Tales from The Room of Doom. Dipping a toe in various bucolic backwaters.
- Thread starter Flaxfield
- Start date
Flaxfield
Western Thunderer
Evening all.
A busy week end has seen quite a few locos, from various cancelled projects, leave the stock list and as a result, the 'railway fund' has swollen. Frankly, it feels good.
Transfers in have been restricted to a couple more SE&CR coaches from the Hattons Genesis range. Granted, they're not everyone's cup of tea but they create a nice impression of what was.......and that's good enough for me.
The Rapido SE&CR O1s are on the horizon and some of the money raised will secure a couple of examples.
In all honesty, the SE&CR project will remain nothing more than a collection for now but I am actually enjoying acquiring bits and bobs for it, knowing that I have a nice set of stock ready to go.
Will we see an interim SE&CR inspired small build ?
Maybe. Being a fan of light railways and bucolic backwaters, I find myself asking if something set in Kent or Sussex in the early 1950s and involving a P Class, a Terrier and an O1 could be successfully attempted..............
Rob
A busy week end has seen quite a few locos, from various cancelled projects, leave the stock list and as a result, the 'railway fund' has swollen. Frankly, it feels good.
Transfers in have been restricted to a couple more SE&CR coaches from the Hattons Genesis range. Granted, they're not everyone's cup of tea but they create a nice impression of what was.......and that's good enough for me.
The Rapido SE&CR O1s are on the horizon and some of the money raised will secure a couple of examples.
In all honesty, the SE&CR project will remain nothing more than a collection for now but I am actually enjoying acquiring bits and bobs for it, knowing that I have a nice set of stock ready to go.
Will we see an interim SE&CR inspired small build ?
Maybe. Being a fan of light railways and bucolic backwaters, I find myself asking if something set in Kent or Sussex in the early 1950s and involving a P Class, a Terrier and an O1 could be successfully attempted..............
Rob
Yorkshire Dave
Western Thunderer
Other key tank locomotive omissions will also be the ex-LCDR 0-4-4 tanks designed by William Kirtley. The A1 & A2 class withdrawn in 1923-25 and R & R1 class of which a handful survived nationalisation. Plus the ex-SER R & R1 0-6-0T famously used on the Folkestone Harbour branch and originally produced by Hornby Dublo and later Wrenn.
And of course William Kirtley was the engineering brains behind the early Wainwright classes with the H 0-4-4T, C 0-6-0 and D 4-4-0 fundamentally being Kirtley designs based upon his earlier LCDR R1 0-4-4T, B2 0-6-0 and M3 4-4-0 classes.
Flaxfield
Western Thunderer
Morning all.
Well, the Railway fund has had a significant uplift in the last week or so, with more locos, previously purchased for various projects, have found new homes. Even the Italian steam selection has now moved on.
There could well be more, but the only purchase lined up from the fund is, as stated, Rapido's lovely SE&CR O1 0.6.0s, though we may see another livery joining the SE&CR jobs.
I must admit, Rapido's announcement of their LB&SCR brake vans caused a slight pause, to consider if a LB&SCR side project was viable but, so far, I've been brave !
But it could happen, especially as we now have batch two of the lovely round ended wagons from Kernow, as well as the vans and opens from Rapido.
Hi Dave,
I'd be very pleased with an R or R1, be it a 0.4.4T or the 0.6.0T. Both are rather nice, especially the prospect of a Canterbury to Whitstable cut down job.
I do wonder if a Q or Q1 0.4.4T is under consideration by Rapido as the Metropolitan E is so similar, and in fact, the Met's precursor to the E Class was based on the SER design. We shall see, but it would make a nice alternative to the Hornby H.
Lots to think about and I'm sure there is plenty more to come from Rapido on the pre-grouping side of things as it really is a growth market in RTR land at present.
Rob
Well, the Railway fund has had a significant uplift in the last week or so, with more locos, previously purchased for various projects, have found new homes. Even the Italian steam selection has now moved on.
There could well be more, but the only purchase lined up from the fund is, as stated, Rapido's lovely SE&CR O1 0.6.0s, though we may see another livery joining the SE&CR jobs.
I must admit, Rapido's announcement of their LB&SCR brake vans caused a slight pause, to consider if a LB&SCR side project was viable but, so far, I've been brave !
But it could happen, especially as we now have batch two of the lovely round ended wagons from Kernow, as well as the vans and opens from Rapido.
Hi Dave,
I'd be very pleased with an R or R1, be it a 0.4.4T or the 0.6.0T. Both are rather nice, especially the prospect of a Canterbury to Whitstable cut down job.
I do wonder if a Q or Q1 0.4.4T is under consideration by Rapido as the Metropolitan E is so similar, and in fact, the Met's precursor to the E Class was based on the SER design. We shall see, but it would make a nice alternative to the Hornby H.
Lots to think about and I'm sure there is plenty more to come from Rapido on the pre-grouping side of things as it really is a growth market in RTR land at present.
Rob
Ian@StEnochs
Western Thunderer
“I do wonder if a Q or Q1 0.4.4T is under consideration by Rapido as the Metropolitan E is so similar, and in fact, the Met's precursor to the E Class was based on the SER design. We shall see, but it would make a nice alternative to the Hornby H. “
And of course the SER design was based on Stirlings 1 class on the G&SWR. His last design for the Sou’West but modified by Hugh Smellie before entering service.
And of course the SER design was based on Stirlings 1 class on the G&SWR. His last design for the Sou’West but modified by Hugh Smellie before entering service.
2996 Victor
Western Thunderer
Captain Kernow
Western Thunderer
I remember being very attracted to the pretty blue one.
Flaxfield
Western Thunderer
Morning, all.
Yes, I have to agree regarding the somewhat mountainous coal load. It probably stems from a need to add weight to the tender. However, the inside of the tender, the body of which is very narrow, is full of DCC gubbins so I suspect that space within is tight.
As you say though, still a pretty little thing. Last thing last night, I dragged out the Hattons four wheel coaches and produced an even prettier sight.
There has been much debate regarding the generic nature, and colour, of these coaches but they make for a very nice ensemble.
Rob
Yes, I have to agree regarding the somewhat mountainous coal load. It probably stems from a need to add weight to the tender. However, the inside of the tender, the body of which is very narrow, is full of DCC gubbins so I suspect that space within is tight.
As you say though, still a pretty little thing. Last thing last night, I dragged out the Hattons four wheel coaches and produced an even prettier sight.
There has been much debate regarding the generic nature, and colour, of these coaches but they make for a very nice ensemble.
Rob
Captain Kernow
Western Thunderer
Despite extensive counselling, I am still attracted to the pretty blue one.
No offence to the rather fetching green ones, of course. They're very nice also.
What route would they have taken from Ashford to Leominster?
No offence to the rather fetching green ones, of course. They're very nice also.
What route would they have taken from Ashford to Leominster?
Yorkshire Dave
Western Thunderer
As you say though, still a pretty little thing. Last thing last night, I dragged out the Hattons four wheel coaches and produced an even prettier sight.
There has been much debate regarding the generic nature, and colour, of these coaches but they make for a very nice ensemble.
Very nice. Which, alas, sums up the 4mm/00 gauge manufacturers approach ever since the 1950s. Produce an exquisite locomotive but fail to produce the correct carriage stock.
Flaxfield
Western Thunderer
Totally understand what you're saying, Dave but from a RTR perspective, generic coaches make commercial sense. Would I like proper SE&CR coaches ? Of course, but if the RTR boys ( and girls in Rapido's case ) made coaches specific to every pre-group loco/ company, the cost would be prohibitive, not only in terms of cost to tool, produce etc but to us the customer. As an example, there are only so many SE&CR modellers, so let's say Rapido produce a range of four and six wheel coaches specific to the SE&CR. If the use of that tooling were limited to SE&CR liveries only ( four wheel coaches ) , and SE&CR, and Southern ( six Wheel Coaches ), the cost to the modeller would be very high indeed, in order to recoup the cost of the tooling AND make a profit. If those costs weren't recovered, the venture would be deemed to be not commercially viable and probably wouldn't be repeated.
I understand Hornby were designing their four coaches as Stroudley coaches for their Terriers but made a few tweaks to make them more generic. Same with their six wheel coaches which were designed to be NBR coaches to accompany the North British 0.6.0, latterly J36. Again changes were made to make them more generic. The alternative is that each were produced true to prototype but subsequently released in a variety of pre-grouping liveries to recover the cost to the company. That would undoubtedly lead to shouts of foul as people complained these were just LB&SCR and North British coaches being painted in other companies liveries.......Either way, the company concerned would be criticised.
No, I think Hattons nailed it. Many will disagree with me of course but as I say, I understand their approach and that of Rapido with their Evolution bogie coaches. They will sell very well and allow a real impression to be given of a wonderfully colourful period of railway history.
I don't want to build kits so I either do without, or welcome what is available as an alternative. I'm happy to choose the latter.
Rob
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