Oxford ‘Dean Goods’ II
SCALE ‘OO’ gauge MODEL Oxford Rail OR76DG002 GWR ‘Dean Goods’ No. 2409, BR unlined black PRICE (rrp) £112.95 AVAILABILITY Oxford Rail stockists or www.oxforddiecast.co.uk
Oxford Rail’s initial ‘Dean Goods’ release highlighted the difficulties model manufacturers face when trying to balance producing myriad detail differences and keeping costs as low as possible. But the ‘Dean Goods’ also proves that Oxford, like other manufacturers, listens to customer feedback to try to improve models. Our review of the first release, Edwardian-era No. 2309, highlighted a number of areas that could benefit from some tweaks (MR240). We’re pleased to report that a good number have been addressed on the following batches for the GWR and BR eras. Received for review is No. 2409 in unlined BR black. There’s a photograph of BR condition No. 2409 in Part 4 of the RCTS’ The Locomotives of the Great
Western Railway. According to data in the book, No. 2409 was built in November 1891, received its B4 boiler in January 1911 and was superheated in January 1919. Oxford’s model accurately reflects No. 2409. It has the correct boiler and smokebox combination, featuring the pressed smokebox door ring and Churchward smokebox door. It has a superheater header but, correctly, no top feed. The photograph also proves that No. 2409, correctly, features rivets on the tops of the splashers. The model also features the correct cab side sheet arrangement. Oxford’s Tim Mulhall told Model Rail that it had always planned to produce this arrangement, with the deeper section under the cab roof and the revised profile, but it appears to have gone a stage further by including the rivet detail missing from the first run. Oxford has also addressed the position of the boiler handrails. On the first release they obscured the boiler washout plugs. The place where the handrails fix to the cab has been changed and now the washout plugs are unhindered. Elsewhere, No. 2409 matches No. 2309 that we reviewed in MR240 (October 2017). It shares No. 2309’s overall good looks, with its smooth and powerful mechanism and fine refinements, such as sprung buffers in tapered shanks, hinged metal fallplate, eight-pin DCC socket (in the tender) and a detailed firebox backhead. But is it the definitive ‘Dean Goods’ Western modellers have clamoured for? Sadly not. The ‘face’ isn’t entirely convincing, although the shape of the smokebox door was greatly improved by pressing it firmly into place, which reduced its harsh edge. But the combination of the way that the door catches the light, the shape and the weight of the door hinge and the length of the door handles mean that it doesn’t quite capture the look of the real thing. It’s very close but it still misses the mark. It’s commendable that Oxford has added the rivets to the cab sidesheets but they’re barely visible. And the modification to the handrails is acceptable, but it doesn’t get away from the fact that the handrail knobs ought to angle upwards slightly and not horizontal. There’s not a lot to break up the BR unlined black. The paint has a good sheen and lustre and the tender plate is legible under a magnifier. Sadly, the yellow band around the British Railways lettering in the ‘cycling lion’ emblem lets down the livery application. It’s only a small thing but when it should be white, it does catch the eye – and not in a good way. Furthermore, our historical consultant Richard Strange could find no reference to an ‘88K’ steam shed. Between spring 1949 and withdrawal on April 22 1953, No. 2409 alternated between Oswestry and Brecon sheds; these had the codes 89A and 89B, respectively, at the time. No. 2409 is a marked improvement over No. 2309. It’s good value too, with some retailers offering them for under £100. But it still fails to do this important Western design justice.