Narrow gauge GEM Isle of Man 2-4-0T Maitland + Branchlines chassis and Branchlines Caledonia kit

[hayfield]

I have been interested in narrow gauge railways for years and collected the odd items, including several items of GEM IOM rolling stock

 

An eBay find of 3 locos included a GEM Isle of Man 2-4-0T Maitland loco kit complete except for a motor

 

 

Sadly the instructions were missing so I am slightly at a loss about the instructions, I see there are 2 boiler and cab options so I need to explore the kit further

 

 

Here is the chassis included in the kit, my main concerns are the un-bushed whitemetal chassis and how the meshing is achieved with the Hornby XT60 motor. In addition both its size and 3 pole motor are of concern

 

Thankfully Pierview of this parish put me on to the Branchlines chassis

 

 

As can be seen a nice etched brass product

 

 

And I bought the gearbox used in the motorising pack (I have both Romford wheels and several small motors

 

At the weekend I bought on eBay a Branchlines an Isle of Man 0-6-0T loco Caledonia. It looks complete and looks complete, the chassis has been started, this is a purchase to both partner Maitland and will give me an idea of how to motorise a whitemetal and etched kit of a Golden Arrow Southwold 2-4-2T kit. At £50 inc postage I thought it was worth a punt. Once it arrives I will post a photo of it

 

 

Jobs to do are twofold. Firstly to see how much rolling stock I have, secondly try and get my head around what GEM produced for the IOM railway and what Branchlines sell

 

Anyway

Edited July 8, 2023 by hayfield

[MarkC]

From memory - my kid brother dabbled in IoM models briefly, some 50 years ago - GEM produced a few loco kits to cover the various 2-4-0Ts, including one for No.16 "Mannin", which was a bigger loco altogether, as I recall. They also did 2 or 3 coach kits. I don't recall freight stock, but I would be surprised if they hadn't done one or two.

 

Mark

[scottystitch]

I’m very much an enthusiast of the IOM railways. 
 

Following with great interest.

 

Best

 

Scott. 

[Steamport Southport]

Yes. They progressively got bigger and more modern. There was something like fifty years between the first and last built.

 

ISTR that was why the enthusiasts were a bit peeved when they sectioned Number 3 Pender as it was one of the first batch of three and virtually in original condition, even though the boiler was knackered.

 

I have a feeling they sold some of the GEM kits with IoM Railway branding like they did with the Festiniog Railway. No idea who has got them, but John Day has some GEM kits currently available.

 

http://www.johndaymodels.co.uk/our-current-price-list/

 

With more to come including the loco kits.

 

http://www.johndaymodels.co.uk/whats-new/

 

If they were available then I would look at Dundas as they seem to be the "go to" place for narrow gauge. Old Time Workshop do the transfers if you need them, including for wagons so somebody must make them!

 

 

 

Jason

[Phil Parker]

5 minutes ago, Steamport Southport said:

ISTR that was why the enthusiasts were a bit peeved when they sectioned Number 3 Pender

 

"Enthusiasts" spend their whole lives being upset. No.1 still exists, and if No.3 did too, it would be at best standing in the museum out of ticket, or more likely a rusty lump somewhere.

 

The reason the locos got bigger was the traffic grew, and the smaller ones just couldn't handle it. Mind you, No.16 "Mannin" is looking like it may well return to steam as it's big enough to handle the dining trains. Cue "peeved" enthusiasts moaning it's so original it shouldn't be touched - and a friend who helped restore it for the museum laughing as much of the cab back (he tells me) is plywood, which possibly isn't an original feature...

[hayfield]

I have just had a quick look and can see coaches from Southwold, Ashover and Talyllyn, nothing from the Isle of Man. I have a few wagons which I think are 9mm gauge

 

Reading Branchlines leaflet the sell

 

locos    Caledonia, Sutherland, GH Wood or Manning

Coaches  3 comp brake 3rd, 6 comp all third and 5 comp brake 3rd

wagons  2 plank, 5 plank, cattle and G covered van which is unavailable

 

They certainly have access to the GEM IoM stock

 

Looks like the GH Wood/Mannin are one of the same as both boiler and cab castings are in the kit (the larger boiled and angular cab being Manning)

 

Also as well as the motorising kits they sell a body detailing kit at £20.

 

I will see what comes in the Caledonia kit and perhaps have another chat with Branchlines

[New Haven Neil]

Little bit of encouragement for you....  ;-)

 

[hayfield]

10 hours ago, New Haven Neil said:

Little bit of encouragement for you....  ;-)

 

 

 

Thanks for the photo, which now has opened up more questions than answers owing to the fact I don't have any instructions. I understand Mannin was a larger loco and I thought it had the larger more angular cab. Is this correct, I see your photo is of Maitland.

 

Waiting for the postman to deliver Caledonia so I can see a Branchlines chassis pack, I am also curious to find out about the Branchlines  GEM body detailing kit, do these packs come with the full kits?

 

Still thank you for the photo 

[Mike Bellamy]

 

30 minutes ago, hayfield said:

Thanks for the photo, which now has opened up more questions than answers owing to the fact I don't have any instructions. I understand Mannin was a larger loco and I thought it had the larger more angular cab. Is this correct, I see your photo is of Maitland.

 

7mm Narrow Gauge Association book of drawings number 10 features four IoM loco drawings - locos 1-3,  4-6,  7-9,  10-13  and I wonder if these give sufficient detail for you - of course being a resident there I'm sure @New Haven Neil can provide more photos and drawings.

 

https://7mmnga.org.uk/7mmNarrowGaugeSalesLtd/publications/publication_details.php?ref=NLE10

.

[hayfield]

28 minutes ago, Mike Bellamy said:

 

 

7mm Narrow Gauge Association book of drawings number 10 features four IoM loco drawings - locos 1-3,  4-6,  7-9,  10-13  and I wonder if these give sufficient detail for you - of course being a resident there I'm sure @New Haven Neil can provide more photos and drawings.

 

https://7mmnga.org.uk/7mmNarrowGaugeSalesLtd/publications/publication_details.php?ref=NLE10

.

 

Thank you very much, I was a member sometime ago

[hayfield]

The only update is there is no update, waiting for 2 eBay items bought on eBay to arrive, both Royal Mail and strangely enough for Royal Mail it states its being delivered to day.

 

One other thing I have checked is that Peco use code 75 rail in its H0m track,  well I have stocks of code 82 flat bottom rail which is a near match to code 75 flatbottom and will allow me to use 4mm scale plastic ST base plates to build turnouts, I have just downloaded a Peco plan to peruse  

[New Haven Neil]

For locos that are 'the same', they are incredibly diverse!  Yes 16 is much bigger, and has the angular cab, but Hutchinson had one - even bigger - for a while too, it was horrid.  It was also blue then. Yup, blue.

 

 The smaller locos got bigger boilers in time, so timescale is important, things get/got swapped about a lot.  Mike Buttell on here is an oracle, he not only models them but used to throw coal into them in the past too, and his father and grandfather before him were drivers.  I know very little really, as I'm a 20 year stopover, not a true Manxie. Edit - Mike, over to you!  @Mike Buttell

 

Edited July 6, 2023 by New Haven Neil

[Phil Parker]

10 minutes ago, New Haven Neil said:

For locos that are 'the same', they are incredibly diverse!  Yes 16 is much bigger, and has the angular cab, but Hutchinson had one - even bigger - for a while too, it was horrid.  It was also blue then. Yup, blue.

 

It was not horrid, it was superb. The blue suited it down to the ground, and since the loco ran in that livery for 12 years, I think it counts as proper IOM livery.

 

[Moxy]

If you are looking for IOM coaches in 4mm scale, Roxey Mouldings do a fair few.

 

https://www.roxeymouldings.co.uk/category/59/4mm-scale/

[New Haven Neil]

47 minutes ago, Phil Parker said:

 

It was not horrid, it was superb. The blue suited it down to the ground, and since the loco ran in that livery for 12 years, I think it counts as proper IOM livery.

 

 

You may find local opinion differs!  Incoming @Mike Buttell!!!

[New Haven Neil]

48 minutes ago, Phil Parker said:

 

It was not horrid, it was superb. The blue suited it down to the ground, and since the loco ran in that livery for 12 years, I think it counts as proper IOM livery.

 

 

TBH I didn't mind the blue so much (Mike continually leases me about it) but it was the oversize cab that my comment was really directed at.  It's better now....

[Phil Parker]

37 minutes ago, Moxy said:

If you are looking for IOM coaches in 4mm scale, Roxey Mouldings do a fair few.

 

https://www.roxeymouldings.co.uk/category/59/4mm-scale/

 

So do Phoenix Precision - https://www.phoenix-paints.co.uk/products/oo-9-4mm-scale

[hayfield]

37 minutes ago, Moxy said:

If you are looking for IOM coaches in 4mm scale, Roxey Mouldings do a fair few.

 

https://www.roxeymouldings.co.uk/category/59/4mm-scale/

 

Thanks, I know Dave Hamersley quite well from shows, all of a sudden everyone does IOM coaches, from these and Branchline's etched brass ones to GEM and Phoenix cast whitemetal ones, with Worlsey Works scratch aids

[Phil Parker]

Don't forget Mannin Models - https://www.manninmodels.co.uk/index.html

[Phil Parker]

4 minutes ago, New Haven Neil said:

 

You may find local opinion differs!  Incoming @Mike Buttell!!!

 

Yes, there are people who love it. And people who are wrong. 😁

 

 

Seriously, how can you not love this?

[Jeremy Cumberland]

3 minutes ago, Phil Parker said:

 

Yes, there are people who love it. And people who are wrong. 😁

 

 

Seriously, how can you not love this?

 

But why settle for that when you could have this instead?

http://www.island-images.co.uk/Rail/Railstock/SteamLoco/12 170505111402.html

[New Haven Neil]

3 minutes ago, Phil Parker said:

 

Yes, there are people who love it. And people who are wrong. 😁

 

 

Seriously, how can you not love this?

 

it's the greenhouse where the cab should be that is the issue!

 

 

[New Haven Neil]

To be a little contrary I rather like this in blue....but it is Scottish!

 

[dunwurken]

They must have imported a painter from St Rollox 😆😆😆

[New Haven Neil]

However, on my garden railway.....hmm.