"A4 Etches Updates"

Every time I think I am getting somewhere with the A4 etches, another problem is throw up. Previously the first full sold set went to a valuable customer, and some issues were found. I have now spent three weeks on and off, examining every set and preparing them for dispatch.

The latest issue is the packaging - a complete rethink was required - and finally, the packaging I have ordered in specially to send the etches in has arrived.

So Paypal invoices will be with customers in the next week or so.

I apologise profusely for the delay, however I think you will agree that you'd rather have decent quality etches, decent quality instructions (shipping with the etches, as of now) and decent packaging to make sure there are no issues on delivery.

Until next time!

"Bumper modelling post! Hornby Duke of Gloucester, Bachmann J11"

Hornby's Duke of Gloucester. Long awaited, here at last in its Railroad form.

So, is it worth it?

The reason I pose that question is that of late, much criticism has been heaped on Hornby. Executives have left the company, arrival dates for models in the locomotive ranges have slipped and slipped and slipped…all the while, those that do arrive exhibit some curious design decisions, and 71000 is no exception in this case.

Let's start with the tender. There's a perfectly reasonable set of Britannia tender frames available from Hornby's stable, used for both the aforementioned Brit and the Clan models. The older and more detailed tender frames - component X9602 - can be seen here, a spare part I purchased with a mind to fitting under a new BR1C body. 

The Duke's tender body shell, however, shows its incompatibility with the new frames. The one piece plastic body (which is a nice moulding, if simpler than all previous main range locomotives) 

Tender wheel sets appear to be identical and indeed will fit in both frames.

The bottom plate of the DoG tender looks identical to the Brit's, however uses shorter screws (so longer ones will be required to fit this bottom plate onto the Brit tender chassis). Brake rigging and nem coupler are identical.

The tender frames themselves - well, which do you think is which?

Those shown above are the Duke's, top, and the Hornby super detail Brit, below. Both are extremely similar, except that the Brit frames hold the wheels in plastic axle boxes whereas the DoG frames are metal (this is potentially better than the Brit's), however you can see that the Brit tender has all wheel pickup and a plug for DCC. Otherwise they're almost identical.

In my view the Duke's tender is directly based on the Brit one but extremely simplified - so why oh why did Hornby make the coupling on the Duke's tender twice the size of the Brit tender? There seems to be no easy way to change the coupling bar on the Brit or Duke's tender so it remains a problem for me to sort currently.

The Brit frames have sprung buffers and, I would argue, nicer representation of the springs and axle boxes, but there is extremely little between them as the Duke's tender is so clearly designed to be as close as possible. The Duke's frames are also very weighty, being a one piece mazak casting and in my view this is better for running as it sits better on the track I find.

Originally I thought the buffers on the Duke's tender were plastic - they're not, they're metal, extremely durable and part of the mazak casting which amazes me. Overall, I'm having second thoughts about "upgrading" the tender frames as sprung buffers suddenly don't look like the be all and end all if the Duke's tender runs better. However I suspect it's not too difficult to cut these off, file away the excess, and drill suitable location holes to fit a spare set of Hornby sprung buffers to bring the Duke's frames into line.

The bottom plate fits on both but you'll need different length screws to fit the same bottom plate to both frames. Holes are in the same place for the screws too.

Mixed bag with the tender, some things surprisingly better in my view, some things a retrograde step but it's not looking as bad as I originally thought by any means. Just the tender coupling and the buffers that has really that has put me off replacing the frames on mine.

This to me makes sense in terms of tooling up a new tender - should a new Brit appear with the latter tender frames in the Railroad range, you'll know why!

In anticipation of changing the driving wheels, I've had a go at fitting the Brit coupling rods.

The coupling rods fit like a glove, everything is as it should be and everything seems to work to the same standard.

All of the crankpins and screws are identical to those on the Brit, so the Brit coupling rods were a straight fit on.

A couple of rolling road sessions later checking everything is okay and the Duke is running much smoother as a result, the slight slackness in the coupling rods removing the extreme stiffness my Duke exhibited.

The next stage is to fit Britannia driving wheels, complete with brass bearings. 

So the big question, is it a bad model?

There are many things I think Hornby got right with the Duke of Gloucester model. The Railroad version, externally, looks very good and is very accurate to the prototype. Yes, it is simpler than its previously very detailed Britannia model, but that was then and this is now, and the previous Railroad Tornado set the precedent and hit its market spectacularly well.

The let down in the model lies entirely under the body shell. The chassis is not brilliant. Never mind the solitary six pickups on the driving wheels, the plastic Caprotti gear (easier to damage when picking up than anything else I've encountered) or the extremely simplistic tender to locomotive drawbar, it's the lack of brass bearings, the square cut axles and the one piece connecting rods which disappoint.

The overall chassis design gives you a locomotive model which could be very hit or miss. Will it be the one piece driving rods today, the wheels out of quarter due to strangely shaped axle boxes or it will be that neither of these was well manufactured in the first place?

Hornby's model of Tornado has many parallels with the Duke model and indeed also has a simpler, mostly moulded plastic body shell, and the chassis has only six pickups on the driving wheels and the tender to locomotive connection is very basic too.

However, this model does have brass bearings, inset into a well designed mazak chassis block, and my Railroad Tornado has given many thousands (yes, thousands) of hours service over the last three (or is it four now?) years.

Three weeks of struggling to get my Duke of Gloucester to run anywhere near half as well as the Tornado model has convinced me of the excellence of Hornby's previous design, and question the retail price for 71000 when compared with 60163.

It's a shame as Hornby gets it so right in other areas, as my forthcoming blog on British Railway Mk1 coach models will demonstrate next week.

However, do I like the model? Yes I do, very much so. it captures the prototype for shape, proportions and detail very well, the Railroad model is nicely finished, and whilst the mechanism isn't to my liking, the simpler components are and it shows what Hornby can do when they put their mind to it in certain respects.

However, I plead with you Hornby - no more plastic buffers. They are naff: awful, easily broken and just look poor in comparison to everything else on the market. Unsprung metal buffers please.

So from the big express passenger Pacific to the humble goods engine, and Bachmann's model of the Robinson designed J11 locomotive touched down in the Copley Hill works a few days after 71000 did. 

It is a little stunner. All wheel pickup on locomotive and tender, lots of separately fitted (and well moulded too) details, a half moulded/separate fitting smokebox door dart, and a superb running chassis with (wait for it) brass bearings inset into shaped axle boxes.

I bought one Bachmann J11 and somehow have ended up with three now…they're that good! (Of course I did have to sell a few models to fund them, but it was worth it…)

Until next time.

"Farewell to Trains"

I was delighted to be approached by an employee of Frances Lincoln publishing to ask if I would be prepared to review David St John Thomas' latest book, Farewell to Trains.

With my sincere apologies for the delay in publishing the review, which was due originally at the start of November but delayed for a few personal reasons. Well, I'm back and reading up on what is an absolutely fascinating book.

The volume is a hefty piece at over 254 pages long, in a hardback edition of 284 x 216mm size.

The book itself is made up of extracts and anecdotes from over 65 years of writings on railways, mostly concerned with the areas made up by the Southern and Great Western Railways. One thing which will throw a few people are the choices of photographs and images, not always necessarily directly connected to the context of the anecdote.

The first few chapters give us some excellently reproduced photographs of Great Western broad gauge locomotives and their trains, but the topic of discussion is that of how we interact with, and find solace in the railways.

This is not a criticism as such, on the contrary: it was refreshing to see that the images had been carefully selected, not by region necessarily or by the locomotive choice on the front, but by the scene presented.

When talking about the comforts of railway travel, as an example, the asides in the text and the photographs opposite pointed out the advantages of the broad gauge as adopted by Brunel and the Great Western Railway, that is greater stability at speed.

The book is littered with eloquent examples, my favourite being that of the country railway chapter, and the photograph showing horses being loaded into cattle wagons, headed for West Grinsted in a farm removal operation.

The author's knowledge of the way railways work at every level, and their effect at every level to the traveller is vast, and helps the layman (and those who would believe themselves knowledgeable, at least in the field of railways) to realise the importance of the system to ordinary travellers, workers and industry.

The anecdotes throughout are delightful, images are well chosen and sharp, and you get a real favour of British railways - and British Railways with a capital B R - that no one else quite gives. The book really is unique and full of life on so many levels.

You really get such a sense of the enthusiasm, the delight in recounting long lost scenes to readers in extraordinary and careful detail. One feels nostalgic for a time long by despite never experiencing it one's self and therein lies another beautiful advantage of this book: you can experience it alongside St John Thomas himself though his memories and vast knowledge.

Beautifully written, charming, and a book I simply could not put down.

I fully endorse the excellence of this volume and would hope that readers of this blog take advantage of a very kind offer by the publishers, that is to offer a discount on the book by quoting the code given from this website.

To order Farewell to Trains at the discounted price of £20.00 including p&p* (RRP: £25.00), telephone 01903 828503 or email mailorders@lbsltd.co.uk and quote the offer code APG30. 

Alternatively, send a cheque made payable to: 
Littlehampton Book Services Mail Order Department, 
Littlehampton Book Services, 
PO Box 4264, 
Worthing, West Sussex 
BN13 3RB. 

Please quote the offer code APG30 and include your name and address details. 

*UK ONLY - Please add £2.50 if ordering from overseas.

I've thoroughly enjoyed the book and highly recommend it.

Simon A.C. Martin

"Happy New Year…"

Happy new year to all of our friends and associates, I hope the new year goes off with a bang and that 2014 is great for everyone.

Now is normally to the time to reflect, but to be frank, I've done enough of that in the last three months to know nothing is going to help.

Things have slowed down at BRWS Ltd quite considerably, and that was because I was working towards a mortgage with the then girlfriend, along with many other facets of a couple's life including the almost obligatory proposal and the ring to boot.

Unfortunately I didn't get the outcome I wanted, and things fell apart shortly afterwards, leading indirectly to a few bits and bobs in the rest of my life being put on hold whilst I tried to sort myself out.

However several of my friends HAVE got engaged over the new years, and I can say honestly that I am very happy for them, and wish them all the best.

So, 2013 is over, and a new year begins. I'm going to try very hard to be a better person, and make it a good one for friends and family.

Starting with writing a few new books, working hard at my job and continuing my new life with a renewed determination to succeed.

Until next time.

"Christmas offer, giveaway, A4 conversion parts update & more"

From today, all copies of the Tale of the Unnamed Engine books ordered before the 17th of December 2013 will receive a free promotional Christmas postcard, as our way of saying thanks to our supporters and customers.

I won't be processing any orders from that date until the 17th of January 2014. This is due to the holidays and some medical appointments I need to fulfil in that time.

Finally, the first production batch of A4 conversion parts has been made and was delivered in November 2013. My thanks to Peter Harvey of PH Designs who has done a superb job at all stages of the development of the etches.

I have sold out the first set of complete kits, those who have pre-ordered will be contacted shortly to confirm details and payments. 

If demand is there I will order more of the largest etch in order to make up more full kits. 

Etches 2 and 3 are now available to order and payment buttons will be added to the model railway page soon.

Until next time.

"Railroad Flying Scotsman - further conversion and tender builds"

So after what seems like an age, I've got my scalpel out and started work on the second of my Hornby Railroad Flying Scotsman conversions. Much like the last one (which became St.Simon, and pictures of which will be available as soon as it is dug out of the trunk) spare cylinders, bogie wheels and a few resin parts from Graeme King and my own moulds, and the Gresley A1 is well on its way to becoming an A3 Pacific.

Something different for the second build however: I have built up a lot of spare Hornby tender chassis for just such an eventuality that I would build some tenders up for the Pacifics I want. I was given a few of the older tender drive tops from a friend, and an idea formed after considering that I simply don't have enough of the Great Northern type eight wheel tenders.

The bodyshell itself is too wide, and slightly too tall, but it's a nice enough moulding. The idea is that I'd modify this first one to create a decent silicon mould for resin copies to be made. The relevant Isinglass drawing will be a purchase in the next week or so towards that aim.

You can that the moulded coal does the tender absolutely no favours either, to be frank. Here, like the last Railroad Scotsman, the cab sides are sanded back to create a false turn in, in addition to raising the corner up for its 1949 form.

On the locomotive body, I've repeated the addition of superheater headers, a new chimney and have started on one side replacing the washout plugs with the correct type (and in the right place) for an A3 Pacific using resin washout plugs. I suspect that etched alternatives will be a better bet and will have to do something about that in the near future too.

So in essence, we're getting there. I am thinking about removing the cylinders, and replacing it with the original black set, along with the bogie wheels so that this model can be of Robert the Devil, albeit in express passenger blue (a much easier livery to apply than apple green, to be fair).

Until next time, when hopefully I will have some news of the A4 Pacific Conversion etches - emails will be going out confirming orders soon. I won't be taking payments from anyone until I have the etches and have sorted out the orders thoroughly. It's being done a first come first served basis, however if we sell out of the kits very quickly I will of course look to do a few more.

Until next time.

"Books, A4 Conversion Parts and new artwork"

It has been a very busy few months at The British Railway Stories Ltd. The first book, Tale of the Unnamed Engine, is out on Kindle, Kobo, and now in paperback from here on the main site, available from the Sheffield Park shop at the Bluebell Railway, and will soon be available at four other sites around the United Kingdom.

We've almost sold half the print run of 1000 copies, so if you want to get your hands on the children's railway book of the year, now is the time to do it! We ship all over the world with reasonable postage rates.

If you have had problems with your order, don't hesitate to contact me on copleyhill@outlook.com - I am always happy to talk and fix things. I have recently made a few special messages in books, also signed, on request so it's just a matter of asking me. If your book hasn't turned up yet - don't panic!

There are around thirty orders going out in the post tomorrow. The delay has been caused by a family wedding at the start of the month and moving into my new accommodation.

The wonderful artwork at the top of the page hints at things to come! In addition to the new titles Drew the Colliery Engine and Gresley's Goliaths, we are preparing a new book called Great Western Glory, which will centre around the exploits of three of the Great Western's best. Namely, Star Class no.4054 Princess Charlotte, Castle class no. 5071 Spitfire and King Class no. 6028 King George VI.

Stanley will be returning in all three books, each with a new locomotive narrator, and new sections to the books which we will reveal at a later date...

Finally, the production run of the A4 conversion etches will be incoming over the next month. I will be emailing everyone who has inquired about them later today with full details. We may have to increase the price of each individual item a small item to cover costs but I intend to keep the full kit priced at £27.

Until next time!