The Lynton & Barnstaple theme of the Warley show on 24 & 25 November 2012 has provided the ideal platform for us to unveil publicly our groundbreaking new range of ready-to-run L&B rolling stock for OO-9. The announcement of this exciting venture, which we have been developing over the past 4 months, represents the first time that mass-produced items of ready-to-run stock have been offered by a major manufacturer in OO-9. Pre-production samples were on display at the Warley National Model Railway Exhibition, and go into full production hopefully during the early part of 2013.
Initial releases are set to cover an open wagon and a boxvan; each offered in a choice of L&B and Southern Railway liveries, with two running numbers per livery. (Painted, but unlettered, versions of the wagons will also be produced.). Coaches will then follow afterwards.
(pre-production samples)
The two wagons represent designs built in 1897 by the Bristol Wagon & Carriage Company, which both utilised the same 6’ wheelbase underframe; the L&B wagon fleet included six boxvans and eight open wagons to these designs. We will offer the boxvan as L&B Nos.3 & 7 and SR Nos.47036 & 47039, and the open wagon as L&B Nos.2 & 10 and SR Nos. 28305 & 28308. They will be finished in both L&B livery (light grey with black ironwork) and Southern Railway livery (umber bodies with black running gear). The models, which are of all-plastic construction, feature brake shoes that are in line with the wheel treads, and separate brake levers (fitted to one side only as per the prototype). Samples of the wagons have been tested successfully around 4" radius curves. We plan to offer an initial limited run of wagon sets, followed by individual wagons.
- L_B_Composite_Coach_1f82065.jpg (4.76 KiB) Viewed 1357 times
- L_B_brake_Composite_2d8c58f.jpg (4.56 KiB) Viewed 1357 times
The Bristol Wagon & Carriage Works Co. Ltd manufactured a fleet of 16 coaches for the L&B in 1897, to six designs, all comprising wooden bodies on steel chassis with plate frame bogies and with an overall length of 39'6". We are manufacturing two of these designs; a brake composite and a composite. Two brake thirds of this style were built for the L&B by the BW&CW Co. Ltd in 1897, later converted to brake composites; we will be producing the latter version (L&B Nos.15 &16, SR Nos. 6993 & 4108). The composites will reflect L&B Nos.5 & 6 (SR Nos. 6364 & 6365); these comprised two first and four third class compartments. The coaches will be available in the L&B livery of reddish brown and white, and Southern Railway green. They will be supplied glazed, with interior detail and bogie-mounted couplings. These coaches should go into production soon after the release of the wagons
All vehicles will be supplied with couplings fitteing into in NEM pockets. The coupling will be compatible with our existing OO-9 coupling (ref.GR-101) and most other types to this design. Despite these new rolling stock items being to L&B designs, the products are ideally suited for freelance OO-9 systems are are expected to have a wide appeal amongst modellers.
Full ordering and pricing information will be released in due course. The next few months will be exciting as the models are gradually released to the market. It's also a step forward for OO-9 modelling, with the hope that these new models will encourage modellers to venture into this scale, or at least incorporate a narrow gauge interchange on their standard gauge OO layout. All we need now is a ready to run locomotive.....
Steve Haynes
Sales Manager
Pritchard Patent Product Co. Ltd
I can feel the old enthusiasm returning...