What a wonderful locomotive and a fascinating history of the motor. Interesting to hear about UK HO scale way back then, it's a shame it never became the standard for us rather than the bodge we have to live with now.
@@ModelRailwaysUnlimited there's a lot to be said about really enjoying what you've already got. I'm always amazed by the rugged nature of the engineering from this time period.
Hamblings (not Hamleys) was a small model shop in Cecil Court, a short walkway off the Charing Cross Road. It was a shop that I used to pop into frequently until it closed in the early 1980's.
Iain Rice once admitted to working in the basement there, in his youth . . . . I visited a few times, from the sixties onwards. It was a fascinating place, a step back in time.
Yet another fascinating video. The history of the hobby is just as interesting as yhe hobby itself. Would probably have been re-wheeled at some point as they look like Romfords ( wondering when romfords started up) just amazing mechanism that still works.
Thanks very much, one of the remarkable things with Reidpath is they specified finer wheels, in fact the first fine scale all that time ago. I think these are original
I came across your Stewart Reidpath review not long after you listed it but have only now found time to send you a note. Firstly, what a great review on a chapter of model railway history that I have long held a fascinated interest in. You have completely captured the intriguing characteristics of the subject matter!! I personally have 2 Stewart Reidpath locos; one, a pannier tank (the Audrey famed "Duck"..... and coincidently mine also waddles!) and a second loco, being a GWR version of the loco that you reviewed. I have not come across any images on the net for the GWR version that I have, however, by chance glancing through Part 10 of a publication titled History of Model and Miniature Railways today I came across an article by Jim Joyce which mentions the start of Stewart Reidpath (taking over Marshall Stewart) in 1931. The article mentions that your reviewed loco body came in the 2 versions; being those 2 versions that we respectively have and, as you have stated, these were popular in the late 1930's. I still have the original Essar chassis box (with hand written GWR on it) for my loco and, as far as I can tell, it has its original wheels which are brass. Remarkably these wheels could pass as fine scale based on today's standards and entirely consistent with the info that you have sourced regarding Stewart R's philosophy and standards. Everything that you revealed for the chassis and motor is otherwise 100% the same in my loco. Given it's weight mine can still achieve a very slow smooth running performance on a bog standard DC non feedback controller, even over insulfrog points - truly incredible, given it's 1930/40s manufacture. Thank you Mike for sharing these details and providing a great contribution to our collective knowledge in the hobby.
What a great piece of model railway history. Actually, history in general. I like the shot with the body off. Reminds me of a flywheel from a traction engine. It's remarkably compact as well for the age! I assume it has had new wheels fitted by your dad at some point? A model from when they were still deciding on whether or not 00 was viable... That's crazy. And still going strong. Just goes to show what happens when people take pride in their work. I would imagine it would have been quite pricey in its time?
Hi and thanks, I agree fully. The wheels are probably original, Reidpath first called for fine scale wheels, tread of 1.5 mm and flange of not more than 1mm, completely trailblazers. There's a price for the mech on the receipt
I had an '08' SR body for a time, maybe twenty years ago. It was very heavy! I suspect it was one of those which performed so well on the "Presson" layout, some sixty years ago.
Not seen this sort of historical video elsewhere. I found it fascinating. Although we kind of know it's not true, it's easy to think that there was no OO guage models prior to Hornby Doublo. PS: I know you don't agree, but I am 100% positive that part of your background (shown at 10mins 27secs) is definitely Ross on Wye. The church spire, hotel and round tower to the left of the hotel are unmistakable 😊
Thanks very much, indeed the birth of OO rested with these gentlemen, wow. I don't disagree re the back scene, it could well be. I'm gonna look up your suggestion now 🙂
Again another very interesting and informative video Mike . In a way it's also a bit of social history too . What a nice family keep sake to own . That loco motor is five years older than me and still going . I wonder if it will still be going when i am gone ? I bet most of today's " modern motors " wont be still going . Cheers !
Excellent history video Mike, thats quite a great model. We hear locomotive history all the time, but history of model locomotives often goes overlooked. The oldest model I have are Triang era, quite new compared to that dinosaur. Still, for a dinosaur, its performance is incredible. The ingenuity back then, before the days of modern technology is just amazing. I'd love to see more like this, your dads loco collection is always enjoyable to see!
It’s always interesting looking at the model train motors which powered the early days of the hobby, I didn’t know pancake motors stemmed that far back!
The Cecil Court shop wasn't very big and it's quite remarkable it was where it was as I imagine property prices in that area was enormous. A truly excellent model, it's a great pity they can't make them like that anymore! I assume the armatures were hand wound as the wire seems about twice or three times the thickness used in eg HD ones?
Out of curiosity, how would you describe how she handles Mike? From the video, the loco’s performance seems incredibly smooth for the age. I definitely hear the grinding sound I previously heard these had, but hey, I think you’re definitely right on the money concerning whether silent modern models will still work in 70+ years.
Hi, 👋 she needs to be driven to keep an extended constant speed or a small amount of feedback control perfects it, for slow shunting as seen she's ok on normal dc but again a little feedback really helps
Thomas, we love you. You ought to buy the new Bachmann 00 Gauge Thomas model, alongside Annie and Clarabel, his two beloved coaches. You can compare the two models side by side. Thomas' design is taken from the old E2 tank engine, if we're going into the televised era.
Where could I find Stewart Reidpath trains or parts from them? Id live to buy some, Stewart Reidpath is my second great grandfather's nephew, my great grandmother had many Stewart Reidpath trains but they left one day with an uncle never to be seen again. Would love to get a hold of some now.
Many thanks indeed 😌 these are as far as I can tell original wheels, Reidpath started a fine scale revolution as well moving away from the big toy like wheels 🛞 and telling owners to lay track with great care.
Mike from the limited info I have been able to gather Romford started wheel production in 1948 so these are early examples. A fascinating piece of our history and a video that showcases her beautifully, thanks again.
This from my research: There is no mention of Greenly or indeed of the exact track gauge, but there is mention - critical mention - of Greenly’s wheel standards. “I cannot see the necessity of wheels having treads 5mm wide even for the German-made tin-plate sets … It is not only unsightly, it is bordering on the ridiculous … By using built-up permanent way, wheels having treads 1.5mm wide and flanges 1mm deep can be used with confidence, the only important point being that track must be well and truly laid” (the comparative BRMSB dimensions for EM were 1.5mm tread and 0.75mm flange!). Stewart Reidpath concludes with some a statements of principle: “Scale is a thing that matters and it is possible to work to it. Detail is worth the time and trouble it takes - lay your track carefully … Always work to drawings, and see that they are good ones. And for the love of Mike, never say ‘That’s near enough'”. In short, we are dealing with the hobby’s first fine-scale movement.
Awesome Locomotive and Great Family related provenance - I see in Forums So many “Newbies” being Drawn into the world of Plug n play, when part of the Joy of the Hobby for me is to get them Fixed up and Running Sweet, not relying on Stay alive Capacitors. There’s No way I would be in the hobby if Every Loco was £300 plus. Interesting Vid as Usual Many thanks 👍🏻
@@ModelRailwaysUnlimited From memory Mike, Rev. Wilbert Awdry’s later notes observed, in the 80s, that spares for Reidpath motors had been unavailable for “some time.” ‘Truly amazing that a couple working examples of this model are still kicking.
I'm always learning something on your channel. Today, I learnt that HO was in Britain years ago. That Loco and my wife, Janet are 75 years old and running good. Both are gems. I have had my wife since 1980. That is almost as long as you have had your oldest loco. Bill and Janet from California
![Triang EMUs: A Journey Through Railway History [Model Railway Story]](/img/1.gif)
What a delightful locomotive, and super impressed by the size of the wheels and mouldings for the time of construction.
Thanks very much, it is certainly an incredible thing
Fantastic piece of history Mike 👍
Glad you enjoyed it 😊
What a wonderful locomotive and a fascinating history of the motor. Interesting to hear about UK HO scale way back then, it's a shame it never became the standard for us rather than the bodge we have to live with now.
Cheers Robin ☺️
Thank you for the history lesson!
You are very welcome 😁
Absolutely fantastic, you never fail to surprise
Cheers pal, 😁🥂 bit of a surprise to me this one, knew it was old but had no idea how pioneering it was
@@ModelRailwaysUnlimited there's a lot to be said about really enjoying what you've already got. I'm always amazed by the rugged nature of the engineering from this time period.
Complely agree
FYI, Hamblings didn't stock solely oo gauge. I acquired a number of items from them. I don't model in oo.
Interesting, that runs contrary to historical records, maybe they were shifting remaining stock, what was the shop like?
@@ModelRailwaysUnlimited It was a fascinating place, very cramped; a step back in time. Iain Rice had worked there, in his youth.
Hamblings (not Hamleys) was a small model shop in Cecil Court, a short walkway off the Charing Cross Road. It was a shop that I used to pop into frequently until it closed in the early 1980's.
Right
Iain Rice once admitted to working in the basement there, in his youth . . . . I visited a few times, from the sixties onwards. It was a fascinating place, a step back in time.
@@martinbrain3372 would love to have visited
@@EllieMaes-Grandad I bet it was amazing
Yet another fascinating video. The history of the hobby is just as interesting as yhe hobby itself. Would probably have been re-wheeled at some point as they look like Romfords ( wondering when romfords started up) just amazing mechanism that still works.
Thanks very much, one of the remarkable things with Reidpath is they specified finer wheels, in fact the first fine scale all that time ago. I think these are original
I came across your Stewart Reidpath review not long after you listed it but have only now found time to send you a note.
Firstly, what a great review on a chapter of model railway history that I have long held a fascinated interest in. You have completely captured the intriguing characteristics of the subject matter!!
I personally have 2 Stewart Reidpath locos; one, a pannier tank (the Audrey famed "Duck"..... and coincidently mine also waddles!) and a second loco, being a GWR version of the loco that you reviewed. I have not come across any images on the net for the GWR version that I have, however, by chance glancing through Part 10 of a publication titled History of Model and Miniature Railways today I came across an article by Jim Joyce which mentions the start of Stewart Reidpath (taking over Marshall Stewart) in 1931. The article mentions that your reviewed loco body came in the 2 versions; being those 2 versions that we respectively have and, as you have stated, these were popular in the late 1930's. I still have the original Essar chassis box (with hand written GWR on it) for my loco and, as far as I can tell, it has its original wheels which are brass. Remarkably these wheels could pass as fine scale based on today's standards and entirely consistent with the info that you have sourced regarding Stewart R's philosophy and standards. Everything that you revealed for the chassis and motor is otherwise 100% the same in my loco. Given it's weight mine can still achieve a very slow smooth running performance on a bog standard DC non feedback controller, even over insulfrog points - truly incredible, given it's 1930/40s manufacture.
Thank you Mike for sharing these details and providing a great contribution to our collective knowledge in the hobby.
What a delightful comment thank you so much
Brilliant video Mike. An interesting bit of model rail history and a classic model too.😊
Glad you enjoyed it, loved making it
Very interesting indeed. I had one of those in the 1950s, but it never worked properly. Yours runs remarkably well.
Thank you very much! That brush alignment is critical
Certainly a wonderful story of an old locomotive
Thanks kindly
What a great piece of model railway history. Actually, history in general. I like the shot with the body off. Reminds me of a flywheel from a traction engine. It's remarkably compact as well for the age! I assume it has had new wheels fitted by your dad at some point? A model from when they were still deciding on whether or not 00 was viable... That's crazy. And still going strong. Just goes to show what happens when people take pride in their work. I would imagine it would have been quite pricey in its time?
Hi and thanks, I agree fully. The wheels are probably original, Reidpath first called for fine scale wheels, tread of 1.5 mm and flange of not more than 1mm, completely trailblazers. There's a price for the mech on the receipt
I had an '08' SR body for a time, maybe twenty years ago. It was very heavy! I suspect it was one of those which performed so well on the "Presson" layout, some sixty years ago.
Thanks 🙏👍
Great video,
Glad you enjoyed it
Very outstanding video
Thank you so much 😀
@@ModelRailwaysUnlimited Any time Mike
Not seen this sort of historical video elsewhere. I found it fascinating. Although we kind of know it's not true, it's easy to think that there was no OO guage models prior to Hornby Doublo.
PS: I know you don't agree, but I am 100% positive that part of your background (shown at 10mins 27secs) is definitely Ross on Wye. The church spire, hotel and round tower to the left of the hotel are unmistakable 😊
Thanks very much, indeed the birth of OO rested with these gentlemen, wow. I don't disagree re the back scene, it could well be. I'm gonna look up your suggestion now 🙂
Again another very interesting and informative video Mike . In a way it's also a bit of social history too . What a nice family keep sake to own . That loco motor is five years older than me and still going . I wonder if it will still be going when i am gone ? I bet most of today's " modern motors " wont be still going . Cheers !
Glad you enjoyed it, yes absolutely timeless.
Very nice! I also like the background music - very Frederick Delius-esque!
Thanks very much 😊
Excellent history video Mike, thats quite a great model. We hear locomotive history all the time, but history of model locomotives often goes overlooked. The oldest model I have are Triang era, quite new compared to that dinosaur. Still, for a dinosaur, its performance is incredible. The ingenuity back then, before the days of modern technology is just amazing. I'd love to see more like this, your dads loco collection is always enjoyable to see!
Glad you enjoyed it, nothing else like this pioneer as far as I knows 😉
It’s always interesting looking at the model train motors which powered the early days of the hobby, I didn’t know pancake motors stemmed that far back!
Oh very good point, I'd not thought of that, cheers 🥂
How interesting! Thanks!
My pleasure! So glad
A comparable locomotive to this one would be one of the Märklin 800 series.
The metallurgy on this did survive very well.
Thanks, were the AC?
As a noob I found this very interesting
Love the old receipt
Thanks Adi, amazing for sure
British 🇬🇧 built quality! It does make a difference!
Certainly does, we can be proud
The Cecil Court shop wasn't very big and it's quite remarkable it was where it was as I imagine property prices in that area was enormous. A truly excellent model, it's a great pity they can't make them like that anymore! I assume the armatures were hand wound as the wire seems about twice or three times the thickness used in eg HD ones?
Thanks, yes hand wound I think. Glad you enjoyed it
The thicker wires (= lower resistance) would account for the higher current draw, higher than more modern motors.
Out of curiosity, how would you describe how she handles Mike? From the video, the loco’s performance seems incredibly smooth for the age. I definitely hear the grinding sound I previously heard these had, but hey, I think you’re definitely right on the money concerning whether silent modern models will still work in 70+ years.
Hi, 👋 she needs to be driven to keep an extended constant speed or a small amount of feedback control perfects it, for slow shunting as seen she's ok on normal dc but again a little feedback really helps
Thomas, we love you. You ought to buy the new Bachmann 00 Gauge Thomas model, alongside Annie and Clarabel, his two beloved coaches. You can compare the two models side by side. Thomas' design is taken from the old E2 tank engine, if we're going into the televised era.
Thanks for watching, this is the 1940s
Where could I find Stewart Reidpath trains or parts from them? Id live to buy some, Stewart Reidpath is my second great grandfather's nephew, my great grandmother had many Stewart Reidpath trains but they left one day with an uncle never to be seen again. Would love to get a hold of some now.
Very rare now but they do come up sometimes
I think ESSAR should be pronounced as S.R. (Stuart Reidpath's initials) and not Essa. That's probably the first ever "ringfield" motor for 00 gauge!
I'm sure it is, thanks for watching 😁
Fascinating video Mike, thanks for sharing this beautiful engine. I believe that she’s running on a set of Romford wheels, are they the original set?
Many thanks indeed 😌 these are as far as I can tell original wheels, Reidpath started a fine scale revolution as well moving away from the big toy like wheels 🛞 and telling owners to lay track with great care.
Mike from the limited info I have been able to gather Romford started wheel production in 1948 so these are early examples. A fascinating piece of our history and a video that showcases her beautifully, thanks again.
This from my research: There is no mention of Greenly or indeed of the exact track gauge, but there is mention - critical mention - of Greenly’s wheel standards. “I cannot see the necessity of wheels having treads 5mm wide even for the German-made tin-plate sets … It is not only unsightly, it is bordering on the ridiculous … By using built-up permanent way, wheels having treads 1.5mm wide and flanges 1mm deep can be used with confidence, the only important point being that track must be well and truly laid” (the comparative BRMSB dimensions for EM were 1.5mm tread and 0.75mm flange!). Stewart Reidpath concludes with some a statements of principle: “Scale is a thing that matters and it is possible to work to it. Detail is worth the time and trouble it takes - lay your track carefully … Always work to drawings, and see that they are good ones. And for the love of Mike, never say ‘That’s near enough'”.
In short, we are dealing with the hobby’s first fine-scale movement.
Super detail fall aparts 😂😂😂😂very true sadly some dont run out of the box these days
Tell me about it lol, thanks for watching
Awesome Locomotive and Great Family related provenance - I see in Forums So many “Newbies” being Drawn into the world of Plug n play, when part of the Joy of the Hobby for me is to get them Fixed up and Running Sweet, not relying on Stay alive Capacitors. There’s No way I would be in the hobby if Every Loco was £300 plus. Interesting Vid as Usual Many thanks 👍🏻
Thanks very much 👍
Amazing, it's the first one I've ever seen! How are spare parts?
Thanks, none at all I'd guess
@@ModelRailwaysUnlimited From memory Mike, Rev. Wilbert Awdry’s later notes observed, in the 80s, that spares for Reidpath motors had been unavailable for “some time.” ‘Truly amazing that a couple working examples of this model are still kicking.
Ah yes probably the case.
Mike, that doesn't warrant painting it blue, adding a number 1 and giving it a face lol.
God forbid lol
Really interesting. Surprised it isn't 3 rail.
Thanks, it was possible to specify 3 or 2 rail with these
I'm always learning something on your channel. Today, I learnt that HO was in Britain years ago. That Loco and my wife, Janet are 75 years old and running good. Both are gems. I have had my wife since 1980. That is almost as long as you have had your oldest loco. Bill and Janet from California
Aww lovely to hear Bill, congratulations 🎉👏 to you both