Oxford Rail J27 announced

[Woodcock29]

Hi Everyone
Via Rails I have just learnt that Oxford Rail have announced a J27, two of which will be in LNER livery, one in L&NER lined in red and one numbered 1010 so presumably prewar plain black.
Hopefully they are getting better at getting it right! Time will tell.
Andrew

[Nova]

Not sure if I could justify one towards the Doncaster end of the NER network, could always claim one wandered a bit (as sometimes happened*).

Shedded at York, brought a goods train south to Hull, then roped in at the last minute to haul a freight train south to Doncaster before returning north.

*I recall seeing footage once of a J39 in BR days deep in Great Western territory

[majormagna]

This may have to be a purchase (or two) for me. How close is the L&NER livery to NER lined black?

I know it's fairly trivial to re-number a loco, but I find it rather odd that the RTR market seems relatively averse to producing models of preserved examples.

[Atlantic 3279]

This could be very good news indeed if the model is right, and at the right price, all the better if (unlikely I fear) enough though is put into the chassis design to allow it to also go under a J25.

A dozen superheated, piston valve (long smokebox) J27s were also allocated for a number of years before WW2, to the Southern area of the LNER, so if one or more versions of the model have the right features it will have wider appeal. Some short-smokebox saturated J27s were on loan in 1926-8. A J26 (spot the differences from a short-smokebox J27 in model form if you can - and it is NOT necessarily the shape of the spectacles) also went South briefly too, so the "right" versions of the model could find lots of uses and therefore more buyers.

Perhaps the makers would care to consider what was most typical in the period, as well as what's in preservation.......

[Albert Hill]

Unexpected and welcome, priced to sell it seems.

[Horsetan]

.... I find it rather odd that the RTR market seems relatively averse to producing models of preserved examples.

Possibly because the relevant owning societies / groups want first dibs on those?

[Kestrel]

Hattons are talking about £104.

https://www.hattons.co.uk/stocklist/Sit ... ZVhoIn0%3D

[Phil]

.... I find it rather odd that the RTR market seems relatively averse to producing models of preserved examples.

Possibly because the relevant owning societies / groups want first dibs on those?

Another reason might be to do with tooling. Like with the N7 Oxford will have tooled for different boilers.The type 57 and the later type 57A. The preserved loco carries the latter (dome further away from the smokebox). All 4 examples can carry the former. Even the 'late crest' version having been fitted with a type 57A in July 1946, reverted to the earlier boiler in September 1952 and did not carry the later type again until January 1960 which it kept to the end in May 1967

[adrianbs]

Hi Folks, An interesting choice by Oxford and I wonder if this loco was selected before Hornby took about a 50% share in the business. It does rather duplicate Hornby's Q6 in terms of it's position as a heavy freight loco and is not really as useful as other NER types might have been. We now have the J.72, Q6, and Dynamometer car ( if modified ) and a planned J.27, G.5 and electric railcar in RTR form. A rather odd selection without a single reasonably accurate NER wagon, passenger coach, mainline passenger loco or small passenger/freight tender loco.
There are kits, of course, although it seems kitbuilding is not something most modellers will now attempt. I sold large numbers of NER 20T hoppers and even more !! NER bogie bolsters ( Ex WW1 "Poll" ") in the past This was when the only loco was a J.72 and unlikely to be seen hauling long mineral trains.
I imagine the more picky NER/LNER modellers are now keeping their fingers crossed that Oxford listen to the experts for once and do not simply make a model of the preserved J.27 and it's bitsa tender.

[Albert Hill]

The preserved example that you seek seems not to be planned as Oxford state :-

Our 2019 range will include:
New Tooled J27-
OR76J27001- LNER No.1010
OR76J27002- BR (Early) No.65837
OR76J27003- BR (Late) No.65817
OR76J27004- BR L&NER (Red Lining) No.1214

[Horsetan]

The preserved example that you seek seems not to be planned as Oxford state :-....

Wonder if NELPG have done a deal to reserve that to themselves? Might well help raise funds, etc. to keep the real one going.

[adrianbs]

Hi Folks Lets hope that Oxford have realised that an accurate model of the preserved loco would not be acceptable to many of the more fastidious modellers and have chosen loco/tender combinations which accurately reflect the listed options. I remember how much research was undertaken by the late Walter Hodgson for his "Piercy Model Products" J26/27 7mm kits which I was casting for him decades ago. His earlier J.72 was a masterclass in pattern making and research and also almost built itself if you shook the box. A great achievement having only built large live steam locos previously.

[adrianbs]

Hi Folks Post duplicated itself

[Hatfield Shed]

...I imagine the more picky NER/LNER modellers are now keeping their fingers crossed that Oxford listen to the experts for once and do not simply make a model of the preserved J.27 and it's bitsa tender.

I'll be the optimist. I have the feeling that Oxford's principal didn't quite appreciate how problematic railway vehicles are compared to road vehicles at launch of the venture; but is now more aware. The research for the N7 appears to be superior to that on the first two locomotives. (Partisanly, all is well with the world, started to properly pay attention once a dry side subject was attempted.) So I would feel it reasonable to hope that they do better yet on the J27 (albeit they are entering upon a dense forest full of bear traps...)

On the more general NER front it's a good subject choice that fills a gap. An 0-6-0 is an essential. Add a fast passenger loco and a mixed traffic machine to what is already announced and you have the bones of a representative group of RTR locos for the NER.

Now switching to realism (not pessimism). Let's face it, there is never going to be blanket coverage, filling in the gaps for those who must have the correct traction for their subject location is always going to mean DIY.

Likewise with the rolling stock. I can see the NER's 20T wooden hopper getting a RTR model, and maybe the 10T brake van, but that's all. The economics of coaches are looking increasingly poor for manufacture in China, and I suspect Bachmann's SECR Birdcages will be the furthest advance (or is that retreat?) into pre-group productions; at least until a new low cost manufacturing location is fully on stream.

[mick b]

As far as I know the N7 has been criticism free ?. I see no reason that the J27 cannot be of the same standard. Time will tell.