Is it any good ?

I was doodling about thinking of future motive power for Maxmill Junction.

Originally, on the previous layout, I had some long runs so populated the layout with several mainline locomotives and long rakes of coaches typical of the LNER.  The current set-up is a very different scale so was looking at potential "branchline" locomotives.

Whilst totally freelance, the region, originally LNER/BR Eastern Region, will now include the fringes of the LMS - mainly because the availablility of RTR small north eastern locos appears to be very limited.

The Oxford Rail N7 caught my eye as being a useful addition to the stud.  Has anyone bought one and if so, what are they like - are they reliable, good runners with decent pulling power or are they just for looking at ?

I have even considered jumping ship and cashing in on the ample supply of RTR GWR branchline stock …………………….. :oops: :oops: :oops:

Peter  - you should go and have a lie down in a darkened room until your malady wears off!

Peter

It must be loco day!

I have one of these and its a fine looking and fine performing model.  Oxford had their cirtics about SR engines that were quite weak and unable to pull anything but I have found this not to be the case with the N7.  I run it with 5 Hornby Gresley non-corridor coaches in a BS+S+LavC+LavC+BS formation.  Not a lightweight train but the little N7 copes very well.

Hope that helps

Barry

[user=364]Super D[/user] wrote:

Peter  - you should go and have a lie down in a darkened room until your malady wears off!

 

I had hoped, being on lock-down, you wouldn't be reading everything Derek ……………….. :sad:

I'm sure it'll pass once the sun comes out again ……………………….. :cool wink

Thanks Barry.  I read a similar report from one of the magazines but wondered if it was just sales talk as Oxford had supplied the test model FOC.

I might give one a go ……………….

[user=6]Petermac[/user] wrote:

I have even considered jumping ship and cashing in on the ample supply of RTR GWR branchline stock …………………….. :oops: :oops: :oops:

:doublethumb :doublethumb

Blessed are the converted:Welcome


John

"Considered" John, only considered ……………………    As Derek said, I'll find a darkened room shortly.  :cheers

[user=6] Petermac[/user] wrote:

"Considered" John, only considered ……………………    As Derek said, I'll find a darkened room shortly.  :cheers

 Well I always felt that the pannier you own…..the one  fitted with that very impressive sound decoder…..was a useful foundation!

Thinking about suitable locos…….the best bargains right now are Bachmanns small LMS locos…..various small tanks and tender locos have been on offer for some time from both Kernow and Rails.

Could you remind me what years you are modelling……I had a feeling it was few years after nationalisation? That certainly gives you the widest selection….LNER, LMS, (gwr )  BR early crest.

What is the longest rake you can run?

Cheers

John

Whilst trawling looking for suitable candidates John, I had noticed some exceptional discounts, particularly at Kernow,  and had wondered if they were older models.  I hadn't looked into things further although they were DCC ready so couldn't be that old.

My vague era is the transitional period - mid 50's to late 60's - the "railway period" I remember best because I used trains fairly regularly in those days.   Living near York, we often went to school by train rather than bus and post school but pre-car, the train was my chosen method of longer distance travel if we couldn't persuade my Dad to be our taxi driver !!  York station was naturally, a big draw for boys anxious to see the big mainline express locos simmering and snorting at their half-way rest point between London and Edinburgh.  Additionally, British Rail was kind enough to have one of it's non-stop Edinburgh to London trains pass through York at 1.02pm - bang in the middle of our school lunch break !  Guess where half the school was at 1.02pm ………………………  It was during this period that I fell in love with Gresley's huge A4 "Streaks",  A1 and A3 Pacific locomotives. I remember being somewhat disappointed when, on occasion, the big beasts were replaced by Class 55 diesels including, on several occasions, "Deltic" herself.  This apparition did nothing to quell my love of the big steamers.

So sorry - I'm daydreaming and therefore, rambling ……………………………….

[user=6]Petermac[/user] wrote:

Whilst trawling looking for suitable candidates John, I had noticed some exceptional discounts, particularly at Kernow,  and had wondered if they were older models.  I hadn't looked into things further although they were DCC ready so couldn't be that old.

My vague era is the transitional period - mid 50's to late 60's - the "railway period" I remember best because I used trains fairly regularly in those days.   Living near York, we often went to school by train rather than bus and post school but pre-car, the train was my chosen method of longer distance travel if we couldn't persuade my Dad to be our taxi driver !!  York station was naturally, a big draw for boys anxious to see the big mainline express locos simmering and snorting at their half-way rest point between London and Edinburgh.  Additionally, British Rail was kind enough to have one of it's non-stop Edinburgh to London trains pass through York at 1.02pm - bang in the middle of our school lunch break !  Guess where half the school was at 1.02pm ………………………  It was during this period that I fell in love with Gresley's huge A4 "Streaks",  A1 and A3 Pacific locomotives. I remember being somewhat disappointed when, on occasion, the big beasts were replaced by Class 55 diesels including, on several occasions, "Deltic" herself.  This apparition did nothing to quell my love of the big steamers.

So sorry - I'm daydreaming and therefore, rambling ……………………………….

I think most of the “bargains” were produced within the last few years

I could be wrong but I get the sense Bachmann over estimated the demand for small black locomotives particularly B.R. I also wonder to what extent their refusal to supply Hattons contribuited to the over stock. Another factor could well be consumer price resistance….Bachmann initial price increases were steeper than Hornby


“….the big mainline express locos simmering and snorting at their half-way rest point between London and Edinburgh”


What splendid evocative prose! I can really understand your desire to run these trains again. Is length the issue or the radius of the curves?

Best wishes


John

Edited to delete code

Sorry John - I omitted to answer your question about maximum train length.

The restricting factor is my new storage/fiddle yard area.  The plan is to hold trains there as being "the rest of the country" to avoid any risk of tail chasing.  You might remember that I don't have enough space for long runs.

There are 2 storage roads in each direction - the third track is the through track and must always be left clear.  Each of the roads is split roughly in half allowing 2 trains per road with crossovers enabling each train to access the main lines without being blocked by the train parked in front.

Space limitations in this area only allow a maximum of 4 coaches behind a maximum 4-6-0 tender locomotive.  You might also remember the old loft based layout where I could easily cater for 8 coaches behind a Pacific loco and still  permit a good stretching of her legs.

Having rambled yet more, the simple answer to your question is 4 coaches, although 3 would be preferable, behind a Mogul, although the "Black Five" looks very interesting.  I'm sure these, and many others, crept "over the hill" after nationalisation.  That's the beauty of my era - I can run almost anything I want to and find a recorded visit …………

Curves are not an issue because any that appear a tad tight, will be hidden from view.

Thanks Peter

A Black 5 with 4 coaches will look great…….you could also credibly run 4 coaches with bigger locos doing a running in turn after servicing

I am not familiar with LNER practisewith LMS and GWR it was not uncommon for express services to start at two different locations and join up for the final leg of the journey…….

If you wanted a longer train to stretch its legs for a few circuits I wondered if there was the opportunity to join and later split back say a 4 car and 2 car train at the station on the other side……or store two carriages in a carriage siding there

Finally and this perhaps heresy…….are the storage through roads absolutely sacrosant? i sacrificed mine for additional longer storage years ago……admittedly its a pain sometimes but its also part of the operating enjoyment clearing the road by temporarly storing the train elsewhere on the layout…..goods in a layback siding…passengers in a platform or bay or split as described above

Forgive me for rattling on….just thinking outside the box

Cheers

John

Peter

The books and knowledge of Steve Banks are well worth looking at.  He knows all there is to know about LNER/BR(E) passenger train formations.

In the LNER period, there were plenty of examples of short express portions and transfers of through coaches using smaller tank engines.  These died out somewhat by the BR era but a bit of modellers licence is always usable, and of course, it took the railways a long time to change their habits.

Hope that helps

Barry

Thanks Barry - I'll see what's available by Steve Banks.  I do have a fair sized library but he doesn't ring any bells.

I was also about to reply to John regarding "split" express trains.  I clearly remember long dist ance trains being "made up" en route with a carriage from here and another couple from there arriving at an assembly point before heading off to somewhere "big".  A bit like the wartime bomber formations having a rendezvous point before heading east en mass.

The situation for me is not that I won't be able to use my mainline stock at all, it's just that it would be just too big for the available space.  A complete circuit of this unit is only just over 1/4  of the old Maxmill run and to me, big locos and mainline coaches would just look completely out of scale.

By coincidence, I just popped off to search for LNER coaching stock and the Steve Banks site popped up !!!

Regarding using the through routes for "storage" John - yes, that would be possible and might add further shunting potential but I have accepted that I have had my long distance express train era and am now planning based on more of a branchline scenario.  One of my pet hates with model railways is any hint of tail chasing, particularly with trains that are supposed to be on journeys of 100 miles and more.

Having got my head around that, it's now just a matter of altering the stock to fit in with current planning.