Bachmann have just announced that they plan to release a 4mm scale model of a concrete coaling tower in their Scenecraft range. It will ostensibly be based on the prototype still extant at Carnforth and will have an RRP in the £80-90 range.
Demand is expected to be very high for a model which in many respects exemplifies the steam era of British Rail.
John.
I always assumed that they were products of the 1930's -- our one at Barrow Road (Bristol) was certainly older than me! (n=E9e 1938). I don't believe that any other railway or BR region had them (labour being cheap for shovel slaves) so that would make them an LMS feature?
Peter
Out of interest, what was the spread and time range for these things? They are certainly impressive but I don't know if I can use one. Guy
"Sailor" wrote
They were built from the 1930s onwards, and although of LMS design, similar installations appeared elsewhere. Some of the ex-LMS coal stages were inherited by BR(NER) on re-organisation of some Yorkshire area sheds in the mid-1950s.
They survived until the end of BR mainline steam in 1968.
John.
GBP80 - wow, nows the time for the TONGUE IN CHEEK comment to say do some real modelling and save that money for loco's !
Cheers, Simon
"simon" wrote
I don't think that's expensive; I reckon a decent kit for one would cost that.
John.
They could only be used if the coal was hard enough.
Welsh steam coal would crumble if dropped into the tender from a tower.
A kit ! If I can scratchbuild pit head gear am sure a coaling tower wouldnt be too difficult !
Cheers, Simon
"John Turner" wrote
I'll qualify that by adding "providing it's something like scale size".
John.
Was there enough Welsh steam coal left to fill a coal tower - excluding that which was being exported - in BR days. Anyway, LMS didnt use such softie stuff, didnt it all go to GWR to give their engines a chance at some pulling power ?
Cheers, Simon
I'm not at all surprised that a large plastic coaling tower would be priced at 80GBP. It all depends on the level of detail involved, and the number of individual (as distinct from molded on) parts used. That, and the expected sale quantity.
The major cost of any model these days, despite CAD/CAM, is the tooling for the parts. Because motors and gear trains can be used for many different models, the cost of their tooling can be amortised over many more units than the tooling for the shell, so they may actually contribute less to the price of a unit than the shell. The production costs (materials, energy, and labour) are usually a very small fraction of the total. Typically, marketing (warehousing, advertising, distribution) cost a good deal more than production.
Where there is little likely demand, "craft kits" are made (materials a will be some combination of wood, plastic, resin, metal, etc, and both raw stock and custom cut/cast parts.) Such kits can and do cost $150 and up.
cheers, wolf k.
there was one at Doncaster into the sixties.
"Wolf K" wrote
This is not a plastic kit, but a finished (primarily resin) model. I've got photographs (from the manufacturer) and will forward them to anyone who is interested. Email me off group if you wan to see them.
John,
53A Models, Hull.
There was plenty until Thatcher and MacGregor.
Horses for courses. They had access to the best steam coal available and designed locomotives accordingly. So they could do with narrow fireboxes what took wide ones by the other companies. They didn't need a trailing truck with its attendant problems of weight transfer and slipping.
Interesting suggestion, thought they didnt arrive till steam was finished. Or as Jerry might say, do I detect a little trolling here ?
Cheers, Simon
It was meant more as a bit of a joke ! However, as have said before, LMS didnt build Pacifics for their pulling power, Scots were more than capable. However Scots couldnt run 600 miles without cleaning of the fire. It was an ex-GWR man that decided that before he realised the effect of different coal and driving methods also needed to be taken into account. Then after increasing superheat he let his old company know about its benefits but they decided to ignore the information.
Cheers, Simon
Not saying it isnt a fair price for whats on offer - cos have no idea.
Cheers, Simon
Probably. My point was that in steam days there was more than enough.
"robbiehead" wrote
There's one at Immingham today (2010) but it's a long since it was used. The Doncaster & Immingham examples are somewhat different in style to the LMS designined model being produced by Bachmann.
John.
Henry's firebox was too narrow, so the Fat Controller gave him Welsh coal.
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