Silver Sidelines

I have to admit to recently becoming an impulsive/compulsive buyer of some early Heljan models.  Sadly the terms ‘as new’, ‘unused’ and ‘unopened’ should ring alarm bells.  These ‘ten plus’ years old Heljan products should come with a health warning - they can be seriously flawed.   Heljan W&M Railbus The first to arrive was a W&M railbus from I am guessing 2018.  I am happy to believe that it was bought, packed away and never taken out of its box. 8701 - Hejan Railbus W&M E79962 I was concerned about the condition of the motor.  However it was not the motor that was an issue it was the ‘click click’ and ‘bang’ from the transmission.  Removing the cover plates to expose the drive axles confirmed that one of the final drive gears had cracked and separated from the axle.  It was tiny – and why did it have three washers on either side? Heljan W&M Railbus drive axle with washers and tiny gear My Heljan drive gear had 12 teeth, a length (wid...

R30226 or R2449 – both in fact?  Hornby Glasgow Highlander R30226 top left R2449 bottom right 2024 and Hornby have released an updated version of Black Five Gordon Highlander Hornby Glasgow Highlander R30226 My first Hornby Gordon Highlander, product number R2449, arrived in 2020.  I was probably late in the day judging by the product number and I am guessing that the model had been released around 2012. Hornby Glasgow Highlander R2449 with blue background to the crest Spring 2024 and Hornby issued an updated model.  Perhaps they have a lot unsold and I was offered one at a price that I thought I couldn’t refuse.  (My wife might have had a different view!) Hornby Glasgow Highlander R30226 with gold coloured crest, unlined cylinders, speedo cable and AWS trunking along the edge of the footplate . The newly engineered Glasgow Highlander R30226 was issued slightly ahead of its stable mate R30227 the Caprotti fitted number 44755.  Both new Black Fives, R30226 and R...

Good fortune or a lucky chance meant that I have acquired a pair of Dapol’s new ex GWR Mainline City Toplight coaches. All second ex GWR Toplight in BR livery The advertising literature tells me that these coaches were all withdrawn by 1957 although two or three lived on, on the South Wales Mineral Railway for carrying miners to work.  I love the squat appearance and I can imagine that prior to withdrawal these coaches would have been cascaded down and used on some quiet remote branch line.  My brake second and all second will form an extra early morning working in place of the routine daily ‘B’ Set. An early start When I first unboxed the coaches I was immediately struck by their heavy weight.  The Dapol Toplights weigh in at 175gm compared to 125gm for one of Hornby’s suburban Collett coaches.  Even Bachmann MkI coaches only weigh 165gm and they are nearly 50mm longer!  It was only later that I realised that Dapol have provided a proper metal chassis, similar ...

I do like the Bachmann 4MTs, that is the post 2009 versions that are DCC ready. Bachmann 75029 (31-116A) from 2021 By and large they look good and run very well.  I did have one issue with 75029 which out of the box rather limped along.  It seems to be a known issue where the pipework under the cab is not seated properly and catches the coupling rods.  The picture below shows the underside of the fixing bracket with the locating hole for the pipework. Bachmann 75029 Pipework Locating bracket Back in 2021 I didn’t purchase 75014 because it was modelled ‘as preserved’.  More recently I have come across pictures on Flickr showing 75014 in its last years with British Railways working on the Cambrian. Talerdigg 75014 at Talerdigg Courtesy Phil Waterfield https://www.flickr.com/photos/124047467@N05/ I would think again about buying.  I didn’t have to think very long before a ‘new’ and cheap model appeared. Bachmann 75014 (31-117) - Preserved Only after purchase did I ...

I have been revisiting my stock of ex LMS 2-6-4 4P tank engines.  In total the LMS constructed some 650 of these engines starting in 1927.  Construction continued into British Railways days in the late 1940s.  You might also include the British Railways Standard 2-6-4 tanks which were given smaller wheels and classified as 4MT rather than 4P.  The LMS engines can be divided into three basic types corresponding to the Superintending Engineer at the time of construction. Ex LMS 4P Tank Engines – Hornby Fowler 4P (front), Hornby Stanier 4P (middle) and Bachmann Fairburn (top) The first engines were designed by Sir Henry Fowler and I would say are characterised by a parallel boiler and massive smoke box.  Later engines received cabs with side windows but this variation was not produced by Hornby. 42334, Hornby Fowler 4P Tank R3404 The second batch of engines was built by Sir William Stanier and is characterised by his signature taper boiler.  A small number wer...