I have been watching listings for the six wheel Stove R on that well known auction site. I have succumbed and ‘won’ one. From its name I imagined that it was perhaps a train heating van that the LMS had designed for use with the LMS twins.
Dapol Stove R in company with Bachmann ex LMS BG
How wrong can you be! A check with Jenkinson and Essery shows that the Stove R was Sir William Stanier’s first design for a ‘Full Brake’. It was a Period III design and appeared in 1932/33. It was a six whee
I recently took delivery of one of those cute little six wheeled vans originally from Ian Allan Publishing. I thought that an elderly Mainline ex LMS 2P would make a suitable train engine.
Ex LMS 4-4-0 in Dumfries Station in the early 1960s
I bought my Mainline 2P back in 1984 from C&G models in Darlington.
Mainline 2P from 1984 – it has a lovely faded appearance!
My model was supposed new but never ran properly and has spent most of its 40 year life either in a box or resting peacef
It is well over twelve months since Hornby’s Duke of Gloucester arrived. Much time was spent last year modifying and improving my original ‘preserved’ version so that it would be more suitable for my 1960s based layout.
My original Hornby Duke of Gloucester Special Edition back dated to 1960
Time has moved on and there are now lots of models of Duke of Gloucester available at affordable prices, both ‘preserved’ and 1960’s style. I have now invested in a second model, this time the 1960's ver
My previous Post looked at some detail improvements to the old Mainline Restaurant Buffet including fitting Finecast Flush Glazing, wire handrails and simply filing the buffer heads.
Mainline RB slotted into a rake of BR Mk Is all fitted with Hornby R8220 couplers
For me the most important improvement is the fitting of the Bachmann close coupling mechanism. This enables the coach to be unobtrusively slotted into a rake of Bachmann Mk Is – in my case all fitted with Hornby R8220 couplers.
My first Mainline Restaurant Buffet came from the Cheltenham Model Centre in 1986 for the princely sum of £5.50. For the time it was a well detailed model and far superior to previous Mainline Mk1s which had holes in the sides to aid assembly.
Original Mainline Restaurant Buffet – with re-painted roof
I parted with my first Mainline RB in 2008 and upgraded to a Bachmann Restaurant Unclassified with metal wheels, wire handrails and close couplers. However there was a slight problem. The Bachm
My last Post discussed the merits of various proprietary couplings that could be used to close the gap between two B Set Brake Composites. Sometimes the solution is so obvious that it gets overlooked. I should thank Nergle for his comment and for pointing me the in right direction.
Close Coupled B Sets, Airfix back, Mainline front
A search of the Internet points to an old blog from Tim Venton currently with a work bench thread on the Scale Four web site. The picture montage below is from Tim
The ex GWR ‘B’ Set Airfix model coaches date from 1975. Almost forty years later and the coaches reappeared as Hornby R4293. The coaches must have proved popular and in the intervening years similar models have been available first from Mainline and later Dapol.
Bachmann 9017 on Airfix ‘B’ Set passing Hornby Crimson ‘B’ Set
The ‘B’ Set coaches were operated in pairs. As fitted with standard Airfix (or Hornby) couplings the gap between the coaches is hugely too large.
Original Airfix/Hornb
It is 1987 and I have been given six months holiday on full pay in the West Midlands. As part of my education I had a trip up the Waterless Gas Holder at Swan Village Sandwell.
1987 View from the waterless gas holder Swan Village Sandwell – scan of a copy of a copy
The view was amazing. I was even allowed a peek inside. The more common column or spirally guided holders rise or fall to accommodate changes in the volume of gas stored. Volume change in a waterless gas holder is achieved using a
We had moved into the new house and there was a space. What to build?
In fact there would be a space of five years before the ‘room’ for the railway would be available. Five years might seem an over long time for planning and day dreaming. However I wouldn’t underestimate the importance of time spent looking at other people’s ideas and prototype station layouts. Only then are you in position to draw up some ideas for yourself.
In my case this was fifteen years ago and pre ‘layout design
There have been questions about the mechanism of Hornby’s Hawksworth County. I was inspired to revisit an elderly Dapol County - ‘one that I made earlier’.
Dapol County with Airfix Tender Drive
My original model, County of Stafford - Dapol D4, dates from May 1984. It was purchased from the Oxford Publishing Company for the then not inconsiderable sum of £34.50. I think it was the first ready to run engine with a tender fall plate. I do believe the shape of the cab roof is wrong and that the
My last session featured some of my older models of BR (LMR) steam 4-6-0s. On that occasion I had started to strengthen some of my rakes of coaches and had added additional second class BR Mk1s.
Six Up
The Hornby ‘Staniers’ are relatively light weight. The Bachmann ‘Portholes’, despite some criticism of the bogie design, I think are free running. Adding an extra Bachmann Mk1 to the ‘Staniers’ and the ‘Portholes’ did not cause any haulage problems on my gradients.
My Bachmann Mk1s ap
The Xmas period has provided an opportunity to bring some of my older locomotives out of retirement. I was prompted in part by questions about the running of old Palitoy / Mainline 4-6-0s.
Holiday Reliefs – Mainline Jubilee and Scot on Bachmann Chassis
When I returned to the hobby in the late 1970s both Mainline and Airfix had just started to produce their range of super detail plastic models. The contrast with Hornby Dublo and Triang was amazing – was Meccano management asleep on the job? W
As the winter solstice approaches I thought it appropriate to look back at some of my earliest railway models. My first ‘train set’ arrived one Christmas in the early 1950s. I am guessing that it was 1953 or 1954 when I received a clockwork Trackmaster tank engine, a Graham Farish suburban coach and four Graham Farish goods wagons.
Trackmaster Clockwork engine from the 1950s prior to sale in 2007
1950s Graham Farrish suburban coaches – repainted and fitted with Hornby bogies prior to sa
How to construct the baseboard? This question seems to be asked on a regular basis. I will describe my own experiences.
The woodwork in progress
I have used the same basic approach for all three of my ‘big’ layouts. I would say it is my variation of the ‘L’ Girder technique.
’L’ Girder overview according to CJ Freezer
I spent some time this weekend searching through old periodicals to see if I could find the original article that inspired me to use the ‘L’ Girder technique. No luck – I t
A few weeks back I posted some thoughts on the need for and the use of Capacitor Discharge Units (CDUs) with Peco solenoids. I reported that after some thirty years of model train operation I had now installed my first Capacitor Discharge Units.
Under baseboard Gaugemaster Capacitor Discharge Unit
At the time I did not see a great improvement in point operation. In a couple of cases the operation was worse after installing the CDU than previously with the power supplied directly from 16v aux
Flushed with success after fettling Bucklebury Grange I thought I would tackle some of the other unresolved locomotive issues.
Bachmann 3440 City of Truro
City of Truro arrived from the National Railway Museum in January 2010. I remember being well impressed by the livery and the detail. It ran slowly and smoothly and was carefully put away – too good (expensive) for day to day use. Fast forward to January 2014 and Bachmann’s Dukedog arrives. 9017 was a superb runner, smooth and rock steady.
It is a great feeling when things turn out well. Bucklebury Grange arrived at the beginning of summer.
Hornby Bucklebury Grange (left) Overton Grange (right)
The first model was returned to the seller, something about the way it ran. The replacement model was an improvement, so it stayed. How many models can you send back? However at higher speeds it still seemed to roll around. I began to imagine that one or more of the driving wheels was not central on its axle. Bucklebury Grange was banis
I recently added my two-pennies-worth to an RMweb question about motorising Peco points. As a consequence and after some thirty years of playing with model trains I have now installed a couple of Capacitor Discharge Units (CDUs). What do I think? Well I have mixed feelings.
First some pictures (scanned images) going back in time to earlier layouts.
Control panels with push buttons Bracken Ridge
This was the Bracken Ridge layout from the early 1980s. I cannot remember but I don’t think model
The recent appearance in the shops of some Hornby super detail Pullman Cars at half the recommended price had me thinking. When I used to go ‘Train Spotting’ to Darlington I might be lucky and get there in time to see the ‘up’ Tees-Tyne Pullman when it called at Darlington just after 10:00am.
Queen of Scots and Tees-Tyne Pullman Times 1961/62
However I seem to have clearer memories of the down Queen of Scots creeping in from the south towards five o’clock in the evening. The best of the day
I grew up in Middlesbrough and for a couple of years around 1960 I used to go ‘train spotting’, mostly to Darlington but occasionally up to Newcastle and even sometimes across to Carlisle (age about 12ish!). When it was announced that Bachmann would be producing a green, whiskered, Metro-Cammell DMU destinations Newcastle/Middlesbrough I would have to buy one.
Bachmann Class 101 with whiskers
My DMU has arrived and I am delighted.
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Bachmann Class 101 arrived
I might even have travelled
I was asked this weekend how both my Bachmann Dukedog (9017) and my City performed on gradients. Straight out of the box, the answer is 'With difficulty'.
Bachmann Dukedog (9017) on local train
9017 is a recent addition to the layout and after marvelling at the detailing and the super smooth performance I was prepared to overlook the fact that my model seemed incapable of hauling any load uphill. 9017 was relegated to shuttling between two stations on my branch line - on the level.
I would
My first Bachmann Portholes have been unpacked and are installed on the layout, topped and tailed with a pair of Hornby Stanier brakes.
Bachmann Portholes topped and tailed with Hornby Stanier brake coaches
My first impressions were very positive, good looking light weight and free running coaches. However I had issues with the couplers and the ride height.
Bachmann Portholes straight out of the box
Straight out of the box I was disappointed with the large gap between coupled coaches. I
The Peco Streamline 3 Way point is an extremely useful space saving device. This Post is prompted because I had to sort out a couple of problems with the installation of my own three way point. I was also aware that other modellers here on RMweb were finding difficulties with the operation and installation of their 3 way points.
The design of the point is symmetrical and has the appearance of a LH point being placed directly on top of a RH point. As a consequence the construction of the point i
I was recently paid for some unexpected work. I would invest part of the proceeds in some additional motive power (more engines). I don’t think there are any model shops in Dumfries and Galloway (probably the largest Council in the UK) so it is very much a case of what is available on the Internet. All very exciting – well until the post arrives!
The first item should have been straightforward. I would buy a Bachmann BR ROD - pristine.
Bachmann BR ROD – Early Emblem – Pristine
The mod
There has been some correspondence of late about Hornby Hobbies online shop on eBay. Certainly their prices can be enticing and in some cases the longer you wait the lower the asking price.
Never mind I would investigate further and I bought R2986 “A Date with the Duchy”. It was cheap because 'the packaging was damaged’ and the whole set was on offer for less than you might expect to pay just for the engine.
“A Date with the Duchy” set number two.
The set arrived very well packed. However w
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