RMweb Gold Re6/6 Posted December 9, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 9, 2016 Something that l've never seen before. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/282283147690?ul_noapp=true Does anybody know anything about this firm? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
D51 Posted December 9, 2016 Share Posted December 9, 2016 Hughes appears to be another manufacturer who appeared around the 1949-50 period. The Fowler 4F loco body kit is the only product I can recall. The choice of prototype was surprising as Reidpath also had their cast version as well as Jamieson with another stamped brass kit. The motor shown in this Ebay picture is a Rowell. The prices of these kits in 1953 were Jamieson body kit £1 35s. Jamieson chassis kit including wheels (to be introduced but probably £2 9s.) Reidpath complete kit including mechanism £6 12s. 6d. Hughes body kit £2 4s. Hughes main frames only 4s. 9d. The Hughes kit was used on E Rankine Gray's exhibition railway at Boscombe with a Romford mechanism. There is a photograph (poor) of it opposite page 23 in his book "Study of The Model Railway", published about 1951. Frank Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Il Grifone Posted December 9, 2016 Share Posted December 9, 2016 A pre-existing model never seemed to deter manufacturers! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertiedog Posted December 9, 2016 Share Posted December 9, 2016 Pretty typical of the late 1940's when brass came off being rationed, as long as it was a model, not a toy. Hamblings had one of the assembled in a box in store in the office, they may have wholesaled them. Hughes was mentioned in connection with a Jinty LMS kit, and it has similarities in the style of the parts. The motor is as Rowell supplied, but may have been made by Taycol or Zenith, who did work for many makers. It is obviously intended for three rail, all diecast non insulated wheels from Romford. Stephen Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertiedog Posted December 9, 2016 Share Posted December 9, 2016 The model was intended to be a better class than most offerings, more parts, the frame spacers are standard square type which came in about 1950, the castings may be their own, the rods have a fake joint, rare then, and profiled quite well for the period, lets say up to 1954 or so. Surprised no plated brake shoe castings from Sayer Chaplin, Hamblings still had stocks into the 1970's. Would make up well to a Vintage standard, and that motor should be OK if re-magnetised, suspect it is 5 pole. Stephen Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
5050 Posted December 14, 2016 Share Posted December 14, 2016 Interesting, never seen or heard of Hughes before. I'm trying to work out what the holes in the tender side are for? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertiedog Posted December 14, 2016 Share Posted December 14, 2016 I'll be able to tell you, as it is winging it's way via Royal Mail to me at the moment! From the photos the builder has added brass angle iron sections to the tender inside, common design then, as it helps keep the floor flat and the sides straight and true upright, and adds a bit of weight to the brass tender. Brass was lighter by far than Stewart Reidpath's lead tenders and people liked heavier stock to run a bit better on the pretty dodgy fibre based track of those far off days. Some tracks resembled roller coasters. The holes would contain brass counter sunk screws (8ba most likely), filled over with lead solder and filed and sanded flush. It may have been designed with the brass angle or it was added by the builder. The loco is three rail or outside third pickup, but the wheels are Romfords, some modern insulated Markits standard wheels should be no problem if two rail is needed. The motor can be 5 pole or seven, both were made by Zenith for Rowell. The gears were made by Zenith to go with the motor as a unit, but ghis version lifts off the frames, leaving the gear in place. Romford motors of the period had a solid gearbox fitted. From the photos all the parts seem to be there, but it may need screws etc and minor period parts to complete it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertiedog Posted December 14, 2016 Share Posted December 14, 2016 The holes and brackets and the brass angle iron sections.......................... Stephen Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
D51 Posted December 14, 2016 Share Posted December 14, 2016 The builder does not seem to have had sufficient heat for his soldering, and having assembled the tender body and tender footplate he found that he could not solder them together. He has therefore used two pieces of brass angle with tapped holes to assemble the tender with BA screws. Hence the holes which can be seen to line up well with the tapped holes in the angle. Hughes is mentioned in the ERG and Taylor & McKenna catalogues of the day. The 1950 ERG catalogue also mentions an LMS 4-4-0 Class 2P loco and tender kit (same tender?) for £2 6s. 5d. but I have never seen another reference to this. The KMR die-cast 2P would also have appeared about this time. Interestingly, although R M Evans manufactured many of the components sold by ERG, the ERG catalogue didn't list the RM Evans loco kits. Frank Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertiedog Posted December 14, 2016 Share Posted December 14, 2016 I have worked out why the soldering is so dodgy on the tender side frames around the axle boxes, he has used the infamous Cold Solder paste that was marketed after the war, a cellulose cement with aluminium power added to make it look like metal when set. The stuff was awful, it did not work at all better than any cement based on cellulose, and people even tried to make electrical connections with it! It must have been chosen to glue the cast metal axleboxes on to the frames. Woods alloy was not available then for low temperature soldering, so glue was needed, As the rest of the soldering is poor it will have to come apart but 148c can be used to continue with any good joints, without affecting sound solder too much. The first job will be to clean everything in an acid bath with added ammonia, not too strong will clean the brass Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Re6/6 Posted December 17, 2016 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted December 17, 2016 This is all so interesting that l now wish that l'd bid for it! Please do let us know how you get on with it Stephen. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertiedog Posted December 19, 2016 Share Posted December 19, 2016 I will start another post on the Hughes re-build, as it has arrived from Ebay. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertiedog Posted December 19, 2016 Share Posted December 19, 2016 Details of the Loco on post ...... http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/118025-hughes-bros-styles-0-6-0-class-4-loco-and-tender/?p=2541546 Stephen Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brake Compo Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 Fascinating. I have a part built one that I bought at my primary school jumble sale for 1d in the 1960s and I never knew what it was before - although the box is just about perfect, it has no label on it. Mine was obviously worked on by two people: one skilled and one cack handed. The tender is assembled, but only the loco footplate is assembled. The chassis, all running gear, funnel, smokebox front & door, chimney, safety valves, three buffers and three axleguards are missing. When I was young I lacked the skills, and now in greater maturity it is project that I have never got beyond assembling some of the missing parts. Hopefully this thread will give me the necessary impetus to get going! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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