Mister No's Pics & Vids

[Super]

Another great video story Mr No

I don't know the whole story of Hiro and him being patchworked but I always thought he looked strange without his tender being patched too. Wasn't he found like this Ucwepn picture of Talking Flip Face Hiro before he was patched up with his Tender just as deteriorated?

Yes! He was supposedly, the first engine on Sodor (from Japan), but his needed spare parts never came, so he was somehow misplaced on unused tracks in the woods where he looked like on this Ucwepn's picture. When Thomas and the other found him, they secretly mended him with various parts they could find around, because they didn't want the Fat Controller to know what they are doing. Hence, the patchwork-look. In a later (proper) repair he was painted in his standard black livery... Oh, and there is a Plarail version with the aquarium train; there he's black, but with some fish painted next to the number on his tender.
I like this patchwork look... (one blue wheel! )

How were you able to get him in his Patchwork variant? It was a limited edition that was only available at Thomas Town, so not too many sellers would've been likely to have one. Either way, seeing one on your railway instead of a plain old regular Hiro was a pleasant surprise.

[Super]

@LaG
He is still quite easy to get as there are many sellers selling them new in the box.

@Mr No
Thanks for the info on Mr Hiro. I have always had the idea that if I ever got him I would customize his Tender in patchwork to match what the engine looks like. One thing I just noticed which I am thrilled to see...patchwork Hiro has real Cab side windows right? and it also looks like the gold box under the windows is paint whereas all the other versions (I think) of him has a big sticker for windows and the box under them right? Now I might have to pick one up for the Future World collection and possibly a well used one to customize.

@laG

I was lucky to find it on eBay for a very reasonable price. I like the "aquarium" version (black, but with fish on the tender) too, although patchwork Hiro is my favorite!

Hiro is also a very good and quiet "C" battery runner.



@ Super:

Everything's real on Hiro, Super. The windows are not holes, though, just solid black plastic, with frames in gold. There are no stickers on Hiro (except his name plate); I only wish all Plarail vehicles are made like this! Really beautiful engine. He is a fine representation of his D51 Class "Mikado". (I learned that Mikado means The Emperor of Japan.)

Rosie is especially important to me, because some locomotives of her class arrived in Yugoslavia, and some were built here, by Đuro Đaković, Industry of rail vehicles, industrial and energy plants and steel structures in Slavonski Brod, Croatia.

Thus, for example, the former USATC 6171 served as a locomotive of the Yugoslav Railways JŽ 62-070 in Zagorje coal mines:





Several of them have been preserved in Slovenia: this one (JŽ 62-119) worked in Kidričevo, before being displayed next to the Dobova sheds:




One beautifully restored "Rosie" (JŽ 62-084, actually) is on display at the station in Gračac, Croatia:



Wikipedia:

The „Jugoslavenske željeznice“ (JŽ; Yugoslavian Railways) class 62 was a class formed of 106 ex-United States Army Transportation Corps S100 Class 0-6-0T steam locomotives, surplus after the Second World War, plus about 90 similar examples built by Đuro Đaković of Slavonski Brod, Croatia between 1952 and 1961.

These Yugoslav-built examples differ in minor details, but principally the use of plate frames instead of bar frames, resulting in a higher boiler pitch. This in turn leads to distinct shoulder on the steam pipes (the American-built examples having straight steam pipes) and smaller domes which have a flat top so they are not higher than the cab roof.

Several of these engines survive, but one 62-669, built in 1960 was bought by a preservation group in England and has been modified to resemble a Southern Railway USA class, and become "No. 30075", one higher than the last British Railways example. Another one has since followed:
- 62-669 (built 1960) Shillingstone Railway Project "30075"
- 62-521 (built 1954) Shillingstone Railway Project "30076"



Back to the Plarail Rosie - here is the video:

Rosie's basis and other classes derived from it were actually exported to numerous other countries (10 more besides the UK and Yugoslavia). Two of them were even used here when the British Mandate was coming to an end (out of six loaned by the UK War Department). If only the animators of BWBA thought to recolour Rosie for more international engines.
 

Everything's real on Hiro, Super. The windows are not holes, though, just solid black plastic, with frames in gold. There are no stickers on Hiro (except his name plate); I only wish all Plarail vehicles are made like this! Really beautiful engine. He is a fine representation of his D51 Class "Mikado". (I learned that Mikado means The Emperor of Japan.)

He was thinking of the TrackMaster versions, where the cab does have two stickers for the windows and gold borders. The TOMY Hiro is mainly a retool of one of their (many) existing D51 moulds from the main range, hence why he naturally looks more prototypical than the TrackMaster one (made from scratch by Western designers).

[Super]

Besides this patchwork do the other Tomy/Plarail versions also have no stickers for windows?

EDIT:
Maybe I answered my own question with a little research of Ucwepn videos. The Trackmaster version pales in comparison. The ones that have passed through my doors must have all been Trackmasters.

Don't forget to 'Like' and 'Subscribe' to Ucwepn's videos as it helps him out which in turn, helps BluePlasticTracks out.

Rosie's basis and other classes derived from it were actually exported to numerous other countries (10 more besides the UK and Yugoslavia). Two of them were even used here when the British Mandate was coming to an end (out of six loaned by the UK War Department).

The United States Army Transportation Corps S100 Class is a 0-6-0 steam locomotive that was designed for switching duties in Europe and North Africa during World War II. Several were later used on railways in Austria, Great Britain, France, Greece, Italy, Yugoslavia, Palestine, Iraq, Iran, the Netherlands, Israel and China.

Over one-hundred of the USATC S100 Class still remain, or are preserved, in various conditions in some European countries, the United States, China and Egypt. Four members of SR USA Class are preserved, including one at the Bluebell Railway. 

I haven't found any information on the "copies" of that class that were built anywhere else except in Yugoslavia, which made ~ 90 of them, though.

@ Super:

Yes, it seems only the Trackmaster Hiros have the stickers (and they don't look very nice to me) for the side windows. As for Plarail, Hiro has solid black plastic with golden edges, and his "basis" - Plarail's D51 has holes (you can see the motor through the window). So in my opinion, Plarail Hiro looks best among all this locos. If you are going to customize Hiro, take Plarail Hiro, Super; he is the only one with the nice golden back light on the tender (among other things)! 

I love Ucwepn's videos, and I'm subscribed to his channel. I recommend his channel wholeheartedly.