News from Warley 2014

[robertcwp]

 

The Prototype

 

The Western Region of British Railways needed a suburban Diesel Multiple Unit to carry passengers in a high-density formation. The result was a series of almost identical units built by three different builders to a standard design.  From 1957 Derby built 42 units which became Class 116, followed from 1959 by Pressed Steel Company which built a further 42 units which became Class 117.  The final 15 units built from 1960 by the Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Co became the Class 118.  They were used extensively throughout the Western Region and later on most other regions and in the case of the Class 117 they lasted in service into the year 2000.

 

 

 

 

We initially looked at producing a two car unit with the centre car to be added later.  This has the advantage of keeping initial costs lower but being mindful of our Thumper experience we have decided to produce three car variants from the initial release.  This is a late change on our part and this has meant we have had to ask China to revise our program to cater for this.  As a result we are unable to give prices for these models at this time although we hope to complete our negotiations for these very soon and that will be a key part of our discussions when visiting our factory next week.

 

 

We are also looking to try something a bit different with these models and allow our customers to decide which liveries to produce.  We will list all three classes in prototypical combinations of liveries, running numbers, and two and three car versions and then invite our customers to place their pre-orders.  We will keep the pre-order book open while we continue to develop the model from our initial laser scan to produce the various cads and when this is complete our initial order to the factory will be based on the pre-orders to that date.  We will announce which models are to be in the first batch which will allow customers to change their order to one of these models if they wish.

 

 

 This is excellent news, in fact some of the best model railway news I have seen for years. 

 

Liveries will be fun as there were so many variants, including different shades of green, lining or no lining, variations on other liveries too.  End variations are also a challenge with more variants than might appear to be the case on a casual glance. 

 

Interesting comment about the decision to do 3-car units.  I think the 2-car only Thumper was a huge mistake and they would have sold far more if they had done a 3-car from the outset.  I would have bought a couple had they done so but have no interest in a 2-car one.  So, going for a 3-car DMU from the outset is the correct move in my view.

 

The prototype information is not entirely accurate.  There were 108 Class 116 units, of which two were built as 2-car, not 42.  This is why the 116 is by far the most important of the classes in my view.  They also had a much wider geographical spread for most of their lives than the 117s or 118s. Kernow's website and the information quoted above gives a misleading impression of the relative significance of the types by suggesting there were only 42 Class 116 units.

[Tomsontour]

Are they a B Set.......

[it's-er]

Aren't the coaches in Andy's photos of Hornby's display cases LMS non corridor coaches? If so, much requested over the years, and excellent news!

 

John

[Andy Y]

I think these lot said they're doing an Adams Radial.

 

 

[County of Yorkshire]

What coaches are those Andy?

 

I'm reasonably certain that they are LMS non-corridor suburbans? They aren't mentioned in Hornby's press release though!

 

Exciting news, even though I want some GWR non-corridor stock!

 

Cheers, 

 

CoY

[Redford73]

I agree with Robert the 116 will get my vote though I'm just glad they're finally reissuing what is easily the most popular DMU type after the 101s and which we have been deprived of since the good old Lima 117s.

 

In addition to BR Blue and BR Blue Grey I will also be voting for the Refurb white/blue livery (which is still lacking in the later 101 releases).  Hats off for the pre-order livery determination.

 

Great stuff!

[phil gollin]

.

 

Odd, a couple of the Hornby CAD images SEEM to be in reverse perspective, I hope they don't manufacture them like that.

 

Otherwise, it is a shame about the duplications - but may the BEST model "win".

 

Any news whether that is a Class 74 only, or a Class 71 as well ?

 

( AND, remind me, when did the GWR steam railcar tour the Southern Region in the 1960s ?)

 

.

[Igor]

Fascinating news especially as the all parties involved in the competing Radial and Class 71 have stated they are not going to back out!

Can we draw a conclusion that the 2014 Hornby delays are now obvious as you can see where the effort has gone?

I am left wondering how much more vapourware DJM can actually announce? Someone mentioned 100+ individual items, before the weekend with nothing to see so far... What will the reaction be when Bachmann announce a Class 59 and Class 117 next year? This cannot be sustained can it? Regards Igor

[Dave47549]

.

[cromptonnut]

It will be interesting to see how the old Lima 117 (of which I have several tucked away somewhere) fare against the new Kernow/DJM one, as one of my big problems with the Lima one was the typical poor running with the old pancake motors.  Removing the motor to make it an unpowered unit and have the DJM one pushing a double unit might be an option for me.

 

I know I can take the chassis from the Hornby 121 and put that under the Lima 117 as I have done that already on one of them, leaving the 121 as an unpowered model which needs chipping for lighting purposes but otherwise works fine in a 4 car formation or even as a loco hauled "failure".

[Gwiwer]

It will be interesting to see how the old Lima 117 (of which I have several tucked away somewhere) fare against the new Kernow/DJM one, as one of my big problems with the Lima one was the typical poor running with the old pancake motors.  Removing the motor to make it an unpowered unit and have the DJM one pushing a double unit might be an option for me.

 

I know I can take the chassis from the Hornby 121 and put that under the Lima 117 as I have done that already on one of them, leaving the 121 as an unpowered model which needs chipping for lighting purposes but otherwise works fine in a 4 car formation or even as a loco hauled "failure".

 

 

I suspect that modern scanning and production techniques not to mention advances in traction will ensure that they are as alike as chalk and cheese.  The Lima DMU had many glaring faults.  No DMS ever produced, only a pair of DMBS cars of which one was a dummy in a three-car set.  The front end was not correct for any of the 116/7/8 units and could probably be described most politely as generic.  The gangways didn't owe a lot to the Hawksworth ones recycled for the DMU gangway conversion program.  

 

In this day and age I would expect smooth operation across the full range of speeds, finer wheels with perhaps inbuilt adaptability for fine scale operation, flush glazing, correct (within scale limitations) design details and of course a DMS to feature in each set.  We already know the motors will not intrude into the saloons and that they will feature internal and external lighting.  

 

All of this refinement we pay for of course.  But for those who have been bemoaning the lack of a suburban 3-car DMU of the type used so widely across BR now is the time to put your money where your mouth is.  Kernow are producing WR sets.  It won't take much detail modification to have the same vehicles running on ER, LMR and ScR layouts; they also reached the SR quite regularly.  

 

A smart move in my opinion and one which deserves to do very well for them.

[Mikkel]

It strikes me how much modellers owe to the preservation movement. As a case in point, would a Railmotor ever have appeared as an RTR product if it wasn't for no. 93? And in Lake livery too!

[toboldlygo]

I think these lot said they're doing an Adams Radial.

 

 

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Thought they were Hornby's security guards....

[gc4946]

Hornby's carriages in their display cases appear to be an LMS Stanier non-corridor composite, a third and a brake third, as well as an LMS horse box.

 

The Kernow announcements signal to me a breakthrough in their range of commissioned models, not just the GWR Railmotor, but most significantly, the 3-car 116/117/118 DMUs being the icing on the cake.

Depending on the pricing, availability and timescale of production of the new models, I can see a lot more Lima 117s appear on the used market.

[Clive Mortimore]

LMS non corridor coaches.....oh why do I bother? http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/87205-sheffield-exchange-a-signalling-question/?p=1665646 :(

 

Class 116, 117, 118 but no 125, which is so so so similar, I expect the trouble is they ran on the GER and GNR not the GWR.

 

The HA electric looks interesting.

 

And big wow for the LNER 21 ton hoppers.

[Mark Dickerson]

I think these lot said they're doing an Adams Radial.

 

 

rps20141122_104446.jpg

Impressive handling of duplicate doubters though:

 

I find your lack of faith disturbing...

[D9020 Nimbus]

Commissioners of models seem to be going for classes which are almost inevitably going to be duplicated—the Hattons 14xx, King (the latter already duplicated) and the Kernow 117 etc are fairly obvious cases. I'm wondering either this is wise on their part, particularly when—as in the case of the 14xx—a "reasonable" model already exists anyway, and this is also a model which might well be chosen by Oxford, given what they have said about "existing models that need updating".

 

I don't think the current level of releases—particularly the huge programme of commissioned models—is sustainable in the long run. And, given past performance (how long have the O2 and D6xx been awaited), others may have produced these prototypes before the commissioned models come into being.

[cromptonnut]

All of this refinement we pay for of course.  But for those who have been bemoaning the lack of a suburban 3-car DMU of the type used so widely across BR now is the time to put your money where your mouth is.  Kernow are producing WR sets.  It won't take much detail modification to have the same vehicles running on ER, LMR and ScR layouts; they also reached the SR quite regularly.  

 

There's images of Exeter - Axminster workings, one of which I have a picture of running up to Chard Junction for the return journey, to clear the line for a passing express behind.

 

I also have images of 117's at Redhill doing the Tonbridge - Reading workings in the early 80's.

 

As an SR modeller, that's good enough for me

[Horsetan]

I think these lot said they're doing an Adams Radial.

rps20141122_104446.jpg

The empire-building strikes back.

[Dave47549]

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[Stubby47]

I think these lot said they're doing an Adams Radial.

 

 

rps20141122_104446.jpg

 

So it's not the BCB team ?

[Downendian]

Interesting stuff on the Hornby website re the class 71 released this morning.

They obtained exclusive rights to produce E5001 as in preserved condition and scanned it recently. I know Dave Jones had some push back on scanning requests, we now know why.

 

Excellent news on the 116/117/118 units. I think the 3-car option is very wise, but surprised this was only a recent rethink. The bulk of these classes only ever ran as 3 car. Well pleased with the retooled 21T hoppers, I'll be getting some of these to complement my Parkside 1970s retooled bodies.

 

Neil

[chrisf]

Let me break the habit of a lifetime and welcome the announcement of Kernow's proposed dmu family.  As others have said, the 116s in particular were widely travelled and were to be found far from their initial allocations.  I'm sure DJM and Kernow are fully aware of the detail variations.  The 42 sets of the first batch with four headlamps went first to Tyseley [29 sets], Newport [10 sets] and Cardiff [3 sets].  The 51 sets and four spare power cars of the second batch went mostly to Cardiff and the 11 sets plus four spare power cars of the third batch to Bristol.  It was not long before they got intermingled and sent elsewhere on loan.  If I ever felt like doing a PhD thesis the life and times of the 116 would be a good topic.

 

Chris

[Brian Hawkins]

Has anyone taken any photo's of the Rapido APT-E ? would really like to see some on here if possible please.

[Brinkly]

Judging by the sheer number of new releases, the model railway world is clearly out of recession!

 

We've never had it so good!

 

Kind regards,

 

Nick.