Posted in Fisherton Sarum, Picture of the Month, tagged C Nevard, Canute Road Quay, Drummond, London Chatham and Dover Railway, Model Rail Magazine, Southern, Southern Railway, T14 class on February 1, 2021| 2 Comments »
This months picture…
A Drummond T14 class ‘Paddlebox’ 4-6-0 No. 30461 in early British railways livery passes Fisherton Sarum on a rake of Diagram 1774 40T ballast hoppers. The T14 is a Nucast white metal kit and the ballast hoppers modified Lima models
Posted in Model News, tagged Diagram 2652, Hornby, Hornby 2021, Maunsell Dining Saloon, Maunsell Open Third, Southern, Southern Railway on January 29, 2021| 10 Comments »
Hornby announced as part of their new 2021 range their intention to produce new tooling for the Maunsell Dining Saloons to Diagram 2652 as introduced in 1927.
In my Talking Stock#39 post about the complexities of the Southern Catering vehicles I advised that in 1930 the six Diagram 2652 Saloons were reclassified as Open Thirds and renumbered 1363 to 1368.
A Diagram Diagram 2652 Dining Saloon Third
Hornby have now replicated this in model form by amending their proposed R40030 Number 7864 and R40030A Number 7867 in SR lined olive green to be Open Thirds and now numbered 1363 and 1366 respectively. This gives those modelling the Southern Railway in the 1930s great flexibility in their accurate use.
During the war all except No. 1367 were converted for Ambulance Train use during WWII. Four of six, were converted in July 1947 to Third / Composite Dining Saloons branded as ‘Restaurant Car’ to Diagram 2658 and numbered 7841-4 . These conversions have also been announced by Hornby as R40031 Maunsell Dining Saloon Third / Composite to diagram 2658 Number S7841S and R40031A Number S7843S in BR(s) Green. The other two were now fitted with 48 loose 2 +1 chairs and classified as First Class diners and numbered 7846/7 were were paired with newly converted Diagram 2661 Buffet cars for use on the reinstated ‘Night Ferry” service.
Posted in Kernow Models, Model News, tagged diagram 1541, kernow model centre, Kernow Model Rail Centre, Kernow Models, London & South Western Railway, lswr, Road Van, Southern, Southern Railway, Southern Region on January 15, 2021| 7 Comments »
The Kernow Model Rail Centre, and therefore by default myself, have advised that the much-anticipated ex LSWR / SR Diagram 1541 10T Road Van has been approved for production. This follows the careful review and approval of the Engineering Prototypes received last year and the decorated samples of all ten of the versions being produced that were received last week.
First introduced by the London & South Western Railway (LSWR) in 1884 they were later classed as Southern Railway Diagram 1541. Almost 500 of these were built between then and 1905 making them the most numerous LSWR Goods Brake Van. Brake Vans with side doors through which parcels or other goods could be loaded were known as road vans.
The decorated livery samples can be seen above, (note that some of the samples were only the body assembly). Approval for production has been given subject to a couple of minor amendments to the printing on the solebar cast plate for two of the SR livery versions, the spacing (Kernow correcting the Kerning – a designers injoke) of the numbers on the LSWR SB003B version and the solebar and buffer colour on three of the BR grey versions.
SB003H LSWR Road Van number 54611 in pre-1936 large SR lettered livery is illustrated and shows the correct SR Goods Wagon brown, lettering style and the solebar cast plate that has wording “SR” “54611” an “Eastleigh Works” all perfectly legible.
KMRC anticipate production to commence at the end of March 2021 (following Chinese New Year) with shipment to the UK during May 2021 (subject to shipping availability) and hope to have them in stock for fulfilment of orders at the end May /early June 2021.
Details of all ten versions being produced can be found here.
Posted in Kernow Models, Model News, Talking Stock, tagged Catering Vehicles, Diagram 2005, Diagram 262, Diagram 2648, Diagram 2651, Diagram 2656, Dining car, Frederick Hotels, Hornby, Kernow Model Rail Centre, Kernow Models, lswr, maunsell, Maunsell Coaches, Open Third, Pullman Car Co., Southern, Southern Railway, Southern Region, Spires and Pond on January 13, 2021| 29 Comments »
As we are talking Southern Railway catering vehicles it might be worth sitting down and having some light refreshment to go with the read as things are going to get a little confusing and complex!
The Southern Railway even with its relatively short distances involved, when compared with some of the other railway companies, still provided full dining services by pairing a Kitchen dining car with a dining saloon on many of its services such as Waterloo – Exeter, Waterloo – Bournemouth / Portsmouth and Weymouth, Southampton boat train services and the Brighton to Plymouth, and some Victoria – Dover services. They could also be found on the though Cardiff, Newcastle and Birkenhead services off the Southern. These paired vehicles would either be inserted within the middle of longer coaching sets, especially for the through services off the Southern; or within a train made up from multiple shorter coach sets, such as on the West of England line.
The Southern Railway (and subsequent the Southern Region) contracted out its catering services: on the South Eastern and Central Divisions it was The Pullman Car Co, and the South Western Division was originally Spiers & Pond (the LSWR contractor) superseded by Frederick Hotels in 1930.
Hornby Southern catering vehicles since 2018
The R4816 Diagram 2656 Kitchen Dining First
The first newly tooled Southern Railway Maunsell catering versions were first introduced in by Hornby in 2018 and the subsequent ‘A’ versions currently available from Hornby are:
R4816 SR Maunsell Kitchen Dining First to Diagram 2656, No. 7869 and R4816A 7865 in unlined SR Green; and R4817 BR Maunsell Kitchen Dining First to Diagram 2651, with post 1939 / 1939 modifications, No. S7861S and R4817A No. S7858S in BR(s) Green.
Read my review of these models here.
The Diagram 2656 cars were built in 1932 and a later batch built in 1934 and other than the cooking equipment fitted were similar in body style to Diagram 2650. Hornby have chosen to produce these models in unlined olive-green which is totally correct for post 1940s condition.
One of these 1932 built vehicles No. 7864 (not to be confused with the Diagram 2652 Dining Saloon Thirds R40030 Number 7864 with the earlier use of the number being produced by Hornby in 2021 see below) is preserved at the Bluebell Railway and funds are actively being raised for its full restoration see here for details on how to contribute.
The Diagram 2651 in BR(s) green represents one of the six, originally built in 1927, coaches post rebuilding around 1935 to include the characteristic recessed double doors. There were some slight bodyside differences between these and the subsequent 20 similar cars built in 1929 and 1930.
These catering vehicles would usually have been paired in service with Maunsell Diagram 2005 Open thirds numbered 1369 to 1400 such as R4537 Number 1400 or R4833 Number 1375 in SR Olive Green and R40101 number S1338S in BR(s) Green.
Hornby 2021 releases
The Hornby 2021 range sees the introduction of new tooling for two more Southern / BR(s) catering vehicles.
A Diagram 2652 Dining Saloon Third
[Edit] The as originally announced Maunsell Diagram 2652 Dining Saloon Thirds R40030 and R40030A as numbers 7864 and 7867 respectively representing them original condition in SR lined olive green. Six of these dining salon thirds were built in 1927 and they were in service actually paired with the first Maunsell Kitchen / Dining Firsts to Diagram 2651 that were also built in 1927 and numbered 7858-7863. Modellers licence would have been required as this Diagram in original its 1927 form has not been produced by Hornby and therefore will have to be incorrectly paired with the Diagram 2656 Kitchen Dining First instead.
The main difference between the two diagrams is that the earlier Diagram 2651 did not originally have external door or the vestibule at the dining saloon end and have smaller kitchen window adjacent to the double doors. The first batch of the Diagram 2651 were later modified to include the end doors and vestibule (although the smaller window remained) these and the subsequent later builds, with differing sizes of windows, were built with vestibules were confusingly all to the same diagram number.
The six Diagram 2652 Dining Saloon Thirds only lasted in this from until 1930 when they were reclassed as Open Thirds and renumbered in the range 1363 to 1368.
[Edit] Hornby advised at the end of January that the models R40030 and R40030A to be numbered 1363 and 1366 respectively to the longer and more flexible usage 1930 to wartime period.
During the war all except No. 1367 were converted for Ambulance Train use during WWII. (see comments below).
Just to add to the complexity and confusion with the SR catering vehicles the Diagram 2656 having been built post 1932 took over the numbers 7864 to 7869!
A Diagram Third / Composite Dining Saloon
[Edit] Four of six, now reclassified Open Thirds were converted in July 1947 to Third / Composite Dining Saloons branded as ‘Restaurant Car’ to Diagram 2658 and numbered 7841-4 . These conversions have also been announced by Hornby as R40031 Maunsell Dining Saloon Third / Composite to diagram 2658 Number S7841S and R40031A Number S7843S in BR(s) Green.
These four were actually paired with the Kitchen / Buffet cars to Diagram 2659 that themselves were converted in 1947 from Diagram 2656 Kitchen / Dining firsts and not yet available in ready to run form. So therefore will have to be incorrectly paired with the Diagram 2651 Kitchen Dining First in BR(s) green instead. The other two were now fitted with 48 loose 2 +1 chairs and classified as First Class diners and numbered 7846/7 were were paired with newly converted Diagram 2661 Buffet cars for use on the reinstated ‘Night Ferry” service.
Also announced for 2021 are further versions of the Kitchen / Dining Firsts as R40029 to [Edit] Diagram 2655 Number S7998S and R40029A to Diagram 2656 Number S7955S in BR crimson and cream livery. These would be suitable to be paired with the Maunsell Diagram Open Third R4835 Number S1346S in crimson and cream that was released by Hornby in 2018! This version is still, at the time of writing, thankfully available from retailers such as our friends at the Kernow Model Rail Centre.
I did say it was a bit confusing, I hope this post has helped to clarify in some way…
Posted in Book Reviews, Model News, tagged 2-Bils, 2-Hals, 2-Nols, 4-Cors, 4-Subs, 6-Pan, 6-Pul, Bulleid, Bulleid Light Pacifics, Bulleid Raworth electric locomotives, Class 33, Class 71, Class 73, Electric Multiple Units, EMU, Southern, Southern Railway, Southern Region on January 10, 2021| 4 Comments »
Two new books recently published and provided to me by my friends at Strathwood Publishing are Southern Lament – Bulleid’s Light Pacifics and Southern Electrics Scrapbook Volume II. These wide landscape format books contain 208 and 176 pages respectively often with multiple black and white photographs per page along with well researched and informative captions.
The first book, Southern Lament – Bulleid’s Light Pacifics features each of the 110 Bulleid Light Pacifics in turn covering them in both original and where relevant rebuilt form. The photographs are from a number of sources such as: Colour Rail, Rail photoprints and the Transport Treasury so will not be new to many of us, there are also a number of photographs from other sources such as Strathwood‘s own library, that are not so familiar and many that I have not seen before. They are all nicely reproduced and at a good size afforded by the wide landscape format.
By covering each locomotive in turn and including images from different periods of their working life it provides a great reference for railway historians and modellers alike.
It was good to see the number of detail variations and differences in liveries included and well highlighted within the captions. The differences in liveries and lettering styles around the time of nationalisation is a particular interest of mine and gives further food for thought for some future models. I particularly liked the image of 34036 having been renumbered but still in malachite but with a large early British Railways emblem on the tender one of only four to have that particular combination. I certainly recommend this book to any Bulleid enthusiast.
The second book Southern Electrics Scrapbook Volume II is another new selection of excellent photographs to compliment all of the previous volumes detailing the Southern Region’s fleet of EMUs, Different chapters cover topics such as: Blue is the colour, Kent Coast electrics inside and out, Snow worries, Passing the box, Everyday service, Towards push & pull on the Bournemouth line, and Specials.
As with the Southern Lament book some of the photographs being from sources such as: Colour Rail, Brian Stephenson and Anistr.com might be familiar to some however a large number are from other collections and were certainly new to me.
All the photographs include informative and detailed captions from David Brown the renowned author on all matters Southern Electric.
Obviously the majority of the photographs cover the variety of Electric Multiple units ranging from the: 1940 Waterloo and City stock, early variety of 4-Subs, 2-Nols, 2-Hals , 2-Bils, 4-Cors, 6-Pan, 6-Pul and Brighton Belles through to the BR built MK1 based units. The book doesn’t forget the locomotive scene either with classes 71, 73 and, of particular interest to me at the moment, the Bulleid Raworth booster electric locomotives.
Not all the images actually include an EMU or locomotive but include the infrastructure of the time and along with many of the photographs allowing the eye to be drawn away from the main subject the combination of details and entire scenes within the photographs will assist modellers of the period and give or take a few years as well.
Both these Strathwood Publishing books are well worth a read regardless of your particular direct interest as they include a variety of information and inspiration across a wide range of areas.
Posted in Canute Road Quay, Picture of the Month, tagged Canute Road Quay, London Chatham and Dover Railway, Southern, Southern Railway, T Class 0-6-0T on January 9, 2021| Leave a Comment »
This months picture… (better late than never) …
Posted in Model News, tagged 35011, 88DS, 9F Class, A1 Class, A1X Class, Battle of Britain class, Bulleid, Bulleid coaches, Gangwayed Bogie Luggage Van, Hornby, Hornby 2021, Hornby Dublo, LBSC Terrier, maunsell, Maunsell Dining Saloon Third Composite, Maunsell Kitchen Dining First, Merchant Navy, P2 Class, Sir Winston Churchill, Southern, Southern Railway, Southern Region on January 5, 2021| 30 Comments »
Hornby have today announced their forthcoming range for 2021. The highlights from a Southern Railway perspective being new versions of the Merchant Navy’s with diecast bodies and Hornby Dublo branding, new Maunsell catering vehicles and a long awaited completely new tooled Ganywayed bogie luggage vans.
Locomotives
Although technically no new locomotive tooling for Southern modelers; however we see the introduction, following lasts years diecast models as part of the Centenary range, the introduction of two Merchant Navy Pacifics as limited editions (500 each) under the Hornby Dublo brand. One of which is close to my heart being 35011 General Steam Navigation, as a Trustee and Director of the General Steam Navigation Locomotive Restoration Society that aims to restore her back to original condition with chain driven valve gear. To find out more about the project click here.
New liveries for the ex LBSC A1/A1X Terrier appear along with version of the Merchant Navy in the main range (although we are still awaiting a number of Merchant Navy versions R3632 35024 in BR Blue announced in 2018 and R3649 35029 BR Green, R3716 35022 in BR Green and R3717 21C7 in SR Black from 2019 announcements).
Additional new tooled locomotives for 2021 include the LNER 2-8-2 P2 Class in both original and rebuilt form and a brand new BR 2-10-0 9F class. The A1 and A3 classes get an upgrade with die cast running plates. The only diesel or electric new tooling is a new industrial shunter in the form of the Ruston and Hornsby 88DS (the big brother to the previously released 48DS). The BR Standard 6MT “Clan’s” also reappear.
Coaching Stock
2021 sees new tooling for both the Maunsell Diagram 2652 Dining Saloon Thirds and their conversions in July 1947 to Third / Composite Dining Saloons to Diagram 2658.
The SR Gangwayed Bogie Luggage Van GBL (COR PMV as classified by BR), that has been regularly in the range since the days of Tri-ang has at long last been totally retooled to modern standards. These were introduced to Diagram 3099 built on ex LSWR 53’3″ chassis between 1929 and 1931. Thirty five were built to this diagram and most were withdrawn by 1960.
The BR MK1 range is also expanded with the addition of the Brake Corridor Composite (BCK) to Diagrams 171 and172 but not yet released in BR(s) Green.
We also see another set of the Bulleid 59ft ‘Shortie’ Coaches, see review here, in BR(s) green to make up set number 967 following repainting from crimson and cream in September 1957.
Additional new tooling for coaches in the 2021 are a range of BR Mk4 coaches.
Generic Coaches
Hornby are also releasing a range of 4 and 6 wheel coaches and 4 wheel baggage brakes, that appear to be generally based on a number of LBSC Stroudley designs. These are going to go head to head with, and no doubt compared to, the Hattons range of Genesis coaches they announced in October 2019 but are yet to arrive. They are being released in a number of livery options including 6 wheelers in SR lined olive, and 4 wheelers in LBSC and LSWR liveries. They are being offered with or without fitted lighting (lighting unit can be retro fitted to the non fitted versions. A number of the versions (GNR, BR Crimson and LNER) will be immediately available Q1. 
Wagons
No new wagon tooling has been announced for 2021.
Railroad range
The Railroad range sees what appears to be the ex Thomas tolling (as Hornby no longer have the rights to produce Thomas the tank engine products) modified sans face R30039 in a pseudo SECR livery number 326 (that would have been H class) perhaps they would have been better to produce it in LBSCR livery as one of the extended tank E2 class?). The range also includes R3911 Class 71 electro-diesel as 73965 in GB Railfreight blue and orange livery.
Outstanding SR/BR(s) items
In addition to the four Merchant Navy pacifics the following iterms from previous announcements are still outstanding, and I do not have any available update, but are collated here for reference.
The full Hornby 2021 range can be found on the Hornby website here of the RMweb forum here and of course all items can be pre-ordered / purchased from our friends at the Kernow Model Rail Centre
Posted in Model News, tagged Bachmann, British Railway Modelling magazine, Bulleid, Bulleid coaches, Southern, Southern Railway, Southern Region on December 23, 2020| 29 Comments »
To give us Southern modellers some additional cheer just before this strangest of Christmas periods the first Engineering Prototypes (EP) of the much anticipated brand new range of Bulleid 64ft coaches have arrived. I was privileged earlier this week to be able to assist the Bachmann development team with evaluating and reviewing the excellent EPs first hand.
I can honestly say they are exquisite, simply stunning and offer levels of detail and tooling variations that raise the already high bar for recent ready to run coaches and capture the Bulleid profile and style immediately you see them.
The tooling suite allows for a multitude of correct variations to suit the not only the coaches as introduced but modifications throughout their lifetime. These include:
Bulleid Semi-Open Brake 3rd Diagram 2123 with10 in. window ventilators, bodyside reinforcing strips, two short guard’s handrails and Bulleid Dynamo & Battery Boxes. Tooling includes as originally built without the reinforcing strip
Bulleid Corridor Composite Diagram 2318 with 10 in. window ventilators and Bulleid Dynamo & Battery Boxes
Bulleid Brake Composite Diagram 2405 with 10 in. window ventilators, bodyside reinforcing strips, a single long guard’s handrail and Bulleid Dynamo & Battery Boxes
Bulleid Corridor Third Diagram 2019 with 15 in. window ventilators, bodyside reinforcing strips and BR Mk1 Dynamo & Battery Boxes
In addition to the variations each coach incorporates a superb level of detail including: separately fitted components, some etched, such as: roof vents, lamp irons including the one as part of one of the end steps), etched underframe corner steps, toilet tank filler & overflow pipework and the portrayal of a complete vacuum pipe-run between the sockets at each end of the vehicles.
The beautifully detailed SR 8ft steam bogies incorporate free running electrical pickups (for future light bar fitting) and bearings, brake details and the correct footsteps as appropriate. The underframe gear is incredibly detailed with the different style of brake cylinders and brake pull rods.
Authentic interiors as we would expect are also included that will be clearly visible through wonderfully flush glazing that has been superbly achieved with next to no prismatic effect, and this also even applies to the characteristic Bulleid lozenged top lights above the door droplights.
The four body toolings in the initial release will include: Semi Open Brake Third (BTK) to Diagram 2123, Corridor Composite (CK) to Diagram 2318, Brake Composite (BCK) to Diagram 2405 and Corridor Third (TK) to Diagram 2019.
This will allow number of possible correct set combinations and liveries, with the potential for after the initial releases, versions to be released in the future in different livery and era specific detailing options.
The initial releases to make up correct sets are as follows:
The individual coach initial releases are as follows:
Due to the attention to detail already engineered into these models there are very few further amendments to the tooling necessary and we can now look forward to the fully decorated samples in due course. The range can also be found on the Bachmann website here and they can be Pre-Ordered from Kernow Model Rail Centre here.
One omission from the current range is the ‘Loose’ Brake Composite to Diagram 2406. These were used on West of England services and were dropped of at junction stations to provide a single through coach to various branch line destinations in the South West and so are important for anyone modelling such services. These loose version differed from the Diagram 2405 by having the pair of lavatories in the centre of the coach between the 1st and 3rd class compartments rather then at the non brake end. The corresponding roof mounted water tank was therefore also in the centre of the coach. I have discussed the requirement for such a Diagram, so they are aware of the potential demand.
The images are copyright and courtesy of Bachmann Europe plc.
I am certainly looking forward more than ever now for these to complete the development process and go into manufacture, as I know it will be well worth the wait.
Posted in Canute Road Quay, General, tagged Canute Road Quay, Christmas Message, happy new year, Southern, Southern Railway on December 20, 2020| 11 Comments »
It is certainly going to be a different Christmas for many this year, it is not cancelled but just needs to be celebrated in a different way, especially if like me you have gone from Tier 2 through to Tier 4 in less than 48 hours!
It’s a cold, crisp and frosty December morning as we approach Christmas at Canute Road Quay and the crew on board ex LSWR Adams B4 Class No. 100 try to keep warm whilst shunting on the quay as flurries of snow start to get heavier.
As the festive season and New Year break is upon us, please make the time to contact your friends and family, especially those whom might be alone, and not able to be in the company of others at this most unusual of times. It is good and OK to simply ask “Are you OK?” and likewise it is “OK not to be OK” and reach out for assistance. The one good thing, if anything, this year has been the kindness and generosity of others to help and support each other, and long may this continue.
I just wanted to say very many thanks to all of you whom have taken the time to read this blog over the past 12 months. I hope you have found such ramblings interesting and informative.
I have always enjoyed corresponding with many of you that have made contact me via email or the comments field on my various posts. I look forward to corresponding with you again in the New Year.
A further flurry of activity will be taking place at the start of the new year with Hornby (January 5th) announcing its 2021 range followed a few weeks later by Bachmann making the next of their now quarterly range announcements. I will bring you all the Southern Railway / Southern Region related news on here as soon as their announcements are made.
Seasons greetings, whatever your faith or beliefs, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all! Fill up your life with as much love, compassion, tolerance, peace, happiness as you can and hopefully some time for modelling!
Finally, remember a dog is for life… not just Christmas…
Posted in Canute Road Quay, Picture of the Month, tagged Canute Road Quay, Hornby, Hornby Magazine, Peckett W4 0-4-0t, Southern, Southern Railway on December 1, 2020| Leave a Comment »
This months picture…
A Hornby W4 0-4-0t Peckett modified with an open cab as well as dumb buffers on Canute Road Quay
