LNER Gresley A3 class 4-6-2 no. 2752 Spion Kop

Mick Bayliss My loco collection

LNER Gresley A3 class 4-6-2 no. 2752 Spion Kop. This fabulous model was built from the Martin Finney kit by Graham Varlev, with Slaters wheels, a Portescap RG7 motor and gears unit. Current collection is by the American method, which collects power from one rail via the loco wheels and the other rail by the tender wheels. The drawbar is insulated as it has to be. All loco driving and tender wheels are compensated in true Martin Finney fashion. Paintwork is by Larry Goddard and he has signed his name, together with the builder’s name on the underside of the running plate to give absolute provenance. She runs as quietly and as smoothly as she looks. Regular viewers of these pages might realise that the Gresley A3 class is up there as one of my favourite locomotive classes, whether in LNER green, BR blue, BR green, single chimney, double chimney, smoke deflectors, they always look good to me. A true Gresley masterpiece.

BR (ex LNER) Gresley rebuild of the Holden B12 class no. 61570

Mick Bayliss Locos now sold
BR (ex LNER) Gresley rebuild of the Holden B12 class no. 61570. This refurbished model was originally very well built from the superb Connoisseur Models kit, with a noisy (read on) motor and gear unit, Slaters wheels (centre drivers are flangeless, which should help the model to negotiate tighter curves) and power collection by plunger pickups on loco and tender. This model was a recent and risky on-line auction buy. To be honest, not that risky for me really, as I had previously bought another model from this seller, so I was already aware of the very good build quality of the models that he was selling, on behalf of the widow of a deceased friend of his. Not too far for me to travel to collect either, which reduced the risk even more, as not needing to use the postal service. Now stripped of original paint, refurbished where necessary, an ABC motor and gear unit replacing the noisy one, a top quality repaint, light weathering and a new identity by Warren Haywood, doesn’t she look good?

BR (ex SECR) Wainwright C class 0-6-0 no. 31575

Mick Bayliss Locos now sold

A lovely model, recently bought from auction in an unfinished plain black livery. The quality of this model was so good, all that I have needed to do to it has been to strip the original paint, repaint it and add transfers. No remedial work and no repairs required. The level of detail is so good that I now regret not having it professionally repainted into the fully lined SECR green livery, polished dome and all. In fact it wouldn’t be too much trouble to strip my new paint that you see here and still have that fabulous livery applied by Warren Haywood…..food for thought. Portescap RG7 motor and gear unit, Slaters wheels, wiper pickups on loco and tender, all make this loco a very smooth and powerful performer. An H class tank, of the same quality, was also acquired at the same time as this C class. It has already been stripped and will be professionally repainted as 31518 at the request of a friend who has reserved it.

GWR de Glehn compound 4-4-2 no. 102 La France

Mick Bayliss Loco commissions

GWR de Glehn compound 4-4-2 no. 102 La France. Built from the superb Modern Outline Kit, with Slaters wheels and an ABC motor and gear unit. An existing client commissioned me to build this model for him. However, a colleague at Poachers and model builder himself, Bob Walker, had built one of these kits recently, quite honestly I bottled it and passed the buck onto him. I have no regrets as he has built this challenging kit brilliantly. Warren Haywood’s paintwork has made this into a stunning model, which has been tested with six coaches and just glides around the Poachers test track. I should take some of the credit as I did all of the organising, running around, added the coal in the tender and even put it in the box prior to handover. A very successful team effort!!

The full size locomotive was built in 1903 specifically for G.J.Churchward of the GWR by Société Alsacienne de Constructions Mécaniques for comparison with his own design two cylinder Saint/Scott class Atlantic locomotive Albion. It did not provide any significant improvement in either performance or economy.

La France was repainted into the standard GWR green livery in 1905, rebuilt with the GWR standard no.1 boiler in 1916 and was withdrawn in 1926.

Great Central Railway Robinson 8A (Tiny) class 0-8-0 no. 48

Mick Bayliss Loco commissions
Great Central Railway Robinson 8A (Tiny) class 0-8-0 no. 48

Great Central Railway Robinson 8A (Tiny) class 0-8-0 no. 48. I am still taking on commissions to build models and this is my latest. Built from the very good, but in some areas very difficult, Gladiator kit, with an RG7 Portescap motor and gear unit and Slaters wheels. Power collection is by my favoured American method, which uses the tender wheels to collect power from one side of the track and the loco wheels from the other, this method avoids the use of plunger pickups, which in my opinion often prove troublesome. The superb GCR fully lined black livery was applied by Warren Haywood.

BR (ex LNER) Gresley V2 class 2-6-2 no. 60860 Durham School

Mick Bayliss Locos now sold
BR (ex LNER) Gresley V2 class 2-6-2 no. 60860 Durham School

BR (ex LNER) Gresley V2 class 2-6-2 no. 60860 Durham School.Built from the Limited Edition DJH kit by John Dunn, and believed to have been very well painted by him also. Powered by the second to none ABC motor and gear unit, with Slaters wheels. Power collection is by the American method, collecting power from one side of the track by the tender wheels, the other via the loco wheels. A mini plug and socket alongside the drawbar makes disconnection of the tender very easy.

BR (ex LNER) Thompson rebuilt J11/3 class 0-6-0 no. 64375

Mick Bayliss Locos now sold
BR (ex LNER) Thompson rebuilt J11/3 class 0-6-0 no. 64375

BR (ER) Thompson rebuilt J11/3 class 0-6-0 no. 64375. Bought from a recent auction. A client had asked me to build him a Pom-pom. This looked to be a good model, and it certainly has prooved to be. I tried to save him some money by buying this with the intention of stripping the paint, improving it where necessary, and having it repainted to his liking. That plan backfired on me, due to my lack of knowledge of Pom-pom’s. He wanted a model circa 1920’s. The J11/3’s were rebuilt by Edward Thompson from the mid 1940’s, with piston valves and the boiler raised by 4″ to accommodate them. So no good for my client. Never mind, I have still stripped the original hand applied paint and repainted it myself to my own liking. I am very pleased. Built from the Gladiator kit. It runs very well indeed, on Slaters wheels with power collection by plunger pickups.