Between 1913 and 1914 the SECR purchased a number of wagons from RY Pickering. These wagons were built to move coal and were at the time were primarily used by William Cory & Son (Coal Factors) based in Erith. They were originally allocated SECR Diagram s1084, later becoming Southern Railway Diagram 1358.
These wagons carried a variety of liveries – Wainwright light grey with small SECR lettering and black metalwork, all over Maunsell dark SECR grey with large lettering and also standard SR pre-1936 brown.
These wagons are produced by Rapido Trains UK using their latest RCH 7 plank open wagon tooling featuring both side and end doors, angled vee-hangers, double sided brakes, flat-fronted axleboxes and split-spoked wheels. Although not all minor detail differences can be captured with this tooling, these wagons will be as close a representation of the SECR wagons as possible.
Dave Ellis of Nucast has kindly advised me that their New L.B. Billinton LBSC/SR/BR(s) K Class 2-6-0 kit is now available to order. First introduced in 1913 the eventual 17 members of the class were the first 2-6-0 locomotives on the LBSC and the first with a Belpair firebox. They were generally seen as one of the most successful LBSC locomotive designs.
The new Nucast LBSC K Class (test build)
Nucast have fully upgraded the old Keyser (‘K’s) kit with a new etched nickel silver chassis for both loco and tender. The chassis can be sprung using the High Level Kits system (parts not included). Both loco and tender chassis now include brakes and pull rods. The loco now has the very distinctive Slide-bars and Motion Bracket rather than square section N/S rod and some very basic castings for the brackets. The test build (as per picture) depicts a typical example of 2nd series as built and running through to circa 1930.
They have also added a number of new castings to the kit which will allow you to build both batches of the loco and covers all periods from as built to their final days on BR in 1962. These include :-
The original Brighton Cab and the SR ‘SECR style’ cab used when they were modified to suit the composite loading gauge by the Southern.
Cab details, back-head, regulator, cab splashers (“seats”), floor and reverser.
Boiler fittings include the original Brighton Top Feed and the manhole cover for the first series, and a second dome (similar to the C2x’s) for the 2nd series to attach the top feed too. Vacuum Ejector Pipe.
The reduced height Chimney and Dome for the SR composite loading gauge Along with SR boiler mounted Clack-valves.
Choice of Ramsbottom Safety Valve or the later Ross pop changes.
The Nucast K Class loco etch
The chassis includes spacers for 00, EM and P4. We have only built the 00 version and the clearances are very tight behind the crossheads. So EM and P4 modellers will have to use some ingenuity to build the chassis as is often the case in EM – P4.
The etch also includes Brighton and SR/BR style lamp irons.
The Nucast K Class tender etch
The Tender etch includes the original open style coal rails and the later plated SR style and cab doors which can be modelled closed or open.
The Brighton K is now in stock priced at £135.00 plus postage. Wheel packs and Motor/Gearbox packs to suit are also available. To order contact Nucast on 01342 822270.
The list includes for the first time a new simplified SECR livery, a re-run of the popular 323 ‘Bluebell’ and new running numbers for previous liveries.
The Rapido Trains UK ‘OO’ gauge GWR V6 ‘Iron Mink’ covered vans have arrived, it might seem unusual for such a wagon to mentioned here you might be thinking… there is a reason, read on…
The SR ‘Cone’ Improvised Gunpowder Van converted from GWR V6 ‘Iron Mink’.
The GWR covered vans of all metal construction, therefore known as ‘Iron Minks’, appeared between 1888 and 1901 (after which their covered vans construction reverted to being built with wooden bodies) were built on 16’6″ underframes with a 9′ wheelbase and had a capacity of 8 tons, with over 4000 being built.
Due to the Governments re-armament programme, the fact the Southern Railway had not built any Gunpowder vans and only had 38 were in service (such as ex LSWR Diagram 1701) , a further 100 were apparently required from late 1937. It was decided to exchange 100 covered vans for GWR ‘Iron Minks’ and convert them as Improvised Gunpowder vans, they were to be returned at the end of the armament period or potentially the end of the war.
Crisp livery application and lettering.
It does not appear to be documented exactly how many actually came to the Southern or for how long they stayed, but they were lettered SR with temporary SR numbers in the range 59001-100 and carried the SR code name ‘Cone’.
They were never allocated any SR Diagram number, and do not appear to to have been included within the SR Wagon registers, although they are very similar to the aforementioned LSWR Diagram 1701 Gunpowder vans, except the LSWR vans had lifting link brake gear rather than the two independent sets of brakes on the GWR Iron Minks.
Well detailed underframe.
As is now standard on the Rapido Trains UK they feature good underframe detail that includes nicely moulded beams, planking and central coupling rods/spring details and brake gear nicely in line with the wheels. Standard NEM slim line tension lock couplings are provided (on removable mounts for those that want to use 3 links) although they do protrude out past the end the buffers a little more than I personally prefer.
The brake handle correctly passes through the see through ratchet, rather than just being a solid moulding, a welcome development that is now starting to be seen on some of the more detailed new RTR wagons.
Another 3/4 view.
They also feature correct 8 spoked wheels on 26mm pin point axles that run in brass bearing cups, that, despite being slightly lighter than I would prefer at 32g, run very freely.
The black livery application is crisp and well printed with the red cross and red and white lettering and has an overall pleasing satin finish. The roof is mid grey which I prefer, although it is suggested that they might haver originally been white.
Greenwood & Pring have announced the development of a new 0 Gauge premium finescale carriage programme based on Southern Railway’s Bulleid coaches. These carriages will be manufactured in brass in Korea to a high specification with both skirted and non-skirted coach types. All metal construction Bulleid three coach sets no: 770-793 comprise the non-skirted version and the Bournemouth six coach sets no: 290-300 are the skirted type.
The models will be meticulously researched using original drawings, image material and examples of preserved and modified stock. They will hand-made from brass with fine scale soldered construction ensuring superb body detail.
Other features include:
Interior LED carriage lighting
Finished in long-lasting and robust oven baked satin paint
Coach nameboards commemorating famous expresses
Ball bearing mounted axel boxes for free running bogies
Solid stainless steel disc wheels with back-to-back set at 29mm
Conversion pack for standard/coarse scale Hi Rail wheels set at 27.5mm
Three coupling types: Standard Kadee style couplings. Conversion packs for screw link drop or alternative buckeye couplings (a standard on Bulleid coaches) are available. Note the screw link drop coupling is suitable to align with ACE style drop link couplings
Removeable carriage body so the interior can be accessed for the fitting of figures.
Bulleid three coach sets no: 770-793
Bulleid sets no: 770-793 providing accommodation for 24 first-class and 120 third-class passengers were built between December 1946 and November 1947. The three coach set options available will be:
Two livery styles in Southern Railway malachite green and British Railways Southern Region green.
Bournemouth six coach sets no: 290-300
Along with the non-skirted Bulleid three coach sets, the Bournemouth six coach sets will be produced in two separate phases:
Phase One comprising coached types BSK-CK-BSK with Phase Two being the coach types RFO-RT-TO to make up the following livery / Set combinations:
SR malachite with green ends; Set 300,
BR Malachite Green black ends Sets; 290, 292, 295 and 296
BR Blood and Custard Sets: 291, 293, 294, 298 and 299
BR(s) Green Sets: 291, 293, 294, 297, 298 and 299
Should there be sufficient customer interest set no: 299 may be produced in British Railways experimental livery – old style LNWR plum and off-white (plum and spilt milk).
A third phase may also be offered as a total of 22 open second saloons were transferred to BR Eastern and Scottish Regions in the 1960s for loose working and repainted in BR lined maroon livery. This release will comprise open second saloons only making them highly attractive for O Gauge modellers with East Coast and Scottish interests.
Prices are £625 per carriage or £600 each if ordered as a set.
Pre-production samples will be available for inspection at all Guild 0 Gauge events this year as well as other specialist meetings during 2023.
Hornby have today announced their forthcoming range for 2023 as being a year of catch up, so not a huge amount to report for SR / BR(s) modellers (or anyone really…unless you are a collector of Gresley pacifics).
New Tooling
Hornby’s new tooling for 2023 is not SR / BR(s) orientated and includes the LNER streamlined 4-6-0 B17/5 locomotive, no new coach tooling and the following wagons: GWR Macaw B / BR Bogie Bolster C, BR TTA tank wagon and LMS/ BR Salmon/YMO bogie wagon. The LNER A1/A3 and prototype DELTIC are added to the Hornby Dublo diecast range.
Locomotives
The 100th anniversary of Grouping occurring at the start of this January is marked by the limited edition, (500 each model) “Big Four Centenary Collection” of one loco representing each of the big four, but being due in October…
With no new tooling of any kind for Southern modelers we see only the following two steam locomotive livery releases:
R30273 SR N15 ‘King Arthur Class’ 4-6-0 741 ‘Joyous Gard’ – Limited Edition – Big Four Centenary Collection – in Maunsell olive green livery as she was between June 1925 when named and January 1928 when fitted with smoke deflectors – Era 3 – Due Oct 2023
R3860 BR Merchant Navy Class 4-6-2 35012 ‘United States Lines’ – in malachite green with wedge shaped cab, Gills Sans BR numerals as carried between March 1949 and January 1951 – Era 4 – Due Oct 2023
R30176TXS Railroad Plus GB Railfreight Class 73 Bo-Bo 73109 ‘Battle of Britain’ – Sound fitted – Era 10 – Due Nov 2023
And for Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway modellers as it was jointly run by the SR and LSWR before it and I am not just trying to fill the page honest:
R30285 S&DJR Blue Class 4F 0-6-0 No. 61 – Era 2 – Due Dec 2023
R30286 S&DJR Blue Class 2P 4-4-0 No. 46 – Era 2 – Due Dec 2023
R30316 RailRoad S&DJR Blue, Class 3F ‘Jinty’, 0-6-0, No. 20 Blue – Era 2 – Due August 2023
R30325 RailRoad S&DJR Black, Class 3F ‘Jinty’, 0-6-0, No. 25 – Era 2 – Due August 2023
Yep… that’s all folks… really no other SR/BR(s) model locos, coaches or wagons in the 2023 range!
In reality with quite a number of last years range and some still from 2021 to be delivered, along with the TT:120 investment that has taken place, it is perhaps not surprising that a more manageable scaled back, catch up, 2023 range has been announced.
However… there is a potential new ‘Generic’ Railroad 0-4-0t locomotive that might just have a passing resemblance to an Adams B4 (but stick with the Dapol version!) It should also be noted that the catalogue when it arrives may include some models that have not been included in today’s announcement and will not be available this year.
The not so annual 00 gauge wish list poll has gone live today and runs until 1800 on Friday 30 December. The team last ran The 00 Wishlist Poll back in autumn 2019. They listed over 800 items together with a massive Poll Guide and it simply became unsustainable – for many reasons – to maintain that format. However, some of those reasons have ‘dissipated’ and we have seen a number of model companies appear over the horizon. Therefore it was felt that a revamped version (but without The Guide) would be fun to run.
The purpose of The Poll is to provide an easy way for modellers and collectors to tell the major manufacturers and commissioners of ready-to-run railway models what they would like to see made from new tooling (excluding models announced, tooled or made since 2005). It should be noted that the poll is only being run for 00 gauge models. There are plenty of Southern Railway / Southern Region related items to vote for, hint hint.
Voting covers steam, diesel and electric locos; DMUs; EMUs; passenger and non-passenger-carrying coaching stock; freight and departmental stock see here The Contents of The 00 Wishlist Poll 2022
A full report of the results will be published on RMweb from early January and no doubt in a number of magazines along with a summary of the Southern / Southern Region related results on this blog.
For some of the even earlier wagon designs, such as the delightfully small ‘Chaldron’ wagons now available from Accurascale their size meant that there wooden ‘buffers’ were both lower and closer together than the ‘normal’ adopted buffer position. This meant that for shunting to easily and safely be undertaken the locomotives being used required additional buffering arrangements to be added.
This usually took the form of vertically mounted wooden blocks that were simply / crudely bolted onto the locomotive buffer beam.
B2 Peckett 0-6-0t ‘Leader’ fitted with the 247 Developments dumb buffers
My friends at 247 Developments have created 3D printed vertical dumb buffers available in sets of four either painted (£2.50) or unpainted (£1.00).
These can be simply glued to the buffer beam (I advise just removing any raised rivet from the buffer beam at the mounting position first) providing a dumb buffer solution in a matter of minutes at a pocket money price.
Even without the Chaldron wagons the additional dumb buffers add some further character and individualism to the industrial locomotive fleet.
247 Developments are of course also a great port of call for etched number and nameplates, SR Head signal discs and a wide range of locomotive, coach and wagon detailing parts.
Hornby 75T Crane legs
Continuing the 3D printed theme also new to the 247 Developments range are both short (£1.50) and long (£2.50) legs for the venerable Hornby Cowans Sheldon 75T Breakdown crane (similar to the one based for a while at Eastleigh).
The Bachmann Pre 1936 livery Diagram 1559 ‘Dance Hall’ Brake Van
These ‘modern’ 24ft long 16ft wheel base brake vans with their spacious guard’s accommodation were first introduced in 1918, and given the nickname ‘Dance Halls’ . Although the later SR standard brake vans had shorter bodies they used the same underframe design. A total of 60 of the vans were built between 1918 and 1927 with the first 20 being on 12″ channel underframes to Diagram 1559 and the following 40 on 15″ channel underframes to Diagram 1560.
The difference between the two diagrams can be easily spotted as the Diagram 1560 vans did not have the bottom 3″ plank across the sides. Ten of the vans were rebuilt in 1963 for departmental use, these had one balcony incorporated into the van section and end windows added becoming diagram 1571, some of these after being both vacuum and air piped lasted until the 1980s.
These vans were forerunners of the later SR built Diagram 1578/1579 ‘Pillbox’ vans that had shorter bodies on the same SECR design underframe.
The separately supplied longitudinal brake pull rod is seen in front of the Dance Hall
The four Bachmann models of the SECR Diagram 1559 brake vans being released are as follows:
38-916 D1559 SR Pre-1936 Livery No.55462 (although many would have survived in this livery style well after 1936 and throughout the war)
38-917 D1559 BR Grey livery No. S55457 as based at Hither Green
38-918 D1559 BR Departmental Olive Green No. DS 55455 as based at Eastleigh Permanent Way Dept.
The model nicely and accurately captures the size and bulk of these brake vans. Non sprung (cue the usual nonsense cry, from some quarters, that for the price these should be sprung) self contained buffers are fitted, corner lamp irons (although the end lamp irons are moulded) and handrails are separately fitted items. Care should be taken when handling the models from the sides as the longitudinal rails are very fine and correctly fixed the body at the ends and middle four locations, so the longer prototypical centre section could be easily bent.
The Dance Hall chassis with the longitudinal pull rod fitted, that locates via pegs into holes at each end and also clips to the central; cross rod
The chassis includes brakes nicely inline with the wheels (but not easy to drop in alternative wheelsets for the slightly wider gauges without some slight surgery), and the brake pull rods, the main longitudinal pull rod is included for the user to fit that although simple to do so, although I am not sure of the reason for it why it wasn’t factory fitted.
It appears that only a single tooling exists for the main chassis part that also includes the W Irons and axleboxes, all version are therefore the same, fitted with the later BR style axleboxes but the difference between them and the original style fitted is very slight and possibly a reasonable compromise from normal viewing distances.
The SECR and SR version run on 10 spoke wheelsets whilst the BR versions are correctly with the later style disc wheels. The vans weigh a reasonable 45g and are free running.
The modelled interior, the two fixing chassis top body clips on this side of the chassis can be seen.
These models are also complete with interior detail such as stove, brake handwheel and desk visible through the end windows, The body can be easily prised and lifted off the chassis by releasing the four chassis to body clips at each corner of the main body section, as seen in the image left .
Decoration is neat and crisp as we would always expect form Bachmann, however the sole bars on the SECR and SR livery versions to be correct for the period should really be in body colour with only the iron work below the solebar in black, although as 38-915 is numbered 11902 which is the same as the preserved example, in preservation this currently has black painted solebars. The SR brown colour and finish is nicely rendered and consistent with their SR Pillbox brake vans
The neatly applied decoration including the printed working instruction boards.
The SR and BR Grey versions also have working instruction boards printed directly on the bodysides, in reality these were actual wooden boards affixed and therefore slightly proud of the sides, but again it is a reasonable compromise from normal viewing distances.
Overall these are excellent models, and were often requested, so will be a popular edition to most SECR ./ SR / BR(s) fleets, and I am sure other livery variations will follow in the future.
The Diagram 1426 vans were introduced in 1918 and they lasted well into BR days, setting the standard for future Southern Railway vans.
These vans Rapido Trains UK feature: Two types of rain strip: curved and straight, separately-fitted end ventilators, split-spoked wheels running in metal bearings and highly detailed body, under frame and self contained buffers.
There are eleven Diagram 1426 covered vans available:
927001: No. 15782, SECR grey (curved rain strip)
927002: No. 16737, SECR grey (curved rain strip)
927003: No. 45784, SR brown (Pre 1936) (curved rain strip)
927004: No. 47162, SR brown (Pre 1936) (curved rain strip)
927005: No. 45779, SR brown (Post 1936) (curved rain strip)
927006: No. 47159, SR brown (Post 1936)
927007: No. S45819, BR grey
927008: No. S47144, BR grey (curved rain strip)
927009: No. DS47182, Departmental black
927010: No. DS776, Departmental brown
927011: No. 15750, SECR grey (preserved)
The SECR used the same underframe for the two-plank ballast wagon. It introduced the first example in 1919 and 120 were built over the next four years. Incredibly, BR didn’t withdraw the last until 1971.
The Rapido Trains UK two plank ballast wagons feature: Two floor versions: curve-ended planks and straight-ended planks, split-spoked wheels running in metal bearings and highly detailed bodies, underframes and self-contained buffers.
The D1744 SR Engineers Department red oxide liveries
There are also eleven Diagram 1744 two plank ballast wagons available:
928010: No. S62433, SR red oxide with BR(S) number
928011: No. S62388, BR Departmental black
All versions of both models, share the same underframe although the Diagram 1744 two plank ballast wagon correctly has an extended brake lever. Both diagrams have accurate body detail, including nicely planked insides on the two plank ballast wagons. The roof of the vans is a good tight fitting separate part and allows for either the original curved or later straight rain strip option.
The common underframe of the D1426 and D744 wagons
As is now becoming much more common on such new wagon releases, the also feature good underframe detail that includes nicely moulded beams, planking and central coupling rods/spring details and brake gear nicely in line with the wheels and a wire cross rod. They also feature nice 8 split spoked wheels on 26mm pin point axles that run in brass bearing cups (careful if removing wheels as the bearings might drop out), that along with a with a reasonable weight of 38g for the van and 25g for the two plank, ensures very free running. Standard NEM 362 coupling pockets are included [Edit: to correct a previous statement].
The same wagons as above after a dusting with Testers Dullcoat
