From Miniature to BIG

[Super]

Brakes probably used while the wagon is being filled so it doesn't move around when sitting under a hopper or loading dock.

Ok, well after the big O gauge models, today I received a package from Hornby, this contained a pre-order item that has finally arrived after having been ordered over a year ago!  The other two items are from their current spring sale and were 50% off.

To start with lets have the sale items, if you follow this thread you will remember the 'Lion' train pack I bought last year.  Well to go with it Hornby decided to sell the sister loco 'Tiger' train pack at half price as well as a coach pack which is technically meant to complement the 'Rocket' train pack, but of course which is the same era as Lion and Tiger.

So here we go, a couple of pics of each.  The 'Tiger' train pack instead of containing coaches like the 'Lion' did instead came with 3 'coal' wagons.  I didn't take pictures of those yet as they are tiny and until i get the train out of the pack properly it would be pretty much impossible to get a decent picture of them.

















The other item in the parcel was my pre-order item.  This is the brand new P2 class steam locomotive 'Prince of Wales'.  The P2 was one of the last steam locomotive classes to be built before diesel and electric came along and spoiled everything.

This model is similarly ground breaking as for a start it is a beautiful looking locomotive, but on top of that it comes fully loaded with one of the new HM7000 bluetooth enabled sound DCC decoders and a first for recent Hornby models a steam generator.  Unlike older steam generators that used to use a hot element that evaporated 'smoke oil', this one actually runs on plain water, a bit like the old Tomy Thomas with the smoke function.  The difference being this is (supposed to be) better as the there is no need for an LED to illuminate the smoke to make it visible and the puffs of smoke are actually syncronised with the 'chuff chuff' sound from the HM7000 sound decoder.  At the moment there are only the pictures of the model, but if I can find time this weekend I intend to test it out and run it generating steam!!  Till then, enjoy!

[Super]

Love The Tiger, very unusual and I like unusual. Rockets open carriages are really neat. So are there bench seats facing each other in each compartment?

Will there be a video demonstrating the smoke unit?

Love The Tiger, very unusual and I like unusual. Rockets open carriages are really neat. So are there bench seats facing each other in each compartment?

I have to be honest and say I'm not sure as I didn't really look at that, just took the photo's lol!  But I think the answer is no as being 3rd class I think back then the passengers were expected to stand

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Will there be a video demonstrating the smoke unit?

I was hoping to do so this weekend, but in case I can't find the time here is a youtube video of someone reviewing and running the loco, very informative;

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Just a mini note this time and only one picture, but look what turned up in the post today following a short eBay auction?



Yes, another one of those Croydon private owner wagons, but it is actually different to the one I already got.  Can anyone tell what the difference is?!?

That brings back memories!

I remember watching this kind of wagon being unloaded at Banstead (between Sutton and Epsom Downs) when its goods yard was still connected to the railway.

Ok folks, back to the BIG models again, here's the latest batch of O gauge models I have added to my fleet.

First up is a stunning rake of Stroudley coaches (as mentioned by Donald some time back), These are 4 wheel coaches and a bit reminiscent of the Thomas coaches in some ways.  The best part is I picked these up as a bargain from Rails of Sheffield who are selling them at half price.  On top of that these were originally a special limited edition set exclusive to the Dapol collectors club (or so their ad says).  I also opted for the versions that come fitted with light bars so they feature interior lighting.

This rake of coaches features close coupling between the centre coach and the two end coaches, so as such only the two ends of the outer coaches feature proper buffers, which of course are sprung!  The finish on the coaches is Mahogony which is a nice change to the LNER Teak coaches.  The printed/painted effect though is very good and the pictures don't really demonstrate them at their best as I had the camera flash on to illuminate the interior which even goes to the effort of different coloured seats depending upon the class of the relevant compartment.  Also note the 'guards' section on the ends of the end coaches, these actually sit proud of the side of the rest of the coach and have windows facing along the coach so the guard could check to ensure everyone was on board and doors closed before the train leaves the station.  Other fitted detail include genuine brass handrails and roof ventilation etc...  Basically a nice example of a superb premium product.















Other items in the shipment include a nice 4 wheel tanker and a 'lime' wagon both different designs to other rolling stock I've got to date.













Finally and coincidentally is the latest coal wagon that arrived from an auction win on eBay, similar to the others I have, but still nice and in this example it is a weathered wagon rather than a pristine one.  I tend to be split over this on wagons, on the one hand the weathered ones look more realistic, but on the other hand I sometimes prefer the pristine ones as I want to see what the livery looks like in all its glory rather than half of it hidden behind grime.

[Super]

Mr Nigels...I hope you know that you may very well be costing me money..........I fear that these pictures are making me salivate all over my Keyboard which may have to be replaced if I continue. 😊

Wow...these are 'O' gauge...hard for me to picture these in such a large scale as the details must be stunning. OMG..those Stroudley coaches are absolutely amazing. Upon viewing the photos (before reading your description) I wondered what the written numbers meant on the compartment doors but you explained that they were the Class of seating. I loved peering through the glazed windows to see the padded bench seats inside the compartments and wondered what the differences in Class was. Loved the white sided wheels and the long running boards for steps. Thanks for calling out those roof ventilators as I wondered what they were for.

OMG...that South Wales Portland Cement covered wagon is fantastic with all its highly detailed nuts and bolts and what appears to be hinged openings in the roof for easy loading from an elevated hopper. I can only image what these may look like as I have never held an 'O' gauge in my hands to inspect. Thanks for sharing sir!

Mr Nigels...I hope you know that you may very well be costing me money..........I fear that these pictures are making me salivate all over my Keyboard which may have to be replaced if I continue. 😊

Wow...these are 'O' gauge...hard for me to picture these in such a large scale as the details must be stunning. OMG..those Stroudley coaches are absolutely amazing. Upon viewing the photos (before reading your description) I wondered what the written numbers meant on the compartment doors but you explained that they were the Class of seating. I loved peering through the glazed windows to see the padded bench seats inside the compartments and wondered what the differences in Class was. Loved the white sided wheels and the long running boards for steps. Thanks for calling out those roof ventilators as I wondered what they were for.

OMG...that South Wales Portland Cement covered wagon is fantastic with all its highly detailed nuts and bolts and what appears to be hinged openings in the roof for easy loading from an elevated hopper. I can only image what these may look like as I have never held an 'O' gauge in my hands to inspect. Thanks for sharing sir!

Thanks Super,

I may have to send you one of those plastic keyboard protectors at this rate lol!  I do know what you mean though, the detail is stunning in this scale, not that its poor these days even in the smaller scales.  But these are so much better to see the detail easily.  The crazy thing is with the constant increases in prices of OO/HO scale models it is making O gauge (just like N gauge) appear to be much better value than they used to be as HO/OO was traditionally so much cheaper than the other less common scales, or at least it was in the UK.  Now its getting to the stage that the prices of the new highly detailed OO gauge wagons and coaches is almost as much as that for O gauge and crazily N gauge are actually cheaper than OO gauge in many instances.  For instance I have recently seen some OO gauge coaches that are priced at over £100 each!!  Sure they have plenty of detail, but really £100+ when for a decent length OO train you really need 6+ coaches it is just unaffordable for most people (including me!).

Although I doubt I'll ever have the space needed for a full blown O gauge layout, the models are so spectacular and have so much presence due to their sheer size as well as the detail level that they would make stunning display pieces.

One thing I will try to do in the coming days is to hook up some O gauge track to a power source to test and get some pictures of the internal lighting working on those coaches, then you'll be able to see the interior in its full glory.  I suspect they will look stunningly good when lit.

Anyway till the next O gauge purchase you may have to put up with smaller scales lol!

Well folks its that time again, the courier has just been as has the post man before him.  Bringing yet more new goodies with them.  This time (at the risk of ruining Super's keyboard) I have some truly stunning models to share pictures of with you.  First up is the post mans delivery which was simply another private owner coal wagon in O gauge from Dapol, courtesy of FleaBay.  This one is a rather stunningly nice red colour and although a different owner from the Croydon based ones I originally started with is actually from a location near in Sussex (where I currently live), I give you 'T Tullet and Sons' from 'Petworth' in Sussex;









Next up is one of two models from Rails of Sheffield, again O Gauge Dapol models and to be honest unplanned purchases.  But as these were offered at a rather generous 50% off as a special offer this weekend I could just simply not resist them as this sale price puts them at a price around or possibly even lower than the price of Hornby OO equivalent models.

First of the two is a really stunning alternative liveried Terrier, this one is in the rather fetching SE&CR (South East and Coastal Railway) green, this will be pretty familiar to those of you who like Thomas as this is pretty much the pre-Sodor green livery carried by the version of Thomas released some years back as a retro model of Thomas.  In some ways this model could almost be converted to a Thomas by replacing the boiler door with a face, although its not 100% as I think Thomas was modeled on a different class of locomotive.  Anyway here's the pictures, so enjoy this stunner...











The final model for this post is another stunning locomotive, maybe not quite as attractive a livery as the above Terrier, but nonetheless still a beautiful depiction of this very popular class of locomotive.  This model is a class 3F locomotive, quite often referred to as a 'Jinty' by enthusiasts, again a 0-6-0 tank locomotive and in terms of shape/design probably the best candidate if you wanted to make a conversion to a Thomas in O gauge.

This livery is described as NCC and is number 19, an unusual livery as most of these in black as this is would be liveried as British Rail in one era or another, the logo on the side reads 'Ulster Transport' which of course is Northern Ireland.  But I for one think this to be a positive thing rather than a downside.

















The final two photographs below are purely to illustrate the difference in size between the Terrier models and the 3F Jinty, as you can see although both 0-6-0 the Jinty is considerably larger than a Terrier.  Although for one I think the Terrier is the more attractive of the two designs, the Jinty being less decorative and more workmanlike in terms of design.  Regardless both are stunning in my opinion, I have always liked smaller engines, not that I dislike the pacifics, its just the smaller engines seem to have more character to them...