Locomotion Models/ Dapol/rails of Sheffield SECR Wainwright D class 4-4-0
◆ GAUGE ‘OO’ ◆ MODEL Locomotion Models/dapol/rails of Sheffield SECR Wainwright D Class ◆ PRICE £199.99 (£324.99 DCC sound)
◆ AVAILABILITY Locomotion Models Tel 01904 685785 Web www.locomotionmodels.com
Back in the early 2000s, when I was a conservation assistant at the National Railway Museum, I had a few ‘pet’ locomotives in my charge. My daily responsibility was to ensure that they were spotless and sparkling in all the right places, before retreating to my little workshop when the doors opened to the public. Along with ‘9F’ Evening Star, with its endless amount of copper and brass work, the other locomotive that took up plenty of time (and elbow grease) Wainwright D Class No. 737. Posed at the time in the Station Hall, the elegant profile, gleaming green paintwork and intricate lining scheme often enraptured visitors, despite the rather gloomy ambience of the building. More recently, she has enjoyed time in the Great Hall, where I always thought she belonged.
It was with some excitement, therefore, that I opened the high-quality packaging containing this new ‘OO’ model, produced as a joint venture between Locomotion Models, Rails of Sheffield and
Dapol. While Rails and Dapol are offering a range of ‘in service’ D class models – in SECR, Southern and BR guises – No. 737 is exclusive to Locomotion Models and is part of its National Collection in Miniature series.
EDWARDIAN SPLENDOUR
First impressions were positive, as the handsome appearance of Wainwright’s design has been captured exceedingly well. There’s something visually satisfying about a 4-4-0 tender locomotive anyway, but the D class possesses a particularly graceful nature. It’s hard to see past the beautiful livery, but we’ll come to that in a moment. Concentrating on the profile and proportions, the design team seem to have got this model just right. There is plenty of detail and finesse, from the refined wheels (with authentic stubs between the spokes of the tender and pony wheels) to the curved, perforated splashers.
Oil pots and gravity lubricator fittings are well rendered and the steam reversing gear is impreswas
sive, with plastic pipes and valves picked out in realistic metallic shades of copper and brass.
The bolt and rivet head detail on the frames is effective, while the brake and sanding gear looks great. There’s a cosmetic rendition of the inside valve gear visible beneath the boiler and the cab spectacle plates have been glazed exceptionally well. The access doors for the inside cylinders even feature small wire handles and the smokebox door looks to have the correct convex profile.
Furthermore, the smokebox door, despite appearing to fit seamlessly, can be prised off with a special tool (supplied) to give access to a pull-out DCC decoder and speaker interface. The PCB simply slides out (again, using the special extraction tool), promising the easiest means of installing digital control and sound that I’ve yet come across on a steam-outline model. And it works too! Full instructions are provided and they should be read carefully, especially if you’re contemplating adding a speaker to the tender instead of (or as well as) inside the boiler.
Returning to the subject of appearances, the cab interior is also worthy of note. This is an area of the prototype that I remember fondly, despite the monotony of having to clean the metalwork so often. The model features the two large bench areas covering the wheels (invariably enlarged to account for ‘OO’ wheelsets), while the firebox is adorned with rivet heads, pipework, valves, sight glasses and regulator, all in shiny metallic finishes where appropriate. The firebox doors also feature polished steel levers, being posed in the open position to allow for the lighting effect to be seen. The flickering firebox operates on both DC and DCC and the open cab allows it to be viewed readily.
FINE FINISH
The overall standard of finish is excellent, with the key colour elements appearing to be a close match to the preserved No. 737. The paintwork has a pleasing sheen, without veering towards a toylike gloss coating. The dome and safety valve bonnet do stand out, however, being portrayed with a highly polished finish. The effect is very pleasing, matched by the burnished steel of the safety valve lever and red spring, creating an impressive ensemble.
In comparison, the copper-painted chimney cap is a tad restrained, but the chimney’s profile is convincing, nonetheless. The lining is also impressive, both on the locomotive, tender, frames and wheels. The complex arrangement of different colours has been captured faithfully, save for a few areas where economy and production limitations have got in the way. The most notable is the lining on the edges of the cab’s front, which end abruptly at waist height, rather than
The paintwork has a pleasing sheen, without veering towards a toylike gloss coating