Tabla de contenidos para Summer 2023 en Model Rail

…and finally When two scales collide… The police have just appeared after hearing reports of a strange chap playing a ukulele has been wandering around, making all sorts of twanging noises and scaring the inch-high people in Double-O Land. The ‘giant’ – or Chris to his friends – must be at least two inches tall, which means he’s probably ‘O’ gauge or thereabouts. How did he end up in the land of the Double-O people? Maybe that newfangled 3D-printing machine is to blame for this most unusual intrusion? Photographer: Chris Nevard. Figure courtesy of Modelu.…

What makes this layout great? "What’s so pleasing about ‘Brampton Road’ is that Brian hasn’t been afraid to adapt it to suit his needs. Not being wholly satisfied with the first incarnation, some alterations have left him with a layout that brings much more enjoyment. At the end of the day, that’s what the hobby is all about." It almost seems counter-intuitive for us to say so, but often the best way to learn about building a model railway isn’t to read about how to build one, it’s to dive in and have a go at building one yourself. What’s even better is if you have a friend in the process of building theirs, as modellers are always eager to have another pair of hands. The amount of times that…

Workbench EXPERT MODELLERS SHOW YOU HOW As in real life, bridges are one of the most important elements of a model railway. For much of the UK rail network, bridges crop up at regular intervals, taking trains over or under a wide range of obstacles. Unsurprisingly, modellers have numerous off-the-shelf and kit options for over and under-bridges, especially in ‘OO’ and ‘N’. However, when faced with filling a specific space within a layout, these ‘fixed geometry’ structures don’t always fit the bill. Thankfully, some kits lends themselves to modification, while there are also plenty of resources for scratchbuilding, such as the plastic girder spans from the Peco range. SPAN THE GAP On my ‘Lisburn Lane’ layout project, the main baseboard includes a ‘dropped’ section, allowing the trains to traverse a…

The twists and turns of the liveries carried by the Class 47s, also known as Brush Type 4s, could probably fill an entire magazine. On this occasion, however, we’ll concentrate on British Rail’s ‘standard’ blue livery, in the years before the appearance of the ‘large logo’ version. To start our survey, we need to look back to BR’s early experiments with an all-over blue livery, which debuted on D1733, as part of the ‘XP64’ show train. This was also the first outing of the new ‘double arrow’ logo, which is still in use today, despite BR ceasing to exist in the mid-1990s. While the shade of blue was tweaked after the ‘XP64’ experiment, the main variations of the Rail blue scheme thus launched the double arrow and blue as a…

‘N’ GAUGE LAYOUT ANNERLEY What makes this layout great? ‘Annerley’ is another great example of not filling a layout with track and trying to add a bit of scenery to it afterwards. David has made sure that the landscape catches your eye first, and then you’re drawn towards the railway. Sometimes, our inspiration comes from the far-flung corners of the country, and the ability to conduct a site visit is almost impossible without booking a holiday around it. Sometimes, though, the inspiration can come from just around the corner and a site visit could be conducted almost every day. This was the case for David Harrison when it came to planning his layout, as he gets to take in some truly spectacular scenery when walking his dogs. “Every day on…

Designed by George Ivatt, Chief Engineer of the London Midland & Scottish Railway (LMS) in the mid-1940s, assembly was contracted to the North British Locomotive Company’s Glasgow works. Featuring an 827hp Paxman diesel engine, coupled to British ThomsonHouston (BTH) electrical equipment, the Bo-Bo locomotive was designed principally for freight and secondary passenger work. The single, prototype locomotive was not completed until after nationalisation, entering service with British Railways in 1950. Initially earmarked for the LMS number 800, BR christened the locomotive 10800 and initial testing was carried out around the Glasgow area, before the Bo-Bo moved south to London, allocated briefly to the London Midland Region. By 1952 it had transferred to Brighton and operated Southern Region services for several years, whereupon it moved to the Eastern Region, then back…

While BR’s Modernisation Plan of 1955 had specified lots of new diesel locomotives in the Type 2 and Type 4 categories, provision for a mid-powered Type 3 was a little late to arrive. However, what would become the Class 37 turned out to be one of the most successful of BR’s diesel designs, with a number of examples still in frontline, main line use today. The majority of the class was built at English Electric’s Vulcan Foundry in Newton-le-Willows, beginning in 1960, with batches also built at Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns, Darlington. Early examples were allocated to the Eastern Region for general passenger and freight work, taking them to London, East Anglia, the North East, the Midlands and the North West, while later batches were built for the Western Region,…

Built for the Great Southern & Western Railways, initially by Beyer Peacock, the 101 Class 0-6-0 first appeared in Ireland in 1867. Over 100 examples were eventually built, the vast majority emerging from the GS&WR’s Inchicore Works, in Dublin, with the last entering service in 1903. A small number had also been erected at Sharp, Stewart’s Manchester works. In Great Southern Railway days, the mixed traffic locomotives were reclassified as ‘J15’, a moniker continued by Córas Iompair Éireann (CIÉ), following nationalisation in 1945. Becoming the most numerous locomotive type in Ireland, the fleet underwent many alterations over the years, most notably a round-topped firebox. However, from the 1930s, around half the remaining fleet received superheated ‘Z’ type boilers, complete with Belpaire fireboxes, and most of these locomotives also gained larger…

Reviews Nuclear waste traffic continues to provide plenty of interest to modellers of the contemporary railway scene and Accurascale’s latest ‘OO’ wagon caters for the new generation of flask-carrying wagons, the FNA-D. Built for the UK’s Nuclear Decommissioning Authority by W.H. Davis at its Shirebrook workshops between 2014-19, the fleet of 40 individual wagons provided a direct replacement for the life-expired Procor-built FNAs, built originally in the 1980s (and modelled in ‘OO’ by Bachmann Branchline). The new wagons are similar to the original FNAs, but ride on superior Barber ‘Easy Ride’ bogies and sport a very fetching green livery. Like its predecessor, the FNA-D is designed to carry spent atomic fuel from active and decommissioned reactors around the UK, to Sellafield in Cumbria.n Invariably, they’re hauled by pairs of Direct…

Opening the box Model Rail Exclusives - project update As mentioned last month, we received livery samples of our forthcoming Class 11, just as the issue closed for press. Although we managed to squeeze a couple of quick snaps into the previous issue, here’s a chance to take a proper look at some of the models that will be on offer. Produced exclusively for Model Rail by Heljan, the English Electric Class 11 diesel shunter will soon be available in 15 versions, including LMS, War Department and private owner prototypes. The forerunner to British Rail’s iconic Class 08 diesel electric shunter, the Class 11’s history dates back to the 1940s, with small batches of 350hp diesel locomotives being ordered by the LMS and the War Department. Following nationalisation, BR began building…

For Flying Scotsman, nothing ever stays the same. This chameleon-like locomotive has carried multiple numbers, colours, types of boiler, chimneys, domes and tenders, not to mention myriad changing fixtures and details. Even in its centenary year it has looked a little different, being adorned with a white cab roof for the first time in British Railways green livery. That was for its starring appearance at the head of the Royal Train. Emulating Stratford depot’s tradition for royal workings, the white roof was a symbolic touch, rather than a slavish historical nod to anything that the celebrity ‘A3’ did in its 40-year working life. Indeed, authenticity is a topic seldom far from the minds of the locomotive’s massive army of followers. The most dramatic of all ‘Scotsman’s’ many looks must be…

Workbench EXPERT MODELLERS SHOW YOU HOW My imagination often wanders back to the West Highland Line, as the majesty of the Scottish route is hard to forget once you’ve travelled through the mountains and glens. The rail-borne timber traffic that was once so prevalent in BR days also left a lasting impression and is something I’ve modelled on numerous occasions. Recently, the urge to replicate a Highland scene returned, inspired partly by new scenic products, a set of figures and a sound module. The scene that emerged depicts teams of workers from Network Rail and the Forestry Commission who, having felled lineside vegetation, are working to clear away the timber by road. Alas, something has gone wrong, with a load of logs being shed down an embankment, lying dangerously close…

WHEN IN DOUBT… FOLD IT! Dennis Lovett has set me many a challenge, over the years we’ve worked together. Most jobs turn out to be straightforward, but some do leave me scratching my head – much like this one… Dennis asked for a 12ft by 5ft baseboard on which to display his lifetime’s collection of Hornby‑Dublo models at exhibitions. However, it would need to fit into his small hatchback car. Obviously, it would have to be built in folding sections but, at the same time, Dennis didn’t want all the tracks crossing too many joints. The solution came in the form of four 5ft by 3ft baseboards, built as two pairs, which fold in on each other for transport. Thus, the final package would create a load measuring 3ft by…

It is a bizarre twist of fate that a debacle over the rights to model a train featured in a 70-year-old movie has led to two manufacturers producing ‘OO’ gauge models of the same wagon type. It is a wagon which would never have warranted even a limited run kit because only two were ever built and they were confined to departmental use. Of the vehicles used in The Titfield Thunderbolt for the iconic ‘Ministry Inspection’ train, the ‘Loriot Y’ and the ‘Toad’ brake van are vehicles which would not be protected by Studio Canal’s ownership of the movie, as these were standard railway vehicles. The Hornby ‘Loriot Y’ was reviewed in MR311 and now we have the Rapido version, the GWR-liveried individual model arriving ahead of the ‘Titfield’ train…

Reviews Pioneered by the GWR, the side-tipping ballast wagon principle was continued by British Railways in the 1950s and early 1960. Initially, BR’s wagons – codenamed ‘Mermaids’ – were built without continuous brakes, but vacuum equipment was soon specified and retro-fitted to earlier versions. Employed across much of the BR network into the 1990s, the ‘Mermaids’ featured a steel body that could tip towards either side of the chassis, thus depositing ballast alongside the track. Manufactured by Dapol, exclusively under the Flangeway banner, the ‘Mermaid’ was first released in ready-to-run form in 2011, with batches appearing intermittently since. It’s a wagon type that has remained in demand, with the only other option for ‘OO’ modellers being the Cambrian plastic kit. The latest raft of releases provides multiple number options across…

Locomotive: L&Y Class 27 0-6-0 Gauge: ‘OO’ Proposed by: Bob Curtis What is it? Designed by John Aspinall and built at the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway’s Horwich Works, the Class 27 0-6-0 became the ‘standard’ freight locomotive of the L&Y. A total of 484 examples were constructed between 1889-1918 and featured twin inside cylinders, Joy valve gear and, initially, round-top boilers. Later batches were equipped with superheated boilers and some also carried Belpaire boilers. More than 30 Class 27s were loaned to the Railway Operating Division during the First World War, and the powerful locomotives continued to give sterling service into the ‘Big Four’ era with the London, Midland & Scottish Railway. More than 200 examples survived into British Railways ownership and were given the ‘3F’ power classification. While the…

MODELLING FLYING SCOTSMAN Despite being a train nut for as long as I can remember, my first encounter with Flying Scotsman was not until 2003, while in my mid-20s. Working at the National Railway Museum at the time, the famous ‘A3’ had been overlaying at the York site in between main line railtour duties and was simmering away quietly in the dawn sunlight as I clocked on for my shift. This was just a year or so before ‘Scotsman’ would be acquired for the National Collection, and the iconic 4-6-2 was in its ‘hybrid’ condition with double chimney, smoke deflectors and LNER lined Apple green livery, which had stirred a little controversy among LNER aficionados. Maybe it’s my LMS leanings, but I prefer the ‘A3’ with its smoke deflectors. Like…

Q I’m about to try ballasting my layout’s track for the first time and, after a few trial runs, I’m feeling confident about how to secure it with glue. But how do I ensure the edges of the ballast are neat and straight? Trevor Winter, by email George says: Steam-era track often took on a manicured appearance, as local permanent way gangs competed for regional awards. To recreate this, all we need is patience and a similar motivation to get everything neat and tidy before glueing the ballast in place. There’s no denying ballasting track can be laborious, despite various modelling aids being invented to help spread the loose material evenly. I’ve yet to be convinced by most of these and invariably reach for my old spoons and flat brushes.…

Of all the various diesel electric prototype locomotives that emerged onto British Railways from the late 1940s onwards, I’ve found 10800 to be one of the most intriguing. That’s partly because I’m a fan of compact Bo-Bo diesel traction, and the single cab arrangement, with its North American parallels, also creates something quite exotic for UK railways. Additionally, as an LMS fan, Ivatt’s early experiments with diesel-electric traction has also held my interest. The famous LMS ‘Twins’, 10000/1, cemented their place in British railway history, but the LMS had also been busy designing a humbler locomotive for freight and secondary passenger use, with 10800 emerging from the North British Locomotive Company’s Glasgow works in 1950. Back in 2009, I had great fun building a whitemetal kit of 10800, manufactured by…

Revolution Trains has collaborated with Rainbow Railways to produce a striking range of TUA caustic soda tanks, which are available exclusively from the Scottish retailer. Based on a batch of wagons built in 1977 by Standard Wagon, and owned by leasing company Tiger Rail, the tanks were initially hired by ICI’s Mond Division for the transport of caustic soda from its plants in Cheshire. Coded as TUA under British Rail’s TOPS system, the wagons featured a 16ft wheelbase chassis, riding on pedestal suspension units, and sported lagged tank barrels and distinctive ‘over-ride’ barriers mounted at each end of the chassis. The wagons were a regular sight during the 1980s, marshalled within trunk Speedlink services or running as local trip workings, destined for terminals as far afield as Stevenston in Scotland,…

Like the GWR ‘Loriot Y’ machinery wagon, the AA20 ‘Toad’ brake van is another spin-offitem from the Titfield Thunderbolt train packs which has reached the UK ahead of them. The sample sent for review is No. 114756 in GWR grey and branded for Hereford Barton. It represents the archetypal GWR brake van which everyone will recognise as a ‘Toad’, the 25ft long, 20-tonner with a single, large verandah at one end. Two ‘Toads’ were used in the movie, though for continuity purposes they were both numbered W68740. The style of rainstrips differed between the two vans, however, and in order to accommodate both styles Rapido has had to produce two different roof tools. This has led to the roof being a separate fitting and that, in turn, no doubt, led…

C-Rail Intermodal has released a bunch of new containers, for both ‘N’ and ‘OO’ gauges, featuring a range of classic and contemporary liveries. Supplied in fully finished form, they’re ready to load onto your intermodal wagons, truck trailers or to stack within a container terminal. In ‘OO’, a grey 40ft dry box carries the branding of Cosco, the Chinese state-owned shipping conglomerate, which was established in 2016. In contrast, a pair of new 20ft ‘boxes’ are decked out in the more vibrant colours of Hyundai and Hapag-Lloyd. The latter features up-to-date logos and fonts, while the red Hyundai container also represents the latest style of branding, complete with additional HMM logos. For ‘N’ gauge, the BR era is represented by a 40ft ‘box’ in the enduring white/red Freightliner livery, which…