The Quirky Poll 2023

[Wickham Green too]

1 hour ago, PhilJ W said:

There were four generations of motorised rolling stock used on Southend Pier, The toastrack stock (late Victorian/early Edwardian period. The AC cars 'streamlined stock from 1949. The diesel trains and finally the current battery stock. 

Of course a couple of Southend Toastrack cars spent many a year on the Volks Electric Railway - now, that's pretty quirky !

[BMacdermott]

Hello Wickham Green too

 

We listed the Volks in 2021 and it came in Low Polling. Hence, it doesn't appear here.

 

Brian (on behalf of The Quirky Poll Team)

[Gwiwer]

Oooooh.  I seem to have quirked.  

 

My apologies for any inconvenience caused but who knows - it may bring forth some objects of desire! 

[gr.king]

Why the apparent proposal for a model of the Midland-only Schenectady Mogul, when the Baldwin Mogul offers far more sales potential via the production of additional GNR and MS&LR/GCR versions? Or does somebody not know the that there are two very distinct types?

[BMacdermott]

Hello gr.king

 

We open the poll to suggestions - this may well have been a suggestion from a previous voter. Stephen Lea made the point also back on page 1.

 

Brian (on behalf of The Quirky Poll Team)

[darrel]

2 hours ago, Steamport Southport said:

 

Already done for £8 ISTR as part of that Great British Locomotives partwork a few years back. Alright if you just want one to put on a shelf!

 

https://www.amercom-hobby.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=63&product_id=623

 

Come up all the time at carboot sales, charity shops and eBay.

 

Must dig my one out as I forgot it had a cauldron wagon. Would be interesting to compare it with the Accurascale ones.

 

 

 

Jason

 

 

True and I have one in my display case just now. However they were not 00 gauge. 

And an 00 gauge one would be a good seller. 

[Mol_PMB]

I note there's no scale mentioned on any of these and I assume it's largely OO-centric in which case I wouldn't actually buy any of them as I mostly model in O scale with a bit of HO and Om. Hence I haven't voted although I did enjoy reading the list and I like the trend towards modelling very early railways (Locomotion, Trevithick etc.)

 

However, one quirk I have recently purchased is an Andrew Barclay fireless loco kit. Industrials are increasingly popular and these were reasonably standardised and quite widespread. I'm surprised it's not on the list. One for next year?

[MarkSG]

4 hours ago, Bucoops said:

I umm'd and ahh'd about voting for Ivor but realised that yes I would buy it.

 

The big advantage of Ivor is that it would avoid all the comments from the people who tend to jump into any product announcement thread to point out that one of the bolts on the solebar is a scale half inch out of place. 

 

it would, though, need a licensing deal with the BBC, or Smallfilms, or possibly both. Maybe Hornby could have another go at a "Trains on TV" range 🙂

[Steamport Southport]

24 minutes ago, darrel said:

True and I have one in my display case just now. However they were not 00 gauge. 

And an 00 gauge one would be a good seller. 

 

I know, I was replying to a specific quote in the post that is missing unless you click on it.

 

Quote

Now it would not be easy making a model that actually runs. However a static model priced at a reasonable level say £25 would sell not just to enthusiasts but to Joe public as well. No other model on this list would sell to Joe public and none will be so high profile with a huge anniversary coming up.

 

Just pointing out that a static model is available.

 

 

Jason

[J. S. Bach]

8 hours ago, MarkSG said:

To answer a question posed in the poll, "Have there been any RTR vertical boiler locos?". Yes, and it was a popular quirky choice. That is, the Dapol Sentinel Y1. But the Head Wrightson would definitely be quirkier 🙂

Not a UK prototype but Bachmann in their On2½ line-up offered a "T-boilered" Shay:

 

Even more quirky I would say; vertical firebox - horizontal boiler!

 

Note that I did not vote as there were none that I would probably want to purchase. Some were quite interesting, though.

 

 

 

Edited December 14, 2023 by J. S. Bach
To correct a typo

[The Johnster]

I approve greatly of quirkiness in principle, there's nowhere near enough of it in the world. But if there were enough of it the world it wouldn't be quirky any more.  And that is the core of my problem with the quirky poll; the examples chosen are indubitably quirky but that automatically defines them as stuff I would not spend money on.  Except one, Cap'n Dick's Steam Trombone; local history would demand that I buy a fully working replica that would be able to run on 00 track, which would probably make it something like 1:60. 

 

Well done Brian & team; the obscure and esoteric need their champion in this hobby.

[phil gollin]

.

 

Something I could suggest are some of the Crampton locomotives  (as modelled by Mark Symmonds ????? ).

 

These are the weird and wonderful Era 1 locos with very strange axle arrangements and drive arrangements

 

Now they really were "quirky."

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crampton_locomotive

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=model+Crampton+locomotives&newwindow=1&sca_esv=591002772&rlz=1C1VDKB_en-GBGB1087&tbm=isch&source=lnms&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjA8LP75I-DAxUMW0EAHRXmAI4Q0pQJegQIZBAE&biw=1171&bih=499&dpr=1.5

 

 

.

 

 

Edited December 14, 2023 by phil gollin

[Hroth]

12 minutes ago, phil gollin said:

.

 

Something I could suggest are some of the Crampton locomotives  (as modelled by Mark Symmonds ????? ).

 

These are the weird and wonderful Era 1 locos with very strange axle arrangements and drive arrangements

 

Now they really were "quirky."

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crampton_locomotive

 

 

.

 

 

 

The ones I remember were those by Mike Sharman.

He had some fine Bloomers too!

 

[Michael Hodgson]

My favourite is still not on the list ....

Of course, I'll also want the coaches and track to go with it.

[Dungrange]

14 minutes ago, Michael Hodgson said:

My favourite is still not on the list ....

Was the Listowel & Ballybunion Railway not in the very first Quirky Poll?

[Covkid]

4 hours ago, Legend said:

I went for Snowdon Mountain Engine . I’d need track and accompanying coach of course . 
 

There is actually an Austrian company who make RTR rack equipment in HO scale but not sure of the track gauge.  IIRC they are models of the Schafberg and Schneeberg railways in Austria, but the locos look similar to those on the SMR.  

 

Edited December 14, 2023 by Covkid

[AlfaZagato]

Also fantastically expensive.

[Hroth]

I've just indicated my choices...

 

Of course, if all of them were to be produced, I'd probably only be able to afford the least expensive!

 

 

[Nova Scotian]

I hope that not all the ones I voted for are made available to purchase as my bank account would not take it.

 

I think there are about eight here I want - of those two fit perfectly what I'm starting to build out, the other six are rule 1. One of them involves a new gauge to me!

 

If launched in the same year I could stretch to two or three - if they're spread out over the next decade I'd get all eight. Or I just have to get better at making Judith Edge kits and do a couple myself!

 

Not as quirky - but tortured by my decision not to jump on Bellerophon pre-order. Great example of a very small locomotive class where an order would be purely rule 1 - because I want it. And if Rapido/Accurascale/Bachmann/Hornby/Heljan were making it I'd have ordered.

 

Children getting to the age where I can send them down pit - that might help fund more of my selections. 

[Michael Hodgson]

3 hours ago, Dungrange said:

Was the Listowel & Ballybunion Railway not in the very first Quirky Poll?

I don't know but it's stil not available in RTR

[CloggyDog]

Ah... Had the Y5 been a Hill Y4, I'd have been all over that 5#!t, as the young 'uns say. 😣

 

Still, a Y11 Simplex I'd definitely have, plus the LMS motor car van. 

[Downer]

8 hours ago, Michael Hodgson said:

I don't know but it's stil not available in RTR

Can’t imagine why!

[Wickham Green too]

Thought I spotted a length of Listowel & Ballybunion track under the Christmas tree last year ....... turned out to be a bar of Toblerone !

 

Edited December 15, 2023 by Wickham Green too

[PhilJ W]

How's this for quirkiness? https://www.bermudarailway.net/ The double ended/twin engined luggage vans (100/101) in particular.

 

They were powered by two straight eight side valve petrol engines via a Wilson* gearbox all mounted on the bogies with chain drive to the inner axle connected to the outer axle by rod drive. *As fitted to most BR first generation DMU's and class 03 and 04 shunters

[BMacdermott]

14 hours ago, Mol_PMB said:

I note there's no scale mentioned on any of these and I assume it's largely OO-centric in which case I wouldn't actually buy any of them as I mostly model in O scale with a bit of HO and Om. Hence I haven't voted although I did enjoy reading the list and I like the trend towards modelling very early railways (Locomotion, Trevithick etc.)

 

However, one quirk I have recently purchased is an Andrew Barclay fireless loco kit. Industrials are increasingly popular and these were reasonably standardised and quite widespread. I'm surprised it's not on the list. One for next year?

 

Hello Mol_PMB

 

You are right that we aren't specific about 00 etc. We felt that the market was wide enough. On that basis, you are welcome to vote as long as they are items you would realistically wish to buy.

 

The fireless loco was mentioned earlier in the thread and will go on the Agenda.

 

Brian (on behalf of The Quirky Poll Team)