Clearwater

Railwayana & Model Train Online Auction - Leonard Auction

www.leonardauction.com/auction/auction-310/

This is quite the collection up for auction  in the States. Loads of GWR plates.  The O gauge stock is also pretty stunning.

According to facebook, belonged to a guy called Tom E Jones

For those of us of a certain vintage, this thread, has gone all Rail riders! 

5 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

Following on from the recent discussion regarding Hornby's b-t-bs............

 

 

 

I can only report that the A1 and the Castle performed faultlessly on Little Bytham's mixture of hand-built and Peco pointwork.

 

Being DCC-onboard (with its chip programmed, it would seem, not to operate on a DC system), I'll have to test the 9F elsewhere............

 

 

 
Presumably a castle did pass through Little Bytham in roughly that guise in 1923/24 on the exchange trials?  Though hauling teak stock not clerestories!

David

2 hours ago, 46444 said:

 

Blimey! That box is the size of a hoose!

 

Not even a 4000 Gallon tender either...

Midget box compared to the Accurascale ones!  They're nudging 1:1.  Well O gauge at least!!

On 31/08/2023 at 10:15, Harlequin said:

When I asked, Hornby told me that the image of 4074 incorrectly showed the fire iron tunnel and that the model would not have it. I.e. It was a graphics department error.

 

Hopefully that has been communicated through to the production process...

 

 

Looks like they removed it per Hatton's site.  Though @Coach bogie I think will confirm the spelling is actually correct but wrong if it is supposed to represent an initial day in service!

1 hour ago, Neal Ball said:

Thanks guys

 

 

 

I will order a copy to collect next month when we are in the UK.

 

Has anyone got the Castle class loco book in the Haynes series! Written by Drew at the GWS. Is it good?

 

Thanks

Yes and yes.

very good on identifying differences between the batches.

15 minutes ago, Dunsignalling said:

I very much suspect that substantial quantities will be purchased with exactly that in mind....

 

"Plausible Substitution" in the face of the unavailability of a prototypical trailer?

Sounds like one of those irregular verbs:

I say its a plausible substitution

You say its rule 1

He says its my train set and I'll run what I want to!

There was a very good NAO report on the history of CTRL/LCR, its collapse, rescue, original traffic forecasts etc.  

12 hours ago, Dava said:

Last time I looked, HS1 was mainly owned by the Canadian Teachers Pension Fund.

 

Eventually, when HS2 is completed in whatever limited form, it will also probably be sold to an international owner, such as Dubai, India, China. But it’s viability is very much in question from the constraints being made on the route. 
 

Dava

They sold to HICL a few years ago.  There were various issues with CTRL, as it was originally known, with the traffic forecasts being woefully inaccurate leading London and Continental Railways unable to list as they had planned.  This led to a rescue financing into the link in the CTRL 1 and CTRL 2 both effectively backed by the government through the issue of Government Guaranteed Bonds.  Once the link was opened, the concession was restructured to the current 30 year link with de facto volume guarantees, supported by Gov, for the domestic and international services.  A privatisation process was run in, from memory, 2010.  Was a competitive auction.  Ironically, a colleague and I pitched buying it to HICL but they weren't interested at the time.  From memory, OTPP and OMERS won and later, as is the way, elected to sell the asset one when it was brought by HICL.  HICL is quoted on the stock exchange - you can buy shares in it should you so desire.

Depending on how they structure the infrastructure charges will define whether it is attractive for overseas yield focused investors to buy. 

I’ve invested in the new issue Hornby castle.  The green seems a bit improved to me but still feels a bit insipid.  For comparison, next to Accurascale’s new manor.  The manor look superior in almost every respect.  The smokebox colour and chimney is better, the green richer and the shirbutton really stands out.  You can also see the differences in contemporary tooling to 2010(? - not sure exactly when Hornby tooled this version). 
 

David

39 minutes ago, Captain Kernow said:

Oh dear, how sad it looks these days...

 

Yes - a real place of faded glory.  A similar feeling across the whole ride to Swansea.  Llanelli and, particularly, Camarthan which seemed a shadow of what it must have been.  I'd visited the PUMA storage depot earlier in the day and my distinct sense was the oil traffic is what keeps that line open.  Given the countryside is lovely, I almost wondered whether the line would be more effective as a heritage / tourist route.  A bit like the Scottish line to Fort William for the Jacobite or the Shakespeare Express.

One thing that puzzled me was the footbridge at Haverfordwest was replaced relatively recently.  An odd decision to spend money to connect a pretty much unused platform.

On 22/06/2016 at 21:11, Captain Kernow said:

You could even be in Haverfordwest, and not know it.

I was all to aware where I was given the infrequency of trains and journey times east!

5 hours ago, checkrail said:

Looks absolutely delicious but I don't need another Castle.  (Repeats to self, 'I don't need another Castle!')

 

Time to give 5000 and 5041 a bit of exercise I think, now that it's cool enough to go into the loft again.

Given I wasnt collecting, I mean investing, when these first came out, mine is on its way… will update on the green in the wild later this week !

I've taken some (camera phone) pictures of the Dapol and Accurascale side by side.  I think there are some parallax / lens distortion issues going on in some of the shorts and I've not done this too scientifically.  For me the points that stand out:

1) The difference in the greens - Accurascale is definitely richer; Dapol looks more like a Hornby green (I've taken below with them both ways around)

2) The shininess of the Dapol safety valve stands out to me - again I prefer Accurascale

3) The Dapol firebox looks a touch fatter and a less smooth transition from firebox to boiler barrel

4) It feels like the Dapol model is a smidgen longer - I doubt noticeable at any normal range.

Personally I prefer the Accurascale one however I was also keen to support Dapol.  If we want more RTR goodies, we have to give manufacturers a reason to keep making them!

David

2 hours ago, Anoldpom said:

One thing that really has got my old blood boiling about that Sam review is his insistance that if a locomotive cannot travel at a scale .0000001mph it is an abject failure in his eyes. What a load of what Aussies call 'bullsh@#". Has this lad never seen a real steam locomotive moving on shed or on the main line. They NEVER crawl. They move smoothly and purposely with great power and might. 

 

For what it is worth I have attached a link to a short rather crude film of my new Torquay Manor running slowly and smoothly on straight DC using a Gaugemaster Combi! I should note that this film is just to show Sam and any other doubters that the engine can run slowly. In actual fact this is far slower compared to how steam engines move in real life!

 

This loco is brilliant and I can play for hours just backing this loco onto shed and moving it to the turntable and then backing back onto a train. And the starts and stops with 4 coach trains are absolute heaven! Thank you Accurascale, I would love a decent 47xx!

 

https://youtu.be/EGrmahldZn8

 

 

10 minutes ago, Michael Hodgson said:

He hasn't.  He wasn't even born when steam finished on the main line.

With respect, so what?  He's entitled to his view and you can debate whether you agree with him or not.  People may not like Sam's views (personally I don't watch box opening youtube videos) or agree with his views, but there's no denying he reaches an audience that others do not.  Rather than commenting here, have you commented on his youtube page?

However, to say, as these posts imply, that if you've not see the original in mainline operation, then you can't comment could be considered quite rude by younger modellers.

An awful lot of us who've brought this, and other steam outline, models are way too young to have seen mainline steam.  You have to be at least 60 to have any recollection at all and, realistically older than that to have a proper memory.  Without Sam's generation taking an interest in steam outline models, you may find that quite quickly you don't have any new ones produce.

7 hours ago, Coach bogie said:

Firstly how reliable is the book? Be cautious with the descriptions/captions in the Maidment books. There are some gems across his titles. 

 

Caerphilly also had an additional rainstrip, on the cab roof when first introduced and brakes on the front bogie. Caldicot Castle had the name spelt Caldicott when first entering service, but only for a short time.

 

To be fair to any manufacturer, there were improvements/changes went on all the time. Which version do they choose? One size fits all really does not work here. As I do with kit building pick a date and produce a model for that date.

 

Mike Wiltshire

Hi Mike

Per above, I took the approach of comparing a picture in the book to a mock-up.  Personally, I feel they’re excellent albums for exactly the exercise you describe.  However, if I was a company like Hornby and relying on the pictures/caption for my own professional work, I’d want to do some verification / diligence of the photos/captions to check they show what they think they do.  

David

Any errors of mine, please educate me.  I find it bizarre that they wouldn’t check a new book for pictures.  And then not realise their own tooling is capable of actually delivering a more accurate model.

David

On 27/08/2023 at 09:33, Neal Ball said:

 

There was the "Produced for the NRM" version that I have, which was done a few years ago (R3237 shown in preserved condition) - now there is the current standard tooling version which is due out shortly.

 

R30328: https://uk.Hornby.com/products/gwr-castle-class-4-6-0-4073-caerphilly-castle-era-3-r30328?_br_psugg_q=4073

 

Standard Castle details, this time with the Collett 3500 gal tender and shirt button livery. No fireman tunnel shown, although Hornby seem to be unclear which locos had them!

When they announced the catalogue, I emailed Hornby with some pictures pointing out the errors relative to sources  (the relatively new Maidment book.). Didn’t get an answer.  As I don’t own anywhere near enough castles, I’ll probably get these despite the flaws and re number to a better example.

Thanks Tony - very useful pictures.  If I recall correctly from visiting, although the prototype is on a gradient, your track baseboard is actually level with part of the illusion of the gradient created by the different levels of the land as you move through the sections?  Unlike say Graham's Shap which is actually on a slope?

I've a plan in mind for what I'd like to have (albeit currently lack the space) but am using my mind to start to work out how I'd do it. Something I won't scrimp on is getting someone who knows what they're doing when it comes to woodwork.  Whilst my grandfather was a skilled crafstman, trained at MetCam in Birmingham in the 20s, I think its fair to say its not a talent thats passed down the generations!

Though I suspect that as with most craftsmen, you need to be quite clear about what you want to do and what outcome you're looking for.

David

4 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

Good evening Ollie,

 

The image you mention can be found below......

 

The picture you refer to is on page 131 in Eastern Region Steam Twilight Part One: South of Grantham, by Colin Walker, Pendyke Publications, 1990.

 

 

I used it when I was plotting out the basic groundwork for Little Bytham (which included my original, fudged girder bridge - thankfully now replaced by a scale model).

 

The view (though one can still stand in Station Road at the same spot) is impossible to replicate today. The bridge, of course, has long gone (March, 1963) and A4s no longer run on freights through Bytham, but even if the bridge were still there and A4s still hauled fast goods, a house now blocks the view. Not only that, even if the 'new' house were not there, so much vegetation is present on the embankment that views of (any) trains are impossible now. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

 

 

Thanks for posting this shot Tony of LB under construction. It’s really helpful for those of us who struggle to think in three dimensions to see how the scenery is built up from the base board to create the perspective.  Much as I like shots of layouts in magazines that are artfully produced, seeing aspects like the one above help you understand how the layout is actually built.

Equally I’m a fan of overall layout shots to see what space is required and how physical constraints like joists and chimney breasts have been overcome.  I have also, on occasion, been disappointed when I’ve seen a layout at an exhibition that I’ve seen photographed in a magazine.  The photos can be so good and from a non typical viewing angle that you get a false perspective of what the layout’s really like.  The photos have (successfully) tricked the mind into seeing beyond the edge of the photo and when you realise that what you’ve seen is heavily cropped and there isn’t more, you can feel a slight sense of disappointment.

David

On 27/08/2023 at 13:14, The Stationmaster said:

According to the RCTS there were none in the Wolverhampton Division until  the Wellington allocation in 1935 - which eventually saw 5 of them allocated to that shed.

Thanks Mike.  Would the class generally have gone to WOlverhampton for overhauls?

3 hours ago, RapidoCorbs said:

 

Several were allocated to Wellington and Stafford Road over the years, there is a cracking pic of 4401 at Birmingham Snow Hill in BR Black.

Which era are you looking at?

Thanks - most helpful.  My main focus is 1920s/30s though I'm elastic at the edges / not too rigid about it!

Yes - a quick google has found that photo.  Agree it's an excellent shot.  With what looks like the Birmingham suburban sets.

Did the 44xx series work in the Midlands?  I can’t see any on an initial search on Warwickshire railways but would appreciate a view from the cognoscenti!

My accurascale Manor has arrived.  Excellent service from Kernow who delayed sending it whilst I was away.  
 

I’ve compared it to my Dapol version.  It’s noticeably more finessed particularly around the safety valve and firebox. Colours on accurascale also much better imo.

David

1 hour ago, Roy Langridge said:

As somebody who did visit a fair few times around then, you would be disappointed. After there, you popped to east London for a visit to Stratford.

 

Roy

so much easier these days with the Liz Line but much less to see at either end.  A few container trains through Stratford aside!