LMS (ex Caledonian Railway) 782 class 0-6-0T. A top rate scratch build, in nickel silver, by George Mckinnon-Ure. George is, together with Geoff Holt, part of the “elite of engineering artists” according to no other than Pete Waterman. He built for Pete some of his GWR gauge 1 models that were auctioned at Dreweatts in London in 2015. One of which sold for £25k. I feel very privileged to now own one of this great man’s lovely models. My question to myself is now, do I have it painted and cover up some of that exquisite workmanship and detail?
LNER (ex GNR) Ivatt D3 class 4-4-0 no. 4302. This model has been well built in nickel silver from scratch. I bought this some months ago, on line from Footplate trains in an unfinished and unpainted condition. Originally built with a noisy motor, I have now fitted an ABC motor and gears unit. Good cab detail from scratch, cast iron wheels and a very clever hand made wiper pick-up unit, she is a very smooth performer indeed. Painted by John Cockcroft, doesn’t she look good ? A rare prototype to see modelled as no quality kits are available of a loco of this type.
GWR Armstrong class 4-4-0 no. 8 Gooch as running between 1903 to 1905. This model was what I call a “basket case”. One of the superb Modern Outline Kits. There could be many of these kits around, where the original buyer/builder has bitten off more than he can chew, realising the complexity of this kit is beyond his skills. Probably placed in a wardrobe waiting for him to build his confidence to give it another go. It has now been completed by myself to a smooth running condition, and painted by Warren Haywood. Slightly different to other MOK Armstrong class models on these pages. Notice fenders on the tender sides, not coal rails. Lamp irons, not lamp sockets. Different clack valves. All features as seen on archive photos of the prototype. Driven by a Portescap RG7 motor/gear unit. Unfortunately the crankshaft and connecting rods were missing/lost before I acquired the model, so, although it does have slide bars and crossheads, there is nothing there to drive them. The descriptive notes above explain why I can afford to offer this lovely model for sale at roughly half the price that I have sold similar models to this of top quality. It is not a perfectly built model. Don’t expect it to negotiate tight curves or to pull heavy loads, but it has been built square and true and is very good value for money for one of these magnificent MOK Armstrong class models.
GWR Churchward Saint class 4-6-0 no. 2923 Saint George. This is a special model for me. In 2008, at Mellors & Kirk auctioneers in Nottingham, it was sold with provenance, as part of the Simpson collection of 31 finescale model locomotives. All scratchbuilt, mostly by Peter Everton or Brian Broumpton and painted by Alan Brackenborough. Three of them had been built by Stanley Beeson. I attended the auction, with little available cash, and was very disappointed to come away with nothing. Advance in time now to January 2024 and this model (with another, a King 6024 by Mr. Everton) is again in the same auction house, but this time in a damaged condition. Nameplates missing, two scratches to the green paintwork and a damaged (and very crudely glued back together) cab. The buyer in 2008 has clearly not looked after his purchases (the King was also in a play worn condition) and has probably now passed away. After careful viewing, I decided that if it could be obtained at the right price, restoration could be achieved, and here is the result. Mechanically it did still run quite well. Parts of the tender brake gear were missing and have had to be replaced. The cab has been completely broken down to it’s individual parts, thoroughly cleaned of all glue deposits and rebuilt as a soldered together unit. Fortunately, Mr Broumpton built this model with the cab screwed to the running plate and fitting around the firebox and backhead (just like the real thing and unlike kit built models these days), making the repair of the cab considerably easier and also the painting and lining of the cab spectacle plate considerably easier also. John Cockcroft has made a superb job of repainting the cab and restoring the rest of the paintwork to match Mr. Brackenborough’s original finish. New plates by Severnmill complete the rebuild of this fine model. I now get to own and enjoy one of the models that I disappointingly missed out on 16 years previously. I may have missed out, but attendance to that auction in 2008, gave me the ambition to collect fine scratchbuilt models like this.
GWR Churchward City class 4-4-0 no. 3701 Gibraltar. This model is a Sangcheng which used to be a plain green City of Truro (long since unavailable). Bought secondhand (unused and in it’s original box) at auction. The superb specification includes fully working inside motion. Now superbly repainted and given a new identity with Severnmill plates, by Warren Haywood.
BR (ex LNER) Gresley A3 class Pacific no. 60093 Coronach. Very well built from the DJH kit, with Slaters wheels and a chain driven motor and gear unit, she runs as smooth as a Rolls Royce. A model bought recently from an auction in Cumbria. A chancy on-line buy. From the two photos on the auction web-site it looked to be fairly well built, but it’s original paintwork looked “play worn”. On collection (I was on holiday in Cumbria at the time) when I could hold it and feel the build quality, I was well pleased. When back home, I stripped the loco down and the paintwork was stripped. Now fully rebuilt and with superb quality paintwork by Warren Haywood, doesn’t she look good? A chance well worth taking.
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