Ixion announce Fowler 0-4-0

[81A Oldoak]

IXION MODEL RAILWAYS ANNOUNCES THEIR NEWEST PROJECT:

THE FOWLER 0-4-0 DIESEL MECHANICAL LOCOMOTIVE IN 7MM ‘O’ GAUGE (1:43.5) FOR 32MM STANDARD GAUGE

 

Saturday 2^nd March 2013:

Ixion Model Railways announces the production of a finescale injection-moulded O Gauge model of the John Fowler & Co 0-4-0 diesel-mechanical locomotive in 7mm scale (1:43.5, for 32mm standard gauge). This locomotive, Ixion’s fifth product, once again reflects the Ixion Directors’ own diverse interests and market research. The design work for this engine is almost complete.

 

The model represents the solitary example that was built by Fowler for the Great Western Railway in 1933. It was given the running number “1” and was powered by a six-cylinder 70HP diesel engine with an ancillary petrol-powered starting motor. The locomotive was sold to George Cohen, Sons & Co Ltd of Leeds in 1940 and was later passed on to the Ministry of Supply. The locomotive was built to a generic design that was in production from the late 1920s until the 1950s. Widely used by industry, the wheelbase was common, but a wide variety of engines and transmissions were used to suit buyer’s specific requirements resulting in many detail differences. The London Midland & Scottish Railway employed a similar locomotive numbered “2” which was in use from 1935 until 1962. Several examples of the class have survived into preservation in the UK.

 

The following CAD images show the large components of the model. Much exterior and interior detail remains to be added.

 

Made in the same factory which produced our acclaimed Hudswell Clarke and On30 Coffee Pot models, this superior model will feature:

• An injection-moulded, painted, ready-to-run body and chassis
• Finescale wheels
• 5 pole flywheel-equipped motor, driving the forward two axles
• Four-wheel electrical pickup
• 40:1 precision gearbox
• DCC and sound ready
• Semi-sprung chassis
• Cab detail
• Sprung buffers
• Hook draw-gear with three-link couplings
• Choice of two liveries: GWR lined green No 1; unlined, un-numbered green
• Included is an etched brass fret containing cab-side maker’s plates, nameplates, and engine number plates
• Also included is a set of injection-moulded 7mm scale lamps and loco tools (which will also be made available for separate sale).

Final price is to be confirmed due to the possible effects of currency movements, but we expect the recommended retail price to be in the same range as the Hudswell Clarke.

Trade enquiries from model railway retailers are warmly invited.

We use our website www.ixionmodels.com to provide regular updates on the progress of all Ixion products.  We welcome comments, suggestions and expressions of interest from prospective customers via the “Contact Us” page on the Ixion website. Additional details of liveries, pilot models, delivery dates etc will be placed on the website.

 

Contacts:         UK: Chris Klein +44 (0)7775 782086

 

                        Australia: Phil Badger +61 (0) 9626 9273       

 

Notes for editors

The Fowler photograph may not be copyright free, and is included for historical information purposes only. Ixion does not provide it for press reproduction purposes.

 

Ixion Model Railways, is an independent Anglo-Australian company formed in 2007 by three experienced railway modellers with the desire to deliver ready-to-run model locomotives made to the highest possible standards.

 

Ixion’s founding directors are Phil Badger (Australia), Chris Klein (UK) and Lindsay O’Reilly (Australia).

 

[Ruston]

An excellent choice and I'll be buying one for sure. I hope the donkey engine is going to be seperate and not moulded into the engine casing as the industrial versions that I've seen in preservation and in old photos don't have this and it would be nice to be able to remove it easily if not modelling the actual GWR loco.

[BrushType4]

Chris, I'm sure this does once again reflect the Ixion Directors’ own diverse interests but I'm truly amazed and surprised that market research backs this choice. It's a strange old surprising world we live in.

[Dava]

I've spent the day running my Ixion Hudswell Clarke on 'Coney Hill' at Mansfield exhibition and I have to say the running quality and reliability is dreamlike. No doubt the Fowler will be every bit as good. It may seem an unusual choice in some ways but they were long-lived, numerous and characterful. Clearly the Ixion directors must rate the Leeds loco builders. As the Derwent Valley had (and still have) one of these Fowlers I guess I will too.

[queensquare]

What a fabulously quirky choice. I think the North Somerset Light's growing 7mm collection will be gaining one of these. If its as good as the Hudswell Clarke its sure to be a winner.

 

Jerry

[chaz]

Spot on for me!   Having done two industrial steamers now we are offered a diesel - ugly? Yup! - full of character?   Brimming!  

 

My only suggestion? As I can't allow anything into the house lettered "GWR" (shudder) I will have no choice but the unlettered green - how about at least one other colour choice?

 

Chaz

[PatB]

Fantastic.  When I'm earning again, I shall be very tempted to invest in an example as a substitute Lady Armstrong and to keep my Connoisseur Y7 company on my ""one day", not quite North Sunderland layout.

[AMJ]

I'm sure you'll find the plain green version is typical of a JF product.  If the customer didn't specify they would paint diesel locos green.

 

The 40hp JF would have been a better choice as there were many more made than the 70hp - many of you will know I did many hours work on a HRA award winning 305mm:1' 40hp JF (personal bias).  But nice to see a JF diesel..

[switcher 1]

As I said in the other 2 threads that were; I'll be buying one for sure, as long as it stays about £200.

 

(I've started a thread for anyone interested in shunters & shunting layouts to try to keep things together, if interested please contribute, thanks.)

(http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/68922-shunters-shunting-layouts/)

[Ruston]

Various pics of variation of the same type in preservation and industrial service.

 

http://www.irsociety.co.uk/Archives/51/Derwent_16.jpg

 

http://www.miac.org.uk/images/jf4100013.jpg

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/79/Fowler_diesel_mechanical_shunter_1455_%288329998633%29.jpg

 

http://chasewaterstuff.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/chasewater-01-02-04-nc.jpg?w=500&h=375

 

http://www.dvlr.org.uk/Fowler_22077_N73_1983.jpg

 

http://chasewaterstuff.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/fowler-garrington.jpg?w=300&h=200

[Arthur]

Dave, Any idea where that wasp stripe one, the second image, worked?

[Ruston]

Garringtons, Bromsgrove http://www.miac.org.uk/garringtons.htm#jf4100013

[AMJ]

As some of these images are for the 80hp loco

http://leedsengine.info/leeds/articles/80bhp%20Fowler%20brochure.pdf

This is the brochure on one of my sites for the 80hp.

[Guest Isambarduk]

If anybody is interested, I have recently added the two official Fowler works photographs of LMS No.2 to the bottom of the page about my 7mm model:

 

www.davidlosmith.co.uk/LMS_Fowler.htm

 

David

 

aka  DLOS

[Stevelewis]

Chris, I'm sure this does once again reflect the Ixion Directors’ own diverse interests but I'm truly amazed and surprised that market research backs this choice. It's a strange old surprising world we live in. '

Its probably  a reflection of the  fact  that  many 'small scale modellers'  or  should that be ' modellers in the  smaller  scales!!' have a desire to move up to 7mm modelling, but  as always  SPACE is a problem so they perceive that small  locos are needed.

 

Not always the  case  though....... there are quite  a few 'smallish' 0 gauge layouts around  which  use 'larger ' locos  such as 2-6-4T  and  Class 25 etc.

 

With Dapols 2  small locos announced  and  Ixion's Hudswell Clark  I forsee rather market saturation at the small loco end of the 0 gauge RTR market.

[switcher 1]

Its probably  a reflection of the  fact  that  many 'small scale modellers'  or  should that be ' modellers in the  smaller  scales!!' have a desire to move up to 7mm modelling, but  as always  SPACE is a problem so they perceive that small  locos are needed.

 

Not always the  case  though....... there are quite  a few 'smallish' 0 gauge layouts around  which  use 'larger ' locos  such as 2-6-4T  and  Class 25 etc.

 

With Dapols 2  small locos announced  and  Ixion's Hudswell Clark  I forsee rather market saturation at the small loco end of the 0 gauge RTR market.

I think you may be miss judging peoples reasons for wanting these types of locos.

 

Yes, space is oft quoted, but if you like big locos, likely as not you will have a depot.

 

The locos that Ixion are producing gives more scope for industrial type layouts which seem to be growing in number, even in OO.

[Stevelewis]

_{You Mean a LOCO  Depot?}

 

_{If that is correct  then  on the 7mm layout  I am associated  with  Yes  we  do!}

 

_{I am not  saying  that  I dont  like small locos,  we  do  have   a Black  Hudswell which  chuffs  happily  up and  down  with a  few  very  weathered  PO wagons, Often  overtaken  by a Black  Five, or 8F! on the Main Line.}

 

_{Ocassionally  we  still run a Couple of Small locos I built  years  ago from Tower/DJH kits  an 02  Diesel shunter. and  an Andrew Barclay 0-4-0ST.}

 

[Guest Isambarduk]

“I think you may be miss judging peoples reasons for wanting these types of locos.”

 

Just so.  Some of us don’t even have a railway to run them on, we just like building (or modifying) small locos that occasionally go on outings to other railways or test tracks to stretch their wheels.

 

David

[81A Oldoak]

There are some interesting remarks about possible saturation of the market for small RTR O gauge locos. Ixion is playing in the small industrial niche for the moment because we can choose prototypes that have not been produced in RTR form so far. Industrial locos also avoid the risk of closing off large parts of the market that can occur when a main-line company is chosen and everyone can squeeze in a private siding somewhere. That said, we think there is market for the next size up and Heljan has proved that there is market for small, medium and large-sized diesel locomotives. I would like to do the BR Class 24 or 25 Sulzer, but need to be confident that no one else is working on the same project as duplication is a commercial disaster, as Bachmann and Hornby have probably discovered with their OO LNER B1s.  

 

There is also the fun factor. Like David Smith, I often buy locos simply because I like them. Thus,  I have a Heljan Western on order and have already taken delivery of the name and number-plates from Severn Mill for D1035 Western Yeoman, the first Western that I was hauled by in 1970. I also have a Heljan Hymek because they remind me of my gricing days of 1970-74 and many happy hours stood at the west end of platform 12 at Bristol Temple Meads. I also have the Dragon Models kit of the small Sharp Stewart 4-4-0 used by the Cambrian Railways because it is a little peachy even though it fits nowhere with my 1950-60s South Wales Valleys theme. Similarly, my Bachmann OO Blue Pullman doesn't really fit on my 1950-60s Cambrian layout, but who cares when no one is looking or even when they are? Model railways are fun and when we take ourselves too seriously, it is time to go away, open a can of of worms and tuck in. 

[HSB]

A Class 25? Yes, please!

[queensquare]

There is also the fun factor. Like David Smith, I often buy locos simply because I like them. Thus,  I have a Heljan Western on order and have already taken delivery of the name and number-plates from Severn Mill for D1035 Western Yeoman, the first Western that I was hauled by in 1970. I also have a Heljan Hymek because they remind me of my gricing days of 1970-74 and many happy hours stood at the west end of platform 12 at Bristol Temple Meads. I also have the Dragon Models kit of the small Sharp Stewart 4-4-0 used by the Cambrian Railways because it is a little peachy even though it fits nowhere with my 1950-60s South Wales Valleys theme. Similarly, my Bachmann OO Blue Pullman doesn't really fit on my 1950-60s Cambrian layout, but who cares when no one is looking or even when they are? Model railways are fun and when we take ourselves too seriously, it is time to go away, open a can of of worms and tuck in. 

 

Couldn't agree more Chris. As a predominantly 2FS modeller my forays into 7mm are purely fun and the small industrials are particularly appealing.

 

As for gricing, we probably met years before we thought we did as I also used to go to Bristol (although Westbury triangle was our regular haunt) and hang out at the end of platform 12 - about 73-78 so was probably one of those little kids that used to annoy the big kids! 

 

Jerry

[Guest oldlugger]

A great choice of loco that is certain to sell like hot cakes! If I had some notes I'd buy one. As to suggestions for future small industrial locos I think the following would look very nice in O gauge; an 0-6-0 Sentinel diesel shunter; a North British 0-4-0 diesel hydraulic; a Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0 diesel shunter (the last is obviously available as a kit but the bonnet and front gear box housing always causes problems in construction, ending up looking crooked and unconvincing).

 

Cheers

Simon

[rope runner]

The locos that Ixion are producing gives more scope for industrial type layouts which seem to be growing in number, even in OO.

 

I'm not sure there has been a growing number of industrial layouts.

 

The standard gauge industrial section of rmweb is really only a handful of frequent posters, and the interest is certainly under-represented at exhibitions.

 

With regards to the loco in question, I think it's a very bold choice and wish Ixion every sucess.

 

Paul A.

[daifly]

I'm not sure there has been a growing number of industrial layouts.

 

The standard gauge industrial section of rmweb is really only a handful of frequent posters, and the interest is certainly under-represented at exhibitions.

I don't (yet) have an industrial layout but do have a number of industrial locos including the Ixion HC. When I do have a layout it will be for home not exhibition use. I would suggest that the number of exhibited industrial layouts or regular posters is no reliable indicator of the demand for industrial locos.

[rope runner]

I don't (yet) have an industrial layout but do have a number of industrial locos including the Ixion HC. When I do have a layout it will be for home not exhibition use. I would suggest that the number of exhibited industrial layouts or regular posters is no reliable indicator of the demand for industrial locos.

 

I would say that what is seen at exhibitions is largely an upshot of what most people are modelling, but each to their own

 

Paul A.