As well as giving you the chance to vote for your favourite models and manufacturers of 2018, the categories also celebrate excellence and innovation in the wider British model railway scene such as websites, retailers and exhibitions.
There have of course been a number of excellent Southern / Southern Region related models released during 2018 so I urge you to support the production of these models by choosing your best in the relevant category and voting accordingly. These Southern models are as follows:
I am also very humbled to see that this little corner of the blogosphere of mine has once again been nominated in the British Model Railways Awards (it was voted 6th in last years awards) within the website of the year category, so and this is a bit of a, well a big, shameless plug, please feel free to vote for it, if you have enjoyed my ramblings over the last twelve months.
Also if like me you have received excellent service from a particular retailer such as Kernow Model Rail Centre please also vote accordingly.
One of the original releases D2985 is seen at rest on Canute Road Quay
Nine additional Class 07s are now being prepared for release in early 2019. These will cover new identities for the most popular BR green and BR blue editions which sold out quickly earlier this year, the well-known Eastleigh Works shunter of the 1970s/80s, D2991, plus two more industrial versions in ICI grey/orange and Powell Duffryn blue/white. These model have a 6 Pin DCC socket and will be priced around £139. see below for the full list.
Artwork drawing for 2906: BR Eastleigh Works light green D2991
Version 1 – as-built BR Locos
2904: BR(S) green D2986
2905: BR(S) green D2988
2906: BR Eastleigh Works light green D2991
2907: BR blue D2998
2908: BR blue 07002
2909: Powell Duffryn blue/white ‘07006’
Version 2 – Later BR and industrial dual-braked variant
2914: BR blue 2989
2915: BR blue 07009 (weathered)
2916: ICI grey/orange 07005 Langbaurgh
247 Developments
Friend, excellent modeller and proprietor of 247 Developments Brian Mosby has advised me that he now has produced 22 etched smoke box number plates 30081-89, 30092-103 and 30147 for the Dapol ex LSWR B4 Class 0-4-0t. Brian also stocks a range of SR etched nameplates and smokebox door number plates including the Lord Nelson class which will be of great use when the forthcoming new Hornby model arrives. In addition he stocks dated smokebox door roundels for the Bulleid pacifics and SR Engine Head Signal route discs. Brian’s products are of excellent quality and I can wholeheartedly recommend them.
Canute Road Quay on tour
It was a very enjoyable weekend at the Worthing MRC show last weekend with Canute Road Quay, Thanks to friend and fellow modeller Simon Paley for his assistance and company over the weekend and all those readers of this blog whom dropped by and said hello.
Simon keeps the visitors to the Worthing show entertained A Dapol ex LSWR B4 ‘Caen’ in Southampton Docks livery makes her debut at the show
It is always a pleasure to exhibit at this show, I took Fisherton Sarum there in 2015, as the Worthing MRC club president, Dave Kent, is a friend and past member of the High Wycombe & District MRS. He will hate me for saying this again, as I know he reads this blog, but when I joined the Society at the tender age of 15, *cough* years ago, he took me under his wing so to speak, working on the scenery for the Societies then large 00 layout ‘Hillingdon Court’. Dave is an exceptional modeller and some of you may well have previously seen is excellent SR third rail layout Ashington (which featured in the November 2007 issue of Hornby Magazine).
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 Vulcan Iron Works, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania; whist one, that became SR No.61 was built by H K Porter & Co Pittsburgh.
USA Tank No. 4326 in United States Army Transportation Corps livery and condition, note: lack of side cab windows, porthole rear cab windows and coal bunker with coal rails. I use this Model Rail version as the basis of my No.71 below.
They were modified at at Eastleigh works to suit Southern Railway use including: adding steam heating, vacuum ejectors, sliding cab side windows, square instead of circular front and rear cab windows (which ironically gave them more of an American look than British but improved visibility from the cab), Ross ‘pop’ type safety valves, a whistle, additional lamp irons and new cylinder drain cocks.
Early condition No. 72 still with original cab front and rear windows and bunker but cab side windows fitted and weathered
Once the locomotives started to enter traffic, large roof-top ventilators were fitted, British regulators to replace the US-style pull-out one, extended coal bunkers increasing capacity from 26cwt to 30cwt, separate steam and vacuum brake controls and wooden tip-up seats.
No. 68 shows off the extended rear bunker, roiff ventilator and square rear cab windows
It should be noted that engines entered service before all these modifications were totally completed and some locomotives did not receive all the modifications into early British Railways days, the last being October 1948..
Later in British Railways days they were fitted additional hand rails and an additional flat fold down platform beneath the front of the smokebox that folded down over the buffers to assist staff cleaning out the smokbox.
A view of No. 68 suitably weathered on Canute Road Quay
Post 1957 thet were also fitted with wireless two way cab radios, a whip aerial on the drivers side cab sheet and a steam driven turbine generator to power them. These steam generators were in fact second hand having been previously fitted to the various T9 and L11 class locomotives that were fitted with them when fitted for oil-firing in 1947/8.
No. 30064 in later BR livery and condition showing revised handrails and fold down front platform
Six of the class were later transferred to departmental stock and could be found at locations such Guildford shed and Meldon Quarry. They were eventually replaced at Southampton by the Class 07 diesel shunters. Withdrawal of the class took place between 1964 and 1967. Foiur survive into preservation, along with one similar ex USATC locomotive from Yugoslavia that was never in SR /BR(s) service.
The USA 0-6-0 tanks had been in service within Southampton Docks since 1946, Due to the various tight curves within Southampton Docks utilising existing Diesel shunters such as the EE 350HP, later 09 class was not going to be an option. Therefore in 1962 Fourteen 0-6-0 diesel-electric shunting 275HP locomotives specifically for use in Southampton Docks were purchased by British Railways from Ruston Paxman. They had a wheelbase of only 8 ft 7½ in, compared with 11 ft 6 in for an 08. With their high well glazed cab offset between long and short bonnets they certainly had their own distinctive character. Whilst very successful within the confines of the docks and shunting duties they had a habit of suffering from hot axle boxes when used on trip working so they were not often seen on the main line.
The locomotives were numbered D2985 to D2998, then were allocated numbers 07001 to 07014 under TOPS renumbering but not all locomotives remained in service long enough to be renumbered. Initially, the locomotives were finished in dark green livery and carried British Railways badges of the type use on coaching stock. All were later painted blue.
The RH side view of the Heljan 07 Class D2985
The Heljan model is initially released in two versions, representing them as built non air braked and as later modified with air brakes, additional extra cabinet, air receiver compartment and high level air pipes:
Version 1 non-air braked:
– 2900 D2985 BR Green
– 2901 D2990 BR Green
– 2902 D2992 BR Blue
– 2903 07010 BR Blue
The LH side of the Heljan 07 Class note the lubricator linkage driven off the front axle
Version 2 air-braked:
– 2910 2993 BR Blue
– 2911 07005 BR Blue
– 2912 (07001) Peakstone yellow
– 2913 (07003) British Industrial Sand white
I will let the pictures demonstrate how well Heljan have captured the look of the prototype. It features a multi part injection moulded body with fine etched front and rear nose grills on a heavy diecast chassis. Separately fitted items include: metal handrails, sprung buffers, windscreen wipers, pipework, roof mounted air horns and factory fitted screw link couplings. The cab interior, clearly visible through the large flash glazed windows, is also nicely moulded and includes driver desks and a separate hand brake wheel and the dials in the instrument desk have been picked out accordingly, it certainly needs the inclusion of a driver to complete the look.
A 3/4 view of the Heljan 07 Class
Underneath the body the chassis features the correct air cylinders, sand boxes, sand pipes, other pipework and brake gear. Also fitted is a working lubricator linkage on the left hand side (when viewed long bonnet forward.
The 07 class had both lamps and lamp irons for all the standard SR 6 positions and these are faithfully represented on the model the two lamps above the buffer beam illuminate one red and one white in the direction of travel which is the correct lamp indication when shunting.
The 07 class had both lamps and lamp irons for all the standard SR 6 positions and these are faithfully represented on the model the two lamps above the buffer beam illuminate one red and one white in the direction of travel which is the correct lamp indication when shunting.
a 3/4 view of the short bonnet end of the Heljan 07 Class
Included with the model are disc, including those with duty numbers, as used within Southampton Docks, pre-printed on to one side. Shanked Tension Lock couplings are included for fitting in the NEM socket on the chassis, I found these to be too low and extend too far out from the buffer beam so have changed mine for shorter non cranked versions. For those not using the tension lock couplings the factor fitted screw link couplings are nicely modelled and suitable for use, a nice touch is that Heljan have also supplied a blanking plug moulding that clips into the NEM pocket to fill the gap in the buffer beam.
One of the original releases D2985 is seen at rest on Canute Road Quay
Performance of my model straight out of the box was excellent and smooth at slow speeds, there is space within the ling bonnet for a six pin DCC decoder (this is accessed via the two underframe screws located at the front to be removed before sliding the cab upwards from followed by the long bonnet.
Overall this is an excellent model in looks, detail and performance and Heljan should be congratulated for taking on such a prototype and producing such a fine model. It is right on the button for those modelling dockside scene in and around Southampton such as my own Canute Road Quay and other rolling stock is currently being acquired and worked on to run the layout in the transition period between the USA tanks and the 07 Class so what this space.
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The model railway world and mainly Southern Railway meanderings of Graham 'Muz' Muspratt
