Old catalogues

[298]

On 19/05/2020 at 16:44, Steamport Southport said:

I'm still waiting for the Lima V2....

 

 

They even had one in an advert and then it disappeared without trace.

 

 

 

 

Jason

 

I'm still waiting for all of the N gauge announcements, the photos for which they stuck an oversized rapido coupling on the front of an OO gauge model.

[Pylon King]

12 hours ago, ianmacc said:

Yes that’s exactly it! Imagine trying to access that depot and turntable if they were part of an actual layout....

Featured photo - Page 2 , 1974 catalogue layout from the Track Plans book (plan 9)  appears to be  fully operational . However when the studio photo was taken (autumn ‘73) no preproduction curved point samples were yet available , therefore leaving the underlay exposed . The original studio photo featured  this error  which is why all published catalogue/track plans edition photos had to be cropped.

[BernardTPM]

Interesting. They're still using the MINIX cars and Model Land people (though neither range were available in their own right), but the kit buildings are now the imported (Pola?) ones.

[Pylon King]

On 17/05/2020 at 13:06, Legend said:

in my case I remember the 1980 catalogue that was one of the last great ones in my eyes . Yes you could build the layout featured , in fact it was in the concurrent track plans book . My favourite catalogue was 1974 one, though, that featured layouts from the upcoming 3rd edition Track Plans . Lots of inspiration , I built layout after layout based in these or what I thought they were. The actual track plans book didn’t appear until 1975 .  
 

like James I remember the first catalogues from Mainline , Airfix and Lima ,and Having been brought up on Tri-ang Hornby and Hornby,  a sense of trepidation buying the first Models . Would they be compatible?  They were , of course, which immediately meant there were lots more possibilities , a Deltic and 33, for instance  to broaden the 31/35,37 and 47 models from Hornby . People forget just what limited choice there was back then . 

Four different studio  photos were taken featuring this particular layout (track plan 9) .Hornby publications - 1974 catalogue, 3rd & 4th edition Track Plans books while the other remains unpublished .

Edited June 10, 2020 by Pylon King

[Legend]

Interesting . Yes I built a version of that layout having seen it in the 74 catalogue .  Not at all prototypical , of course with the diamond crossing  , but lots of fun!  Interesting you point about the curved points not being available and the need for the cropped pictures . I remember staring at it for hours trying to figure out the track plan , that and plan 12 which was 12'*4' which also featured in the 1974 catalogue but also cropped . Happy days

[Pylon King]

4 hours ago, Legend said:

Interesting . Yes I built a version of that layout having seen it in the 74 catalogue .  Not at all prototypical , of course with the diamond crossing  , but lots of fun!  Interesting you point about the curved points not being available and the need for the cropped pictures . I remember staring at it for hours trying to figure out the track plan , that and plan 12 which was 12'*4' which also featured in the 1974 catalogue but also cropped . Happy days

In regard to catalogues, 1966-74 was a golden age for Rovex as those amazing layout/diorama scenes certainly lit our imaginations. My curiosity always  wanted to find as much about how much more lay beyond those cropped photos . Frank Grant and his team at the factory were responsible for all catalogue and demonstration layouts , probably their most ambitious project was for Hamley’s in London circa 1968 , an incredible circular setting .
    For plan  12 (attached photos) in the ‘74 catalogue both track and buildings  were rearranged for several different settings . In one or two , the rearranged track geometry would have been difficult to replicate within that space for operational purposes. It’s good to know that others out there are equally fascinated by those images as much as myself . During the eighties Hornby were disposing much of their original studio archive  but thankfully  through the diligence of Richard Lines quite a few  were saved . The commercial film format was both extremely high quality but very expensive to produce as plate cameras were using   up to 10” x 8” size colour transparencies. 

[Pylon King]

Another view from plan 12 showing the rearranged track/buildings sitting on the former R408U turntable site.

Edited June 10, 2020 by Pylon King

[Pylon King]

On 19/05/2020 at 19:28, EddieB said:

As has been alluded to, those tatty old catalogues have a sentimental value beyond secondhand sales - they were the stuff of dreams when growing up.

 

For me it was the Triang-Hornby ones with their Cuneo covers - and how many of us went back over the previous editions looking for the mouse after the revelation was made when Evening Star (1970?) appeared on the cover?

 

From then it was K’s and Wills Finecast, W&H - GEM was a single sheet iirc - before it got all too serious and the printed lists from Studiolith became the objects of desire.

1972 Triang/Hornby catalogue cover - British Pathe footage show Cuneo at work.

 

 

 

Edited June 10, 2020 by Pylon King

[Pylon King]

7 hours ago, BernardTPM said:

Interesting. They're still using the MINIX cars and Model Land people (though neither range were available in their own right), but the kit buildings are now the imported (Pola?) ones.

Frank Grant and his team were responsible for those wonderful catalogue/ demonstration layouts . They continued to feature  Model-Land, Minix and Minic Motorway products as their factory store rooms still contained significant stock . I remember mid to late seventies shop layouts including those  glass encased  “5p to run “ dual circuit versions , in the event of a derailment   probably caused no end  of problems for shop staff.
 

Photos - Triang/Hornby Margate factory circa 1968 . Frank Grant and team at work constructing   the Hamley’s layout .

Edited June 10, 2020 by Pylon King

[BernardTPM]

Those big, circular layouts were quite something!

[Andy WD]

7 hours ago, Pylon King said:

1972 Triang/Hornby catalogue cover - British Pathe footage show Cuneo at work.

 

 

 

 Ah....the joys of mouse spotting  How many hours did I spend as a kid looking for that rodent!

 

But while you're in London don't forget to visit Mills Brothers. LCC trams pass outside...

 

[Pylon King]

Another studio photo , this one from autumn 1967 for the following year’s catalogue.

Edited June 11, 2020 by Pylon King

[great central]

On 19/05/2020 at 16:44, Steamport Southport said:

I'm still waiting for the Lima V2....

 

 

They even had one in an advert and then it disappeared without trace.

 

 

 

 

Jason

 

Many years ago now I knew a couple of the Millholme models staff, mainly due to continually pestering about the upcoming Ivatt flying pig kit! 

They told me that they had built the, I believe, Nu Cast V2 kit on commission for Lima or possibly the importers, unfortunately they never did get paid for it!

I did eventually get my flying pig though after they'd moved from the old school at Woodborough because the local council refused planning permission for them to develop a whitemetal casting facility. I think the council envisaged something like Scunthopre steelworks being set up in a very rural and quite upmarket village!

[Hroth]

19 hours ago, Pylon King said:

The commercial film format was both extremely high quality but very expensive to produce as plate cameras were using   up to 10” x 8” size colour transparencies. 

 

The quality wasn't just up to the size of the transparency, the depth of field on those cameras was phenomenal, everything from the front to the back being in pin-sharp focus, but also the adjustments (eg rising/falling/tilting front AND back) made sure all the lines were parallel, with no keystoning.

The cost came with the lighting required to achieve the results and paying for the skill of the camera operator.

 

 

[Pylon King]

5 hours ago, Hroth said:

 

The quality wasn't just up to the size of the transparency, the depth of field on those cameras was phenomenal, everything from the front to the back being in pin-sharp focus, but also the adjustments (eg rising/falling/tilting front AND back) made sure all the lines were parallel, with no keystoning.

The cost came with the lighting required to achieve the results and paying for the skill of the camera operator.

 

 

Thank you for the additional information and photo . Judging by the results and in the right hands the results are exceptional .The Rovex studio archive does contains various transparency sizes , with larger ones extensively used  for layouts and diorama settings.

Edited June 11, 2020 by Pylon King

[5050]

On 19/05/2020 at 19:28, EddieB said:

 the printed lists from Studiolith became the objects of desire.

 

Do you mean the actual lists or the items they listed - which never appeared.  What was the term they used - NYA?  A pity they didn't manage to produce it all because, whatever you thought of their sales and marketing policy, their quality was excellent.

[NINJA]

Nostalgia is a fine tonic. One of the oldest catalogues I have is an ERG with all its parts for scratchbuilders

 

Have also several W&H which were very comprehensive.

 

The ones I miss were the annual Gamages catalogues which somehow have been lost.

 

Reading the old catalogues shows how far we have progressed in RTR.

[5050]

3 hours ago, NINJA said:

The ones I miss were the annual Gamages catalogues which somehow have been lost.

 

I've got a Gamages catalogue, full of all sorts of stuff that the young 5050 would have sold his Granny for.  Not just trains but planes, automobiles, ships etc. etc.  An excellent point of reference for those of us interested in 'toy collectables'.  I've only scanned the Trix Twin section and here are a few pages -

 

 

 

I never was particulary interested in Trix Twin as a lad, I thought it wasn't anywhere near as realistic as Triang or Hornby, but these days I suppose it does have a certain charm of its own.

 

 

Edited June 13, 2020 by 5050

[NINJA]

Always liked the Trix EM1 electric.

 

For it's time a lovely model to gaze at in the shop window, had to do with a Triang Princess Elizabeth and dock shunter in those days but extremely happy with them!

[dvdlcs]

On 10/06/2020 at 17:13, Pylon King said:

 

I'm curious about the two blue LWB/bogie vans in the background of the picture. Does anyone know what they were?

 

I don't remember seeing anything like this at the time, and (to me) they don't even look like a British prototype.

[kevinlms]

3 hours ago, dvdlcs said:

 

I'm curious about the two blue LWB/bogie vans in the background of the picture. Does anyone know what they were?

 

I don't remember seeing anything like this at the time, and (to me) they don't even look like a British prototype.

A variation on the Transfesa ferry van.

 

http://www.hornbyguide.com/item_details.asp?itemid=297

[BernardTPM]

Yes, the BR ferry van (originally R738 of 1970) in Transfesa livery, R741.

[Pylon King]

The original studio photo from autumn 1973 for next years Hornby catalogue and the latest ad by Vectis Auctions .

[33C]

Regarding catalogue art, Cuneo is an acknowledged great but what of D. (Derek?) Ivory and King? (First name unknown). I would like to see as many train set side panels as possible as these are works of art in their own right! The class 37 intercity set with the glowing head-code box, coming through the viaduct in the early evening. The GWR pannier goods set showing all the elements within the box, in a bucolic scene. Even the basic, clockwork "Dockmaster" set box top made my imagination race as a very young boy. These illustrations are gold and would make great prints but, of the artists we know nout.....

[Legend]

11 hours ago, 33C said:

Regarding catalogue art, Cuneo is an acknowledged great but what of D. (Derek?) Ivory and King? (First name unknown). I would like to see as many train set side panels as possible as these are works of art in their own right! The class 37 intercity set with the glowing head-code box, coming through the viaduct in the early evening. The GWR pannier goods set showing all the elements within the box, in a bucolic scene. Even the basic, clockwork "Dockmaster" set box top made my imagination race as a very young boy. These illustrations are gold and would make great prints but, of the artists we know nout.....

 

Very true . Theres the artwork for the "Midlander" setand the "Inter- City" which was actually the green 37 and Pullmans .  Great illustrations 

 

This thread resurfaces from time to time and just reminds me of my younger days  when the Hornby (and before that Tri-ang Hornby) catalogues were browsed for hours and as Pylon King says what we couldnt see in illustration or was off view we substituted with our imaginations . 

 

I may have to trott out my catalogues this evening . Its getting colder . What better activity that to curl up in a cosy room and study these catalogues again . Prime Pork, Fine Fish  , Cory  wagons .....pure 70s nostalgia !