Locos now sold

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.

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.

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.

Southern Railway (Isle of Wight section) ex LSWR Adams O2 class 0-4-4T no. W21 Sandown

Mick Bayliss Locos now sold
Southern Railway (Isle of Wight section) ex LSWR Adams O2 class 0-4-4T no. W21 Sandown
Southern Railway (Isle of Wight section) ex LSWR Adams O2 class 0-4-4T no. W21. Very well built from the Connoisseur Models kit, with Slaters wheels and a Portescap RG7 motor and gear unit with current collection by plunger pick-ups. Recently modified for 2 rail operation with new insulated wheels. The original paint was stripped and the model has now been beautifully repainted by Warren Haywood. This model was originally built as finescale 3 rail skate pick-up operation.

LNER Gresley P2 class 2-8-2 no. 2001 Cock O’ The North

Mick Bayliss Locos now sold
LNER Gresley P2 class 2-8-2 no. 2001 Cock O’ The North
LNER Gresley P2 class 2-8-2 no. 2001 Cock O’ The North. This very impressive model has been skilfully built from scratch, with good quality cast wheels and a Crailcrest motor/gear unit by MSC models. Power collection is by plunger pickups on the driving wheels. A well detailed but at the same time robust model with an equally robust power unit, probably built to be used on an outdoor layout, but judging by its still excellent condition, has spent most of its life in a display cabinet.

BR (ex LSWR) Adams Radial 415 class 4-4-2T no. 30584

Mick Bayliss Locos now sold

BR (ex LSWR) Adams Radial 415 class 4-4-2T no. 30584. I have just acquired this lovely model in an exchange, and when I was told some of it’s history, bells started to ring in my mind. Built from the Martin Finney kit, with Slaters wheels, an ABC motor and gear unit and wiper pickups to the tops of the driving wheels for current collection. I remember this superb model being built. The builder was a very good friend of mine who taught me a lot about 7mm loco modelling, Graham Jaques, now deceased. He had been asked to build it by another good friend Mike Heather, also now deceased. Mike was one of the founder members of the Poachers club in Lincoln and was a very good modeller himself. But he had bought so many kits and his health was not great, he knew that he just would not live long enough to build them all, hense he asked Graham to build this Adams Radial for him. Graham and I used to travel together from Leicester to Lincoln to play trains every third Sunday of the month (I still do). Why am I prepared to sell such a lovely model that means so much to me? Good question.

BR(ER) Thompson A2/3 class 4-6-2 no. 60520 Owen Tudor

Mick Bayliss Locos now sold
BR(ER) Thompson A2/3 class 4-6-2 no. 60520 Owen Tudor
BR(ER) Thompson A2/3 class 4-6-2 no. 60520 Owen Tudor. This lovely model was built from the DJH kit by Graham Varlev, with Slaters wheels, a Portescap RG7 motor and gears unit. Current collection is by plunger pickups. 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.

BR(ex LNER) Gresley N2 class 0-6-2T no. 69567

Mick Bayliss Locos now sold
BR(ex LNER) Gresley N2 class 0-6-2T no. 69567. Built from the Slaters Rising Star kit. Slaters wheels, MSC JH type motor and gear unit. Superb paintwork by Warren Haywood and just as superb weathering by Richard Pogson. A recent on-line auction buy from Pump House Auctions, and not one that I am proud of. First mistake, I set myself a maximum top bid and I exceeded it. The model, in fully lined out GNR green and brown livery, looked very good in the photo and with the BP and delivery charge it cost me over £900. Much too much for the risk involved. When it arrived, one of the condensate pipes was missing. Obviously carelessly handled during viewing, and without anyone at the auction taking care or noticing, it was lost. I will not be using that auction house again. However, now, after a paint strip, removal of the other condensate pipe, repair where necessary, a repaint and a light weathering, this model is a gem and runs as well as it looks.

BR (ex LB&SCR) Billinton E4 class 0-6-2T no. 32469

Mick Bayliss Locos now sold
BR (ex LB&SCR) Billinton E4 class 0-6-2T no. 32469
BR (ex LB&SCR) Billinton E4 class 0-6-2T no. 32469. Built from the MSC models kit. I bought this model after the build had been very basically started by my good friend Mick Heather, after his untimely passing. For a reason we shall never know, no chassis was present. However a scratch built rigid (0-8-0) chassis was found amongst his bits and pieces, which did fit and did a job for me whilst I completed the upper body. However that chassis was never going to be able to be made to make do, so the model was put onto my “back burner” for a few years. Now fast forward to October 2024 and another E4 was found in an auction in Sheffield, I bought it in the hope of being able to use the chassis of that and this 32469 is the result of that very successful marriage. Slaters wheels, MSC JH type motor and gear unit. Superb paintwork by Warren Haywood and just as superb weathering by Richard Pogson, has made this jumble sale of a model very fine indeed.