Cavalex Models All new RTR HAA and variants in 4mm scale

[Mophead45143]

Excellent news!!! This is what us 1970's modelers have been waiting for!

 

Assume that updates on wagon ID's / packs etc. for pre-order will follow in due course. 

 

Cameron

[pharrc20]

On 14/10/2020 at 13:27, Phil Bullock said:

Welcome to the CBA party splitters Brian. @pinzaand I are already members.... posted one of Bob Masterman’s super photos of the train in question on the CDA thread.... 

Gets my vote too for some CBAs, two roof styles to model as well. I guess I will have to see if the lads announce them or continue my conversions....

 

Cheers Paul 

[Mophead45143]

21 minutes ago, pharrc20 said:

Gets my vote too for some CBAs, two roof styles to model as well. I guess I will have to see if the lads announce them or continue my conversions....

 

Cheers Paul 

 

Stop! I will be bankrupt if they do CBA's too!!! 

[Grimleygrid]

On 12/11/2020 at 18:22, pharrc20 said:

Gets my vote too for some CBAs, two roof styles to model as well. I guess I will have to see if the lads announce them or continue my conversions....

 

Cheers Paul 

 

Good evening Paul, the CBA will be coming!!!

[Grimleygrid]

Following the renders of our original bodied HAA from earlier in the week we can’t wait to see scenes like the below recreated in 4mm.

 

Photo courtesy Douglas Johnson

 

Photo courtesy The Ivan Stewart Collection

 

https://www.cavalexmodels.com/blog
 

[pharrc20]

2 hours ago, Grimleygrid said:

 

Good evening Paul, the CBA will be coming!!!

thanks have info if you need any from the article I did for demu mag some years ago.

[97403_Ixion]

I am sure when I used to see MGR trains going to Didcot 'A' Power Station, the wagons used to be in multiples of 7.  i.e. we used to see 28, 35 and 42, though I vaguely recall sets of 45 but I may be mistaken.

 

Were they ever treated as 'blocks' of 7 (or any other number)?

If so, were there a pair of 'outer' wagons around a group of 5 regular types?

 

I fear for my poor wallet... if I were to eventually buy a rake of 45 wagons!  That's going to be some outlay but to put a camera next to a model level crossing and see a blue 56 pass screaming by with ton-ton--ton-ton--ton-ton--ton-ton... (you get the idea!)… will really evoke memories of seeing them at Steventon and Appleford level crossings when I was younger.

 

I hope and am very sure they will run much better than the old Hornby offerings though, for which a rake of 20 provide some drag test for even the toughest of locos!

 

Then, there's my interest in China Clay wagons...

 

Cheers,

Ixion.

[BR Blue]

42 minutes ago, 97403_Ixion said:

 

 

Were they ever treated as 'blocks' of 7 (or any other number)?

If so, were there a pair of 'outer' wagons around a group of 5 regular types?

 

 

All HAAs had the same couplings at both ends. There were no outer or inners.

[Fat Controller]

There was some splitting and joining. Some workings were combined at Washwood Heath, to give 45 wagon trains for the run to Didcot. I believe something similar, though in the opposite sense, was done for workings that crossed the Forth Bridge, which were restricted to 24 wagons when loaded.

[shunny]

15 hours ago, Fat Controller said:

There was some splitting and joining. Some workings were combined at Washwood Heath, to give 45 wagon trains for the run to Didcot. I believe something similar, though in the opposite sense, was done for workings that crossed the Forth Bridge, which were restricted to 24 wagons when loaded.

The train crossing the Forth rail bridge were 24 loaded with rakes usually made up of 36 in Scotland, 12 were removed at various locations depending on route from source and sometimes reformed back into 36 rakes such as at Thornton yard. The empty wagons were usually remarshalled back into 36 rakes to cut down on paths over the busy bridge and this was also one of the driving forces behind the reopening of the line from Stirling to Alloa as this allowed access to Longannet power station without having to cross the bridge.

Edited November 16, 2020 by shunny
Remove extra word

[Dragonfly]

MGR trains going through Toton were always in rakes of 36 throughout my early years. I grew up with my window facing the high-level line south of Toton, so watched a good few thousand trains pass by, and counted the wagons of more than a few, often just by listening to the aforementioned "ton-ton--ton-ton--ton-ton--ton-ton" as they passed in the night, preceded by the "ton-ton-ton--ton-ton-ton" of the 56/58/60 on the front. Happy memories.

 

Will certainly be buying some of these; probably not a full 36, but enough to make a decent looking rake.

Edited November 17, 2020 by Dragonfly
addition of photo

[97403_Ixion]

On 16/11/2020 at 23:26, Dragonfly said:

MGR trains going through Toton were always in rakes of 36 throughout my early years. I grew up with my window facing the high-level line south of Toton, so watched a good few thousand trains pass by, and counted the wagons of more than a few, often just by listening to the aforementioned "ton-ton--ton-ton--ton-ton--ton-ton" as they passed in the night, preceded by the "ton-ton-ton--ton-ton-ton" of the 56/58/60 on the front. Happy memories.

 

Will certainly be buying some of these; probably not a full 36, but enough to make a decent looking rake.

 

Had a few double headed 58's pulling HAAs around the Foxhall curve... 

<two-tone horn>-(ton-ton-ton--ton-ton-ton)--(ton-ton-ton--ton-ton-ton)--(ton--ton)-(ton--ton)-(ton--ton)-(ton--ton)-(ton--ton)-(ton--ton)

...oh wait, that's a cheaper train to model - only 6 wagons from the Power Station's cripple siding!

 

What have I started?!  Anyone got my coat?  

[Mophead45143]

Lots of nice early bodied HAA's in this:

 

 

[Down_Under]

On 12/11/2020 at 21:28, Grimleygrid said:

We’re excited to show off 3D renders of our original body HAA, or HOP32AB as it was originally classified.

 

 

 

The HOP32AB, has a number of different features compared with its re-bodied counterpart. These differences will be faithfully replicated on our model when it is released.

are these available to pre-order? 

[Dragonfly]

8 hours ago, Down_Under said:

are these available to pre-order? 

 

Yes, from both KMS RailTech and Trains4U

(and the two shops are doing different running numbers, so ordering Sets 1-6 from each shop will get you a full rake of 36 differing numbers)

[Steven B]

Where did 36 come from as the length of a HAA based Merry Go Round (MGR) train come from? A quick look at Rail Express Modeller's Power Station Coal article shows train lengths of 20-45 were roaming the network with 28-30 being much more common than 36.

 

Steven B.

[BR Blue]

I would say 36 is as good a number as any. There is no hard and fixed rule. 

[Growling]

49 minutes ago, Steven B said:

Where did 36 come from as the length of a HAA based Merry Go Round (MGR) train come from? A quick look at Rail Express Modeller's Power Station Coal article shows train lengths of 20-45 were roaming the network with 28-30 being much more common than 36.

 

Steven B.

 

36 was always the rake length I observed over a number of years on the Yorkshire coalfields (to and from Drax / Eggborough and Ferrybridge)

 

Was sometimes longer I think in Nottinghamshire / Midlands / Toton area (42?). 

 

I did visit S Wales (Aberthaw circuit) a few times but can't recall typical lengths there.

 

Hunterston to Ravenscraig used 46 (expensive!).

 

Great era. 

 

[Roy Langridge]

1 hour ago, Growling said:

 

36 was always the rake length I observed over a number of years on the Yorkshire coalfields (to and from Drax / Eggborough and Ferrybridge)

 

Was sometimes longer I think in Nottinghamshire / Midlands / Toton area (42?). 

 

I did visit S Wales (Aberthaw circuit) a few times but can't recall typical lengths there.

 

Hunterston to Ravenscraig used 46 (expensive!).

 

Great era. 

 

 

IIRC Didcot was normally 36 HAAs. I used to love sitting on the bank and watching that go round the loop.

 

Edit: Was just looking at some MGR trains on Flickr, and it seems pairs of 20s had a maximum of 30 HAAs in the photos where I could either could the length of train or have what I consider a good estimate. Once 56s / 58s were involved, the trains were longer.

 

 

Roy

Edited November 19, 2020 by Roy Langridge

[Dragonfly]

2 hours ago, Roy Langridge said:

 

IIRC Didcot was normally 36 HAAs. I used to love sitting on the bank and watching that go round the loop.

 

Edit: Was just looking at some MGR trains on Flickr, and it seems pairs of 20s had a maximum of 30 HAAs in the photos where I could either could the length of train or have what I consider a good estimate. Once 56s / 58s were involved, the trains were longer.

 

 

Roy

 

I remember my dad once said that they weren't rakes of 36 when pulled by pairs of 20s too. A youtube video I found a while back (which also demonstrates their distinctive beat), shows a rake going through Stoke-on-Trent, either on its way to Meaford or Rugeley, I'd imagine, in which I counted 34.

 

 

[Mophead45143]

10 hours ago, Dragonfly said:

 

Yes, from both KMS RailTech and Trains4U

(and the two shops are doing different running numbers, so ordering Sets 1-6 from each shop will get you a full rake of 36 differing numbers)

 

I do believe Down Under was referring to the early bodied variants which were confirmed last week. So far, I haven't seen any details for pre-ordering or running numbers yet.

 

The only models I can see on KMS Railtech & Trains 4U are the later bodied type, from the original announcement in September.

 

Cameron

 

[Dragonfly]

Ah yes, apologies, was having a thick moment.

[cheesysmith]

MGR rakes depended on route and traction limits. The early days were either 28 or 30 (that was the limit over the woodhead) and the size was increased to 34 when the 56 was introduced. When the 58 came along, the size was again increased to 36 for a standard rake. The Didcot trains were remarshaled at barrow hill into 45 to make best use of the paths on the long run down south. The size would be reduced if the usual 56/58 was not available. 

 

This is a very rough idea, for more details look for the MGR book.

[Sails]

1 hour ago, cheesysmith said:

MGR rakes depended on route and traction limits. The early days were either 28 or 30 (that was the limit over the woodhead) and the size was increased to 34 when the 56 was introduced. When the 58 came along, the size was again increased to 36 for a standard rake. The Didcot trains were remarshaled at barrow hill into 45 to make best use of the paths on the long run down south. The size would be reduced if the usual 56/58 was not available. 

 

This is a very rough idea, for more details look for the MGR book.

 

I decided to buy just three HAA as I was going to do a couple going/coming back from repair, but after seeing some short rake runs on Flickr I decided on 1 pack HAA and 2 HFA, mix them up for a 5 loaded, 4 empty short rakes for coal deliveries some imaginary small works off the boards. 

I have seen cement works mentioned, but any other small scale industrial locations the HAA's delivered coal?  

[KMS Railtech]

On 19/11/2020 at 19:21, Mophead45143 said:

 

I do believe Down Under was referring to the early bodied variants which were confirmed last week. So far, I haven't seen any details for pre-ordering or running numbers yet.

 

The only models I can see on KMS Railtech & Trains 4U are the later bodied type, from the original announcement in September.

 

Cameron

 

Incase it’s been missed, (the CDA has its own thread), we’re delighted to be taking pre orders for the CDA packs now on the same links as before. 
 

Running numbers to be announced soon too!