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Posts Tagged ‘Bulleid Merchant Navy Pacifics’

Bulleid Merchant Navy update: different stages of preservation especially 35006 and 35011, progress is all positive

Posted in 35006, 35011, General, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on August 8, 2018| 1 Comment »

You can not help but admire the Bulleid Merchant Navy paciifics in either original air smoothed or their later rebuilt form. Its it great that a number have been preserved and are at various stages of restoration / preservation. Regular readers of this blog will know, via the two dedicated pages that I am shareholder in both 35006 Peninsular & Oriental S. N. Co. and 35011 General Steam Navigation. I am also a member of the Merchant Navy Locomotive Preservation Society that maintains and operates 35028 Clan Line in such wonderful  running condition on the main line. This  my way of playing a small part in the preservation of these splendid machines.

We are also fortunate that 35018 British India Line privately owned by Dave Smith of West Coast Railways is now, like 35028 regularly performing on the Main Line. 35005 Canadian Pacific is currently undergoing a major overhaul at Eastleigh works before returning to service on the Mid Hants, Watercress, Railway. You can add your support to 35005 here.

The purpose of this post is to assist with the awareness and publicity of these wonderful locomotives, especially No.6 and No.11, you can tell I like them can’t you…

35006

35006 has the signal off at Cheltenham Racecourse (ready to run around rather than head further south)

35006 in the sunshine at Toddington on 14/07/18

As can be read on my dedicated page, updated today, for 35006 Peninsular & Oriental S. N. Co the evening of the 14th July 2018 was the annual members day event with a dedicated special train purely for members and shareholders of the 35006 Society.

Inside the cab of No.6

No.6 had been in service on the Gloucestershire and Warwickshire Steam Railway during the day and between here last service run and the private train she was coaled and positioned for viewing at Toddington, where even her nameplate received an additional polish.

The setting sun visible through the window and the fireman keeps No.6 simmering

She certainly looked as seen above splendid in the bright and hot summer sunshine.

Once coupled to the members train she ran non stop to Cheltenham racecourse station where she took on water.

Sun, Shadows & shapes at Broadway

Having run round she took the train tender first, again non stop, back past Toddington and on to the new extension, only opened at Easter this year, to the wonderfully recreated, Broadway station which looked fantastic in the evening setting sunshine.  The 14 miles end to end gives a nice 28 mile round trip, and a couple of nice gradients thown into the mix,  with some great views across the Cotswolds.

The driver awaits the off from Broadway

The run from Broadway back to Toddington was certainly a spirited one, having spoken to the driver on arrival at Toddington about the likely speed, he replied with a grin on his face that the gauge didn’t go over 21 at any point (is it a co-incidence that the vacuum brake gauge would have been showing 21inches..?)

It was certainly a great day and evenings run, with No.6 looking great and running superbly and a credit to the 35006 Society and the running staff of the Gloucestershire and Warwickshire Steam Railway

It was also great to be able to get up close to 35006 and hopefully some of the pictures illustrating this post shows the impressiveness of her and also the impressive level of restoration and maintenance that has gone into this complex piece of engineering Bulleid Brilliance (with a little bit of Jarvis thrown in, I will concede).

No.6 sits at Cheltenham Racecourse 14th July 2018 members day special

35006 is currently restored for steaming this month on 18th, 19th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd, 24th and 25th. But  for the very latest information on loco rostering check the GWSR website here

See my page here on how you can help keep, in any small way, No.6 up and running. 

Bulleid bits in abstract (with some Jarvis parts)

35011

The General Steam Navigation Locomotive Restoration Society was formed at the end of 2015 with the aim of taking over 35011 from her then owners and commence full restoration once a new location for this to take place can be found. The first major milestone of the new 35011 Locomotive Society of talking over ownership of 35011 took place in August 2016.

Some of the deicated team pose in front of No.11 with one of the lovely new nameplates (picture courtesy and copyright 35011 Society)

A number of working parties have already taken place at the current site, although a new site is required before more major work can be carried out. the boiler receiving a further coat of protective paint and work on the trailing truck (being the only surviving fabricated style trailing struck). Also a variety of components have been sourced and machined, including impressive new nameplates and also injector valve handles (to which I contributed to the fund to sponsor these items.

A set of injector valve handles that I am proud to have sponsored.

The Society have also acquired a brass lamp fitted with the bullseye lens, toggle switch to side and bulb holder inside (as per the one shown on 35006 pictured above). The lamp is reported to have come off Merchant Navy’ Class No. 35024 “East Asiatic Company”. Gaining the lamp is fantastic news for the project as the use of original components helps add character to the locomotive.

See my page here on how you can  help with the restoration project of returning No.11 back to original Air Smoothed condition, every little helps.

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Hornby announce 2018 range includes brand new Lord Nelson class and Maunsell Kitchen Dining First catering coaches [updated 12/01/18]

Posted in General, Model News, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 8, 2018| 28 Comments »

Hornby have today announced their full range for 2018 hot on the heals of yesterdays Bachmann announcement.  For this year’s range Hornby have gone to a single announcement rather than new toolings announced over the last few month either at Warley or via their Engineshed blog, possibly as a result of new broom(s) at the helm. The highlights  from a Southern Railway perspective being the brand new tooled Maunsell Lord Neslon class 4-6-0 and Maunsell 59ft Kitchen / Dining First catering vehicles. The now outdated Bachmann Lord Nelson will be easily surpassed by this new tooling that will incorporate variations to chimneys, smokeboxes, saddles and tenders. Last years H Class 0-4-0t also makes an appearance with revised tooling for the flat sided bunker.

Hornby’s Lord Nelson 851

The range also sees a welcome reintroduction of the 5Bel Brighton belle Set, in the 1960’s livery with small yellow warning panels, the model has also been updated with revised electrical connections between the cars. Also back in the range is the Devon Belle observation car.

The aim of this post is to round up the announcements that are of a Southern Railway / Southern Region interest and new for 2018, I have purposely not relisted those item previous announced and or still to actually appear. An indication of the planned release date via the Quarter system (eg [Q2] is also provided.

Locomotives

  • R3634 – SR 4-6-0 ‘Sir Francis Drake’ No. E851 Maunsell Lord Nelson Class in pre 1931 SR Lined Olive livery without Smoke deflectors, with snifting valves, original chimney and tender. [Q2]
  • R3635 – BR 4-6-0 ‘Lord Rodney’ No. 30863 Maunsell Lord Nelson Class in BR Brunswick Green with early crest,  Lemaitre chimney, short smokebox, piano front (Maunsell cylinders) smoke deflectors and high sided tender. [Updated]  [Q2]
  • R6303TTS – BR 4-6-0 ‘Lord Nelson’ No. 30850 Maunsell Lord Nelson Class in BR Brunswick Green with late emblem,  Lemaitre chimney, extended smokebox (Bulleid cylinders) smoke deflectors and high sided tender. DCC and TTS sound fitted [Q3]

    TTS Sound fitted 30850

  • R3617 – BR 4-6-2 ‘Elder Dempster Lines’ Rebuild Bulleid Merchant Navy Pacific number ‘35030’ in BR Brunswick Green with late emblem as she ran post rebuilding in April 1958. [Q2]
  • R3618 – BR 4-6-2 ‘Royal Observer Corps’ Rebuilt Bulleid West Country Light Pacific number 34050 in BR Brunswick Green with with late emblem as she ran post rebuilding in August 1958. [Q2]
  • R3631 – ex SECR 0-4-4T H Class number 31265, representing one of the 15 members of the class with flat side bunkers (revised tooling new for 2018), BR early crest. [Q3]
  • R3632 – BR 4-6-2 ‘East Asiatic Company’ ‘35024’ Merchant Navy (Original Air Smoothed) – BR Line Blue, early crest representing the condition she ran in between May 1949 and June 1951 when she gained Brunswick green. [Q4]

    Merchant Navy Pacific 35024 in BR Blue livery

  • R3638  – ‘Bideford’ Number 34019 Bulleid Battle of Britain Light Pacific – cut down 4500 gallon tender,  BR Green late emblem Post 1956 condition. [Q4]
  • R3507TTS – S15 Class number 30832 BR Black with early emblem DCC TTS sound. [Q2]
  • R3658 BR Class 50 Number 50033 ‘Glorious’ in Network South East livery. [Q4]

The ex SECR H Class  tank makes an appearance as an Exclusive model in the delayed Hornby Collectors Club now launched, R3648 Number 263 as preserved condition on the Bluebell Railway due July 2018. A big clue was of course her appearance on the Hornby Stand at the Warley show last month.

In addition to the Lord Nelson Hornby’s new locomotive tooling for 2018 comprises of LMS 4-6-2 Streamlined Princess Coronation Class and ex North British Railway, Holmes Class C/ LNER J36 0-6-0.

Train and Coach packs

  • R3606 – Pullman 5Bel Brighton Belle ‘Train Pack’, Unit 3053, Driving Motor Brake Parlour Third Car No. 92 and No.93.  1960s Umber and Cream, with small yellow warning panel [Updated] [Q3]
  • R4871  – Pullman 5Bel Brighton Belle ‘Coach Pack’, Unit 3053, Trailer Parlour First Kitchen ‘Gwen’, ‘Mona’ and  Trailer Parlour Third Car No. 85. 1950s Umber and Cream, early crest [Q3]

Coaches

  • R4816 –  SR Maunsell Kitchen Dining First Number 7869 Diagram 2656, in SR Green. [Updated] [Q4]
  • R4817 – BR Maunsell Kitchen Dining First Number S7946S Diagram 2651, in BR(s) Green. [Q4]

    Kitchen Diner First Diagram 2556 No 7869 c1940 image copyright and courtesy M King

  • R4860 – Pulman ‘J’ Type Devon Belle Observation Car Number 13. [Q4]
  • R4717A – SR 58′ Maunsell Rebuilt (Ex-LSWR 48’) Eight Compartment Brake Third Class Non-Corridor, SR Olive Green, Diagram 99 No. 2636 that formed set 42 with R4719A. [Q2]
  • R4718A – S R 58′ Maunsell Rebuilt (Ex-LSWR 48’) Six Compartment Lavatory Brake Third Coach, SR Olive Green  diagram 98 No. 2625 used as ‘loose’ stock. [Q2]
  • R4719A – SR 58′ Maunsell Rebuilt (Ex-LSWR 48’) Six Compartment Lavatory Brake Composite Coach, SR Olive Green, Diagram 418 No. 6401 that formed set 42 with R4717A.  [Q2]
  • R4720A – SR 58′ Maunsell Rebuilt (Ex-LSWR 48’) Nine Compartment Lavatory Third Class Coach, SR Olive Green, Diagram 31 No. 364 used as ‘loose’ stock. [Q2]
  • R4833 BR Maunsell Open Third, Number 1400 Diagram 2005 SR Olive Green . [Q4]
  • R4835 BR Maunsell Open Second, Number S1346S Diagram 2005 Crimson and Cream livery. [Q4]
  • R4836 – BR Maunsell 6 Compartment Third Class Brake Coach – BR(s)Green – High window style to diagram 2102, Number S2763S,  branded as set 230. [Q4]
  • R4838 – BR Maunsell 6 Compartment Third Class Brake Coach – BR(s)Green – High window style to diagram 2102, Number S2764S,  branded as set 230. [Q4]
  • R4839 – BR Maunsell Corridor 7 Compartment composite  Coach – BR(s)Green  – High window style to diagram 2301, Number S5673S,  part of 3 coach set 230. [Q4]
  • R4840 – BR Maunsell 4 Compartment Third Class Brake Coach – BR(s)Green – Low window style to diagram 2101, Number S3232S,  branded as set 399. [Q4]
  • R4841 – BR Maunsell 4 Compartment Third Class Brake Coach – BR(s)Green – Low window style to diagram 2101, Number S3233S,  branded as set  399. [Q4]
  • R4842 – BR Maunsell Corridor 7 Compartment composite  Coach – BR(s)Green  – Low window style to diagram 2301, Number S5145S,  part of 3 coach set 399. [Q4]
  • R4834 – BR Maunsell Corridor 8 Compartment Corridor second Coach – BR(s)Green  – High window style to diagram 2001, Number S1113S. [Q4]
  • R4837 – BR Maunsell Van B S261S in BR (S) Green. [Q4]

Wagons

  • R6839 – BR ex SR Cattle truck –  Bauxite livery, No. S53904, – Maunsell diagram 1529. [Updated]  [Q2]
  • R6839A – BR ex SR Cattle truck –  Bauxite livery, No. S53908, – Maunsell diagram 1529. [Q4]
  • R6840 – BR ex SR Cattle truck –  Bauxite livery, No. S52345 – Bulleid diagram 1530. [Q3]
  • R6858 – 3 plank wagon SECR livery No. 10756 [Q3]

Hornby’s new wagon tooling for 2017 comprises of a LNER 20 ton  ‘Toad’ B and E brake van.

The full Hornby 2017 range can be found on the Hornby website here or RMweb here

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Waterloo Sunset, marking the end of Southern Steam 50 years ago today…

Posted in Fisherton Sarum, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on July 9, 2017| 6 Comments »

Today the 9th July 2017 marks 50 years since the end of steam on the Southern Region. During the final weeks in July 1967 there were officially 72 steam engines left in service that obviously included a small number of Bulleid Merchant Navy’s (6) and West County Class locomotives (18 including two in original form) but also a number of British Railways standard classes such as BR Standard 5MT and 4MT 4-6-0s, 4MT 2-6-0s, 4MT 2-6-4Ts, 3MT 2-6-2Ts and Ivatt 2-6-2Ts. The other loco class active until the end was the USA 0-6-0T at Guildford, Southampton and Eastleigh. These final steam allocated duties up to the final day final day  included boat trains to Weymouth or Southampton Docks, some standard service trains to Weymouth and also a few freight and departmental turns. The old West of England line west of Salisbury had already been taken over by the Western Region and steam was effectively eliminated on the line from late 1964.

35028 awaits the off from platform 19 of Waterloo on today’s Waterloo Sunset tour to Yeovil and return.

Merchant Navy Class Bulleid Pacific 35028 was one of those locomotives in service until nearly the end. She is now happily preserved and extremely well maintained by the Merchant Navy Locomotive Preservation Society.  She has just returned to regular main line service following an extensive overhaul,carried out by LNWR Heritage at Crewe, to gain a new ten year boiler certificate.

36028 just before today’s departure. Picture copyright and courtesy D Puddicombe

She has now returned to her home base at Stewarts Lane and has already this  week on the main line including a tour  to commemorate the last Bournemouth Belle on the 5th July (which was also Clan Line’s last actual day in BR service).

I am honoured to travelling behind her today on the UK Railtours Waterloo Sunset railtour today to Yeovil Junction and back to mark the 50th anniversary.

My model of Bulleid West Country 34013 Okehampton

One of the Bulleid West Country Class locomotives that also survived to the end of steam on the Southern was 34013 ‘Okehampton’ which unfortunately did not get preserved but she appears left in model form, although possibly slightly cleaner than she actually ended in service.

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35006 Peninsular & Oriental S. N. Co. Steams into to spring and summer #Bulleidbrilliance

Posted in 35006, tagged , , , , , , , , on May 9, 2017| 3 Comments »

This Month sees restored Bulleid pacific 35006 Peninsular & Oriental S. N. Co. return to regular steam on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway (GWSR) following the completion of her restoration and return to service last year.  So far this year she has already run during March for a series of Private Charter trains in conjunction with the Cheltenham Races Festival, but now allocated dates for her running on the GWRS during May have been released.

35006 in the sunshine at the Gloucester and Warwickshire Railway

The steaming dates commence this weekend 13th/14th May followed by the weekend of the 20th/21st and then Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 23rd to 25th may leading up to the GWRS’s Cotswold Festival of Steam  over the weekend of Saturday 27th, Sunday 28th and Monday 29th May.

A cabside view of 35006

Her first visit to another line has also been announced, as 35006 will be appearing at the Mid Hants Railway Summer gala being held over two weekends in July to celebrate 50 years since the end of Southern steam with a distinctly Bulleid flavour. Over the weekends of 1st / 2nd and 7th, 8th and 9th July she will join Battle of Britain classes 34053 ‘Sir Keith Park’ ,  34081 ’92 Squadron’ and 34052 ‘Lord Dowding’ in service with some of the lines resident fleet of BR standard locomotives.

Of course these dates are all subject to the usual caveats of the availability of the loco and other factors on the line itself, so it is best to check before you visit the line. For the very latest information on loco rostering check the GWSR website here

As a shareholder it is always good to see her doing what she does best, being in steam, hauling passenger trains and doing Bulleid proud!

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The @Hornby Original Merchant Navy has docked, lets take a look… the bar has been raised again…

Posted in Hornby MN, Model News, RT Models, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on March 17, 2017| 6 Comments »

Delivered via its current day namesake, my Hornby 21C3 ‘Royal Mail’ arrived this week. It is gratifying to see a project that I have in a small part been involved with for nearly two years come to fruition. I have already posted on this blog a few times about the Merchant Navy classes, in connection with the prototype, my kit built examples, progress of the Hornby versions since their announcement in 2015 and also the variations possible from the first releases. Click here to see a list of such posts.

Hornby 21C3 with the detailing items added and the nameplates replaced with Fox Transfers etched versions

So far the first two have arrived in the guise of R3434 21C1 ‘Channel Packet’ and R3435 21C3 ‘Royal Mail’ with the other two BR liveried versions of the first releases due in the next couple of months. This post is not a full review as such but aims to discuss some of the features of the model, although I hope the pictures (and thanks to Andy York and BRM magazine for some of the images on this post) speak more than my words.  Ultimately tooling will be such that the majority of the number of the variations / modifications of the Merchant Navy class in their original form can be produced, but of course it will be a number of years before all will be seen.

An X-ray style view showing inside the body (picture courtesy and copyright A York /BRM)

Starting with the chassis and drive, a large 5 pole motor and brass flywheel drives the rear axle via a gear tower and provided very smooth and powerful running and impressive haulage  as I have witnessed on the High Wycombe and District MRS layout Hinton Parva. Electrical pick up is via the driving wheels on the loco and those on the tender, the drawbar between the loco and is of the latest permanently fixed style, with two positions via a screw on the loco, to allow close coupling should your layout curves allow.
The wiring between the loco and tender terminates in the usual Hornby plug and socket, but as the they are permanently coupled there should be no need to repeatedly remove the plug from the socket.

A close up of the chassis, coupling rods, and factory fitted brake rodding on 21C3

The coupling rods are some of the best I have seen on a ready-to-run locomotive, even down the to representation of the lubricating oil filler corks. The Bulleid-Fuirth-Brown wheels are well represented although the metal tyres might look better slightly toned down a little.

A close up of the cab and ashpan of 21C3

The fixed rear pony truck has flangeless wheels as is Hornby’s current way for pacific wheel arrangements allowing for a better representation of the ashpan etc. It may be possible if your curves allow to fit a flanged wheelset if you wish.  The pony truck is also a separate component, held on with a single screw which should allow for Hornby to change between the cast and fabricated versions of the different prototypes in the future.
Thankfully Hornby have decided to factory fit the characteristic brake rodding on both the loco and tender (although some owners have reported that they have had to re glue the rodding at some of the mounting points), the former, was on their past Bulleid models difficult to glue in place due to the small contact area and type of plastic they use.
For those wanting to get under the body it is easily removed by first removing the front bogie, held in place with one screw, and then the two chassis to body screws. The DCC socket and space for a speaker is within the tender, the body of which is simply held on with two screws.

The front end view of 21C3, the larger size of the ‘C’ compared to the numerals is correct to the prototype, noting the Fox Transfers etched roundel I have fitted

The body captures the shape and curves of the original well, being as in her very early condition with ‘widows peak’ cowl above the smokebox there are no smoke deflectors and if being a little critical the front edge of the body side, due to the limitations of the tooling for a mass production model ,are perhaps slightly too thick and I may well look to bevel these from the inside edge slightly to deceive the eye in the area (although part of me is still deciding whether to forward date this model by cutting back the front sides, fitting smoke deflectors and the later top cowl). Looking down the chimney you even see a representation of the locomotives blast pipe, (21C1 also has its unique chimney cover plate modelled in the open position).

The impressive cab detailing and printing (picture courtesy and copyright A York /BRM)

The cab is very well represented, complete with nice representations of the two part cab doors, with great attention detail internally with exceptional printing of the various pipework, handles, gauges and dials. The cab roof, complete with lifting eyes etc., has a separately applied ventilator that can be opened or closed. The side windows are neatly glazed and modelled in the open position (rear pane slide behind the front pane and are complete with the windshield.

The cab roof including the sliding shutter (picture courtesy and copyright A York /BRM)

The nameplates and smokebox door roundel on 21C3 and also the number and tender ‘Southern’ plates on  21c1 (with the roundel correctly being the initial style inverted horseshoe) are separate parts but flat printed rather than having any cast relief such as you would get with etched versions. I have therefore already replaced those on my 21C3 with etched plates from Fox Transfers. For those also wanting etched number plates and Southern plates for 21C1 these are available from C.G.W Nameplates. The nameplates are simply held in place by three spigots one in the middle and one at each end of the ‘Merchant Navy Class’ cross bar lettering and they came away from the model easily using the tip of a modelling scalpel enabling the etched plates to be glued in place directly to the body side. The overall painting, lining, printing of the numbers and ‘Sunshine’ Southern lettering, correctly slightly different between the numbers and the Southern lettering, and the larger ‘C’ as part of the 21C3 number is of Hornby’s  usual high standard.

A view of the other side of 21C3

Included with the loco is an accessory pack that contains a pair of front steps for the loco buffers (which might like the wheel tyres benefit from being toned down from the bright steel) and rear steps for the bufferbeam on the tender, cylinder drain cocks and also steam and vacuum pipes. As with previous Hornby Bulleid pacifics the front steps in particular require glue to affix and is a little tricky, I may well end up replacing these with more robust lost wax castings from RT models, the other items all have positive location holes for fitting. A front tension lock coupling is also included.

Just like when the rebuilt Merchant Navy model was first introduced in 2000 it raised the bar as far as models from Hornby was concerned, I feel that once again the Merchant Navy has been the cause of the bar being set even higher and I am pretty certain that it is no coincidence that it coincides with Paul Isle, whom it has been a pleasure to assist, coming on board at Hornby as head researcher. I look forward to the release of more members of the class and variations in due course, as they are sure to be popular.

 

 

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Talking Stock #36 The rebuilding of the Bulleid Merchant Navy Class and a touch of Workbench Witterings

Posted in 35006, 35011, RT Models, Talking Stock, Workbench Witterings, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 14, 2017| 3 Comments »

This week saw the first of the new Hornby ‘Original’ Merchant Navy Pacifics hitting  the retailers, see my Talking Stock #35 post here for more details and also the full size ‘Rebuilt’ Merchant Navy Pacific 35006 Peninsular & Oriental S. N. Co. steaming in public service for the first time in 2017 on the  Gloucestershire and Warwickshire Railway (GWSR) for the week of services allied with the Cheltenham Races Festival. With this in mind I thought it was time that firstly I finished my model of 35006 in her as preserved guise (being a shareholder), and also that I mentioned the Rebuilt Merchant Navy Pacifics on this blog, although they are of course out of my usual 1946-49 modelling period.

Rebuilding the Merchant Navy’s

21C6 in original condition on Fisherton Sarum

Although in general the Merchant Navy class as introduced were a success, proving to be powerful and very free steaming, one of the outcomes of the less than scientifically carried out Locomotive Exchange trails in 1948 and further performance and efficiency tests carried out at the Rugby Stationary Test Plant between March 1952 and January 1952, showed them to be costing a lot in: coal, water, oil and secondly maintenance when compared to other classes. These costs along with issues of leakage of oil from the enclosed motion oil baths and the reliability and accuracy of the steam reverser / cut off setting led to the Southern Region looking at options to improve the engines.  The option chosen as opposed to trying to overcome the individual issues was to rebuild the engines with more ‘standard parts’.

Rebuilt 35006 in the sunshine at the Gloucester and Warwickshire Railway.

The task was given, in 1954, to R.G. Jarvis of the Chief Mechanical and Electrical Engineer’s Department at Brighton, his new design replaced the encased oil bath and chain driven valve gear with three sets of  more traditional Walschaerts valve gear, new style piston heads and rods, regulator and a screw-link type reverser. The ashpan and grate were also replaced and included hopper bottom doors and front and rear dampers. A new fabricated smokebox, superheater header and steam pipes were also fitted.
The frames, outside cylinders, boilers were retained along with the: Bullied-Firth-Brown wheels (although now needing balance weights to be fitted), axleboxes, the efficient ‘clasp’ locomotive brakes and the ‘Stones’ steam generator for electric lighting both for the engine headsignals and in cab lighting. The same tenders were utilised, albeit with the side raves cut down to ease water filling access and reverse running view. The drawbar between the loco and tender however was replaced.

Reflecting on  superb standard of external finish on 35006.

Externally the ‘Air Smoothed’ casing was removed giving the look common to the recently introduced BR standard classes, although the characteristic oval shaped smokebox door was kept. Sanding, from replacement sandboxes, was also added to the leading driving axle, whilst rearward application was incorporated to the middle driving axle and new mechanical lubricators were accessibly mounted on the running plate alongside the boiler.
In 1955 the British Railways Board gave authority for fifteen of the class to be modified and authority for rebuilding the remainder swiftly followed. In February 1956 Eastleigh works released 35018 British India Line in its newly modified form (35018 as the prototype rebuild remained unique to the rest of the class as the front sandbox filler position and injector pipework differed), by October 1959 all the class had been rebuilt.
Performance of the rebuilt engines was indeed successful, solving most of the maintenance issues, although one drawback was that they put greater loads on the track, than the largely self balanced originals, as a result of increased hammerblow, caused by the balance weights required for the Walschaerts valve gear.

My model of rebuilt 35006 as preserved

The release by Hornby in the year 2000 of the rebuilt Merchant Navy locomotive heralded a new generation of model steam locomotives by Hornby and was a step change of standard of models reactive to competition in the market place and gave us a new super detail standard featuring blackened finish handrails and wheels with etched brass valve gear, detailed cab interior, and a five pole motor housed and driving within the locomotive itself. Over the years a number of the class have been released with a few modifications to the tooling along the way, although as yet none of the first series engines as rebuilt have been released as the 5000 gallon style tenders they were paired with have not been tooled.

My model of 35006 in as preserved condition

As 35006 in preservation has been paired to a brand new built larger 5100 style tender I have used a Hornby R1038 35012 United States Lines (split from a train pack) locomotive as the basis for my model.
Firstly I removed the cabside number numbers via my usual method of soaking the Hornby printing in enamel thinners and rubbing off with a cotton bud and replacing with HMRS Pressfix decals.

A front 3/4 view of 35006 based on the Hornby Rebuilt Merchant Navy with detailing parts and etched plates from RT Models and Fox Transfers

New nameplates and smokebox door number plates were fitted along with an extched 72B Salisbury shedcode plate on the smokebox in the slightly higher position than usual, level with the lower smokebox  hinge, on 35006 which was a charactoristic of her when in service. All the plates were obtained from Fox Transfers.
I replaced the front steps as supplied by Hornby by the more robust lost wax cast versions, along with a set of the cylinder drain pipes to complete the front end look, obtained through RT Models, from his excellent Albert Goodall range.
As I am modelling 35006 in her preserved condition I want to to also represent her superb external paintwork finish with a reflective and classic oily rag polished hue and have therefore given the model a coat of Kleer floor polish to give a such a finish to the paintwork (and also seal in the decals).

More details of 35006 and the locomotive Society can be found on my dedicated page here.  Also it is worth mentioning the 35011 The General Steam Navigation Locomotive Restoration Society that was formed last year with the intention of not only restoring 35011 back to working order but doing so back in original air smoothed condition condition complete with Bulleid’s oil bath encased valve gear incorporating chain drive elements to fill the gap in preserved examples left by the entire class having been rebuilt.

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A little update… Hinton Parva, @Hornby Merchant Navy & Adams Radial and 247 Developments H Class plates

Posted in Exhibitions, Hornby MN, HW&DMRS, Model News, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 15, 2017| 3 Comments »

Last weekend I was attending the Festival of British Railway Modelling held at Doncaster racecourse organised by Warners the publishers of BRM Magazine, and spent the weekend as part of the operating crew of the High Wycombe and District MRS large ’00’ layout Hinton Parva.

Hinton Parva keeps the crowds at the Doncaster Show entertained

Hinton Parva keeps the crowds at the Doncaster Show entertained

Hinton Parva represents a very busy junction station on a Joint Midland/Eastern north-south line. The “Branch” purports to be a cross-country line bringing Southern and Western trains from the south-west. As well as the usual “mainline” movements, there is a goods yard constantly shuffling wagons for the pick up goods trains, and a motive Power Depot which has to receive, service, prepare and dispatch locos for the stopping branch express trains, all of which require a loco change. We operate a varied, late 1950s,  steam/early diesel schedule with a wide range of stock from modern detailed RTR and a large sprinkling of quality kit and scratch built locos and coaches.

A view from the other end of the 32' long Hinton Parva, different day different crowd

A view from the other end of the 32′ long Hinton Parva, different day different crowd

Not many layouts feature two Garratts  (one an LMS and the other the sole LNER machine) hauling 60 wagon trains or an ex LNER W1 or 10001,10201,10800 and prototype diesels / gas turbines. The loco roster for an exhibition is nearly 50 locos, and they all make a running appearance.
Another unusual feature is the working semaphore signals, 37 working arms at the last count. Apart from the aesthetic value of the signals, they also provide drivers with their only means of indications of what they are supposed to do, truly prototypical.
The layout is large at 32ft x 12ft, and maximum use is made of this size to provide a running spectacle for the viewers. The complete sequence takes some 50 to 60 minutes and involves about 90 mainline movements, trains in, trains running through, trains starting.

21C3 'Royal Mail' making an appearance on Hinton Parva

21C3 ‘Royal Mail’ making an appearance on Hinton Parva and easily handled an 8 car Pullman rake

Hornby, have increased the number of shows they are having a presence at this year and I took the opportunity to run and photograph on Hinton Parva, courtesy of Hornby, one of the first of the product batch their new original style Bulleid Merchant Navy Pacifics 21C3 ‘Royal Mail’. This is an advance version with the main production batch due to arrive at retailers during March.

21C3 rests on shed on Hinton Parva

21C3 rests on shed on Hinton Parva

These locomotives have a 5 pole motor with flywheel and plenty of adhesion weight and hauled an 8 coach rake of Hornby, Pullman cars with plenty of power in reserve.  It should be noted that in the pictures to the left she has been taken straight out of the box and the detailing pack containing front steps and cylinder drain cocks etc have not been fitted. I am also pleased to confirm that the lettering shading has been corrected from the livery sample to be black as it should be.

Another view of 21C3 on Hinton Parva

Another view of 21C3 on Hinton Parva

As I advised in my Talking Stock #35 post back in December about the imminent Hornby Merchant Navy releases R3435 No. 21C3 ‘Royal Mail’ is in the condition between when introduced in September 1941; with the ‘widows peak’ style front end without smoke deflectors but with the opening around the chimney and the slot in the front face above the smokebox; and when she was painted in wartime black livery in May 1943.

R3422 Adams radial number 3125 in SR wartime black livery

R3422 Adams radial number 3125 in SR wartime black livery

The next batch of ex London & South Western 0415 class Adams radial tanks have now arrived with the retailers including R3422 number 3125 in SR wartime black with ‘Sunshine’ lettering. this means that for once to suit my modelling period I do not have to repaint and/or renumber an RTR Southern release (although I do have an R3334 ex 30582 with Drummond boiler ready to become 3520 also on SR black with Sunshine lettering as she ran between March 1945 and March 1948).

Another view of R3422 number 3125

Another view of R3422 number 3125

Number 3125 is in the condition she ran between October 1944 when she regained an Adams boiler and March 1949 when she was repainted in British Railways lined black livery. The other recent Hornby, Adams radial release is R3423 as number 30583 also with a an Adams boiler in British Railways lined black with late crest that she gained in early 1959.

H Class smokebox door number plates from 247 developments

H Class smokebox door number plates from 247 Developments

Also now available for Southern Region modellers wishing to enhance or renumber the H Class tanks being released by Hornby later this year are etched smoke box door number plates from 247 Developments.

A cruel enlargement of the H class smokebox door number plate

A cruel enlargement of the H class smokebox door number plate

Recently under the new ownership of Brian Mosby, an excellent modeller himself whom I have known for some time, 247 Developments has produced the full range of H Class numbers (except 31264 and 31312 which never gained the BR number!) The etching is of a high standard and will be welcome addition to the 247 Developments range for any Southern Region modeller.

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