How many Titfield Thunderbolt exhibition layouts will be built by 2023

[TravisM]

As I sit here watching “The Titfield Thunderbolt”, it got me thinking, with Hornby doing Lion and Rapido making commemorative models for film’s 70th anniversary, with a wry smile, it makes me wonder how many Titfield Thunderbolt exhibition layouts (if we’re allowed) will suddenly appear in 2023 

[MarkSG]

One of the advantages of modelling the Thunderbolt is that, although it's an Era 1 loco, the film is set in Era 4 (ie, the present day at the time of its release). So you could do a kind of "homage to Titfield" using the Rapido model on any post-war steam era layout, even if it doesn't precisely replicate the fictional line in the movie.

 

Of course, doing a proper Lion layout, using the Hornby model, would mean modelling Era 1. But with two options (as well as Rocket), that's possibly a little more attractive than it was before. I presume Hornby will also be making suitable rolling stock for Lion. 

 

Although they're the same loco, the Hornby and Rapido locos and train packs won't be interchangeable, because the Hornby version will represent Lion in service, while the Rapido version will represent Lion not only as preserved but in the fictional livery used for the movie. And the rolling stock is completely different.

 

I wonder how many people will buy both versions. I don't think I'll buy the Hornby version; I did buy the Rocket train pack almost as a collector's item, really - I have no real intention of doing an Era 1 layout - but I don't think I'm that dedicated to that aspect of the hobby to buy Lion as well (although I suppose it would make an acceptable "rule 1" interloper if I use the fictional justification of something like the Rocket 150 celebrations, along with Rocket itself). But I might buy the Rapido Titfield train pack just for the lols.

[Happy Hippo]

Dapol did a 1401 version of their 14xx 7mm scale loco for the now defunct Collecters Club, so some crazy fool might just do it in 7mm.  (Not me!)

[Steamport Southport]

One is probably too many IMHO.  

 

But how many Railway Children layouts do you see?

 

Never seen one. Despite the fact the major locomotives and rolling stock has been available RTR in 00, O and N gauges. Bachmann even did a model of the station in a train set. Hornby also did a set in the 1970s.

 

 

I reckon most will just be used as shelf ornaments or an occasional run on the layout.

 

 

Jason

[MarkSG]

Part of the problem for both Titfield and the Railway Children, I think, is that there's not a huge amount of operational interest for a full layout. There's only so many times you can recreate the scenes from the movie. So they're both a fun addition to a typical "anything goes" home layout, but there's not a lot of scope to do something that's exhibition standard with either of them.

[Oldddudders]

I have never seen either film. 

[Mike Buckner]

One of them is worth watching.

[TravisM]

1 hour ago, MarkSG said:

Part of the problem for both Titfield and the Railway Children, I think, is that there's not a huge amount of operational interest for a full layout. There's only so many times you can recreate the scenes from the movie. So they're both a fun addition to a typical "anything goes" home layout, but there's not a lot of scope to do something that's exhibition standard with either of them.

I know Chris Leigh did Oakworth station in O gauge for a “Railway Children” theme and using a suitably decorated Dapol pannier tank.  I don’t know if it ever ventured out onto the exhibition circuit.

[Paul H Vigor]

1 hour ago, MarkSG said:

Part of the problem for both Titfield and the Railway Children, I think, is that there's not a huge amount of operational interest for a full layout. There's only so many times you can recreate the scenes from the movie. So they're both a fun addition to a typical "anything goes" home layout, but there's not a lot of scope to do something that's exhibition standard with either of them.

"It really did seem a little like magic. For all the trees for about twenty yards of the opposite bank seemed to be slowly walking down towards the railway line, the tree with the grey leaves bringing up the rear like some old shepherd driving a flock of green sheep."

[Not Jeremy]

And don't forget that none other than Iain Rice did a "Railway Children" layout-ette for "The Count" in the far away black and white days.

 

I have myself modelled Titfield in the sense that I modelled Monkton Combe, albeit without the film adornments. It was on a long "dog bone" shaped layout with the rear track hidden behind the scenery, Peco code 70 medium points on their foam underlay, a lovely smooth and quiet layout.

 

Anyway, don't worry too much about what you run on it, I had a lot of fun, mostly running my Lima blue Class 47 with a rake of those lovely Airfix M2ds - it looked great going over the level crossing - again and again and again...

 

Beee Barpp!

[Flying Pig]

50 minutes ago, Not Jeremy said:

And don't forget that none other than Iain Rice did a "Railway Children" layout-ette for "The Count" in the far away black and white days.

 

Iain Rice?

 

1 hour ago, Paul H Vigor said:

"It really did seem a little like magic. For all the trees for about twenty yards of the opposite bank seemed to be slowly walking down towards the railway line, the tree with the grey leaves bringing up the rear like some old shepherd driving a flock of green sheep."

 

Nah - you need Dave Rowe for that.

[D9020 Nimbus]

I thought Chris Leigh @dibber25 had made a Railway Children layout… ISTR it being mentioned in the past in Model Rail.

[HonestTom]

I guess the big problem would be operational interest. A line with two locomotives, no freight traffic and a very limited amount of rolling stock probably wouldn't hold much excitement for the average operator. You could invent more traffic, but once you start departing from the film, you might as well just come up with your own freelance line.

[F-UnitMad]

22 hours ago, Mike Buckner said:

One of them is worth watching.

But not for the trains...

[dibber25]

2 hours ago, D9020 Nimbus said:

I thought Chris Leigh @dibber25 had made a Railway Children layout… ISTR it being mentioned in the past in Model Rail.

I certainly have. It has been exhibited at Model Rail Live in Barrow Hill and at Newark but it is big and difficult to transport, so it won't go to club shows as it would be unfair to charge them the transport costs. It was due to go to the KWVR last year but Covid put paid to that.  Contrary to the comment further back, it has been very well received at the shows it attended. Most viewers are not interested in seeing half an hour's shunting. They just watch a couple of trains go by. With specially made figures of the children, Perks and Daddy and Mr. Mitchell the guard, there's plenty to look at without seeing lots of different trains. Dave Lowery has done a great job of creating the 'green dragon' 0-6-0 for me, and I now have the Old Gentleman's carriage, too. I'm considering a Titfield layout in 'OO' but I don't really have the space. However, if Oakworth goes elsewhere in due course, who knows? (CJL)

[Not Jeremy]

On 13/05/2021 at 20:33, Mike Buckner said:

One of them is worth watching.

Well quite...

 

[phil_sutters]

Mallingford does offer a wider range of loco classes, including one which offers an extreme contrast to the Lion. I have recently sent Simon a couple of pages from my Dad's spotting log, which included the Lion, which he came across by accident it seems at Bristol TM. I won't steal the thunder from the book he has under way by sharing those pages here.

Edited May 14, 2021 by phil_sutters

[cypherman]

Hi all,

I wonder if they might combine the Titfield Thunderbolt film with the Railway Children's film. Possibly call it the The Titfield Children.....

[Captain Kernow]

On 13/05/2021 at 20:30, Oldddudders said:

I have never seen either film. 

I am truly shocked!

 

Edited May 16, 2021 by Captain Kernow

[90rob]

On 14/05/2021 at 23:44, phil_sutters said:

.... a couple of pages from my Dad's spotting log, which included the Lion, which he came across by accident it seems at Bristol TM....

 

...and talking of spotting, if you have the DVD it is worth looking carefully at the last five minutes or so of the film to see if you can identify the two or three engines which are visible  in the scene, from parts of their names and the like...!

[phil_sutters]

I saw the film way back. Simon Casten says Princess Margaret was one of the locos at BTM that appeared in the film. Dad's log confirms that it was there on July 22nd 1952.

[CKPR]

I think that the IAR version for 'The Count' (aka Chuffs) was written up in MRN/MR c.1971-72.

[Ian Rathbone]

Here’s one I built on commission some years ago, in fact the last 4mm loco I built. It from an ex K’s Milestone kit which went together quite well, and it ran well too. 
 

The Rocket behind is a motorised Airfix kit (kit 2/-, 10p in today’s money), which I built back in the 70s. Unfortunately, despite packing as much lead in as possible, it is too light to pull much.

 

 

Ian R

[Captain Kernow]

On 13/05/2021 at 23:03, Not Jeremy said:

mostly running my Lima blue Class 47 with a rake of those lovely Airfix M2ds - it looked great going over the level crossing - again and again and again

You ended up with the best running Lima diesel in the world!

 

A salutary lesson to those of us bemoaning the indifferent running qualities of some modern RTR locos. If you put it on a continuous run for several years, it should eventually improve!

 

[KeithHC]

So who is going to fit the Faller road system to a 14xx...........

 

Keith