Tabla de contenidos para October 2023 en Model Rail

Workbench EXPERT MODELLERS SHOW YOU HOW One of the joys of building kits is that the more you build the more your modelling skills improve. Equally, we can look back at models we built long ago and wish that we had our current skill level when we built them. However, with a lifetime of modelmaking behind me, I must admit that I do enjoy looking back at some of my older models and remembering the pleasure I got from building the kits back in the day. Sometimes, it's worth a little effort to renovate one of those models and relive that pleasure – with minimal expense. Back in the 1980s – and that's some 40 years ago – I built a rake of half a dozen GWR Collett coaches from…

As a modeller whose main interest centres around the old Great Western, Box Tunnel is a structure I've wanted to model for a long time, it's not often we can emulate the great man himself – Brunel – so when I was approached to make a diorama of Box Tunnel, I was thrilled. As it's still in daily use, Network Rail still has all the original drawings and is happy to share them for a fee. I passed the drawings on to Intentio designs, with whom I've collaborated in the past (‘Severn Tunnel East' and ‘Dawlish' have both featured in Model Rail) and they set about converting the drawings to a laser-cut kit. A first for Intentio, this kit also included 3D-printed parts for the keystone and distinctive balustrade. Construction of…

KNOW YOUR STUFF Q Over the years I have built up a selection of scenery materials that I'm keen to use on a layout I now have time to build. It seems that static grass is all the rage these days and, while the results do look good, does it mean that I can't achieve good results from more traditional scenic materials? Jamie Potter, Cheltenham Peter says: Jamie asks an important question and it's one that I've been considering myself. Having read Jamie's letter, I decided to build a small scenic diorama without the use of more modern materials, such as static grass fibres, tufts and flowers. Having become so accustomed to using my static grass applicator, it took me a little time to recall how I employed more traditional…

‘N' GAUGE LAYOUT BURNHAM-ON-SEA What makes this layout great? “The best fictitious layouts are the ones which make you believe they've been based on the real location. Everything about ‘Burnham-on-Sea' looks right, to the extent that we even pulled up old railway maps to see how accurate it was before we found out it was Ian's imagination!“ Although there are thousands of race tracks in the world, everyone wants to race around the streets of Monaco. There are thousands of golf courses, but everyone dreams of playing at Augusta National. Similiarly, there are certain regions of the United Kingdom railway network that have a lure about them, and seem to be modelled more than any other. There are thousands of stations and locations in the UK worth modelling in miniature,…

Released in 2021, Heljan's Class 25 proved a real success, with the initial batch selling briskly and encouraging the Danish company to contemplate a second run. Focusing on the ‘Series Two' version of the Sulzer-powered Type 2s, referred to as Class 25/2 and 25/3, allowed Heljan to replicate the most popular and long-lived locomotives, including 25912 Tamworth Castle (see review in MR286) and one of the ETHEL mobile heating units within the first batch. The follow-up production run is now arriving at retailers, with eight new versions to choose from, encompassing BR two-tone green (with small or full yellow ends), Rail blue (pre and post-TOPS) and another ETHEL, in blue/grey livery. Our sample consists of 25301 in Rail blue livery, with ‘domino' headcode panels, planting it firmly in the late…

It was a ‘no brainer' for Hornby to incorporate BR's landmark Mk 1 carriage into its nascent ‘TT:120' range, although just two vehicle types have been covered so far: the Corridor Composite (CK) and Corridor Brake Second (BSK). Both coaches are available now in either BR crimson/cream or lined maroon livery. The body and chassis tooling shares a similar specification to Hornby's wallet-friendly ‘OO' Mk 1 stock. While it is an impressive rendition of the prototype, it eschews lots of delicate detail fittings and luxuries such as interior lighting. Instead of separate wire fittings, we have neatly moulded handrails, door handles, pipework and lamp brackets which, in this scale, look perfectly acceptable to most modellers while keeping production costs down. Headstocks are equipped with an attractive set of oval buffers,…

The LNER Gresley 61ft 6in coaches made a welcome return to Hornby's range this summer, having been out of production for the past few years. First released in 2004, these models set new standards for detail and finish and, almost 20 years later, they still look great. Purists may lament the slightly flat bodyside profile but, when finished in original LNER ‘teak' livery, I find that the issue is much less prominent. Indeed, the elegantly lined teak finish is the only livery option in this production run, with five different vehicle types available: Corridor Brake Composite, Corridor First, Corridor Third, Buffet and a full Brake. Each carries numbers not previously offered in this livery. As per previous releases, the quality of the teak finish is impressive, with subtle grain figure…

Locomotive: GWR Dean ‘Bulldog' 4-4-0 Gauge: ‘00' Proposed By: David Newth What is it? William Dean's 3300 ‘Bulldog' class were double-framed inside cylinder 4-4-0 steam locomotives, built for passenger services on the Great Western Railway. The first 20 of the class were rebuilt ‘Duke' class locomotives, but a further 121 ‘Bulldogs' were built new. Nos. 3300-40 were built with curved frames (as per the ‘Duke' class), while Nos. 3341‑3440 were built with straight frames over the driving wheels. When originally built the locomotives were paired with 3,000 gallon tenders, but some acquired Churchward 3,500 gallon tenders. Browse any pictorial record of the GWR covering the 1930s, and the reader will find many nostalgic photographs of this classic locomotive in action. The ‘Bulldogs' had a tractive effort of around 21,000lbs (group…

The final pre-production samples of our Class 11 have been reviewed, and we now expect delivery of the models before the end of the year. Produced exclusively for Model Rail by Heljan, the Class 11s boast an impressive technical specification, plus a wealth of detail. Supplied in DCC-ready format, they feature a Next18 DCC socket, pre-installed speaker and come equipped with a super-smooth mechanism, with optimised gearing for slow-speed running. As well as working exterior lamps, the cab interiors can also be illuminated by activating a hidden switch using the supplied magnetic ‘wand'. DCC users have even more control over the lighting functions. We have an amazing 15 versions to choose from, encompassing LMS, War Department and British Railways liveries, along with schemes depicting some of the Class 11s that…

Opening the box Last month, I explained how the last of the bridges crossing the ‘dropped' section of baseboard had been built in low-relief form. The low-level line which, initially, was slated as a narrow gauge industrial route, has now been laid with standard gauge ‘OO' track, which looks much more at home within the proportions of the cutting. That said, the headroom beneath the three overbridges is restricted, but that's OK. Mineral wagons and smaller hoppers will pass easily, and the idea of converting one or more industrial locomotives to fit within the loading gauge is attractive. Besides, this stretch of track is purely decorative, so stock won't have to move. However, the low-relief bridge at the rear of the scene (featured in last month's Workbench pages) was notably…

‘OO' GAUGE LAYOUT LONG MELFORD JUNCTION What makes this layout great? Nigel has achieved what was important to him, a memory of his childhood spending time with his uncle. ‘Long Melford Junction' may not have been the easiest layout to build at times, but the result is a recognisable location that brings to life an Autumn afternoon in 1960.“ If your model railway was a show, what would be the headline act – the part of your layout which is centre stage, in the spotlight, belting out the high notes of the big musical number? For most people it's the locomotives, or the large station, or the stunning scenery in which their miniature world is set. It's important to remember that just as it is in the theatre, these stars…

KNOW YOUR STUFF In MR316 we explored some of the ‘Rail blue' era variations that appeared on BR's ubiquitous Class 47. Having held sway for more than 15 years, the rather sober Rail blue scheme gradually gave way to a considerably more vibrant version, dubbed ‘large logo' livery. Rail blue was retained for much of the body, but the yellow ends were extended to wrap around the cabs, with a ‘visor' of black added around the windscreens and side windows. Roofs were picked out in a light grey and the BR ‘double arrows' logo was writ large on each side (hence the livery's nickname). Applied during works visits in the early 1980s, the effect was transformative, bringing a fresher look to refurbished locomotives. At this time, BR was taking steps…

Reviews ◆ GAUGE ‘OO' ◆ MODEL Accurascale ACC2500-7800 GWR ‘Manor' 4-6-0 No. 7800 ◆ PRICE £169.99 (DCC-ready), £259.99 (DCC sound) ◆ AVAILABILITY Accurascale stockists Web www.accurascale.co.uk I had already renamed a Dapol ‘Manor' as No. 7815 Fritwell Manor, and George weathered it to something approaching the very scruffy condition it was in when I travelled in 1965 (MR311). So, I would need a pristine Accurascale ‘Manor' to represent No. 7802, as I like my models to reflect locomotives with which I have a connection. But No. 7802 was not chosen to be in the Accurascale range, so I did not order one. When I relented and decided to order one and rename it, the lined green models had sold out! Luckily, some were available from retailers; this example came from…

Reviews ◆ GAUGE ‘O' ◆ MODEL Heljan 7303 Class 73/1 ‘large logo' blue, un-numbered ◆ PRICE £779.00 ◆ AVAILABILITY Heljan stockists Web www.heljan.co.uk Anticipation of Heljan's ‘O' gauge Class 73 has been building, with pre-production samples on show at numerous events and exhibitions over the past months. Now that the models have arrived in the UK, it has been interesting to be able to study a sample up close and on the test track. Has it lived up to expectations? Representing the Class 73/1, the bulk of the ‘ED' fleet, referred to originally as the ‘JB', Heljan's model offers plenty of potential in terms of livery options, with a healthy number of prototypes still at work with main line operators today. Indeed, a total of 12 different versions has been…

Bachmann's engineers have been beavering away on an upgrade to the highly regarded Farish BR Standard ‘5MT' for some time, enhancing its technical specification to include a Next18 DCC interface and a pre-installed speaker. Multiple versions are now available, in DCC-ready or DCC sound-fitted format, offering a choice of early or late BR emblems, as well as two different tenders. For review, Bachmann kindly sent us No. 73050, resplendent in its BR mixed traffic lined black livery with later style emblems, coupled to a BR1 tender. Still one of the best steamoutline ‘N' gauge locomotive models, externally there is not much to report in terms of tooling upgrades. The profile and proportions are virtually spot-on, with a superb level of detail across locomotive and tender, including super-fine wire handrails and…

Reviews Produced in partnership with Direct Rail Services, Revolution Trains' new FNA-D depicts the latest generation of nuclear flask wagons, first introduced in 2014. Replacing the original FNAs from the 1980s (as offered in ‘OO' by Bachmann), the fleet of 40 FNA-Ds was built by WH Davis at its Shirebrook works, having been ordered by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority. Operated by Direct Rail Services, the flask wagons can be seen working from the UK's nuclear power stations to Sellafield, often working singly, in pairs or in short rakes, and hauled by a pair of DRS locomotives (usually Class 68s these days). While Accurascale's version arrived a few months earlier (see MR316), they're available only in twin packs, whereas the Revolution Trains model is offered singly, at a reasonable price and…

Revealed in Bachmann Europe's summer 2023 announcements was a substantial new production run of various ‘N' gauge coaches, in a wide selection of liveries. We reviewed a couple of the new BR Mk 1s last month, but these latest samples consist of BR Mk 2f air-conditioned stock. Available in BSO (Brake Standard Open), TSO (Tourist Standard Open) and FO (First Open) format, there's a choice of BR blue/grey, InterCity, Virgin Trains, ScotRail ‘Saltire' and Network Rail yellow liveries. Under review is a BSO in the smart, later InterCity ‘Swallow' colour scheme, and a TSO in the original Virgin Trains livery. Employing the existing Farish Mk 2f tooling, there are no surprises here, with a faithful rendition of the prototypes, complete with the correct array of underfloor equipment to suit each…

The 350hp diesel‑electric Class 11 differs markedly from the later Class 08, most notably in the design of the cab and the smaller wheels. In fact, the Class 11 can be viewed as the immediate forerunner to the iconic ‘08' diesel electric shunter. With its genesis in the 1940s, the Class 11 was originally built in small batches for the London Midland & Scottish Railway and the War Department. Following nationalisation, BR began building its own fleet of virtually identical locomotives at Derby Works between 1949-52, before the design was tweaked to produce what would become the Class 08. BR withdrew its remaining Class 11s in the early 1970s, although not before several had received the new Rail blue livery. Many examples continued in industrial use over the following decades,…

Opening the box During the 60th birthday bash at York's Monk Bar Model Shop, Bachmann Europe announced two new Sales Area Exclusive models, in the form of a pair of ‘OO' BR blue Class 20s. Depicting a pair of Scottishbased ‘Choppers', the models will only be available from Bachmann retailers in the north of England and Scotland. Available in DCC-ready and DCC sound-fitted format, the models are offered individually, and both feature the original disc headcode pattern of cab and nose. Both 20048 and 20100 carry Eastfield's famous West Highland Terrier logos, with the pair being allocated to the Glasgow depot during the 1980s. Indeed, 20048 is currently preserved at the Severn Valley Railway in a facsimile of this 1980s livery. Both models are available now. What's available? ◆ 35-355RJ…

Unusual scenes captured by the lens of Chris Nevard Here we are, down on the docks as the morning goods train rumbles through. And on the footplate we see Bob Geeza Cat riding the rails. Bob gets all over the place, jumping on and off lots of trains during the week. His many years of domestication fuelling his interest in travelling, much like itinerants hitching rides on trains through Mid-West America. Rufus Hound watches Bob from the safety of the platform and wishes he could be more like Bob, but knows he'd miss his regular meals and trips to the pub with his loving master.…

Show & Tell When I was a boy, reading railway magazines, I looked at images of squaresided, narrow gauge locomotives, painted in BR Rail blue with double arrow emblems, and wished that I could see these for myself. Over 50 years later, I finally took myself on a day return over the Vale of Rheidol (VoR) line. As one who has travelled many of Europe's narrow gauge lines, I was impressed by two things: the superb quality of the VoR locomotives and rolling stock and, secondly, the scenery which left me wondering why I have spent so much time travelling overseas when we can enjoy dramatic scenery in Wales. On my visit, I saw 1923-built 2-6-2T No. 8 Llywelyn sporting GWR Green livery and – as an extra bonus –…

Workbench 4 The layouts we feature each month in Model Rail are a constant source of inspiration for me and the team, and Phil and Jack Sharpe's ‘Knowles Hill Colliery' was no exception. Appearing in last month's issue, the layout gave me a few ideas for some of my own projects, most notably a water tower that I've been meaning to revisit for a while. Salvaged from an old train set I built for my niece and nephew, the basic Hornby model was enhanced during the first Covid lockdown of 2020 (see panel). The original water tank section, however, was simply repainted and weathered, with a view to replacing it at some point in the future. After noticing a scratchbuilt water tank on ‘Knowles Hill Colliery', built from Wills Vari-Girder…

FLARES ARE OUT OF FASHION While the following may be relevant to a small number of people, the techniques are likely to interest modellers facing similar challenges when building metal kits. The issue concerns the shaping of etched brass parts, when the material is run through a set of rollers that are not exactly parallel. The edges of the parts may be become distorted, creating a flared profile. As a result, the metal becomes stretched and our options for regaining the correct shape are limited. My method is to make a series of fine cuts into the metal, around the distorted area. This reduces the tension in the metal and provides a bit of breathing space, allowing it to be roughly reformed to its intended profile. A holding plate must…

Reviews By the mid-1930s the Great Western Railway was in need of a ‘goanywhere' 4-6-0 to replace 4-4-0s and the ‘43XX' 2-6-0s on routes with ‘blue' route availability, over which the recently created, red restriction ‘Grange' class 4-6-0s were not permitted. Charles Collett, GWR Chief Mechanical Engineer, had spent much of the 1930s creating the ‘Hall' and ‘Grange' class 4-6-0s, as part of a drive to replace a few hundred Churchward ‘43XX' ‘Moguls'. The new locomotives proved successful, yet, at red route restriction, they were too heavy for certain GWR routes and a lightweight 4-6-0 was needed. Again, parts from redundant ‘43XXs' were re-used, including the driving wheels and motion. A new lightweight tapered No. 14 boiler was specified and, when complete, the new ‘Manor' class 4-6-0s were more than…

Reviews Despite the Southern Region's extensive electrified network, significant gaps still existed on some branches, while there was also a pressing need for non-electric propulsion within freight yards and depots. With an eye on eliminating the remaining steam locomotives, BR explored a hybrid power solution, in the form of the electro-diesel. The ‘EDs' could run on the standard 750V DC third rail, but they were also equipped with a 600hp English Electric diesel engine, which was harnessed when working away from the ‘juice'. Six prototypes were built initially, at Eastleigh Works, known as ‘JA' types (later Class 73/0) and introduced in 1962. After an evaluation period, a production batch was ordered, with 43 more examples constructed at Vulcan Foundry, Newton-le-Willows, between 1965-67. Various modifications were incorporated into the second batch,…

Reviews The Great Western's diesel railcars, which eventually spawned the 1950s/60s spread of DMUs, came in two distinctive styles, the original ‘flying banana' Gloucester-built cars, and the 1940s-era, Swindon-built angular cars which have become known as ‘razor-edge' cars. Construction of both styles of single car ended with one non-passenger car designed to provide an express parcels service over main line routes. The first, No. 17, was based in the West Midlands and has been modelled by Dapol. Now we have an up-to-date model of the ‘razor-edge' parcels car, No. 34, from Heljan. This vehicle was previously modelled in ‘OO' by Lima and passed to Hornby later. Railcars Nos. 19-33 differed from the earlier cars in being able to haul a tail-load, usually a bogie coach or parcels van. No. 34…

Reviews It's rather endearing that the first of Hornby's ‘TT:120' diesel locomotives to appear is the humble Class 08, offering a contrast to the Gresley ‘Pacifics' which launched the steam range in spectacular fashion! Although larger diesels are expected to arrive in the coming months, in the form of the Class 50, ‘66' and HST power cars, the evergreen ‘08' offers modellers a glimpse of what to expect. Three livery options are on offer, with BR blue 08489 being accompanied by DB red 08623 and GB Railfreight blue/ orange 08818. The choice of liveries is interesting, not least as no post-privatisation freight stock has yet been announced, so a BR green option would have been useful. That said, Hornby is expected to announce further developments in this scale in the…