Tabla de contenidos para September 2024 en Model Rail

I am sure there are few who doubt my honest commitment to ‘TT:120’. I have been convinced that the scale had a place in the market, certainly in the UK, for a good number of years and, with the launch of Hornby ‘TT:120’ in October 2022, my expectations started to be realised. Of course, there would be those with a negative attitude, and there’s a limited number of people who can’t wait to bemoan anything Hornby does, and the launch of ‘TT:120’ gave them plenty of ammunition. Mind you, Hornby did not help itself by making the models available only from its own online service, but that was a strategy I possibly could have explained better at the time. The simple reason for choosing this distribution route was to prove…

Two new wagon rakes have recently been added to the Lowery Towers layout, and they represent two very different prototypes. Both sets of models are based on superb 3D-printed bodyshells and details, produced for me by Simon BR Blue. The JNA bogie box open is, in many ways, as basic a wagon as you can get. Built to carry aggregates and unloaded with a clam shell mechanical grab, the wagon design originates from the MBA Megabox and is built on a single central spine. Even these lowly wagons have detail differences, as can be seen between these two examples, so beware which one you are going to model. The GBRf version has small doors in the sides and the handbrake wheels mounted on the bogies, while the Wascosa/ Network Rail…

Masterclass DIESEL PRE-HEATERS MODEL Bachmann Class 24 (2001 version)◆ Price circa £70.00 second-hand AVAILABILITY Pre-owned model dealers While the mobile ex-Class 25 ETH locomotives – the ETHELs – gained the limelight in the late 1980s – and have been the subject of ready-to-run models from Heljan and Bachmann, the humble stationary train heating units have remained in the shade for many enthusiasts. Hidden away within depots and carriage sidings, they performed their important duties without much fanfare. Replicating most of the diesel-powered ETH units is a relatively easy task for those working in ‘N’, ‘OO’ and ‘O’ gauges. For the smaller scale, Class 24s and ‘31s’ have been offered by Farish (although not in true /‘31/0’ format) while the Class 15 has been offered recently by EFE Rail in ‘O’ gauge…

Workbench EXPERT MODELLERS SHOW YOU HOW In recent times, the mobile phone has replaced the small digital ‘point-andshoot’ camera. Many of us tend to carry such a device, and the built-in cameras often rival traditional cameras, especially when comparing results to what small cameras could achieve just a few years ago. Their small size and ease of use make them an ideal visual notebook, as well as very occasionally being used as a telephone. Creating good quality images is a blend of correct technique and a little simple editing, which usually involves lightening the shadows, so the image looks less muddy. This will make a real difference, especially if using images for publication in printed media and traditional prints. Whatever you do with your images, even if just posting to…

"What makes this layout great? Pleasant summer’s day layouts are all well and good, but to see something that accurately encapsulates the seedy underbelly of the UK rail network is so pleasing to the eye." Far away from the idyllic, summer-time backdrop of many model railways we see today, Brian De La Cour remembers an all-too-different appearance to his trainspotting days in the 1950s. Locking his bike up on the main street with his friends before slowly crawling through the hole in the protective fence and descending the steep slope down to the trackside, they found themselves in one of the UK’s Meccas for the railway enthusiast: Old Oak Common. “Frequenting the roundhouse was common, and the thing I remember the most wasn’t the magnificence of the locomotives or the…

Reviews ◆ GAUGE ‘OO’ ◆ MODEL Bachmann Branchline 35-825Y Class 31/4 31452 Minotaur, Fragonset black, TMC exclusive ◆ PRICE £179.95 (DCC-ready), £278.95 (DCC sound), £323.95 (DCC sound deluxe) ◆ AVAILABILITY The Model Centre Web www.themodelcentre.com We were mightily impressed with Bachmann’s all-new ‘OO’ Class 31 when our first sample arrived last month (see review in MR329), which featured a post-refurbishment ‘31/1’ in 1980s Railfreight colours. In addition to Bachmann’s own suite of releases, which concentrates mostly on the BR era, the Barwell team have also been busy creating an exclusive Class 31/4 for The Model Centre (TMC). Depicting one of the most enduring of the Class 31s, TMC’s model represents 31452 Minotaur in Fragonset livery, as it appeared between 1999 and 2009. Having been converted to an Electric Train Heat…

Reviews ◆ GAUGE ‘N’ ◆ MODEL Revolution Trains RT-FNAD-203/4 FNA-D Nuclear Flask Carriers ◆ PRICE £32.95 each ◆ AVAILABILITY Revolution Trains stockists Web www.revolutiontrains.com Introduced in 2014, the fleet of new FNA-D nuclear flask carriers replaced the 1970s-built versions which had become life-expired. Operated by Direct Rail Services, the wagons are employed to carry spent fuel from Britain’s many nuclear power stations to the main reprocessing hub at Sellafield. Revolution Trains produced a splendid, fully licensed ‘OO’ rendition of the FNA-D last year, and now it’s time for the ‘N’ gauge versions to take the limelight. Eight individual wagons have been produced, offering the chance to build up a fleet without duplicated running numbers. With part of the number repeated in large digits atop the flask cover, such repetition would…

Reviews ◆ GAUGE ‘TT:120’ ◆ MODEL Hornby • TT4032 LMS 57ft Corridor First • TT4033A LMS 57ft Corridor Third • TT4034 LMS 57ft Corridor Brake Third • TT4035 LMS 50ft Full Brake, BR maroon ◆ PRICE £37.99 each ◆ AVAILABILITY Selected Hornby stockists Web www.hornby.com The latest addition to Hornby’s ‘TT:120’ rolling stock range has arrived, in the form of the LMS 57ft coach. Offered in three key vehicle types – Corridor First, Corridor Third and Corridor Brake Third – Hornby has also included the shorter 50ft Passenger Brake. Designed under the auspices of William Stanier, the 57ft, steel-clad coaching stock was introduced in the early 1930s, with plenty of examples surviving in frontline use well into the 1960s. Currently offered in a choice of LMS crimson, BR carmine/cream and…

The weekend of September 14-15 sees The International N Gauge Show return to the Warwickshire Event Centre, with an eclectic mix of 25 layouts on display, showcasing the diverse possibilities that modelling in 2mm scale offers. Among the layouts will be Milton Keynes MRS’ ‘Brinklow’, which features in Model Rail this month (see page 28), plus ‘Shirebrook’ which appeared in the September 2019 issue. Full trade and retail support will be on hand, from the likes of Bachmann Europe, Dapol, Gaugemaster, Kato, Peco, Rapido Trains UK, Revolution Trains and many more. There will also be plenty of specialist societies in attendance, including the 2mm Scale Association, DEMU and The N Gauge Society. Advance tickets can be purchased to speed entry into the venue, or visitors may pay at the door,…

…and finally Young Tom is a bit of a geezer of a cat and he regularly hitches rides on trains around the network. Those who work on the railway know of him, and keep him well-fed with tinned pilchards and leftovers from the famous ‘footplate fry-up’, which is a culinary feast of bacon, eggs and sausage crafted on the fireman’s shovel. His owner, 87-year-old Beryl, a former racing driver and leading member of the local Womens’ Institute, misses Tom terribly when he’s on his travels. Having heard that Tom is back in the vicinity, she’s popped over to the engine shed to collect him. Tom, however, has other ideas, preferring the freedom of life on the iron roads……

Peter Marriott hired a professional to give a set of china clay hoppers a suitably dusty, lived-in appearance. A few months ago, I ordered some Cavalex CDA wagons for my ‘Fowey’ layout (see MR324-326). When they arrived, I was impressed with the wagons but knew they would have to be weathered, as they looked far too clean! After dwelling on various potential techniques and materials, I hit upon a way to ensure the wagons would be weathered to the highest standards by commissioning James Hilton Model Railways. I think that we all know our skill levels are different for each of the tasks associated with our hobby. For example, in my case, I will always do all the landscaping myself, but I may engage others to build baseboards or to…

What makes this layout great? "The track at ‘Brinklow’ is one long, sweeping curve so your eye can never settle on a set distance and block other aspects of the layout from view. It forces you to spend a few moments taking everything in and appreciating every aspect of it." We love club layouts at Model Rail. At their best, they showcase the power of teamwork. A club layout can play to everybody’s strengths. It will have more complex wiring, superb buildings and realistic scenery. With the extra space afforded by a clubroom, layouts tend to be larger too, allowing miniature trains to snake their way through the landscape. In 2015, the Milton Keynes Model Railway Society moved to new premises and decided the time was right to build a…

Workbench EXPERT MODELLERS SHOW YOU HOW Gasholders are iconic structures, somewhat redolent of the Victorian industrial age, and became a common sight throughout the country, particularly in urban areas. Owing to the recent escalation of their demolition, many have been listed to save them from destruction, with some being converted into leisure park features, shops and even housing. Compared with other ‘N’ gauge kits and ready-to-plant versions from Hornby’s Skaledale/Liddle End and Bachmann’s Scenecraft ranges, the Walthers Cornerstone plastic gasholder kit builds into quite a large structure. With a diameter of a little over 6 inches (and a height of about the same dimensions), the Walthers kit scales out to a height and diameter of around 80ft, so it’s actually quite small compared to the real thing. Indeed, gasholders were…

As with anything, it takes time to perfect successful photography techniques, with whatever tools you use. And as that saying goes, the most important bit is the bit behind the camera – or mobile phone in this case. But even if you don’t want to do anything discussed here, the most important thing is to make sure your lens is free of dust, grease and fingerprints. Additionally, make sure you have plenty of light and hold the phone or camera as still as possible. Cheap tripods are freely available for mobile phones, some of which incorporate lighting units. And finally, remember to give your model subject a good dust with a soft, dry brush before the photo session and check for any missing or bent components. As everyone at Model…

Reviews ◆ GAUGE ‘OO’ ◆ MODEL Rapido Trains UK 909001 Metropolitan ‘E’ Class No. 1 ◆ PRICE £179.95 (DCC-ready) £279.95 (DCC sound) ◆ AVAILABILITY Rapido Trains UK stockists Web www.rapido.co.uk For anyone born and brought up in outer suburban London there can be few more attractive subjects than the Metropolitan Railway. The term Metro-Land, revived and popularised by poet laureate Sir John Betjeman, referred to an area of Middlesex, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire served by the Metropolitan Railway and given over to residential developments by an associate organisation of the railway. The result was a stylised ‘quality of life’ for those whose jobs in London allowed them to live out of town in and around the Chiltern Hills out to Harrow in Middlesex and Verney Junction, Buckinghamshire, (over 50 miles from…

◆ GAUGE ‘OO’ ◆ MODEL MM1049A CIÉ Class 141, No. 149 CIÉ Supertrain orange/black ◆ PRICE £199.99 ◆ AVAILABILITY Murphy Models stockists Web www.murphymodels.com Can it really be 17 years since the first batch of Class 141/181 diesel-electric locomotives appeared on the market? Produced for Murphy Models by Bachmann Europe, the impressive little Bo-Bos won plaudits for their fidelity and level of detail, as well as superb performance, drastically raising the bar for Irish-outline models. A host of new versions have now arrived in attractive Murphy Models packaging (in contrast to the standard Bachmann boxes employed previously), taking in the key liveries carried by the prototypes throughout their long careers. Entering traffic in 1962, the Class 141 fleet was built in the US by General Motors and was followed a…

◆ GAUGE ‘OO’ ◆ MODEL Dapol 4F-058-001 14T Class A Tank wagon, Esso ◆ PRICE £37.80 ◆ AVAILABILITY Dapol stockists Web www.dapol.co.uk Built in large numbers between 1939-1944, primarily for the transport of aviation fuel during the Second World War, these Class A tank wagons featured a straightforward 17ft 6in long frame, riding on a 10ft wheelbase chassis and fitted with handbrakes only. Given the diminutive chassis -especially compared to later twin-axle designs – the tank was fairly substantial at just over 7ft in diameter, creating a capacity of 4,275 gallons. After the war, the wagons entered general service for the carriage of various oil products, with a significant number being fitted with heating coils and bottom discharge pipework for heavier, Class B fuels. Examples continued in service on BR…

By the late 1960s the concept of pre-heating rolling stock had already been practised for decades, ensuring early morning passenger services provided comfort during the colder months. The duty had initially been carried out by redundant steam locomotives, converted into stationary boilers. Indeed, the last two of these, ‘Standard’ 4MT tank No. 80002 at Cowlairs, Glasgow, and ‘Jinty’ No. 47564 at Red Bank Carriage Sidings, Manchester, survived until 1969 and 1972 respectively, with both entering preservation. As BR modernised, it was vital to move away from heating carriages with steam. Some regions – notably the Southern – had begun to embrace electric train heating (ETH) in the late 1950s. The class 33s, 71s, 73s and 74s were all fitted with ETH equipment from new. Another region to use ETH-fitted stock…

Workbench EXPERT MODELLERS SHOW YOU HOW I remember it well, the arrival of the CLASP station building. If you lived on the Southern Region in the 1970s you could scarcely miss it. Of the 34 CLASP stations listed on Wikipedia, 30 were on the Southern Region, three on the Western and one on the London Midland Region. Several of those on the Southern Region were remarkably close to my home. WHAT WAS CLASP? The Consortium of Local Authorities Special Project began in the 1950s as a means to replace existing (or provide new) municipal buildings such as school classrooms, offices, doctor’s surgeries, hospitals, council depot offices, and even homes, cheaply and easily using a standardised, steel-framed, sectional construction system. They would be quick to assemble and easy to maintain. Perhaps…

Ballasting – it’s definitely a ‘Marmite’ kind of endeavour. Some modellers have told me that they find it extremely therapeutic, whereas I used to despise it, treating it as a necessary evil. But then, after trialling a few different methods to those I’d grown up with, I soon found it much less onerous. Like many practical tasks, it helps to use good quality products, in terms of the ballast itself and the adhesive employed to bond it together. Happily, compared to when I started out in the hobby, there’s now plenty of choice among modeller-friendly scenic materials and glues. Furthermore, once I’d learned to employ Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) as a wetting agent before applying the glue, ballasting became far less of a chore. Practice also makes perfect, and ballasting is…

In 1891, requiring better locomotives to work its outer suburban services, the Metropolitan Railway acquired four 0-4-4Ts from Neilsons of Glasgow. These locomotives had many South Eastern Railway characteristics, proved ideal for the job and were the precursors of the ‘E’ class tanks. The ‘E’ was designed by Thomas F. Clarke who had become superintendent of the ‘Met’ in 1896. Two batches of ‘Es’ were built for the Metropolitan Railway in 1896 and 1900/1. The first two, Nos. 77-8, were built in the Met’s own works at Neasden. The later batch, Nos. 79-82, were built by Hawthorn, Leslie in Newcastle. The surviving preserved locomotive, as Metropolitan Railway No. 1, features detail differences from the others and was apparently built between the two batches, at Neasden, using spare parts left over…

Reviews ◆ GAUGE ‘OO’ ◆ MODEL Irish Railway Models IRM1250C CIÉ/IR Mk 2b/c four coach set Pack C, IR orange/black ◆ PRICE £229.98 ◆ AVAILABILITY Accurascale Web www.accurascale.com Córus Iompair Éireann (CIÉ) purchased a sizeable fleet of air-conditioned Mk 2 coaches from British Rail Engineering Ltd in the early 1970s, albeit with specific differences to the electrical and brake systems, to suit the operating requirements of the Irish system. The coaches were purchased without interiors, with finishing work being carried out at the CIÉ’s famous Inchicore Works. By 1990, CIÉ – by now known as Irish Rail – found itself in need of extra coaches and, at the time, Ireland’s economy was in the doldrums so the railway had to improvise. Leicester scrap dealer Vic Berry had recently acquired a…

◆ GAUGE ‘N’ ◆ MODEL Graham Farish 378-002A 14T Class A Anchor-mounted tank wagon, National Benzole ◆ PRICE £29.95 ◆ AVAILABILITY Bachmann stockists Web www.bachmann.co.uk Revealed earlier this year, the Farish 14T anchor-mounted tank wagons represent an all-new tooling, which is always something to cheer in ‘N’ gauge. Dating from the 1940s, this wagon design was a collaboration between the railway companies, private operators and the national Petroleum Board. In contrast to previous designs, where the tanks sat on timber saddles, secured by steel wires, these new vehicles featured the tanks being anchored directly to the steel chassis frames. Construction of this new design got under way in earnest during the early 1950s, with large fleets ordered by a variety of oil companies, including Shell Mex and BP, while Esso,…

◆ GAUGE ‘TT:120’ ◆ MODEL Hornby TT6013/A/B BR HAA MGR coal hoppers ◆ PRICE £25.99 each ◆ AVAILABILITY Selected Hornby stockists Web www.hornby.com Last year, Hornby released several different types of ‘traditional’ freight wagons, with more of a steam era flavour, in ‘TT:120’, so modern image modellers were happy to see the first of the air-braked era stock arrive this Spring, in the form of the TTA tanks (MR325). Now another iconic modern BR wagon type has reached Hornby’s growing range of ‘TT:120’ stockists – the HAA Merry-go-Round hopper. Six individually numbered wagons have been produced, three in the original Railfreight colour scheme, with bright red cradles (as featured here) and another trio in the later BR Coal sector livery, with yellow cradle and sub-sector markings (TT6014/A/B). Incidentally, the latter…