Author: Mick Bayliss

BR(SR) Maunsell Schools class 4-4-0 no. 30925 Cheltenham

Mick Bayliss Loco commissions, Locos now sold
Cheltenham
Cheltenham
BR(SR) Maunsell Schools class 4-4-0 no. 30925 Cheltenham, This model has just been built by myself on commission from the excellent David Andrews kit. The build was started on the 10th April 2018 and finished on the 13th August. Just over four months and around 145 build hours. No major problems were encountered with building this kit, although being a very comprehensive kit of a complicated prototype, tackling one of these as a build project should not be for the beginner or the fainthearted. It presently has a Portescap motor and gears, but as it is proving a little slow, the client has ordered an ABC unit as a replacement and I will be upgrading the model when that is to hand. Final testing will be taking place at the Poachers test track on Sunday 19th August and all being well it will be handed to Warren Haywood for painting at Telford into BR lined green livery.

Metropolitan Railway H class 4-4-4T no. 103

Mick Bayliss Locos now sold
Metropolitan 103
Metropolitan 103
Metropolitan Railway H class 4-4-4T no. 103. This very unusual prototype, designed by Charles Jones for working the longer distance passenger trains from Harrow-on-the-Hill to Aylesbury and Verney Junction. The class of eight engines were built by Kerr, Stuart & Co. in 1920. This rare model is of excellent quality, probably built from the Quainton Road Models kit, with a Portescap RG7 motor and gears. Superbly painted in the later style Metropolitan Railway livery by Simon Greenwood and the model carries his signature as provenance on the underside of the running plate. These locos carried extremely large Kerr Stuart builders plates on each side of the smokebox saddle and the model carries replica plates of exceptional quality.

Midland Railway “6” class 0-4-4T no. 143 as loaned to the M&GN

Mick Bayliss Locos now sold
M&GN 143
Midland Railway “6” class 0-4-4T no. 143 as loaned to the M&GN. A scratch built model by Derek Lawrence. A plate on the underside reads “Derek Lawrence of Lawrence Scale Quality models”. Powered by a quiet Portescap motor and gears, this very old model is still in remarkably good working condition. No provenance is known as to the painter of this very unusual loco, but Dave Studley is known to have painted many of Derek Lawrence’s builds. The livery is basically Midland Railway crimson lake, but the tank sides are unusually decorated with M&GN. The Midland and Great Northern Railway took on loan three of this class of loco from the Midland Railway and this model is depicted as one of those.

LNER K4 class no. 3442 The Great Marquess

Mick Bayliss Locos now sold
The Great Marquess
The Great Marquess
LNER K4 class no. 3442 The Great Marquess. Expertly built from scratch in tinplate and well painted by persons unknown. This model was bought on-line from an Eldreds of Plymouth auction via the-saleroom.com. Normally I prefer to handle and be able to closely inspect models before purchase at auction. But this day I must have been up for taking chances, buying Ingleborough, 75069 and The Great Marquess on the same day. As a working model, this loco has needed very little work. It ran very well as soon as I opened the box and placed it on the track. It had however lost one of it’s front footsteps. Not too difficult to make a new one from scratch and no-one would know now. I bought it with a client in mind and as soon as he clapped eyes on it he had no hesitation in buying. He has now had it converted to DCC by Richard Pogson and it runs very smoothly in both DC and DCC, without the need for it to be switchable. A risky purchase that I do not regret in the slightest.

BR(ER) Gresley V2 class No. 60964 The Durham Light Infantry

Mick Bayliss Early builds, Locos now sold
The Durham Light Infantry
BR(ER) Gresley V2 class No. 60964 The Durham Light Infantry. Built and painted by myself circa 1996, from the DJH “Limited Edition” kit (a massive investment at the time for me). Slaters wheels and an RG7 Portescap motor and gears unit. The lining was achieved quite successfully using transfers. I was very pleased with the finished model for a couple of years until I needed cash for another project and I placed it for sale at a guild show. Stuart Tebbett bought it, which was the start of a good friendship which lasted until he sadly passed away. I have Stuart to thank for the quality of collection that I have today. He and Ebay, (I am “thedurhamlightinfantry”) taught me how to successfully buy and sell and strive with every sale or purchase for continual improvement.

GWR Star class no. 4026 King Richard

Mick Bayliss My loco collection
King Richard
King Richard
GWR Star class no. 4026 King Richard. Built from scratch to an exceptional standard with fully working inside motion by a person unknown. Painted, (also exceptionally, as always?) by Alan Brackenborough.

I was lucky enough, to firstly find and again to be able to buy, this very fine model at a Special Auction Services auction in Newbury. It’s condition was not great, with minor rusting to all of the wheels and other bright-work a little tarnished. Additionally two small repairs have needed to be made to the working of the inside motion. All’s well now though. Of more importance to me was that there was no damage to the paintwork.

These are typical of the risks needed to be taken when buying in auction. It goes without saying that you do not get a chance to test the working of models before bidding. You are lucky if you get a box to carry it home in. Therefore confidence in your own ability to be able to repair any faults is obviously a necessity.

In the same auction there were many more fine models, including my Experiment and Precursor class models. There were also two other Stars which I didn’t buy – Dog Star and Princess Helena. Both of the same original build and paint quality as King Richard, although Dog Star looked to have had a slightly tougher working life. I wonder if the buyer of those models is as pleased as I am with this? I wonder if he had any surprises when he got them home and placed them on the track? Has he had to make any repairs? More interestingly for me, does he know who the builder is? The previous owner, now deceased, was a man by the name of Peter Tray, who apparently lived in Ireland. If anyone reading this has any further knowledge of this model, eg. who the builder is, please let me know.

Princess Helena was missing a nameplate. That doesn’t sound a great issue as a replacement can easily be acquired and stuck on with superglue. But the nameplates on these models were cleverly designed and mounted to the splasher with a slot and tab fixing of great craftsmanship. A real shame to have lost one and that was the only reason that I chose to go for King Richard instead.

These models, clearly came from a true connoisseur of model trains and an avid enthusiast of the GWR and L&NWR.

GWR 43xx class no. 4302

Mick Bayliss Locos now sold
GWR Churchward mogul
GWR Churchward mogul
GWR Churchward mogul 43xx class no. 4302. Built by Malcolm Mitchell from his own kit. Additionally, the model carries a small nameplate of the builder on the underside to give that provenance. Painted to an exceptional standard by Alan Brackenborough.

I was lucky enough, to firstly find and again to be able to buy this model at auction. But it was in less than good condition as it had rusting to all of the wheels. On the positive side however and very importantly, the paintwork was still in very good condition. After cleaning and lubrication, placing the model on the track and she was away. Non the worse for her spell in a location of damp atmosphere and change of ownership.

It goes without saying what a risky business it is when buying models in auction. You do not get a chance to test the working of models before bidding. You are lucky if you get a box to carry it home in. Therefore confidence in your own ability to be able to repair any faults is obviously a necessity.

In the same auction there were many more fine models, including my Experiment, Precursor and Star King Richard. These models, came from the collection of Peter Tray, in Ireland. Obviously a true connoisseur of model trains and an avid enthusiast of the GWR and L&NWR.