Models that nearly made it!

[D9020 Nimbus]

Shortly before the original Lima went bankrupt, they were planning a completely new class 31 in N gauge, owing nothing to their earlier effort. The tooling would have supported the headcode box and "skinhead" variants. Bankruptcy stopped it appearing, and then GF did their own 31. Bachmann have since produced a completely new version, but have only ever modelled the headcode box version.

[Nova Scotian]

Going to channel the "youth" here; "Pics or it didn't happen".

I found the Wrenn Adam's Radial online as it seems to have gone to auction at some time recently. But let's see some of the 70s-90s artwork

[Steamport Southport]

11 minutes ago, Nova Scotian said:

Going to channel the "youth" here; "Pics or it didn't happen".

I found the Wrenn Adam's Radial online as it seems to have gone to auction at some time recently. But let's see some of the 70s-90s artwork

 

Most. if not all of it is copyright. And the people who own those rights probably frequent this forum.

 

I know some pictures have appeared. But those will probably not be reproduceable.

 

What I'm trying to say is be careful if posting any images.   

 

 

Jason

[Metr0Land]

https://www.vectis.co.uk/lot/wrenn-prototype-model-of-a-4-4-2_561230

[Steamport Southport]

Hornby made a proper one. Never released but it was about 1978.

 

It was shown in Model Rail about fifteen years ago.

 

 

 

Jason

[Red Devil]

Bachmann, UK outline traditional Preston type balcony and enclosed trams, looked heavily like the Corgi S scale diecasts, pity they never made them, the number of livery variations available would have been staggering.

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

On ‎11‎/‎09‎/‎2020 at 05:17, MGR Hooper! said:

... I recall Dapol planning to do a N gauge Class 92 and Hornby re-tooling the BR Std 9F. Cannot seem to re-call the others discussed, so hoping people can shed some more light.

I well recall my one N gauge modelling friend very disappointed when Bachmann dropped their N gauge 9F because Dapol beat them to market; and this then proved to be a heavily compromised model which really didn't look right. (Bach also dropped a 'Voyager' for the same reason, but no idea how that came out.)

 

Ixion stopped their announced UK N gauge programme after the first model, a GWR Manor. The 43xx and another green wet and rusty job never appeared.

 

In OO Bachmann didn't complete on their all new Jubilee: sadly the originally announced sloping throatplate boiler version didn't appear. (But the all new V2 is coming next year, and that's enough to put a massive smile on my face. )

 

Dapol dropped the DP2 they had announced, Heljan having got a model out.

 

Hattons dropped their King after Hornby beat them to market.

 

A proposed UK OO offshoot of Austrains never achieved lift off: one of their prospective products was an outside frame Derby 0-6-0 which caught my eye, but 'twas not to be...

 

It also appears that the DCC Concepts plan for RTL bullhead points was dropped when Peco announced their bullhead range.

[Steamport Southport]

I would expect the revamped Jubilee to appear at some point. Once they've cleared the backlog anyway.

 

Large class of namers available in many different liveries? It's a no brainer IMO.

 

 

 

Jason

[James Makin]

Bachmann Class 165 Thames Turbo

 

Only about 22 years and counting..! 

[cypherman]

Hi all,

In this months Hornby magazine there is an article on the engines that were developed and abandoned for various reasons. Some of which at a much later time appeared. They had planned on:

Baby Deltic  

2mt tank

J36

Class 17 bobo diesel

Maunsel Z class 0-8-0 tank

GWR City of Truro

Dean goods

8P Duke of Gloucester

GWR 45xx

8F 2-8-0

Class 87 overhead electric loco

Class 86

SR Lord Nelson 4-6-0

N7 0-6-2 tank

GWR 56xx

Class 28

GWR 47xx 2-8-0

Some of these like the 8F ,GWR 47xx 2-8-0 and Duke of Gloucester eventually made it in to the Hornby range after waiting about 20 years. Some actually made it to the  engineering sample stage. The  Maunsel Z class 0-8-0 tank model looks really good. A very interesting read

Edited September 12, 2020 by cypherman

[Huw Griffiths]

A number of years back, I seem to recall reading about Heljan thinking of producing a Class 37 in HO.

 

As for other manufacturers, the "company history" section of the Replica Railways website includes a "5 year plan" from 1986 - with mention of possible models of Class 141 or 142 Pacers and Class 150 or 151 Sprinters. (I could have been interested in the Class 151.)

 

Even Peco don't seem to have been immune from coming up with ideas that never made it into production. Several years back, I seem to recall one of the "annuals" mentioning a prototype for a proposed (loco?) traverser kit, presumably in OO. Although I can't remember for certain, I think this might have been in an article marking Bob Phelps' retirement.

 

(The traverser is another model that might have interested me - it could have been great for a depot based minilayout. If I get round to building my long-planned layout, I guess I might have to bodge something together using YMRV or similar Mk.1 coach bogies - possibly even building the deck onto the chassis, albeit modified. Yes ... right ... .)

[Steamport Southport]

Heljan did a traverser.

 

ISTR you could get extensions to make it bigger and wasn't that expensive. Something like £120 with all the electronics included.

 

https://www.hattons.co.uk/stocklistdatabase/23766/heljan_89021_operating_transfer_table_traverser_for_ho_and_oo_scales_/stockdetail.aspx

 

 

 

Jason

[MGR Hooper!]

3 hours ago, cypherman said:

Hi all,

In this months Hornby magazine there is an article on the engines that were developed and abandoned for various reasons. Some of which at a much later time appeared. They had planned on:

Baby Deltic  

2mt tank

J36

Class 17 bobo diesel

Maunsel Z class 0-8-0 tank

GWR City of Truro

Dean goods

8P Duke of Gloucester

GWR 45xx

8F 2-8-0

Class 87 overhead electric loco

Class 86

SR Lord Nelson 4-6-0

N7 0-6-2 tank

GWR 56xx

Class 28

GWR 47xx 2-8-0

Some of these like the 8F ,GWR 47xx 2-8-0 and Duke of Gloucester eventually made it in to the Hornby range after waiting about 20 years. Some actually made it to the  engineering sample stage. The  Maunsel Z class 0-8-0 tank model looks really good. A very interesting read

Would've loved to have seen an updated  Hornby Class 86...

 

Thanks for posting that list. Quite interesting.

[MGR Hooper!]

15 hours ago, BernardTPM said:

Discussed elsewhere, but Tri-ang Railways R753 Bo-Bo Class E.3046 Electric Locomotive (AL2), first shown as an artist's impression in the 1964 catalogue, then in mock-up form in the 1965 catalogue. The mock-up still exists. Tooling for the bogies was done which is why the Tri-ang Hornby version has an AL1 body (tooled by Hornby Dublo) and AL2 bogies (tooled by Tri-ang Railways).

As an aside, the Triang-Hornby version used the older design of bogie with knurled wheels while the 1964 & 1965 catalogues says the model would be fitted with Magnadhesion, so presumably they were developing a bogie similar to that later fitted under the Hymek, a four-wheel version of the bogie used under the EM1 and Brush Type 2/EE Type 3 (Yes, I know those only had four actual wheels anyway, but it's more that it would involve a shorter wheelbase).

That Tri-ang AL2 looks quite good, I suppose it would've been a superb model for it's day.

[MGR Hooper!]

12 hours ago, darrel said:

Lima announced a class 90 and 91 it was in the catalogue but Hornby beat them to it

I can't help but wonder how much better a Lima Class 90 and Class 91 would've been. I remember so many people talking about how Hornby rushed out models, sometimes appearing even before the prototype made it's debut. Lima models tend to have a better level of detail for it's time and were more accurate dimension wise.

[MGR Hooper!]

Thank you to everyone who has posted so far...some obvious surprises in there. Looking forward to seeing more of them.

[Pandora]

Members of a Dublo collecors did produce a V2 and a Beyer Garratt, the V2 used the 2-6-4T chassis,  I cannot recall the details for the Garratt,  all these took place about 20 years ago.

I believe Trang prodeced mockups of the Highland Railway Jones Gods 4-6-0 and the Class 17 Clayton, I think I read of them in a Pat Hammond book or article.

[Moxy]

4 hours ago, Huw Griffiths said:

A number of years back, I seem to recall reading about Heljan thinking of producing a Class 37 in HO.

 

 

IIRC it wasn't Heljan's idea, it was a group of modellers who were going to commission Heljan to produce an 'H0' 37, but it never got anywhere because they couldn't get the numbers to make it financially viable.

[009 micro modeller]

On 11/09/2020 at 13:43, Legend said:

Yes there’s lots of Hornby nearly made it’s including City of Truro, Class 17 , Baby Deltic, Snowdon Mountain Engine

 

This sounds interesting - do you have any more information?

[298]

On 11/09/2020 at 14:39, Colin_McLeod said:

Do DJM examples count for this thread?

 

DJM once reported that other manufacturers were actively looking at certain locos, this resulted in the Heljan Metropolitan BoBo but another on the list (class AL4/84) still hasn't been announced...

[Steamport Southport]

10 hours ago, MGR Hooper! said:

Would've loved to have seen an updated  Hornby Class 86...

 

Thanks for posting that list. Quite interesting.

 

I think it was before the one they eventually did. That list is models planned in the 1970s.

 

ISTR it was going to be an AL6 to replace the old AL1.

 

http://www.hornbyguide.com/item_year_details.asp?itemyearid=1361

 

 

 

 

Jason

[Legend]

7 hours ago, 009 micro modeller said:

 

This sounds interesting - do you have any more information?

it was in the 1979 book of trains , the 25 year edition .  Snowdon Mountain Railway 0-4-0 and conch shown . It would have been wrong as these are running on 4mm scale track and the actual mountain railway is narrow gauge with rack . It was not proceeded with as it was felt too few people aware of the prototype . Interestingly the same book shows TEE diesel unit that ran  between Holland and Switzerland and a CN  turbo train 

[009 micro modeller]

1 hour ago, Legend said:

it was in the 1979 book of trains , the 25 year edition .  Snowdon Mountain Railway 0-4-0 and conch shown . It would have been wrong as these are running on 4mm scale track and the actual mountain railway is narrow gauge with rack . It was not proceeded with as it was felt too few people aware of the prototype . Interestingly the same book shows TEE diesel unit that ran  between Holland and Switzerland and a CN  turbo train 

 

How far did they get with it? And were they hoping to have the rack or some way for it to climb steep gradients?

[Legend]

14 minutes ago, 009 micro modeller said:

 

How far did they get with it? And were they hoping to have the rack or some way for it to climb steep gradients?

Ahh it doesn’t have any more information than that I’m afraid . Suspect it was a standalone model and I can’t see them introducing a rack rail . 

[D9020 Nimbus]

Peco had a considerable number of 'N' gauge proposals that were never proceeded with, including ex-LSW O2 0-4-4T and a GW 15xx. They were detailed in a past Railway  Modeller Annual (or Special) "bookazine".