Of any model railway brand none has such a prestigious lineage as Bassett-Lowke. The Bassett-Lowke brand was originally established in 1899 and in just over 100 years of turbulent commercial life has witnessed many ups and downs. The company manufactured locomotives for those that could afford it, so their products were never designed for the mass market. Bassett-Lowke went into serious decline in the 1960s witnessing several changes of ownership in the intervening years until the brand name of Bassett-Lowke was bought by Corgi in 1996.

The company reintroduced O gauge coarse scale locomotives several years later, made individually from sheet steel metal and soldered construction to reflect models made in a bygone age. Thus, vintage tradition Bassett-Lowke locomotives appeared once again in 1999 when the brand was a century old. A degree of collaboration occurred between Corgi and ACE Trains in 2003 when a Bassett-Lowke Royal Scot locomotive was produced as a boxed set with a set of ACE Trains ‘blood and custard’ tinplate BR Mk. 1 coaches. The movement towards a British universal coupling system had begun.

On 30th April 2008 the principal assets of the Corgi Classics die cast business (including Bassett-Lowke) was acquired by Hornby Group Plc. Bassett-Lowke has now been incorporated into Hornby’s model railway portfolio and provides the group with a brand dedicated to producing locomotives and rolling stock designed to run on coarse scale O gauge track in the vintage tradition. Hornby Group Plc still owns the intellectual property rights to the Hornby O gauge brand that ceased production in the late 1950s. It could be argued that the future of coarse scale and vintage style O gauge model railways is now in very safe hands.

These powerful little industrial steam locomotives were built by a Bristol firm under the direction of Thomas Peckett who took over the business of Fox, Walker & Company – a company that had been building steam locomotives since 1864 at the Atlas Engine Works in the St George area of the city. When the business was acquired in 1880 it was renamed ‘Peckett & Sons’ and small locomotive manufacturing at the St George site was to last almost 100 years until the company was finally bought by a crane manufacturer in 1961. Industrial steam locomotives were produced by Peckett & Son in Bristol up until 1958; the company was too late with their rather belated introduction of new diesel industrial locomotives.

The Bassett-Lowke models ‘Wenman and Joseph’ are based on Peckett’s best-known industrial locomotive – the diminutive 0-4-0 outside cylinder saddle tank. The BL models are typical with names allocated at the time of production: Many of the locomotives were characterised by lettering identification rather than standard numbering. The 0-4-0 saddle tank locomotives were popular with customers throughout Britain and around the world providing motive power for companies involved in a range of activities such as manufacturing and industrial operations but also extensively with customers in collieries and quarries. With BL’s extensive range of freight wagons a perfect combination to create the O gauge table top railway.

The saddle tank Pecketts were a common workhorse on production sites for companies in the burgeoning food sector. Many of these were developing food brands that were to become household names in the 20th century such as nearby chocolate maker J. S. Fry & Sons at Sommerdale, Bristol. The BL models are perfect for hauling and shunting private owner vans. No: 832, for instance, was used at the Reading site of biscuit producers Huntley and Palmers Ltd - just match this up with the extensive range of food company liveried vans from ACE Trains and the Darstaed Horton series to recreate a typical real-life shunting operation!

The Peckett saddle tank industrial locos were also used extensively on dock railways. As they were Bristol built unsurprisingly many of them found favour with The Port of Bristol Authority and were bestowed with local city landmark names such as ‘Henbury’ no: 1940 built in 1937 and ‘Bristol’ no: 2036 and ‘Clifton’ no: 2037 both built in 1943. These locos saw active service around the docks at Bristol and Avonmouth and worked most of their lives in the region. ‘Henbury’ in fact continues as an example of living industrial heritage as it operates on the preserved Bristol Harbour Railway. The BL saddle tank Pecketts can also be run as a two rail option on ETS/Lehnhardt road track and provide an unique opportunity to create an O gauge road based industrial, quay or dock side extension area to a model railway.

0-4-0 PECKETT SADDLE CLASS LOCOMOTIVES
Price £230.00 (+P&P)

0-4-0 Peckett Industrial loco ‘Wenman’, Maroon, order

0-4-0 Peckett Industrial loco ‘Joseph’, Green, order

Richard Maunsell took over as CME of the South Eastern and Chatham Railway (SECR) in 1913 and introduced a series of plans to modernise the railway. However, war intervened stretching the SECR to its limit as it was the closest railway to the Continent. Austerity and simplification measures were the order of the day but by the end of the war the SECR, which had had carried more than its fair share of the war effort, was in a good position for further development and reconstruction.

The development of a comparatively large and modern goods locomotive was high on the agenda to replace ageing stock. This was achieved with the introduction of a highly standardised and multi-purposed locomotive. The first new design was to become Maunsell's N class 2-6-0 (Mogul). The N class drawings had been prepared as early as 1914 to provide a sturdy mixed-traffic locomotive with high route availability. War prevented the completion of the prototype loco, No 810, until the summer of 1917. The loco appeared in unlined lead grey or austerity grey. After thorough tests a further 15 N's were ordered from the Ashford works in November 1917. Post war production difficulties prolonged their construction until 1920-23. Despite being part of the newly established Southern Railway (SR) company structure all N classes entered traffic in SECR grey. No's A 810-825 were later painted in the more attractive Southern green livery between 1923 and 1926.

Some 80 N class locomotives were built in three batches between the First and Second World Wars. From kits of parts made at the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich. Fifty were assembled, giving rise to the nickname of 'Woolworths' and were acquired by SR. After initial teething few problems were encountered and they soon settled-in. The first batch of the N class proved successful in service; they were initially distributed throughout the SR’s eastern section. This paved the way for the allocation of the remainder of the Woolwich batch to the SR's western section where they saw active service on parts of the Atlantic Coast Express route over the steeply graded mainlines west of Exeter. With the introduction of Bullied 4-6-2 Light Pacifics after WW2 they could be seen double heading the Atlantic Coast Express and the Devon Belle Pullman service. They gave excellent service throughout their life.

No further N class Mogul’s were constructed by the SR until 1932/34 when a final batch of 15 locomotives (Nos. 1400–1414) to expand class availability on the railway's network were built. All the N class locos were fitted with smoke deflectors from 1933 onwards. In general, the N class were very useful and popular locomotives and were extensively seen over most of the SR network. The entire N class came into British Railways (BR’s) ownership in 1948 and could be seen in most areas of the Southern Region of British Railways" Southern Region and beyond. One such railway route was the old Midland & South Western Junction Railway between Cheltenham, Swindon and Andover where Nos: 31413 and 31816 could be seen regularly right up until the early 1960s. The last of the class was withdrawn from BR service in 1966 – the last being no: 31408. No: 31874 is the only survivor of the class. The locomotive is preserved on the Mid-Hants Railway in Hampshire.

Hornby Bassett-Lowke perfectly captures the picture of mid 20th Century transport life with a new series of gloss finished N class Maunsells. Produced in three separate liveries that cover SECR pre-grouping, SR and BR eras, these great looking locomotives make a handsome addition to any layout. What make this release so appealing are the complementary Darstaed non-corridor coach sets together with matching ACE, Bassett-Lowke and Darstaed rolling stock.

2-6-0 MAUNSELL N CLASS MOGUL LOCOMOTIVES
Price £599.99 (+P&P)

A combined set of BL N class locomotives together with the matching Darstaed five coach sets of non-corridor stock is available exclusively through Shamrock Trains.

COMBINED 2-6-0 MAUNSELL N CLASS MOGUL LOCOMOTIVE AND FIVE COACH SETS
Special Price £875.00 (+P&P)

Originally built at the end of WW1 the first of the N class Maunsell Mogul was no: 810. Delivered from the workshop in austerity grey livery the loco appeared without smoke deflectors. Finished with cab side SECR plate and tender numbering, the Moguls were not repainted until the middle of the 1920s so this particular liveried locomotive is perfect for both SECR pre-grouping and SR running.

SECR Maunsell 2-6-0 Class N Mogul, No: 810, Austerity Grey, order

South Eastern and Chatham Railway (SECR) five coach set order





The Olive Green liveried N Class Mogul was one of the last of the SECR Ashford works batch. Incorporating smoke deflectors it is perfectly positioned to run a mixture of semi-fast passenger, suburban, mixed freight and freight only services that capture the essence of the SR network in England in the years before WW2. If your interest is the SR then this BL locomotive is an ideal addition for O gauge model railway running.

Southern Railway Maunsell 2-6-0 Class N Mogul, No: 1823, Olive Green, order

Southern Railway (SR) five coach set order

For the Hornby Dublo generation this superb Black and Red trimmed N Class Mogul really encapsulates the last years of steam traction around the south and west of England. As a faithful mixed traffic servant this locomotive looks brilliant on an O gauge layout with ACE’s set of BR era refrigerated vans together with Darstaed’s BR Maroon non-corridor coach stock. Recreate southern England cross-country routes like the old Midland & South Western Junction Railway between Cheltenham, Swindon and Andover as no: 31816 once did.

British Railways 2-6-0 Class N Mogul, BR late crest no: 31816, Black with Red trim, order

British Railways (BR Midland Region Maroon) five coach set order

In addition to the above non-corridor BR Maroon coach sets, there will be a new set of Darstaed non-corridor BR Southern Region Green coaches – a perfect match and location.

British Railways (BR Southern Region Green) five coach set order

The J39 was a Sir Nigel Gresley design and over a fifteen year period from the mid 1920s some 300 engines were built for LNER. The mixed traffic workhorses passed into BR livery but by 1962 the entire class of locomotive had been withdrawn – none survive today in heritage railway status. Seen here the J39 is working hard with a superb range of Bassett-Lowke freight rolling stock.

BL99031 0-6-0 J39 - No 64744, BR black late crest (above) £499.99
BL99031/A 0-6-0 J39 - No 64757, BR black late crest £499.99
BL99031/B 0-6-0 J39 - No 64781, BR black late crest £499.99
BL99031/C 0-6-0 J39 - No 64816, BR black late crest £499.99

BL99032 0-6-0 J39 No 2714, LNER black (above) £499.99

BL99040 A1 Pacific – Flying Fox No 4475, LNER apple green (above) £699.99

BL99041 Re-built Patriot – E. Tootal Broadhurst No 4534, BR green (above) £699.99

BL99033 Coal wagon set, BR 3 per set (above left) £107.25
BL99034 Plank wagon set, BR 3 per set (above right) £101.99

BL99035 Fuel tanker wagon set, BP Motor Spirit, National and Shell 3 per set (above) £160.99

BL99039 20 ton brake van, BR (above) £64.50
BL99043 20 ton brake van, LNER £64.50