Tag Archives: Q1 Class

35006, 35011, General

And now for something different… Southern related influences up t’north… some bank holiday reading

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With this weekend being a bank holiday, with so far some typical overcast weather (at least it’s not raining yet…), I thought I would provide some light reading based on my trip away, with the 35011 General Steam Navigation Locomotive Restoration Society last weekend, to some of Yorkshire’s railway attractions where I was able to find a Southern Railway related connection.

A Bulleid coach far from home

It was a pleasant surprise, seeing this excellently restored Bulleid Open Third at the wonderful Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway, looking so great and nice to see in the BR Crimson & Cream livery that she carried when first introduced.
Coach number S1469 is a Diagram 2017 Open Third built at Eastleigh between October and December 1950 with the deeper 15″ window vents rather than the 10″ vents fitted to the SR built versions. They were introduced as loose vehicles, i.e. not allocated into a coach set.
Whilst many like to see the preserved Bulleid coaches in green livery, I think she does look very smart in the immaculate Crimson and Cream livery.

A Southern /  Bulleid connection to a BR standard 4MT tank

A trip on the splendidly scenic North Yorkshire Moors Railway saw a a BR Standard 4MT tank at the head of the service in a splendid LNER teak bodied Tourist Open Third.  An SR / Bulleid connection to a BR standard 4MT tank… you might ask?
The design, although based on the LMS Fowler / Fairburn tanks, of these locomotives, introduced from 1951 was completed and the first batch built at Brighton. The design was required to meet the the L1 loading gauge to give them a great route availability (such as working between Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells West). They therefore have a continuous curved profile to the tanks and cab sides, (not to be confused with the overall loading gauge), that also matched the curve of the Bulleid locos and stock. There was even a discussion at the time about them being built with Bulleid-Firth-Brown style wheels.

Even the LNER coach has  Bulleid connection as before he left the LNER to become CME of the Southern Railway he had modernised the interiors of such open coaches with the use of the new synthetic leathercloth ‘Rexine’.

We did see some proper traction on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway as Maunsell S15 4-6-0 Number 825 was also on services. 825 was built in April 1927 at Eastleigh works near Southampton and along with most of the class was allocated to Feltham. By the time of nationalisation she was based at Exeter Junction before moving to Salisbury in 1951 and remaining there until withdrawn in January 1964. No. 825 is one of three S15 locomotives owned by the Essex Locomotive Society, all of which are stabled at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway.

What’s in a name…

There are two Merchant Navy Class names plates on display at the National Railway Museum. With the Merchant Navy’s four plates were cast (the centre part disc was enamelled), two for the loco, one presented to the relevant shipping company and one circular part turned into a coffee table and also presented to the shipping company at the time of the official naming ceremonies (I have not yet managed to see any of the coffee tables, I wonder if any any survive and if so do the owners know the significance?)
The first is Channel Packet the first member of the Merchant Navy class loco, that also gave rise to one of the nicknames of the class as being ‘Packets’, this is one of the plates that was ceremonially given to the namesake shipping co. at the time of the loco naming

The Orient Line name plate is from the actual 21c8 loco, you can compare the difference in the wear and tear including the remaining thickness of the raised cast letters to tell the difference. The boiler currently being restored by the 35011 General Steam Navigation Locomotive Restoration Society, is coincidently the one that was first fitted to 21c8 when built.

The centre enamelled discs usually illustrated the shipping company flag and the plates were handed so that the flag always flew towards the rear of the loco, the only Merchant Navy plate that has a flag that flies forwards is 21c6/35006 Peninsular & Oriental S.N.Co as it’s flag is part of the whole P&O company logo on the enamel plate so could not be flown the other way around on the right hand side so flies forwards.

We didn’t remove any parts honest…

Merchant Navy 35029 Ellerman Lines although preserved is displayed as a sectioned exhibit, originally she was mounted on rollers so that wheels and motion could be rotated to see it in action but she now resides on a section of plain track.
Whilst neatly sectioned and painted to show the inner workings of a steam locomotive I feel the Museum have missed a trick as there are no actual information board to explain the how it works part of the exhibit to visitors. Whilst photographing I did spend time to actually explain how it works to many visitors.

I’m sure it doesn’t need it’s crank axle really… with 35011 General Steam Navigation needing a new crank axle it would be nice to swap this now static exhibit with a plain axle to help get 21c11 / 35011 back in steam but I think the museum staff would have noticed if I tried to borrow it… The tender would be handy too…

Duck à le bleu…

The Bulleid connection to the well known steam speed record holder LNER A4 pacific 4468 ‘Mallard’ is his work with the French firm Bugatti on behalf of Sir Nigel Gresley, Bulleid spoke fluent French, after his spell working early in his career for the French Westinghouse Company as a test engineer. Initially he was investigating their ‘The Flying Hamburger’ that  was a high-speed diesel twin-coach railcar introduced in 1932 that was used for express passenger services between Berlin and Hamburg.
Developed using wind-tunnels, the train could travel the 178 miles between the two station in 138 minutes, at an average of 77mph.
This was considered to be an expensive option but led to Bugatti assisting Bulleid and Gresley with the A4 front styling and overall streamlining.
Mallard was also a visitor to the Southern Region a couple of times the first being for the 1948 Locomotive Exchange trails, where she failed at Salisbury with a hot middle big end, and again later in the 1960s on rail tour duty.

Doesn’t need a key… (sorry Stanier…)

The sole surviving austerity good looking* / ugly* (*delete as per your view) Bulleid Q1 class No. C1 built in 1942 has been an exhibit within the National Railway Museum since 2004 before which she had been restored and running on the Bluebell Railway. It is my understanding that she is not on the list for possible restorations to working order in the future.
When the class were first introduced under wartime austerity conditions in 1942 William Stanier was reported to have said “Where do you put the key” in response to the look of the loco.

I hope you enjoyed the read and the SR connections.

Book Reviews, Model News

The next Steam’s Lament book from Strathwood Books Merchant Navys, Q1, Leader and other works

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Following on from the excellent Steam’s Lament – Bulleid’s Light Pacifics is the next title provided to me by my friends at Strathwood Publishing being Steam’s Lament – Bulleid’s Merchant Navy, Q1, Leader and Other Works .  This follows the same wide landscape format and contains 208 pages often with multiple black and white photographs per page along with well researched and informative captions.

Steam’s Lament – Bulleid’s Merchant Navy, Q1, Leader and Other Works features every one of the Merchant Navy Pacifics in both original and rebuilt condition, together with a photograph of every one of the forty Q1s and all three of the Leaders that were built. Also included are some of Bulleid’s other works including his diesel & electric locomotive designs.

The photographs are from a number of sources such as: Colour Rail, Rail photoprints ,  Anistr.com,  Rail-Online.com and the Transport Treasury so will not be new to many of us, there are also a number of photographs from other sources such as Strathwood‘s own library, that are not so familiar and many that I have not seen before. The selection of photographs covers details and variation in liveries and naming and shows the locomotives in action, on shed and in close up. The benefit is that the they are all nicely reproduced in the one book and at a good size afforded by the wide landscape format.

It is of course good to see pictures of my favourite Merchant Navys 21c6/35006  ‘Peninsular & Oriental SN Co’ and 21c11/35011 ‘General Steam Navigation’ included with again some images new to me.

As well as the Leader, the book includes a few examples of: Bulleid’s drafting improvements with Lemaitre multiple-jet blast pipes and their associated large diameter chimneys, his 500hp 0-6-0 shunter 11001, the 350hp 0-6-0 shunters, the 10201-3 main line diesels and also the Bulleid/Raworth electric locos 20001-3.

By covering each locomotive in turn and including images from different periods of their working life it provides a great reference for railway historians and modellers alike, a welcome addition to my library and wholeheartedly recommended.

 

35006, 35011, Fisherton Sarum

#onthisday 25th April 1970 OVS Bulleid died

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#onthisday 25th April 1970 Oliver Vaughan Snell Bulleid died, aged 87. He was the Southern Railway Chief Mechanical Engineer between 1937 and nationalisation in 1948.

A line up of Bulleid Pacific’s outside Fisherton Sarum shed. 

He is best celebrated for the development, under wartime conditions, of his Merchant Navy Pacifics which incorporated a host of novel ideas including the enclosed oil bath for the novel chain-driven valve gear, clasp brakes, his own Bulleid-Firth-Brown version of the Box-Pok cast wheels and Air Smoothed casing.
His other designs also included the smaller but similar West Country and Battle of Britain classes; the outstanding austerity Q1 0-6-0 and the novel Leader 0-6-6-0T as well as diesel and electric designs.
After nationalisation he moved to Ireland becoming CME of CIE where he promoted dieselisation of the Irish national railway system as well as trialling a peat-burning steam locomotive similar to his SR Leader in concept.
British Railways rebuilt all of the Merchant Navy and most of the smaller WC and BB Pacifics to more conventional appearance.

The ‘Times’ obituary described Bulleid as the ‘last truly progressive mechanical engineer of the steam locomotive era’.RIP

Bullied is very much my own engineering idol and s such I am involved with a number of his locomotives as below and further support of these Societies would always be welcome.

T

35011 at her new home on the Swindon & Cricklade Railway

he 35011 General Steam Navigation Locomotive Restoration Society are aiming to return 21C121 / 35011 to his original inspired condition including the enclosed oil bath for the chain-driven valve gear and air smoothed casing. I am proud and honoured to be a be Trustee of the Locomotive Restoration Society and a Director of the owning CIC. More details on how to support this project can be found here.

No.6 runs round at Cheltenham Racecourse

The 35006 Locomotive Society have restored Peninsular & Oriental S. N. Co.to working order and she has been in action on the Gloucestershire and Warwickshire Steam Railway since May 2016. She has proved extremely popular and has always been turned out in immaculate condition Further details on how to support the 35006 locomotive Society can be found here.

Book Reviews, General, Model News

New ‘Moguls’..’The book of the’ from The Irwell Press join the ‘Q’

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The latest books hot of the press from my good friends at the Irwell Press are firstly two new publications in the excellent hardback “Book of the” series to cover the Southen Railway Moguls. The two volumes cover the initially ex South Eastern and Chatham and later Southern Railway, Richard Maunsell designed and produced 2-6-0 Moguls, the N and N1 Classes in Part One and U and U1 classes in Part Two. The third is a paperback version the Southern Workhorses No.1 Q Class 0-6-0s. Number two in the series of Southern Workhorses, still to be published, will be the Bullied Q1 class.
These three publications all follow the usual brilliant Irwell Press “The Book of Series” with historical background information about each class, their design, liveries and spheres of operation, photographs along, with particular details and photographs of each individual locomotive taken from their works records. the books are of the usual high standard of detail, information and photograph reproduction that we have come to expect from the Irwell Press at a reasonable price of £29.95 for the Mogul hardback versions and £15.95 for the paper Q class publication. As they say available from all good bookstores, and probably some not so good ones too!

Book of the Southern Moguls Part Two N and N1 classes

Book of the Southern Moguls Part Two U and U1 classes

Southern Workhorses No. 1 Q Class 0-6-0s

As with all the Irwell Press‘The Book of the” series they are invaluable for Southern Railway historians and modellers alike and well worth a read.

Further information about my N1 model, converted from a Bachman N class,  illustrated above can be read on my Talking Stock posts #12 here. My U Class model is built from a DJH kit, whilst the Q Class was built from a then Wills now South Eastern Finecast kit, sometime ago when I was in my early teens,  and is now running on its third chassis but still makes the occasional appearance on Fisherton Sarum!

 

 

General, Hornby MN, Model News

Hornby announce full 2017 range; a Southern Railway / Southern Region related roundup [updated 16/01/17]

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Hornby have today announced their full range for 2017. As with the range for 2016 new tooling announcements fro 2017 have already been made during the last year via their informative Engineshed blog and a presentation /launch at the Warley National Model Railway Exhibition. These from a Southern Railway perspective has already included the announcement last September of the ex SECR 0-4-4T H class Tank.

[Updated 13/01/17] R3566 – BR 4-6-2 ‘British India Line’ Rebuild Bulleid Merchant Navy Pacific number ‘35018’ has been changed to be 35014 ‘Nederland Line’ due to the unique detail differences of 35018 as the pioneer rebuilt of the class.
[Updated 16/01/17] Confirmation that R3568 – BR Class 71 ‘E5018’ will be in BR Green Livery with plain green ends.

Hornby H Class EP

The range also sees a welcome reintroduction of the Bulleid 0-6-0 Q1, Light Pacific Classes; both Air Smoothed and rebuilt, and reverse SR / BR liveries for the two excellent Diagram 1529 and Diagram 1530 SR Cattle wagons introduced last year.

Hornby livery samples of 21C1 and 21C3 together

The aim of this post is to round up the announcements that are of a Southern Railway / Southern Region interest, it should be noted that as I advised here a number of the 2016 range announcements have already been moved into the 2017 range for release, Including the original Bulleid Merchant Navy Pacifics (detailed in my post here) and these items are highlighted below by a Red [*]. An indication of the planned release date via the Quarter system (eg [Q2] is also provided.

Locomotives

  • R3515 – SR 4-6-2 ‘Kenley’ ’21c168′ Bulleid Battle of Britain Light Pacific – 4500 gallon tender – SR Malachite Green. Part of Hornby’s ‘The Final Day Collection’ Marking the 70th Anniversary of the end of the ‘Big Four’. Represents the condition she ran in between introduction in October 1947 and September 1948. The Final Day Collection range also includes a GWR King Class, LMS Royal Scot Class and LNER A3 Class. [Q3]
  • R3521 – BR 0-4-4T Drummond ex LSWR M7 Class number ‘30129’ long frame, pull push fitted in BR Lined black with late emblem, as she ran between April 1960 and November 1963. [Q2]
  • R3524 – BR 4-6-2 ‘Trevone’ Rebuilt Bulleid West Country Light Pacific number 34096 in BR Brunswick Green with late emblem representing her condition between April 1961 and September 1964. [Q3]
  • R3525 – BR 4-6-2 ‘Sir Archibold Sinclair’ Bulleid Battle of Britain Light Pacific number ‘s21c159’- 4500 gallon tender – Malachite Green with s prefix to number and Sunshine ‘British Railways’ on tender. Representing her condition between Feb 1948 and March 1949. [Q2]
  • R3527 – SR 4-6-0 ‘Camelot’ Urie N15 Class number 742, Urie style tender – Post war Bulleid black with ‘Sunshine’ lettering representing her condition between June 1942 and August 1946. [Q2]
  • R3528 – ex LBSC A1X ‘Terrier’ Class – Number 4 in Weston, Clevedon and Portishead green livery.[Q3]
  • R3538 – [New Tooling for 2017] ex SECR 0-4-4T H Class number 308 in full SECR lined green.  No.308 was built at Ashford Works in June 1906, entering traffic at Slades Green and was repainted to Maunsell Dark Green in 1925. [Q4]
  • R3539 – [New Tooling for 2017] ex SECR 0-4-4T H Class number 31518 BR late crest (with Overhead Electric warning flashes) lined black and pull push fitted. As she ran between post 1956 to January 1964. [Q4]
  • R3549 – [New Tooling for 2017] ex SECR 0-4-4T H Class number 1324 SR post 1931 Maunsell Olive Green. 1324 I believe also made it through the war still in olive green! [Q4]
  • R3559 – SR 0-6-0 Bulleid Q1 class number C24 – Post war Bulleid black livery. [Q4]
  • R3559 – BR 0-6-0 Bulleid Q1 class number 33032 – BR Unlined black livery late emblem. [Q4]
  • R3566 – [Updated 13/01/17] BR 4-6-2 ‘Nederland Line Rebuild Bulleid Merchant Navy Pacific number ‘35014’ in BR Brunswick Green with early crest and black backed nameplate representing her condition between May 1956 and December 1960 (when a speedometer was fitted. [Note: This replaces the originally announced 35018 due to the unique detail differences of 35018 as the pioneer rebuild of the class]. [Q4]
  • R3568 – BR Class 71 ‘E5018’ [Updated 16/01/17 to reflect confirmation of the livery as being with plain green ends] – BR Green, with Plain green ends. [Q2]
  • R3569 – BR Class 71 ‘E5005’ BR Blue. [Q4]
  • R3577 – Not Southern related,  but included on this post just because…,  Sentinel 0-4-0 diesel shunter Oxfordshire Ironstone Co, red livery with connecting rods named ‘Graham’. [Q3]
  • [*] R3412 – BR 4-6-0 ‘30842’ Maunsell S15 Class, flat sided tender – BR Black early crest. [Q1]
  • [*] R3422- SR 4-4-2T ‘3125’ Adams Radial 0415 Class – Bullied post war black and Sunshine lettering. [Q1]
  • [*] R3423 – BR 4-4-2T ‘30583’ Adams Radial 0415 Class –  BR lined black late emblem. [Q1]
  • [*] R3434 – SR 4-6-2 ‘Channel Packet’ ’21C1′ Merchant Navy Class (Original Air Smoothed) represents her very early condition from when first introduced in February 1941 and May 1941. [Q1]
  • [*] R3435 – SR 4-6-2 ‘Royal Mail’ ’21C3′ Merchant Navy Class (Original Air Smoothed) is as introduced in September 1941 condition again and when she was painted in wartime black livery in May 1943. [Q4]
  • [*] R3436 – BR 4-6-2 ‘Clan Line’ ‘35028’ Merchant Navy Class (Original Air Smoothed) – BR Brunswick Green. early crest. Modelled without the fairings between the front of the cylinders and the buffer beam and with safety vales in the forward position representing the condition she ran in between June 1953 and December 1954. [Q3]
  • [*] R3445 – BR 4-6-2 ‘Camelford’ ‘34032’ West Country Class – BR Early – Air Smoothed representing the condition she ran in between January 1951 and October 1954 when safety vales were resited. [Q2]
  • [*] R3457 – SR 4-4-0 ‘116’ Class T9 – Post 1931 lined Maunsell olive green [Q1]
  • [*] R3458 – SR 4-4-0 ‘Shrewsbury’ Schools Class number ‘921’ – SR Black with Sunshine lettering, Lemaitre large diameter blast pipe and chimney as her condition between  April 1944 and January 1948. [Q1]
  • [*] R3468 – BR 4-6-2 ‘603 Squadron’ ‘34077’ Battle of Britain Class – Rebuilt – BR Lined Brunswick Green with late emblem as her conditon between July 1960 and August 1967. [Q2]
  • [*] R3373 – BR Class 71 ‘E5001’ NRM – BR Green. [Q1]
My version of how R3525 s21c159 will look (but not weathered).
Although not 742 ‘Camelot’ as per R3527, this is my weathered version of her sister 744 ‘Maid of Astolat’

In addition to the ex SECR 0-4-4T H class tanks Hornby’s new tooling for 2017 comprises of LMS 4-6-2 Modified Princess Coronation Class, BR Class 87 Electric locomotive (including R3582 number 87010 ‘King Arthur ‘) and the latest Hitachi soon to be introduced on the UK network IEP Bi-Mode Class 800/0 units.   Although the 2017 range includes a number of post war Southern liveries, suiting the period I model, I would add that as far as I am aware that has not been due in any way to my influence.

Twin Track Sound (TTS) fitted Locomotives

  • [*] R3382TTS – BR 4-6-2 ‘Holland-Afrika Line’ ‘35023’ Merchant Navy (Original Air Smoothed) – BR Brunswick Green, early crest with TTS Sound representing the condition she ran in between gaining Brunswick green in March 1952 and the fairings being removed in  May 1953. [Q2]
  • R3507TTS – BR 4-6-0 ‘30832’ Maunsell S15 Class, Urie style tender – BR Black early crest representing the condition she ran in between March 1951 and June 1957. [Q3]

Train and Coach packs

  • R3512 – H Class Pull / Push Train Pack – Limited Edition, comprising of Wainright ex SECR 0-4-4T H Class tank number 31551 in BR Lined Black with late emblem livery and BR ex Maunsell Pull Push set number 602 –  coaches S1318S (SO) and S6681S (BCK) in BR(s) Green. Set 602 was unusual in that the outer end of the SO also had the set number applied, which will be correctly recreated by Hornby. [Q4]
  • R4534E BR ex Maunsell Pull Push Coach pack  set number 601 – coaches S1315S (SO) and S6687S (BCK) in BR(s) Green. [Q2]
  • [*] R3398 – Lyme Regis Branch Line Train Pack – Limited Edition, Comprising of Adams 0415 radial tank number 30583 in BR lined black with early crest and two coach set No. 42 made up from Brake Third No. S2636S and Brake Composite No. S6401S in BR Crimson [Q1]

Coaches

  • R4792 – SR 58′ Maunsell Rebuilt (Ex-LSWR 48’) Eight Compartment Brake Third Class Non-Corridor, SR Green, Diagram 99 No. 2638 that formed set 44 with R4794. [Q3]
  • R4793 – S R 58′ Maunsell Rebuilt (Ex-LSWR 48’) Six Compartment Lavatory Brake Third Coach, SR Green  diagram 98 No. 2628 used as ‘loose’ stock. [Q3]
  • R4794 – SR 58′ Maunsell Rebuilt (Ex-LSWR 48’) Six Compartment Lavatory Brake Composite Coach, SR Green, Diagram 418 No. 6403 that formed set 44 with R4792.  [Q3]
  • R4795 – SR 58′ Maunsell Rebuilt (Ex-LSWR 48’) Nine Compartment Lavatory Third Class Coach, SR Green, Diagram 31 No. 320 used as ‘loose’ stock. [Q3]
  • R4746A – BR 58′ Maunsell Rebuilt (Ex-LSWR 48’) Eight Compartment Brake Third Class Non-Corridor, BR Crimson, Diagram 99 No. S2646S that formed set 46 with R4748A. [Q3]
  • R4747A – BR 58′ Maunsell Rebuilt (Ex-LSWR 48’) Six Compartment Brake Third Coach, BR Crimson, diagram 98 No. S2627S used as ‘loose’ stock. [Q3]
  • R4748A – BR 58′ Maunsell Rebuilt (Ex-LSWR 48’) Six Compartment Lavatory Brake Composite Coach, BR Crimson, diagram 418 N0, S6405S that formed set 46 with R4746A. [Q3]
  • R4749A – BR 58′ Maunsell Rebuilt (Ex-LSWR 48’) Nine Compartment Lavatory Third Class Coach, BR Crimson, diagram 31 No. S280S used as ‘loose’ stock. [Q3]
  • R4768 – SR Maunsell 6 Compartment Third Class Brake Coach – SR Olive Green – High window style to diagram 2110, Number 3778,  branded set 243. [Q2]
  • R4768A – SR Maunsell 6 Compartment Third Class Brake Coach – SR Olive Green – High window style to diagram 2110, Number 3779,  branded set 243. [Q2]
  • R4769 – SR Maunsell Corridor 8 Compartment Third Class Coach – SR Olive Green  – High window style to diagram 2001, Number 1224,  part of 4 coach set 243. [Q2]
  • R4770 – SR Maunsell Corridor 7 compartment First Class Coach – SR Olive Green –  High window style to diagram 2501, Number 7412, part of 4 coach set 243. [Q2]
  • R4796 – SR Maunsell 6 Compartment Third Class Brake Coach – BR Crimson and Cream – High window style to diagram 2110, Number 3777,  branded set 247. [Q2]
  • R4796A – SR Maunsell 6 Compartment Third Class Brake Coach – BR Crimson and Cream – High window style to diagram 2110, Number 3794,  branded set 247. [Q2]
  • R4797 – SR Maunsell Corridor 7 compartment First Class Coach – BR Crimson and Cream –  High window style to diagram 2501, Number 7212, part of 4 coach set 247. [Q2]
  • R4798 – SR Maunsell Corridor 8 Compartment Third Class Coach – BR Crimson and Cream – High window style to diagram 2001, Number 1187,  part of 4 coach set 247. [Q2]

It is good to see that Hornby, with a little advice, understand and acted upon the need to produce SR / BR(s) coaching stock to make up suitable set formations. The sets chosen by Hornby for the Maunsell high window style being 243 and 247 in SR and BR liveries respectively were two of the seven four coach sets 241 to 247 formed between March 1932 and April 1933 for use on the South Western section. A further release of the high window version of the Maunsells has been very often requested and these are the most logical sets to choose of that type of restriction 4 coach (as opposed to the narrower Hastings line stock of the same period) as other sets of that type comprised of a greater number of coaches so this creates correct and easily achievable sets.

Hornby’s new coach tooling for 2017 comprises of BR Mk 1 Brake Standard Open (BSO) and First Open (FO) coaches  neither of which are being produced in BR(s) green this year.

Pullman Coaches

As is expected the Hornby range always includes a number of Pullman coaches, due Q1 2017 in 1950’s style livery, they are as follows:

  • R4738 – First Class Parlour Car ‘Minerva’
  • R4739 – Second Class Parloour Car ‘Car No.34’
  • R4740 – First Class Kitchen Car ‘Argus’
  • R4741 – Second Class Kitchen Car ‘ Car No. 58’
  • R4742 – Second Class Brake Car ‘Car No. 162’

Wagons

  • R6827 – SR Cattle truck in Pre 1936 large SR lettered livery, number 553767 – Maunsell diagram 1529. [Q4]
  • R6827A – SR Cattle truck in Pre 1936 large SR lettered livery, number 3768 – Maunsell diagram 1529. [Q4]
  • R6826 – BR ex SR Cattle truck –  Bauxite livery, number B891313 – Bulleid diagram 1530. [Q4]
  • R6826A – BR ex SR Cattle truck –  Bauxite livery, number B891214 – Bulleid diagram 1530 (Note: this appears to be an incorrect running number as listed by Hornby and is possibly a typo that should perhaps be B891314, I am checking this with Hornby). [Q4]
    Note: the 2017 Hornby Catalogue has incorrectly transposed the diagram numbers in its headings for these cattle trucks but the illustrations are correct.
  • R6802 – SR ex LBSC Brake Van in post 1936 Small lettered SR livery. [Q2]
  • R6775 – SR Vent Van in in Pre 1936 large SR lettered livery. [Q2]

Hornby’s new wagon tooling for 2017 comprises of a GWR 20 ton Diagram AA15 ‘Toad’ brake van.

Railroad range

The Hornby Railroad range contains models from older tooling to suit a lower costs market segment and includes the following SR related items:

  • R3586 – BR 4-4-0 Schools Class V number 30935 ‘Sevenoaks’ in BR Brunswick Green early crest livery
  • R3591 – BR Class 73 number E6002 in early BR Green livery
  • R4743 and R4744 – SR ‘generic’ Composite and Brake Third respectively in SR malachite green livery

The full Hornby 2017 range can be found on the Hornby website here. The issues affecting Hornby over the last few years has been well publicised and discussed elsewhere but this range, including items carried over from 2016 and the slightly fewer new tooled models for this year shows the practical and conservative approach being taken by the new management team. I hope that this and their apparent positive re-engagement with the retailers will hopefully lead to a prosperous 2017 for all.

Fisherton Sarum, Talking Stock

Talking Stock #21 – Bulleid’s Q1 ugly duckling or powerfully out of the ordinary?

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During the second world war the need for a goods locomotive with wide route availability at a time of scarce raw materials and labour was to provide Bulleid with a challenge. He has already voiced his dislike of the Maunsell Q class 0-6-0 (appartently stating he would have cancelled the build if he had taken over as CME soon enough). Bulleid being Bulleid, looked away from usual convention in some areas and introduced the 40 strong Q1 class.

It was a powerful, reliable loco with a large fire grate and considerably lighter, by 14tons, than a comparable engine with a wide route availability. The war time constraints including the need to be efficient with use of materials and keeping weight down resulted in the use of lighter lagging that would not allow the support of traditional boiler cladding resulting the very boxy appearance, a lack of a running plate and wheel splashers and the use of Bullied-Firth-Brown cast wheels. The Q1’s greatest weakness was its restricted braking power on unfitted goods trains often resulting in the need for a head of fitted wagons.

C21 is built from a then Little Engines white metal kit

I finished building C21 (apt for this post being the 21st Talking Stock post) from a then Little Engines Kit (it is now available from South Eastern Finecast) just a couple of weeks before   Hornby surprised most Southern modellers by announcing their intention to produce one ready to Run. With a cast metal body and a Portescap motor this loco is like the prototype very powerful . As you can see Bullied also numbered these locos in accordance with their wheel arrangement as Cxx ie no bogie or pony axles and just three driving axles.

Hornby’s C8 weathered

C8 is a simply weathered Hornby example and the fact that not much detailing has been required is a testament to the Hornby model. Although this is a Southern variant Hornby cleverly made the tooling adaptable to cover some of the variations and modifications made to the class during their lifetime.

Q1 with BR number 33038 but unusually still with ‘Southern’ lettering on the tender

C38 or 33038 I have a number of my fleet lettered slightly differently on one side to the other (afterall you can only see one side of once) and this model follows that practice. One side of this renumbered and weather Hornby model she is C38 as per her Southern days whilst shortly after the formation of British Railways in 1948 she was renumbered in Southern numeral style as 33038 but curiously retained the ‘Southern’ lettering on the tender rather than being re-lettered ‘British Railways’ C38 also sports the mechanical lubricator driven off the front axle that some members of the class were fitted to improve cylinder lubrication.

So seen by some as an ugly duckling, with many derogatory nicknames but viewed by others as a curious and powerful, characteristic class; make your own mind up…