WW1 era Steam train models?

[Major Flannel]

Hello.

I do not know a thing about trains except Mr Michael Portillo lives wildly in them with his coral pink and peppermint green dinner jackets and that they sell revoltingly inedible snacks for a tenner per joule.

 

Fig. 1. Michael used to make the Spanish trains run on time.

 

My wife does love the whole train thing though. She finds the early 20thC trains almost spellbinding, with their association with the Great War and whatnot and frequently breaks out into Helena Bonham-Carter Edwardian mode.

 

Question is, where to look to start building her a nice small replica train and carriage? Presumably suitable WW1 era steam train models are out there. Scale 1/72nd or so? I wouldnt know OHOO gauge things from Yoko Ono, if that makes any sense. It should. Oh, Yo-oh-oh-Ko.

 

Fig. 2. Yoko in happier times.

 

What is a nice WW1 train kit to build, plastic probably?

Thanks for looking. If this is the wrong forum section, apologies. Seemed like a good choice at the time.

[keefr22]

21 minutes ago, Major Flannel said:

If this is the wrong forum section,

 

There is a railway forum on here, and you may get more of a response in there.

 

There aren't that many plastic kits of locomotives/carriages tbh. Do you want to build a military train or a civilian one? 

 

For civilian coaches, these would suit the WW1 era;

 

https://www.hattons.co.uk/16474/parkside_models_pc612_gwr_4_wheel_composite_coach_plastic_kit/stockdetail.aspx

 

https://www.hattons.co.uk/16475/parkside_models_pc613_gwr_4_wheel_brake_third_coach_plastic_kit/stockdetail.aspx

 

The only plastic loco kits I can think of that ''sort of'' fit this era, or look like they could, are these;

 

https://www.hattons.co.uk/34868/dapol_c061_city_class_4_4_0_city_of_truro_steam_loco_plastic_kit/stockdetail.aspx

 

https://www.hattons.co.uk/34841/dapol_c026_0f_pug_class_0_4_0_steam_loco_plastic_kit/stockdetail.aspx

 

This isn't a railway era I know much about though, so you may get more joy posting in the railway section;

 

https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/forum/239-locos-trains-and-layouts/

 

Keith

 

[Major Flannel]

Brilliant. Truro is sort of nearby too. Thank you for your timely help! 

 

 

 

 

[johnlambert]

I'll try and build on what Keith suggested, as this topic piqued my interest.

 

Links to vendor sites are purely for illustration and not intended to endorse any particular product or seller.

 

I would guess that any of these coaches would be suitable, certainly anything with a clerestory roof will look the part; https://www.hattons.co.uk/stocklist/3095876/1000588/1000636/0/parkside_models_oo_gauge_1_76_scale_coaches/prodlist.aspx

 

City of Truro as a loco would certainly be right since (IIRC) it pre-dates the 1914-18 war by a few years.

 

A train pack with one of CoT's classmates was offered at one time https://www.hattons.co.uk/71907/bachmann_branchline_30_325_ambulance_train_no_40_train_pack_with_gwr_class_3700_no_3711_city_of_birmingham_/stockdetail.aspx

 

I'm only familiar with trains in 1:76 scale, which is OO, or possibly 00; think Hornby railways, that size.  I don't know if anything is done in 1:72 to suit military models.

[Ruston]

There is a lot more choice for locomotive kits if you are prepared to look at etched brass or white metal cast models, with a corresponding increase in cost, time and effort to put them together. But you can almost find anything that ever existed.

 

00 gauge is a scale compromise at nominally 4mm/ft (1/76) but running on track scaled at 3.5mm/ft (1/87) so the rails and wheels are slightly too close together. Depends on how concerned you are with ultimate fidelity if that is an issue!

 

HO gauge uses the same track as 00 but with everything correctly scaled at 3.5mm/ft.

 

Most UK subjects are 00 gauge unfortunately and need modifying to sit on the correct 18.82mm width track.

 

 

 

 

Edited July 29, 2021 by Ruston

[Major Flannel]

1 hour ago, johnlambert said:

I'll try and build on what Keith suggested, as this topic piqued my interest.

 

Links to vendor sites are purely for illustration and not intended to endorse any particular product or seller.

 

I would guess that any of these coaches would be suitable, certainly anything with a clerestory roof will look the part; https://www.hattons.co.uk/stocklist/3095876/1000588/1000636/0/parkside_models_oo_gauge_1_76_scale_coaches/prodlist.aspx

 

City of Truro as a loco would certainly be right since (IIRC) it pre-dates the 1914-18 war by a few years.

 

A train pack with one of CoT's classmates was offered at one time https://www.hattons.co.uk/71907/bachmann_branchline_30_325_ambulance_train_no_40_train_pack_with_gwr_class_3700_no_3711_city_of_birmingham_/stockdetail.aspx

 

I'm only familiar with trains in 1:76 scale, which is OO, or possibly 00; think Hornby railways, that size.  I don't know if anything is done in 1:72 to suit military models.

 

Well, it doesn't need to be 72nd. Some of your links will send Her Indoors into a frenzy. Long story. They're nicely done, clearly. Very evocative. Reminds me somehow of the WW1 tribute to Tommy Atkins made in modern Railway stations a few years ago, with period uniforms and a haunting song, sung at volume:

 

"We're here because we're here because we're here because we're here.

We're here because we're here because we're here because we're here".

 

Sung to "Auld Lang's Syne". Very emotionally powerful I can assure you.

 

Thank you!

 

 

 

 

[Six97s]

I'm afraid I have nothing useful to add, but couldn't resist a thread tagged with both Michael Portillo and Yoko Ono.  Well played.

[MikeR]

WW1 falls during what's known as the "Pre-Grouping Era" which covers pretty much everything up to 1st January 1923 when the various companies were "Grouped" into four larger ones. One of the attractions of the pre '23 period is the colourfull liveries that the various companies used but a downside is that they could be very ornate - lots of panelling and lining!

 

As your down in the South West have a look at anything related to the Great Western Railway, the London and South Western Railway and the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway.

 

LSWR train in the livery used up to the middle of WW1 (it had to simplified due to the effects of the war):

 

S&DJR train:

 

I can't find a suitable period image for the GWR, but it changed it's livery not long before WW1 and stayed more-or-less the same until it became part of British Railways in 1948:

 

Mike.

[keefr22]

1 hour ago, MikeR said:

and stayed more-or-less the same until it became part of British Railways in 1948:

 

And then to a large extent when it became the Western Region - which always preferred to go its own way! 

 

Keith

[Circloy]

In plastic Ratio kits make a range of both 4 wheel & bogie coaches for OO that are suitable for the Victorian era. The range was absorbed into the Peco range. I'm uncertain as to current availability as it's both a while since I modelled in this scale & the majoity of shops only tend to be interested in RTR.   https://peco-uk.com/pages/search-results-page?q=coach

 

There are a few listed on that auction site.

 

Wagons kits too are available this time from Parkside, again absorbed by Peco. Stick to woden bodied wagons & avoid anything described as BR & you'll not go far wrong.

 

Plastic loco kits are a diferent matter there are only two generally avalable that fit the bill these are the two mentioned by @keefr22 City of Truro would be perfect for a GWR passenger train whilst the 'Pug' would be found shunting goods yards of the LMS.

 

Ratio also produced two plastic loco's but because they were motorised I think they were only evere issued once or possibly twice. Consequently they are scarce (but not rare) but do turn up from time to time. Both, one passenger one freight, were LMS, so match with the 'Pug'.

 

After that you're into either white metal or brass kits although there have been some resin or 3D printed bodies

[2996 Victor]

Late to this thread, so forgive me if you're already "sorted".

 

All the foregoing is great advice. If you're looking for a working layout set in your locality, there are a number of ready-to-run locos of GWR and LSWR origin that could be of interest, such as Oxford Rail's GWR Dean Goods and LSWR Adams Radial (a very pretty tank engine) apart from the ranges by Hornby, Dapol and Bachmann. 

 

Kit wise, plastic kit locos are a bit thin on the ground. City of Truro has been mentioned, and looks splendid in her Edwardian livery with Indian Red outside frames. Ratio do a range of nice 4-wheel carriage kits, for which etched brass overlay sides can be got from Shirescenes for added variety. Ratio, Slaters and CooperCraft (OOP but turn up on eBay) are good for wagons, especially the CooperCraft which were way ahead of their time. Other than that, as previously mentioned there are many different loco carriage and wagon kits in etched brass, cast whitemetal, cast resin and 3D-printed. Google is your friend!

 

Have a look at the model railway magazines in your local papershop, for example Railway Modeller, for a few ideas!

 

Cheers,

Mark