Going Loco

I recently went mad and added two more diesel locomotives to the ever-growing fleet. Both have DCC Sound already fitted and, to my mind, both are superb-looking machines.

The first is a two tone green liveried Class 24 (Running Nº: D5040, Catalogue Nº: 2407) from Sutton Loco Works, as seen in the two photographs, below:

 We already have a Sutton Loco Works Class 24, in BR Blue Livery (Running Nº: 24081, Catalogue Nº: 2402), which I acquired two or three years ago and, so pleased have we been with the look, performance and sound of this particular locomotive, that it seemed only right to have a green liveried version to work alongside her.

She has not, yet, been fully run-in so is still only operating light engine.

However, I can see her carrying out similar duties to her sister loco and, if she performs as well as 24081 has done over the years, she will doubtless prove to be a very popular member of the fleet.

The second loco to join us is the Bachmann Class 37, 37116, in the striking BR Special Blue Livery, shown below:

Apparently the loco received this variation on the BR blue large logo livery, with some unique embellishments, when it appeared at the Norwich Crown Point Open Day on the 30th May 1987.

Sadly, by June of the following year, after an overhaul at Doncaster Works, it had lost this special livery in favour of the ubiquitous blue large logo livery although it was still unique in being the only Class 37 in this livery to retain its original buffer skirts.

The model is, what Bachmann call, a Sales Area Exclusive Model in that it is only available to order from Bachmann Retailers in certain counties.

I acquired mine through Rails of Sheffield and its Catalogue Nº is 32-781SD.

The SD suffix means that the loco has a Bachmann sound decoder fitted although, to be honest, it is a bit quiet and not the best sound we have heard.

So, it will definitely need to be reblown with another sound file in the not-too-distant future.

She brings the number of Tractors in our fleet to four and, as can be seen from the photos, she is already earning her keep in hauling both passenger and freight traffic.

One Clayton More

For those of you too young to remember, Clayton Moore was the actor who portrayed the Lone Ranger on TV during the 1950s.

Well, we recently added one more Clayton to our fleet of locos, which means, of course, that D8568 Ribble Cement is now no longer the lone Class 17 to range far and wide across the Lakeland Railway, as can be seen in the photo below:

D8529 and D8568 at the head of a train of coal wagons

We also added sound to the new, blue, Class 17 but, unlike D8658, which has a Howes sound decoder, D8529 has been fitted with a YouChoos decoder and the sounds are quite different.

I don't know from where YouChoos obtained their sound files but I would say that it was probably not from the sole surviving member of the class - which just happens to be D8568.

Therefore I daresay we will be changing this sound file for Howes before too long!

A closer look at D8529, which has recently been weathered ...

... and here is her grey-liveried sister.

Here we see them on a return working with a train of small oil tankers.

Great Scot!

Following on from the blue Flying Scotsman, we now have a rake of the blue (and silver) Coronation Scot coaches hauled, not by a Coronation Class steam locomotive, as we do not have one (yet), but by the blue Diesel Prototype DP1, aka Deltic, whose blue (and grey) livery almost matches that of the coaches.

This Bachmann model of Deltic has the Catalogue Nº 32-520 and was produced exclusively for the National Railway Museum in York. 

She is a beautiful model and has been fitted with a Howes sound decoder, meaning she sounds just as good as she looks!

Immediately behind the loco is this Hornby Brake / 1st Class corridor coach. 

This, I believe, is a modified version of R423 (see below), which has been renumbered 5053 and reclassified from the original Brake / 3rd Class coach.

Next is a full 1st Class corridor coach with the Running Nº 1070 and Catalogue Nº 422.

Now for a bit of an oddball in the form of a suitably liveried Kitchen Car. 

This has clearly been custom built from a coach of the correct length and, although the blue does not quite match that of the other coaches, it is nice to have a kitchen car in the rake since there definitely would have been one yet Hornby have never actually produced one.

It was, apparently, quite a bit shorter than the rest of the coaches!

Following the Kitchen Car is a second Full 1st Class corridor coach, currently with the same Running Nº 1070.

Here we have another full 1st Class corridor coach but this one has the Running Nº 1071. Its Catalogue Nº is R4128C so this is a slightly more recent model.

Bringing up the rear, for the moment, is this Brake / 3rd Class corridor coach. It is a renumbered version of this that is now the Brake / 1st Class coach, above.

The Running Nº is 5792 and its Catalogue Nº is R423.

Finally we see the complete train entering, an otherwise deserted, Gunnmere Junction as it heads south.

Flying Scotsman & The New Century Bar

We visited the first Blandford Model Railway Exhibition yesterday and very good it was too. 

There were quite a few layouts, most of which were excellent, plus several traders selling their wares and, from whom, we acquired these two fairly rare specimens.
The first is this Hornby model of 'Flying Scotsman' in BR blue livery.

This particular model was originally sold as part of a Marks and Spencer Premier Edition Boxed Set, of which only 250 were produced in 2006. 

The complete set contained the locomotive (R3627) plus three, super-detail Gresley Crimson and Cream coaches (1x 1st Class, 1x 3rd Class and 1x Brake/3rd Class) plus double oval of track, including 3x Points and an HM2000 Twin Controller.
This loco has been fitted with a DCC chip and will, eventually, have sound installed.

The second item we managed to acquire at the exhibition is the Hornby Pullman Bar Car 'The New Century Bar', seen below:

This complements the earlier Pullman 'Daffodil Bar' - Diamond that we added to the Pullman fleet recently and is a magnificent coach or, should I say, car!
As can be seen in the photographs, it has working table lamps and is beautifully modelled, both internally and externally.
The Catalogue Number for this is R4418 and it was only available from 2010 - 2011.

Something's Brewing

As we have the Bachmann Oak Hill Brewery as part of the layout together, of course, with its own siding, it seemed only right that we had a rake of Dapol Oakhill Brewery wagons with which to service said brewery.

These wagons are all Limited Editions that were commissioned by the Burnham and District Model Railway Club (BDMRC).

Sadly the BDMRC ceased commissioning wagons last year so no more of these Oakhill wagons are likely to be produced, which is a shame as they are quite popular.

We currently have seven of the eight wagons that the BDMRC commissioned (plus one duplicate) so we are now trying to track down the eighth wagon to complete the set.

The first wagon is this Fruit D van (of which we have two) and the running number for both is W2022.

Only 113 of these vans were produced in 2017.

This is the first of two different ale wagons and the running number of this one is 38612.

Only 100 of these were produced in 2017.

While the running number of this second one is 38615 and there were only 97 of these produced, also in 2017.

Next up is this Bulk Grain Hopper with the running number OB2. Only 103 of these wagons were produced, again in 2017.

Now we have a ventilated van, with the running number 13. Just 94 of these vans were produced in, I think, 2016. A second ventilated van was produced a year or so before this one, with the running number 14. This is, currently, the gap in our collection and, for which, the search continues!

Here now is the first of two tank wagons. Both date from 2017 and this one has the running number T2. 
Just 93 of these were produced.

While this second tank wagon, which is bringing up the rear, has the running number T5.
Only 100 of these wagons were produced.

Finally we see the complete rake of wagons, behind a Class 07 shunter, standing at Platform 3 at Petersfield station, having been brought out from the brewery and awaiting departure.

Barnstaple Barnstormer

Yesterday we went to Barnstaple by train as we always try and go there at least once a year, if only for the exciting journey along the Tarka Line.

This bucking bronco of a train ride takes just over an hour to reach the former Barnstaple Junction station from Exeter St Davids and, through a combination of old and decrepit rolling stock and long sections of non-welded track, the ride is far from smooth.

We commenced our journey at Templecombe where we caught the 06:50 SWR train from Salisbury to Exeter St Davids.

Templecombe station footbridge, which is no longer in use for passengers.

Where, now, those trees and bushes grow, did once arrive trains off the S&D, as they travelled
between Bath and Bournemouth. The S&D, along with Templecombe station, closed in 1966 but,
fortunately, the station reopened in 1983. Ah, would that the S&D might reopen too, some day!

The 06:50 Salisbury to Exeter St Davids.
A 6-coach train of which we were almost the only passengers until Honiton.

Amazingly this train was on time, given SWR's penchant for train cancellations and notoriously late-runnings.

We arrived at Exeter St Davids at around 08:20 and only had to wait a few minutes before the Exmouth to Barnstaple train arrived. 

This was a four coach Class 143, of the Pacer family of DMU's, and, boy, what a bone-shaker!

I believe these units were built in the mid-1980s and are beginning to both show and feel their age, despite sporting a nice, new, GWR livery!

The Tarka Line is extremely pretty, though, as the two views from the train, below, testify.

We arrived at Barnstaple on time, at 09:39, and here we see our train at the buffer stop:

Looking the other way, we can see where the line once continued to Bideford and Torrington, to the left, and to Barnstaple Town station and Ilfracombe, to the right.

In April 1971 the former Barnstaple Junction was the subject of a rationalization sheme whereby Platform 1 became a terminal, Platform 3 was taken out of use and a run-around loop was constructed.

Sadly even this has now gone and Platform 2 has also been taken out of use thereby precluding the visit of any lengthy, loco-hauled specials to Barnstaple, even though the old platform still remains.

After a five minute wait at Barnstaple our train is seen departing, below, with the 09:43 train to Exmouth. 

The former Platforms 2 and 3 can be clearly seen to the right.

It is good to see that all of the signage at Barnstaple reflects its Southern heritage.

The GWR did, of course, have its own station at Barnstaple, at Victoria Road, and, when this closed in 1960, its trains shared the Southern Region station until the GWR line from Taunton closed completely in 1966.

The photo above shows where a road now covers what was, once, the line towards Bideford and Torrington.

Here, now, is the River Taw and it was at this point that a wrought iron bridge carried the line over the river. 

This bridge was 213 yards in length and of 7.5 chains radius, curving through 90*. 

It reached the other side of the river just to the left of the brown building with the white windows.

The former Barnstaple Quay station building can also been see in the photo above. It is to the left of a tree and in front of the tall, light brown building.

Here is a closer view of Barnstaple Quay station building. This was sited quite close to the river bridge but was too cramped to incorporate the narrow gauge Lynton and Barnstaple Railway, so a new station was constructed, 11 chains to the north. 
This new station, together with the L&B, opened in May 1898.

Quite remarkably, the former Barnstaple Town station and its signal box both still survive. The views above are from the platform side while, below, we see the station building from the road side - and doesn't she look magnificent!

Great Lakes

The latest acquisition to our fleet of coaches is this superb 3-coach rake of Bachmann South Eastern & Chatham Railway (SE&CR) birdcage coaches in Dark Lake livery.

The first of the three is this Brake / Composite / Lavatory coach, above. The Running Nº is 1174 and the Catalogue Nº is 39-600.

The second one is this Composite / Lavatory coach, show above. The Running Nº for this one is 1178 and the Catalogue Nº is 39-610.

Finally we have this Brake / 3rd Class coach, above. The Running Nº for which is 1182 and the Catalogue Nº is 39-620.

These coaches are certainly not cheap but, I have to say, the detailing on them is quite remarkable and, since they only ever ran in sets of three, you only need to buy three coaches - although they are also available in BR Crimson and SR Olive Green.