NEW COMMISSION! Disc-shaped Boards for Engine Head Signals by Modelu

A prominent feature of the Southern Region, Engine Head Signals identified the route of a train using 15" disc-shaped white boards. During the hours of darkness, the same principle applied, with white lamps replacing discs.

Used by each of the three main constituents of the Southern Railway (SR), a standardised approach was introduced at Grouping in 1923 which employed six lamp bracket positions - numerous arrangements were possible and applied to various duties with splits between areas to avoid possible confusion. The system continued to be used by British Railways (BR) throughout the steam-era.

An exhaustive summary of Engine Head Signals has been compiled by the Southern Railway E-mail Group and is accessible online.

With thanks to the team at Modelu for accommodating the commission, these distinctive discs were launched at the 2023 Bristol Model Railway Exhibition and are now readily available in super-fine detail across several scales.

The digital design was created using several pictures taken at the Bluebell Railway and of note is the intricate handle which is modelled at rest on the rear of the disc - comparable frets are bidimensional, by their nature, and can look unrealistic especially in close-up photography.

Modelu are due to attend the Bluebell Railway Model Railway Weekend in July where they will be working on a range of new figures based on staff and volunteers.

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© Modelu

Rapido Trains UK GWR Diagram Z4-'Cone' Gunpowder Van Review

Given the intended purpose of carrying such a dangerous commodity, the Railway Clearing House (RCH) produced a standardised design in circa 1930 which was was soon adopted by the Great Western Railway (GWR), London and North Eastern Railway (LNER), London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) and Royal Ordnance Factories (ROFs)* with minor detail differences.

The low height vans were made of all metal bodies lined with a combination of lead and wood. A cast metal plate on the external doors instructed staff that no unauthorised persons were permitted to open the doors and nail-less over boots must be worn to minimise the risk of sparks.

During peacetime, up to five vehicles were permitted to be marshalled together, however during wartime this was relaxed owing to the greater quantities of explosives requiring transport.

Following Nationalisation in 1948, British Railways (BR) continued to build a slightly modified version under Diagram 1/260.

First announced by Rapido Trains Inc of Canada in 2017, the project was relaunched by Rapido Trains UK in December 20 (with deliveries commencing March 2022).

The most striking aspect of Diagram Z4-'Cone', No 105777 (902004), is the roof which is incredibly thin and replicates steel sheet superbly. The GWR iteration had a greater overhang compared to others which is faithfully replicated and includes fine banding and rivet detail.

The remainder of the van is equally crisp with fine locking latches and retaining chains which again vary between each company.

The GWR satin black livery with red cross is neatly applied with precise lettering and clearly legible detail on the builder's plates. Positioning of some of the text is however known to be incorrect (having been copied from a preserved example).

The underframe is equally detailed, with a comprehensive representation of the brake gear. The first sixty-five wagons constructed to Diagram 1/260 were unfitted, however survivors were retrofitted with vacuum brakes which have been included in the range - these examples feature the lower placement of the vacuum cylinder in the chassis, common with conversions, and vacuum pipes.

Dished three-hole wheels run within metal bearings, with split-spoke for the LNER and ROF.

Priced at £32.95, the RRP need not be justified - the continued increase to the cost of living has been made abundantly clear in the wider press and in this instance the quality of the product is more than appropriate given the build and finish.

*Collective name given to the UK Government's munitions factories in, and after, the Second World War.

Rapido Trains UK SECR Seven-Plank & Five-Plank Open Goods Wagon Review

Announced in May 2021 when already at the tooling stage, Rapido Trains UK have released an array of open goods wagons based on a variety of South Eastern and Chatham Railway (SECR) designs.

The first represents one of the most numerous types with over 2,000 seven-plank timber bodied wagons constructed between 1915 and 1923 under the SECR and until 1927 as Diagram 1355 under the Southern Railway (SR). Built with a standardised steel underframe with corner reinforcements and supports, the SR added a sheet rail to some examples, referred to as hybars, which allowed the fitting of a tarpaulin to protect the contents.

The five-plank wagons depict those rebuilt to Diagrams 1347 and 1349 using the same underframe with differing buffer types.

Simple in design, their versatility meant they could be seen across the network, lasting well into the British Railways (BR) era.

The models themselves boast impressive moulded detail throughout with spring and axle boxes cleanly rendered and interiors clearly defined. The vertical supports on each wagon are wonderfully thin and comparable to the steel roof seen on the GWR Diagram Z4-'Cone' Gunpowder Van. However, to echo a point made elsewhere, it's a shame that the safety loops are rendered as part of the brake gear moulding instead of a separate item.

Diagram 1347 shares the buffers of 1355 (spindle) with self-contained fitted to 1349. Both are modelled correctly however the majority of the latter have been installed crooked. Glued fast, rectifying runs the risk of damaging both the chassis and buffers themselves.

Sheet rail parts (consisting of a wire rail and moulded brackets) are provided separately for Diagram 1355, though there are no aids on the bodyshell for installation. It is worth noting that the hybar can only be positioned upright, and not sideways, as would have been the case without a tarpaulin.

Comprehensive underframe detail is evident (such as moulded drawbars, though entirely hidden when upright) with axles mounted into metal pinpoint bearings ensuring free-running.

The quality of paintwork is high across all iterations (a host of liveries were available upon release) including the printed detail on solebar builder's plates. Of note is the choice to use the same SR brown that Kernow Model Rail Centre (KMRC) used on their London and South Western Railway (L&SWR) Diagram 1541 'Road Van'.

Once again some may baulk at an RRP of £32.95 however that would be unfair given ever increasing costs. That being said, to have the overwhelming majority of self-contained buffers poorly applied is disheartening, especially when not an isolated incident.

Undoubtedly a shrewd choice by Rapido Trains UK given the current popularity of pre-Grouping locomotives and rolling stock, as well as the multiple opportunities that a shared underframe provides.