New train sets and Gift Packs

[Coach bogie]

Just to pick-up on "Coach bogie"'s and others assertions, in Appendix 7 of the HMRS's "Great Western Way", 3711 is noted as being observed in Khaki livery in September 1916. This would appear to support the livery choice of Bachmann.

 

Mac.

3711 was certainly in Swindon Works between April 1916 and July 1916 entering the works in fully lined garter livery. This is the only opportunity for a repaint. By September 1916, City of Birmingham was working out of Chester and I find it difficult to believe 3711 would have received a repaint whilst in the far north of the sysyem. There would be no reason to, and certainly a large wheel 4-4-0 would have little use in mainland Europe. 3711 remained in the Northern district until August 1918 when a 5 month visit to Swindon was required. Again, there is no reason for a kaki repaint. When collecting the history there was no special notes recorded re any ROD livery (it would have been recorded for invoicing to the ROD) and again 3711 was still GWR capital stock.

 

Unless an image turns up, it is going to one of those unproven one way or another. Certainly 3711 was in plain GREAT WESTERN livery in 1918 as photo evidence shows.

 

Mike Wiltshire

[JhornG201]

There's a quick review of the Railway Children train pack in HM91 out today on pages 86 & 87 and included are photos of the production run pannier, GNSR (LMS) period 1 coaches and Oakworth station building. A very nice looking pack.

[Adrock]

Bachmann could have used a correct locomotive - the 53xx class. They have the tooling (not as good as the City's though), but the last time it was available it had the not-very-good-running split chassis.

Yes when I first saw the picture of the proposed set I thought it was the 53xx mogul, but unfortunately not. It just shows though, if they had upgraded the mogul's chassis years ago they'd have had a more accurate machine for this set! I really wonder what has stopped Bachmann from updating the chassis for the mogul (and indeed the manor) for all these years?

[Butler Henderson]

3711 was certainly in Swindon Works between April 1916 and July 1916 entering the works in fully lined garter livery. This is the only opportunity for a repaint. By September 1916, City of Birmingham was working out of Chester and I find it difficult to believe 3711 would have received a repaint whilst in the far north of the sysyem. There would be no reason to, and certainly a large wheel 4-4-0 would have little use in mainland Europe. 3711 remained in the Northern district until August 1918 when a 5 month visit to Swindon was required. Again, there is no reason for a kaki liverry.

Maybe someone who is an RCTS member could raise the issue, its not unknown for apparently accurate references to be erronous; then again did Wolverhampton carry out painting, could a loco be painted in error or for a special purpose and soon afterwards corrected?

[PenrithBeacon]

One of my whinges about Bachmann new releases is the concentration on locomotives but not the things they pull. Perhaps a reversion to the 'train set' concept would resolve this. It needn't be too much for the NRM to organise, they have the resources. The LYR tank could have come out with four LYR carriages for example. I would certainly have bought that, if only because it would be a nice thing to have. The Ivatt 2-6-2T could easily be marketed with two or three push-pull coaches and such a thing would be a definite purchase for me.

 

Similarly for freight, the LYR tank, very much a mixed traffic type, could be marketed with an LYR brake van and a few PO wagons from the LYR area and again the Ivatt with a brake van and some wagons/vans. I could add more and more ...

 

Regards

[brossard]

I agree David, something I've moaned about before - the lack of accurate coaching stock for all these wonderful locos to pull.  With train packs and sets, I frequently see incorrect coaching because the manufacturers aren't prepared to develop a new model.  Hornby's train packs are especially egregious in this respect because they often include very old...ahem...models to go with newly tooled locos.

 

New coach models are coming but it does seem to take an inordinate amount of time.  I would like to see better coordination with loco releases.

 

As for freight stock, it would be good to see a bit more variety of brake vans.  However, goods vehicles can be built from kits with more ease than coaches.

 

Since you mention L&Y brakes, I couldn't resist this:

 

 

It's a D&S kit.

 

John

[gc4946]

One of my whinges about Bachmann new releases is the concentration on locomotives but not the things they pull. Perhaps a reversion to the 'train set' concept would resolve this. It needn't be too much for the NRM to organise, they have the resources. The LYR tank could have come out with four LYR carriages for example. I would certainly have bought that, if only because it would be a nice thing to have. The Ivatt 2-6-2T could easily be marketed with two or three push-pull coaches and such a thing would be a definite purchase for me.

 

Similarly for freight, the LYR tank, very much a mixed traffic type, could be marketed with an LYR brake van and a few PO wagons from the LYR area and again the Ivatt with a brake van and some wagons/vans. I could add more and more ...

 

Regards

 

A train pack would have been a good way to introduce newly-tooled carriages or wagons into the range, however it's not easy to synchronise the tooling process and production slots of a brand-new tooled item, with the timescales of a production slot of a re-livery.

 

The GWR WW1 ambulance set could have heralded the introduction of model GWR toplight carriages including one corridor 3rd numbered 3639, preserved on the West Somerset Railway,

http://www.wssrt.co.uk/latest-news-from-the-trust  see 23 June, 9 July, 30 July and 27 Sept 2014 blog postings

 

however Bachmann thought it was more expedient to bring out their LMS carriages dressed up in appropriate style instead.

[Unknown Warrior]

It is only a few years since the thought of a variety of pregrouping locos in pregrouping liveries would have seemed unlikely. Now it is relatively common place. Rolling stock is now following slowly, but not enough for authentic complete train packs. However the Bachmann SE&CR Bird cage stock could change that.

 

Careful reading of the Oxford Rail website suggests that complete trains of authentic stock is on their agenda. L&SWR coaches to go with the Adams Radial perhaps?!

Edited December 14, 2014 by Unknown Warrior

[southernelectric]

Just got an email from Rails - looks like the Railway Children pack has come into stock.

[Prometheus]

If anyone has the Ambulance Train set and has abeen able to match the colour of the coaches to a proprietary shade of paint, I'd be interested to know what was identified as a match. Bachmann were not able to help.

 

Thank you

 

Tony

[steveb860]

Just got an email from Rails - looks like the Railway Children pack has come into stock.

Indeed, had a look at a newly arrived set in my local Gloucestershire model shop. Very nice looking set. Absolutely no use to me, but I want one.

[papagolfjuliet]

Indeed, had a look at a newly arrived set in my local Gloucestershire model shop. Very nice looking set. Absolutely no use to me, but I want one.

 

Mine just turned up - full marks to Kernow once again - and it is very, very nice. Makes an interesting companion piece for my old Tri-ang Railway Children set.

[Ian Hargrave]

You can always run it with Bachmann's Webb Coal Tank when it finally arrives.

[Butler Henderson]

Mine just turned up - full marks to Kernow once again - and it is very, very nice. Makes an interesting companion piece for my old Tri-ang Railway Children set.

Whats the loco livery like, the review in ModelRail suggest its too dark,

[papagolfjuliet]

Whats the loco livery like, the review in ModelRail suggest its too dark,

 

Photos here: https://railsofsheffield.com/the-railway-children-collectable-train-pack-30-575-JJJA26070.aspx

 

For my money it is closer to the shade recently applied at Shildon than to that which it carries in the film.

Edited December 22, 2014 by papagolfjuliet

[gwrrob]

The hinges on the smokebox door look lopsided to my eyes.Might be worth checking before purchase.A charming set though.

[jjb1970]

I'm in a bit of a quandry now as the ambulance train is one of the releases I have been really excited about. This is an ideal cross over for me as my principal hobby/interest in WW1 and the history of Europe in the decades leading to WW1 (much more than my interest in railways) and I love the GWR. So this ticks a lot of boxes for me, now however it seems to be a fantasy release. I really do not know anything about ambulance trains, a few weeks ago I didn't know it was a fantasy and was desperate for the model to be released. I'm almost certainly going to buy it as at the end of the day the set does look very nice and it still straddles some major interests of mine.

 

The railway children set looks terrific, a fascinating subject to model and it is nice to see Bachmann model something a bit out of the ordinary like that. I am very tempted but will probably resist as it appears train packs crossing over between interests of mine (the Southern Dunkirk return train, Churchill funeral train and the GWR WW1 troop train all announced by Hornby) as well as the ambulance train are becoming quite a nice little stream of releases.

[90rob]

Now for a Lancashire and Yorkshire Class 25.  Bachmann could, of course, bring out a set for the 2000 remake of the Railway Children with SECR C class and LBSCR E4 - but it wouldn't be the  same....

Edited December 22, 2014 by 90rob

[Butler Henderson]

Photos here: https://railsofsheffield.com/the-railway-children-collectable-train-pack-30-575-JJJA26070.aspx

 

For my money it is closer to the shade recently applied at Shildon than to that which it carries in the film.

I've been looking at photos around the web, the Shildon livery looks very dark in most but lighter in some others, the late 80s livery always looks very light, the film looks very light but photos taken at the time of filming show it to be darker. Its possible that the film colours were tweaked during its production and if that is the case the Shildon repaint is probably an accurate replication of how 5775 looked in 1970. If this is correct it does leave scope for a further version in its late 1980s applied livery with numberplates.

[DaveF]

After the filming of The Railway Children the 57xx remained in the livery for a while, but re lettered as "WORTH VALLEY".

 

The photo below shows how Agfa colour slide film of the day captured it.  Remember that colour film does not always record any shade accurately, a lot depends on the lighting conditions as well as the characteristics of the film emulsion.  It is almost as fallible as the human eye.

 

Haworth 57xx in GN&SR Railway Children livery but relettered as Worth Valley L89 April 1971 C533

 

Edited to remove an errant upper case letter.

David

Edited December 22, 2014 by DaveF

[Ozexpatriate]

The photo below shows how Agfa colour slide film of the day captured it.  Remember that colour film does not always record any shade accurately, a lot depends on the lighting conditions as well as the characteristics of the film emulsion.  It is almost as fallible as the human eye.

Agfachrome (at least that's what I thought it was called) was pretty nice though.

Edited December 22, 2014 by Ozexpatriate

[Butler Henderson]

The photo below shows how Agfa colour slide film of the day captured it......

Haworth 57xx in GN&SR Railway Children livery but relettered as Worth Valley L89 April 1971 C533

 

David

Thanks David. A years weathering and the colour characteristics of the slide still make me think that the Shildon replication is relatively accurate and hence that of the Bachmann model. Edited December 23, 2014 by Butler Henderson

[DaveF]

Agfachrome (at least that's what I thought it was called) was pretty nice though.

 

I always liked Agfachrome - in the early days it was Agacolor, before that term was used for print films.

 

The only problem was that by the 2000s when I started scanning they were staring to fade badly (despite being kept in the dark) and the developing green sky color (and bits of magenta) was becoming a problem.

 

It was called Agfa CT18 for a long time, as it was ASA (ISO) 50, the later version was Agfa CT21 (ISO 100) before it was called Agfachrome 100.

 

David

[Robin Brasher]

The Railway Children set arrived at the Swanage Station shop a few days ago at about the same time as it was shown on television. The shop ordered 6 of these sets and 6 of the Ambulance Train and has already sold 5 Ambulance trains. The Railway Children set costs less than a single Hornby M7 locomotive. Earlier this year the shop stopped selling model railway items but the success of selling these items will make the shop change its mind.

[papagolfjuliet]

After the filming of The Railway Children the 57xx remained in the livery for a while, but re lettered as "WORTH VALLEY".

 

The photo below shows how Agfa colour slide film of the day captured it.  Remember that colour film does not always record any shade accurately, a lot depends on the lighting conditions as well as the characteristics of the film emulsion.  It is almost as fallible as the human eye.

 

Haworth 57xx in GN&SR Railway Children livery but relettered as Worth Valley L89 April 1971 C533.jpg

Haworth 57xx in GN&SR Railway Children livery but relettered as Worth Valley L89 April 1971 C533

 

Edited to remove an errant upper case letter.

David

 

Didn't it also appear in that livery in an episode of "Last of the Summer Wine"?