LNER (ex GNR) Gresley J6 class 0-6-0 no. 3592

Mick Bayliss Locos now sold
LNER (ex GNR) Gresley J6 class 0-6-0 no. 3592
LNER (ex GNR) Gresley J6 class 0-6-0 no. 3592. An elderly, superbly built from scratch model, with an excellent rendition of static inside motion, which in my opinion, models with a high boiler really need to fill the void below the boiler and between the frames. A Portescap RG7 motor and gear unit and wiper current collection on all driving wheels, she runs very smoothly and powerfully. The original fine lined black paintwork was starting to be a little care-worn. Too good to strip, so I have carefully masked off the good lining and spray re-painted. I’ll say it myself, I am very satisfied with the finish. Nice and weighty, not only does she look good, but if you hold her in your hands she feels like a scratchbuilt model.

BR (ex GER) Holden class F5 2-4-2T no. 67216

Mick Bayliss Model for sale, My loco collection
BR (ex GER) Holden class F5 2-4-2T no. 67216. Well built from one of my old friend Jim McGeown’s very good Connoisseur Models kits, this tank engine was built, but poorly finish painted by a person, now deceased. It was offered to me when I visited Shirebrook a year ago to collect a B12 (an Ebay purchase). I didn’t really want it, but under pressure, decided to take it with the intention to strip it and have it repainted into GER fully lined livery. Before I got around to doing that, the (scratchbuilt by Wally Mayhew) GER M15 class no. 650 came along, which deemed my intentions unnecessary. An image of that model is included here for comparison purposes. Now the once poorly painted model has been repainted by myself in the loco’s final livery. It runs very well with single stage gears and a Mashima motor as Jim recommends, with wiper pickups. Interesting in that no. 650 (of 1884) was the first built M15, and no. 67216 (of 1908) was the penultimate of 150 locomotives in the F4 (M15)/F5 (M15 rebuilt) class. Check out the accuracy of my model against the photo of 67216 on page 101 of Yeadons Register volume 39.

BR(ER) Gresley B17/4 class 4-6-0 no. 61647 Helmingham Hall

Mick Bayliss Locos now sold

BR(ER) Gresley B17/4 class 4-6-0 no. 61647 Helmingham Hall. A recent acquisition from Ebay (risky I know) and I have to admit that this is one of the best kit built models that these pages have seen. That is some admission as I have built many of them myself. Built to professional standards from the DMR kit and painted by Conrad Cooper, his name signed on the underside of the running plate as provenance. Other than light lubrication I have had to do nothing to this model to get it to my exacting standards. A risk that has paid off. Slaters wheels and an ABC motor and gear unit with current collection by plunger pickups. I ran this model a week ago at the Poachers test track in Lincoln, and with six blood and custard coaches in tow it performed faultlessly. Most of the B17/4 class were footballers, 61647 being I believe the only member of the sub-class that was named after an East Anglian country home.

BR (exLSWR) Drummond M7 class 0-4-4T no. 30127

Mick Bayliss Model for sale, My loco collection
BR (exLSWR) Drummond M7 class 0-4-4T no. 30127
BR (exLSWR) Drummond M7 class 0-4-4T no. 30127. A recent purchase from Ebay in unfinished and unpainted condition. This model has been well built to a professional standard from the DJB kit by M. Jupp in 2007, with Slaters wheels and an ABC motor and gear unit. Power collection is by wiper pickups on the four driving wheels. Now completed by myself and beautifully painted by Warren Haywood, she runs as good as she looks.

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 Locos now sold
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”.