Author: Mick Bayliss

L&NER (ex GCR) Robinson B2 (later B19) class 4-6-0 no. 423 Sir Sam Fay

Mick Bayliss Locos now sold
L&NER (ex GCR) Robinson B2 (later B19) class 4-6-0 no. 423 Sir Sam Fay
L&NER (ex GCR) Robinson B2 (later B19) class 4-6-0 no. 423 Sir Sam Fay. Very well built from scratch, my preference, and not from a kit as it was described on Ebay. So a very pleasant surprise for me when I opened the box. Good quality cast iron wheels and the loco initially worked well with a single gear JH type motor and gear unit. However, in the forward direction only it ran out of puff after only a few minutes. (it seemed OK in reverse??). The motor did have a long flywheel spindle protruding from the back, so I thought it must be rubbing on the front face of the spectacle plate, but on investigation, no witness marks. Tried on the rolling road chassis only, still the same? So out came the gears and in with an RG7. Problem solved. He runs as good as he looks now.
Well painted in the 1923 L&NER green, Gortons version, which if the truth was told was no more than the works old stocks of GCR green with a gallon or two of white added to make it a bit brighter, (note the ampersand and also the GCR cabside numberplates).

BR (ex MS&LR) Parker N4 class 0-6-2T no. 69246

Mick Bayliss Locos now sold

Found recently on Ebay, I recognized this model instantly as being built by my good friend and superb modeller, Nick Dunhill. I won the auction without competition. Nick built this model in 2003 using the North Star kit as a basis of construction. He doesn’t do anything by halves. Many additional details have been added, not to mention fully working inside Joy valve gear. The same year he entered it into the Gauge O Guilds “Guildex” modelling competition at Telford, where it swept the board, winning the big prize of the Chairmans Cup and the Marylerayne Cup which is for kit built models. The model is featured in the November 2003 issue of the GOG Gazette. Slaters wheels, driven by an ABC gear and motor unit on the third axle. The leading two axles are sprung with hornblocks and guides. Power collection is by wipers on top of all of the driving wheels.

Since purchase I have had to make a modification, however. Disappointingly after arrival I find that someone in this models dim and distant past had “improved” it by adding DCC control and sound. That worked well, but as no space was available in the boiler, that person had just placed the DCC decoder, speaker and stay alive with all associated wiring, in the cab space. Not an improvement for me, so I have removed it and the model works very well DC only now. A shame, I know, but I don’t mind my models having well painted crew in the cab, but not a ball of screwed up wires which almost filled the cab space. Also disappointingly the Ebay vendor managed to somehow take his photos without showing this “feature”. I left positive feedback as the model is just superb. I’m happy.

GWR Dean Bulldog class 4-4-0 no. 3453 Skylark

Mick Bayliss My loco collection

GWR Dean Bulldog class 4-4-0 no. 3453 Skylark. Built to a professional standard from the Martin Finney kit with much extra detailing including fully working inside motion. Plated on the underside “Built by R.J.Merry (Birmingham)” and “Painted by Alan Brackenborough”, giving cast iron provenance. Bob Merry I have known for almost as long as I have been modelling. He and Morgan Lewis took me under their wing, taught me about quality and we became friends. I have had one of Morgan’s models https://www.7mmloco.co.uk/?s=sherwood+forester&submit=Search for many years. Now I have one of Bob’s as well. Top quality paintwork. Top quality Alan Harris wheels, top quality ABC gear and motor unit, top quality plates by Severn Mill, and my preferred American method of current collection. Another stunning GWR model, one of many that are being sold by Footplate, from the collection of John Glaze.

LMS (ex L&YR) Aspinal 2P class 2-4-2T no. 10650.

Mick Bayliss Locos now sold
LMS (ex L&YR) Aspinal 2P class 2-4-2T no. 10650.
LMS (ex L&YR) Aspinal 2P class 2-4-2T no. 10650. A recent purchase from auction and a lovely model with DCC control and sound, professionally built from the Lanky kit by Heather Kavanagh (see website), with superb fully working inside motion and Joy valve gear, Slaters wheels, wiper pickups and a top quality ABC motor and gear unit. Her brass nameplate “Built by Heatherkay.co.uk” is affixed to the underside as provenance.

GWR Collett King class 4-6-0 no. 6026 King John

Mick Bayliss My loco collection

GWR Collett King class 4-6-0 no. 6026 King John. I visited Richard at Footplate in Nantwich yesterday to collect a model of a Hall class, but came away with a King. I’m hoping that Rich doesn’t mind me using a couple of his images to create this posting. It will only be on a temporary basis until the weather improves and I can get some decent images myself to do justice to this stunning model. Undoubtedly built from scratch by Peter Roles in January 2007. The model collects current on the American principle. This is achieved by using insulated driving wheels on one side of the loco and insulated wheels on the opposite side of the tender. The locomotive and tender are coupled together by an insulated draw-bar. A fly-lead connected to the motor, plugs into a socket in the tender chassis. Plated on the underside “Built by R.J.Merry (Birmingham)” and also “Built by Peter Roles”. Cast iron provenance and two magical names of superb quality model makers. I am not sure why this model had to be finished by Peter Roles, but, far from it, the quality has not diminished. As always superbly painted by Alan Brackenborough in the unpopular, (why? It is part of the history of the GWR) shirtbutton livery. Top quality Alan Harris wheels, top quality ABC gear and motor unit, top quality plates by Severn Mill. One of many models of this quality that are being sold by Footplate, from the collection of John Glaze.

GWR Churchward Saint class 4-6-0 no. 2908 Lady of Quality

Mick Bayliss Model for sale, My loco collection

GWR Churchward Saint class 4-6-0 no. 2908 Lady of Quality. Built from the DJH Piercy kit, with a chain drive gear unit, Slaters wheels and plunger pickups to the driving wheels and (belt and braces) wiper pickups to the tender wheels. Since the kit was released some years ago I had admired the good looks of the loco and quality of the kit, so when a part built kit appeared on Ebay at a reasonable price I bought it, tender ready built, Severnmill “Lady of Quality” nameplates included. I have now recently had Bob Walker, of the Poachers group, to complete the build for me, and what a good job he has made of it. Superb painting by Warren Haywood adds the finishing touch. The full size Lady of Quality circa 1935, was one of the early Saints with lever reverse and stepped frames at the cab end. Bob has modified the standard kit to incorporate these unusual features superbly.

LNER (ex GNR) Ivatt class D2 4-4-0 no. 4390

Mick Bayliss My loco collection

LNER (ex Great Northern Railway) Ivatt class D2 4-4-0 no. 4390. Going back around 30 years to my early days of 7mm modelling, I joined the East Midlands O gauge group. In those days and with thanks to Nelson Keen and Les Hargreaves, we had test track running sessions at Silverdale in Nottingham (we still do), Nuthall and Willington Power Station. One member that I remember well, because he always ran lovely models, was a chap by the name of Tony Evans (now sadly deceased, I’m sure) and one of those models was an LNER D2. I am now lucky enough to own that model. Built from scratch with superb inside motion by Peter Everton, (his builders plate “Peter Everton Wickersley Made in England” is on the underside as provenance) and undoubtedly painted by Alan Brackenborough. “J.A.Evans” is also painted on the underside of the loco and tender. A top quality model with cast iron provenance and personal history to boot. It has been around the houses quite a bit, two other owners at least as I know of, but she is still in superb condition with no build defects and just a small paint defect, virtually unnoticeable on top of the running plate left side.

BR (ex LMS) Stanier class 5MT 4-6-0 no. 45353

Mick Bayliss Locos now sold

BR (ex LMS) Stanier class 5MT 4-6-0 no. 45353. Very well built from the Javelin kit with Staters wheels and an ABC motor and gear unit and wiper pickups. Accurately painted in the livery that many black 5’s went into after nationisation of the British railways in the late 1940’s early 50’s and before the lovely LNWR style lining was applied on first repaint. Beautifully and skillfully weathered. No provenance of builder/painter/weatherer is known unfortunately. The O gauge finescale fraternity owe David Andrews for a great many quality locomotive kits. Many people wouldn’t realize that he designed the models that formed the original Gladiator range of kits and was joined by Alan Bullock, who later developed the Javelin range, the kits in which were also designed by David. At about the same time David sold the Gladiator range to Geoff Stratford, who continued to develop that range before selling it to the present owners Trisha and Dave Hill. David then concentrated on designing his new range of “David Andrews Locomotive kits”, until his retirement some years ago.

BR (ex LMS) rebuilt Royal Scot class 4-6-0 no. 46160 Queen Victoria’s Rifleman

Mick Bayliss Locos now sold
BR (ex LMS) rebuilt Royal Scot class 4-6-0 no. 46160 Queen Victoria’s Rifleman
BR (ex LMS) Royal Scot class 4-6-0 no. 46160 Queen Victoria’s Rifleman. I was offered this model, together with a Britannia, both in a part built/unfinished condition that was in need of a lot of clean up work, (there must be hundreds of similar build attempts sitting in cupboards or wardrobes around the country), at a very reasonable monetary cost. My challenge was to get them both completed to a working condition and to a standard fit to offer on this website. Here is the Royal Scot, (the Britannia awaits his turn on the back burner for now). Built from the (in my opinion) difficult but very well detailed College Models kit, with Slaters wheels. I have fitted an ABC motor and gear unit and current collection by plunger pickups bringing the model to a good working condition. The amount of detail on this model, all soldered, is superb, eg look at the AWS conduit clipped along the edge of the running plate and the detail of the sanders. Both areas where most modellers economise on the level of detail. Now completed with a Warren Haywood superb quality paint and weathering finish, the model is available to be offered at a price that reflects its original cost to me.