Indice dei contenuti per May 2024 in Model Rail

One of my current layout projects features what will be a partly overgrown colliery line, running in a slightly claustrophobic cutting, below several overbridges with seriously restricted clearance. The staple traffic will, naturally, consist of open mineral wagons, but some form of propulsion is needed, with no main line steam or diesel traction able to fit under the bridges. I'd been mooching around the internet looking for suitable kits and Rapido's forthcoming Port of Par Bagnall 0-4-0ST will be perfect, although a diesel would also be welcome. As usual, while searching for something completely unrelated, I unearthed a motorised Knightwing 4wDM shunter, built for my erstwhile ‘Maudetown Colliery’ layout some 10-15 years ago. Posed in the partly finished cutting, the yellow diesel looks perfect. However, it's still slightly too tall,…

Many of us long-standing modellers will have been taken aback by the announcements regarding Hattons and the Warley NEC show. I must say my modelling mojo was taken away for a few days, but I was soon back on track – if you'll excuse the pun. Some time ago, I built a Tim Horn baseboard kit that, despite sitting in the rafters of my garage for years, was still in excellent condition. The previous diorama, having been built on a layer of foamboard, was easy to prise away from the plywood board. While I'm always a little sad when I dismantle previous layouts like this, I also know that my next project will be better than the last. Besides, just having a ‘new’ baseboard in front of me was quite…

With 512 locomotives built at two locations over a six-year period, it was inevitable that BR's ‘standard’ Type 4 Co-Co diesel would be anything but standard. Electrical systems and components, train heating equipment, cooling arrangements, axle design, brake systems and various external details varied significantly across the fleet. However, unlike many other first-generation BR diesels, there was no policy of ‘dual sourcing’ with the Brush Type 4s. Intended as an insurance policy against unsuccessful equipment, dual sourcing helped British industry by distributing lucrative contracts more widely, but weakened the benefits of standardisation. It was inevitable that BR's ‘standard’ Type 4 Co-Co diesel would be anything but standard A proposal to fit part of the Brush Type 4 fleet with English Electric power units and electrical equipment was rejected by BR…

PART TWO Water features are great when they go to plan, but when the water refuses to set or turns cloudy, then frustration sets in. On this project, I was determined to learn from past mistakes and, although it took me some time to get it right, the finished water was as good as I hoped it would be. This small area of water was created over a period of seven days, working in bursts of between 30 minutes and an hour per day. Water projects are never quick, and experience has taught me that rushing drastically reduces the chances of ending up with satisfactory results. Getting the base fully sealed and level, ensuring there's nothing that will react adversely with the water fluid, are vitally important. So too is…

Our reviewers George Dent Model Rail's modern image expert also has a passion for steam. Chris Leigh Wrote his first review in 1964 and hasn't stopped since! How we test At Model Rail, we pride ourselves on the quality, thoroughness and unbiased nature of our reviews. We assess models on their looks, performance, features and value for money. We also run them on our own test tracks, which feature various gradients and numerous challenging track configurations.…

Reviews Representing the first main line diesel locomotives to be built in Britain, Bachmann Branchline's ‘OO’ gauge version of the LMS ‘Twins’ was released in 2013, garnering plenty of acclaim. Finally, modellers in ‘N’ gauge also have the chance to recreate these iconic prototypes without resorting to kits, with 10000 and 10001 now available in the Graham Farish range. The diesel electric pair will be popular with modellers of the BR steam era and several livery versions of each locomotive is being offered, with period-specific detail modifications. THE ELDER ‘TWIN’ Our sample depicts the pioneer 10000, in BR lined green with the later style emblems, as it appeared in the mid-1950s after trials on the Southern Region, when extra lamp brackets and marker lights had been installed. Just like its…

Built originally for the Ministry of Defence (MoD), to work 2ft 6in gauge lines within various Royal Navy armaments depots, the Baguley-Drewry 70hp diesels were constructed in the early 1980s and continued in MoD use into the early 2000s, with examples finding alternative careers in industry and preservation. Bachmann's ‘OO9’ gauge re-creation has been in the pipeline for several years, but a range of livery options is now available, including this characterful version in British Industrial Sands white, complete with the comical camel logos on the cab sides. At less than 60mm in length and 18mm wide, this is a very cute little diesel, with all four wheels virtually hidden behind the outer chassis frames. Even so, a set of brake gear and sanding pipes are installed. The slimline look…

Reviews Rapido Trains UK has clearly set out to make the market for steam-era wagons its own, especially where GWR wagons are concerned. Having received two five-plank opens and three vans for review it would be easy to assume that they all share a common chassis. However, apart from the fact that they all have a 36mm (9ft) wheelbase, each is bespoke to the particular type of wagon. As someone who grew up with all Hornby-Dublo four-wheel wagons being on the same chassis, it is thought-provoking to see how far proprietary railway models have come. Essentially, this group of five consists of three different vehicles, the ‘Mink A’ van in both unfitted and vacuum-braked forms, the five-plank ‘Open A’ also in unfitted and fitted versions, and the 10 ton steam-heated…

The Big Picture The Big Picture Remnants of the Forest of Dean's industrial past can still be seen, not least in the network of former railway lines – now footpaths – that criss-cross the area. The region has also been the subject of numerous books, one of which inspired Theo Thomas to combine elements of the region's many collieries into one layout. Read more about Theo's ‘Providence Colliery’ in an upcoming issue of Model Rail.…

…and finally In the days before Earnest Marples and Lord Beeching changed the landscape of Britain by building motorways and closing railways, very few people owned a motorcar. Besides, the cars of the time were generally unreliable and would frequently break down. Today, we'd expect the likes of the AA or RAC to come to our rescue but, back in the golden days when every village had a railway station, it was the norm to telephone, write a telegram or even send a carrier pigeon requesting the car recovery train. And here we have such a service in action, with an Austin 7 being returned to its grateful owner.…

Masterclass DETAIL A MODEL RAIL CLASS 48 Back in the day, you felt blessed if a RTR diesel boasted any kind of cab interior moulding, hence why the likes of Mainline's Class 56 – introduced in 1983 – stood out from the crowd. Heck, they even featured a painted driver figure! Now we're in the 2020s and we expect our new models to feature a much higher level of detail on the inside as well as the outside. Many of the latest releases oblige, including Heljan's all-new Brush Type 4s and, as part of that production run, Heljan also produced the unique Class 48s, exclusively for Model Rail. The ‘48s’ feature the same high specification as Heljan's Class 47, a full review of which can be found on page 76 of…

Workbench EXPERT MODELLERS SHOW YOU HOW The Lima brand was founded in the immediate post-war era, initially as a manufacturer of spare parts for the full-size railway. However, this output was short-lived, thanks to the Italian state railway taking the production of components in-house. Undeterred, Lima (Lavorazione Italiana Metalli e Affini) switched its focus to producing metal toys. By the 1970s, Lima was one of the world's largest model manufacturers, specialising in ‘HO’ scale railways and serving the European, North American, Australian and UK markets. With ‘HO’ having limited appeal in the UK, Lima switched to ‘OO’ gauge products for its British-outline models, which were offered at affordable prices. Thus, the brand became popular during the 1980s, particularly among UK modern-image modellers. PLAYING THE CLASSICS Eventually, the Lima stable played…

Reviews Representing its first UK-outline model, Heljan's ‘OO’ Class 47 was released to universal acclaim in 2002, providing a significant step up in performance and detail compared to the existing Type 4s from Hornby and Lima. Alas, Heljan's model suffered from being too wide, but was otherwise faithful to the prototype. Like other key BR diesel types, several manufacturers have attempted to get the Brush Type 4s just right. Bachmann's model followed in 2007, which got closer, as did the Vi-Trains product from 2009, but it was Bachmann's all-new version, released in 2021, that finally ‘nailed’ the distinctive character of the ‘47’. With the Type 4 claiming an important part of Heljan's history – and having been out of production for some years – it was no great surprise when…

Farish LMS 10000 – in detail Overseen by the chief mechanical engineer of the LMS George Ivatt, the 1,600hp Co-Co diesel electric 10000 emerged from Derby Works in December 1947, just weeks before the railways were nationalised. English Electric provided the 16SVT Mk 1 diesel engine, generator and traction motors and a second locomotive, 100001, also emerged from Derby in early 1948. Developed as part of the LMS’ trials of diesel electric traction, the pair were to be tested against various steam locomotive types in order to gain an understanding of whether main line diesels could offer tangible benefits in terms of performance and economy. Capable of working individually or as a pair, the locomotives were given the classification of D16/1 and were put to work initially on St Pancras-Derby…

Reviews The Class 57 fleet consists of a total of 33 locomotives, each of which was created within the shell of a Class 47. Re-engineered with a General Motors EMD 645 series power unit, the ‘57s’ were converted between 1997 and 2004, with the first batch (57001-12), designated for use on Freightliner's intermodal services. Leasing firm Porterbrook duly commissioned a prototype Class 57/6, equipped for passenger work, which led to Virgin Trains ordering a fleet of similar Class 57/3s, to act as rescue locomotives, stationed at strategic points along the West Coast Main Line. Dubbed ‘Thunderbirds’, the ‘57/3s’ gained the names of characters from the famous Gerry Anderson TV show. Meanwhile, the ‘57/6’ sub-class was extended when First Great Western ordered a small fleet to replace its ailing Class 47s…

Reviews It feels like we've been inundated with TTA tanks recently, with Dapol's ‘O’ gauge models being followed by Hornby's new ‘OO’ version, both of which were superb. Hornby's ‘TT:120’ TTAs also emerged last month, with sales reportedly brisk. This is no surprise, given the paucity of modern freight stock in this embryonic range and anyone buying a BR Class 08 last year now has something authentic to shunt around. Like the ‘OO’ version, Hornby has produced three different TTAs, two of which we have for review, sporting grey barrels adorned with Esso and Total emblems. The third option is a green/yellow BP tank. Both of our samples feature the single end ladder (the BP tank sports the more common twin ladder arrangement) and the wagons boast an impressive overall…

‘OO’ GAUGE LAYOUT ‘WONTONGET’ Unless you've decided to model a small shunting layout, or are one of the extremely fortunate people to have a very large railway room into which you can fit everything your heart desires, there will be a difference between what you ‘want’ and what you ‘get’. That was the case for Paul Roberts, who discovered that even though he could have a railway room in his sizeable converted loft, he would still have to compromise. “I had a large attic layout that was a loop, but the loft was incredibly cold in the winter and very hot in the summer, so when the conversion was done properly, the opportunity arose to put a new layout in there, as the old one had been dismantled. However, I…

Workbench EXPERT MODELLERS SHOW YOU HOW The rather whimsical, quirky-looking Ratio Coal/Builders Merchant kit has been around for as long as I can remember. I must admit that I initially thought it was a work of pure fiction and, perhaps, the result of an over-active imagination. However, I recently discovered that the kit is based on a prototype that once existed at Nairn, in northeast Scotland. I've struggled to find any prototype photographs online to back this up, but either way, it has plenty of character, charm and is most suitable for many industrial uses. It even crossed my mind that, with a little modification, it would make an interesting light railway station building. Oh yes, it's also available in ‘N’ gauge as well as the ‘OO’ kit portrayed in…

‘N’ GAUGE LAYOUT SETTRINGTON As the saying goes, ‘When life gives you lemons, make lemonade’. Numerous variations of the phrase have been coined over the years, and now there's a new one for model railways. When life gives you a regular road journey that goes past a former station building, make a model railway of it. Admittedly, it may not be quite as catchy as the original, but for Kevin Smith this is how his latest ‘N’ gauge layout, ‘Settrington’, came to be, as it's based on the location of the same name. “Every time I drove down to Hull from home I would pass the station site, so I started to research the line, coming across a book from Warwick R. Burton titled The Malton & Driffield Junction Railway,…

Heljan Class 47 – in detail The BR/Brush Type 4 emerged out of an original plan to build another batch of Class 46 ‘Peaks’, employing a more powerful Sulzer engine. However, there was dissatisfaction with the 1-Co-Co-1 wheel arrangement of the ‘Peaks’ and the Eastern Region in particular was lobbying for a six-axle Type 4 with a better weight-power ratio. Brush duly took the hint and drew up plans for what would become the Class 47, arguably British Rail's most successful diesel-electric main line locomotive. A different body assembly technique brought a significant weight saving over the Class 44/45/46 ‘Peaks’ and the Sulzer 12LDA28C power unit was capable of 2,750hp output, but this was eventually downrated to 2,580hp to reduce maintenance costs. A total of 512 locomotives were constructed between…

Reviews Almost 400 examples of John Aspinall's Class 27 were built at Horwich Works between 1889-1918, ostensibly for freight work on the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway. One of the countless 0-6-0 tender types to emerge during the late Victorian/Edwardian period, it employed the common 8ft + 8ft 6in coupled wheelbase and proved to be a versatile, reliable and powerful design. Over two dozen examples were requisitioned for use in France during the First World War and many survived well into the British Railways era, with the final locomotives withdrawn in 1962. Such a long-lasting prototype, built in large numbers and with a thoroughly uncomplicated appearance, would surely make for a good candidate for a ready-to-run model. Indeed, Model Rail reader Bob Curtis made this point in Present Your Case last…

Reviews Accurascale's BR Mk 2b coaches have been gestating for a few years, but they're finally here and a trio of review samples have been received, featuring each of the three vehicle types that made up this sub-class. Although a relatively small number of Mk 2bs were built between 1968-9, they represent an important step in British Rail's coach development. Ostensibly similar to the preceding Mk 2 and Mk 2a designs, the Mk 2b discontinued the central passenger doors and featured wider, wraparound doors at each end, of a type that would feature on later Mk 2 designs. The Mk 2bs were also slightly longer, with the toilets at each end moved to the same side of each car, while they were equipped initially with dual steam and electric heat…

During the heady days of English, Welsh & Scottish Railways (EWS), the US-owned freight operator introduced a range of innovations in an effort to attract new business. One of these was the Company Train, comprising refurbished Mk 3 coaches and a Driving Van Trailer, powered by a specially liveried Class 67. Also known as the Management Train, it has been retained by EWS’ successor DB Cargo and offers the chance to entertain would-be clients onboard while visiting freight facilities around the network. Hornby has reproduced that train in the past, but this latest pack offers another EWS train, made up of air-conditioned Mk 2 stock. Although branded as the EWS ‘Business Train’, it would be more accurately referred to as a charter train pack, as the company's maroon Mk 2s…

If there's a prototype that you think needs to be offered ready-to-run, here's the place to voice your opinion… Locomotive: Class 100 two-car DMU Scale: ‘N’ and ‘OO’ Proposed by: James Darwin What is it? Built in 1957-58 by Gloucester Railway Carriage and Wagon Company (GRCW), the initial request was for 20 two-car sets, but a follow-on order meant another 20 twin-car sets were produced. Featuring a lightweight body construction and boasting good acceleration, the diesel multiple units were intended to breathe new life into secondary passenger services in the Birmingham and Manchester areas. Sets were also allocated to the Scottish region primarily for workings out of Edinburgh. Each two-car set was formed from a DMBS (Driving Motor Brake Second) and DTCL (Driving Trailer Composite with Lavatory), with only one…