I'm getting back into model railways after a lengthy break (since I was a kid back in the '80s in fact!). I'm building a model of the station that once stood at the end of our garden - a junction of minor rural routes in mid Wales. I'm setting it in the post-grouping but pre-WWII era. The station was used by both LMS and GWR trains. There are a handful of appropriate locomotives available (3 currently in production, plus another 4 I shall have to track down on eBay etc). But I'm having more trouble with sourcing suitable coaches. I've bought some old Farish suburban coaches in GWR livery. I know they're not accurate models, but they are reasonably representative of the kind of elderly non-corridor stock that would've been used on these lines. They'll be fine for the GWR trains (I might try to track down some old 4 wheelers as well - but blimey they're expensive!). But I'm struggling to find coaches for the LMS trains. Graham Farish currently have just one LMS coach in their line up - which certainly wouldn't have been used on the local lines. Back when I was a kid they produced the old suburban coaches in LMS livery - they come up 2nd hand fairly regularly - but they just look too dark to me. Does anybody know of any other LMS coaches that might be suitable?
Etched Pixels (Ultima Models) does some kits for the 57' non-corridor LMS coaches. I've not built any of these so can't comment on them specifically but his stuff does tend to be very good.
could try :
http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/83929-gennigael-a-fictional-mid-wales-branch-terminus/ (http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/83929-gennigael-a-fictional-mid-wales-branch-terminus/)
Welcome to our friendly forum, great to have you join us, you'll find all the help you want on here, just ask any question, no matter how daft you think it may be and someone will come along with an answer.
:welcomesign:
Welcome aboard, Jon :wave:
I already salute you for choosing such a non 'mainstream' era and wish you luck in finding suitable stock.
you may like :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crewe_and_Shrewsbury_Railway
LMS Ivatt 2MT 2-6-0
Class 8F 2‑8‑0's
may have been used
could the lms society not be of help ? sure a trek to the local library see if they have any railway books
Thanks everyone - for the warm welcome and the helpful comments. Slightly disturbed that Big Four era is considered non-mainstream! I was actually hoping to go pre-WW1 but thought Big 4 would give me a better chance of having some RTR trains to run while I'm getting the layout constructed (I'm assuming neither Dapol of Graham Farish will be producing any Cambrian Railways or Brecon & Merthyr Railway stock any time soon!!!). My model will be of the junction between the Mid Wales Railway (taken over by the Cambrian Railways, then GWR at the grouping), Hereford Hay & Brecon Railway (operated by the Midland Railway, then LMS) and the Brecon & Merthyr Railway (independent until grouping, then GWR). As far as locos are concerned there is a reasonable choice. All three lines were lightly laid and probably haemorrhaged money - so were home to small and mostly quite elderly locos. On the Mid Wales Railway Dean Goods were probably the main motive power from the late 20s until the mid 50s, so I'm about to order one of the Union Mills models. There was also a Brecon - Builth wells shuttle pulled by a GWR 58xx so I shall try to track down a 2nd hand Dapol 14xx and renumber it. On the HH&BR the old Midland locos were gradually replaced by other pre-grouping designs (exLYR 0-6-0s were regulars for many years!). A Farish jinty is on my list (probably the only LMS design to be used by the LMS). I'll also be looking for a 2nd hand Union Mills Cauliflower and Midland 3F. The Brecon & Merthyr seems to have been dominated by GWR 57xx panniers so at least one of those is on my list, plus I'll also be looking out for a Peco 2251. Although I'm not really interested in the BR era I must admit I snapped up an Ivatt 2MT 2-6-0 a couple of years ago - mainly because Farish produced a model of green liveried no.46521 which was a local engine (the 2MTs were the main motive power on the Mid Wales and the HH&BR in their final years - ironically although they were an LMS design they only appeared on the HH&BR in the 1950s after the line was transferred to the Western region). Anyway - enough about engines - I was asking about coaches. Thanks for the Etched Pixels tip off - their printed kits definitely sound like they're worth investigating. Although I'm happy to assemble kits the idea of painting and lining them has been putting me off, so these sound like an excellent idea. (Funnily enough one of the problems for N gauge modellers these days seems to be that the quality of RTR stock is so high that unless you're really good kit built or scratch built items could look pretty shonky in comparison - it was easier when I was a kid as not only were most RTR models fairly crude but I was modelling BR era steam so liveries were often pretty simple and anyway you could hide a multitude of sins under a layer of authentic looking grime!)
jon
good luck with this interesting project
The L M S. Modelling society All things LMS.
This is a facebook page/forum that I belong to. Lots of knowledge amongst it's members, so you could well find help on here. Hope this helps you.
G'day from Australia, Welsh Jon, and welcome to the NGF! :thumbsup:
As others have said, an interesting project. Looking forward to developments! :beers:
Quote from: TalyllynJon on August 28, 2018, 11:18:29 PM
Slightly disturbed that Big Four era is considered non-mainstream!
Sorry, Jon, but I only meant you just need to cast your eyes over the main manufacturers to see pre WW2 is very poorly represented in RTR. You could struggle to find a Peco 22xx but may find the odd Union Mills version available.
When I think about it though (and that seriously hurts), modern RTR N gauge is mainly recent or transition time frame.
That seems to be the problem. I'm also mainly interested in LMS (I know, I hide it well), the solution I have found is to keep my eyes open for cheap/lower priced stock via shop sales or FleaBay and then find some talented soul (All hail @Ozymandias (http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?action=profile;u=3534) !) to repaint to my desired livery. Fortunately, a reasonable amount of Farish locos are of LMS origin albeit in BR livery, but you do need to be patient. Coaching stock is a bit trickier.
Welcome to the forum.
:thumbsup:
Sadly you're absolutely right that pre WW2 is non-mainstream. You just have to look at the current heritage railway scene to see where most peoples' interests lie. There is a huge amount of nostalgia for the golden age of trainspotting so inevitably most preserved locos are painted in BR livery. Assuming a similar demographic amongst railway modellers - certainly those modelling steam - I guess there is going to be a disproportionate demand for BR era models. It also makes sense for model manufacturers to concentrate on the BR era as BR standard locos and Mk1 coaches could be used on most layouts. Pre-nationalisation they'd need to produce different models for each of the big four companies - effectively the market splits into four separate markets which are less economically viable. Pre-grouping would be even worse - I'd love Graham Farish or Dapol to produce a Cambrian Railways 4-4-0 or a Brecon & Merthyr Railway 0-6-2T - but it would be business suicide!
It's an age-nostalgia thing.
NewportNobby and I model transition because that's from our youth.
Having said that, in my youth, my hero the Rev. Peter Denny was modelling pre-grouping, which once again, I suspect was nostalgia.
I wonder what the next 50 years will bring to railway modelling? :hmmm:
Hi TalyllynJon! :wave: I'm afraid I can't help on the subject of LMS coaches, but I welcome you aboard. :wave:
Nostalgia is a powerful emotion. I was born in '68 so I have no memory of BR steam. Diesel and electric do nothing for me though - I've always loved steam. Without the benefit of a bit of rose-tinted nostalgia I find the BR steam era a bit depressing - hence my desire to go back towards a more positive era for the railways. As for my own nostalgia - my current plan for my layout is for a loop around 4 sides of a shed. Each side will be treated as a separate scenic section (allowing the trains to effectively fast forward between the most interesting sections of the local routes). But also I'm very tempted to have one side as a (totally incongruous) model of Blue Anchor station on the West Somerset Railway around 1980!
That's uncanny. I was also born in '68, and spent most of my life within 100yds of the West Coast mainline in Bletchley. My father, myself and my Grandfather all worked in Wolverton Works, and our family holidays usually also involved a trip on one preserved line or another. So like yourself, I have no memory of working steam, only the childhood experiences of various preserved locos etc. My father's model railway is based around LMS/early BR steam and that is what I aim for. I don't get the enthusiasm for diesel and electric, to me they are function rather than form.
Quote from: Bealman on August 29, 2018, 11:56:35 AM
I wonder what the next 50 years will bring to railway modelling? :hmmm:
Dunno about railway modelling but for me a harp and a :angel: :)
Maybe before I get those, Bachmann might decide to shrinkray their 56xx :hmmm:
If only Newportnobby, if only.
I too model that period of railway history call the 1930's. It's amazing how many colourfull PO coal wagons you can get. But try getting six coupled tank (other than panniers) and tender engines or toplight coaches in ready to run. it's like swimming uphil through treacle.
Anyway, welcome TalyllynJon, and good luck.
Kevin.