RTC Test Coaches

Following on from the RTC Laboratory Coaches, let us now take a look at the Test Coaches that we currently have in the RTC livery, beginning with ...

... this Hornby version of Test Car 1 which, I believe, was used as a Dynamometer Car.

It was formerly an ex-GWR Autocoach, Nº W233W, which, when converted, was given the new Running Nº DW150375.

Currently I believe this coach is being restored, together with Autocoach 169, by the Locomotive 5542 Limited based on the South Devon Railway.

I believe this model was produced by Hornby for ModelZone in 2008 and was limited to just 1000 examples. 

The Catalogue Nº is R4335.

Next we have Test Car 5, which was produced by Bachmann for ModelZone in 2006 and issued with Laboratory 12 as a Limited Edition Twin Pack of just 504 packs.

Its Running Nº is ADB975051 and I believe it was used in a test train for the APT Power Car.

Fortunately this vehicle appears to have survived and is now used as part of a Crewe Works Test Train.

Test Car 6 comes next and is a converted Mk2 FK that was used as a general test coach with the Running Nº ADB975290.

Sadly she was scrapped in 2013.

This Bachmann model dates from 2012 and was produced exclusively for ModelZone with the Catalogue Nº 39-330Z.

Finally we have this Hornby model of Test Car 10, Catalogue Nº R439, which was originally a part of the prototype HST and was one of only a couple of Mk3 coaches that were converted.

The Running Nº is ADB975814 and it was another general test coach that is, currently in use by Network Rail as a high speed track recording coach, as part of the New Measurement Train.

RTC Laboratory Coaches

Having recently featured our fleet of RTC liveried locomotives, I thought it would be a good idea to now take a look at the RTC rolling stock that we have for use on the railway and I will begin with the coaches converted for laboratory use..

First up is this Bachmann version of Laboratory 10, with Hornby's version coming up later.

This coach was issued with Laboratory 11 as a two-coach pack, through Invicta, in 2011 and was limited to 504 packs.

The Running Nº is RDB975428 and the Catalogue Nº 39-001W.

In real life, Laboratory 10 was a Mk1 BSO which was converted to a generator car, providing auxiliary power to the early development of the APT-E test train. 

Unfortunately it was scrapped in 2003.

Here, then, is Laboratory 11, which was issued with Laboratoy 10 in Bachmann's twin coach pack.

The Running Nº for this is RDB975046 and she was converted from a Mk1 BSK.

She was used as part of the Tribometer Train, which investigated the friction, or virtual lack of, between wheel and rail. 

This coach was acquired by the Dartmoor Railway but I am not sure what state it is currently in.

After Laboratory 11, naturally enough, comes Laboratory 12, with the Running Nº RDB975136.

This is part of another Bachmann two-coach pack that was issued, this time, by ModelZone, together with Test Car 5 in 2006. 

The Catalogue Nº is 39-000V and, again, I believe only 504 packs were produced.

This was another Mk1 BSK conversion that was used as an acoustics test vehicle but it was, sadly, scrapped in the mid-1990s.

I am not sure if a model of Laboratory 13 has ever been produced and, if there was, I do not own one, so next up is Laboratory 14.

This is another coach made by Bachmann for ModelZone with the Running Nº RDB975427 and Catalogue Nº 39-280Z.

It is a former Metro Cammell Pullman Kitchen Car which was converted in the mid 1970s to become an acoustics test coach although I have no idea as to why it was named 'Wren'.

This coach, too, has been scrapped, meeting its fate in the late 1980s.

This odd-looking vehicle is Laboratory 22 and is a home-made conversion from an old Tri-ang Mk1 coach, although not by me.

I am not sure how representative it is of the original but it is a nice model and is probably unique, so, for now at least, it is staying as part of the fleet.

The Running Nº is RDB975038 and it was used as an instrumentation vehicle, as part of the Soil Mechanics testing train but, like most of those before, it was scrapped in the early 1990s.

The final Laboratory coach is this Hornby version of Laboratory 10, Catalogue Nº R40009. 

The colours of this coach, especially the blue, are somewhat different to those of the Bachmann but which of the two used the correct colours, I would not like to say.

Mind you, when you note the colours that were applied to their two GBRf Class 50s, it is obvious that Hornby don't always get it right!

Next time we will take a look at the Test Cars as well as the other RTC rolling stock by both Bachmann and Hornby.

Just Plain Loco

Here is another batch of locos that have recently been added to the fleet and they are, in order of size:

A Bachmann Wickham Trolley which has had a DCC decoder and stay-alive capacitor fitted by Digitrains of Lincoln.

She is currently to be found at Anchwood, the terminus on the branch line, but that does not mean to say that she won't find herself elsewhere on the layout from time to time.

The Catalogue Nº is 32-992 and she dates from 2016.

Also at Anchwood, on a short goods train, is this Heljan Class 17, Nº D8500, which joins our other two Claytons, namely: D8529, in BR blue livery, and D8568, in Ribble Cement grey livery.

Like her sister locos, she has a sound decoder fitted and, again, this is a Zimo with a Digitrains sound file. 

D8529, on the other hand, has a YouChoos sound file on a Zimo decoder while D8568 has a Howes sound file on an old ESU V3.5 decoder. However, despite its age, I still think this is the best sound.

The Catalogue Nº for D8500 is 17091.

From a Type 1 to a Type 2 in the form of this Heljan Class 27, Nº 27030, seen here at Carswater on a stopping service for Gunnmere.

I love all of the Heljan BRCW diesel locomotives and have a Class 26 and two Class 33s.

This loco, as with most here, has a Zimo decoder with a Digitrains sound file and she sounds great and is a terrific performer too.

The Catalogue Nº is 2716 and she dates from 2020.

Still with Heljan, we move to a Type 3 now, with this Class 35 Hymek, Nº D7009 who joins the blue one we already have in the fleet.

She is photographed here on a local freight working, near Manxton, on the main line.

I have always thought that the green livery suited these locos very well and I believe Heljan have done a very good job of replicating it on this model. 

Once again she has a Zimo decoder and Digitrains sound file whereas the blue Hymek has a V4 ESU decoder with a Howes sound file.

The Catalogue Nº is 3505 and I believe she dates from 2004.

Moving up to a Class 41, now, with this blue liveried D602 'Bulldog', which was produced by Dapol for Kernow Model Railways.

She is seen here, light engine, at High bridge station, on the branch line between Gunnmere Junction and Anchwood.

We already have a green liveried D603 'Conquest', fitted with a Roads & Rails sound file, and I had not intended acquiring a second one, especially as I don't particularly like the 'add-on' route indicator boxes.

However, this one was being offered at a very reasonable price, due to the fact it was missing some packaging as well as the instruction leaflet, so I really could not resist it.

She does run very well, in analogue, so will doubtless have a decoder fitted at some point.

The Catalogue Nº is K2605 and she dates from 2019.

So to the final diesel here and it is this Heljan Class 52 Western, Nº D1015 'Western Champion' in Golden Ochre livery, seen here on a semi fast passenger service at Petersfield. 

We now have four Westerns, with the other three being Heljan's D1037 'Western Empress', in green livery, and D1067 'Western Druid', in blue livery, plus Dapol's D1058 'Western Nobleman' also in blue.

Those three all have sound decoders fitted so Western Champion will obviously follow suit at some point.

The Catalogue Nº is 5203 and she dates from around 2004.

Here we have 'Western Champion' again, in the company of sister loco, 'Western Empress', at Petersfield station.

Finally, we must include a steam locomotive amongst all of these boring old diesels and this is in the shape of this Bachmann Midland Compound 4P, 4-4-0, Nº 1000, in maroon livery and I think she looks very handsome indeed!

She is photographed at Davemoor, the Northern terminus of the railway, and, although she has no sound decoder at the moment, she will have in the fullness of time and I cannot wait to see and hear her in operation on the layout, probably on passenger trains, for the most part.

The Catalogue Nº is 31-930NRM and she dates from 2011.

Heljan Metropolitan Bo-Bo

With the railway continuing to display a penchant for the unusual, here we see yet another motive power curiosity recently spotted standing in the Middle Road at Sueston station and, clearly, attracting the attention of those standing on the platform.

This rather attractive loco is a Heljan Metropolitan Railway Electric Bo-Bo Nº 9, named 'John Milton' (Catalogue Nº: 9001) and she joins the two Class 20s that we have, by Bachmann, which are also in this London Transport livery.

Twenty of these locos were manufactured and 19 of them were named after people, both real and fictitious, who had connections with the area that was served by the Metropolitan Railway. 

The one exception was Nº 15, which was exhibited on the Metropolitan Railway's stand at The British Empire Exhibition in 1925. Because of this it was named Wembley 1924.

Fortunately two of them have been preserved, namely Nº 5 'John Hampden', which is now a static display at the London Transport Museum, and Nº  12 'Sarah Siddons, which is, happily, in working order.

These locos were, of course, electric and operated from the fourth rail with the London Underground being one of only a few networks to use this.

With the Lakeland Railway not having a fourth or even a third rail, this loco should not, strictly speaking, be able to run on our railway. However, it is our railway so we should be able to run what we like and it would be rather nice to use it on the Niggly Bottom branch line which does, in fact, disappear into a tunnel from Sueston station.

One thing I have not decided on, as yet, is whether to fit a sound or non-sound DCC decoder. That decision is for another day.

RTC Liveried Locomotives

Four RTC liveried locomotives have recently joined the railway and these now complement an extensive rake of similarly liveried rolling stock.

However, more of that later.

As far as the locos are concerned, all of them were commissioned by ModelZone, with three being produced by Bachmann and one by Heljan.

They are as follows:

Bachmann Class 08 97800 'Ivor'

'Ivor' becomes the second 'Gronk' in our fleet, joining Hornby's D3105, which we have had since 2010.

The Catalogue Nº is 32-102W and only 500 of these models were produced in 2004.

Bachmann Class 24 97201 

This is now our third Class 24, with the other two being 24081, in BR blue livery, and D5040, in BR green livery. Both of these are by Sutton Loco Works and excellent models they are too!

The Catalogue Nº for 97201 is 32-425X and 504 were produced in 2011 although Bachmann have now added a version to their current range, named 'Experiment', with the Catalogue Nº 32-444.

 Bachmann Class 46 97403 'Ixion'

 

The third and largest of the Bachmann models is this 'Peak,' which means we now have a Class 44, 45 and 46 in the fleet.

The Catalogue Nº is 32-700Z and 750 of these models were produced in, I believe, 2002.

 Heljan W&M Railbus 999507

The last loco in this RTC quartet is a Waggon and Maschinenbau Railbus and Heljan produced 500 of these models in 2013, with the Catalogue Nº 8710.

We already have a green liveried version that primarily operates the branch line to Niggly Bottom, which therefore means we have two fifths of the prototype fleet, with four of the five fortunately being preserved.

Locos Old & Blue

Two unusual steam engines visited the railway at the weekend.

The first was this Tri-ang  Class 23 Transcontinental (TC) 4-6-2 'Pacific' Nº 2335 and later named 'Hiawatha'.

The Catalogue Nº for the loco is R54 and, for the tender, which, strangely, had to be purchased separately, it is R32.

This model dates from between 1954 and 1961 and, for an old girl, she runs very well and, as can be seen from the above photos, still has a working headlight.

The second visitor was this Bachmann Fairburn Class 4P 2-6-4T Tank Locomotive in the attractive light blue and red livery of the Caledonian Railway.

Only 504 of this loco were produced exclusively for the Bachmann Collectors Club in 2006, the Catalogue Nº for which is 32-875K.

Like the Tri-ang Class 23, above, she currently operates in DC only but, unlike the Tri-ang, she may well, one day, have a sound decoder fitted and, then, join the growing ranks of our steam locomotive fleet.

Tri-ang Class EM2

Following my recent entry on the Tri-ang TC Electrics, we have here three of their other electric locomotives, namely their ever-popular Class EM2 Co-Cos, aka Class 77.

In the photograph, above, we see the first two of them at Davemoor behind Class 53 Nº 1200 'Falcon' as they are about to be led away for storage.

Immediately behind 'Falcon' is 27000 'Electra' in BR Green livery and she has clearly been fitted with replacement pantographs since, doubtless, the original ones had been damaged,; something that is not uncommon with these locos, given their age.

The Catalogue Nº is R351 and she dates from between 1961 and 1965.

Behind 'Electra', we see the other two EM2's, both in BR Blue livery, with the first of these being 26006 'Pandora'.

The Catalogue Nº is R388 and she dates from between 1969 and 1970. Actually this loco came with a choice of three names & numbers: 27000 'Electra', 27002 'Aurora' and 27006 'Pandora.

Bringing up the rear is, indeed, 'Aurora' albeit she is incorrectly numbered as 27006 rather than 27002. Presumably this will be corrected in due course.

These 1.5kV DC electric locomotives, like the Class 28, were built by Metropolitan Vickers between 1953 and 1954 specifically for use on the Woodhead Route between Manchester and Sheffield.

Originally the plan was to build 27 of these locomotives, however, once the benefits of using the 25kV AC system was realized, the order was reduced to just seven with all seven being given names from Greek Mythology.

The entire class was withdrawn in September 1968 with Class 76 electrics continuing to operate passenger services until this ended in January 1970 with the Woodhead route itself closing as a through route in July 1981.

Happily three members of the class have survived into preservation:

27000 'Electra' at the Midland Railway in Butterley.
27001 'Ariadne' at the Manchester Museum of Science and Industry.
27003 'Diana' at the Utrecht Railway Museum in the Netherleands..