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Yes it’s another day and the Coronation is done and dusted. I’m writing this as a proud royalist. I firmly believe that King Charles III will be a great king. The late Queen was a truly great Briton doing a hard job under a microscope with everybody ready to jump on her unfairly and, no doubt Charles will come under similar unwanted scrutiny but the man’s humanity shines through him.
Forced into a marriage he plainly didn’t want and didn’t his wife lap up the limelight at every photo opportunity. She knew how to play the game of public relations while Charles and the family had to stay quiet. The same Is happening now with the excruciating Meghan and the spoilt brat she married as they whine about their lives from their Californian mansion screwing Netflix for everything they can get. I bet if Netflix had their cameras inside Westminster Abbey she would have attended. Harry cut a sad figure in Westminster Abbey before slithering out of the country.
God Save The King!
I’m proud to be British and I like all things British.
And you don’t get much more British than Hornby and this bloke -yes I know his name sounds German but he’s still a good guy.
I’LL MISS HIM
Affectionately known as 'Mr. Hornby', the company's Marketing and Development Director is to retire in May.
After more than 45 years of service to the model railway world, Simon Kohler is taking a well-earned break.
From starting work behind the counter at The Model Shop in Northampton, followed by a move to Hammant and Morgan Controls and finally, into the main Hornby group, there can't be many people with a deeper grounding in the hobby, or who have been involved in as many of its aspects.
Among the products Simon has been responsible for, the Live Steam range is one he has always held dearly, but never one to rest on his laurels, 2022 saw the introduction of TT:120, a scale he always maintained a passion for.
Behind the scenes, the development of this entirely new range has taken considerable effort, with much hands-on guidance.
Simon with a model of LNER W1 'Hush Hush' during the filming for Hornby: A Model World. RA
Many people will know Simon from his tireless work behind the Hornby stand at exhibitions, and more recently, from his appearance in the Hornby a Model World TV series, where he coined his catchphrase "Detail, detail, detail".
We are told that Simon now plans to spend more time on outdoor and garden projects – although no mention of a garden railway, perhaps he had enough of that working on the James May Toy Stories series in 2009, rebuilding the 'Tarka Line' in Devon.
I think Lord Kohler has a certain ring to it.
Is this Montana’s time to take the wheel????????
SPEAKING OF MS HOEHREN
Hornby’s own Montana Hoeren will be running the Royal Parks Half Marathon in October to help raise money for WWF.
Now in its 12th year, the challenging 13.1-mile route will take 16,000 runners through four of London’s eight Royal Parks, including Hyde Park, The Green Park, St James’s Park and Kensington Gardens, as well as pass iconic London landmarks such as Buckingham Palace, the London Eye, Trafalgar Square and the Houses of Parliament.
“I love animals! So this year I'm running the Royal Parks Half Marathon for WWF, to help save and protect animals, as well as highlight and hopefully reduce the human impact on the environment,” Montana explains. “We only have one planet, let’s look after it! If you can spare a pound or two to help me support the charity and to encourage my legs to run that little bit faster, that would be great!”
MR BATLEY down boy
THE ROYAL TRAIN
The coronation of a new king in May will bring to the public’s attention one of the more unusual trains on our network, the Royal Train, which has been transporting our monarchs around the country now for almost 200 years. EVAN GREEN-HUGHES looks into its history.
Despite a somewhat reluctant start the British Royal family have always been regular and enthusiastic railway travellers. The new King Charles III is known to be a fan, particularly of steam locomotives, while his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth, used her private train when undertaking official tours whenever possible, enjoying the privacy that it offered.
The first member of the Royal family to venture onto a train was Prince Albert, in 1839, only a few years after the Great Western Railway had opened between London and Slough. The same service was used by the King of Prussia a couple of years later while the dowager Queen Adelaide travelled from Nottingham to Leeds in 1840. However, it was to be 1842 before Queen Victoria herself took to the rails, journeying from Slough to Paddington. This proved to be the first of many journeys she subsequently undertook.
Above: Having conveyed Her Majesty The Queen to Bristol for the Maundy Money distribution, the Royal Train leaves Bristol past Barton Hill depot behind Royal Class 47/7 47798 Prince William on April 1 1999.
WELL APPOINTED
Anticipating that the Queen would eventually decide to travel on their railway, the directors of the Great Western had ordered the construction of a Royal saloon, which was completed in 1840. This broad gauge vehicle is thought to have been in the then-current style of a three saloon compartment four-wheel coach, with a centre compartment for the Queen being larger than the other two. It was luxuriously furnished inside by a Mr Webb of New Bond Street, London and incorporated sofas in the style of Louis XIV of France.
Unfortunately, in its original form, it did not provide a steady ride and so it was mounted on an eight-wheel chassis before the Queen ever used it.
In November 1843 the Queen and Prince Albert made their first journey on the London & Birmingham Railway, travelling from Watford to Tamworth to visit Sir Robert Peel. For this trip the company provided a new royal saloon, which was somewhat unusual in that it was only 13ft long, meaning that the outer compartments which were intended for servants were very small indeed. In a nod to the status of the occupants the centre roof ventilator was surrounded by a large replica crown. Again, there was an opulent interior provided by one of London’s foremost designers.
Above: London and North Western Railway ‘Claughton’ 4-6-0 5944, in the first version of LMS crimson livery, takes water from Bushey troughs with the 1100 Down Royal Train working from Euston on August 15 1925.
This saloon was not, however, the first to be built by the London & Birmingham, as the company had constructed a much simpler vehicle for the use of Dowager Queen Adelaide three years previously. Incredibly this vehicle has survived and today forms part of the National Railway Museum collection in York.
Such was the speed of progress with carriage design that the Great Western provided a new Royal saloon sometime around 1848. This was an eight-wheeler, although was not provided with bogies and was longer than the previous vehicle. It had a number of unusual features, not least that the centre section was wider than the rest of the coach, and also that it was fitted with a rotating disc on top which could be worked from within the saloon to indicate the Queen’s requirement for the train to slow down or speed up! For the first time a ‘closet’ was included at one end of the coach. This vehicle remained in use until 1874 when a new standard gauge coach was produced.
By the mid-1850s Queen Victoria and Prince Albert had bought Balmoral Castle and began to undertake regular journeys from England to Scotland. The London & North Western Railway (LNWR) at first provided a four-wheel saloon but in 1865 a new six-wheeler was built which had two main compartments, the larger one for the Royal family and a smaller one for the attendants. In view of the distances to be covered a small compartment with the usual ‘facilities’ was also provided. This coach was the first to be painted in the claret livery that was later to become so familiar.
Above: London and North Eastern Railway ‘A2/3’ 4-6-2 60520 Owen Tudor passes Barkston Junction at 1745 with an Up Royal Train working formed of the LMS stock on September 11 1948.
In 1869 the LNWR provided a pair of new six-wheel saloons which were provided with an interconnecting gangway, many years before these became regular fixtures of other coaches. One coach was used during the day while the other was used overnight but unfortunately the Queen did not like using the corridor connection and so the train had to be halted when she wished to pass from one coach to another.
This pair of coaches was luxuriously appointed, and included a permanently made up bed for the monarch, and so successful was the arrangement with the monarch that the pair were later rebuilt onto a common underframe of two 12-wheel bogies in which form it was to survive long enough to become a part of the national collection.
Meanwhile back on the Great Western with the broad gauge being phased out a new Royal saloon was provided in 1874. Again, this was an eight-wheeler with a large central saloon flanked by two smaller compartments, but it was soon modified so that it ran on bogies. Around 20 years later it was incorporated in a new carriage, with the centre section used almost in its entirety due to the Queen expressing a wish that her saloon should stay just the way it was.
Above: A pair of North British Railway ‘J37’ 0-6-0s, 64604 and 64617, have just taken over the Royal Train for Rosyth Dockyard at Inverkeithing on June 22 1955.
MORE SALOONS
Other railways also built Royal saloons during this period, including the South Eastern, London Chatham & Dover, London & South Western, and the Great Northern though these were seldom used, finding the most patronage amongst visiting royalty from other countries.
Many railways also built coaches for other members of the Royal family, with the LNWR adding one for the Prince of Wales while the Great Eastern built a number for use by family members when visiting Sandringham. These included the first bogie coaches built by that company which was, again, for the Prince of Wales, as was a complete train built by the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway, which was completed in 1897.
In the first decade of the 20th century there were new trains brought into service by the LNWR, the east coast companies and the South Eastern & Chatham but these, along with existing vehicles served the Royal family well for almost 40 years. In fact no new Royal vehicles were built between 1913 and 1941, when the London Midland and Scottish (LMS) constructed three new vehicles which included two principal saloons for King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.
These massive 12-wheel cars were all steel and, in view of the wartime conditions then prevailing, were armour plated. Their all-steel construction looked very austere compared to earlier vehicles but the monarch’s safety was considered to be paramount, rather than the appearance of the train.
Above: Displaying Royal regalia, Great Western Railway ‘Castle’ 4-6-04082 Windsor Castle waits to leave Paddington with the Royal Train in 1937.
In interior layout the saloons broadly followed the design of the 1902 LNWR vehicles but, unusually for the LMS, Pullman-type gangways and buckeye couplers were fitted. Another innovation was the use of double-glazing and a form of air-conditioning which utilised ice stored in the underframe and which had to be changed at frequent intervals. Due to this and other equipment these coaches were very heavy, weighing in at 56 tons each. A service car containing a generator was also provided.
Both of these saloons were very much favoured by the Royal family and they lasted in service until 1977, becoming the principal set used throughout the country, after which they passed into the national collection.
When Queen Elizabeth II acceded to the throne in 1952 there were still three Royal Trains in existence, that of the LMS, the GWR and the east coast stock and to these were added two new saloons, one each for Princess Anne and Prince Charles. The east coast train was stood down in 1961 and two of its saloons, along with two of the ex-GWR vehicles, were moved to Wolverton where they joined the LMS vehicles which were stabled there. Some of the former LNWR vehicles were then withdrawn, with the last going in 1978.
THE CURRENT TRAIN
The Royal Train was updated again in 1977 when, to celebrate the late Queen’s Silver Jubilee, new saloons were adapted for the Queen and for the Duke of Edinburgh. These utilised two of the Mk 3 coaches that had originally been built for the prototype High Speed Train, but were completely rebuilt from the shell upwards. Subsequent changes to the set saw the gradual withdrawal of the 1950s built vehicles and their replacement with mainly repurposed Mk 3 stock, with this process continuing until the mid-1980s. The final vehicles to be added came in 1987 when two new coaches were constructed for the then Prince of Wales, now King Charles, with these consisting of a sleeping car and a day saloon vehicle.
Above: London, Brighton and South Coast Railway ‘H1’ 4-4-2 39 heads the Royal Train from Portsmouth past Holmwood in 1907.
Today the Royal Train still plays an important part in the duties of the King and his family, providing as it does a safe and secure way for journeys to be made while at the same time providing hotel accommodation as required. It is now used less frequently as it might have been in the past, as the Royal family frequently takes a service train where it is possible to do so, but it seems as though its immediate future is reasonably secure.
For those wishing to model the Royal Train there are countless variations, covering every period, that could be represented. Due to the rake not being in fixed formation, even in later years, reference to good photographs would be useful and to incorporate such a trainon a layout would certainly be a crowd puller, whatever the era and whicheverof the prestigious Royal Trains was modelled in miniature.
MODELLING THE ROYAL TRAIN
Continuing an almost 200 year tradition, the Royal Train fulfils an important role as well as adding a touch of glamour whenever it’s on duty. Let’s have a look at what’s available in the model world.
Of all the trains that operate on the British railway network, the Royal Train has a certain mystique about it that not even the most luxurious charter trains have as it glides majestically and often discreetly around the country. It isn't just the pristine uniform claret appearance of the motive power and rolling stock, or maybe the often-drawn curtains shielding the identity of the VIPs and staff onboard: it‘s a direct link to the earliest days of the railway.
Above: Hornby has issued a series of Royal Train packs through the years including a special train set produced for Marks and Spencer in the early 2000s, containing LMS ‘Princess Royal’ 6201 Princess Elizabeth and three Royal Train carriages. An all-new ‘OO’ gauge model of the locomotive was released in 2020.
Today’s Royal Train comprises nine active vehicles, seven of which are based on BR’s Mk 3 carriage design, together with two former BR Mk 2b Brake Corridor Firsts (BFKs) which are now used as Couchette accommodation for staff. One of these also houses a generator to provide a ‘clean’ power supply to the train. They are based at Wolverton Works in Buckinghamshire, a site which has a longstanding tradition of maintaining Royal Train rolling stock. The train is operated by DB Cargo, which provides the motive power – usually a pair of dedicated Class 67 Bo-Bo diesels.
FORMATION
Each of the nine vehicles in the current Royal Train fleet is different and since the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, some have since been redesignated, with Mk 3 2903 now known as HM The King’s Saloon, while Mk 3 2904 is HM The Queen Consort’s Saloon – see Table 1 for more details of the individual vehicles.
Above: Today, the Royal Train is usually top-and-tailed by DB Cargo Class 67 Bo-Bo diesels. Hornby’s high-fidelity model of the Class 67 is available as 67006 Royal Sovereign in matching Royal Train claret.
The formation of the Royal Train is highly flexible and varies according to who is on board and the type of journey, so not all vehicles necessarily appear on each journey. Some train formations can also include support coaches too. This has been particularly evident on a handful of occasions when a steam locomotive has been utilised on the Royal Train. There have also been occasions when a Mk 3 sleeper vehicle from DB Cargo’s (formerly EWS) Management Train has appeared between one of the top-and-tailed locomotives and Mk 2b brake vehicles – appropriately finished in a similar colour scheme. See Table 2 for examples of typical formations.
The present Royal Train contains two Mk 3 vehicles introduced for HM Queen Elizabeth II’s Silver Jubilee in 1977 (2903/2904), with the remainder converted in 1986/1987. The previous Mk 1 based formation was withdrawn on introduction of the new Mk 3 vehicles which have remained in service since – although two Mk 3 Household carriages are currently stored.
Above: For a period in the 1990s, British Rail’s InterCity sector provided motive power for the Royal Train in the form of 47834 Fire Fly and 47835 Windsor Castle. Both have appeared in ‘OO’ gauge in the Bachmann Branchline range.
During the 1970s and 1980s, British Rail (BR) would usually select an ex-Works locomotive to attend Royal Train duties, although some regions such as BR’s Southern Region have allocated specific locomotives to the task – Stewarts Lane depot’s 73142 Broadlands being a notable example.
By the early 1990s, InterCity’s 47834 Fire Fly and 47835 Windsor Castle were often utilised for use on the Royal Train – these subsequently becoming 47798 Prince William and 47799 Prince Henry in later years, carrying a Royal Train inspired take on the Rail Express Systems (RES) colour scheme – and beyond that, English Welsh & Scottish Railway (EWS) branded claret. In the early 2000s, two of EWS’ Class 67s were selected to receive Royal Train colours – 67005 Queen’s Messenger and 67006 Royal Sovereign – which they retain to this day, albeit now with DB branding. Class 67s in other colour schemes have also hauled the Royal Train including 67026 Diamond Jubilee in its unique silver livery and 67007 in the purple scheme applied for HM Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022.
As already alluded to, there have been a handful of occasions when steam locomotives have hauled the Royal Train for part of the itinerary, including Stanier ‘Princess Coronation’ 4-6-2 6233 Duchess of Sutherland, Stanier ‘Princess Royal’ 4-6-2 6201 Princess Elizabeth, Collett ‘King’ 4-6-0 6024 King Edward I, Bulleid rebuilt ‘Merchant Navy’ 4-6-2 35028 Clan Line and the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust’s ‘A1’ 4-6-2 60163 Tornado.
Having travelled on the Royal Train on many occasions, King Charles III is no stranger to its many benefits
‘OO’ GAUGE
In terms of modelling the modernised Royal Train, Hornby introduced the first of its ‘OO’ gauge renditions of the train in the mid 1980s, with an early set comprising Class 47 47541 The Queen Mother in BR blue, BR Mk 2b Staff Brake 2905, BR Mk 3 HM The Queen’s Saloon 2903 and BR Mk 3 HRH The Duke of Edinburgh’s Saloon 2904 in Royal Train claret (Cat No. R557). These new Mk 3 carriages were shorter than scale length at the time to enable them to be used on train set curves without issue. Hornby even tooled an insert for one of the Mk 3 vehicles so the double entry doors could be modelled at one end of HM The Queen’s Saloon. They also featured a representation of white curtaining to the windows.
Above: Hornby has produced a series of ready-to-run ‘OO’ gauge Royal Train carriages based on its scale length BR Mk 3 carriages. Vehicle 2903 was HM Queen Elizabeth II’s Saloon.
However, it wasn’t until the early 2000s that the first scale-size ready-to-run Mk 3 Royal Train carriages started to appear, also in the rich Royal claret finish with distinctive light grey underframes and bogies. These included HM The Queen’s Saloon, HRH The Duke of Edinburgh’s Saloon, Royal Household cars, sleeper and dining vehicles. To date, these have appeared singly as well as in a series of train sets and packs – see Table 3 for more info. It should also be noted that, unlike one of the earlier Mk 3s, the scale models offer a looser representation of the prototypes, as the window and door layouts on the real things differ greatly from the models.
Specialist supplier Hurst Models manufactured a series of etched brass overlays designed for Lima Mk 2 and Mk 3 carriages to enable more accurate versions of the Royal Train vehicles to be modelled. Eight different packs were produced, which included overlays to create Mk 2b Generator Coach 2920 (Cat No. CK2302), Mk 2b Staff Brake 2921 (CK2307), Mk 2b Brakes 2905 and 2906 (CK2308), Mk 3 2903 HM The Queen’s Saloon and 2904 HRH The Duke of Edinburgh’s Saloon (CK3307), Mk 3 2915 Royal Household Sleeper and 2916 Royal Dining Saloon (CK3309), Mk 3 2918 Royal Lounge Sleeper and 2919 Royal Lounge Dining Saloon (CK3310), Mk 3 2922 Royal Sleeper and 2923 HRH The Prince of Wales’s Saloon (CK3311) and Mk 3 2914 Royal Sleeper and 2917 Royal Lounge Dining Saloon (CK3312).
Above: Hornby also utilised its Mk 2 Corridor Brake First carriage tooling to represent the Staff Couchette Brake vehicles. 2921 also contains a kitchen area in real life.
Electra Rail Graphics has also produced a selection of ‘OO’ gauge pre-printed vinyl overlays, which have been designed to convert Bachmann and Hornby carriages into representations of the present-day Royal Train. Graphics are available to produce Mk 3s 2903, 2904, 2915, 2916, 2917, 2922, 2923 and Mk 2bs 2920 and 2921.
Bachmann has also dipped a toe into Royal Train territory with the addition of a ready- to-run BR Mk 1 Sleeper First carriage (2908) in Royal Train claret, offered exclusively through the Bachmann Collectors Club (39-500K), for those modelling the train before its mid-1980s makeover.
MOTIVE POWER
As for locomotives, there are plenty of options available to model the Royal Train in ‘OO’ gauge, especially over the past 30 years or so. Focussing on the post 1990s-era, Bachmann has produced examples of the dedicated Class 47s in InterCity ‘Swallow’ livery, as well as 47799 Prince William and 47798 Prince Henry in EWS/Royal claret – this latter pair offered as exclusive limited editions by Locomotion Models/National Railway Museum. Lima also produced examples of 47798 and 47799 in the RES-inspired Royal Train colour scheme, while Heljan has also produced a model of 47798 Prince William in EWS/Royal Train claret and 47787 Windsor Castle in EWS livery. Hornby’s RailRoad range has also featured a pair of the Royal Class 47s.
Above: Bachmann’s ‘OO’ gauge Royal Class 47 fleet includes 47798 Prince William in EWS/Royal Train claret, 47834 Fire Fly and 47835 Windsor Castle in InterCity ‘Swallow’ colours. 47799 Prince Henry in EWS/Royal Train claret was also produced (not illustrated).
For post-2004 operations, Hornby has offered examples of its high-fidelity Class 67 in suitable colour schemes including 67006 Royal Sovereign in Royal Train claret and 67026 Diamond Jubilee in its unique silver colour scheme. The manufacturer has also recently produced an example of 67005 Queen’s Messenger in Royal Train livery for its RailRoad range and Lima also released models in EWS and Royal Train colours too. See Table 4 for more details.
In addition, ready-to-run ‘OO’ gauge versions of some of the steam locomotives that have appeared on the Royal Train have also been produced by Hornby and Bachmann, with examples of Stanier ‘Princess Coronation’ 6233 Duchess of Sutherland, ‘Princess Royal’ 6201 Princess Elizabeth, Bulleid ‘Merchant Navy' 35028 Clan Line and A1 Locomotive Trust ‘A1’ 60163 Tornado offered. See Table 5 for further details.
As well as individual carriages and locomotives, Hornby has also produced a series of train sets and train packs which have been packaged as Royal Train items, usually containing a steam locomotive and three Royal Train liveried vehicles. These have been produced as catalogue items as well as exclusive items for mail order and high street retailers.
Amongst these is a commemorative Royal Train set produced for Marks and Spencer (R1045) containing LMS ‘Princess Royal’ 4-6-2 6201 Princess Elizabeth in LMS crimson lake, Mk 2b Staff Couchette Brake 2921, HM The Queen’s Saloon 2903 and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh’s Saloon 2904, while a similar set (R1057) was produced as a mail order item several years later.
Above: 47798 Prince William and 47799 Prince Henry were commissioned from Bachmann as ‘OO’ gauge limited edition models for the National Railway Museum (NRM)/Locomotion Models.
Household Dining Car 2917. A Royal Train coach pack which featured Mk 2b Staff Couchette Generator Brake 2920 and Royal Household cars 2918 and 2918 (R4197) was also produced. An 80th birthday set (again for Marks and Spencer) has also been offered containing LMS ‘Princess Coronation’ 4-6-2 6233 Duchess of Sutherland together with a maroon Mk 1 support coach (BSK) 99041 and two Mk 3s – 2903 and 2904. This set also included a 4mm scale Royal insignia headboard, representing that carried by the real thing. A similar train pack was also produced (R2370), which differed in that a Mk 2b Staff Couchette (2921) replaced the Mk 1 support coach. Other sets include a Royal Train Premier Edition set containing LMS ‘Princess Royal’ 4-6-2 46203 Princess Margaret Rose in BR maroon with late crests, a Mk 3 Royal Household sleeper (10734) and the two regular Mk 3s - 2903/2904, while a Diamond Jubilee train pack (R3094) included BR ‘Britannia’ Class 4-6-2 70000 Britannia with white cab roof, Mk 3s 2903 and 2904, plus Mk 3 Royal
Above: Hornby’s high fidelity Class 67 has appeared in several liveries suitable for Royal Train use including 67006 Royal Sovereign and 67026 Diamond Jubilee. Both were limited edition models.
‘N’ GAUGE
For 2mm scale modellers, the selection of present-day Royal Train models is somewhat more limited. Dapol has produced versions of the Class 67 Bo-Bo diesel in Royal Train claret with a non-powered example of 67005 Queen’s Messenger (ND101K) and powered model of 67006 Royal Sovereign (ND101A) – useful for top and tailing a Royal Train formation. More recently, the model has been reissued in powered form and updated with DB branding, finished as 67005 Queen’s Messenger (2D-010-007) and 67006 Royal Sovereign (2D-010-008). Several suitable steam locomotives are also available in the Graham Farish range including 35028 Clan Line (372-302), 6233 Duchess of Sutherland (372-180) and 60163 Tornado (372.800).
Above: Occasionally a Mk 3 sleeper from the EWS/DB Cargo Management Train appears within the Royal Train formation, coupled directly behind one of the locomotives. This vehicle was released by Hornby in the EWS Manager’s Train pack.
Rolling stock wise, there are few options for ready-to-run models, although Electra Rail Graphics has produced a series of Royal Train carriage vinyl overlays. As with the ‘OO’ gauge versions, sufficient overlays are available to produce the present-day formation.
Bachmann has also issued BR Mk 1 Sleeper First 2908 in Royal Train livery as a Bachmann Collectors Club exclusive, while Dapol’s ‘N’ gauge DB Cargo Management Train pack (2D-017-100) contains Mk 3 sleeper 10546 which occasionally appears within Royal Train formations, coupled directly behind one of the locomotives.
Above: Detailing specialist Hurst Models issued a series of eight 4mm scale etched brass overlay packs to accurately replicate the modernised Royal Train, intended for use with Lima donor models.
FUTURE
Having travelled on the Royal Train on many occasions, His Majesty King Charles III is no stranger to its many benefits, from offering a secure work (and overnight) base for the Royal Household to its ability to draw a crowd whenever a Royal visit is due or passing through. Indeed, the King made his first trip as Monarch on the Royal Train earlier this year during a visit to Manchester.
Above: Osborn’s Models has recently released this set of 4mm scale figures of HM King Charles III and HM The Queen Consort – the perfect finishing touch to a Royal Train station scene.
www.osbornsmodels.com
With a good selection of models available – particularly for ‘OO’ – you can replicate the sleek rich claret appearance of the real thing and create your own Royal appointments.
TABLE 1 – THE ROYAL TRAIN 2023
Vehicle No. Vehicle Type Description
2903 BR Mk 3 HM The King’s Saloon
2904 BR Mk 3 HM The Queen Consort’s Saloon
2915 BR Mk 3 Royal Household Sleeper
2916 BR Mk 3 Royal Family Diner/Kitchen
2917 BR Mk 3 Royal Household Diner/Kitchen
2918 BR Mk 3 Royal Household coach (stored)
2919 BR Mk 3 Royal Household coach (stored)
2920 BR Mk 2 Royal Household Couchette, Brake and Diesel Generator
2921 BR Mk 2 Royal Household Couchette, Kitchen and Brake
Bulleid rebuilt ‘Merchant Navy’ 4-6-2 35028 Clan Line BR lined green with late crests Hornby R1073/R1162/R2169
Stanier ‘Princess Coronation’ 4-6-2 6233 Duchess of Sutherland LMS crimson lake Hornby R1091/R2370
Stanier ‘Princess Royal’ 4-6-2 6201 Princess Elizabeth LMS crimson lake Hornby R1045/R1057/R3709
LNER ‘A1’ 4-6-2 60163 Tornado British Railways lined apple green Hornby R3060/R3070 RR
LNER ‘A1’ 4-6-2 60163 Tornado British Railways lined apple green Bachmann 32-550A
Notes: RR = Hornby RailRoad/RailRoad Plus model
NOTES
HCC Hornby Collectors Club limited edition
L Hornby (ex-Lima) tooling
LM Locomotion Models/NRM special edition
RES Rail Express Systems bodyside logos
RR Hornby RailRoad/RailRoad Plus model
I stole the above 2 articles from the very excellentwww.keymodelworld.com, always a good read.AND this one too!
EXCLUSIVE CLASS 37
Kernow Model Rail Centre (KMRC) has added another exclusive Bachmann ‘OO’ gauge Class 37/4 diesel to its range, finished as 37401 in Royal Scotsman livery (Cat No. 35-335Y/SF/SFX).
Originally named Mary Queen of Scots, 37401 enjoyed a long association with Scotland, especially on locomotive hauled passenger and freight trains on West Highland routes, as well as charter and sleeper trains. In 2001, it was repainted in EWS Royal Claret and named Royal Scotsman, for use on the luxury train of the same name.
KMRC's exclusive ‘OO’ gauge model bears the hallmarks of previous models from Bachmann’s new tooling suite for the Class 37/4 and features five-pole motor, twin flywheels, diecast chassis, PluX22 Digital Command Control (DCC) decoder socket, factory-fitted speaker, directional lighting, high-intensity headlights, marker lights and a raft of prototype specific separately applied detailing.
This latest addition to KMRC’s range of exclusive models joins a selection of Scottish Class 37s commissioned from Bachmann by the retailer including 37012 Loch Rannoch in BR large logo blue (35-301Y/SF/SFX) and 37418 An Comunn Gaidhealach in BR large logo blue (35-335Z/SF/SFX).
Each is available in three formats – DCC ready, DCC sound-fitted and DCC sound-fitted deluxe. The sound-fitted deluxe versions feature independently controlled roof fan and tinted glazing, in addition to onboard digital sound.
Prices for 37401 and 37012 are set at £244.95 DCC ready, £344.95 DCC sound-fitted and £374.95 DCC sound-fitted deluxe. 37418 is priced £239.95, £339.95 and £359.95 respectively.
An exclusive Collector Club limited edition to celebrate the coronation of His Majesty King Charles III has been released by Hornby.
An exclusive Collector Club limited edition to celebrate the coronation of His Majesty King Charles III has been released by Hornby. The model is a Hornby ‘OO’ gauge Class 66 with Triplex Sound installed and finished in a unique commemorative colour scheme.
In its press release, Hornby said: “On Saturday, we will see the coronation of our first new British monarch in 70 years. King Charles III rose to the throne on September 8 2022, and his long-awaited celebration is finally upon us. As a company with a long British heritage that has seen the crowning of three previous monarchs, it is only fitting that we mark the occasion.”
The Class 66 will feature a purple livery with a King Charles III nameplate and the coronation date as the locomotive number. It has Triplex Sound fitted to play God Save the King through the onboard speaker.
The model is limited to 1,000 pieces and is supplied in bespoke packaging. It is only available to Collector Club members with prices set at £129.99. Delivery is expected in September 2023 and pre-orders open now.
DCC Concepts is a great help to you real modellers. And me! Here’s another of their bargains.
Heavy Track Cutters
Price: £15.95
Exclusively made for DCCconcepts. The HTC is used to cut track that is already laid, and, because the cutting area is much larger when track is cut this way, it has a heavier jaw structure and slightly different cutting angle on the blade.
You should use this version for heavier rail too (anything larger than code 100). When used properly, the DCT-HTC will cut Nickel silver rail very cleanly so you will rarely need to clean the cut with a file before laying the track… but it can do much more.
• The perfect track cutter for OO, HO, N and other modelling scales where you need to cut vertically as the track is already laid or when using heavier rail profiles.
• A very sharp flat-back cutter ideal for clean cuts in alloys, brass, copper, nickel silver and similar non-ferrous metals.
• Will also cut plastics, wood and card easily and exceptionally cleanly.
Because of the carefully set angle of the cutting face, the cuts you make with the DCT-HTC track cutter are very clean and may not need any filing at all after cutting.
Like an idiot I posted this photo on Facebook describing it as an attempted Neil Stanley which led to me thinking!!!!
The English language is constantly evolving and I thought of a few new terms/definitions for you real modellers:
A Neil Stanley: A brilliant and dramatic night scene in a floodlit railway yard featuring several Class 37s
A Marcus Pick: A brilliantly detailed potential Oscar winning video
A David Styles: An epic, magnificent layout
A Sean Selley-West: A well prepared, well conceived brilliant piece of railway modelling and nautical modelling
A Chuck Batley A superbly detailed scene often featuring space-ships
A Martin Compton: A scene from the North of Scotland conveying the emotion and passion of the glorious Highlands
A Phil Cooper: An attempt, but not very good
JUST BEFORE I GO
I mentioned Neil Stanley a moment ago and he’s sent me some more of his modelling photos. Neil must be a workaholic because he has a full time job AND he builds his own layout AND he teaches beginners AND he offers to make floodlights for others. His latest venture is to fit dimmable lighting to railway sheds, TMDs, etc for people, like me, who need help. You can get prices from him, either via me (philipgcooper@hotmail.co.uk) or direct to Neil in his “The Model Railway Group” group on Facebook where you can also find many of his great photos. I believe that Neil is either insane or, more probably, he is from a world far far away.
Now, to the photos:
The above 3 photos features Neil’s home-made lights. They’re excellent.
37401 Mary Quern of Scots
ANOTHER COMPETITION
My challenge to the real modellers out there to build their own version of Canfranc International Railway Station has beaten everybody so the prize, a bottle of Glenmorangie, is up for grabs and I’ve got a new competition for it.
All you have to do is list what you think my top 3 locomotives are AND the locomotive I really don’t like as it looks like an overgrown shunter. Crikey I’m even giving you clues. The identity of the top 3 will be obvious if you read a few of my earlier blogs.
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The views and opinions expressed within the content are solely the author's and do not reflect the opinions and beliefs of Trackside Signs or its affiliates.
