Quote from: captainelectra on August 20, 2022, 05:05:35 PM
The little freelance 0-6-0T is a delight - are the sides Highfield-style Shellac'd paper?

No ... that was only used for the rolling stock kits. The locomotives were made from brass sheet. Ian Cairns has posted a copy of the October 1966 RM review on the other thread, which describes the construction in a little more detail.

I thought I knew all there was to know about early N gauge, but in fact I only really know it from the Wrenn/Peco/Wills/Minitrix/GF side of things.
I started in N in 1970 with a Jubilee, some Peco wagons and Minitrix coaches.
I knew about Highfield coaches but not their locos. Thank you for starting this thread.

Bob

Quote from: PGN on August 20, 2022, 05:07:53 PM
Ian Cairns has posted a copy of the October 1966 RM review on the other thread, which describes the construction in a little more detail.

For convenience, I've re-posted the Railway Modeller review from October 1966 below.

I have also posted the review from Model Railway News that appeared in the January 1967 edition followed by the photo of one of the locos that appeared in the February 1967 issue of MRN.

Ian


Railway Modeller (October 1966)


Model Railway News (January 1967)


Model Railway News (February 1967)

Thanks Ian.

I like the fact that each locomotive was completely individualised ... note that although the MRN review locomotive is in LNER livery, like one of the RM models, it carries a different running number ...

In terms of value, I've noted that my first N Gauge loco, a Minitrix Class 27 in BR blue with white window surrounds, cost £6 at the time of these reviews half a century ago. I suspect the secondhand values today would set it much further apart than £1 from those Highfield models finished by Peter Middleton!  However, the 27 still runs very well throughout the speed range whereas the Minitrix chassis that Highfield used tends to stutter at very slow speeds, not helped by the pickup arrangements and short wheelbase.

I am amazed that Mr Middleton could produce essentially bespoke locos for little more cost than a mass-produced model sold by a major manufacturer.

Well ... you've gotta remember the context. He was a railway signalling engineer who took early retirement, took the profit on his house in the London/Surrey suburbs and moved north to concentrate on his model railways.

THe profit wasn't to be had in N, though, and in a few years his focus was purely on O gauge ... but not before he had well and truly laid the foundations for the British N gauge of today.

Here's my J63, bought as a Minitrix item.

Here is a photo of the Highfield S&DR tender loco in NER livery.  It is taken from the instructions for the kit.



As this was the photo used for the packaging/instructions insert, it was most likely built and painted by Peter Middleton himself, as evidenced by the high quality of the final model.  Note the periods after the "N", "E" and "R" on the tender.

The last lines of the instructions state (copied exactly):  "Livery to individual preference.  Although model is based as accurately as chassis will allow on Stockton & Darlington Rlwy. loco running 100 years ago." 

Note that the prototype was an inside cylinder loco but the only suitable chassis available at the time was the Arnold outside cylinder chassis (#0222).

The first announcement of this loco kit that I am aware of appeared in the News Special section of the November 1968 edition of the Railway Modeller.

Ian

@PGN / Jeremy:

I just noticed in your photo of the GNR Class H4 2-6-0 in your post dated August 20, 2022 (above), that the centre driving wheel crank pin in the Arnold chassis has been repositioned.  Do you know the reason for this?

Ian Cairns

Quote from: icairns on September 01, 2022, 04:29:05 PM
@PGN / Jeremy:

I just noticed in your photo of the GNR Class H4 2-6-0 in your post dated August 20, 2022 (above), that the centre driving wheel crank pin in the Arnold chassis has been repositioned.  Do you know the reason for this?

Ian Cairns

I don't, Ian. Indeed, until you mentioned it I was completely unaware of the fact ... but it may be the explanation for the slight tendency that this wheelset has to bind ...

Must admit I noticed that out of quarter wheelset immediately. 

Won't be the first old Arnold to suffer from it, I guess someone's had the chassis apart at some point and not reassembled correctly.