As the announcement of the 2012 product ranges from the various big manufacturers approach I’d like to make a plea that will probably, as usual, fall on deaf ears. Can we have some LNER ex NER & NBR pre-grouping steam engines please?
If the leaks from Hornby in Model Rail are true, then once again I’ve been let down. More Thomson designs that are great for the BR modeller, but not a great deal of use for anyone majoring on the LNER before the 1946 renumbering.
If you model the railways of North East England, and north into the Scottish borders the pre group engine is a huge absence from ready to run ranges. The NER 0-6-0 classes J21 and J26/27 were around until the end of steam, as was the NBR J36. Evidence of this is seen looking at the allocations of a major shed in the middle of the Northumberland coal field, the increase in allocation of J27 proving that these engines were the mainstay of coal traffic north of the Tyne right to the end of steam.
| Class | 1950 | 1959 | 1965 |
| J21 | 2 | ||
| J27 | 24 | 30 | 36 |
| G5 | 9 | ||
| J77 | 9 | 1 | |
| J25 | 0 | 3 | |
| 4MT | 1 | ||
| K1 | 3 | ||
| Q6 | 8 |
Right at the end of steam the allocation at Blyth is made up almost exclusively of pre group engines, and not a single BR standard class in evidence. The arrival of 8 Q6 0-8-0 engines displaced from the Durham coalfield is also interesting. These would provide another interesting prototype for the RTR manufacturers.
Even on the mainline there is a strong case for pre grouping motive power. Heaton has been the historic home of motive power for east coast traffic heading north from Newcastle:
| Class | 1950 | 1959 |
| 4MT | 1 | 0 |
| A3 | 10 | 9 |
| A1 | 3 | 3 |
| A2 | 6 | 3 |
| V2 | 27 | 19 |
| K3 | 15 | 12 |
| K1 | 6 | 0 |
| J39 | 8 | 13 |
| J21 | 1 | |
| J27 | 12 | 6 |
| V1/V3 | 10 | 12 |
| J94 | 1 | 1 |
| J71 | 10 | 0 |
| J77 | 1 | 0 |
| J72 | 5 | 7 |
| N8 | 5 |
What is surprising is that looking down the Heaton list of engines just how many of them are now covered by RTR models, and really its only the pre group engines that are now missing from being able to model the mainline accurately. The Heaton allocation also demonstrates that if you are modelling the mainline then only 10-15% of the fleet should be the named express classes. The Rede Valley already has 7 pacifics out of 20 engines, so there is a little bit of balance restoration to do with the next 50!
I too am modelling the Waverley, but in N gauge. We 2mm folks don’t enjoy quite the range of locos you do but the following relevant locos have either just happened or are promised for 2012.
J39, A1, Class 26, new A3 and A4, Std 5MT, WD 2-8-0 (I have two pictures of WDs on the Waverley – thats good enough for me). Given the small stations and small ‘mainline’ consists it really is a great time to model the Waverley line.
Dave
Its looking very good in N gauge these days, I modelled in N in the ’70s and gave up because of the lack of LNER models. The nice thing seems to be that whatever engines we 4mm guys shout for and manage to get into production seem to turn up in N a couple of years later.The Waverley is a great prototype as nearly everything you need is available in both 2 and 4mm.
In actual fact you have been lucky with LNER stuff from Union Mills, there are a few prototypes they have produced that aren’t RTR in larger scales.
Kevin