The models will have newly designed electronics, chassis and include Dapol’s loco mounted motor advised as giving “excellent slow speed running and haulage capability” The full features proposed are as follows:
Powerful new locomotive mounted motor
Electrical pick up from all locomotive and tender wheels
Diecast chassis and locomotive body, injection moulded tender body
Partial chassis compensation for smooth running and to aid electrical pickup
Stainless steel valve gear and coupling rods
Standard NEM couplings
Printed name plates
Accessory bag with etched nameplates and details buffer beam fittings
The Cads also show variations in smoke deflector type and both original flat fronted and later modified ‘wedge’ shape cabs, along with high rave and cut down tender types (we are yet to see details of the full suite of variations, including tender capacities, being tooled for).
Initially Dapol will be producing the original Light Pacifics with air smoothed casing, they advise that the rebuilt versions will follow in due course. The proposed versions are:
2S-034-001 21C164 ‘Fighter Command’ SR Malachite green
2S-034-002 34055 ‘Spitfire’ BR green, late crest
2S-034-003 34110 ’66 Squadron’ BR green, early crest
2S-034-004 21C113 ‘Okehampton’ SR Malachite green
2S-034-005 34030 ‘Watersmeet’ BR green, late crest
2S-004-006 34001 ‘Exeter’ BR green, early crest
The proposed RRP for DCC ready versions is £206.95, for DCC fitted £238.00 and for DCC sound fitted £341.55 and delivery is expected to be during 2024 at the earliest.
The T.Mitchell RCH 7 Plank PO wagon. Picture courtesy and copywrite KMRC
Thomas Mitchell was originally the proprietor of a brick and gravel merchant, that by the early 1900s had become Thomas Mitchell and Sons, brick and tile manufacturers, with a large brick works at Guildford Park. By 1902 they had their own black with white lettered 10ton Private Owner wagon for the transportation of coal to the works.
At this weekend’s London Festival of Railway Modelling, Dapol announced new production batches of their ex LSWR Adams B4 0-4-0 tanks and Class 73 Electro-Diesels both in 00 gauge.
Adams B4
‘Guernsey’ from the second batch shunts on Canute Road Quay , the newly announced sister ‘Jersey’ is likely to be in this condition‘Caen’ and my already renamed ‘Trouville’ show off their Southampton Docks brown livery on Canute Road Quay
The Dapol ex LSWR B4 class 0-4-0t were first announced back in March 2014 and the first versions arrived in June 2018., with a second batch with further livery and detail variants including the first appearance of the Drummond Boiler fitted and one of the 5 off Drummond K14 versions, arriving during 2020.
This third batch includes seven new versions, to the same technical specification as the previous batches, (exact livery versions or artwork have not yet been released) as follows:
4S-018-005 B4 0-4-0T BR Late Crest 30096, as carried between c1959 and December 1963
4S-018-012 B4 0-4-0T Lined Dark Green Jersey 91 [sic Dapol have the number incorrect as she was 81] , as she carried between November 1893 and circa 1920/1 when she gained a more enclosed cab.
4S-018-013 B4 0-4-0T LSWR Dark Green 82, K14 type with Drummond Boiler, as her condition between April 1907 and February 1924 when she gained SR Goods lined black livery.
4S-018-014 B4 0-4-0T Trouville Brown 89, as carried from approx 1923 to April 1935 if no rear cab number or April 1935 to February 1950 if the number is painted on the cab rear.
4S-018-015 B4 0-4-0T Southern Black lined 99, as she carried between January 1926 and January 1936.
4S-018-016 B4 0-4-0T Black ‘Corrall Queen’ nameplate and 30096 smokebox door number plate as she ran between December 1963 and December 1972 when she was owned by P.D.Fuels Ltd of Dibles Wharf.
4S-018-017 B4 0-4-0T Dorset Green 99, after sale in February 1949 to Stewarts & Lloyds Ltd (Bilson Staffordshire) and being scrapped by August 1958.
The livery artwork is under preparation and the finished models are not expected to be available until Q3 2023.
Class 73
E6012 JB type73002 a JA type, note the slightly different side windows73136 in Intercity Executive livery
Also announced are a new batch of seven Class 73 Electro-Diesel liveries, and sees the return of BR Blue livery models that have not featured in the line up since the model run was released in November 2015.
The first six of the eventual class of 49 were built by BR at their Eastleigh works in 1962 and were designated Type JA. The remaining locomotives, with a higher power output and top speed increased from 80 to 90mph. were built by English Electric at Vulcan Foundry at Newton Le Willows between 1965 and 1967 and were designated type JB.
4D-006-015 Class 73 JB Electric Blue E6012 Small Yellow Panel
4D-006-016 Class 73 JB Early Blue SYP & Double Arrow Logo E6031
4D-006-018 Class 73 JB BR Blue FYP 73120
4D-006-017 Class 73 JA BR Blue FYP 73002
4D-006-020 Class 73 JB Intercity Executive 73136
4D-006-019 Class 73 JB Large Logo BR Blue 73126
4D-006-021 Class 73 JB GB Railfreight Battle of Britain 73109
Dapol advise that the decorated samples, with the same technical specification as previous batches, are under review and feedback is being provided to the factory to correct a small number of minor issues. The models are expected to be available towards the end of the year.
Early British Railways. USA 0-6-0t No. s73 shows off her new interim identity, whilst B4 Class 0-4-0t No. 30089 has already gained here new number and early BR crest.
The right hand side of 1734 with the high level of details clear to see
A total of 51 of these elegant D Class 4-4-0s were built in a number batches between 1901 and 1907 and were built by a range of manufacturers. The first 20 being split between Sharp Stewart and Ashford, the next ten by Dubs & Co, followed by ten split between Stephenson & Co and the Vulcan Foundry, the final eleven being once again built at Ashford. Initial duties included the main express services on all the SECR primary routes. Following grouping and the introduction of newer classes such as the N15s they were transferred to secondary services such as Brighton, Redhill, and Basingstoke stopper services.
The main withdrawal commenced in the early 1950s with the last six being based ay Guildford shed working Redhill – Reading services until 1956. Number 737 was saved for preservation as part of the National Collection and cosmetically restored to SECR livery and condition.
During the 1920s Maunsell rebuilt 21 as the D1 class with a larger Belpaire firebox, superheating, new piston valves a Maunsell style cab. Whilst improving efficiency and performance the rebuilds certainly lost much of the elegance.
The well detailed and decorated cab and the push fit drawbar.
The very nice representation of the motion between the frames under the boiler
The front face of the D Class showing the randomly silver smokebox door hinge and coupling hook
A close up of the right hand side of 1734
The dimensionally accurate model certainly captures the Wainwright elegance wonderfully well with an excellent detail. It features a five pole motor driving the front driving axle and a the now standard Dapol ‘pinless’ click to couple drawbar that also carries the electrical connections. Electrical pick up is on all tender wheels as well as the locomotive driving wheels. For those using DCC the model has Next-18 Decoder socket mounted on a pull out PCB behind the smokebox door with space for a 15mm x 11mm cube speaker, plus provision for customer to fit a larger bass speaker in tender. The loco also features the current gimmick of a firebox flicker although on DC you would hardly know its there .
The level of detail is wonderful including a good representation of the inside valve gear between the frames, well modelled and decorated cab details even down to the padlocks on the tender tool lockers. Separately applied items include lamp irons, pipe work, handrails and factory fitted brake rodding on both loco and tender. The buffers (once you have fitted the tender buffer back on that often appears to be loose in purchasers boxes) are sprung. The the slightly plasticly coal, is not so much removable as needs something to stop it falling off the model, and the water tank and limited coal space on these engines is modelled underneath it.
An accessory bag supplied with the model includes: cab doors, front guard irons and steam pipes and pipework (incorrectly names as vacuum pipes in the supplied owners manual), along with a ‘tool’ for pulling out the DCC PCB in the smokebox for what Dapol call their ‘Tool-less’ system (begs the question when is a tool not a tool?).
The tooling appears to allow for at least two chimneys. When first introduced they were fitted with tall copper capped chimneys. Circa the1910s they fitted with a shorter larger diameter capuchon chimney, that were then gradually replaced with a plain topped version after Grouping, although 1493 kept the capuchon chimney until withdrawal. With this model in the wartime SR Sunshine black livery it is unlikely to have still been fitted with a capuchon chimney (unless I can find a dated picture). The BR Lined black version also has the same incorrect chimney.
The replacement wheelset, tool and spare traction tyres
When announced the Engineering Prototype shown included a diecast boiler and smokebox, model 4-4-0s are notoriously difficult to balance, the boiler and smokebox on the production models first appeared to be plastic, with the loco minus tender only weighing 155g, and traction tyres fitted on the front driving wheels. Having now taken the model apart it does seem to still be die cast. The change to fit traction tyres only came to light publicly when the models started to be delivered, so is no different than a Hornby T9 in that respect.
Possibly if a more traditional DDC approach with the socket etc. hidden inside the tender, rather than the smokebox and some of the boiler, more space might have been available for more weight. As a compromise, and to be fair a nice touch, the model has been supplied with a non traction tyre fitted drop in wheelset (along with a tool for undoing the crank pin screws.
It has also been noted that on my model the front traction tyre fitted wheelset has blackened rims whilst the rear drivers are not blackened. This is possibly as a result of the late change to fit traction tyres as the spare wheelset supplied matches the rear driving wheels i.e. no blackened rim. Also supplied are spare traction tyres. The model runs smoothly and quietly on the limited space on Canute Road Quay although I have not been able to test its haulage capacity.
A number of the models have also demonstrated a notable difference in height between the tender and loco running plates. My example is not as noticeable as some. It appears to depend on the fit of the loco body at the rear of the chassis, I am led to believe that all the models have has some form of work carried out on them in the UK to ensure the loco to tender drawbar connects correctly and the rear chassis screw tightness is part of the fix.
A side on view of 1734 the overscale lettering and numbers are clear to see
The other elephant in the room is the decoration: on my model pictured the Sunshine lettering and number style character height is 3.71mm when they should be a scale 9″ high i.e. 3mm and also the green shading is over weight further emphasising the oversize and immediately detracts to my eye, and I will have to replace them at some stage, some of the metal work has been picked out in bright silver paint, including the coupling hook and randomly part of the smokebox door hinge and will need toning down.
From photos I have seen the SR olive green version, as well as the odd shade of green, has an issue in some areas with registration of the lining and also the number font on the tender not a correct representation of the SR number font, the ‘3’ should be completely curved version and is to heavy weight The RH side tender emblem on BR lined version faces the wrong and also suffers from the number font being too heavy and therefore the over width of the numbers is too wide.
So my D Class will need to get in to the workbench queue to have the chimney corrected and the lettering and numbers replaced along with the toning down of some of the random silver paintwork and generally weathered.
Overall, despite the livery niggles and the slightly disappointing overall weight and the need for traction tyres the Rails Of Sheffield in partnership with Dapol Wainwright D Class 4-4-0 is a lovely model with some great detail and a welcome addition for pre-grouping / SR modellers especially those modelling the Eastern Section and will be a good stable mate for the Bachmann C class, Hattons P Class and the Hornby H class.
First announced in October 2019 and following amendments to the first livery samples, examples of all seven versions of the South Eastern & Chatham Railway D Class 4-4-0 from the Dapol production line have been received by Locomotion Models and Rails of Sheffield. These have now completed extensive running trials and final checking. Following approval, shipping from the factory can now commence.
4S-027-001 Wainwright D Class SECR Green 4-4-0 Steam Locomotive No.488 (Pre Grouping Silk Finish)
4S-027-002 Wainwright D Class Southern Lined Maunsell Olive Green 4-4-0 Steam Locomotive No.1730
4S-027-003 Wainwright D Class BR Sunshine Black 4-4-0 Steam Locomotive No.31731
4S-027-004 Wainwright D Class BR Lined Black Early Crest 4-4-0 Steam Locomotive No.31574
4S-027-005 Wainwright D Class SECR Grey (Scraped Beading) 4-4-0 Steam Locomotive No.726
4S-027-006 Wainwright D Class Southern Sunshine 4-4-0 Steam Locomotive No.1734
The preserved example No. 737 is currently on display at the National Railway Museum, York. This locomotive has been produced exclusively for Locomotion Models, which is part of the National Railway Museum.
On the whole these look very good and I am looking to receiving my SR Sunshine version (although I will be renumbering as the numbers size shown above do appear to be slightly too large). Definite improvements have been made since the initial livery samples were shown, especially with the colour rendition of SR Olive and the toning down of the bright handrails on some versions (although strangely not the BR lined black version). The only other issue that has been noted is also with respect to the BR lined black version in that the cycling lion early emblem is facing backwards on the right hand side, at the time these emblems usually faced forwards on both sides as it does on at least one photo I have seen for 31574. As these are production samples it is likely to be too late to amend this.
This weekend at the second Gauge 0 Guild Virtual exhibition, Dapol announced that they are to produce an 0 Gauge version of the ex LSWR/SR/BR 0-4-0 Dock tank, These follow from their well received 00 gauge range, you can read my review here.
The B4 Class were produced in 3 batches (all overall classed as B4) commencing in 1891 as follows:B4 batch numbers 85 to 94D6, batch, finished in 1892, numbers 81, 95 to 100, 102, 103, 76, K14 batch, built 1907, numbers 82-4, 746/7 (later renumbered 101, 147).
Each batch had detail differences between them especially the last batch of 5 which had Drummond style boilers rather than Adams style, other detail differences included open / closed cab, cab roof profile (K14 batch) and buffers (appears to vary over lifetime).
Dapol have are initially producing six models in the first production batch:
7S-018-001 – L & SWR B4 0-4-0T “NORMANDY” – As Preserved – Open Cab
7S-018-002 – L & SWR B4 0-4-0T “CAEN” Southampton Docks lined brown 90
7S-018-003 – B4 0-4-0T SOUTHERN Black 88
7S-018-004 – B4 0-4-0T (Drummond Boiler) BR Early Emblem 30084
7S-018-005 – B4 0-4-0T BR Late Crest 30096
7S-018-006 – L & SWR B4 0-4-0T Lined Green 91
Normandy in preservation has an open cab whilst 88 and 90 both had closed cabs. 30096 before preservation in BR days had a closed cab that differs from 88 and 90 as it was modified from an open cab at the start of the war. 30084 being part of the later K14 batch originally had a Drummond boiler with dome mounted safety valves and a Drummond style chimney rather than the Adams stove pipe.
Dapol advise that the tooling will allow for four cab types, two different boilers, two forms of chimney as well as other prototypical features catered for such as water injectors and buffers. Hopefully but yet to be confirmed the 0 Gauge versions might also include, features missing / needing improvement: such as the tool box positions, extended lower middle lamp iron from the base of the smokebox and correct some of the cab sheets details, although again this might required more that four cab variants.
The specification includes:
Slide in PCB – With space for 2 x sugar cube speakers and a 21 pin decoder socket
Removable cab roof held in place with magnets to allow easy crew insertion
Highly detailed cab interior with fire box glow
High torque five pole skew wound motor driving the rear wheels
Fully compensated die-cast chassis to give excellent running capabilities
All wheel pick up
DCC Ready, DCC Fitted and DCC Sound Fitted models available
Dapol have released an update on the development of their all new ex LSWR/SR/BR M7 0-4-4T along with images of their latest Engineering Prototype.
A total of 105 Drummond LSWR M7 0-4-0 passenger tank locomotives were built between 1897 and 1911. They were built in a number of batches with detail differences. The first batch had a short overhang at the front, sandboxes combined with the front splashers. In 1900 the design was changed to have the sandboxes inside the smokebox. The 1903 batch had a long overhang on the front end. During 1904 and 1905 construction moved the sandboxes back to the front splasher. It was some of those that had the longer frames that were later fitted for pull-push working.
The models being produced are all short frame versions with sandboxes incorporated into the front splashers. They will feature a highly detailed body with many separately added parts die cast chassis, a 3 pole can motor and all wheel pick up.
Dapol however have advised that “no DCC decoder will supplied in this model”, as they say “the space has been used to add more weight to the model and provide improved, balance, traction and running properties”, by this I assume that no DCC socket will be present either, which I am sure will be seen as a negative factor by many. [Update 27/07/21] Dapol have provided the DCC fitting update as per image left.
Initially eight versions will be released as part of the first production run as follows:
2S-016-005 M7 0-4-4 Southern Lined Green 37 (I assume Olive Green)
2S-016-006 M7 0-4-4 SWR Lined Green 245 (sic, I assume LSWR)
2S-016-007 M7 0-4-4 Southern Black 246
2S-016-008 M7 0-4-4 British Railways Lined Malachite 30038
2S-016-009 M7 0-4-4 British Railways Lined Black 30248
2S-016-010 M7 0-4-4 BR Early emblem Lined Black 30673
2S-016-011 M7 0-4-4 BR Late Crest Lined Black 30245
Passing Peckets a modified Hornby W4 0-4-0t passes a B2 0-6-0t renamed as ‘O.S.V.Bullied’
A Hornby B2 0-6-0t ‘Leader’ shunts at the quay
a modified Hattons Andrew Barclay 14″ 0-6-0t simmers
Peckett B4 0-6-0t ‘O.V.S. Bullied’ crosses towards the quayside
A pair of Hornby Sentinels pass each other with ‘Cattewater’ passing ‘Graham’
‘Cattewater’ stays on brand shunting an oil tank wagon
the outside cranked ‘Graham’ is on loan from the Oxfordshire Ironstone Co.
ex Class 05 now No.2 pauses at the crossing
Although my usual modelling genre, as regular readers will know, is the Southern Railway between 1946 and 1949, however due to Canute Road Quay has very few visual references to either period or location (yes there are a couple, but hey…) Having deliberately when building Canute Road Quay left the vehicles and other details such as crates, sack stacks and oil drums etc. loose, it enables them to be both be moved around, to give some variety in photographs, and or replaced with other items to different periods.
In this case Canute Road Quay‘s is off the British Railways network and could be any private quayside / wharf. In and around Southampton alone there were a myriad of rail served private docks and wharves including inner and outer docks and those along the River Itchen such as Dibles Wharf, Notham, Britannia and Victoria wharf, many of which had their own locomotives.
In this case we see a number of locomotives privately operated ranging from steam locomotives to diesel shunters sharing duties around the quay.
The steam locomotives include the the Hornby W4 0-4-0t and B2 0-6-0t Pecketts, and the Hatton’s Andrew Barclay 14″ 0-6-0t both of which I have modified for use on Canute Road Quay. As per my Workbench Witterings #3 post they have been fitted with the use of dumb, usually basic wooden blocks, buffers so often seen at such locations. They remained in surface well into the 1960s and in some cases beyond. My B2 Pecketts have had their identities changed to be ‘O.V.S. Bullied’ and ‘Leader’ (spot the theme…), nameplates obtained from my friends at 247 Developments, and weathered.
The early 1960s saw the introduction of a number of diesel shunters such as the 34 ton chain drive 4 wheel Rolls-Royce diesel powered Sentinel shunter rated at 233hp and the later 325hp, 38 ton style with outside cranks.
The Hornby Esso 4wDM version was introduced in 1963 and was for use in the Esso Bitumen works at Cattewater, hence its name, in Plymouth
‘Graham’ (Hornby must have been tempting me to purchase this one on purpose!) was delivered new to the Oxfordshire Ironstone company as Locomotive No.10207 in May 1965 and was fitted with vacuum braking and a higher ratio gearbox for mainline working, so is obviously on loan to the quayside.
The Hornby models have been modified slightly with the lifting eyes at each end having their holes drilled out, the wasp stripes on ‘Cattewater’ continued on the side of the bufferbeam as per the prototype and also weathered.
Moving towards the late 1960s saw some of the myriad of early BR shunter types being withdrawn and some entering industrial service such as the ex Class 05. This Heljan example is modelled on the second batch built by Hunslet Engine Company of Leeds and built in 1961 numbered D2574 to D2618, had a higher roof line, smaller wheels (3’4″ instead of 3’9″) deeper buffers with oval heads than the first batch built in 1955. D2578 was sold to HP Bulmers in 1968 and is now preserved, but seen here working at the quay.
I hope you enjoy this post, the next ‘Making Quay Changes’ post with Canute Road Quay the next such post will be be set in its usual location, but what era will it be…?
Defiance and Hercules at Eastleigh 20th March 2020 (Picture copyright and courtesy C Trerise)
50 007 “Hercules” and 50 049 “Defiance” were unveiled on 20th March 2019 at Eastleigh following their repainting into GBRf colours. 50 007 was revealed to have 50 014 “Warspite” on one side, much to the delight of Tim Shoveller and Darren Ward who unveiled the change of identity! The Kernow Model Rail Centre model will reflect this dual-identity, as well as faithfully re-creating the small but important differences between the livery of the two locomotives.
GBRf worked closely with the Class 50 Alliance, the owners of 50 007 and 50 049, in enabling a return to the mainline for their locomotives in 2017 and subsequently through a programme of railtours during 2018 as part of the 50th anniversary celebrations of the Class 50s.
The decision to repaint the locomotives into the striking new livery was a recognition of the developing relationship between the two organisations and marked a new chapter in the story of the Class 50s. Over the past couple of years, GBRf has invested in a programme of driver training to enable Class 50 operation over most of the UK rail network.
The repaints were carried out by Arlington Fleet Services at Eastleigh. The first outing for the GBRf-liveried Class 50s was on Saturday 23rd March when they worked Pathfinder Tours’ Teminator-Phoenixed railtour from London Paddington to Penzance and return to Waterloo. This marked 25th years since the final BR operated Class 50 railtour over the same route, The Terminator, which was also promoted by Pathfinder.
Following the repaints, the locomotives have been available to operate selected GBRf trains on a ‘spot-hire’ basis. This work includes movement of locomotives between heritage railway gala events, and future railtours. The locomotives will continue to be based at the Severn Valley Railway, but will have easy access to the national network, thanks to the 24-hour connection at Kidderminster,
In addition to the above Dapol have this week also announced three new Class 50 liveries as part of its main range, due mid 2021. Like the Kernow Model Rail Centre versions these will be their Next Generation Diesel models, with entirely re-designed chassis and electronics and incorporate a new iron core 5 pole motor.
Liveries announced, including DCC fitted versions, are as follows:
Class 50 Defiance 50149 Railfreight Grey Refurbished
Class 50 Ajax 50046 Large Logo Refurbished
Class 50 Resolution 50018 Late NSE Refurbished
Also announced this week is a new batch of their ex SR Van U / BR Covered Carriage Truck (CCT), that is being released at the end of this year in: SR Olive, BR(S) Green and BR crimson and BR Blue.
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The model railway world and mainly Southern Railway meanderings of Graham 'Muz' Muspratt
