BR (ex LMS) Stanier class 5MT 4-6-0 no. 45353

BR (ex LMS) Stanier class 5MT 4-6-0 no. 45353. Very well built from the Javelin kit with Staters wheels and an ABC motor and gear unit and wiper pickups. Accurately painted in the livery that many black 5’s went into after nationisation of the British railways in the late 1940’s early 50’s and before the lovely LNWR style lining was applied on first repaint. Beautifully and skillfully weathered. No provenance of builder/painter/weatherer is known unfortunately. The O gauge finescale fraternity owe David Andrews for a great many quality locomotive kits. Many people wouldn’t realize that he designed the models that formed the original Gladiator range of kits and was joined by Alan Bullock, who later developed the Javelin range, the kits in which were also designed by David. At about the same time David sold the Gladiator range to Geoff Stratford, who continued to develop that range before selling it to the present owners Trisha and Dave Hill. David then concentrated on designing his new range of “David Andrews Locomotive kits”, until his retirement some years ago.

BR (ex War Department) Stanier class 8F 2-8-0 no. 48774

BR (ex War Department) Stanier class 8F 2-8-0 no. 48774. A top quality model in all departments. Kit – David Andrews. Build quality – superb. Motor/gears – ABC. Power collection – American method. Paint quality – superb with red inside frames. Weathering quality – astonishing. Good looks – judge for yourself. Performance – very good. If I had the ability to produce this model myself (I wish) I wouldn’t have done it any differently. Bought from an auction (risky) and I cannot fault it. Even the slightly drunken lamp irons at the front are now standing to attention. Strange how I need to see photographs before spotting slight anomalies like that.

BR Standard class 2 2-6-0 no. 78013

BR Standard class 2 2-6-0 no. 78013
BR Standard class 2 2-6-0 no. 78013. Built from the DJH kit, Slaters wheels and a Portescap RG7 motor and gear unit, with power collection by plunger pickups. I have to be honest my ignorance tripped myself up with this recent auction buy. I have a commission for the similar Ivatt class 2 and without being aware of the differences I bought this Standard class 2 with the intention of modifying it into the Ivatt. Foolish boy. I now know the differences and realise that I made a big mistake. If there is one thing that I have learned in life, it is if you make a mistake, get yourself out of it again. I think my photos of this model prove that it is not a mistake anymore. It is common knowledge that this DJH kit, if built out of the box, is not accurate in that the cylinders stick out too far. I have modified the cylinder mountings on my model to overcome this inaccuracy. Painted by myself and numbered to be one of the Leicester (15A) based class 2’s of the early 1960’s.

BR Peppercorn A1 class Pacific no. 60114 W.P.Allen

BR Peppercorn A1 class Pacific no. 60114 W.P.Allen. This lovely model is from a kit, factory built by DJH Grandspot. However, in my opinion it was a case of the tail wagging the dog, (or in this case the client telling the builder) as it was built as 60116 Hal O’ the Wynd, and I bought it as that. However, on research, Mr. Peppercorns 60116 was not named when originally built and wasn’t named until the loco had been repainted in BR blue livery. I like my models to be as proto-typically correct as possible. The only A1 class loco to carry a name whilst it was in apple green livery was 60114, hence why this model found its way into the works to be renumbered and renamed as you see it here. Talking of livery, 60114 carried apple green between when built in August 1948 and November 1949, when he was repainted in BR passenger blue. The warm and sunny weather when the model was photographed has made the livery look more like Muscat green, see the loco “Northern Rock” on the R&ER, a livery that I think looks fabulous on that loco, but not quite right for 60114, so perhaps re-photography on a not so sunny day, or a light weathering may be required? Mr W.P. Allen was a high ranking trades union official of the time. Apologies to the man, but I prefer the name Hal O’ the Wynd, just as the original client did, obviously. Also noteworthy are the curly topped sixes to the number. DJH, I’m sorry to say used straight topped sixes, so they had to be corrected also.

LMS (ex Caledonian Railway) Dugald Drummond 294 class (Jumbo) 0-6-0 no. 17324

LMS (ex Caledonian Railway) Dugald Drummond 294 class (Jumbo) 0-6-0 no. 17324
LMS (ex Caledonian Railway) Dugald Drummond 294 class (Jumbo) 0-6-0 no. 17324. A recent purchase from Ebay that I just could not resist. Built from scratch by Bob Jamieson. I am always hesitant about buying on-line, unseen, but the photos and description of this model, and the fact that I had bought from the vendor before gave me confidence that it would be good…..and it certainly is. Even the paint, (before arrival I had said to myself that if the paint is poor I can have it repainted in Caley blue) is too good to strip. I am a great admirer of the late Peter Cowlings coaches, and buy them whenever I can. I have a 5 coach set of ex Caley coaches in LMS fully lined crimson lake livery, that are a perfect match for this Jumbo. Happy days.
Post photo addition, the loco power classification “2” has been added to the cab sides just below the lamp iron, using methfix transfers. Also the dodgy looking “LMS” transfer on the left hand cabside has been replaced, again using methfix.

GWR Collett 5101 class 2-6-2T Prairie no. 5101

GWR Collett 5101 class 2-6-2T Prairie no. 5101
GWR Collett 5101 class 2-6-2T Prairie no. 5101. This model is by Lee Marsh Model Co. and was constructed and painted in South Korea with switchable DC/DCC control with sound, the switch being easily accessible via the opening smokebox door. The build quality and paint finish (cellulose) is second to none and the model, although second hand, is still in absolutely mint condition. Until I acquired it I don’t think it had even been out of the box. The 5101 class was a Charles Collett 1929 development of George Jackson Churchwards 31xx class Prairies of 1903.

LNER Gresley V2 class 2-6-2 no. 4791

LNER Gresley V2 class 2-6-2 no. 4791
LNER Gresley V2 class 2-6-2 no. 4791. A DJH factory built and painted ready to run model in mint “plus” condition. This superb example features additional chassis details, eg a heavy machined brass frame spacer above the leading drivers, another machined brass spacer above the pony truck and tender wheel wiper current collection to supplement the usual plunger pickups on the loco driving wheels, all added by model engineer Colin Garton. The top quality motor and gear unit assembly is by Ron Chaplin.

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

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

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.