Longmoor Military Railway Train Pack
Out of stock
Detailed Description
Detailed Description
The Locomotive
Hunslet Engine 3796 was completed in 1953 to the wartime Austerity design. Deemed surplus almost immediately, the locomotive was placed in store at Longmoor and then at Bicester. The locomotive entered traffic in 1955 and spent time working at Honeybourne, Bicester and Longmoor variously until it was called upon for its first filming role.
In 1965, the Longmoor military railway was chosen as the set for the filming of the “Great St Trinians train robbery”, and 3796 was painted black and numbered as 68011 to represent a BR J94. After filming, the number 196 was reinstated as was the typical Longmoor Military railway lined blue livery (although 68011 was still visible, painted on the smokebox door!) The second starring role for 196 happened in 167 when once again the Longmoor railway was used as a set. This time for the movie “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang”, 196 appeared in blue this time but had GWR lettering on the tank to cover the LMR, it also had its dome cover painted brass and a farcically tall chimney extension.
In January of 1968, 196 was chosen to carry the name of Major General Errol Lonsdale who was the then chief of Army transport. 196 became the last locomotive to be named at Longmoor and was given the full white wheel treatment ahead of gaining its nameplates.
When Longmoor closed in 1970 the 196 was purchased by the Kent and East Sussex railway before moving to the Mid Hants railway in 1976 and was rededicated with its Errol Lonsdale nameplates in 1978. Latterly it spent time running in BR black at the South Devon railway, numbered as its film star role, 68011. By 2009 the locomotive was again out of traffic and was sold to the Stoomcentrum in Maldegem, Belgium where it has been restored to full working condition and painted in its original WD Green livery.
The Coaches
Our two LMR Mk.1 models represent Brake Second ARMY 5301 (ex-M43231) and Second ARMY 3302 (Ex-M46070) in 1968, when both were wearing the LMR Oxford Blue livery. ARMY 5301 was built at Doncaster under Lot 30093 in 1954, originally being numbered as M53231 until a conflict with DMU numbering led to British Railways renumbering the 53xxx vehicles into the 43xxx range to avoid confusion. Taken out of service in October 1964, the vehicle was transferred to the LMR on 22 February 1965, being numbered as AD 03031 in 1966, before renumbering as AD 3031 in 1967 and ARMY 5301 in 1968. Initially painted Olive Drab in 1966, it was repainted into LMR Oxford Blue in 1967. At closure of the LMR, the coach was preserved first at the East Somerset Railway, and then at the Keighley & Worth Valley, before finally being scrapped in June 1982.
Second ARMY 3302 (ex-M46070) was built at Derby under Lot 30051 in 1954 and was also taken out of service in October 1964, the vehicle transferring to the LMR in early 1968 and being numbered ARMY 3302 from the start. Repainted into LMR Oxford Blue at the same time, the vehicle was sold to the East Somerset Railway upon closure of the LMR, but was scrapped in February 1971 at Liss.
Specification
Specification
Lighting and DCC
Lighting and DCC
Common Features
Common Features
Accurate engine and mark 1 coaches.
Nice train pack that is accurate and looks the part.
Been looking forward to the arrival of this for a while now, and was not let down by it. Just like my other Austerity the loco runs smoothly and is very capable. The coaches too are top class and I was surprised by the weight and detail with these. More top quality models and glad I ordered
I am extremely pleased to receive the Longmoor Austerity set, straight out of the box the loco performed like a sewing machine, it was really smooth. The DCC chip was easy to fit via the smoke box and again ran very well, ( I used a Bachmann 36-567A as I like Zimo decoders). The loco is a weighty beast and I am sure it will be able to pull a decent load once I have fully run it in. This set also comes with two highly detailed LMR liveried MK1 suburban coaches, I particularly like the weathered roof and the interior is super especially when lit up by the interior lighting. Again they have a nice weight and are very free rolling. The livery on the loco and the coaches is very crisp and the cab details in the loco is superb.
Great fast service. Lovely models in a uniquely designed box. Good quality and they really suit the colour. Very pleased.
Wonderful detail on both the locomotive and rolling stock! Looks great on the tracks!
Accurascale's first train pack was worth the wait. A fine 0-6-0 tank engine and pair of mk1 in the attractive lmr livery.
Finely detailed and well made and packed.
A lovely set, well represented and detailed.
To nice to open, (but I did, very carefully).
Overall the loco is very good the best J94/ Austerity tank that’s been on the market in oo gauge. However I’ve got three of these loco’s and all three of them the firebox lighting doesn’t work at all which is unfortunate. This particular loco came with coaches which also don’t have working lighting which they are supposed to. I also don’t understand the theme with the coaches they are pristine up to the cab roofing then the rooftops are weathered ? I’d prefer one or the other personally the website doesn’t explain this.
So overall a good loco with very nicely detailed coaches but they have issues but I’d still recommend Accurascales J94s over anyone else’s
Overall very pleased with the whole set, well worth the wait. I have test run the loco and coaches and all seems well and it is nice that the nameplates have been fitted. The associated literature that came with the model was also welcome. I have been a Longmoor fan all my life as I lived there when a young child, my father was RSM. I have waited many years for some really good Longmoor models, to me it's not just another thing to model, it's a passion, part of my history, I knew the Longmoor set up well going back many times after we left. Nothing of any importance to criticise. I don't think the transparent coupler works all that well, it seems to be more conspicuous than when black and I'm not sure about the weathering on the coach roofs. I will be running the two coaches with the Invicta Bachmann one of the same type to make a three coach set so may repaint the roofs of these two to match. Thankfully you have given these coaches different numbers to the Invicta one, I wish you could do the same with the 20T Brake Van rather than give it the same number as the Bachmann one. There were two of them so you could easily give yours the other number. I think the only LMR locos I would like to see now and which are not already in the pipeline from a manufacturer are WD 2-10-0 WD601 (which was to have been made by KR Models, I have the Clark Models/Key Publishing WD 600 on order of course) and the Whitcomb diesel although I suspect very little prospect of that from anywhere.
We'll where do I start. A long time coming, ordered last Christmas, but worth the wait. What a terrific runner, a brilliant slow runner, straight from the box and how easy it was to install the decoder, why do not all manufacturer's fit them the same way. I keep reading magazine reviews where they give the latest model 10 out of 10 and think, thats to high, but this model does deserve a 10.
I just had to have this one as I passed as a Fireman on the real "Errol Lonsdale" and I actually fired it on two lines !!
The detail in the loco and coaches is incredible. I was almost afraid to get them out of the boxes in case my arthritic fingers did some damage to them, but lift them out I did and I was even more impressed.
Well done Accurascale on these models and for making this now disabled ex-fireman relive some happier times in his life.