DiveController Posted July 24, 2016 Posted July 24, 2016 The model looks very promising. As for the colour - if you look at the "Construction" section, you can see the bodies, which appear rather lighter. So, it may just be the photography? Anyway, I don't think any two GN engines were really the same blue, for many reasons - including exposure to the sun (when it appears!). I'm waiting for a demand from 00 Works for my money, which I will be very happy to shell out! Leslie I'm on the fence but very tempted. Worst case, I can stick some GN wagons from a certain niche manufacturer behind her! Maybe a little review if you have time when you get her might help persuade the pocket book(speaking of which I don't have one that shells out in GBP anymore... difficult that they won't take plastic) Quote
jhb171achill Posted July 24, 2016 Posted July 24, 2016 I knew a man who was a "paint chemist" or something like that in Dundalk. In fact, the blue used was very consistent - they took a pride in it, though wear and tear would have dulled it from time to time. The idea that few GNR locos were the same shade of blue is an "urban myth" originating in Whitehead in the early RPSI days to justify the fact that when first restored, the shade 171 received was way, way lighter than it should have been! Thankfully in more recent years, Whitehead has had the shade of blue exactly right on 171 and 85. Pity the green on 461 wasn't as accurate! Quote
leslie10646 Posted July 25, 2016 Posted July 25, 2016 John I won't start with Appocryphal stories that if they ran out of the correct blue that they went to see what the local hardware shop had ......... On a more sensible note - how the blue looks will depend on whether you're looking at it in sunlight, or under the lights over your layout? I suspect the latter will have a lot to do with how any GN loco looks? The proof will come when one of us claps eyes on the final product. I'm waiting for the demand for my cheque! Leslie Quote
jhb171achill Posted July 25, 2016 Posted July 25, 2016 I have to say that any model I've personally ever seen looks fine colour wise, so hopefully it won't be an issue. The illustrations above of the pre-production model look quite amazing and like you I eagerly anticipate the real thing! On another note, my late family friend who was in Dundalk was also involved in quite a few other areas within the works, including the selection of a suitable design and manufacturer for the diesels which never came. He confirmed to me that had they arrived, they were all to be the same navy blue as the MAK loco 800. Lining would be red and white. I'm sure that would have gone down well in Portadown, Lisburn and Great Victoria Street..... Re the "apocryphal" stories, I once ran that past him. His response mightn't be suitable to print here in a family website! ;-) Quote
leslie10646 Posted August 2, 2016 Posted August 2, 2016 Well, I've just transferred my money to the 00 Works Account - it seems that the loco is ready! I'll report back in a day or two when the box arrives on my doorstep! Leslie Quote
DiveController Posted August 2, 2016 Posted August 2, 2016 Looking forward to the review Leslie! Me too. A little video if you can mange it please Quote
DiveController Posted August 3, 2016 Posted August 3, 2016 Next up from OOworks the UG class seen here Quote
leslie10646 Posted August 3, 2016 Posted August 3, 2016 Next up from OOworks the UG class seen here I can't resist saying that the photo shows a very fine brake van! The kit is still available! The UG is apparently "on time" - ie before Christmas, according a reply from Rebecca yesterday. As for a video - two problems - my track is DCC controlled, so I'd have to wait to have it chipped (I might try disconnecting the DCC and plugging in an old controller); Hhmmm - how do you take video? More important load it onto the site!!!! I'll have a look Worst of all, I don't really want you guys to see my non-layout, which would take prizes for VERY poor track work, no scenery and general inertia. But, I'll see what I can do. Roll on Friday! Leslie Quote
Patrick Davey Posted August 3, 2016 Posted August 3, 2016 Same here Leslie! Can't sleep......... Quote
DiveController Posted August 4, 2016 Posted August 4, 2016 I can't resist saying that the photo shows a very fine brake van! The kit is still available! The UG is apparently "on time" - ie before Christmas, according a reply from Rebecca yesterday. As for a video - two problems - my track is DCC controlled, so I'd have to wait to have it chipped (I might try disconnecting the DCC and plugging in an old controller); Hhmmm - how do you take video? More important load it onto the site!!!! I'll have a look Worst of all, I don't really want you guys to see my non-layout, which would take prizes for VERY poor track work, no scenery and general inertia. But, I'll see what I can do. Roll on Friday! Leslie You'll see I commented on the brake in that photo and I have one of your vans and a nice one it is too! A couple of photos would be great in good light or daylight but heres some more of 49 while we're waiting on 205 Quote
leslie10646 Posted August 4, 2016 Posted August 4, 2016 Thanks for that photo link - what a wonderful set of photos! By coincidence, I am writing up journeys made in 1965 out of York Road, so the photos of No.19, No.13 etc there really bring back the memories! Message to the other half dozen steam men on this site - take a look - super shots (even a few diesels!) Leslie Quote
Patrick Davey Posted August 4, 2016 Posted August 4, 2016 Just been drooling over the new photos of the U Class on the OO Works website. The model looks superb! And it has the rivets on the tender...... Quote
leslie10646 Posted August 4, 2016 Posted August 4, 2016 Just been drooling over the new photos of the U Class on the OO Works website. The model looks superb! And it has the rivets on the tender...... Patrick, you're right - no need for me to post photos - the ones on the website are better than I'd take! It looks super. I'll have to wash my hands VERY carefully tomorrow when the Postie arrives!!!! Now, do I need a second one? .......... Quote
Dunluce Castle Posted August 4, 2016 Posted August 4, 2016 I just seen the photo on the main page and wow, I think my dad and I are going to have to go halvers on this one. Quote
DiveController Posted August 5, 2016 Posted August 5, 2016 I just seen the photo on the main page and wow Agreed. I looks very well indeed. No need for me to post photos - the ones on the website are better than I'd take! It looks super. Leslie, this looks better than I expected to be honest. Forget the video but an honest critique on the running qualities if you have a DC circuit would be appreciated. I think I'm gonna get one of these babies. Quote
Patrick Davey Posted August 5, 2016 Posted August 5, 2016 (edited) Oh good grief my U Class arrived. I am in love........ Edited August 5, 2016 by Patrick Davey Quote
Kirley Posted August 5, 2016 Posted August 5, 2016 Great to see one closeup, thanks for posting. Quote
Dunluce Castle Posted August 5, 2016 Posted August 5, 2016 Outstanding! Is the lining and lettering transfers or Tampo printed? Quote
jhb171achill Posted August 5, 2016 Posted August 5, 2016 W O W ! ! ! ! Better than I think anyone ever would have imagined! Great congratulations to all concerned with its production! Quote
leslie10646 Posted August 5, 2016 Posted August 5, 2016 Agreed. I looks very well indeed. Leslie, this looks better than I expected to be honest. Forget the video but an honest critique on the running qualities if you have a DC circuit would be appreciated. I think I'm gonna get one of these babies. Ok, here goes. Straight out of the box, it ran smoothly - did a full circuit of my 21 x 17 layout, minimum radius 2ft, without a falter. Tried pulling five coaches (with very old, poor-running bogies) tender-first, out of the Portadown loop, to place so I could place her at the front, but she slipped quite a bit - especially as she was going straight onto a 2ft curve. NO WORRIES - try her with three coaches. Flew with three - no slips, perfect. Now four - same again - no problems. Back to five coaches, we've been chimney first throughout all of this - she slipped a bit starting, but ran fine on straight, but curves had her slipping coming out of them, with the train all on 2ft! Now - embarrassing to relate- my VS slips furiously on five of these coaches (a Hornby Schools chassis), so she's doing really well for a handmade engine. I'll try and video it for you - at the very least I'll post a sunshine photo to compare with Patrick's indoor shot - yeah - we get sun in Surrey! Also, I'll try her with more modern coaches and report back. She's one of my 70th birthday presents - makes you want to be 70 again!!!! BETTER than any loco I've had handmade for me - end of ...... A truly wonderful piece of work, so well done Roderick, Rebecca and whoever helps you guys - a masterpiece! If you want a proper Irish steam loco - get your order in! Can't say more than that Leslie Quote
Mayner Posted August 5, 2016 Posted August 5, 2016 There are a series of wonderfully evocative photos and I am sure a video of a U Class hauling a 5 coach westbound Bundoran Express up the bank across the peat bog out of Bundoran Junction sanding furiously to keep traction shortly before closure! I'll scan and post a copy when I get a chance. The Express usually seems to have loaded to 4 coaches, while most Irish North passenger trains seem to have been made up with two coaches, bogie or 6 wheel van and a long string of bread containers Quote
leslie10646 Posted August 5, 2016 Posted August 5, 2016 The Express usually seems to have loaded to 4 coaches, while most Irish North passenger trains seem to have been made up with two coaches, bogie or 6 wheel van and a long string of bread containers John Thanks for the video link - great stuff. Well, she'll take four oK - I'm off to try two bogies, a six wheel van and bread containers - I think I can replicate that!!! Leslie Quote
leslie10646 Posted August 5, 2016 Posted August 5, 2016 (edited) OK, guys, some shots which I hope show this lovely little engine off. So this is where my day has disappeared to - Professional look? Well packed In the Surrey Sun! Front view By Dundalk Signal Cabin (actually at South end of where Portadown Passenger will be!) With a typical length Irish North train - a K15, a K3 and a six wheel van (all Richard Ellis-Hobbs), with three conflats and six bread containers (guess where they came from?) - have I got it right, John M? She WILL pull these, but slips a bit - still needs to be gently run in! I just couldn't resist running her round with a train. By the way with three of Richard's bogie coaches and two Park Royals from IRFM, she ran well - the better wheel sets certainly helped. When I've run her in a bit more, I'll try more coaches!!! Get your orders in - a delight! Leslie PS Video attempt a disaster - out of focus - maybe I shouldn't use a compact still camera with video facility - I'll try the SLR!!!! Edited August 5, 2016 by leslie10646 Quote
BosKonay Posted August 5, 2016 Posted August 5, 2016 What a stunner Leslie - a video would be superb! Quote
Patrick Davey Posted August 5, 2016 Posted August 5, 2016 Nice photos Leslie and thanks for the observations on performance. Good move to photograph her in the daylight, I think this really shows that OO Works have made a fine job of the livery! Quote
Richard EH Posted August 5, 2016 Posted August 5, 2016 Leslie, Now those coaches look good! (Well, I would say that wouldn't I! but...... HOW Good is that!! WOW!! Having had a crack at the GNRi blue livery, and made... well... an ok job of it.... I have to say that is simply superb and I've taken the plunge and have one on order..... Bit of speculation from me - Looking at how they've designed it, it's very clever and allows them to do the U / UG really easily - they've gone for the side window cab version, so with a separate cab, the earlier version would seem to be a shoe in for a future version... and the tender was used with other classes well, even a PPs....! So I really do hope this sells well and that OO Works have a go at what must surely be a popular choice - an S class.....might start saving now :') Interestingly, mines in batch 2, so sounds like they're going well for them.... Cheers for now. Richard. Quote
leslie10646 Posted August 5, 2016 Posted August 5, 2016 [ATTACH=CONFIG]24801[/ATTACH]Oh good grief my U Class arrived. I am in love........ Of course you are Patrick - you've only been married a few years!!!! Have you built a new layout yet? Just ran her round mine BACKWARDS for over half an hour - she's loosening up nicely! Leslie Quote
Patrick Davey Posted August 5, 2016 Posted August 5, 2016 Ha, 8 years this Tuesday! A new layout.....possibly....... Quote
leslie10646 Posted August 5, 2016 Posted August 5, 2016 (edited) Well, I shot a video (VERY badly) but while I can show it on my Mac, I haven't got a clue how I get it onto this site - instructions please? IF you could have seen it, you would have witnessed the little U Class pulling SIX bogie coaches and a six wheel van - without problem. In real life, they would have taken up to eight bogies on excursions to Bangor and I may try that - however the Bangor line didn't have the 2 ft curves of my layout - that enormously adds to the required tractive effort! My layout is about a scale mile round and she can do that in 50 seconds - that's 75mph scale (not flat out either!)- far more than one was ever timed at. A final thought - why does the layout seem to run better in DC mode (the loco isn't chipped of course!) than DCC? Time for bed! Leslie Edited August 5, 2016 by leslie10646 Quote
richrua Posted August 5, 2016 Posted August 5, 2016 wow, what an absolute beauty of a model. great shots Leslie! Quote
Kirley Posted August 8, 2016 Posted August 8, 2016 Anyone fitted a decoder to the U Class, if so which one did you use and are you pleased with the performance? Quote
DiveController Posted August 8, 2016 Posted August 8, 2016 Anyone fitted a decoder to the U Class, if so which one did you use and are you pleased with the performance? No Kieran, I just ordered one! However, Rebekah told me there is little additional room in the boiler or firebox to add any additional weight or a speaker for a sound decoder if anyone is interested in that. The tender might be an option but has some cross members on the resin which might need to be removed to accommodate one Quote
Mayner Posted August 9, 2016 Posted August 9, 2016 Oh good grief my U Class arrived. I am in love........ Very attractive model & good value for money when you consider a professional build of the Worsley Works U or the SSM S or PPs Quote
Weshty Posted August 9, 2016 Posted August 9, 2016 My giddy aunt, but that is stunning. Early birthday present methinks. Quote
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