I can buy 1, help me choose

[jonnyuk]

hi all, i'm in a real quandary. I really do want a little steam shunter. With 4 or 5 to choose from (+ all the different liveries) i'm really torn. A little bit about my layout might help, its set in the 1930's>1940's (pre-nationalisation, just), location SR and to the West, basically anything from London down and out to the west coast, my layout has no industry.

 

Choices

Dapol B4, i have been waiting for this as it was ideal loco for setting and era, however seeing reviews of it it just does not get me excited.

Hattons P Class, stunning loco but does not really fit my location

Peckett, again does not fit my location at all

Hattons Andrew Barclay, its ok but same as above

Backmann USA tank, fits location, fits era (just) but again not sure it does it for me.

 

I can only afford one right now and every time i think i've chosen i change my mind, help....................

 

 

[40F]

hi all, i'm in a real quandary. I really do want a little steam shunter. With 4 or 5 to choose from (+ all the different liveries) i'm really torn. A little bit about my layout might help, its set in the 1930's>1940's (pre-nationalisation, just), location SR and to the West, basically anything from London down and out to the west coast, my layout has no industry.

 

Choices

Dapol B4, i have been waiting for this as it was ideal loco for setting and era, however seeing reviews of it it just does not get me excited.

Hattons P Class, stunning loco but does not really fit my location

Peckett, again does not fit my location at all

Hattons Andrew Barclay, its ok but same as above

Backmann USA tank, fits location, fits era (just) but again not sure it does it for me.

 

I can only afford one right now and every time i think i've chosen i change my mind, help....................

 

 

And you asking this forum ????????

[JohnR]

Rule 1 applies, of course, but it surely has to be the B4? Its the only one right for your location and era.

[tomparryharry]

Depending on your (more exact) era, you could use a 8750 pannier. Waterloo used them almost to the end. Of course, you could use an Ivatt prairie tank, either the BR(m) version, or the BR 84xxx version. The pannier is a good starting block: Relatively cheap, good performance, and it will fit most locations down to the west.

 

As an aside, you might consider a military railway, such as Longmoor-Bordon. Austerities and other wondrous things to behold.

 

Of course, if you find Rule 1 in your book, the world is your oyster....

 

Happy modelling!

 

Ian.

 

 

Edited because I didn't proof read my post before posting it... One day, I swear I'll get it right.

Edited June 7, 2018 by tomparryharry

[Joseph_Pestell]

If your branch is a light railway, almost anything might have been drafted in: Terrier, P, Adams Radial, 0298.....

 

You are a bit early for the USA and anyway it's probably rather big for your location.

[PatB]

Given that you don't seem enthusiastic about locos which are right for your location and era, but very keen on those which don't, maybe you need to consider changing location and era .

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

Go for the model you like best. It can be a 'placeholder' for the loco that would best suit your notional layout location, (unless of course you decide to change location) under the usual excuse of 'sent for trial at Little Coughdrop under Horsewallop to assess suitability'.

[Gilbert]

If you are going to be actually shunting I'd ask around about running and performance as that is my #1 requirement - no good buying a dodgy runner.(#2 would be ease of DCC fitting in my case FWIW)

Chris

[Dunsignalling]

Depending on your (more exact) era, you could use a 8750 pannier. Waterloo used them almost to the end. Of course, you could use an Ivatt prairie tank, either the BR(m) version, or the BR 84xxx version. The pannier is a good starting block: Relatively cheap, good performance, and it will fit most locations down to the west.

 

As an aside, you might consider a military railway, such as Longmoor-Bordon. Austerities and other wondrous things to behold.

 

Of course, if you find Rule 1 in your book, the world is your oyster....

 

Happy modelling!

 

Ian.

 

 

Edited because I didn't proof read my post before posting it... One day, I swear I'll get it right.

Unfortunately, Waterloo only used Panniers from 1959 to 1963, way off the OP's period. Also, Bachmann 8750s aren't available new and decent s/h examples are becoming quite hard to find.

 

The USAs only arrived in the forties, so just fit, but in their early years were confined to the Southampton area.

 

No industries rules out the Peckett and the Barclay.

 

Leaving the B4, which he doesn't sound keen on.

 

Maybe a Kernow O2, assuming there are some still available in SR livery * ? They were used for pretty much any lighter duties down West.

 

John

 

* Just looked. There are. SR black with Sunshine lettering.

Edited June 7, 2018 by Dunsignalling

[The Johnster]

Good slow running is vital in any loco, but particularly in a shunting engine where nearly all the work takes place at a very low speed.  But a shunting engine, especially an 0-4-0, has a limited number of wheels to pick up current from, and needs to be well designed and kept scrupulously clean in order to acheive this.  The P and USA are 0-6-0s and have an advantage in this respect.

 

A bit more about your layout might help.  Is it a shunting problem, or a BLT, or something else.  A branch terminus would usually use the train loco for shunting rather than have a dedicated pilot loco, and, of your list only the P is suitable, but, like the Terrier which you seem to have forgotten, is more suitable for an area to the south or south east of London (the SECR went to Reading, though).  A location with a pilot sounds like a larger town with maybe a local yard that it is an allocated duty to, and I get the sense you are modelling something a bit more rural.  

 

B4s and USA are not really suitable for running line work; they are designed for dock shunting on very sharp curves, which is why they are associated with Southampton.  P's and Terriers, despite their diminutive size, have longer wheelbases and are steadier at speed, and are more suitable for such work.  The same applies on the GW to the short wheelbase 1361/1366 types as opposed to larger panniers.  A very common thing on exhibition layouts is to see these small engines, and the likes of Sentinels or Pugs, doing main line work that they would very very rarely have done in reality, and this alway grates a little to my mind, though you might have seen them scurrying about running light between their depots and designated duties, wobbling along trying to keep out of the way.

[jonnyuk]

thanks for every ones input, my layout is rural and will have a small good areas, i just want something i can move wagons around with whilst my longer trains run round. my layout is dcc by the way.

 

i was looking at the 02 but sure i read/saw on youtube they are not the greatest in terms of quality or running quality.

 

I've had a quick look at the Hornby Terrier, looks a nice model.

[bike2steam]

Ignore the 'reviews', go for the B4 !!

[Steamport Southport]

Ignore youtube and go for the O2, if that is what you like.

 

Most of the running issues were due to people using poor quality controllers with the coreless motor. If you are using DCC then that shouldn't be an issue.

 

I really ummed and ahhed over getting one. When I did it was fantastic.

 

 

 

 

Jason

Edited June 7, 2018 by Steamport Southport

[cypherman]

Hi all,

Well you could always use A 3F Jinty, They got everywhere.

Edited June 8, 2018 by cypherman

[Steamport Southport]

Hi all,

Well you could always use A 4F Jinty, They got everywhere.

 

3F.

 

Not really. They were pure LMS locomotives. The furthest South they got was the S&DJR and the Midland lines around Bristol. Bath, etc.

 

Obviously not including the handful that ended up in France.

 

 

 

Jason

[The Johnster]

Hi all,

Well you could always use A 4F Jinty, They got everywhere.

 

Same would apply to a Midland 1F, but my suspicion is that the OP will consider these not West Country enough for his purposes. 

LSWR G6 0-6-0 would be perhaps more suitable if we are talking about a loco of this sort of size.

[Robin Verth]

In the 1950's and early 60's I lived in Hampton in those days just ouside London the local goods train came from Feltham yard I can remember the following classes of engine working the daily goods O2, M7, 0395, 700, Q1, N, U, Ivatt 2-6-2T & G16. I can only remember seeing S15's working the weedkiller trains another time there was a special working to pick up 4 vans left in the yard this was done by an ex GWR pannier tank, on most Sunday mornings at about 10.00 there would be a steam railtour down the branch, during the war LMS 4F's & 2P's worked trains of POW's to the POW camp at Kempton Park.

Hampton did not have any industry there was an oil depot that recieved and dispached oil in barrels when that closed the siding was used for unloading frozen meat later it became a coal yard when the yard closed the main traffic was coal and frozen horse meat from Hungary.

Pre war the yard had a shunter there all day with wagons being dropped off and picked up by the passing goods trains one of the dutys was to work a schools train the coaches were stored in the down head shunt the shunter was a M7 I have also read that a T9 was also used there is a photo of the school train leaving the siding on "Britain From Above" this was caught just before the new school opened and the train ceased to run.

[cypherman]

Hi all,

Ok if the 3F is a no go, How about one of these,  A  LBSCR CLASS E2.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hornby-OO-GAUGE-R261-0-6-0T-LBSCR-CLASS-E2-SOUTHERN-104-VGC-boxed/183230327360?epid=1659082943&hash=item2aa960ea40:g:HeAAAOSwJ0xacNdu

Edited June 8, 2018 by cypherman

[wagonman]

thanks for every ones input, my layout is rural and will have a small good areas, i just want something i can move wagons around with whilst my longer trains run round. my layout is dcc by the way.

 

i was looking at the 02 but sure i read/saw on youtube they are not the greatest in terms of quality or running quality.

 

I've had a quick look at the Hornby Terrier, looks a nice model.

 

 

A rural station with a small goods area and no industry simply wouldn't have had a dedicated shunter. End of. Problem solved!

[Andy Y]

Hi all,

Ok if the 3F is a no go, How about one of these, A LBSCR CLASS E2.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hornby-OO-GAUGE-R261-0-6-0T-LBSCR-CLASS-E2-SOUTHERN-104-VGC-boxed/183230327360?epid=1659082943&hash=item2aa960ea40:g:HeAAAOSwJ0xacNdu

That isn't an E2. The link is dead so eBay have suggested a Dublo R1 (which is not much like an R1 anyway).

[The Johnster]

The link is to a Hornby Dublo R1; bombproof reliable mechanism but very crude by current standards and not really up to very slow controlled shunting.  An E2 is pretty much a Brighton/Central Section Southern loco, with a few getting down as far as Porstmouth, but not really a West Country sort of engine; Hornby made an attempt which was converted to 'Thomas' a while ago with a decent chassis and mechanism, but again a bit crude as it was from before their 'scale' period.  

 

I am beginning to suspect you'd be better off with an 02, perhaps an Adams Radial or M7 at a push.  It we are talking about a BLT, then the train engine does all the shunting and no pilot is involved, so even larger locos such as 700 Black Motors or T9s might be considered, Bullied pacifics,  again, at a push.  The problem with such as Adam Radials and Beattie 2-4-0s is that the prototypes were associated with very specific workings on specific routes, and hence do not transfer believably to anywhere else; famous though they were, they were in reality obscure and specialist small classes very tied to their very specific duties that had ensured their survival long past the time that they would have, in other circumstance, been disposed of, and will not look or feel right in circumstances other than those very specific ones, Lyme Regis and Wenford Bridge.

 

As someone on this forum described the Taff Vale A class, which worked all over South Wales until 1958, as an obscure Welsh oddity a while ago, I feel I have to point this out!

[cypherman]

hi all,

Ok 2nd try at posting the E2 from Hornby.

http://www.hattons.co.uk/165936/Hornby_R315_E2_SAS_LBSCR_Class_E2_Tank_0_6_0T_100_in_LBSC_Brown_Pre_owned_sold_as_seen_non_runne/StockDetail.aspx

[jonnyuk]

Well I was at the central railways train fare today and picked up a B4 for £90 in southern. Kernow has an 02 there but at £124 it would of been rude not to get the B4.

It’s a stunning loco and really pleased with it.