featuring the largest freight yard in E urope at M annheim and inter-regional and inter-city traffic; and Soldier Summit & Salt L ak e City, delivering dramatic and challenging D enver & R io G rande W estern and Amtrak action across the rugged W asatch R ange of the R ock y M ountains.

F or more information, visit www. train-simulator.com, and if you’ d lik e to req uest a review code, contact dovetail@ lick pr.com

Heads you lose!

During a visit to the Postal Museum in London, and admiring its display about Travelling Post Offices, our Scottish correspondent Ian Lamb came across the following statement from The Post of August 31, 1891:“All we need say of the carriages employed in the Mail Service is that they are very long, very dusty and very cold and uncomfortable. The

public, on gazing at the huge nets with which the carriages are fitted are apt to form the impression that they are provided for the purpose of catching the pigeons with which the Post Office yards abound. But they are not. They sometimes catch bags and sometimes passenger heads, but the latter are reported as ‘out of course’.”

N ew venue for B lack burn and E ast L ancs M R S show The B lack burn and E ast L ancashire M odel R ailway Society is set to stage its annual ex hibition at only the third new venue in its 53-year history when it moves to D arwen V ale H igh School on the A666 just two minutes from Junction 4 of the M 65.

A highlight of this year’ s show, over the week end of N ovember 10-11 from 10am until 5pm on both days, will be the debut of a new N -scale club layout set in the heyday of steam and based on an accurate scale model of 24D L ower D arwen Shed, which was just 500 metres as the crow fl ies from the new venue.

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in What's the shops

A well-modelled Hornby ‘Rebuilt Patriot’ 4-6-0 As a new version of Hornby’s popular ‘R ebuilt Patriot’ 4- 6- 0 locomotive model steams into the shops, Nigel Burkin is impressed by its accuracy and fine attention to detail.

Introduction: Of the 52-strong fleet of threecylinder ‘Patriot’ 4-6-0 locomotives designed by Henry Fowler and built between 1930 and 1934, 18 of them saw significant rebuilding between 1946 and 1949 with LMS 2A tapered boilers.

The conversions were undertaken after the successful conversion of two ‘Jubilee’ Class locomotives and all of the ‘Royal Scot’ Class 4-6-0s with the same boiler which brought a marked improvement in performance and economy.

All of the ‘Royal Scot’ locomotives received new tapered LMS 2A boilers as replacements for their life-expired boilers together with new cylinders and frames, and this is significant because the ‘Patriot’ Class also used the same locomotive frames.

Rebuilding of the ‘Patriots’ started under the LMS and included new cabs, rebuilt tenders and the fitting of the LMS 2A tapered boilers. Not all were treated because some of the earlier ‘Patriot’ locomotives could not be rebuilt due to non-standard fittings, and the programme was abandoned by British Railways shortly after Nationalisation.

N ew in the shops for the autumn is a new version of the popular H ornby ‘R ebuilt P atriot’ 4-6 -0 ex press passenger locomotive ( R 36 33) , a model turned out with an ex q uisite level of delicate detail.

Despite this, the rebuilt locomotives performed better than the unmodified locomotives and became the last of the ‘Patriot’ Class to be withdrawn from service in the mid-1960s.

Smoke deflectors of the same design as those fitted to the ‘Royal Scots’ were fitted after 1948 and it is in this condition that the review model of the Hornby Rebuilt ‘Patriot’ is modelled, complete with early BR crest and finished in lined Brunswick green livery.

Numbered 45534 and named E Tootal Broadhurst, the model is an excellent example of the hi-fidelity models being offered in Hornby’s standard range. The full-sized No. 45534 was built in 1933 at Derby Works and was withdrawn from service in 1964.

None of the original or rebuilt ‘Patriot’ Class locomotives was saved from the cutting torch, although note should be made of the ‘Unknown Warrior’ project to build a replica of

W hen viewed in profile, the nicely tapered boiler is apparent, together with the running plate which has a complex curve at the front.

1934 Crewe-built No. 5551 (which was not originally named) by The LMS Patriot Project at Llangollen Railway Engineering. At the time of writing, the project had made excellent progress to the point where the engineers could start test-fitting the partly finished smokebox and boiler to the completed frames. More information regarding this interesting project may be found at www.lmspatriot.org.uk/.

Body moulding The Hornby ‘Rebuilt Patriot’ Class model has been available for some time, and is a popular one by all accounts, with modellers generally in agreement on how well the model captures the character of the full-sized locomotives. The engine body mouldings have a complex shape, including the tapered boiler and smokebox assembly which is adorned with a large number of fittings including a crisp double-chimney, dome and wire hand rails.

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N umerous sub-assemblies mak e up the locomotive, including separate components for the cab, boiler and frames.

The level of detail extends to the running plate and splashers, where separate fittings include pipework, metal reversing lever, smokebox deflectors and a host of tiny details.

To the firebox is fitted separate whistle and safety valve detail. The complexity of the full-sized locomotives has been captured well and with finesse – the parts all being neatly assembled to the main body components.

Cab area The cab sides and front are assembled to the frames as separate mouldings and fitted with flush glazing. On the inside can be found a detailed back head with equipment such as pressure gauges, sight glasses, regulator and brake all represented with separately applied fittings. Pipes are painted with copper paint, making them stand out against the black interior. An opening roof hatch, firebox opening shield and fall plate completes the picture. It’s left to you to find a locomotive crew!

Below the running plate A great deal of delicate looking detail is applied to the chassis, including pipework, sanding gear, sand boxes, brake hangers and shoes, together with cylinders and fine looking metal valve gear. The wheels are beautifully made with fine spokes and the correct balance weight detail. Running tests demonstrated that they were fully concentric and without any sign of eccentricity.

The brake shoes are fitted in line with the wheels, and with the slightest gap between the tyre and the brake shoes themselves.

Linkages for the brakes is provided as a separate moulding in the add-on pack, and simply clip into place. The accompanying instruction sheet shows where the various add-on parts are to be fitted and in which orientation.

To allow the model to run through sharp curves (minimum radius of 438mm), some details that might interfere with operations are supplied

in the add-on pack as optional extras for the modeller to fit, such as the front foot steps. They may interfere with the pivot of the front bogie on sharp curves when fitted, so should be fitted only to models destined for use on layouts with broad curves or display models. Locating slots are moulded on the underside of the running plate to accept the front foot steps, and a spot of solvent cement will secure them and the front coupling guard which will interfere with the tension lock coupling if fitted.

Tender The tender is as well modelled as the engine, but by the nature of tenders, does not have as much detail. You will find a part-filled coal chute and separate details to represent the water tank fittings. Brake gear is well represented with brake blocks fitted in line with the spoked wheels and details added to the rear of the tender, including brake pipe.

This rear view of the tender shows that the same attention to detail has been applied to it as to the engine itself, including fine foot step detail and water tank fittings.

Technical An eight-pin NEM-652 DCC interface socket is fitted to the tender with sufficient space for a 1 Amp decoder. With no running lights fitted to the model, a simple direct plug-in 1 Amp decoder would be all that is necessary to convert the model. Wires link the tender to the engine via a small plug and socket and the engine itself is fitted with a five-pole motor and gearbox which runs smoothly and with minimal noise.

Current collection pick-ups are fitted to all six of the tender wheels and the driving wheels of the engine too, providing current collection over 175mm of the model’s length and through 12 separate wheels – little wonder the model shows few signs of hesitation when running through complex track formations at slow speeds, such as those found in station approaches.

FEATURES OF THE MODEL: F inely tooled body shell enhanced with individually applied fittings.

L ightly sprung metal buffers.

F ive-pole motor fitted to the engine.

E ight-pin D CC interface located in the tender.

Separate wire and plastic hand rails.

F actory-applied screw couplings and brak e pipes.

P rinted nameplates on driving wheel splashers.

Separate whistle, safety valve and reversing lever detail.

F ront foot steps, coupling guard and other details supplied in the add-on pack .

D etailed cab and back head.

F lush glaz ing applied to the cab windows.

B rak e rigging details supplied as separate fittings for the modeller to fit.

L ength: 266mm over buffers.

W eight, including tender and fittings: 370g.

MODEL DETAILS: E arly B R condition R ebuilt ‘P atriot’ Class 4-6-0 locomotive.

Manufacturer: H ornby H obbies L imited.

Scale: 4mm ( 1:76) scale, O O gauge.

Era: 1946 to 1965.

Web: www.hornby.com The cab interior boasts copper and brass-painted pipework and a detailed back head.

Suggested retail price: £ 169.95.

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in What's the shops Livery Finished in Brunswick green, the model represents No. 45534 E Tootal Broadhurst (an influential industrialist from the North West of England and director of the LNWR) in early BR condition with early BR totem applied to the tender sides. The finish is dull, with subtle lining – perhaps a little too dull for Brunswick green, which is quite a rich colour when fresh.

Other fittings are touched in with brass metallic paint or black, with red applied to the buffer beams and buffer shanks. The base of the livery is ideal for an in-service engine where the modeller can apply light to moderate weathering – the model being supplied in pristine condition. Lining is consistently smooth and even, including around the complex boiler area.

Lettering and numerals are well printed, opaque and level, with no bleed apparent along the edges.

D etails around the smok ebox include a crisp double chimney, running plate detail and other small fittings. The small hand rail applied to the smok ebox door needed to be re-seated.

The smooth-sided tender with its partial coal load is neatly modelled.

Overall The owner of one of these models will have a beautifully detailed and accurate replica of the full-sized locomotives, with the character of these powerful express passenger locomotives encapsulated perfectly in 4mm scale.

Inspection against photographs of the full-sized locomotive failed to reveal any awkward points.

Care has to be taken with handling because some of the details are delicate, particularly the hand rails fitted adjacent to the cab doors which are of moulded plastic and prone to breakage.

Fittings along the running plate are also, by necessity, fine in their appearance and emphasise the need for careful handling of the model when fitting a decoder and during routine maintenance. Once on the layout, the motion and performance of the model was without fault, and running-in smoothed out an already silky-smooth chassis – one of the best that has been tested on my work bench in recent times.

November 2018

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in What's the shops Right: Graham Farish has released models of both Class 37/0 No. 37 261 in early DRS livery and the last Class 66 to be built for GBRf, and both are now available in the shops.

Modern diesel gems from Graham Farish Two reissues of popular diesel-electric locomotives in 1:148 scale are reviewed by Nigel Burkin.

Direct Rail Services Class 37 No. 37 261 Bachmann recently released to retailers a well-finished model of a Series 2 Class 37/0 as No. 37 261, finished in early Direct Rail Services (DRS) livery, that will fit nicely on any layout themed around railway privatisation from about 2005, a period when the full-sized locomotive was acquired by DRS after a short spell with West Coast Railways, running regularly in Scotland on ‘Royal Scotsman’ duties.

The work for DRS Class 37s also included nuclear flask traffic and autumn rail head treatment trains, and No. 37 261 was later re-liveried with DRS ‘compass’ markings, and around the same time some changes were made to external fittings on the bonnet fronts.

The model is a reissue of the popular Graham Farish Class 37, and features a powerful six-axle-drive chassis and a frame-mounted motor with twin flywheels giving the model a lot of haulage power – more than enough for a short train of FNA wagons (usually in multiple with another locomotive).

FNAs are also part of the Graham

Farish range, making the modelling of nuclear power station workings simple.

Network Rail test train and rail head treatment train workings were another source of work for No. 37 261, but these are not quite as easy to replicate.

The model is fitted with LED head and tail running lights that work according to the direction of travel, while a six-pin DCC socket makes the conversion to DCC simple. NEM coupling pockets are fitted as standard to the bogies, and the small pack of add-on details supplied in the box includes miniature snow ploughs and brake hoses.

During the 1980s No. 37 261, along with No. 37 260, became firmly established as Scottish Region locomotives, being allocated to Inverness in 1982 after a short spell at Eastfield.

No. 37 261 was equipped to work trains regularly on the Far North and Kyle of Lochalsh lines, and was named Caithness in June 1985.

It was withdrawn from traffic with DRS early in 2014 and sent to Barrow Hill for

Livery application is sharp, with a good representation of DRS blue together with the accurate type face used in the early numbers and DRS legends.

component stripping, but fortunately, given the importance of the locomotive in the Scottish railway scene, it has been secured for preservation and was moved to the Scottish Railway Preservation Society diesel shed at Bo’ness in June 2015 for an extensive rebuild.

Class 37/0, finished in early DRS livery.

1:148 scale, N gauge.

Catalogue number: 371-471.

Suggested retail price: £129.95.

No. 37 261’s early DRS livery drops the model neatly into the late 2005-onwards period. It has six-axle drive and a powerful frame-mounted motor.

An interesting development is the painting of the last Class 66 to be built in the same BR Brunswick green livery as the last steam locomotive for BR. Class 66 No. 66 779 and 9F 2-10-0 No. 92220 also share the same name.

The model will suit any layout theme from May 2016 until the present day. It is likely to appeal to collectors as well as modellers of the contemporary scene alike due to its unique livery and links to the last BR steam locomotive.

GBRf Class 66 No. 66 779 Evening Star The last Class 66 freight locomotive to be constructed was destined for GBRf, which named No 66 779 Evening Star after its BR Standard 9F 2-10-0 steam locomotive counterpart No. 92220 of the same name at York Railway Museum in May 2016. Both locomotives were designed for heavy freight, and shared the distinction of being the last of their type to roll off the production line.

The Class 66 has enjoyed a long production history, with hundreds of examples in service both in the UK and Europe.

A special heritage livery of BR Brunswick green with lining and brass nameplates has been applied to No. 66 779 – essentially the same colours worn by many BR steam locomotives including No. 92 220, which was the only 9F to receive lined Brunswick green while in BR service.

The diesel model is supplied with an authentic representation of BR Brunswick green livery, with sharp lining and many of the small livery embellishments of the time. A pack of detailing parts and a full set of etched nameplates are supplied, and the model is equipped with all-wheel drive and working head and tail-lights.

The real No. 66 779 is destined for the National Collection when it is finally retired from service in around 40 years’ time, and will join No. 92 220 which is already part of the collection.

The model is one of six different Class 66s to be reissued by Graham Farish this autumn – DB Schenker No. 66 101, EWS No. 66 111, Freightliner No. 66 416, Colas Railfreight No. 66 846, DRS No. 66 434 and the featured model of GBRf No. 66 779 – providing a great choice for the modern locomotive enthusiast.

as Low-emission Class 66 as No. 66 779.

1:148 scale, N gauge.

371-398 398 Catalogue number: 37 ce: £134.95.

Suggested retail price: Graham Farish has made a neat job of the heritage livery applied to its Class 66 model, which incorporates many small details including GB Railfreight markings, numerals and safety notices.

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November 2018

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Lights, sound, action!

Pete Kelly visits the bright, spacious premises of Digitrains in Lincoln, which prides itself on taking the terror out of DCC technology for railway modellers.

Many railway modellers readily admit that they don’t understand DCC (Digital Command Control) and are perfectly happy with the analogue control systems that have served them faithfully for years. There’s nothing wrong with that, of course – but how often is their reluctance to change simply due to a fear of the unknown?

How can you go shopping for the items needed for DCC operation if you don’t even know what they are or what they do – and do all those technical terms that are bandied around by experts like some secret code make you feel even more of an outsider?

Digitrains saw the future 13 years ago, at the start of the digital revolution, when Jeremy Fairlie-Smith and Chris Town set up shop in an old stable block behind the Manor House in Digby, Lincolnshire, in January 2005, investing heavily in digital equipment such as decoders and central systems and offering a decoder-fitting service right from the beginning.

After relocating to its present spacious premises in Lincoln and being joined

by Jeremy’s wife Nicole Fairlie-Smith, Digitrains still prides itself on explaining DCC in a relaxed, kind and helpful

manner to anyone wishing to take it up – even letting them try out a wide range of static and hand-held equipment at a substantial bank of controls behind a test track that’s in full view of all visitors to the shop. The line-up includes everything from a normal Bachmann analogue controller that’s used simply for testing models to an impressive central control panel.

Waiting to be tried are Dynamis, Digitrax Zephyr, Sig-naTrak Ace and Ecos static controllers and several hand-held controllers including an NCE Power Cab, Gaugemaster Prodigy2, Piko SmartControl and a Roco Multi Maus that can be used with the Lenz system.

Indeed, once the Dynamis controller has been set up with a suitable computer disc, it can look after a shunting operation all day long!

Decoder-fitting remains at the heart of the business, but the workshop is now so busy that the current turn-around time is two to three weeks.

High-tech devotees will love the prominent display of DCC Concepts’ products embracing control boards, turnout motors, compact Alpha Central units that can control 12 devices,

So that’ s how it work s! Another ex ample of mak ing everything readily understandable is seen in this street of semi-detached houses illuminated by W oodland Scenics ‘J ust P lug’ lighting system.

An invitation to try out a whole range of fix ed and hand-set digital controllers awaits visitors at D igitrains’ test track .

signalbox lever frames, colour light signals, pick-up improvement systems, wire strippers, track cutters.

Digitrains isn’t just about DCC technology, though, for it also stocks everything else that you’d expect to find in a typical model railway shop, with boxes and boxes of locomotives and rolling stock, track, building kits and scenic modelling items displayed in orderly groupings with plenty of space to walk around and examine them all.

While many model retailers stock model lighting equipment, Digitrains has gone one step further by building a short street of OO-scale houses and, using Woodland Scenics’ wonderful ‘Just Plug’ lighting system (distributed

by Bachmann Europe plc) showing everything lit up and in place and making installations much easier for potential buyers to understand.

Adding cosy night-time scenes to any new or existing layout, the ‘Just Plug’ system also covers street and road vehicle lighting, and requires neither electrical knowledge nor special tools – even the brightness of the lights can be controlled – and at Digitrains, every item that could possibly be needed to get your model lighting up and running is there to see, right alongside the display.

A dedicated display of easy-to-install Train Tech carriage lighting kits quickly got me dreaming about lighting on the move in night scenes – and with some

model steam locomotives now even featuring ‘firebox glow’ in the cabs, the imagination could very easily run riot.

Another aspect of lighting – that of colour signals and buffer-stop lights – could be found in another Train Tech corner, and elsewhere were scores of small packets containing Expo’s wide range of solderless LED holders, miniature bulbs, switches, wiring and other products.

Another growing aspect of model railways is the installation of sound -- and to go with the Loksound or Zimo sound decoder, Digitrains boasts one of the finest ‘sound libraries’ around, with authentic sounds for a whole range of steam, diesel and electric-outline models.

H oward L eader has done an amaz ing j ob of recreating these buildings for the L incoln Central layout.

November 2018

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



 They will fit sound decoders and speakers For some time now, though, John for customers as long as there is room for Whiteside has been putting together a huge them inside the model concerned, but try to OO-scale sectioned exhibition layout of avoid modifications to the actual structure Lincoln Central Station as it was in 1965-70, of the model. putting in a tremendous amount of work so Steam lovers can choose sounds for far, and Howard Leader has done a brilliant everything from a ‘Britannia’ Pacific to the job of scratch-building the hotel, cafe and unique three-cylinder, Caprotti valve-gear other structures that stood by the station.

No. 71000 Duke of Gloucester; a ‘Jubilee’ Digitrains is no stranger to model railway 4-6-0 to a Lancashire & Yorkshire tank shows, either, and takes an 18ft stand with engine; a ‘Royal Scot’ 4-6-0 to a Stanier locomotives, rolling stock, other modelling 8F 2-8-0; A3 and A4 Pacifics to a P2 2-8-2; items and all the digital bits and bobs all Bulleid Pacifics to Beattie well tanks and over the country, including plenty of blank A1X ‘Terrier’ tanks, and Great Western sound decoders so that the showgoers can pannier and Prairie tanks, ‘Hall’, ‘Manor’, hear the locomotive noises for themselves.

‘Castle’ and ‘King’ 4-6-0s and much This year the shows that Nicole and more between.

Jeremy have attended have included Wigan, For diesel enthusiasts, the distinctive Hartlepool, Spalding, Crewe and Wakefield, sounds of Class 03, 08, 15, 17, 20, 22, 23, along with the Great Electric Exhibition at 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 31, 33, 35, 37, 37/9, 40, Milton Keynes, and still have Warley and 43, 45, 47, 50, 52, 56, 57, 60, 66, 67 and Peterborough to do. If it’s a very busy show 70 locomotives are available, along with a like Glasgow, York, Warley or Alexandra number of multiple-unit sounds.

Palace, John and his partner June, who Electric sounds for Class 85, 86, 90 and works in Digitrains’ post room dealing with 92 locomotives and Class 411 and Desiro the ever-growing number of online orders, electric multiple units can also be fitted. go along to help out as well.

That’s the control systems, lights and Finally, remaining well abreast of sound covered – but now what about the latest in model railway technology, the scenics? So many products are now Digitrains launched a brand new, brighter available that the modeller hardly knows and even more informative website on where to start – but by once again October 16. Nicole’s daughter Elli has been grouping the items into dedicated displays, working non-stop on it for 18 months, and Digitrains has made the job of choosing a it’s well worth a visit. lot easier.

Digitrains, 15 Clifton Street, Lincoln LN5 You’ll see from this month’s update 8QL, 01522 527731, www.digitrains.co.uk , on RMM’s project N-gauge layout ‘St enquiries@digitrains.co.uk .

Ann’s Cove’ (page 43) just how messy and time-consuming making large sections of hilly scenery can be, and during my visit to Digitrains I was drawn to the dedicated display of scenic items in Woodland Scenics’ ‘Subterrain’ lightweight layout system ranging from special tools, water features and adhesives to jars of scatter materials, foam putty, plaster cloth, risers, asphalt and concrete road systems and much more.

One of the first things to catch shop visitors’ eyes is the full range of Metcalfe N and OO-scale card building kits that are displayed so effectively by the door, but to show what the completed buildings  actually look like, Digitrains has taken the trouble of building some of them and displaying them, along with some nice-looking proprietary plastic kits, in a well-lit glass cabinet.

A small part of Digitrains’ business is designing and producing smallish analogue and digital layouts in N and OO scale. These are built by Paul Dent, who specialises in dioramas that can sit  comfortably on a child’s bed.

1. In another general view of the Digitrains premises, a ready-built scenic viaduct station awaits a buyer.

2. Woodland Scenics’ Subterrain system has everything for the scenic modeller.

3. For some time now, John Whiteside has been putting together a very large OO-scale exhibition layout of Lincoln Central Station around 196570, and here one of the sections is neatly stored as it awaits the next session of work.

4. A small layout being built for a Digitrains customer is seen in its early stages.

5. This scenic section of Digitrains’ test track is seen behind the control panel.

6. There’s magic in the air as the ‘Hogwarts Express’ steams by.

15

16

| THEN & NOW

November 2018

Modelling full size – the renaissance of Grantown on Spey railway station Ian Lamb anticipates the November 2 opening of the Highland Heritage and Cultural Centre on the site of the former Grantown on Spey East station – 50 years to the day since the last passenger train ran over the line

F

ifty years ago, the Grantown on Spey East station complex became derelict and, once the rails and sleepers had been lifted, left to nature. In time, trees and other vegetation took over to such an extent that even some locals were unaware that the former main line station building still existed!

The station itself had ceased to be of service in 1965 as part of the Beeching cuts, though some freight continued along the line until 1968.

Karen Blessington, sole owner of the Revack Estate on which the remains of the one-time Grantown East was located, came up with the concept of the Grantown East venture, and thoughts of a Highland heritage and cultural centre were further sealed during a casual conversation when Karen and Dave Garman chatted about life generally with Margaret Grant, the local kilt maker, without realising what a major project it would be.

Railways have served Scotland for almost 200 years, connecting people and trade while leaving a distinctive impact on the landscape, and it is intended that this major

redevelopment of the former railway station in Grantown will evoke the sounds, smells and sights of the golden age of steam.

This line was built by the Great North of Scotland Railway (though the section was known as the ‘Strathspey Railway’) and opened on July 1, 1863, allowing passengers to travel from the south of Scotland to Elgin and Keith in the north.

It is hard to imagine these days the impact the arrival of the railway had on local communities. Journeys that had once taken days by foot or wagon could be achieved in hours, and the railway was their connection to the outside world. In particular, whisky distilled in the locality could now be conveyed easily to anywhere.

Before work began on the ambitious cultural centre project, some of the top railway engineers were brought in to give proper advice, and additionally, local heritage railway enthusiasts and the Great North of Scotland Railway Association were contacted to ensure that the historical aspect of Grantown on Spey East station and the ‘Speyside Line’ in general were included where possible.

 1. On November 2, 1968, Class 23 Bo-Bo diesel-electric No. D5313 rests at Grantown on Spey East station with the last passenger train over the line, the Great North of Scotland Railway Association’s southbound ‘Speyside Excursion’ to Aviemore. Photo courtesy GNSRA. 2. When pictured on July 28 this year, the completed station building and its interior were ready for the new role as a heritage and cultural centre. Ian Lamb writes: “It has been a privilege to observe so many tradespeople ensuring that every detail matched the original as far as humanly possible.”



3. Estate workers show off their many skills, in this instance carefully positioning sleepers after excellently re-pointing the platform bases.



4. It was a good thing that the Revack Estate’s ‘Danny Clydesdale’ was on hand to help if needed!

5. Another view of the beautifully refurbished station.

6. Work in progress on the narrowgauge railway that will run around the eastern perimeter of the site.







THEN & NOW

November 2018

It was envisaged that to create the derelict station and surrounding site into a hub for the rich Highland heritage would take around 18 months, and just before this issue went to press it was due to be opened to the public from November 2, exactly 50 years since the last passenger train traversed the line.

Apart from the personal financial commitment, Karen said the project “will serve as an inspiration for me, and eventually I’d like to somehow display past memories and share them with other people so that the station’s story will not be forgotten in the years that follow”.

It will become a home for the region’s traditional crafts, and could create up to 30 jobs. There are also plans for a retail outlet where Scottish craftspeople can display their wares.

Within the interactive displays, visitors will be able to view the full journey of the very last public train ever to pass through Grantown East station on November 2, 1968.

Other attractions lined up include a Highland Games demonstration 

arena, kilt-making and leather-making demonstrations and a narrow-gauge railway running around the eastern perimeter of the site.

Second-hand track was soon acquired and temporarily stored with the help of a horse before each sleeper was located into position painstakingly and carefully beneath a re-pointed and edged platform.

Trains have returned to the station in the form of two one-time Southern Region BR Mk 1 coaches uniquely placed side-by-side rather than the more conventional top-tail arrangement, and this gives much better use of the interior space as a restaurant, especially the kitchen.

The Highland Heritage and Cultural Centre at the refurbished Grantown on Spey East railway station will be great for those seeking to learn, shop and grab a bite to eat.

Don’t leave it too long before making a visit. You won’t be disappointed!

For more details including opening times, contact www.grantowneast.com

| 17



 7. Just as in railway modelling, inspiration for the Highland Heritage and Cultural Centre was taken from this image of the station soon after the line closed.



8. It had been intended that Jimmy Gray, who drove the last scheduled Speyside passenger train on November 2, 1968, and always said “Ah’m just an ordinary Highland railwayman”, would be able to open the new Highland Heritage and Cultural Centre this coming November 2, but sadly he passed away at the grand age of 94 in September. This image of Jimmy, taken outside the house his father built from old sleepers, was taken by Ian Lamb only last year.

9. For the 7¼-in gauge enthusiast, a loaned Feldbahn 0-4-0 tank engine will be performing at the official opening of the Highland Heritage and Cultural Centre, and will remain until the ordered upgraded Feldbahn FC7 0-6-0T BS2 arrives at the end of the year.



10. After being cleared of the thick undergrowth of many years, the station site starts to look like its old self again in 2017.

11. The pairing of these two coaches side-by-side, compared with the more conventional ‘top and tail’, has yet to prove its practicality, but at first sight, particularly in the kitchen area, there’s an amazing amount of centralised space.

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18

November 2018

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Letters✉

Get in touch by emailing: RMModellingeditor@mortons.co.uk or send to: The Railway Magazine Guide to Modelling, Mortons Media Group, Media Centre, Morton Way, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6JR.

W hy not model the 'Turbomotive' and its rebuild as N o. 46 20 2 Princess Anne?

Your ‘locomotives that might have been’ comments (RMM September) set my thoughts wandering in the direction of ready-to-run engines I’d love to have seen produced by one of the major model companies – notable among them being the famous steam turbine-driven ‘Turbomotive’ No. 6202, the third to be numbered in the ‘Princess Royal’ class whose stablemates were normal four-cylinder Pacifics.

Many years ago, a model of the ‘Turbomotive’ was available in kit form, but I don’t ever recall it being produced in RTR format – a great pity, but then I should have had the guts and skill to have bought and built one at the time.

As a child in my home town of Lancaster, I spent many hours at the local Castle Station watching the West Coast Main Line expresses thundering through, the ‘Streaks’ and ‘Semis’ (‘Princess Coronation’ Pacifics), then the pioneering diesel-electrics 10000 and 10001, but never the ‘Turbo’, whose primary destination was Liverpool.

Unfortunately, soon after being converted from a steam turbine into a four-cylinder ‘Princess Royal’ Pacific incorporating some ‘Princess Coronation’ features and named Princess Anne, No. 46202 was involved in the horrendous Harrow & Wealdstone tragedy that cost so many lives and was damaged beyond repair. However City of Glasgow, which was also involved and equally badly damaged, did make it back.

When converted to orthodox ‘Princess Royal’ style, the former ‘Turbo’ took on a handsome form and, in my humble opinion, would make a stunning shelf model, so it’s over to you Hornby, Bachmann et al.

Finally, congratulations on your excellent publication. Being a journalist myself, I like the newspaper format – not to mention that I don’t have to fork out a fiver for the glossies!

Peter Gardner, Hazel Grove, Cheshire

Thank you for an excellent letter, Peter, and models of both the original ‘Turbomotive’ and short-lived Princess Anne conversion would make excellent collectors’ pieces – why not both of them together, either to run or to display on a wooden plinth?

The Harrow & Weldstone disaster that occurred on the morning of October 8, 1952 was sparked when a southbound train headed by ‘Princess Coronation’ Pacific No. 46242 City of Glasgow ran into the back of a stationary

More to dioramas than meets the eye I am a member of the Hazel Grove & District Model Railway Society, and each month we receive a batch of the Railway Magazine Guide to Modelling for distribution among members.

In last month’s issue, Barry Allen’s article about his Liverpool diorama caught my eye, and I thought a follow-up might be of interest.

Many modellers look on a diorama as an afterthought on which to show those unusual items that might otherwise look out of place on their layouts, but have you ever thought about why dioramas came about?

I am also a member of the Model Bus Federation, which was started by two 17-year-old lads from Yorkshire in 1968, and dioramas are plentiful at our National Show and AGM that take place each first Saturday in October, when members show off their model buses in depots, bus stations and other environments.

More than 30 years ago we created a competitive element to this particular aspect of the hobby, and it has proved very popular.

I came second in the competition with my first display in 2013, and won it this year, but sadly didn’t take any photos.

Chris Pearson, Email

Chris did, however, photograph and write about the building of his first diorama, and this will appear in the next issue.

B efore its conversion to a four-cylinder P acific, the Stanier 'Turbomotive' is seen in action in early B ritish R ailways D ays. P hoto: R ail P hotoprints

W hat a handsome locomotive the rebuild as Princess Anne was. M ortons Archive photo.

morning commuter train in the fog, and the wreckage was scattered all over the tracks.

Minutes later, the northbound combined Liverpool and Manchester train with ‘Jubilee’ 4-6-0 No. 45637 Windward Islands piloting No. 46202 Princess Anne ran into the wreckage at an estimated 60mph, and the disaster killed 112 people and injured another 340, some of them very seriously indeed.

While both Windward Islands and Princess Anne were damaged beyond economic repair,

City of Glasgow was eventually returned to service and, less than five years later, became one of the two members of the class chosen to head the inaugural eight-coach ‘Caledonian’ service between London and Glasgow in 1957, the other one of course being No. 46245 City of London.

The loss of the rebuilt ‘Turbomotive’ resulted in the commissioning of the unique BR Standard Class 8 three-cylinder Pacific No. 71000 Duke of Gloucester, which incorporated modified Caprotti valve-gear and remains in preservation.

First reactions to TV’s Great Model Railway Challenge I sat down to watch the new railway modelling programme on Channel 5, and 20 minutes later turned it off. However I felt that a number of points needed some explanation, so I felt I had to go back into the programme halfway through.

As it’s so easy to find fault with any programme, let’s start with a ‘well done!’ both to the team for coming into the open and risking making a programme about model railways, and to all the modellers who took part.

However I would like to have known how and when the competitors were chosen, what the aim of the programme was, whether the general public understand about scales and gauges, and when each team was given its brief.

It would have been good to hear the teams’ own planning discussions and how they decided what to use, and which materials they were allowed to use. Were there any cost restraints, and what about health and safety with regard to electrics, fumes, powders and so on?

Thank you all for trying, but I think it could have been done a little better.

Darryl Foxwell, Email

Was the first Great Model Railway Challenge programme ‘Thomas the Tank Engine meets the Wolf of Wall Street?’

Martin Cross, Email

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