That was the Warley that was ’14, duplication is the name of the game… [Updated 28/11/14]

Last weekend saw the annual Warley National Model railway Exhibition at the NEC, this post rounds up the news from a Southern / BR(s) perspective. As duplication seems to be the order of the day I have also duplicated part of the post title from one I have used before. It is usual for some manufacturers to use the event to make announcements of new items or showcase updates to new products under development. This year was no exception although Hornby make the unusual step of announcing part of their intended plans for 2015 at the show.
Many thanks to those of you who read this blog for popping by the Shortley Bridge and Felton Cement Works layout on the Hornby Magazine stand, where I was playing trains all weekend, and saying hello it was good to see you.

Hornby

In making the unusual step of a pre-announcement announcement of their 2015 range Hornby are going head to head with two previously announced SR / BR(s) models from other manufacturers. This is likely to be due to the fact  that they have been working on the development of these models for some time now, Simon Kohler discusses such duplication in his interesting blog on the Hornby website here (posted just before the Warley show). Some people may ask why manufacturers can not simply talk to each other to avoid such duplication but this of course would fall foul of anti competition laws.

First up is the ex LSWR Adams Radial 4-4-2T, that was announced earlier this moth by Oxford Rail. Hornby had an Engineering Prototype on display they also had on display extracts from CAD drawings that show their intent to produce variations of Chimney and Boilers (Adams vrs Drummond) and also frame lengths, images of these can be found on the Hornby website here along with details of other non SR related items. Hornby advise that this model should be available late 2015. This particular prototype has finished high in recent wish list polls, hence the interest. I was also assisting another potential manufacturer of this model but this has now been sensibly replaced with another model instead, albeit non SR related, once the intent of the other parties was discovered.

Secondly they also announced a BR(S) Class 71 3rd rail electric locomotive for delivery in 2016. This model has been previously announced by DJModels back in July using a kickstarter campaign hosted via the Kernow Model Railway Centre. only last week they confirmed that the required number of orders had been reached to allow the production of the model to go ahead.

In addition to the above announcements that also had livery samples of the ex LSWR Drummond 700 Class 0-6-0’s on display.

Hornby will be announcing the full details of their 2015 range on the 17th December and I will bring you a round up all the specific SR and BR(s) information to you at the same time, having been briefed along with the rest of the model railway media at Margate a week before.

Bachmann

On the Bachmann stand were livery samples of their ex LBSC E4 on display in both Maunsell Pre 1931 lined olive green and also BR black versions.
The exhibition also saw for the first time the, only just arrived,  Engineering Prototype of the Southern Passenger Luggage vans PLV/PMV’s.

I am now also able to confirm that only one tooling [*update 28/11/14 below] for these vans is being introduced to despite their catalogue and website that mixing the terms PLV/PMV and CCT they are not producing a Southern Van U (BR designation CCT) with the end opening doors. Further information about these vans and the various can be found on my Talking Stock #6 post SR Luggage Vans which is based on the kits that this RTR version will now also kind of duplicate.

Graham Farish

No new SR related news to be had as they were showing the same first off Engineering samples of the N class and original style third series Merchant Navy Bulleid pacific that we have seen before, this does not of course mean that no further progress has been made behind the scenes.

Model Rail Magazine

Model Rail Magazine announced a further two livery versions of their USTC/SR USA 0-6-0T model commissioned via Bachmann,  in the form of: MR105 N0. 300 ‘Major-General Frank S. Ross’ in Longmoor Military Railway blue and MR106  No. DS233 in department black with post 1956 BR emblem, these and the previously announced models can be pre-ordered here although Model Rail advise that If you want a ‘USA tank’ you need to be quick placing your pre-order as one livery has already sold out and others are nearly all sold. Away from the show I have been privileged to have assisted in the reviewing of the CADs for these models and they are now very close to going for tooling.

Dapol

Dapol had on display various model samples for models first announced back in 2012 :
In N gauge, livery samples of their Maunsell coaches in SR Olive Green along with the Van C.
In 4mm scale they had the latest Engineering prototypes of both versions of the Class 73 Electro Diesel (73/0 – JA and 73/1 – JB).  It appears that the 73/0 variant might be available first, even though to date they have only announced 73/1 versions!
For 0 Gauge modellers the first liveried sample of the Terrier was on display in Brighton livery.

Heljan 

On their stand in addition to livery samples of the 05 Class diesel shunter (one of the prototypes of course was outposted on the Isle of Wight for quite some time) they had the kit of parts that will make up their 009 ready to run Lynton and Barnstaple 2-6-2 Exe, Tor and Yeo locomotives.

Comet Models

Following the untimely passing of proprietor and friend Geoff Brewin, in September, his family are pleased to announce that the entire extensive range of locomotive chassis, coach kits and detailing items has now been successfully sold to Andrew Hartshorne of Wizard Models (and Model Signal Engineering), welcome news indeed. The transfer is planned to take place over the weekend of the 5th – 7th December inclusive, and Andrew hopes to open for trade of Comet items on Monday December 8th.

So all in all a very busy Warley show, with many announcements made, including those of interest to modellers of other railways. I am sure some will have ongoing ramifications within the model railway world, including no doubt some conspiracy theories,  interesting times ahead I feel…

[*update 28/11/14]

I have now received a further clarification from Bachmann with respect to the tooling being produced for the PLV/PMV and they have advised the following:

The first engineering samples of the forthcoming Bachmann Branchline Southern Utility Vans were displayed at the 2014 Warley Show. Two bodies have been tooled for these models which cover the Southern PMV which have one vent at each end (item Nos. 39-525, 39-526 & 39-527); whilst the second tooling portrays a CCT vehicle which has been converted to a PMV, this is evident from the sealed end doors with four vents at each end (item No. 39-528). An image of such a vehicle can be found at http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/srcct/h1552e6d6#h1552e6d6. The image used in the 2014 Bachmann Branchline catalogue for item No. 39-528 incorrectly shows a standard PMV. I trust this clarifies the situation.

Thanks to Bachmann for the clarification over and above what I was informed by them at Warley.