LMS (ex Caledonian Railway) 782 class 0-6-0T

Mick Bayliss My loco collection
LMS (ex Caledonian Railway) 782 class 0-6-0T
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 class D3 4-4-0

Mick Bayliss My loco collection
LNER (ex GNR) Ivatt class D3 4-4-0
LNER (ex GNR) Ivatt class D3 4-4-0. A model, bought recently on-line from Footplate Trains. Very well built from scratch by a person unknown, with cast iron finescale wheels, wiper pickups and a very big, old and noisy motor and gears. Now rebuilt by myself with some details replaced with ones of better quality and an ABC motor and gear unit. She now runs very smoothly and powerfully. Soon to be painted in LNER black, lined out red, by John Cockcroft. 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

Mick Bayliss Model for sale, My loco collection
GWR Armstrong class 4-4-0 no. 8 Gooch as running between 1903 to 1905
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

Mick Bayliss My loco collection
GWR Churchward Saint class 4-6-0 no. 2923 Saint George
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.

BR (ex LNER) Gresley A3 class Pacific no. 60093 Coronach

Mick Bayliss Model for sale, My loco collection
BR (ex LNER) Gresley A3 class Pacific no. 60093 Coronach
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.

LNER Gresley A1 class 4-6-2 no. 4472 Flying Scotsman

Mick Bayliss Locos now sold
LNER Gresley A1 class 4-6-2 no. 4472 Flying Scotsman
LNER Gresley A1 class 4-6-2 no. 4472 Flying Scotsman. A Limited Edition factory built model by DJH, with its original box and certificate. Slaters wheels, a chain driven motor/gear unit and power collection by plunger pick-ups. Modelled as running for the LNER’s “The Flying Scotsman” non-stop train during the period between 1929, when the loco was paired with a corridor tender, and 1935, when the cut-outs on the cab sides were reduced in size. In my opinion, DJH used to produce models to a superb build quality, but the final finishing is sometimes slightly less so (eg vacuum hoses painted light grey and safety valves painted gold). Since buying this model I have made one or two tweeks to the paint to bring it up to my standard.

LMS Stanier Jubilee class 4-6-0 no. 5693 Agamemnon.

Mick Bayliss Locos now sold
LMS Stanier Jubilee class 4-6-0 no. 5693 Agamemnon.
LMS Stanier Jubilee class 4-6-0 no. 5693 Agamemnon. A DJH factory built and painted model, complete with certificate and original box. In my opinion DJH produce models to a superb build quality, but the final finishing is sometimes less so. The colour of this model is very good (not always the case with DJH). Since buying this Jubilee I have made one or two tweeks and adjustments to bring it up to my standard.

LMS Fowler experimental high pressure 4-6-0 no. 6399 Fury.

Mick Bayliss My loco collection

LMS Fowler experimental high pressure 4-6-0 no. 6399 Fury. This superb model was built from scratch with working inside motion by Bill Davis using AGH (Alan Harris) cast wheels, turned by Steve Ross and powered by an ABC Maxon motor/3 stage gear unit. Power collection is via the American method. The boiler and firebox was commissioned and produced as a one piece resin casting by Richard de Camin. The stunning paintwork is by Ian Rathbone and the model is featured on his excellent website https://www.ianrathbonemodelpainting.co.uk/gallery-1—7mm-scale.php and in the Gauge O Guild Gazette of May 2017.

The loco was built by the North British Locomotive Company at their Hyde Park Works in Glasgow in 1929. Basically a Royal Scot class with extended frames, two outside low pressure cylinders and an inside high pressure cylinder, operating on the Compound Principle. The double pressure boiler, designed to operate at 900psi and 250psi was built by the Superheater Company Ltd. The experiment was not a success. In 1930 a representative of the Superheater Company died from his injuries after being scalded on the footplate at Carstairs, when a high pressure tube burst. After repair the loco was trialled in 1934 between Derby and Wellingborough, with very little success. It was eventually rebuilt in 1935 by Mr. Stanier to become the final member of the Royal Scot class no. 6170 British Legion.

LNWR Webb Waterloo or Whitworth class 2-4-0 no. 90 Luck of Edenhall

Mick Bayliss My loco collection
LNWR Webb Waterloo or Whitworth class 2-4-0 no. 90 Luck of Edenhall

LNWR Webb Waterloo or Whitworth class 2-4-0 no. 90 Luck of Edenhall. This class of loco were essentially renewals of the earlier Ramsbottom Samson class. The model has been superbly built, I believe using the Mercian kit as a basis, but with a wealth of additional detail, including fully working Joy valve gear and inside motion. Also the cab backhead detail is well worthy of note. Beautifully painted by Ian Rathbone it is featured on his superb website.https://www.ianrathbonemodelpainting.co.uk/gallery-1—7mm-scale.php

This must be the only railway locomotive named after an item of glassware? The enamelled glass beaker “Luck of Edenhall” was made in Syria or Egypt in the middle of the 14th century? It is now in the Victoria and Albert Museum.