jjnewitt

I was trying not to be too confrontational! Too often I find my posts end up in an argument and was trying to avoid it... 🙂 Don't worry, you're not alone on this. Justin

I'm not so sure. The key here is I think the word almost. Whilst good, I don't think the Accurascale 37 is as good as the Bachmann one. There's something odd about the cab windscreens on the Accurascale model and I don't like their bogie pivot arrangement. I think Bachmann have done a really good job on theirs. It's not perfect but it's better (in my opinion) and as such I've brought 3 d6829 models in the past 12 months (along with one of their new 47s) which is very, very a big outlay for me. I didn't pay RRP on any of mine. The most I paid was £212, which was the first that I'd pre-ordered from Derails. The other two I've paid £173.50 and £170. If I'd had to pay RRP for mine I probably would only have 2 rather than 3 but I still wouldn't have any of the Accurascale ones! Whilst Bachmann make very good quality products that are as good or better than the opposition then they will sell models. My impression is that Bachmann are slightly more expensive than average but they generally make a good product. Accurascale on the other hand come across as 'cheap' and I do wonder if their pricing levels are sustainable in the medium or long term. Justin

Each to their own. It sticks out like a sore thumb to me and I don't recall having seen joins like that on the prototype (another heretical term no doubt). I have a lot of time for Hornby and their steam locos. In terms of looks I think they generally make the finest models. Their greens can be a bit odd and they don't get everything right and but no one does, despite what Accurascale will try and tell you. I'll pass on this one though. It's a fairly simple arrangement; motor in the tender, gearbox in the firebox and a cardan shaft in between. Not uncommon in the finescale world (yet another heresy) where people make chassis for their locos. The RTR boys have had plenty of experience of this arrangement in their diesels. It strikes me that the 2MTs are the perfect locos to do this with. The enclosed cab will hide pretty much everything. The boiler can be stuffed full of ballast so it'll haul more and there would be no need for the unprototypical join in the boiler. Justin

It's not all an advance though. There's the awful horizontal join in the boiler that's completely put me off buying one. A cutout for a motor block isn't great (especially when it could conceivably go in the tender via a cardan shaft with the enclosed nature of the 2MT cabs) but is less obtrusive than the horizontal join all the way along. It doesn't work for me at all. Justin

The letter box is big enough and our usual posties don't have a problem. This was a different one, presumably due to Christmas. However, if it had been in a board backed envelope with 'Please do not bend' on it there might have been a different outcome. Justin

Mine arrived yesterday. Really good issue. Great to have some Chris Pendlenton content in the Journal again, it's been too long. The only dsiappointing thing for me was that the postie folded it in half to get it through the letterbox and put a great big crease down the middle of it. Why do we have to have such inadequate packaging for these sorts of things? I though packaging was supposed to protect the contents? It might keep the rain off but what's the point if it can be manged? Bring back the board backed envelope and I don't care if it costs more! Justin

I've got a bottle of Revell liquid cement which I use sparingly to tack the parts together intially. When I'm happy that everything is square I then use Butanone over the joints to 'weld' everything in place. If I'm not hapy with how they've gone together you can get everything apart if you use liquid cement and try again which is impossible if the joints have been welded solid using MEK or Butanone. Justin

The Berry Wiggins livery is correctly applied. They had both class A and class B Air Ministry oil tanks as well as the bitumen tanks. There is an image of 106, a welded example, in Petroleum Railtank Wagons of Britain (enlarged edition) by R Tourret. Other oil companies to have used Air Ministry tanks include National Benzole (part of BP from '57), Benzole Producers Limited (formed in '57 out of National Benzole when BP took over) and Major & Co. Ltd of Hull. Edit: Oh, and of course there's the Petroleum Board liveries that they wore when first built, stone with a red band for early builds and grey for later ones. Justin

The twin longitudinal platforms only appeared in the late 1950s. Prior to that they had what they were built with. The SMBP class B wagons are accurate for the late 1940s and 1950s. After that they should have the longitudinal type of walkway. Justin

Latest News September 2023 Just in time, some new items to report ahead of Scalefourm this weekend. Lima Bogie Vee Presflo Detailing A set of etches and 3D prints to update and correct the Lima model brought to you by Mike Whitchurch. The 'full' kit (X.33A) includes correct length etched skirts and 3D printed ends which are missing on the RTR model. The kit assumes that you will lengthen the outer ends of the tanks with plastic strip (not included). The accompanying etched detailing includes new walkways, ladders, end anchors and lifting brackets as well as lamp irons, brake wheels and solebar detailing. 3D printed manholes are also included. We appreciate that not everyone wants to go to the trouble of lengthening the tanks and replacing the skirts so the detailing etch from the 'full' is available separately (X.33B). This includes the 3D printed manholes. X.33A - £24 Lima bogie vee Presflo skirts and detailing X.33B - £8 Lima bogie vee Presflo detailing only Ivatt Class 2 Tank Ladder X.22 - £1.50 An etched replacement bunker ladder designed by Pete Tarver for the Bachmann loco. LMS 6’6” Trailing bogie X.29 - £6 A sprung bogie originally intended for a model of the LMS 2P but with applications for other LMS locos such as the 2-6-4Ts. P4 only. Reinstated Items - Wagon Detailing Etches The steel ended wooden open and shock open detailing etches (B.102, B.103 & B.104) are available again from stock as is the Ratio LMS van strapping etch (B.105). Stocks are low for the BR Shocopen detailing (B.104) but I have good stocks of all the others. Coming Soon There was supposed to be another major release this month but a problem with the etches meant that it needed to be put back. A full kit for 1930s 10’ wheelbase class A tank wagons, with ether saddles or a cradle will be appearing soon, most probably in early January. Hope to see some of you on the weekend, Justin

Hi Tim, It should be a new (done in 2017) design, similar to that included with the reissued 1600. Justin

The Accurascale model doesn't look enough like the prototype in the windscreen area. It somehow doesn't have the right "expression" on it's face. Soemthing about their cab isn't right and it puts me off completely, especially with all the endless look how great we are crap that goes with the company. All RTR glazing looks toy like by the way, including Accurascale's! It the one area with these models that still stuck in the 80s. The Bachmann model has it's faults (I'm not keen on the separate noses, just as I'm not keen on Accurascale's removable roof) but to me it looks more like a real 37. Justin

Or to put it another way: It's a shame Accurascale couldn't get their cab windscreens right from the get go. Then they could have a "tractor off" with Bachmann. I'm very happy with my new D6829 and not for the first time Accurascale have failed to persuade me to part with any of my money. It's not all about the price tag. Justin

New Items June 2023 Thanks to some non-Rumney Models work commitments and the general craziness of school half term this is a slightly belated announcement of some new items that will be available at Scalefour Crewe this coming weekend. No danger of an imminent update to the Rumney Models website but they will all go up in due course. Bachmann Grain Hopper Underframes (for codes see below - £20 each) 3 kits to upgrade the Bachmann BR welded grain hopper. As with recent output these are a mixed media affair and cover all the variations in the diagram 1/271 hoppers. Each consist of a sprung etched subframe and details along with 3D printed solebars, brake shoes, springs and axleboxes along with hollow buffer housings. There is a choice of oil axleboxes, roller bearings or Hyboxes. All of the unfitted wagons were built with oil boxes but many were replaced by roller bearings or Hyboxes in the early 60s. Through piped wagons were built with roller bearings but some gained Hyboxes over time. The through piped wagons included a different pattern ladder as per the prototype. PB.36A Unfitted wagons with early type hopper release mechanism (lot 2183 wagons only) PB.36B Unfitted wagons with later type hopper release mechanism PB.36C Through piped wagons The underframes can be built in EM or P4. Further information can be found in the instructions which are up on the Rumney Models website. 3D Printed Springs and Axleboxes for Ferry Vans, Ferry Opens and MOT Hoppers (various codes - £4 for a set of 4) PFE(cov).08UICFO 1/055 Ferry Open with covered roller bearings PFE.08UICFV 1/227 Ferry Van PFZ.09MOTHOP MOT/LNE 167 21T Hopper. These include the distinctive coupling pockets found on the wagons. Hope to see some of you on the weekend, Justin

That looks excellent Will. I shall have to try and get some laserglaze off Brian for my D6829 when it arrives. Bachmann have done a really good job capturing the face of the 37s. They just look right (to me at least), they've got the right 'expression'; unlike the other new 37 which somehow doesn't. Justin

Found all this out long ago. See: https://website.rumneymodels.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Downloads-Milk-Tank-Diagrams.pdf The difference between the O.57 and O.60 milk tanks was 5/8" in overall height. The O.57s were 11' 11 5/8" and the O.60 11'11". These dimensions have come from the official diagrams. This difference in height would have required a different diagram. Given the manholes, tanks and underframes were the same the difference must have lay in the saddles. All milk tanks were fitted with oil axlboxes when new, including the O.60s. They didn't start getting roller bearings until the 60s. Justin

Hi Ian, looks good. I wonder if the Rumney Models product thread the right place for it though? Justin

Hi James. The anchor mounts are certainly a possibility. I need to get the two test builds I'm doing finished (currently waiting on some etched spares), painted and have a criticla look at the tanks. They do need some work to finish them. They are less 'out of the box' than the Gunpowder or the Izal which require very little work to the printed body parts. I also need to have a think about prices. Justin

Latest News January 2023 With the Rumney Models exhibition calendar being different slightly different this year thanks to Scalefour North re-emerging at Crewe in June rather than Easter, it seemed like a good idea to take the opportunity of the New Year to release some items that have been bubbling away for a while. All are 4mm scale. LMS/LNE/BR Gunpowder Vans (for codes see below - £39 each) 6 kits in total covering the LMS/LNER and BR Gunpowder vans. Essentially it is the same basic wagon but with different solebars and details to accurately model the different versions. The body, solebars, buffer housings, springs/axleboxes and brakegear are 3D printed resin with a sprung brass ‘under frame’, roof (for a prototypically thin look) and detailing parts along with a cast whitemetal vacuum cylinder (where appropriate). Suitable axleboxes and hollow buffer housings will be included but if you require something specific, please state when ordering. Just for fun, I drew up a ‘brochure’ for these with more details and the prototype information. PC.55A - Unfitted Independent brake - RCH axleguards - LMS and LNER vans as built PC.55B - Unfitted Morton brake - BR axleguards - Early BR vans as built PC.55C - Morton vacuum brake - BR axleguards - Vans built new by BR with vacuum braking - lots 2544, 2689 & 2872 only PC.55D - Retrofitted Morton vacuum brake - RCH axleguards - LMS and LNER retrofitted vans PC.55E - Retrofitted Morton vacuum brake - BR axleguards - BR retrofitted vans PC.55F - Retrofitted Morton vacuum brake - BR axleguards - LMS and LNER retrofitted vans that have had their axleguards changed The kits can be built in OO, EM and P4. Due to the fact that these have to be sent small parcel there is a £2 postal surcharge when ordering the kits. This surcharge applies to the order as a whole not to the kit, so if ordering more than one you only pay the surcharge once. BR 1/221 ‘Izal’ Palvan (PC.56 - £48) In 1960 BR built 250 specialist wagons for carrying palletised Izal products from their factory in Sheffield. The kit is another mixed media affair with a mixture of etched and 3D printed parts. It included an etched underframe, end framing/stanchions and details along with 3D printed sides, inner ends to sit behind the etched framing, springs/axleboxes, roof and Oleo buffer housings along with a cast whitemetal vacuum cylinder. The kit is supplied with the original pattern J-hanger springs and roller bearings fitted to the wagons. Some were fitted with long ‘standard’ springs with no J-hangers late in life, these are available by request when ordering. 3D printed solebars are available separately to use in place of the etched version included in the kit if required. They are not needed to build the kit but are an optional extra (PC.56A - £3.50). BR Heavy Duty Plate Freight Bogies (PG.06 - £14 per pair) The Rumney Models range of plate freight bogies gets another member in the BR version of the GWR heavy duty plate bogie. These were fitted to some Western Region Weltrols but more importantly, the second batch of BR Strip Coils (Rumney Models kit C.01B). Specification is the same as the other freight bogies with a sprung etched brass subframe and 3D printed cosmetic sides. 3D printed 5 Leaf Springs and Axleboxes for Wooden Solebars (Various Codes ending .05W - £4 for a set of 4) The Rumney Models range of wagon springs and axleboxes continues to expand with the addition of 3D printed springs and axleboxes for wooden underframe stock. They are available with any of the Rumney Models ‘light’ axleboxes, FA to FM. As with the other 3D printed springs/axleboxes please allow 2 weeks for order processing as they may need printing. Reintroduced Items The sprung coach bogies subframes (E.01-E.07) have been reinstated and are available again from stock. Enough people put their hand up to continue with them. I looked at retooling the sheets but most of the kits are such awkward sizes that I can’t actually rearrange the frets sufficiently to squeeze more of them on to a sheet. Prices therefore will remain where they were, but they are available… Exhibitions for 2023 Rumney Models will be out and about at Scalefour Crewe on the 3rd/4th June and Scaleforum 23rd/24th September, maybe for the last time? With the changes to the exhibition calendar brought about the moving of the more northerly of the two Scalefour Society exhibitions to the first weekend in June I will unfortunately not be attending Railex. It’s just not possible for me to do two exhibitions in two weekends, especially as they bookend my daughter’s school half term. For more details see the links above or follow this one... Rumney Models Happy Modelling for 2023, Justin

What We Do Here at Rumney Models we believe in making things. We believe that building kits and creating something yourself is the most fun and fulfilling aspect of this wonderful hobby. The emphasis is on quality first and foremost. We include as much visible detail as possible whilst keeping within the boundaries of what is sensible within the medium used. Kits are mostly etched but with an increasing number of mixed media affairs with high quality 3D printed resin parts. Kits are ‘rail’ tested to make sure parts fit. The Rumney Models Range Most kits are 4mm scale and cover the latter half of the big four, and the BR steam era. Wagons dominate but we also do steam loco chassis and detailing along with a range of coach bogie subframes and kits. We do a small range of S scale and 7mm kits that follow on from the 4mm range. Milk Tanks Detailing parts and milk tank ownership plates for the distinctive 6 wheeled tank wagons. Wagon Underframes A range of etched wagon underframes to suit kit and RTR bodies. Covers most of the major underframe types for steel underframe stock from 1923 to the end of the vacuum brake era. Wagon Kits BR 42T Strip Coil, Bogie Bolster C and E Detailing, LMS/LNER/BR 22T Plates and Gunpowder Vans, BR 1/801 Fish Van, wooden ended 5 plank conversion kits, Izal Palvan, 7’3” 14T Air Ministry Tank Wagons. Wagon Detailing Coupling hooks, instanter links and screw couplings, LMS/BR tarpaulin bars, general purpose wagon detailing frets and specific detailing kits for RTR tank wagons, BR Grampus baskets and detailing. Wagon Fittings By far and way the biggest range of post 1923 wagons springs and axleboxes available for UK outline stock. Also cast vacuum cylinders and bolster for the latter build BR Bogie Bolster Cs. Freight Bogies A growing range of mixed media bogies for freight stock. Subframes are etched with cosmetic 3D printed sideframes. Coach Bogies Sprung coach bogie subframes that work like the real thing. Also, complete coach bogie kits. Steam Loco Chassis and Detailing Steam loco chassis for the Alan Gibson F4/5/6 and J15, Craftsman and Bachmann LMS 1P 0-4-4T, NuCast Partners M&SWJR 2-4-0 and Bachmann N class. Subframes for GER Z14 and S23 tenders. Commissions A large part of Rumney Models is commission drawing and building work. We specialise in 2D drawings for etching and 3D drawings for 3D printing. Rumney Models has a small industrial SLA 3D printer with which we can produce custom 3D printed parts in house. We also undertake building work, mostly of models using Rumney Models products. For further details see the links above or follow this one... Rumney Models Justin Newitt (Proprietor of Rumney Models)

Lol. I wouldn't base anything on the number of people who press the like button on RMweb...! Justin

I think you'd be surprised. Anyway, to me a properly 'flush glazed' coach is worth that sort of premium though I'm sure they could do it for less. On the other hand I'm not going to pay £65 for a coach with this kind of glazing. I'll stick to sticking brass sides on or building kits. Justin

Well that's good to hear Fran. I just think it's down to the how it's done with the big piece of clear plastic backing on that's larger than the size of the window itself. It's the '2 stage' nature of it as much as anything. I've never been a great fan of RTR glazing but with coaches looking as good as these it's really beginning to stick out and, to me at least, let everything else down. If you can come up with something clever that get's rid of this way of doing the glazing that would be a quantum leap in appearance. Justin

These look rather nice but I do feel that with improvemets in detail everywhere (absolutley love the luggage racks!) that the glazing is beginning to really let these modern RTR coaches down. It's the one area that still screams "toy". Surely the brains at Accruscale can come up with something that looks a bit more like flush glazing and without the prismatic bit? I don't need any suburbans but I'd love some full length Mk1s with some proper non-prismatic glazing and I'd be very happy to pay £120-150 per coach for them. Justin

Whilst crediting everybody else under the sun you might mention where the master for that spring came from Ian. Justin