Jump to content
 

Sonic Models OO Gauge Robinson A5


Paul.Uni
 Share

Recommended Posts

  • RMweb Premium
3 hours ago, Edwardian said:

Yes, well done for Rails, and I note they've taken on the Planet Industrials Kerr Stuart Victory, another excellent choice.

 

The Rails site has the graphics for all the versions of the 9N/A5 to be produced.  I particularly like these two:

 

1141590193_Class9N.png.7ba04ae3b19388a71d8ea9987ca7df9a.png

538699452_ClassA5.png.6eb2a01eda9310ae77fa6c9476345968.png

 

The more I look at this and have now seen Rails confirm £149.95 I am sorely tempted for the GC early cab version.

 

What it also does is make the forthcoming Bachmann/ Rails Caley 812 at £200 and Precursor at £220  look pretty expensive by comparison . I appreciate Sonic is as yet unproven  but these are quite substantal differences . 5 pole motors with fly wheels too , large amounts of diecast .Impressive spec ! It is to be hoped Rails can utilise the likes of Sonic more fully in the future .

  • Like 3
  • Agree 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

It wouldn't have been my first choice (a J69 — later, maybe) but I've just pre-ordered a BR early crest one. Leading to thoughts of a Minories somewhere using this and the Hornby L1s… somewhere on ex-GC routes in the Manchester area, perhaps?

  • Like 4
  • Agree 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

11 minutes ago, Legend said:

 

The more I look at this and have now seen Rails confirm £149.95 I am sorely tempted for the GC early cab version.

 

What it also does is make the forthcoming Bachmann/ Rails Caley 812 at £200 and Precursor at £220  look pretty expensive by comparison . I appreciate Sonic is as yet unproven  but these are quite substantal differences . 5 pole motors with fly wheels too , large amounts of diecast .Impressive spec ! It is to be hoped Rails can utilise the likes of Sonic more fully in the future .

I completely agree with you yet I am still buying one president and two 812s. :blush:
 

It is interesting that you mention experience; when KR Models (who at the time hadn’t made a model in any scale) announced the GT3 I was doubtful they could deliver but they managed to make something comparable to the likes of Hornby, Bachmann or any of the the others. I suppose that’s modern manufacturing for you. 

  • Like 4
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

Just looking at the details, I have been looking through my photos and all the ones I have with the original GCR type cab have a 4 column enclosed safety valve. I don't have that many photos as I model the northern end of the GCR, so I haven't bothered doing much research on them.

 

Did some receive new safety valves in GCR livery with the original cab, or is this a detail that might need looking at or altering to be correct?

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

16 minutes ago, D9020 Nimbus said:

It wouldn't have been my first choice (a J69 — later, maybe) but I've just pre-ordered a BR early crest one. Leading to thoughts of a Minories somewhere using this and the Hornby L1s… somewhere on ex-GC routes in the Manchester area, perhaps?

Of course if you model the right period you can model them on the GE.  My dad used to commute through Liverpool Street during the early 1950s and used to reminisce about the time the traverser was under repair in 1951 and A5s wren working trains instead of tender engines.  Although he was a GWR man he had a soft spot for the A5s as well as the Buckjumpers

Edited by Iltman
  • Like 1
  • Informative/Useful 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

I've always had a bit of a thing for the GW-GC Joint Line, on which you can include the Met if you model the right part. I'm intrigued at the thought of 9Ns in GC days running that way. 

 

Mind you, that's just made me want a GW Birdcage tank!

  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

33 minutes ago, t-b-g said:

Just looking at the details, I have been looking through my photos and all the ones I have with the original GCR type cab have a 4 column enclosed safety valve. I don't have that many photos as I model the northern end of the GCR, so I haven't bothered doing much research on them.

 

Did some receive new safety valves in GCR livery with the original cab, or is this a detail that might need looking at or altering to be correct?

 

Ross pops appeared on these engines around the end of WW1, seems a rather annoying choice and hopefully the Ramsbottom type will be included for the GCR livery

  • Like 2
  • Thanks 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium
5 minutes ago, Synch said:

 

Ross pops appeared on these engines around the end of WW1, seems a rather annoying choice and hopefully the Ramsbottom type will be included for the GCR livery

 

Thanks for that. The only photo I have seen with Ross Pop valves and the original cab was in very early LNER livery, so I wasn't sure if that combination was correct for the GCR period. As you suggest, it does reduce the period that the models cover by a few years and rules out any pre WW1 layouts.

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

30 minutes ago, Iltman said:

Of course if you model the right period you can model them on the GE.  My dad used to commute through Liverpool Street during the early 1950s and used to reminisce about the time the traverser was under repair in 1951 and A5s wren working trains instead of tender engines.  Although he was a GWR man he had a soft spot for the A5s as well as the Buckjumpers

As a modeller of the Great Eastern suburban London lines in the 50s, my wallet just felt a great disturbance in the Force.

  • Funny 4
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold
4 hours ago, jonny777 said:

Well I have pre-ordered two. :boast:

 

The fun starts now; trying to find photos of any locos other than 69820 (which is the rtr version announced) that gained a late BR crest before being withdrawn. 

 

69814 looks to have had late crest

 

CLASS A5 4-6-2T no.69814.

 

69814. Grantham MPD. August 1959.


 

  • Like 4
  • Thanks 1
  • Interesting/Thought-provoking 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium
7 minutes ago, iak said:

Fascinating to see a GCR locomotive like this appear - my credit card is hiding mind...

Now if someone would do some chuffing Robinson Carriages...

 

Dare I say that Robinson locos may chuff but I don't think his carriages did apart from the steam railmotors.

  • Funny 3
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold
2 hours ago, Legend said:

What it also does is make the forthcoming Bachmann/ Rails Caley 812 at £200 and Precursor at £220  look pretty expensive by comparison

A new small manufacturer without the overheads of the bigger company at present and a wish to establish a new name. Lots of reasons but ultimately with any of them the choice is is it value for money to you and do you want it badly enough? :lol:

  • Like 2
  • Agree 4
Link to post
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Legend said:

 

The more I look at this and have now seen Rails confirm £149.95 I am sorely tempted for the GC early cab version.

 

What it also does is make the forthcoming Bachmann/ Rails Caley 812 at £200 and Precursor at £220  look pretty expensive by comparison . I appreciate Sonic is as yet unproven  but these are quite substantal differences . 5 pole motors with fly wheels too , large amounts of diecast .Impressive spec ! It is to be hoped Rails can utilise the likes of Sonic more fully in the future .

 

LNER A5 - Sonic - Rails of Sheffield

 

Caley 812 - Chinese factory, Bachmann UK, Rails

 

Precendent - Chinese factory, Bachmann UK, Rails

 

The advantage of Sonic choosing Rails of Sheffield as an exclusive retailer is it cuts out a layer in the business process, with the cost advantages that offers.

Edited by mdvle
fixed typo
  • Like 1
  • Agree 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, mdvle said:

 

LNER A5 - Sonic - Rails of Sheffield

 

Caley 812 - Chinese factory, Bachmann UK, Rails

 

Precursor - Chinese factory, Bachmann UK, Rails

 

The advantage of Sonic choosing Rails of Sheffield as an exclusive retailer is it cuts out a layer in the business process, with the cost advantages that offers.

Bachmann are producing an Improved Precedent not a Precursor

  • Like 1
  • Agree 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium
30 minutes ago, montyburns56 said:

I don't know if it's just the monochrome tones, but this one looks like the smokebox supports are also Apple Green.

 

London & North Eastern Railway - LNER Class A5 (ex-Great Central Railway Class 9N) 4-6-2T steam locomotive Nr. 6 (GCR Gorton Works, 1923)

 

By Historical Railway Images

 

Might that be an official works photo in "photographic grey"?

  • Like 1
  • Agree 4
Link to post
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, Otis JB said:

I am rather stunned by the price actually, maybe costs aren’t rising as dramatically as we are being led to believe?

 

They are rising (hence the necessary caveat in the Rails announcement regarding pricing.

 

As I noted, the pricing is likely in part because one layer of business has been eliminated (there is no UK based middle-man aka Hornby/Bachmann/Dapol/Rapido/etc.).

 

But an email from Spring Mills (US HO manufacturer) gives the following details of the issues they are facing producing in China at the moment:

 

- factory worker wages in China have gone up 10% in the last year

- Chinese manufacturers are increasing prices - the Chinese producer price index increased 9% in May

- drought this year in the Guangdong province has forced government mandated power reductions, leading to 2 out of 6 working days per week being shutdown of machinery - like injection moulding and tooling machines (many model train companies are in Guangdong)

- cargo rates have gone crazy - container has gone from $4,000 to $16,000 and air cargo quotes are up 350% over last year - in part driven by large US retailers and the big electronics companies booking up 4 quarter deliveries for Christmas and all the new electronics to be announced in the next several months.

- and of course ports are backlogged in China and North America

 

And of course there was the recent commentary by Rapido essentially echoing the same thing - costs are going up fast at the moment making things challenging for any of the companies involved in our hobby.

  • Like 2
  • Agree 1
  • Informative/Useful 4
Link to post
Share on other sites

18 hours ago, stewartingram said:

I see Liverpool St workings in the early 50s have been mentioned - any other East Anglian sightings?

Stewert, I made the following notes for the East Anglian 4mm Modelling document:

 

"Three of the class were cut down to fit GE loading gauge.

 

Ten of the class in 1951 temp allocated to Southend-Liverpool St workings when turntable OOU:

69835 Ilford 21/4/51.

 

69835/7/40 at Ipswich 5/1950.

69824/5 to Norwich May/June 1952 and 69829 to Norwich Sept 1955. 

All three to Lowestoft winter 1955/6 and back to GC Section in March 1957.

 

69815, 69824, 69826: 69829 at Lowestoft 4/1956;

69826 Reedham Jun c1955 no date;

69815 Whitlingham Jun no date;

69824 Norwich 7/08/1954.

69835 West Runton 21/06/1951.

69839 Stratford 17/04/1951.

69830 on Southend shed."

 

Also attached extract from RCTS  "green bible"

IMG-20210811-WA0003.jpeg

Edited by PaulG
  • Like 2
  • Thanks 1
  • Informative/Useful 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

I am astonished ..... and delighted!  Not only are we getting an A5, but in the Hornby magazine footage in Paul. Uni's first post on this thread, we are shown liveried first examples running on Hornby magazine's layout.

 

Watching that video, Sonic have captured the look of an A5 wonderfully: it looks superb. Not only that, it is running smoothly - no hunting in the carriages the two A5s in the video are pulling.  And they are coming soon - no lengthy waiting.

 

Outstanding!  Well done, Sonic! - absolutely first class,

 

John S

  • Like 6
Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...