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ways to improve
your fleet
Painting Weathering Detailing Scratchbuilding
1967-2017
End of Southern steam
- 4 exclusive plans
you can build
5new
models
reviewed
Cheriton Bishop (OO) › Sheepcroft (EM)
1947-2017
Post-war ‘Big
Four’ paint
and decal
buying guide
1987-2017
Know and
improve your
Trainload
Freight fleet
1997-2017
Operations and
projects -
celebrate 20 years
of Virgin Trains
› Bachmann ‘Coal Tank’
› Dapol ‘B Set’ coaches
› Hornby ‘Merchant Navy’
› Farish ‘Castle’ › Heljan ‘37’
› Create the perfect backscene
› Model Anglo-Chinese ‘66’
› Build your first narrow gauge layout

49
100
June
60
40
Cover: A busy engine shed houses an impressive
fleet of SR steam locomotives CHRIS NEVARD
92
10
94
84
88
What’s New
6 News
First look at Rails Exclusive’s LNER
dynamometer car, and Dapol unveils its
new brakevan.
10 Reviews
COVER
STORY
24
Hornby’s ‘MN’, Bachmann’s ‘Coal Tank’
Farish’s ‘Castle’ and Heljan’s Class 37 are
the pick of this months’ new releases.
Model of the Year 2016
The results are in: turn to page 24 to
find out which models have won our
prestigious competition.
Features
28
40
COVER
STORY
50
75
COVER
STORY
98
100
COVER
STORY
75
LAYOUT: Cheriton Bishop
A departure forced East Bedfordshire
MRS to make big changes to their club
layout. This is the result.
The Virgin fleet
Ben Ando presents a potted history of
Virgin Trains - a franchise that’s always
tipped a nod to the railway’s roots.
LAYOUT: Sheepcroft
Stuart Davies rose to the challenge
of building a layout in ‘EM’ gauge by
rummaging around in a skip.
Southern’s end of steam
To commemorate this bittersweet
anniversary, Paul A. Lunn presents
three classic end-of-steam locations.
Modeller on the roof
Brian Rolley needed a backscene that
would withstand close scrutiny, and a
flat image wouldn’t be good enough...
Post-war ‘Big Four’
A guide to the ‘Big Four’s’ final liveries
as they tried to restore pre-war glamour
in the face of nationalisation.
10
60
40
18
84
50
Looking for an article from
a previous issue of MR?
Search the online index at:
www.ukmodelshops.co.uk/ModelRail
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106
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144
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Exclusive ‘USA’ offer
Order our exclusive ‘OO’ gauge
‘ready‐to‐run’ ‘USA’ 0-6-0Ts.
Model Rail exclusives
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Model Rail models.
Exhibition Diary
What’s on in your area.
Index of Advertisers
145 Backscene
The Old Sage, Chris Leigh, offers some
more modelling miscellany.
146 Next Issue
A sneak peak at what’s in store for the
next exciting issue of Model Rail.
Workbench
We show you how...
60 Railfreight at 30
COVER
STORY
84
COVER
STORY
88
COVER
STORY
94
COVER
STORY
A trio of Brush Type 4s help George
Dent feel nostalgic and turn the clock
back to the 1980s.
Two red sheds
24
George Dent portrays the latest version
of DB Schenker’s livery, including
a special commemorative scheme.
Build a ‘OO9’ diorama
Peter Marriott creates a narrow gauge
scene, and discovers a new passion.
Plan a backscene
MICHAEL WILD/SR
Forced perspective pro Paul Bambrick
demonstrates how to make little space
go a long way.
Download
Your free
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Model Rail 235 June 2017
Subscribe at www.model-rail.co.uk

Reviews
Factory
Decoder
Key to
DCC DCC
Sound fitted
icons option
FITTED decoder
READY socket
fitted 18
NEXT
Next18
socket
Next22
22
NEXT
socket
8PIN
Eight-pin
decoder
socket fitted
6PIN
Six-pin
decoder
socket fitted
21-pin
21 decoder
PIN socket fitted
Sprung
buffers
Front
headlights
£
Budget
model
Directional
white/red
headlights
Detachable
Interior NEM couplings in
lights
NEM pockets
Powered
roof fan
Working
pantograph
What’s New
00
GAUGE
18
NEXT
NEM
PRODUCT
Bachmann 35-051
LNWR Webb
‘Coal Tank’ 0-6-2T
LMS No. 7841
PERIOD
1923-1948
REGION
LMS
AVAILABILITY
Bachmann stockists
USE WITH
LMS/GWR
goods stock
PRICE
rrp £119.95
Looks
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Performance
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Features
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Decoration
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Value for money
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
RATING 86%
FIRST REVIEW
BACHMANN
‘COAL TANK’
During my time on Model
Railway Constructor, one
of the kits that I had to
build and review was
a whitemetal kit of an LNWR 0-6-2T
‘Coal Tank’ by GEM, if memory serves
me correctly. I knew little of the real
thing, and had seen the only
preserved example ‘holed up’ -
almost literally - in Penrhyn Castle,
where a hole had been cut in the
ceiling to accommodate its chimney!
Much more recently, at a press
‘jolly’ on the Keighley & Worth
Valley Railway, headed by the
same preserved locomotive,
I suggested to the late Merl Evans that
Bachmann might produce a ready-torun
‘Coal Tank’, as the wheels were
the same as those on the 0-8-0 which
they already produced. I got a quick
rebuttal from Merl on the basis that
Bachmann had recently upgraded
its axle and bearing arrangements, so
the ‘Super-D’ wheels would no
longer do. Bachmann, however, is
a master of keeping us guessing
(“we’ll never do a Blue Pullman or
an overhead electric”, for instance)
so it’s no surprise that I now find
myself reviewing an LNWR ‘Coal
Tank’ from the Barwell company.
The London & North Western
Railway produced 300 of these
rugged and distinctive side tanks
to F.W. Webb’s design, with
construction starting in 1881. They
were a tank version of his 17in 0-6-0
design for working coal trains, and
hence acquired the name ‘Coal Tanks’.
Intended for lighter freight trains,
they also worked local passenger
services, particularly along the
North Wales coast and its branches
to Llandudno, Blaenau Ffestiniog
and Amlwch.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
The ‘Coal Tank’ is surprisingly small,
both in relation to the box it comes in,
and compared to my memories of the
real thing. The expanses of plain black
make it appear to be a larger
locomotive than it actually is. The
cheaply built, no-frills construction of
a typical Crewe locomotive has been
beautifully captured by Bachmann and
the ‘face’, with its riveted smokebox
saddle and distinctive hand-wheel
smokebox door lock, is very effective.
It is pleasing to see that the ‘Coal
Tank’ comes with a much more
comprehensive instruction leaflet
than we are accustomed to with
British models. It includes not only the
usual dismantling and lubrication
details, but clear instructions for
Next18 and sound decoder
installations. Also in the box is a brief
history leaflet, courtesy of the
Bahamas Locomotive Society,
custodian of the only preserved
example, No. 1054.
DETAILS
Separately applied details include
displacement lubricators on the
smokebox, Ross ‘Pop’ safety valves
and cab-top whistles. The
front-end of this model is
particularly unusual in that
light can shine through
between the frames and the
front bufferbeam, revealing the finely
modelled cylinder front detail. A few
millimetres back from this the rear
part of the front springs and the
inside motion are also modelled.
No. 7841 was the last of the class
to be built, on which the vacuum
brake reservoir is prominently
positioned below the rear of the
bunker. On the model, this space is
occupied by the NEM pocket for the
tension-lock coupler. Nevertheless,
a reservoir moulding is included in
the bag of extra parts. It can only
be fitted if the coupler pocket is
completely removed.
Also in the extra parts bag is a front
screw-link coupling, a steam heat pipe
and two vacuum pipes. Again, these
can only be fitted if they don’t
interfere with coupler operation.
There is space in the
bunker for a sugar cube
speaker, if DCC sound is to be
installed, leaving the cab clear. The
cab itself is so well detailed that it
would have been a pity to obscure it.
Levers, pipework and handwheels on
the backhead are picked out in
colour, and while it may be that my
eyes are deceiving me, it appears that
the front spectacle glasses have
‘brassed’ bezels. The rear spectacle
windows have protective bars
arranged at a jaunty angle, as on the
prototype. The blackened metal
bufferheads are not sprung.
Some very fine rivet detail tops off
a very pleasing body moulding.
CHASSIS
Two screws hidden above the
couplers allow the body to be
lifted off, the front screw being the
smallest I’ve encountered on
a ‘OO’ locomotive. The main
chassis block is metal
and there
are metal
weights
inside
both side
+
Delicacy and
finesse of detail.
Rear truck
performance,
otherwise
nothing of note.
-
18 Model Rail 235 June 2017
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19

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layout SHEEPCROFT
‘ I’ll show you!’ It’s a mindset
we’ve surely all been in at
some point, so when long-term
‘OO’ modeller Stuart Davies
was challenged at an exhibition to
try his hand at building ‘EM’ track,
he stepped up to the 18mm gauge
footplate with determination.
“I must admit,” explains Stuart:
“I’ve had some comments regarding
my previous layout ‘Drewry Lane’,
such as ‘It’s a nice layout, but the
Code 100 track could be improved.’”
Stuart wasted little time in getting
to work and acquired the baseboard
from an unlikely source. “A few years
ago, I found a skip full of MDF offcuts
at a place where I was working. It was
destined for landfill, so I made some
enquiries and was told I could take
whatever I wanted.”
The search for a ready-made
baseboard was intentional: “My
woodworking skills are best
described as… poor.” Stuart chuckles,
“and that’s being kind - my friends
are far less complimentary.”
TRUE BLUE
The layout is located somewhere in
the South West, but is intentionally
nonspecific. The era is set between
the late 1960s and early ’70s, when
Stuart was growing up. “I was in my
teens then, discovering girls,
motorbikes and beer,” he laughs.
“My dad was a train driver, based
in Weymouth, so I was brought up in
a railway family. I’d go out spotting
blue diesels and, as everyone
Embankments are
2 cardboard formers covered
in papier-mâché, followed by
a covering of Woodland Scenics
scatters and static grass.
AS EVERYONE ADVISES, I’VE
MODELLED WHAT I REMEMBER
FROM MY YOUTH
Shrubs and
3 bushes are sea
moss covered
in scatter. Some pieces
have been airbrushed
to provide tonal
variation.
52 Model Rail 235 June 2017
Subscribe at www.model-rail.co.uk
53

Expert Tip
A base of gloss varnish is essential before
applying waterslide decals. It aids adhesion
and renders any carrier film invisible.
6
7
8
16
FACTFILE: LICKEY ‘66s’
The modified ends will need touching in with
paint, and I often find it easier to prime and
spray the whole warning panel for
consistency. An improvised mask stencil was
cut from a scrap of card.
9
Bachmann incorporates the lugs on its model,
but some of them need cutting away to allow
the knuckle coupling lever to be installed.
The remaining lugs can be drilled out for
extra realism.
A set of fixed valances is required for the
Hornby ‘66’, cut from black plastic card. The
large tension lock coupling mounts have been
cut away from the bogies.
10
After touching in the paintwork, the whole
bodyshell can be treated to a high-gloss
varnish. Mask or remove the glazing and build
up the clear coats gradually over several light
layers.
With the valances glued in place, footsteps
have been fashioned from 1mm brass strip
and lifting lugs shaped from plastic strip,
complete with holes drilled through the
centre.
11
The decal packs from Precision Labels contain
all the necessary elements for the two latest
styles of DB Schenker logos, plus the
Yiwu-London commemorative scheme.
3D-printed cosmetic couplings are also
available, with the knuckle unit facing forward
or swung to one side. Secure with
cyanoacrylate, then add the operating lever,
which should be painted white beforehand.
17
A set of spotlamps were fabricated for 66055
from 2.5mm diameter plastic rod. 0.33mm
brass wire formed the handle and mounting
spigot, while thin black-coated copper wire
formed the flex.
In the mid-
2000s, EWS
modified
a quintet of
Class 66s
(66055-059) for
banking duties
on the Lickey
Incline, with
small poseable
spotlights
installed on the
cab fronts.
So far, two of
this mini-fleet
have received
DB red livery,
each being
‘christened’
with traditional
cast nameplates.
66055
Alain Thauvette
pays homage to
a former senior
manager of
DB’s Western
Europe
business, while
66058 carries
Derek Clark
nameplates.
ANTONY GUPPY
PRECISION IN 3D
12
13
18
19
OVERLAND EXPRESS
As well as producing a range of transfers,
Precision Labels now offers a 3D printing
service, encompassing design, scanning and
production. In addition to the custom orders,
a number of off-the-shelf detailing components
are available, mostly aimed at modern
traction. Examples include Dellner couplings,
Class 37 air horns and, to suit
Class 66s, side mirrors, cosmetic knuckle
couplers and also revised light clusters for
the Aristocraft ‘G’ Scale ‘66s’.
n For more information, see
www.precisionlabels.com
Take the time to ensure that the logos sit
within the corrugated profile of the sides,
softening the decal with Micro Sol and
dabbing very gently with a soft brush.
Allow to dry naturally overnight.
14 15
An optional extra from Precision Labels is
a set of self-adhesive foil-effect printed
nameplates. Cut carefully around each ’plate
and peel away the backing before fixing in
place.
The front of each lamp was profiled with
a 1.6mm drill bit before installation into holes
drilled into the cab fronts. New lamp brackets
were fashioned from brass strip.
The spotlamps can be painted in situ. They
should be tilted, as if to shine down onto the
coupling hook, and the flex shaped to run into
the top of the adjacent light cluster.
On January 3, the first direct freight train ran
from Yiwu, in eastern China, to the Barking
railfreight terminal in London. The 7,500-mile
journey took over a fortnight, with the load of
containers passing through Kazakhstan, Russia,
Belarus, Poland, Germany, Belgium and France
before entering the UK via the Channel Tunnel.
To mark the occasion, DB Cargo applied
special commemorative branding to the two
locomotives
involved in
the event,
Class 92
92015 and
freshlyrepainted
66136.
REUTERS/ALAMY
SEE MORE
Keep up to date with George’s projects
by visiting www.model-rail.co.uk and
clicking on ‘George’s Blog’ on the
navigation bar
n Also visit www.instagram.com/
dentmodelmaker
Precision Labels offers sets of 3D-printed side
mirrors. These are rendered in a slightly
flexible material, but can still be damaged
unless handled carefully. Secure with
cyanoacrylate glue.
Paint the mirror brackets. Humbrol’s No. 60
Scarlet is a very close match to DB Traffic Red.
Pick out the mirrors with light grey. Treat the
whole body to a layer of satin varnish.
interesting touch.
86 Model Rail 235 June 2017
Subscribe at www.model-rail.co.uk
87

USA TANKS
Our second exclusive ‘OO’ gauge locomotive
project is the popular Southern Railway ‘USA’
0-6-0T. Our model, produced by Bachmann,
covers the detail differences between the
‘USA’ and the original USATC ‘S100’.
DCC
6
ready
PIN
NEM
in
stock
now
MR-101: No. 1968, USATC black
in
stock
now
MR-107: No. 36, National Coal Board
black
in
stock
now
in
stock
now
MR-109: No. 30067, BR late emblem
black (pristine)
in
stock
now
MR-105: No. WD300 Major-General
Frank S. Ross, LMR blue
in
stock
now
‘USA’ of the month:
MR‐108 No. 72
It’s the summer of 1967 and Keighley & Worth
Valley stalwart Richard Greenwood was on the
hunt for a powerful locomotive. Work to
restore the Keighley-Oxenhope branch neared
completion, but the nascent preserved line
lacked suitable motive power for services that
were planned to resume the following summer.
Meanwhile, over 230 miles away, Guildford
shed’s pilot, ‘USA’ 0-6-0T No. 30072, was
carrying out its last duties. It was worth a look,
for the asking price was just £600. Though still
a huge sum of money for a ‘foreign’
locomotive, it was half the price of an Ivatt
2-6-2T because it had a steel firebox. Transport
to Yorkshire cost £240.
The KWVR applied some eye-catching
liveries to distance itself from its old BR
paymaster and, on June 29 1968, No. 30072
hauled the re-opening special, repainted in
a golden brown livery akin to the Milwaukee
Railroad, together with red-liveried Ivatt
No. 41241.
Although out of ticket, No. 30072 was
returned to its golden ochre livery for the
KWVR’s 40th anniversary in 2008. However,
No. 72 was sold to Andy Booth and moved to
the Ribble Steam Railway for an overhaul. It’s
planned for No. 72 to return to the KWVR for
its 50th birthday in 2018.
MR-110: No. DS237 Maunsell,
Departmental green
Order Now
MR-108: No. 72, Keighley & Worth
Valley Railway ochre
Tel: 01209 613984 £112.46
www.modelrailoffers.co.uk
only
£124.95
incl. P&P
10% discount for MR
subscribers, incl. P&P