Table of contents for July 2024 in Model Rail

I'd been meaning to add a Class 70 to my collection for some time, especially after completing a rake of weathered Dapol IOA wagons – complete with rusty scuffs and scrapes – inspired by a train I saw at Westbury last year (see MR320). Bachmann's Colas-liveried 70811 was duly purchased and I set to work on giving the vivid livery a more workaday appearance. I've seen a few '70s' recently with heavy oil staining on the bonnet sides, but my aim was for a subtle coating of grime, relying on weathering washes to bring a greater sense of depth to the complex bodywork, as a prelude to airbrushed weathering of the chassis and roof in particular. Thus, I sat down to what I thought would be a nice, straightforward task…

Robert Riddles' Standard '9Fs' were highly successful goods locomotives; arguably the best ever built for this country before dieselisation. Certainly, the most modern. It might seem odd therefore that British Railways' Chief Mechanical Engineer seemed hasty in launching a very un-Standard sub-division of the class, less than 18 months after the first conventional 2-10-0s were outshopped from Crewe. However, the Attilio Franco-Dr Piero Crosti adaptation had been baked in from the early development of the '9F'. The proposal was seemingly cemented sometime around 1950/1 when E.S. Cox, who sat on BR's Design Panel, spent part of his family holiday to Italy poking around Venice loco shed while discussing the principles of pre-heating with Dr Crosti himself and travelling on the footplate of his machines. With his colleague Attilio Franco, the…

'N' GAUGE LAYOUT WITHYDITCH What makes this layout great? “With such a small space to work in, it would have been easy for either the railway or the scenery to overwhelm the other, but Kevin has got the feel of a rural branch line spoton with 'Withyditch', and the results are superb.” Building a model railway can be a challenge. A mistake some modellers make, especially when starting out in the hobby, is trying to make a layout that is too large. This can end in frustration when things don't go well, resulting in a layout never getting off the ground. The obvious advice is to start small for your first layout, but be aware that there will still be hurdles to overcome. Kevin Mitchell has built plenty of layouts…

Reviews ◆ GAUGE 'OO' ◆ MODEL Rails of Sheffield/Heljan BR Gas Turbine 18100 ◆ PRICE £225.00 ◆ AVAILABILITY Rails of Sheffield Web www.railsofsheffield.com The model of 18100 is an exclusive commission, made for Rails of Sheffield by Heljan, and follows the success of the same consortium's model of the Brown-Boveri gas turbine No. 18000. The version submitted for review is the original, as gas turbine No. 18100, but two versions of the locomotive in its later guise are also available, as E1000 and E2001, respectively. Rails is also offering a sound upgrade for both gas turbine and 25kV electric versions for an additional cost of £125. FIRST IMPRESSIONS The locomotive comes in a standard Heljan-style lidded card box in dark blue/grey with Heljan and Rails logos. Inside, there's foam lining…

Reviews ◆ GAUGE 'TT:120' ◆ MODEL Hornby TT3022M Class 43 HST power car pack, InterCity 'Swallow' ◆ PRICE £219.99 ◆ AVAILABILITY Selected Hornby stockists Web www.hornby.com The beauty of modelling in smaller scales is the ability to run longer trains without the need for a vast amount of space. Not many of us have room to accommodate a full eight+two HST set in 'OO', but 'TT:120' makes it a more viable proposition. Accordingly, Hornby's 1:120 scale HST has been eagerly awaited, with a choice of three livery options rolled out recently: original BR blue/grey, BR InterCity and First/GWR green. Along with pairs of Class 43 power cars, matching Mk 3 coaches are also provided, with individual numbers and correct vehicle types for full eight-car rakes to be assembled (see panel).…

◆ GAUGE 'OO' ◆ EFE Rail E87057 GWR 10t 'Bloater' fish van ◆ PRICE £29.95 ◆ AVAILABILITY Bachmann stockists Web www.bachmann.co.uk It's always a pleasant surprise when an unexpected model turns up for review. This new wagon release from the keenly priced EFE Rail range appeared within days of its public announcement in early May. Always keen to add to my collection of GWR wagon models, I promptly ordered the BR-liveried version, while assessing the GWR brown version submitted for review. The GWR had a considerable investment in fish traffic, having established a market in London for mackerel from Cornwall, a fish that needs to be transported quickly in order to stay fresh. 'Bloater' was the GWR telegraphic code for a fish van and these vacuum-braked wagons were part of…

Locomotive: LEV1 prototype railcar Gauge: 'OO' Proposed by: Alex William What is it? LEV1, which stood for Leyland Experimental Vehicle No. 1, was the first of a handful of single-car, twin-axle prototype railcars, built by British Rail's Research Division. In the 1970s, BR began planning for the renewal of its ageing multiple unit fleet, with economy and ease of manufacture being dominant criteria. At the same time, the High Speed Freight Vehicle programme was also under way, leading to the creation of a twin-axle chassis design capable of operating at speeds of up to 100mph. Somewhat improbably, the idea soon arose of placing a bus body atop this freight chassis and adding a simple traction package to create a cheap and reliable passenger railcar. British Leyland's modular National bus design…

The Big Picture At the start of Queen Victoria's reign in 1837, just a quarter of a million people lived in Glasgow, but by the end of her tenure, in 1901, there were three times that many. The cotton industry employed nearly a third of the workforce at the height of demand. Then, diversification came. Shipbuilding boomed thanks to nearby supplies of coal and iron ore. Locomotive production did as well. Fast forward to the 1950s, and a young George Murray was risking life and limb to get a closer look at the industry that would become an enduring interest, eventually to be immortalised in 1:76 scale with his layout 'Dalmarnock Industrial'. You can read more about George's layout in an upcoming issue of Model Rail.…

Masterclass EXPERT MODELLERS SHOW YOU HOW The emergence of the Franco-Crosti '9F' in Hornby's RailRoad range was a welcome if unexpected occurrence in 2015. Although pitched at the 'budget' market, the model features a very respectable specification, with an impressive amount of fine detail and an excellent, rugged mechanism. It's been out of the range for a few years but there are plenty of pre-owned models to be found at decent prices, and I had no problem finding one in mint condition, courtesy of The Model Centre. As with many models of this ilk, it's a prime candidate for some traditional detailing work. With just a handful of tweaks – to the front end especially – and without spending a fortune, we can make a big difference. Before embarking on a…

Workbench EXPERT MODELLERS SHOW YOU HOW PART ONE Culmstock railway station was on the Culm Valley Light Railway, which ran from Tiverton Junction to Hemyock in Devon. It opened in 1876 along with the rest of the line and served the village of Culmstock and surrounding areas. The station had basic facilities, including a platform, a small station building, a cattle dock and a couple of sidings. Like many rural railway stations, there was a decline in passenger traffic at Culmstock following the Second World War, finally closing to passengers in 1963 as part of the Beeching cuts. Freight services continued for a few more years before the line was closed altogether in 1975 with the closure of the creamery at Hemyock. Today, little remains of the station except for…

Workbench EXPERT MODELLERS SHOW YOU HOW PART FOUR On some of my previous layouts, I have used and adapted ready-made resin-cast structures, or kits in a variety of materials, either built straight from the box or 'bashed' into something more unique. However, when it came to the key structure on my Fowey harbour layout – the clay loading shed – I realised that scratchbuilding was my only option. This didn't feel too daunting, though, thanks to the stocks of corrugated sheets, from various manufacturers, that I seem to have amassed in recent times. I had a feeling these would come in useful one day! As a result, my structure has been formed from a variety of materials, beginning with a basic framework of mounting card, covered with Wills and Noch…

Reviews ◆ GAUGE 'OO' ◆ MODEL Bachmann Branchline 32-341 BR Class 25/2 D5282 two-tone green ◆ PRICE £199.95 ◆ AVAILABILITY Bachmann stockists Web www.bachmann.co.uk Bachmann's all-new Class 24, which appeared in 2022, offered a significant uplift on its previous iteration of the popular Sulzer Type 2, despite the mid-Noughties original being an excellent model for its time. Owing to popular demand, Bachmann also revealed its intention to fully revamp its range of Class 25s. After years of rising anticipation, the first versions began to arrive in May. As reported on page 8, there are several versions of the new Class 25 on the horizon, across the '25/1', '25/2' and '25/3' sub-classes, in BR green, two-tone green and Rail blue liveries. There's an impressive array of prototype and period-specific detail across…

In the mid-1940s steam traction was nearing its end. Elsewhere, railways had begun moving to diesel-electric traction but no diesel locomotive of the time came even close to matching the power output of an '8P' steam locomotive. In North America the problem was overcome by using multiple diesel locomotives, but that was neither practical nor desirable in the UK. A lighter power plant was needed. Running diesels of 1,200hp-1,500hp in multiple (as the LMS was proposing with 10000/1) was not an attractive proposition to the GWR, and when F.W. Hawksworth saw a gas-turbine-electric demonstrated in Europe he proposed the purchase of such a locomotive for the GWR. An order was placed with Swiss manufacturer Brown-Boveri but first, as was a requirement of the time, 'buy British' policy prevailed and the…

◆ SCALE: 'TT:120' ◆ MODELS: Hornby • TT4027/A/B/C Mk 3 TS • TT4028 Mk 3 TGS • TT4029/A Mk 3 TF • TT4030 Mk 3 TRFB ◆ PRICE: £37.99 each To complement the Class 43 power cars, Hornby has also produced a range of Mk 3 HST power cars, in all four vehicle formats (TS, TF, TGS and TRFB). In terms of specification, they are close to Hornby's new 'OO' models, with crisply moulded bodyshells and bogie frames, complete with brake disc overlays, footsteps and orange electric train supply sockets below each end. Sprung, kinematic close-coupler units are installed, minimising the gap between cars and the interior mouldings correctly reflect the nature of each vehicle type, which can be appreciated through the subtly tinted glazing. The level of finish is…

Reviews ◆ GAUGE 'OO' ◆ MODELS Rapido Trains UK RCH 1907 PO wagons • 967013 5-plank open Foster Brothers of Carlisle • 967205 7-plank open Bullcroft Main ◆ PRICE £32.95 each ◆ AVAILABILITY Rapido Trains UK stockists Web www.rapidotrains.co.uk Upon nationalisation in 1948, the newly formed British Railways inherited several hundred thousand privately owned open wagons, which remained a ubiquitous sight on the UK's network until gradually superseded by BR's steel-bodied versions. In an effort to encourage standardisation – and thereby improve safety standards – the Railway Clearing House created common specifications for wagons, which were updated to incorporate technological advances. The 1907 specification is the basis for Rapido's latest 'OO' wagon releases, encompassing a variety of five and seven-plank open wagons. Many liveries and detail options are catered for…

EXCLUSIVE READER OFFER Thanks to Geoscenics, Model Rail readers can grab a generous bag of top-quality limestone ballast, a large bottle of scenic glue – and receive a FREE jar of track weathering solution! Each special bundle pack contains either a 2kg bag of 'OO' limestone ballast or 2kg of 'OO' Limestone Fine Scale ballast, along with a 500ml bottle of Geoscenics Ballast & Scenery adhesive and a handy glue applicator, plus a bottle of Track Oil solution. This acrylic-based weathering fluid can be brush-painted or airbrushed over ballast (when the glue has set) or mixed with the glue to stain the ballast while bonding. Model Rail's George Dent has used these Geoscenics materials to great effect on his various layouts and dioramas in recent years, stating that “these ballast…

…and finally Deep in the wilds of the West Country, the locals have come out to witness the newly introduced motive power for the two-coach local train service. The locomotive is a special ⅞th size version of the American 'Big Boy', specially designed to cope with the British loading gauge. Sadly, schemes such as this caused the closure of many branch lines earlier than predicted. And while they did indeed raise public interest, they were extremely expensive to operate.…

With plenty of miniature people to add to his projects, PETER MARRIOTT has been toning down the appearance of pre-painted figures. There seems to be an endless supply of new miniature figures these days, in virtually every scale, with a notable increase in 'TT' products. I recently obtained several packs of 'OO' and 'O' gauge people, but I wanted to tone down the overly bright finish before 'planting' them into their respective scenes. Firstly, to ensure that each figure could stand upright, I cleaned the bottom of their feet with a sanding pad, which removed excess paint and plastic, leaving a flatter surface. Next, I used a tiny drop of tacky glue to secure each figure to a scrap of cardboard. When the glue had set, I loaded a paintbrush…

'OO' GAUGE LAYOUT MARPIT SIDINGS What makes this layout great? “Roger has made great use of height to draw your eye down to the railway, and the result is that the raised scenery encompasses your peripheral vision, so your experience is preserved by not seeing over the top of the backscene.” We are fortunate in today's world to have many sources of superb tutorials, and no matter what task you are trying to accomplish, be it fixing something on your car or painting a locomotive, YouTube is awash with videos showing you how to achieve your goal or providing inspiration for your next build (although you often have to sift through an awful lot of dirt to find the gold!). Roger Marsh may be a familiar name to some readers,…

To save time and avoid wasted paint, I usually prefer to paint and weather a couple of similar models at the same time, so it made sense to treat this 'Tyne Dock' Class 9F in parallel with the 'Crosti'. Hornby's rendition of the 2-10-0s equipped with Westinghouse air pumps and associated equipment was released late last year (see review in MR319), while Bachmann also offers a 'OO' version. I missed out on the KR Models Consett ore hoppers, but I'm happy with my kit-built versions (built from the superb Dave Bradwell kits back in 2005), although I don't have a prototypical nine-wagon rake yet.…

Workbench EXPERT MODELLERS SHOW YOU HOW The idea for this display cabinet came from a suggestion by Nigel Smith for a backscene and scenic demonstration at the Warley MRC 2023 exhibition. I have done plenty of demos for the smaller shows before, with desk-sized displays and my computer for finding maps and images, but my instinct was to come up with a larger, eye-level diorama for this event. A cabinet was made to show a railway engineered across a naturally contoured landscape, with a depth allowance for a 3D backscene. Railways generally align with contour lines as they are engineered through a terrain, so they tend to follow valleys and skirt hillsides but, now and again, to reach a commercial destination, they must be diverted against the 'grain' of the…

British Railways built up a fleet of almost 500 Derby/Sulzer Type 2 Bo-Bo diesel electrics, encompassing classes 24 and 25. The first example, D5000, appeared in 1958 and production continued until 1966. The vast majority were built at Derby works, with various design modifications appearing along the way. Early batches (later to become Class 25/0 and 25/1 under the TOPS classification system) were very similar in appearance to the preceding Class 24s, with communicating doors incorporated into the cab fronts and twin rows of bodyside grilles. Later versions, the Class 25/2 and 25/3, featured a much smarter appearance, with most of the bodyside grilles shifted up to the roof line. Gone too were the front gangway doors, with the cab ends equipped with three large windscreens. That said, a small…

Reviews ◆ GAUGE 'N' ◆ MODEL Dapol 2D-005-005 Class 59, 59001 Yeoman Endeavour, Aggregate Industries livery ◆ PRICE £172.80 (DCC-ready) ◆ AVAILABILITY Dapol stockists Web www.dapol.co.uk Dapol first mooted a Class 59 for 'N' gauge way back in 2012 and, in the intervening years, Revolution Trains also began a project to replicate these landmark diesel locomotives. Typically, both products arrived virtually simultaneously, and we reviewed the Revolution version in last month's issue. Here, we have Dapol's rendition of the pioneer GM Type 5, 59001 Yeoman Endeavour, in the attractive Aggregate Industries livery, as applied in 2006 and still carried in 2024 (albeit in rather tatty condition when I saw it earlier this year). All three sub-classes are catered for in this initial raft of models, with key liveries covering most…

◆ GAUGE 'OO' ◆ MODEL Hornby R3894 Ruston & Hornsby '88DS' 0-4-0 North British Distillery Co. Ltd No. 4 lined ochre ◆ PRICE £113.99 ◆ AVAILABILITY Hornby stockists Web www.hornby.com After much anticipation, the first of Hornby's diminutive Ruston & Hornsby '88DS' diesel shunters emerged at the turn of the year (see full review in MR322), followed recently by the striking No. 4 in North British Railway lined ochre. Built in 1958, originally for the North British Distillery Co., the Ruston locomotive (Works No. 421415) operated for the whisky manufacturer in the Gorgie area of Edinburgh. Entering preservation in 1973, Hornby's model depicts the prototype in its post-industrial guise, when it received the attractive lined livery of the North British Railway. The level of finish is superb, with the super-fine…