Opening the box

There are divisions in every hobby and railway modelling is no exception. Diesel versus steam, or ‘OO’ versus ‘N’ are obvious examples, but one that often goes under the radar - at least until it pops up on internet forums - is that of collector versus modeller. It seems that some modellers take a dim view of collectors. What’s the point, they say, in buying a model and leaving it in a box, or on a shelf? Surely the point is to watch it work, and see it mimic the real thing? The beauty of any hobby, however, is that everyone can take something different from it. There’s nothing wrong with buying a model and not using it on a layout. There are plenty of railway enthusiasts who have no interest in owning a layout, but who want a model of their favourite locomotive. You won’t have room in your study for a real ‘Black Five’ but Hornby’s model will sit nicely on a shelf for you to enjoy. Most layout owners will have some sort of collection. We often read descriptions of layouts that have been built, for example, to house someone’s collection of Class 37s. Just because they’re on a layout and not left in their packaging and boxes doesn’t make them any less of a collection. As you’ll read in this issue, I have six Bachmann Ivatt ‘4MTS’. It’s not a huge collection by some standards (former A1 Trust Chairman Mark Allatt, photographed above, has all 79 Gresley ‘A4s’ and ‘A3/A1S’ - see MR184) but my desire for historical accuracy has led me to invest in something that most people would consider unusual! There’s something in all of us that compels us to collect things, whatever our interest. One may be more socially acceptable than another, but is Dave Lowery’s 200 Matchbox Ford RS200S, or Chris Leigh’s wall covered with celebrity autographs any different to a football supporter who buys Manchester United home, away and training strips, not to mention duvet covers, curtains and even floor rugs? We all contribute to the model railway economy, and our purchases are usually selective - most of us don’t buy one of everything. But some collectors do. Most of us would balk at spending a couple of hundred pounds on a model. However, the museum-quality sector of the model industry, where four-figure sums are common - seems to be booming. Unless there are lots of layouts out there full of exquisitely detailed model locomotives, it’s probably fair to say that most of them are providing a visual treat on a shelf somewhere. Which brings me onto the subject of Dapol’s Black Label brand. Dapol should be given full credit for dipping a toe in the water with a model designed to appeal to the collector end of the market, but at a three-figure price that more of us can afford. Thanks to Dapol, we’ve got one of its new models to review - turn to page 24 to read our assessment of this bold new venture that goes a long way to bridging the gap and mitigating at least one contentious issue in our hobby. Richard Foster