There has recently been a flurry of activity in the Ready to Run world from various manufacturers / model commissioners and this post is a quick update on a number of models that I had the chance to take a look at, run and photograph at the Hornby Magazine Great Electric Train Show (GETS) on their Twelve Trees Junction layout, that I was helping to operate last weekend. Further posts giving a more detailed photographic review of some of the production models about to be delivered will follow in due course.
Hornby H Class
First announced in September 2016 as being part of their 2017 range the ex ex SECR / SR Wainwright H class 0-4-4 tank is progressing well and the first of the production samples can be seen pictured left. No 31518 in lined black with late crest is Hornby catalogue number R3539 and is also pull push fitted. She ran very nicely on Twelve Trees Junction layout over the GETS weekend. Also being released are R3538 as No. 308 in full SECR livery, R3450 as No 1234 in lined olive green and No 31551 as part of a train pack with pull push set 602.
Hatton’s P Class
Although only announced last month progress on the twelve livery versions of their ex SECR / SR Wainwright P class 0-6-0 tanks is progressing at pace. They have now received in the last week the first livery samples and three of these can be seen left, with all able to seen on the Hatton’s website project update page here.
These are of course the first livery samples and a few tweaks are still to be made but the excellent attention to detail on these models can be clearly seen.
Shades of a 1960s LCGB railtour the P Class tank along with a Hornby Adams radial tank. The Kernow Model Rail Centre Gate Stock and O2 can also be seen in the backgroundThe full details of the available versions and pre-order details can be found here.
Although being livery samples these were unpowered we could not resist running one the samples as a double header to possibly represent a Locomotive Club of Great Britain railtour in the 1960’s.
Kernow Model Rail Centre, Gate Stock and Bulleid Diesels
The ex London and South Western Railway pull push Gate Stock has featured on this blog often and now that they have been produced and awaiting shipment from China a small number have been air freighted to the UK for magazine review samples etc. The BR Lined Crimson set 363 (K1003) can be seen left. Three other livery versions are being produced, namely: K1001 Set 374 SR Lined Olive, K1002 Set 373 SR Malachite, and K1004 Set 373 BR Green (plated) See here for more details.
Although announced some time ago, the necessary research for the production of the CADS for these diesels with their complex multiple curved exterior shape has as already documented taken much longer than planned. When last year additional information came to light the development process moved on at a fast pace and now production of the first versions has now been completed. The model ran exceptionally well on Twelve Trees Junction hauling a long rake of twelve wheel Pullman coaches with considerable ease, due to its good weight and a centrally mounted 5 pole motor with flywheels powering each bogie.
These models will each feature in a more detailed review post in due course so watch this space…
Both an example of the the Gate Stock, the Bulleid diesel 10201 and as an exclusive, their first running Engineering Prototype of the Western Region D600 series Hydraulics, also being produced by the Kernow Model Rail Centre will be running on the High Wycombe and District’s Hinton Parva layout this weekend at the Warners / BRM Magazine National Festival of Railway Modelling. if you are planning to attend come and say hello to the Hinton Parva team.
I fully intend to weather and detail my collection of locos and rolling stock in the fullness of time, but with so many wonderful r-t-r goodies appearing so quickly I fear I may be swamped! As I am equally besotted by recent ex-LNER offerings (eagerly awaiting Oxford Rail’s N7) you can see my problem.
In all seriousness, when I modelled in the 1960’s being able to buy models of today’s quality off the shelf would have been a dream. My stud then consisted of rather clumsily assembled and painted K’s and Wills kits, but in my imagination they were perfect representations of what I had been witnessing for real in the 50’s. And in my imagination, the current offerings as they come out of the box will also look just fine… until they get grimed up and crewed!
Reblogged this on sed30's Blog.
My Hornby SECR livery H tank arrived a couple of days ago and very fine it is too. I particularly applaud Hornby’s decision to have a shiny “brass” dome rather than a gold painted dome. A great model which goes well too.