What should be the next 009 r-t-r loco?

Assuming Heljan (or another company) will follow up the successful L&B Manning-Wardles in the not too distant future, which locos do you think they should choose?
Bearing in mind:
1. Bachmann seems to have decided on the Baldwins (if they ever appear),
2. The design chosen should be able to cover various iterations (by era at least, and preferably by there being several different locos of the same design), and
3. The loco should be popular or on a popular line to ensure maximum sales.

Any suggestions?

 

Surely a Quarry Hunslet should have fairly universal appeal?

 

There is a video of the Bachmann Baldwin model Engineering Prototype on RMWeb.

AFAIK of the RTR OO9 non-generic carriages & wagons announced or released by Peco and Bachmann, only the FR slate wagons and the TR version of the GVT carriage don't have something prototypical to pull them in RTR. Are any of the Englands or Fairlies similar enough for a RTR model? I'm suspecting not (but would love to be proved wrong). A Quarry Hunslet, perhaps?

The TR locos have the additional problem that Bachmann US are producing models of the Thomas counterparts. As I understand it the licensing for those models means that the research & tooling can only be used for the Thomas models, so Bachmann UK would have to produce new research & tooling for the TR locos. Would it be worthwhile? Not sure but if you start with Sir Haydn, Edward Thomas or Douglas, you can get the original and new build Corris locos, a Kerr Stuart Tattoo class or a Andrew Barclay E class.

The Vale of Rheidol Railway locos and carriages are distinctive and fairly standardised. Plus options for plenty of liveries.

 

The Ffestiniog and WHR are very popular, so one could see some NGG16s for those who like large locos, some Englands (small or large), and possible double Fairlies. These last would have great novelty value, but I'm unsure how many of them (both now and in the past) looked sufficiently alike to be able to make several prototypes from one basic body shape. Anyone know?

 

Whilst I can understand some wanting to run models of prototypes such as the FR, WHR, Tal-y-llyn, etc, many of those are quite unique to those railways and so don't easily fit in with the more freelance approach of many modellers (such as myself).

Personally I'd go for loco types that were made for a wider clientelle - like the Quarry Hunslets, or the Tattoos. For something bigger, what about the 0-6-2t and 2-6-2t types that were produced to similar designs for overseas but also found use in this country - for instance for the Admiralty or Sittingbourne, and locos like Joan on the WLLR, or Gelert and Karen (0-4-2t) on the WHHR. Because they are of a more generic design they would fit in more with the freelance patterns some of us adopt.

The only problem is - can they be in 0n16.5 please...?

Steve B

 

Worth remembering that Fourdees do produce several r-t-r locos in 009, including the WLLR Joan type, GVT tram locos, and several freelance types, with a NWNGR Beddgelert on the way. Maybe they should move next into the Quarry Hunslets?
http://www.fourdees.co.uk/home.php

 

Thank you for that - I'd not come across that manufacturer before, although it's some time since I modelled in 009. I'm tempted to dust of the remains having seen this!

Steve B

 

I would be tempted by a Leek and Manifold, Vale of Rheidol or Welshpool loco.

 

Double Fairlie seems pretty obvious to my mind.......................

 

Double Fairlies may be a problem. Following this discussion someone posted on the Ffestiniog Yahoo group a query as to whether, apart from the modern Earl of Merioneth, one could say the other DFs were similar enough in body shape for a manufacturer to be able to produce versions of them from the same body shell. The answers (some not very polite, either) were basically no.

 

To satisfy the many L&BR modellers, my vote goes to Baldwin 2-4-2 tank loco ‘Lyn’ of 1898 and then scrapped in December 1935 following closure of the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway by the Southern Railway.



Chris

 

Roco announced a OO9 double Fairlie five or six years ago, and then very quietly dropped it because they couldn't get the RRP down to a level acceptable to UK modellers, who as we know have traditionally wanted Fleischmann quality at Tri-ang prices. Under present economic conditions I reckon that smaller engines would be the way forward. Quarry Hunslets, perhaps, or one of Kerr Stuart's range of off the shelf small engines such as a Wren or a Tattoo.

 

Given that a Tattoo is clearly big enough to work on a public railway and at the same time small enough to do the sort of quarry/contractors lines that appear to form the bulk of UK NG mileage that seems to be a logical choice