Tramshed

Agree with you about the Great Gathering. Surely anyone wanting these locos would have obtained them already. Aiming these items at 'collectors' seems to run contrary to the prevailing economic climate. Still, I expect it provides a clue as to what we might see next year... an ' LNER streamliner collectors set' containing an A4, B17/5, P2/2, and a W1!

The B17/5 is welcome news for GE fans. However, I note the CAD shows the loco without side skirting while the photo shows it in pre-war condition. The Hornby site suggests both 2859 in pre-war and 61670 in BR condition are to be released. The CAD is an unfortunate hybrid since 61670 retained the curve behind the cylinders and the CAD omits this. There is also a potential livery error looming with respect to the BR version if this is presented in ‘apple green’. Here is what the RCTS volume says about it: Only one of the streamlined engines, No.61659, received L.N.E.R. green with “BRITISH RAILWAYS” in full. No. 61670 was never repainted green while still streamlined and continued to run in unlined black, but since August 1948 with “BRITISH RAILWAYS” on the tender. I share this in the hope it is helpful to the manufacturer who might shift a few more units among those seeking accuracy.

How do we feel about this? One of the casualties of the announcement being so close to shipping date is the lack of time to examine livery samples etc. The numbering error on the Malachite Bullied 64' set has resulted in a delay until next year before they arrive in the shops. I am told they have been returned for the error to be corrected. My own preference would be for these too to be delayed while the missing '3s' are added. I don't mind paying £200+ for three coaches but would think twice before doing so for a product known to have a correctable fault.

Hornby have released Cock O' The North as both LNER P2 2-8-2 number 2001 and as BR A2/2 4-6-2 number 60501

Nice review. Thanks for sharing. In it you mention two features that puzzle you (and maybe others) which I will attempt to resolve. The first concerned the spare steps. Hattons have supplied these as replacements for the steps fitted as shipped. As I believe someone has mentioned several pages ago, some early stations were little more than wayside halts without full height platforms. To allow passengers to board, there were two step boards to climb. Perhaps later in the development of the railways these halts were either dispensed with or fitted with conventional platforms. There are some tiny screws to undo to replace the '2-step' footboard units with the replacement single step. The second apparent oddity concerned the different colours given to the seats in the first class compartments leading you to speculate whether there was a further sub-division within that class. I can only suggest that close examination of the windows may point to the answer as the difference reflects 'smoking' and 'non smoking' compartments. This displays still further attention to detail on the part of Hattons. I don't know if it is a feature of the LB&SCR or whether it was practice among other companies too.

Whatever glitch has now been fixed for those interested. All livery options available in DCC ready

Welcome news re MR Black option but only available as DCC fitted or DCC sound. MR Black in DCC ready appears not to be an option. Maybe a website glitch of some kind. Will keep checking.

Thanks for this James. So it appears that number 125 managed to be outshopped new shortly before the 1921 adoption of train control. Still doubtful whether it went to Wisbech though. Interestingly the photo immediately below shows number 125 in a Wisbech setting but this was the Y6 that was renumbered to 0125, presumably when added to a duplicate list after the C53 went to traffic. The same article suggests that the carriages didn't go to crimson until 1921. Another issue with the buffer shanks on 127 besides their colour is that they were stepped. I'm sure Rapido have this covered as it was one of the variants on the original MR series.

This is a welcome announcement and I have duly placed an order for the ‘coach brown and ultramarine’ version with my local stockist. Although as Rapido Andy points out, they were mainly for goods work, the RCTS volume states that two engines were sufficient to manage this work once the passenger service was withdrawn in 1927. So the surmise that they were used for passenger work seems to be supported by this evidence. I note the livery artwork may be subject to change and offer the following from vols. 48 of ‘Yeadon’ and 8A of the ‘Green Books’. The practice of displaying the ‘GER’ company initials on the side skirts was discontinued during the 1914-18 war and by the time of grouping had been replaced by the engine number in large figures even though the number plate remained on the body side. The Yeadon registers only go back to 1923 for workshop and shed allocation information so we don’t know which engines had the livery changed and when. However, as number 125 was one of the last three to be built in March 1921 it is probably safe to assume it had this maroon and grey from new. What is less certain is whether it saw service on the W&U as Yeadon has it based at Ipswich from the beginning of LNER records (assumed to be 1923) until 1934. RCTS says that of the twelve engines in the class, three were based in Yarmouth, six in Ipswich and three at Wisbech at the end of 1921. Potential candidates for W&U engines are number 136, originally allocated to Ipswich but listed in Yeadon as ‘Wisbech’ in 1923, number 139 which was one of a batch delivered in 1908, two to Yarmouth and one to Wisbech (137 and 138 were still at Yarmouth in 1923 while 139 had moved to Ipswich). Number 131 is recorded in Yeadon as being based at Cambridge and likely to be the third. My intention here is not to ‘spoil’, but perhaps to prompt further research that might assist Rapido in selecting an ‘appropriately numbered loco’. There is plenty of ‘rule one’ about this project and I am happy to have ordered on that basis.

Your other option is to sit tight and wait. Bachmann launched both their 'Pillbox' and 'Queen Mary' vans in early SR (large letters) livery and in both cases offered the later SR (small) versions in a subsequent release. I suspect the same will happen with the Dance Hall in due course.

As I recall, this model was slow to shift and may have discouraged Bachmann from doing more in LNER livery. This was a great shame as I suspect it may have been due to an inaccuracy. The model carried the later long travel valve version of the reversing lever that was not introduced on the class until 1937 and not fitted to 5511 Marne until 1945. In answer to the question in the OP, it is unlikely that any D11/1s were in LNER green by the 1930's as most would have visited 'shops' after June 1928 (Marne went to black on 11/5/29). Another minefield to avoid is the valance. These were removed from the class from 5/25 onwards. In the case of 511 it was outshopped in LNER livery (probably the GCR livery with L.& N.E.R (note ampersand and full points) in 1922. It probably lost these on 28/2/25 when it was given the LNER number 5511. There is a photo of it in this condition on p108 of Yeadon vol. 29 but with windshield attached. Therefore a narrow modelling window, even with the correct reversing lever. I too hope an LNER version of the D11/1 may yet appear

Looking at both the 'Green Book' and 'Yeadon' I conclude that white-black-white is correct for the tender on 477. The Green Book has this to say about liveries "The first paintings of G.N.R. Nos. 461 and 477-86 were grey with white lining on the engine. No. 461's tender was unique in having a single white lining in a panel with scalloped corners, which however failed to survive the general repair in July 1920." 461 was built in 1918 and numbered in the series devoted to O1 (2-cyl) engines. Possibly some wartime economies limited the attention to lining as other O1s appear in plain grey. The photo of O2/1 on p28 of Yeadon shows white-black-white lining on the tender of No. 483 which I take to be genuine for this GN series. Photo also shows whistle on the cab roof.

Quite right too..."Improved engine diarrhea" surely!

Thanks Corbs. Atkins has B&W photo from L/H side but yes, short tank and no toolbox.

Interesting that 17920, one of the Rapido models, appears in the lists for both original and 'later' condition. My only reference is 'The Scottish 4-6-0 classes' by C.P.Atkins. There is a sequence of photographs between pages 32 & 33 showing the Jones Goods. Among them 17920 in what is captioned as 'substantially original condition' in LMS black with cab side plate and tender numerals. The only difference between the photo and the Rapido version is the photograph clearly shows the smokebox wing plates. The conclusion from this is that the wing plates must have been removed sometime between 1924 and 1928 else presumably it would have been done at a works visit after which it would have received the later LMS livery. There is also a photo of 103 'as originally preserved by the LMS with H.R. lettering on the tender on a livery which is clearly one of the highland green liveries as the boiler bands show up white against a dark background. Full length tender though.

It is worth remembering that the experimental nature of this loco in its original form saw it paired with a dynamometer car for much of its early life. Indeed more than any other single LNER loco, almost to the point where you could consider it to be a second tender! If you were lucky enough to obtain one of the Rapido cars (original number version) then run it with the W1.

Indeed the pioneer member of the class did enter service without steps at the front but this is what RTCS 'green book' Vol 6C says on the subject. "Incidentally, when built, No. 4771 had no front footsteps (a curious omission, as these had become standard on the A1 and A3 classes since march 1935), but they were fitted soon afterwards." The subsequent post by Steamport Southport showing 4771 with steps in 1938 is certainly correct. P141 of the recently published biography of Arthur Peppercorn has another photo of 4771 in LNER days pulling a fast freight service pre WW2 with steps clearly visible.

As I am lucky now to have both LMS versions, it was not long before I felt the gravitational pull of the record books and the magnifying glass. The builders plate on 1119 carries '1925 Horwich', the one on 1189 shows '1927 Vulcan Foundry', both correct. Top marks for Bachmann's research team.

Hattons should be congratulated on their honesty regarding their supply chain. It now carries the risk of course that Hornby can now broaden their spectrum of livery options and rush them out soon after the January announcements (as last year). My personal loyalty (and order) will remain with Hattons, not least as holding the price in the face of increasing costs demonstrates their loyalty to us.

I'll try... Yeadon Volume 21 has several photos covering developments of the class over the years including a sequence covering liveries. On page 36 we find this very loco with the following caption underneath.... "Ex works and paint shop on 30th May 1925, No.5045 was in black, but with red and white lining which Gorton had used for mixed traffic classes" The following photo of 5046 has the caption... "The extra lining which Gorton had put on No.5045 was not continued and that works then had to come into line with the others and use single red lining only" 5045's next general repair was on 26th June 1926 so we can assume that this was a short lived application but Sonic have chosen the right loco to carry this livery. Well nearly. Note the reference to 'red and white lining' as per GCR mixed traffic livery. To replicate this we need to look at the Bachmann limited edition of the 9J 0-6-0 (LNER J11) The lining on the tender sides, working from the outside inwards, is red-white-black-white. The lining on the boiler bands runs red-white-black-white-red. So before the livery artwork is completed, it appears that Sonic need to add red lines as above. Several references in the Brian Haresnape series on liveries carry a warning that the black and white film used at the time was not good at picking up red lining against a black background and indeed this is not evident on the photo of 5045 in Yeadon where only the two white lines can be discerned. I hope the above is useful unless anyone else out there knows better. I otherwise congratulate Sonic Models on tackling this subject and I have ordered two.

Pure surmise on my part and I'm sure if anyone can confirm it would be GM, but I wondered if the red ends has another safety purpose. We are familiar with the practice of hanging a red lamp on the back of trains to show the signalman that a train passing his box was complete and hadn't lost a portion on route. Red lamps would work better at night but might not be obvious in bright sunshine during the day. A line of vans would look pretty uniform from a distance so if the rearmost one was painted red, it would confirm a complete train. I assume the brackets on the sides were for lamps visible from the engine for a similar purpose. Their asymetric positioning probably due to the need for these to be hung from outside the vehicle. The open end has a second footboard for the operative to stand, higher than the first. Again pure surmise.

Daddyman got there before me. The Railway Correspondence and Travel Society published these. Warning if you are 'new' to the LNER. These are the 'crack cocaine' of LNER railway modelling and liable to put you on the path to pedantry! I mean, I read one once and thought I could handle it...then pretty soon I had got the whole set....then started quoting from them on here.......

To attempt the first part of your question the seven you refer to were fitted with vacuum ejectors. They were (LNER numbers) 7532 in Feb 1933, 7887 in May 1933, 7888 in June 1932, 7911 in April 1932, 7941 in May 1933, 7512 in January 1935 and 7523 in July 1934. This from the 'green book' part 5. The same volume says that the 5 'Westinghouse only' engines had vacuum ejectors added between September 1931 and February 1932 without giving a reason but the seven referred to above, besides having vacuum ejectors fitted, also received steam heat (not 7532) and balanced wheels for branch line passenger duties. Passenger engines had screw link couplings whereas the steam brake engines had three-link ones. Hope this helps with your research.

Photo of 737 at Clapham Museum circa 1964 taken by my late father. Scanned from a transparency.

Loco 6359 emerged from its rebuild as an O1 on 16/6/1945. The modelling 'window' I assume is 17 months as in 11/46 it received its later LNER number 3663. Although the full 'LNER' was restored to engines from January 1946 there are several examples of engines with the later number paired with tenders carrying just 'NE' so it is likely that this was carried out during a repaint at works during a general repair which in the case of 6359/3663 was not until 3/5/1947. Renumbering was probably done at shed as the whole scheme was completed during 1946. The first O1 (6595) was rebuilt as such in February 1944. All this from Yeadon register 24B and 'green book' 6B.