Albyn Posted October 2, 2019 Share Posted October 2, 2019 Bradshaws marketed a Midland 2P kit made by KMR in the early 1950s. It had a diecast body so it was fairly simple to build. Did they produce any more kits or locos? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
D51 Posted October 2, 2019 Share Posted October 2, 2019 (edited) The KMR kit was available in two forms, one with and one without outside cylinders. Otherwise both kits were the same. KMR did not manufacture any other model railway products. At the same time two other firms made similar cast mazac kits, Castle Arts Products ('Gaiety') and Rowell. Castle made a GWR Pannier Tank and a clone of the Hornby Dublo tank locomotive. Rowell made a clone of the Hornby Dublo Duchess. Castle also made their locos in completed form including their own mechanisms in 2-rail, 3-rail outside and 3-rail centre versions. Later Acro made a GWR tank locomotive kit. These products probably arose because of government restrictions on the production of metal toys at this time. This did not apply to "metal models" which had a much smaller demand of course. Frank Edited October 2, 2019 by D51 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Il Grifone Posted October 2, 2019 Share Posted October 2, 2019 (edited) Of these the KMR compound was probably unique in actually looking like her prototype. Mine has a decepit Zenith motor with a disc commutator This later was developed into the Tri-ang X.04.. The Gaiety Pannier tank was awful (as I noted at the time, even at a young age) and, as stated, the 0-6-2T was a clone of the Dublo N2 tank, It bore the number46917 - identical to the Dublo LMS version, but updated for the BRITISH RAILWAYS on the tanks. It shares the defects of the Dublo model, but unlike the Dublo model is incapable of pulling the skin off a rice pudding (or at least mine isn't!). The mechanism is prone to wear and spares are now impossible to find. Gaiety advertised all the parts to be available , but that was a long time ago. The Rowell Duchess as in no way an improvement over the Dublo model and completely misses the firebox shape The tender bears only a passing resemblance to te real thing.... The Acro small Praire wasn't too bad apart from having lost her rivets and replaced them with something more suitable for a battleship! Apart from the Gaiety Pannier, all disappeared after the Korean War and are quite hard to find today. The Pannier was available from Hattons up to the 1960s and could be had with both Tri-ang and Dublo mechanisms which undoubtedly worked better than the original, but the wheels did not line up with the splashers - a minor point considering the rest of the model. In the mid fifties, Kirdon produced an N2, but it was basically the clockwork Trackmaster (later Tri-ang) model - possibly they bought up the remaining stocks?) The keyhole in the tank side was filled in but not very well.This at least was better (more to scale) than the Dublo model. Kirdon also made a mainline diesel (10000/10001) and a mythical diesel shunter. This later was advertised, but whether it ever saw the light of day beyond a pre-production prototype is dubious. Hamblings also had a line of locomotive castings - the famous 'Gnat', an 0-6-0 shunter, LMS 4F (IIRC) and possibly one or two more I can't remember. Edited July 2, 2020 by Il Grifone 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albyn Posted October 3, 2019 Author Share Posted October 3, 2019 Thank you both for filling me in on this interesting topic. A pal has a diecast body for an 'WD' 2-8-0 body in 4mm. No tender or mech though he has substituted a Dublo 2-8-0 chassis, spoked wheels, and found a suitable tender - a much modified proprietary one of Tri-ang origin I think. We've no idea who made it. Anybody got any thoughts? regards, Albyn Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steamport Southport Posted October 3, 2019 Share Posted October 3, 2019 I wouldn't say the Gaiety pannier is awful. Seen far worse, some of it still in the Hornby catalogue. Looking at you clerestory coaches and J83... https://www.hattons.co.uk/391357/Gaiety_Models_GMP57_PO_Class_57XX_class_0_6_0_Pannier_tank_steam_locomotive_in_GWR_Green_Pre_owned_Ki/StockDetail.aspx Jason Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Il Grifone Posted October 3, 2019 Share Posted October 3, 2019 (edited) 2 hours ago, Steamport Southport said: I wouldn't say the Gaiety pannier is awful. Seen far worse, some of it still in the Hornby catalogue. Looking at you clerestory coaches and J83... https://www.hattons.co.uk/391357/Gaiety_Models_GMP57_PO_Class_57XX_class_0_6_0_Pannier_tank_steam_locomotive_in_GWR_Green_Pre_owned_Ki/StockDetail.aspx Jason That picture shows it in all its awfulness! It claims to be a 57xx, but has features more reminisent of a 2721 (whistle (it's what the blob is supposed to be!) on the cab roof, parallel (sort of) chimney and the shape of the steps). This particular example has been repainted part fitted with handrails and seems to have had the buffers and couplings replaced. (The original coupling resembles a Tri-ang Mk II hook mounted upside down.) Its worst feature is the safety valve casing. The first one I acquired (back in the mid sixties @ 5/- IIRC) had had this replaced, which was an immense improvement. It had a Tri-ang chassis. The Hornby Clerestories aren't too bad apart from the missing mouldings (a fault serious enough to ensure I don't have any! - it can be remedied, but is not worth the hassle IMHO). I would agree thta the J83 is not one of their better efforts, but the ISF Class 08 is far worse. There was little excuse for this in the fifties and none at all now (again IMHO). Edited October 3, 2019 by Il Grifone 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium kevinlms Posted October 4, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 4, 2019 12 hours ago, Steamport Southport said: I wouldn't say the Gaiety pannier is awful. Seen far worse, some of it still in the Hornby catalogue. Looking at you clerestory coaches and J83... https://www.hattons.co.uk/391357/Gaiety_Models_GMP57_PO_Class_57XX_class_0_6_0_Pannier_tank_steam_locomotive_in_GWR_Green_Pre_owned_Ki/StockDetail.aspx Jason This model belongs to Era 11 2016-2026? What does that mean? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BernardTPM Posted October 4, 2019 Share Posted October 4, 2019 The model exists at this time? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Il Grifone Posted October 4, 2019 Share Posted October 4, 2019 They don't know what they're talking about? This whole 'era' thing is arrant nonsense IMHO. What is wrong with say - 1950 - 1956 or early BR or whatever? I was trying to fight through the NEM specs the other day (trying to find out what Danish Era III meant*). Obviously they are different for each country and there doesn't appear to be one for the UK , but since 00 doesn't seem to exist either, this can be understood. * Apparently 1941-69 if anyone is interested https://www.morop.org/downloads/nem/fr/nem808dk_f.pdf 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolseley Posted October 8, 2019 Share Posted October 8, 2019 I remember the KMR kits from the illustrations of them in Ernest F Carter's Model Railway Encyclopaedia, which I frequently borrowed from the local library back in the 1960s. I put in a bid on one of them on eBay a few days ago, expecting that there would be a flurry of bids at the last minute, but it seems that there were only two others interested in it, and bidding stopped short of my maximum bid by about £4, so I now have one in my collection (or will have once it arrives). Here is a photo of it: 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
5050 Posted October 9, 2019 Share Posted October 9, 2019 (edited) KMR advert from Model railway News July 1953 - No extra parts to buy - if only that were still the case with loco kits! And some Rowell ads - The question is - 'what was the Wilrowe motor'? I've got several ads for all manner of early 50's motors but this one isn't among them! Edited October 9, 2019 by 5050 2 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Il Grifone Posted October 10, 2019 Share Posted October 10, 2019 34/6d +24/6 comes to £2/19/- and then one has still to source a motor, wheels etc. and paint the wretched thing. The rather superior (and ready to run) Dublo Duchess was £4/4/- (IIRC - that sort of figure anyway) which probably explains why the Rowell model is hard to locate today.... Even allowing for converting to 2 rail (the figure of 25/- comes to mind) there is a considerable saving and this was of course the era of 'scale' layouts using stud contact or outside third rail electrification. If I can get to her (she is stashed away in a hard to reach location (the distaff side said I had to tidy up and put things away ), which means piles of books,boxes of precious models, Meccano etc. to be moved, I'll have a look at her motor. Memory says an X.04, which would not be original (or perhaps none at all?*) . * A good X.04 could well have been pinched borrowed for something else.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sagaguy Posted October 13, 2019 Share Posted October 13, 2019 I think Wilrowe may have been a typo,i think it was spelt Wilro. Ray. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
5050 Posted October 14, 2019 Share Posted October 14, 2019 On 13/10/2019 at 02:59, sagaguy said: I think Wilrowe may have been a typo,i think it was spelt Wilro. Ray. Still no idea which motor it was. I've got lots of adverts for 'vintage' motors but not this one. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Il Grifone Posted October 14, 2019 Share Posted October 14, 2019 Perhaps, seeing the underwhelming success of the Duchess, it never saw the light of day? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
D51 Posted October 14, 2019 Share Posted October 14, 2019 In the topic on the Hughes Brothers 4F kit, bertiedog posted a photograph of the contents of the kit which included a Rowell motor. This is the only type of Rowell motor I have seen. It was probably made by Zenith or Taycol and uses a standard magnet of the time. The frame is not the same as Romford. Frank 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolseley Posted October 16, 2019 Share Posted October 16, 2019 My KMR loco arrived today, however I can't throw any light on what sort of motor would have been fitted when new, as the original has been replaced by a later motor. The motor itself bears no maker's mark or name but looks rather like the small one that K's used to make in the 1970s or thereabouts. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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