The following is a representative selection from the Watermouth Collection. Some models date from the very dawn of P4 and feature components then only just beginning to become available such as ‘Studiolith’ W iron units, MJT or ABS axlebox castings and underframe components.
Before Watermouth was started as a layout, Pat English was scratchbuilding rolling stock and some of his very early vehicles are in the collection today. He constructed a number of 10T open wagons from plasticard long before Slaters released their range of kits, and even today it is difficult to distinguish them from high quality injection moulded kits.
Apologies for the lack of ‘artistic merit’ with the images, they were taken purely as a record for insurance purposes when the Collection came into the Club’s care.
6803 Bucklebury Grange. Malcolm Mitchell etched kit, Ultrascale wheels, RG4 coreless motor.2265 Collett Goods. Martin Finney kit, Ultrascale wheels, RG4 coreless motor, full working inside motion.1459 Metro 2-4-0.
Whitemetal kit, etched chassis. Wills kit, Anchoridge motor, 60-1 gearset.SR K10 The London and South Western Railway built 40 K10s between 1900 and 1902 for mixed traffic work. Smaller wheels than their T9 ‘Greyhound’ express passenger sisters gave them lower power but higher tractive effort for low-speed work. Etched kit origin unknown, RG4 drive.MSWJR 1336, in the collection simply because it was one of Pat’s favourite engines. Cotswold whitemetal kit, etched chassis, Anchoridge motor and 40-1 gearset. Constructed circa. 1975.‘Duke’ class 3278 ‘Trefusis’
Finney kit, RG4 drive, full working inside motion.‘Dean Goods’ 2340.
Finney kit, RG4 drive, full working inside motion.‘Bulldog 3341 ‘Blasius’ popular in the Westcountry in the pre-War years for their power and smaller wheels making them ideally suited to the hilly routes. Their lighter axle loading made them useful on the larger branch lines. Finney kit RG4 drive and full working inside motion.‘517’ class 571, the Mallard etched kit, recently rebuilt chassis with High Level 80-1 gearbox and Mashima motor. One of Pat’s earliest Watermouth locomotives dating from circa. 1980.‘27xx class’ 2776
Malcolm Michell etched kit, RG4 drive, full working inside motion.
Click here for part 4 of this article which covers the rolling stock.
