I think the time is now for a company to push British outline mid-detail Locos and Rolling stock. I sure wish LGB would consider this, as they have the best detail/running quality ratio that I know of. But right now LGB /Marklin has their hands full…We need a firm that would produce the main pieces in quality plastic, with perhaps metal details to keep costs reasonable.
I heard someone say that Aristo was going to make a British loco, but then I have not heard anything since then. I think it would be smart to create a British line, after all the Britons started the railway.
When I brought this topic up before, many said that British outline sales would be small. But I disagree. Many in America have ties to England , Ireland , Wales and Scotland. Also, just look at the popularity (actually, hysteria!) of Thomas the Tank lines AND the Harry Potter “Hogwarts Express”.
I think Bachmann and Lionel would both agree that these British prototypes have proved a very worthy investment to their company’s bottom line.
I have researched O gauge and 1 gauge British outline stuff lately, and there really is no quality engine mass-produced under $600 to be had except for the Lionel Hogwart set.
Imagine a company coming out with a model of the tank engine based on Thomas the Tank and Friends! Also, British passenger cars are very attractive and goods wagons would add even more interest.
There is quite a bit of evidence that the Britons would like to purchase quality British outline items at a reasonable price: how many times have I seen a small shunter like the LGB STainz kit-bashed to represent some dock worker or a scratch-built chassis placed on an LGB motor block for a English quarry line?
Ironically, the most reasonably priced British gauge 1 locos are LIVE-STEAM. There are many companies in this field but I think electric powered models would be very well received in bo
I totally agree. Since LGB already has a large selection of wagons and cars in two-axle variations, and since there is a tremendous amount of British prototypes that had two-axles, I think it would be easy. Incidentally, I am about to begin scratchbuilding some British wagons because there is nothing out there except for some kits from Britain, and the shipping to the states makes the price impracticable.
Maybe you are looking in the wrong places? The british locomotive scene is a live and well and I can tell you that there are several dozens of Gauge 1 and Gauge 0 locomtive suppliers here in the UK. However -what you are missing is the difference in culture between the UK Railway Modeller and the US Railroad Modeller…
Most US modellers prefer to buy there model ready made -most UK modellers prefer to buy their locos as a kit.
Let us take the classic example of the locomotive commonly called “The Black 5”. This was originally made by the LMS and production continued into BR days. You can tell instantly a LMS “5” from a BR “5”. LMS "5"s were only made in two LMS shops while BR "5"s were made in any BR shop. This lead to the addition of regional parts and “styles” left over from pre-grouping days. Thus an ex-GWR Swindon made “5” and an ex-LNER Doncaster made “5” does not look like a genuine LMS Derby or LMS Crewe made “5”…
Also unlike the US -the UK railway companies made most of their own locomotives. The distinctive shapes of the designers are there to see, even when they moved from railway shop to railway shop, they took their “look” with them. Thus it is very hard to tell whether a 1900’s era loco is Great Eastern or North Eastern Railway as the Worsdell brothers worked at both…
Private Owner Wagons where built in large numbers -mostly for coal haulage.
Accucraft’s UK arm produce a few electric locos already under the BMS label.
They produce an Isle of Mann 2-4-0 which is around £800 uk sterling
A Baguley diesel, 0-6-0 with outside rods for £150 uk
Also a range of 4 wheel wagons and vans for £30 to £70 uk http://www.accucraft.com/MAIN%20CATALOG%20UK.htm
There are more models in the pipeline including coaches and a couple of cheaper steam locos that will be roughly equivalent to LGB in price.
Or GRSUK do some rtr and basic kits using LGB chassis. http://www.grsuk.com/index.asp?search/search.php?zoom_query=aristocraft
Go to the catalogue on the left hand side and look through the various ranges including standard gauge running on 64mm gauge track.
The only non-scratch built stuff on my railway are IP Engineering wagons (3) that I got as presents. I thoroughly enjoy scratch building and have learnt a thing or two since I began. I agree the shipping costs make a purchase from a British supplier something that needs careful contemplation. Nothing whatsoever in the way of British stock here in Japan.
I reccomend IP Eng. as a great source of kits, with the shipping costs not all that high due to the jiffy-bag packaging.
Vic, sit down, ignore the itching from the straps down your back, admire the mattress wallpaper and I will explain!!!
Francis Webb, CME of the LNWR is famous for two things -the race to the north engines, (which he didn’t design), and the vast number of engine improvements that he did design (unfortunately)…
The most famous Webb “design” is the Webb Compound. This was a 2-2-2-0 locomotive. The external high pressure cylinders driving the rear drivers and the internal single low pressure cylinder driving the front set of drivers. There were no conrods linking the two independent drivers… Thus it was quite common for a Webb Compound locomotive to have one set of drivers rotating forwards and one set of drivers rotating backwards. Some of the later compounds featured slip eccentrics -which made for interesting work in a shunting engine!
Some Webb innovations such as the Webb Sliding Bogie actually improved the cornering ability of the locos -to such an extent that crew took facing points at low speed -so the the bogie did actually follow the path selected -not the one that it wanted…
The Webb Improved Firebox -could get clogged with ice during winter runs…
As an interesting aside, the new development on Locomotive Way features buildings named after famous locomotive designers -hence Stanier House, Raven House, Greasley House etc etc. There are 14 buildings in the row, the 13th is called Webb House, (and has remained unoccupied since building)…
The question; “Was Webb the worst designer of locomotives in the UK?” -then the answer is agreed to be “NO”. That singular honour belongs to James Tolmann.
Well thats the wonderfull thing about model railroads isnt it, it doesnt matter how terrible an engine was in reality, if it makes a great looking model .[;)]
