Simon
Flying Squad
I have long been an admirer of Mr Bulleid's pacifics, especially in their original form, an affection that I think has its roots in my general obsession with trains obtained from Uncle Norman.
Before his National Service Norman was a fireman at Gillingham shed and in numerous conversations that I have shared with him both in my younger days and more recently he would always speak very highly of these locomotives. He is very good at jokes and storytelling and I can only think it was his influence that has made me so keen on trains in general and the Southern in particular. (For one reason and another he went on to become a prison officer which was another source for all sorts of interesting stories but we needn't concern ourselves with those here)
Years later I claimed a very little hand in helping Andrew Pullen develop Aster's magnificent 1/32 model of this class of locomotives by providing him with the copies of "Model Railways" that had the late Bernard Wright's superb three part article on the locomotives. I believe I am right in saying that these formed part of the source material used to develop the model over in Japan.
When the model appeared I was extremely taken with it and have generally lusted after one ever since, but a combination of the price (£3000 for the kit, worth every penny) and my choice of ScaleOne32 wheel and track standards has rather militated against obtaining one.
Chatting to my friend Alex in the shop quite recently, in between his plans for Ashburton and putting Network Rail to rights, he made the very astute observation that I would really be better off with an electrically powered model of the locomotive if I wanted to play with it properly on my growing garden railway.
The more I thought of this the more I realised that he was absolutely right - I needed an electrically powered Spam Can with proper ScaleOne32 wheels. For no really good reason apart from some nice photographs and of liking the name, I quickly decided that it was going to have to be No. 34030 "Watersmeet", an Exmouth Junction locomotive that was a regular over the "Withered Arm," being withdrawn by the Western Region in September 1964.
Broaching the subject with Andrew I was very pleasantly surprised by his enthusiasm for the project, and to cut an already over long story short, he has provided me with quite a few useful bits that I can use in order to progress the idea.
So here she is mocked up on the desk tonight, I have a few extra bits already and will need to obtain and or make several others, but it really is a magnificent start - moving the whole idea from idle fantasy to real possibility.
I am currently considering all the options and possibilities. My first decision has been to order a set of ready turned wheels from Mark Wood the production of which is in hand with just a few details to be finalised.
This is going to be the most ambitious model I have ever tackled and I did wonder about keeping quiet about it in case it all goes wrong, but in the end I have decided to stick my neck out with it - so here goes!
Simon
PS Apart from Uncle Norman you can blame Dale Senior for encouraging my Bulleid tendencies
Apologies too for the essay-like nature of this post
Before his National Service Norman was a fireman at Gillingham shed and in numerous conversations that I have shared with him both in my younger days and more recently he would always speak very highly of these locomotives. He is very good at jokes and storytelling and I can only think it was his influence that has made me so keen on trains in general and the Southern in particular. (For one reason and another he went on to become a prison officer which was another source for all sorts of interesting stories but we needn't concern ourselves with those here)
Years later I claimed a very little hand in helping Andrew Pullen develop Aster's magnificent 1/32 model of this class of locomotives by providing him with the copies of "Model Railways" that had the late Bernard Wright's superb three part article on the locomotives. I believe I am right in saying that these formed part of the source material used to develop the model over in Japan.
When the model appeared I was extremely taken with it and have generally lusted after one ever since, but a combination of the price (£3000 for the kit, worth every penny) and my choice of ScaleOne32 wheel and track standards has rather militated against obtaining one.
Chatting to my friend Alex in the shop quite recently, in between his plans for Ashburton and putting Network Rail to rights, he made the very astute observation that I would really be better off with an electrically powered model of the locomotive if I wanted to play with it properly on my growing garden railway.
The more I thought of this the more I realised that he was absolutely right - I needed an electrically powered Spam Can with proper ScaleOne32 wheels. For no really good reason apart from some nice photographs and of liking the name, I quickly decided that it was going to have to be No. 34030 "Watersmeet", an Exmouth Junction locomotive that was a regular over the "Withered Arm," being withdrawn by the Western Region in September 1964.
Broaching the subject with Andrew I was very pleasantly surprised by his enthusiasm for the project, and to cut an already over long story short, he has provided me with quite a few useful bits that I can use in order to progress the idea.
So here she is mocked up on the desk tonight, I have a few extra bits already and will need to obtain and or make several others, but it really is a magnificent start - moving the whole idea from idle fantasy to real possibility.
I am currently considering all the options and possibilities. My first decision has been to order a set of ready turned wheels from Mark Wood the production of which is in hand with just a few details to be finalised.
This is going to be the most ambitious model I have ever tackled and I did wonder about keeping quiet about it in case it all goes wrong, but in the end I have decided to stick my neck out with it - so here goes!
Simon
PS Apart from Uncle Norman you can blame Dale Senior for encouraging my Bulleid tendencies
Apologies too for the essay-like nature of this post