Freelance 3 rail?

[detheridge]

Hi folks,

reading both here and on Facebook about the wonderful HD 'Neverwazza's', I was wondering if anyone still has any freelance 3 rail creations still in existence?

Edward Beal described the HD range in his books on Railway Modelling at the end of the 30s, and drew plans for an 0-8-0 based on the N2, and a 2-6-0 using the A4 chassis.

Using the Reidpath 0-6-0, he developed designs for everything from an 0-4-0 shunting tank to an 0-8-4 Wath banker, and described how he either did it, or intended to at the time of writing.

Theo Pearson's epic North Midland Railway (3 rail again) has freelance designs in with more familiar locos.

In the early 50s in (I think) either MRC or MRN, one writer converted a Duchess to a 4-6-4T, plus others.

Do any of these still exist, and is anyone still freelancing in 3 rail OO?

 

Best wishes,

 

David.

Edited November 27, 2016 by detheridge

[Golden Fleece 30]

Making something that never actually existed does not hold any interest for me. A different repaint like an A4 in red also does nothing for me although I admit doing a streamline Coronation in BR green, only as I could not line it as it should be.

 

I hate the people who tell you what or how something can be made and yet they never produce anything themselves. I have noticed this regularly on an association site.

 

Garry

[detheridge]

Each to his own Garry. But might the whole princip0le of 'neverwazzas' be expanded into 'what ifs'?

After all, we've had discussions on this site about locos that were planned and never built: Stanier 4-6-4s and 4-8-4s, Bullieid's expanded Q1 4-6-4 tanks, GWR 4-8-0s and more.

E.S. Cox gave papers on planned designs to Loco engineers, and they make absorbing reading.

One of the most absorbing books I've ever come across is A. J. Powell's 'Living with L.M. Locos' where he puts forward an entire range of potential LMS designs and the rationale behind them.

They include rebuilding many of the Stanier and Fowler classes for better efficiency, and even includes a couple of designs for Beyer Garratt's.

I would argue that this kind of freelance modelling may be potentially more creative than the 're-creative' modelling of an actual loco?

It's also more difficult, as in order to produce a convincing freelance loco, you have to look at loco designs in great detail, and be able to postulate why a particular approach might or might not work.

Might a Bulleid body on a 2-8-0 chassis work, or indeed not?

As an aside, narrow gauge modellers do this regularly; although there are some turkeys there, but there are also some terrific (and believable) creations.

 

Best wishes,

David.

[Golden Fleece 30]

Hi David, don't get me wrong, as you say it is each to their own and this is a no no for me personally. That is not to say I don't appreciate the efforts others put in. I know some people who do like different "plain" variations, just look at Hornby doing a Red Black 5! In the Dublo world even some of the Ian Coburn Black 5's were painted green.

 

"What ifs" is a different story altogether and I think some people may like it. I know a chap called Tony Winzar did a Trix Britannia as the proposed BR standard 2-8-2, it looked very nice but not something I would have. At least he did it and showed it which to me is the main thing, he produced it. As you say it would be a lot harder with not having spefic items to refer to and I will be intetested to see how many have done something.

 

I do have a Reidpath 0-6-0 tank loco that was a generic one. I did not know at the time it was not a specific loco but as a lot of things as a compromise it will do for an SR loco. I would never have made anything like it though.

 

Garry

[5050]

 A different repaint like an A4 in red also does nothing for me

One of our club members once painted a Hornby Dublo A4 in Midland Red (he was a Midland modeller - and also liked A4's).

 

He named it 'Cuckoo'.

[Il Grifone]

Not really freelance but certainly a 'Neverwazza' (hence the stratospheric price...) :-

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hornby-DUBLO-2000-4117-SIPHON-G-BOGIE-WAGON-EXCELLENT-BOXED/361831020936?_trksid=p5713.c100043.m2062&_trkparms=aid%3D999002%26algo%3DURGENT.LUI%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20140502134130%26meid%3Ddd1e601c199b4769b11e004956026a11%26pid%3D100043%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D1%26mehot%3Dpp%26so%3Dlastwatched%26sd%3D252460601373

 

Considering the Airfix models, I am tempted to ask why? and why not use the short HD carriage underframe, which would be about the length for a SIPHON G (mispelt SYPHON on the box!) rather than the longer and rarer (read more expensive) SD6 one.

[detheridge]

Hi again folks,

I've recently dug these models out after 10 years in storage, which are all freelence 3 rail. It'll take a couple of posts to include them all due to the size of each pic.

I acquired them way back in the 1970s from W&H models in New Cavendish Street, and the guy tere told me that the builder was one of the people behind the design of Mk.2 BR stock. If anyone recognises them and can give more info, I would very much appreciate it. They're all scratchbuilt or using commercial chassis. Here's the gen on these ones:

The 2-4-2 diesel is totally scratchbuilt with an XO4 type motor, and with lead blocks in each nose will pull a house.

The 2-6-2 diesel uses a (pre war?) N2 chassis with a horsehoe magnet, some very coarse gears (I'd guess scratchbuilt) and I think, solid brass wheels possibly by Reidpath.

The Co-Co diesel is a real bruiser with a 24v can motor and universal joint drive to both bogies.

More to come in a moment....

[detheridge]

The next two show a Bo-Bo-Bo-Bo (or should that be 4-4-4-4?) usign two Gem X5 mechanisms, while the 2-6-0 is on a Fleischmann chassis, with 3 rail pickup in the tender....

[detheridge]

Here's an ingenious electric loco using a more modern N2 chassis, and I believe that the pantograph is by Marklin. The Pacific uses a Marklin chassis, although I forget as to whether a bridge rectifier has been fitted to allow reversing with 12v DC....

[detheridge]

Finally, the last two locos: the steamlined Pacific is on a Triang Princess chassis (from memory it runs fine on Horby-Dublo track), and the 4-6-4 tank. This is a fascinating one, using an HD R1 chassis, and having sprung front and rear bogies along the lines of Edward Beal's writings.

So all in all, these might date from anywhere between the 40s and 60s. Anyone know more?

 

Best wishes,

David.

[Nearholmer]

Exceedingly good workmanship.

 

Are they freelance, though?

 

The streamlined is Polish, and it might be worth ferreting around to find out whether the others are also. I suspect that the non-streamlined Pacific might be pm36-1, and the streamlined pm36-2, and the Baltic tank maybe class Oko1?

Edited March 19, 2019 by Nearholmer

[Metropolitan H]

The Blue 4-6-4T has a little bit of a look of the Czech "Blue Parrot" 4-8-4T - although that is a real marvellous beast!

 

First seen at Easter 2018 in Dresden - I now would like to ride behind or have a model of, so long as it goes round the corners on my Coarse "0" layout.

 

Regards

Chris H