GWR Dukedog class 4-4-0 no. 3201

GWR Dukedog class 4-4-0 no. 3201
GWR Dukedog class 4-4-0 no. 3201. A recent buy from an auction. This attractive and well built model has needed little work, other than cleaning and blackening the wheel tyres, lubrication, and the addition of the numbers on the front buffer beam and the power classification and route availability on the cab sides. Built from the well established DJB kit with Slaters wheels and a Portescap RG7 motor and gears unit. Power collection is by good quality plunger pickups. DJB kits were the top of the range kits of the time before the likes of Martin Finney, Malcolm Mitchell and MOK came onto the scene. With a little effort and skill they build into superb models that carry the looks of the prototype well. I bought this model with the intention to strip the paint and have it professionally repainted, but the original paint is just so good repainting is not necessary.

Highland Railway Jones Loch class 4-4-0 no. 132 Loch Naver

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.

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 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.

LMS Stanier 5XP Jubilee class 4-6-0 no. 5604 Ceylon

When I found this model, I was fairly sure in my mind that it had been factory built and painted by DJH from one of their superb kits. Now, since getting it home and being able to examine it closely, it could be that this is a DJH No. 1 Shop build, which might explain the unusual features that a standard DJH build would not have. But no provenance is available to support that. It has been built from a DJH kit and superbly painted in the post war LMS crimson lake livery. Notice that the number on the cab side is in the higher position than other red Jubilees that are on this website, and that the shading to the lettering and numbers is yellow rather than gold. All pointers to it being in a post war livery and unusual. The wheels are the usual Slaters (nothing wrong with Slaters wheels, where would this hobby be without Slaters wheels being available to us for the last 40/50 years). The motor and gears are a top quality ABC unit, unusual for DJH. The current collection is from the tender by a spring on the drawbar. Works well and again unusual for the DJH factory, who usually use a chain driven gear unit and plunger pick-ups.  Either way, this is a fabulous model. Top marks to whoever built it.

LSWR Drummond M7 class 0-4-4T no. 125.

LSWR Drummond M7 class 0-4-4T no. 125.
LSWR Drummond M7 class 0-4-4T no. 125. A top quality model, recently bought from an on-line auction. Professionally built from a DJB kit, with a Portescap RG7 motor and gears unit and Slaters wheels. DJB kits were the top of the range kits of the time before the likes of Martin Finney, Malcolm Mitchell and MOK came onto the scene. With a little effort and skill they build into superb models that carry the looks of the prototype well. The lovely pre-grouping Drummond livery, by Brian Badger (his name is neatly painted under the chassis) is equal to the quality of the build. Although with no provenance as to the builder, this is an auction buy, bought from an image only, that has paid off for me.

LMS Fowler 3P class 2-6-2T no. 64

LMS Fowler 3P class 2-6-2T no. 64
LMS Fowler 3P class 2-6-2T no. 64. A scratch built model, with a silver label on the underside “Lawrence Scale no. 14101”. Also painted on the underside “N & W” and “NW” and signed “L.W.Goddard ’82” who of course is the “artist” who has beautifully painted the model. We believe this model to be built by Derek Lawrence and painted by Larry Goddard in 1982, for Norman Wisendon’s model shop in Greenfield, near Manchester. The wheels are metal castings, the motor is a Mashima and the gears are chunky and robust. Power collection is by wiper pickups from the driving wheels. A lovely heavy scratch built model, over forty years old, built to last and still in superb condition.

GWR Armstrong 517 class 0-4-2T no. 1436

GWR Armstrong 517 class 0-4-2T no. 1436. The build of this model is of professional quality, from the Malcolm Mitchell kit with superb cab detail, axle compensation, Slaters wheels, wiper current collection and powered by a fuse protected Portescap RG7 motor and gears unit. Well painted in the GWR 1920-30’s unlined green livery and lightly weathered. A very smooth performer indeed.

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

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.