Union Mills N gauge locomotives - Still in production - Production list and date

[Portpatrick]

I see, largely due to a response by me,  this UM thread has expanded into comments on the smaller " cottage industry " suppliers who have played and still do play an important place in our hobby.  My apologies to admin.  If you want to move these exchanges to a dedicated thread I fully understand.

[icairns]

Interesting - will be interesting to see how many can be recovered - it was said that Skytrex (later Lytchett Manor) Garratt moulds were basically shot. Certainly the later ones I saw were pretty rough! Maybe better expertise can resurrect them.

Cheers,
Alan

Interestingly, in my correspondence with Daryle Toney, he stated that he thought the Beyer-Garratt moulds were not in too bad of a shape.  In his opinion, he thought that the casting problems had been caused by several issues including not cleaning moulds properly, too much powder, which in turn caused loss of detail, poor quality metal, and not rejecting poor castings.

Ian

P.S. Sorry if I got carried away with this cottage industry information, but I am very interested in the history of British N gauge

Thread Hijack <OFF>

[Firstone18]

Memory might be playing tricks with me, however fairly sure there was an article on Union Mills and its manufacturing process a few years back.

In N Gauge NOW I think.

If someone can tell me which issue I'd be able to find it quickly - I have every issue from No.1.
If I get time today, I'll start looking through, but will have to brave the loft to find old issues.
Cheers

[Dr Al]

OFF-topic (conclusion).

Interesting - will be interesting to see how many can be recovered - it was said that Skytrex (later Lytchett Manor) Garratt moulds were basically shot. Certainly the later ones I saw were pretty rough! Maybe better expertise can resurrect them.

Cheers,
Alan

Interestingly, in my correspondence with Daryle Toney, he stated that he thought the Beyer-Garratt moulds were not in too bad of a shape.  In his opinion, he thought that the casting problems had been caused by several issues including not cleaning moulds properly, too much powder, which in turn caused loss of detail, poor quality metal, and not rejecting poor castings.

Ian

P.S. Sorry if I got carried away with this cottage industry information, but I am very interested in the history of British N gauge

Thread Hijack <OFF>

Thanks Ian - very interesting, it sounds like Daryle knows what he's talking about which is good.

In terms of other cottage, and bringing back towards UM - I don't understand why Langley perpetuate kits like their 2251 Collett 0-6-0 - surely they can't sell many now, given there's been both a Peco RTR, and latterly the UM RTR? Admittedly, both are now discontinued, but I'd be intrigued to know if any kits like this really sell.

/end kit talk.

Cheers,
Alan

[Rowlie]

Hi @Firstone18 can't remember the date, but it must be 3-4 years back.

[Firstone18]

Thanks I've found it!
I also found an index page covering all issues to date - I should have remembered this as it is in the last issue!
For anyone interested there are articles on 'The Poole years' for Graham Farish, and 'Hornby Minitrix: History' for the H-M range; both very interesting articles. I found the H-M one particularly interesting as I've just been give a box with 5 H-M locos and wish I had discovered this range sooner.
Of particular interest to me are Boadicea and Mallard as both appear to be 'as new' in condition; there is also a 9F in almost the same condition, but with a finger print on the tender body.
Happy days to follow converting these to DCC when I can afford the decoders!
Cheers

[Greygreaser]

Memory might be playing tricks with me, however fairly sure there was an article on Union Mills and its manufacturing process a few years back.

In N Gauge NOW I think.

If someone can tell me which issue I'd be able to find it quickly - I have every issue from No.1.
If I get time today, I'll start looking through, but will have to brave the loft to find old issues.
Cheers

Colin has attached the page to the invoice I received this week - "The Union Man" by Billy Ingham in issue 1 2014 of The N Gauge Now. He also printed on the reverse a "List of Union Mills models made" which details the changes to to the tender drive over the years from 1994. Then each loco box I received  has a sheet with a potted history of the prototypes and explaining which version he has modelled.
Clearly Colin is to be regarded as more than a manufacturer, extolling the passion train lovers have of certain locos, periods and 'families' during the steam years, into the models he has produced. It's certainly not big manufacturer style but boy is it a pleasure to unwrap a loco - or two!

[martyn]

The list of model types made, and motors used, is here;

https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=56393.0

Martyn

[Train Waiting]

Memory might be playing tricks with me, however fairly sure there was an article on Union Mills and its manufacturing process a few years back.

Perhaps you are thinking of the article in British Railway Modelling, October, 2017.  It was very interesting, with several illustrations.

Best wishes

John

[harper]

OFF-topic (conclusion).

Interesting - will be interesting to see how many can be recovered - it was said that Skytrex (later Lytchett Manor) Garratt moulds were basically shot. Certainly the later ones I saw were pretty rough! Maybe better expertise can resurrect them.

Cheers,
Alan

Interestingly, in my correspondence with Daryle Toney, he stated that he thought the Beyer-Garratt moulds were not in too bad of a shape.  In his opinion, he thought that the casting problems had been caused by several issues including not cleaning moulds properly, too much powder, which in turn caused loss of detail, poor quality metal, and not rejecting poor castings.

Ian

P.S. Sorry if I got carried away with this cottage industry information, but I am very interested in the history of British N gauge

Thread Hijack <OFF>

Thanks Ian - very interesting, it sounds like Daryle knows what he's talking about which is good.

In terms of other cottage, and bringing back towards UM - I don't understand why Langley perpetuate kits like their 2251 Collett 0-6-0 - surely they can't sell many now, given there's been both a Peco RTR, and latterly the UM RTR? Admittedly, both are now discontinued, but I'd be intrigued to know if any kits like this really sell.

/end kit talk.

Cheers,
Alan

I've bought one and looking at buying some PD Marsh loco kits, also the Langley 56xx due to the lack of "off the shelf RTR".

[Rowlie]

Thank you so much to everyone who has replied regarding the article I sort of half remember, it was reassuring to know I wasn't going mad.

[Portpatrick]

Memory might be playing tricks with me, however fairly sure there was an article on Union Mills and its manufacturing process a few years back.

Perhaps you are thinking of the article in British Railway Modelling, October, 2017.  It was very interesting, with several illustrations.

Best wishes

John

just found that in the articles I have retained and files.  I had forgotten that one .  Yes.  Much more detailed that the one in N Gauge Now.

[Greygreaser]

@martyn - thanks for the prompt about other locos operating from Norwich, I'd already got to grips with the following sites for info - LNER encyclopaedia and the Rail UK data base. I've also found the GER society have a data base called "Modelling East Anglia's railways in 2mm Scale v1.1" at . https://www.gersociety.org.uk/images/stories/documents/Modelling_East_Anglias_railways_in_2mm_Scale_v1.1_March_21.pdf

This is far more informative for modellers and lists RTR and kits for a wide range of locos, coaches, wagons and buildings. I think its dated about 2021 so hopefully the author Stuart Pigg will revise it periodically, if you find info that's relevant he gives his email as stu.railinfo@gmail.com
I'm now saving pennies and pounds wherever possible to add UM models as they appear - no doubt other modellers will too!
Cheers Chris

[martyn]

  @Greygreaser

Many thanks for the link.

It is a little out of date-there are now 3D prints for, at least, the Peppercorn K1 and Robinson O1.

The list I gave was off the top of my head, and for RTR locos, not kits (of which I have a nymber).

Martyn

Correction, should be Robinson O4 not O1.

[03piggs]

Hi.

Thanks for putting this up.

Latest version has been posted in a new topic.

Sorry I haven't updated it in the meantime. Combination of life getting in the way, lack of new products and the first version took me a while to produce and I was getting a little sick of it!

I've got a version 2.1 ready but wanted to get more feedback before I put it up.

Stu