NZRedBaron

On 07/05/2024 at 07:57, rodent279 said:

I can't see what advantages these would offer over say a Stanier class 5, or a Thompson B1. TE is about the same, the only possible advantages I can think of are the possibility of a wider firebox being able to burn lower grade coal, and a lower axle load, about 11 tons compared to the 18 or so of a Black 5. Not sure it would have a role in the UK.

Yeah, I was specifically thinking for the War Department, for operations overseas in places like Egypt and the wider Middle East; possibly to supplement the 8F's for workings where speed is a priority, like on hospital trains.

On 26/04/2024 at 19:37, MarkC said:

Um, the J26 & J27 (NER P2 & P3) weren't fitted with continuous brakes - for a genuine mixed traffic 0-6-0 you should look at the J21 (NER Class C). For a bigger mixed traffic loco then the B16 (NER Class S3) would be on the wish list, but getting one of those to run RTR, with the restricted clearances behind the cylinders for the bogie, is quite problematic, I think.

 

Mark

Fair enough; an RTR J21 and a D20 then, to give the NER a full set; maybe add a C7 to the list also?

Just a pity that the B16 sounds like it'd be such a pig to get right- I love how the /1 type looks.

Not sure if I've posted here before, with this idea or otherwise, but there's one notion I've had on my mind for years.

Picture this; it's 1939, and the storm of war is looming over Europe, about to fall at any moment; meantime, the North British Locomotive Company of Glasgow is in the process of completing an order for 30 semi-streamlined 4-8-2 mixed traffic locomotives for the New Zealand Railways Department- these being the NZR 'J-class (1939)'.

A few draftsmen at the office, partly as a thought exercise, partly as a bet, and partly as their contribution to the war to come, decide to copy and rescale the J-class' plans from 3'6" gauge to 4'8.5" gauge; they strip away the unneccessary headlight, streamlining and cowcatchers, along with various other NZ specific parts, and add British standard couplers, buffers and lamp irons, in an attempt to create a simple, no frills, light and powerful mixed traffic engine for the war effort.

Well, to be fair, there's no NER passenger stock that's RTR, and little if any RTR goods wagons; besides, there's always a place for kit building.

You know, it's funny that I just came across this thread; I was just thinking about the North Eastern Railway, and it suddenly dawned on me that it's actually well served in RTR, locomotive-wise; everything aside from express passenger locomotives is available RTR; the upcoming Rapido Y7's and Bachmann's J72's cover shunting, with the J72's also covering 'trip working'; heavy goods is handled by Hornby's Q6's; Oxford Rail has the J26 and J27 for general mixed traffic; and Bachmann's G5 handles the suburban (and maybe also branchline?) passenger trains- all that's missing is an express tender engine, and the NER will have a full set.

On 22/04/2024 at 05:38, VIA185 said:

That's why there was a controversy over naming the new A1 Tornado - a name it would not have carried if it had been built by BR in  the 1950s.

Amusing side-note, that's why I've renamed my model of Tornado; I've also head-canoned her as a Scottish Region allocated engine, and given her the name Black Agnes.

18 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

 

Ooh, what's the story of this picture of Centenary here?

Funny enough, combine that with your old 0-4-0 freelancer design, and you've got some very fun options.

Well, I can't recall if I've ever posted ideas on this thread; but I will make the same suggestions and comments that I made on the similar thread about Rapido models, such as their Jones Goods engine.

On the one hand, it's all very well and good making those high quality models; but if they don't have appropriate stock to haul, whether passenger coaches or goods wagons, then it's all a bit half-baked; for instance, it's fine and good to have the 'Buckjumpers' (J67/68/69) in GER livery, but without proper GER coaches or wagons to haul, then the job feels only half done.

On the other hand, as a shameless LNER-ist with a slight fondness for Scottish and East Anglian operations, it would be nice to fill out the roster there, with some ex-NER equipment (like Raven's S3 class, aka the LNER B16/1's), Gresley's K2 moguls, or even some of the more oddball designs, like the GER Class T26 'Holden Intermediates' 2-4-0's, aka LNER E4's.

9 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

Good afternoon,

 

Regards,

 

Tony.

That's fair to me; personally I don't have a layout (I don't even have room for an Inglenook shunting puzzle), but I do have a fair assortment of stock, some old and some new- mostly LNER, but oddly enough a couple of BR Late Crest locos from the Southern Region.

Fun aside, I have five Gresley pacifics, and none of them are Flying Scotsman or Mallard; what I do have is Royal Lancer (from Hornby's collab with the Royal Mail), Falcon, Golden Eagle, Humorist, and (my personal favourite) Gladiateur (apparently split off from a Queen of Scots train pack).

Question for any/all of the Little Bytham gang; back in the day, did any of you have a 'pet' engine, that you liked to see when out spotting?

How about on the layout itself?

I've made my thoughts on locomotive stock clear before here and elsewhere- I'm personally in favour of seeing a Gresley K2 or a Raven B16/1 in terms of locomotives; but having been thinking some more, and also in something of an aggressive mood today, maybe it's also time to fire a shot across Hornby's bows, and produce accurate, nay, prototypical LNER teak-bodied coaches.

Here's a thought exercise if anyone's interested; is it better to start a layout with a trackplan and build from there, or start with the history and backstory for the layout, and try and adjust a trackplan to fit?

7 hours ago, MarkSG said:

The ferry wagon is an interesting choice, and something that I hadn't previously come across. Not on my purchase radar, since it's the wrong era. But I'm still intrigued enough to want to know more. Where would these have been seen, in real life?

I've looked into this a little, in the past; and from my cursory examinations, you'd see them in East Anglia, for the ferry service between Harwich and Zebrugge in Belgium, as stated in the blurb- you could possibly even see them all the way in London, maybe?

15 minutes ago, Dunsignalling said:

To give prototypical 4/6-wheelers a decent chance, whoever makes them will also need to produce a couple of appropriate locos and two or three wagons, including a goods brake, to offer a decent start for newcomers to pre-group modelling.

 

John

That's my view too; just having an engine is no good- but if there are a few wagon types and a brakevan, or even some token coaches for a passenger engine to pull, then that's a whole different story.

Funny enough, I remember seeing a video last year that discussed a topic like this; it was about types of businesses where only having one or two cars serving them is realistic- I can't for the life of me recall the video, but I vaguely recall some of the examples from it- like an LNG plant, or a furniture factory, or a food packing plant.

I kind of took it as read that wagon repainting would have been suspended during WWII, but yeah, that's all fair enough.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but it would be appropriate to run the pre-1936 and post-1936 LMS vans together in the same train, right? At least if your layout is set between 1936 and 1940-ish?

I'm sad that they didn't/couldn't offer it outside of the UK; I never see any Rapido UK stuff, here in NZ

Hey folks; I'm planning a little art thing in the near future, but in order to complete it, I'd like to get colour pictures of the A4's that were originally assigned to the "Silver Jubilee" from as many different angles as possible to show how they were painted in that striking silver and grey livery they had; and specifically of 2510 Quicksilver, if at all possible.

Photographs of models or the real life A4's are accepted.

Thanks in advance.

11 hours ago, The Johnster said:

Even my most liberal interpretation of Rule 1 cannot quite sanction a chemical works, oil refinery, or gunpowder works/munitions depot at Cwmdimbath, so I probably will not avail myself of one of these pretty little things, but I strongly approve of anything that increases the biodiversity avaialble.  Good choice of prototype as well. a fairly common and widespread industrial with a good period span.  Kudos, Rapido!  It it runs as well as the 16" Hunslet, the running chassis will be in demand for kitbuilds and work-ups; perhaps it can be made available separately?

 

Now, how about a jackshaft driven inside-framed 4-coupled 1950s diesel...

That may be so, but there are other places that a fireless can work; like a paper mill, or a flour mill- indeed, many fireless engines would have worked at factories that produced foodstuffs..

Glad to hear they're going to a good home.

On 01/02/2024 at 00:42, melmerby said:

 

 

For the record, I do believe that that is a Class A5 'switching' engine of the Pennsylvania Railroad.

I know it's a shot in the dark, but those Middleton Railway coaches, the ones converted from former Southern PMV's, would be a great add to any industrial or private light railway layout as a workman's train; and I'd pay a reasonable amount for such.

I've been trying to look around for a while to find details about this fabled document, but to no avail; does anyone know where it could be? Or at least, know what engines were on it?