Author: Mick Bayliss

GWR Dukedog class 4-4-0 no. 3201

Mick Bayliss Model for sale, My loco collection
GWR Dukedog class 4-4-0 no. 3201
GWR Dukedog class 4-4-0 no. 3201. A recent buy from an auction. This attractive and well built model has needed little work, other than cleaning and blackening the wheel tyres, lubrication, and the addition of the numbers on the front buffer beam and the power classification and route availability on the cab sides. Built from the well established DJB kit with Slaters wheels and a Portescap RG7 motor and gears unit. Power collection is by good quality plunger pickups. DJB kits were the top of the range kits of the time before the likes of Martin Finney, Malcolm Mitchell and MOK came onto the scene. With a little effort and skill they build into superb models that carry the looks of the prototype well. I bought this model with the intention to strip the paint and have it professionally repainted, but the original paint is just so good repainting is not necessary.

LMS (ex Highland Railway) Jones goods 4-6-0 no. 17928

Mick Bayliss Locos now sold
LMS (ex Highland Railway) Jones goods 4-6-0 no. 17928
LMS (ex Highland Railway) Jones goods 4-6-0 no. 17928. Another very unusual class of loco to see modelled is the Jones goods. This model has been well built (from a kit, not sure which?), painted and superbly weathered in the plain black LMS goods livery. With Slaters wheels (correct flangless drivers on the centre axle), the front driving axle has hornblocks and guides and is compensated with the centre axle. An ABC motor and gears unit mounted on the fixed rear axle provides the power, and wipers collect the current, it now works very well indeed. Much better than when I received it, even though it had been described by the seller as an excellent performer. Additional weight has also been added to the boiler and firebox to give greater adhesion.  I’m happy with it now and it provides something different to my collection.

Highland Railway Jones Loch class 4-4-0 no. 132 Loch Naver

Mick Bayliss Model for sale, My loco collection
Highland Railway Jones Loch class 4-4-0 no. 132 Loch Naver
Highland Railway Jones Loch class 4-4-0 no. 132 Loch Naver. A very unusual class of model loco to be offered for sale. This lovely model has been built and painted to top quality (provenance of the builder unknown at present) using a kit (probably Lochgorm) as a basis of construction. Slaters wheels and an ABC motor and gear unit, using current collection by the American (my preference) method, which uses the tender wheels to collect from one rail and the loco wheels to collect from the other. The gear unit is positioned on the fixed rear driving axle. The front driving axle has hornblocks and guides and is compensated with the trailing axle of the bogie. Very clever and works well. The kit is not designed like that, so a fair amount of scratch building has gone into this model by the very competent builder. The leading and centre axles of the tender are also compensated together. The trailing axle is fixed. The inside cab detail of the backhead is of a quality that most modellers (including me) can only dream of. I have models in my collection that have been built by names like Geoff Holt and Laurie Griffin. The quality of this model is up there with those names.

LMS Stanier Princess Coronation class Pacific no. 6231 Duchess of Atholl

Mick Bayliss My loco collection

LMS Stanier Princess Coronation class Pacific no. 6231 Duchess of Atholl. This model is by Masterpiece Models and was constructed and painted in South Korea with DCC control and sound. The paint finish is second to none, as with all Masterpiece Models. Bought second hand, with a known and obvious chuff fault to the sound. Other faults found after collection were a missing cinder guard and a damaged speedo drive with the drive arm missing completely. The model has since visited my good friend Richard Pogson to fit a new “Zimo MS 950” decoder and loudspeaker. At the same time he has made a superb repair to the speedo drive, along with the correction of various other faults and maintenance issues. This model, after some rough treatment from some of her previous owners, now performs and sounds as good as she looks. Even better sound and maintenance wise than she was when she was new. In my experience, Mr. Pogson is a very good chap to have on your side and I would recommend his work explicitly. 

Great Northern Railway Ivatt class C1 Atlantic no. 990 Henry Oakley

Mick Bayliss Locos now sold, Wally West scratchbuilt locos

GNR Ivatt class C1 4-4-2 no. 990 Henry Oakley. Built in 1966 from scratch by Walter (Wally) West, using a Pittman DC81 motor and gear unit. With the knowledge of the friendship between Wally and Bernard Miller at the time of build, it is very likely that the wheel castings are from the Miller Swan & Co. range. The split axles and insulated spacers between the frames allow power to be collected from the tender wheels, via sprung plungers/tender buffers, connecting with contact faces on the back of the loco. All brake blocks are made from non conductive material to eliminate shorting across the brake rigging. All loco driving and tender axles have sprung hornblocks. Superbly painted by Bernard Miller with hand painted lettering and numerals in the fully lined GNR passenger green livery.
I have a dislike of collecting models of preserved locos, but as the model is in it’s short smokebox (saturated) condition and the preserved loco has a long smokebox it is not a model of the loco as preserved. In fact the preserved loco wasn’t superheated until 1923, so I think I’m correct in saying that it would not have carried the GNR livery, as it has since it has been preserved, whilst it had a long smokebox.
A letter has come to light dated March 10th 1966 where Bernard tells Wally “I am delighted to hear about the GN Atlantic and shall look forward to seeing it very much indeed. Wally M. (Mayhew) tells me that you are also building one for him”.
This model, according to Wally’s widow Mary, was his favorite and for it’s age has been rarely used. The paintwork has needed no repairs and it still runs like a dream. The Gauge O Guild Gazette of January 1968 lists a “GNR 4-4-2 (Mr. West)”, on display at the A.G.M. of 1967 and of January 1969 a “GNR 4-4-2 Klondyke by W. West”, is listed as being on display at the A.G.M. of 1968.

Caledonian Railway McIntosh class 55 4-6-0 no. 55

Mick Bayliss My loco collection

Caledonian Railway McIntosh class 55 4-6-0 no. 55. 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 Mr. 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. A very old model, built around a big old and ancient motor and gear assembly, which moves the model at a reasonably quiet and smooth, but sedate pace. The number plates are the original ones that have been on the model since building, no doubt the work of Mr. Beeson. Bought at an auction in Bourne recently (it’s wooden box adds to the provenance), together with the 782 class elsewhere on this website. The original paintwork had been damaged on both sides of the cab. Now stripped by myself, she has had a repaint by Mr. Warren Haywood. Thank you Warren for yet another job that I am very proud of.

The five original 55 class were mixed traffic locomotives, built at St.Rollox in 1902 and were intended for use on the Callender and Oban line and, along with some other classes were knicknamed “Oban Bogies”.

Southern Railway (Isle of Wight section) ex LSWR Adams O2 class 0-4-4T no. W21 Sandown

Mick Bayliss Model for sale, My loco collection
Southern Railway (Isle of Wight section) ex LSWR Adams O2 class 0-4-4T no. W21 Sandown

Southern Railway (Isle of Wight section) ex LSWR Adams O2 class 0-4-4T no. W21. Very well built from the Connoisseur Models kit, with Slaters wheels and a Portescap RG7 motor and gear unit with current collection by plunger pick-ups. Recently modified for 2 rail operation with new insulated wheels. The original paint was stripped and the model has now been beautifully repainted by Warren Haywood. This model was originally built as finescale 3 rail skate pick-up operation.

LMS Stanier 5XP Jubilee class 4-6-0 no. 5604 Ceylon

Mick Bayliss Model for sale, My loco collection

When I found this model, I was fairly sure in my mind that it had been factory built and painted by DJH from one of their superb kits. Now, since getting it home and being able to examine it closely, it could be that this is a DJH No. 1 Shop build, which might explain the unusual features that a standard DJH build would not have. But no provenance is available to support that. It has been built from a DJH kit and superbly painted in the post war LMS crimson lake livery. Notice that the number on the cab side is in the higher position than other red Jubilees that are on this website, and that the shading to the lettering and numbers is yellow rather than gold. All pointers to it being in a post war livery and unusual. The wheels are the usual Slaters (nothing wrong with Slaters wheels, where would this hobby be without Slaters wheels being available to us for the last 40/50 years). The motor and gears are a top quality ABC unit, unusual for DJH. The current collection is from the tender by a spring on the drawbar. Works well and again unusual for the DJH factory, who usually use a chain driven gear unit and plunger pick-ups.  Either way, this is a fabulous model. Top marks to whoever built it.