This months picture…
Picture of the Month – June 2021
Tag Archives: Hattons models
Project Genesis, early era 4 and 6 wheeler coaches announced by Hattons including ‘SECR’ and ‘SR’ versions
No not as those whom know me might think, something to do with a prog rock band I’m a very big fan of (some say nerdy about), but a new range of detailed, but ‘generic’, 4 and 6 wheel ready to run coaches in a variety of styles and liveries, including initially ‘SECR’ and ‘SR’ options with LSWR to follow.
The Hattons announcement advised: “In the mid to late 1800s, the many operating companies in the UK were producing their own versions of the 4 and 6 wheel coach, which introduced many features onto the railways – lighting, continuous braking and even upholstered seats for all passengers. This led to them being a very common sight. Many designs consisted of only a handful of coaches, built to fill a specific need. These would also only wear the colours of the company they were built for. A good number were absorbed at the 1923 grouping and some found new leases of life on branches that were in need of simple stock to run on them. Some were taken into departmental stock or used by sheds and depots as simple stores vans and used until the 1950s.
Project Genesis faithfully represents the trains of the Era 2 & 3 period and brings modellers the opportunity to run a detailed train of coaches in liveries not normally seen in ready-to-run form.”
The following versions are proposed:
- 4 wheel – 5 compartment
- 4 wheel – 4 compartment
- 4 wheel brake
- 6 wheel – 5 compartment
- 6 wheel – 4 compartment lavatory
- 6 wheel brake
These will be used to represent a lot of different coaches when allied to the painting and printing they are applying to them. The individual styling has been made to include the most common features from some of the most widespread and longest lasting coaches.
There are also three types of wheelset and either oil lamp, gas lamp or electric light roof fittings to represent different designs produced by specific companies. Lit and unlit versions will be available. Full details of the specification can be found on the Hattons Genesis project page here
A variety of liveries are planned in the first batch that includes: SECR ‘Crimson Lake’ lined and SR Lined Olive. LSWR brown and tan and Longmoor Military Railway versions are planned for batch 2 and 3 respectively.
The estimated release for the first coaches is Q1 2021 and anticipated prices are £30 ea for unlit and £36 for lit version with bulk packs available. Full details of the range can be found on the Hattons project page here
Making Quay Changes #1 Moving Eastwards
Although my usual modelling genre, as regular readers will know, is the Southern Railway between 1946 and 1949, however due to Canute Road Quay having very few visual references to either period or location (yes there are a couple, but hey…) it allows me to change the location and era with different rolling stock, vehicles and details.
I have deliberately left the vehicles and other details such as crates, sack stacks and oil drums etc. loose, this enables them to be both be moved around, to give some variety in photographs, and or replaced with other items to different periods.
This is the first in a series of ‘Making Quay Changes’ posts with the Canute Road Quay being transported to either a different location or era or both. In this case we have stayed in my usual era but moved Eastwards, to perhaps the docks of Ipswich or Yarmouth utilising the lovely Model Rail magazine limited edition ex Great Eastern Railway J70 class 0-6-0 tram engines (or Toby’s if you prefer).
The J70 share the quayside with a Peckett W4 class and an Andrew Barclay, modified Hornby and Hattons models.
The locomotives were manufactured on behalf of Model Rail Magazine by Rapido of Canada.
They are such delightful models featuring: a coreless motor, options of fully skirted or unskirted, open or closed window and front doors and the distinctive cow catchers; I could not resist the urge to purchase a couple!
The two J70 models I have represent a version still with full side skirts and one with the skirts partially removed.
I have also varied the front door and window positions, fitted crew members and lightly weathered.
I feel the weathering really brings out the details of these models and tones down, my possible only criticism of the model, their out of box very bright orange woodwork finish.
This weathering has followed my usual practice of layers colours including: brake dust, dirt, rust, soot etc. via different processes of: drybrushing, washes and airbrushing along with cleaning some areas with a cotton bud but leaving the dirt in the crevasses and corners.
The J70 class designed by James Holden was a more powerful version of the earlier Y4 0-4-0 tram engine designed by T.W. Warsdell and 12 were built at the Great Eastern Railway’s Stratford Works between 1903 and 1921.
During their lifetime, the last being withdrawn in 1955, the J70 class were used at: Ipswich Docks, Yarmouth, Colchester Hythe Docks and of course on the iconic Wisbech and Upwell Tramway for which they gained their most fame.
I hope you enjoy this slightly different post, I apologise to the die hard Southern Railway / Region readers for this post being of Great Eastern / LNER content, but worry not, I will make amends in the next ‘Making Quay Changes’ post with Canute Road Quay back at its spiritual home of Southampton Docks but a different era, but what will it be…?
Canute Road Quay has a few visitors, including latest @hattonsmodels releases, but normal service is resumed after; and preparation for Railex
It has been a busy period recent both in the arrival of some new ready to run models such as the Hatton’s ex SECR P class 0-6-0t, see my review here, and also their 14″ Andrew Barclay along with some time spent applying some finishing decals prior to weathering of a couple of kit built models namely the ex LBSC D1 0-4-2t and ex SECR S Class 0-6-0st. All these models still require a little work, including in some cases repainting and numbering and also weathering. Some of you may have seen some of these pictures before on my twitter feed.
With the arrival of the Hatton’s P class I took the opportunity to temporarily move the location of Canute Road Quay further South east and backdate to earlier than my usual 1946-49 modelling period, including some of my earlier style wagons that do not usually get an outing. It is one of the advantages of having such a layout that has no real identifiable items to identify the actual time period.
Eventually to suit my preferred time period: No. 754 will be repainted and numbered to become her later identity of No. 1557 in SR post war black livery, being one of the first two built with the slightly higher cab; whilst No. 1555 will be renumbered and lettered as No. 31555 with full ‘British Railways’ Sunshine lettering to represent her condition in early 1948.
The ex LBSC D1 0-4-2t is built from a South Eastern Fincast white metal kit. In fact a couple of examples of the class, including No. 2286 are know to have been used at Southampton docks for a while in mid 1930s up to WW2 so I am not actually stretching history too far by running my model of no. 2357 on Canute Road Quay albeit in a slightly later post war-time period, although she was technically allocated to Ashford at the time so she is obviously on loan.
The Hatton’s Andrew Barclay 14″ 0-6-0t will be modified to replace the existing buffers with wooden dumb buffers, have the WTT branding stripped off and suitably weathered to represent the condition of such locomotives that were used on some of the other lines and private wharfs that existed in and around Southampton area especially along the River Itchen.
I also have a Hornby Peckett on order, that I will likewise modify with wooden dumb buffers to give some further variety to locomotives at Canute Road Quay and differ from the standard RTR versions. I will post details of this conversion in due course.
The ex SECR S Class 0-6-0 saddle tank No. 1685 is also built from South Eastern Fincast white metal kit. The S Class was in fact only one locomotive due to a requirement for a heavy shunter at Richborough Port during WW1 and so was converted from a C Class 0-6-0 tender locomotive, after the war she was transferred to Bricklayers Arms until withdrawal in 1951. Like the ex LBSC D1 she must be on load to Canute Road Quay.
With Canute Road Quay’s appearance looming at the excellent Railex exhibition organised by friends at the Princes Risborough and District MRC, being held at Stoke Mandeville Stadium, Stadium Approach, Aylesbury, Bucks, HP21 9PP on the 26th and 27th May
I have started to return Canute Road Quay to its intended Southampton-ish location and the ex LSWR B4 0-4-0 and USA 0-6-0 tanks have returned along with suitable rolling stock and uncouplers etc all wheel cleaned, tried and tested in readiness for what I know will be an enjoyable weekend playing trains, shunting and talking.
If you are planning to visit Railex please make sure you come and say hello. I am stand 61, towards the right hand back corner (as you come into the hall) and will ably assisted by friend and fellow modeller Simon Paley for the weekend, he being the much younger looking operator!
I hope this post has been of interest and as stated above it does show the advantages of having a layout that is not an actual real location but endeavours to capture a flavour and also is not easily identifiable to a specific time period. I also intend to occasionally run in a later 1960s period with a few diesel shunters so more on this in a future post.