The Black Hat

Note to Heljan.... Keep going NORTH!

Think you'll find the only decent Q's around had an extra driving wheel....

Dark side? Everything NER was pretty much Black! Sure your not falling for my influences on that one. Meanwhile, surely someone has a model of Earl cains and Clun Castle that they could just put the the tender from the first and the body of the latter together to see if they match. Actually have rang Hornby who said they dont sell replacement tenders.... so not much help there.

Hello Brian I was thinking that the crest would be all thats different but was wondering about whether the shade was slightly out given its two different production runs and was hoping someone would be able to have the two side by side and let me know if its more or less okay to do it. Yes the tender is from a new Earl Cains, the one from the Watermann collection series, but by marrying it with Clun Castle and a renumber I end up with none other than 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe.. which despite northern loyalties I've developed a massive soft spot for! Sshh! Keep it secret... or my new year rant about no NER engines made will be blown out the water!

Hello all masters of Western region knowledge etc... Im needing advice on the paint colour of two of Hornby's releases for a tender swap. I am able to purchase a tender from a model of Earl Cains, in BR early crest and want to swap it with a tender purchased off Clun Castle. Do people know whether the paint schemes on the two are fairly similar (Im thinking that someone has bought both somewhere and would know) and also is the tender the same as the newest Castle locomotives being released? Thanks in advance...

Not just lateral - but logical and some might say insprired thinking from those at Barwell. Given how well the current set up with Network Rail stuff is going for the current scene, modelling Departmental stock from this period would be a boon for Bachmann as everyone will want that train for the novelty value of running something different. Notice how some of it is for electrification work to be done. That will surely inspire modellers to string up the wires for that class 85 in early blue, for this train to then be seen along side on test. When seen in that light, the possibilities of counter sales and some great modelling make such choices sheer brilliance.

Model looks fantastic. Is that the test for the production run? In which case, I hope they are made quickly enough. Its been a while since I was as eagerly anticipating the release of a model like this. The level of detail and accuracy is going to make Bachmann sit up and take note. Would lay money they respond with a modern DMU next year but thats all speculation. Charlie, Arran and the team deserve enromous praise for the work completed to get this far with the model. If this is the latest stage, and about to go into production, which all but completes this process for development, whats the news on that next project you have alluded too? Should class 143/144 be as good as it is, I cant wait for the next one - which Im really after!

While some might have mentioned it before, theres nothing wrong with mentioning it again. I think your partly right about a few people just wanting to run preservation as an excuse to buy any engine from any time period and run the lot along side each other. I make sure that I try to get most of the engines I have renumbered to be examples of engines that are preserved. The downfall of that is that the railways where the engines are known to be would suddenly be short on motive power as they all seem to operate on mine! Of course even I make the odd exception, like a train of Gaffar coaches dubbed a mock teak set as in new build that is supposed to look old but actually are run as a new build rake designed to look the part, and the odd new build engine like a J39. I think operation makes it as much a real preserved layout as much as the clutter of an HQ station or depot, which my preserved layout isnt. In the end, the differences in this make the comparrisons all the more fun!

Nice to hear someone else Modelling the north eastern! Hope manufacturers are taking note... but about that Delorean... it might have made it to 88 mph - but was it pushed!?

Group Standards shouldnt be for just the units to. Although units are getting their former wipac light clusters changed to a LED format, this brings them into line with other upgrades to safety standards that have become neccesary for operation on the railway. Class 66, 67, etc are good examples of the same format of day and night headlight settings, and thankts to modern tec all that changes is the brightness on some lights to work for the right settings. Marvellous how Charlie and the team have gone into this level of detail for the class. Cant wait to get mine bouncing its way into Bishop!

Called into yesterday on a spirited run to Stanley to grab some scenecraft and scaledale for the extension im planning. Shop has everything you could need in it! Good service, good prices and freindly staff... Reccomend highly....

I had my orders for the ones I was wanting but the shop sadly closed.... Charlie, whats the chance of a combination deal for 144/143 model and a Biffo sound chip?

A few more in case anyone was interested.... Some engines done up for the Weardale Railway, akin to the idea railways did paint some for their own identies. And then the really subtle ones: With Tornado being done in British railways apple green and looking good, I wondered what would happen if you look the BR lining of early and late crest and adopted that for BR apple green. The result - a rather smart pair of engines. 60164 Northern Star and 60540 Orpheus.

A few years ago, I came up with a way of getting some interest for my first exhibition layout, Briganton. The layout had plenty of action with loading chutes for ballast trains and with a station for terminating trains. However, set in privitisation the layout could feature a few old liveries mixed with new ones just on trains that were never run by such companies. Each train carried the name of a charity, with one being used for that day. People would give a donation to see one come on from a list, including some famous engines like Flying Scotsman. The idea worked really well and is something I might do again in the future. However, some repaints were basic and some engines have been sold on. It hasnt stopped me as now, with subtle changes, steam engines are the ones that have been rebuilt. But first, here are some diesel examples... Regional Railways class 50. The idea was that these were transfered for transpennine work that became cascaded down to long distance passenger. Middlesbro - Carlisle, Settle - Carlisle, etc. Oddly, no class 08 was ever painted into Loadhaul! (Everyones favourite...) So I decided to do one and think its quite a good one to do. How about a Transrail class 25. The class survived on a little further in Scotland and even more so if a departmental 24. So I thought perhaps one or two for light departmental workings would be good but with the companies split, it meant a choice of what to go for. Three tone grey with Big T was the answer. And so on into Privitisation. Arriva were the franchise for the north, but with locomotive haulage making a comeback, it was a little surprising Arriva didnt request a matching tractor for the role of the S+C job. So my layout had another service, with matching 37... Going one better.... how about Scotrail keeping the 47/7 push and pull idea, only that the 47s were worn and needed upgrading. Answer, Scotrail National Express Swoosh class 57... obviously! Sorry pics are not of brilliant quality but these are from a few years ago. Hope you found it entertaining....

Will put my name to the great service have recieved from Durham Trains of Stanley when at the Spennymoor show today. Nice varied stall with plenty to get others interested. Purchased a nice class 08 with sound... very pleased with the service given.

Nevermind that.... Any luck with 143Bond as you mentioned at York? Surely that will sell just for the novelty.... Im ordering one of that one now!

Steam: Favourite engine is 62005: (also seen here: http://www.blackhatr...o.uk/p340258256 ) Other favourits are a NER Q6 (some of which here: http://www.blackhatr...o.uk/p103989125 ) And really adore a J21 (LSWR T9 - Youve got to be joking - melt it and make another one of these... http://www.blackhatrailwaypictures.co.uk/p570292127/h239e84eb#h239e84eb ) Have to crave the indulgance of an A4 and A2. Away from the region I adore (yes its possible ) - GWR Panniers, 14xx, Castle and a King get my vote. Black 5's, Rebuilt Royal Scot's and Ivatt 2MT-T BR standards - Britannia class, Duke is a gorgeous monster of a machine, 76xxx and 78xxx. Diesel: Class 66!! One in particular: http://www.blackhatr...o.uk/p151123395 Also rans, class 37, class 50, class 60 on appearance of looks.... Units: Going get my leg pulled here, but hey.... http://www.blackhatr...o.uk/p302187427 Could have been class 158, class 170.

Enjoyed the chat and discussion over the possibilites with the class 143/144 and future project. Traveled to York with the expressed interest of seeing this model during its developments and was very pleased with the results. Can't wait for them to be made!

61264 has the North Eastern Railway type smokebox door, that was just a type with the ratios reformatted for smoke box door from a typical NER standard design. Evidence of this can be seen by looking at the work from the Darlington drawing office, which did most of the work on typical workhorses of LNER construction, while others did the more flamboyant top link, or heavy freight engines. Darlingtons use of the NER style door, matches with engines such as the G5, J21, Q6, etc, which continued on into LNER designs like D49, J39, B1, B17, O1, which all were supported by the Darlington office and used standard parts like Cabs, smokeboxes, etc. Other doors, such as the type used by the K1, were fitted but were based on other design works. Other drawings had the doors looking different and works interpreted them differently so that B1s ended up with different smokebox doors. The standard B1 door, as fitted to Mayflower, was due to a private company winning the sub contract to build the new engines and as a result made its own fabrications for doors rather than use a conventional practice that already existed. As a result I know the next B1 Hornby is doing will feature a K1 style door, based on GNR and NER (J27) freight practice layout, which should be 61270. However, with different toolings here, I hope the door as akin to 61264 follows later. Use of the K1 style door might also be an indicator of what is likely to follow from Margate, given the possibility of using standard parts for a new locomotive. They will have the tender, pony truck, cab, and smokebox for the K1. Given how the O1 suddenly followed from the B1, a K1 seems highly likely using logical assumption that the trend of using standard parts, leads to a new model.

Im after that kind of B1 front, but thinking attacking a B1 is the only way to get it. Hornbys announcement for the B1 this year is the same bigger smokebox door varient. Given the example above is close to 61264, being 61276, I'm wondering if they were the same batch, and where the pair where built. If so, another builder might have the same box front as Darlingtons NER style, which adorned the first 10 and which I think is much smarter.

The layout Ive done has its own timetable, and yes the same engines return on the working they set out on. So both engines and stock are matched. I guess the problem is that every show ends up being a gala weekend as there are more engines to run, and things to shunt. Equally so, from the network end there is a railtour each day and a test train! So its fairly accurate, but then you need to find a balance between prototypical operation and enough movement to entertain the crowds. I would take it as a rediculous point to suggest this was only the case with preserved railways. Engines dont come onto depot and off every 2 mins if your modelling a TMD, nor does a wagon works repair a wagon in 10 mins for the engine to shunt to another train, same with loadings at a goods shed etc. With regards to stock it depends what your running. A main preserved British Railways standard guage preserved line has a lot of stock. Modelling the North East as I do, very little in the way of Eastern region engines exist. Black 5s have become adopted north east engines when you think of NYMR and preservation - its merely the next chaper in their development. So too engines from other regions and although I prefer others even some Southern engines have migrated north. I have preserved examples of A1, A4, Black 5, Ivatt 2, Ivatt 4, and BR standards on my North East line because they are available and much like the real counterpart, little North Eastern is. Despite this, some licence creeps in, so Ive my own A1 (60164) and A2 (60540), with J39s also having been built again nearby....

Sorry to sound off my opinion (sorry, couldnt resist the bad joke) but I really enjoy sound and think it brings an added realism to the layouts we can operate. Problem is that a lot of the sounds that most imediately think of when sound comes to mind are things like engine start up or shuntdown, horns and the engine note changing when the engine moves. If operators used functions like the wheel flange, track groan or coupling to more effect it would make sound that much more real to hear when the trains move. Coaching stock adds its own real sounds when the wheels pass over track joins, much like the real thing. Whats needed is some standarisation between the sounds that companies use. Even if its just the same ones put in place by the same company. You would know that, for example all 'Company A' engines have coupling as F5, and flange as F10. Im just using those as examples and dont belive they are all that way at present, regardless of steam, diesel or electric power. You need all of the ones that can be the same in sequence, before then adding unique sounds, like HST suspension noise as a later function. I have to admit, I have a lot of Howes sound chipped engines as they can be run straight away and are much better to 'drive' given the speed of the change in engine note, compared to that of the movement of the train. That goes for diesel and steam wheel rate movements too. Sound for me has the potential to take realistic operations to a level that makes the whole experience of creating a small world all the more possible. What with the trains moving and sounds, whats now needed are things like independant and controllable red lights on functions. You can do as far as to have orange door lights, or lights in buildings linked to decoders so people walk round and turn lights off as they 'leave' a room in a building. Fact is, sound is another tool for operation, but a toy to make it fun to use, fun to watch. It can be taken to the extremes of seriousness just as easily as its something for you to play with and enjoy. I like the challenge that the idea sound can give to better operation, but overall its just much more FUN!

Yes Jack, my layout Bishop Auckland is on the exhibtion circuit - it has national network meeting a preservation terminus, with a little bit of dispensation from network rail to allow the engines to pass within the station confines, similar to Grosmont - Battersby ideas, given Bishop Auckland is far away from the main network. The layout has had considerable work done to it to make it smarter in appearance and smoother to operate, but I imagine its outing at the Scout Hall in Bishop Auckland on the 21st and 22nd is a jaunt too far from the Isle of Wight.... Info and links is in the Exhibition section.

A good choice, Sir.