Bespoke footplate crew by MODELU for the KMRC Beattie Well Tank

The Kernow Model Rail Centre ex LSWR/SR Beattie class 0298 well tank was first produced back in 2011.  Incredibly for a class that since the 1930's had only three members, with a restrictive sphere of operation, albeit into the late 1960s, on the Bodmin and Wenford branch, the model has been extremely popular resulting in … Continue reading Bespoke footplate crew by MODELU for the KMRC Beattie Well Tank

Talking Stock #39 Catering for Southern travellers by Hornby

As we are talking Southern Railway catering vehicles it might be worth sitting down and having some light refreshment to go with the read as things are going to get a little confusing and complex! The Southern Railway even with its relatively short distances involved, when compared with some of the other railway companies, still … Continue reading Talking Stock #39 Catering for Southern travellers by Hornby

Talking Stock #38 The Adams B4s the not so small 0-4-0 tanks

Due to the expansion of the many small yards and docks the London and South Western Railway (LSWR) required a number of small tank locomotives. First introduced by Adams in 1891 the B4 class of 0-4-0 tanks comprised initially of two batches of ten built at Nine Elms works and the first ten were completed … Continue reading Talking Stock #38 The Adams B4s the not so small 0-4-0 tanks

Talking Stock #37 The USA 0-6-0t, the yankees at the docks

The Southern Railway purchased 14 (plus one extra for spares) of these powerful, short wheel based locomotives from the United States Army Transportation Corps in 1946 for use within Southampton Docks to replace the ageing ex LSWR B4 0-4-0t.  They were built to US Army specification T1531, all bar one of the 14 were built by … Continue reading Talking Stock #37 The USA 0-6-0t, the yankees at the docks

Talking Stock #36 The rebuilding of the Bulleid Merchant Navy Class and a touch of Workbench Witterings

This week saw the first of the new Hornby 'Original' Merchant Navy Pacifics hitting  the retailers, see my Talking Stock #35 post here for more details and also the full size 'Rebuilt' Merchant Navy Pacific 35006 Peninsular & Oriental S. N. Co. steaming in public service for the first time in 2017 on the  Gloucestershire and … Continue reading Talking Stock #36 The rebuilding of the Bulleid Merchant Navy Class and a touch of Workbench Witterings

Talking Stock #35 Original Merchant Navy pacifics @Hornby initial variations in detail

As promised in my recent  Warley 2016 update post  this post is about the first four original Air Smoothed Bulleid Merchant Navy pacifics being released by Hornby due in the first quarter 2017. The main purpose of this post is to advise the exact condition and dates applicable to all these four versions which I hope will … Continue reading Talking Stock #35 Original Merchant Navy pacifics @Hornby initial variations in detail

Talking Stock #34 ex LSWR Ironclad coaches (also an earlier 1918 Brake Composite) and a tribute to Gordon Weddell

This Talking Stock #34 post about ex LSWR Ironclad coaches is published by way of a tribute to Gordon Weddell whom sadly passed away just over a two weeks ago and whose funeral takes place today. Gordon was the authority on London and South Western Railway (LSWR) coaches and other rolling stock. He published a … Continue reading Talking Stock #34 ex LSWR Ironclad coaches (also an earlier 1918 Brake Composite) and a tribute to Gordon Weddell

Talking Stock #33 The five Urie H16 large 4-6-2 tanks

As I mentioned in my Talking Stock #26 post here about the four Urie G16 class 4-8-0T locomotives, I do indeed have a soft spot for large tanks and therefore this post is about Urie's other large tanks the five H16 4-6-2Ts. The later Maunsell Z class 0-8-0T locomotives  were the subject of Talking Stock … Continue reading Talking Stock #33 The five Urie H16 large 4-6-2 tanks

Talking Stock #32 Kitting out the various brake vans

The humble brake van was an every part of the railway scene up until the advent of continuous brakes for most freight stock in the early 1970’s.  They initially served two purposes: to provide additional braking for ‘unfitted’ goods trains and of course somewhere for the guard to travel; later vans were also 'fitted' for … Continue reading Talking Stock #32 Kitting out the various brake vans

Talking Stock #31 my own thoughts on the 1948 Locomotive Exchange trials

I have now made two previous posts on this blog about the 1948 locomotive exchange trials, and my models of the locomotives that featured on Southern metals and would have passed through Salisbury and therefore can occasionally be seen on Fisherton Sarum. The first Talking Stock # 2 post focused mainly on  the Express Passenger … Continue reading Talking Stock #31 my own thoughts on the 1948 Locomotive Exchange trials