Garden Railway Forum

Hi guys,

I thought I had mentioned this once before about a week or two ago, but knowing me I probably clicked on the wrong button

Anyway I hope someone can help me out with any information on this photo.

It is my profile photo of a build I have wanted to build since putting on my profile years back. I do know from Peter Butler that it was an article in the SMT magazine around the 1990’s “Very little information, no name of the builder or when it was made, but mention that it was sold to Tom Cooper, 'Mr. Merlin' of Merlin Models. What happened to it since is unknown” Quote from Peter.

Just some help with any details would be greatly appreciated has I intend to start building it myself soon.
Thanks guys for any assistance with this.

Hi Rod .
The image reminds me of the County Donegal railcars ,in particular railcar No 18 , built by Walker Bros of Wigan fame .Have a look at pictures of the front end section of them . The image in your Profile could be a representation of a custom built swb variant ?

Chris

Hi Chris,

Thank you for your reply. It’s been very helpful for me and now I’m going to try and build it, maybe not the exact same one, but it could be close enough to it.

Once again, thanks Chris

There is lots of information about the company that ran this Railcar and other locomotives to. It seems to have been the largest laid Narrow Gauge Railway in Great Britain at the time.

This railcar is getting very interesting. Researching it to it more i have found one that is very close to my profile photo. This is probably more accurate and I think I am going to look at building this one. There are other people who have built similar railmotors, I believe that’s what they were called when they were running with petrol engines, they were called railcars in 1937 or thereabouts, when they started to use diesel engines.


The second photo is a full size version of the original railcar.

Preseli Chris wrote: Mon Sep 08, 2025 9:14 pm Hi Rod .
The image reminds me of the County Donegal railcars ,in particular railcar No 18 , built by Walker Bros of Wigan fame .Have a look at pictures of the front end section of them . The image in your Profile could be a representation of a custom built swb variant ?

Chris

You’re quite right about the builders of the railcars too Chris.

Hi Rod
The photo is from the cover of the May 1990 edition of 16mm Today.
It shows a freelance railcar constructed by Ray Trudgett for his garden railway in Exeter. The photo was actually taken in 1981. The editor was asking where the railcar is now (well in 1990). I've looked through the following two editions to see if anyone had replied, but couldn't spot anything. However, in the November edition was a photo of a similar railcar. It looks like little railcars like that were quite popular back then.
Rik

ge_rik wrote: Tue Sep 09, 2025 8:43 am It looks like little railcars like that were quite popular back then.

Hmmm. I like. Time for a resurgence? Look forward to seeing what you build, Rod.

ge_rik wrote: Tue Sep 09, 2025 8:43 am Hi Rod
The photo is from the cover of the May 1990 edition of 16mm Today.
IMG_20250909_082023_467.jpg


It shows a freelance railcar constructed by Ray Trudgett for his garden railway in Exeter. The photo was actually taken in 1981. The editor was asking where the railcar is now (well in 1990). I've looked through the following two editions to see if anyone had replied, but couldn't spot anything. However, in the November edition was a photo of a similar railcar. It looks like little railcars like that were quite popular back then.
IMG_20250909_083412_439_1.jpg


Rik

Hi Rik,

That’s fantastic. Now you have put me in a little bit of a dilemma, which one to have a go at!

Going to have to give it some thought. Still finishing the scratch build loco not far off now, just a few little tweaks.

SimonWood wrote: Tue Sep 09, 2025 9:18 am

ge_rik wrote: Tue Sep 09, 2025 8:43 am It looks like little railcars like that were quite popular back then.

Hmmm. I like. Time for a resurgence? Look forward to seeing what you build, Rod.

Will be starting a build soon Simon.

Well.... that's turned up some interesting responses.
It started when I was browsing through old SMT's at a friend's house when I spotted Rod's profile image. Not on a magazine cover but a small photograph tucked away inside.... black and white I believe?

I subscribe to 'Throwback Modeller' an on-line newsletter which traces the beginnings and subsequent history of garden railways. I became interested in Rod's image and wondered whether he was aware of its context.
The next thing is to research Ray Trudgett of Exeter and his connection with Tom Cooper.!

Perhaps that's one for Rod to follow up?

Hi does anyone here know anything about this 3.5 inch gauge train value and name of the train thanks.

Ben10 wrote: Tue Sep 09, 2025 10:44 am Hi does anyone here know anything about this 3.5 inch gauge train value and name of the train thanks.

Hi Ben
It's a model of Black 5 loco 5241

5241 was initially allocated to Mold Junction (6B). When under BR it moved to 12A Carlisle Kingmoor where it remained for 1 year. A re-allocation to Crewe North (5A) came at the end of May 1949 followed then by spells at Llandudno Junction (7A), Carnforth (11A), Edge Hill (8A), Carnforth (11A), Crewe North (5A), Stoke (5D), Crewe South (5B) and finally being withdrawn on the 16th of September 1967

Not sure about the origin of the model. A lot of 3.5" gauge models are scratch built but it might be a Blackgates Engineering "Doris" - http://www.blackgates.co.uk/3_5__gauge_locos.html

You could send them an email asking what sort of price a secondhand model might fetch

Rik
PS Welcome to the forum BTW

Peter Butler wrote: Tue Sep 09, 2025 10:36 am Well.... that's turned up some interesting responses.
It started when I was browsing through old SMT's at a friend's house when I spotted Rod's profile image. Not on a magazine cover but a small photograph tucked away inside.... black and white I believe?

I subscribe to 'Throwback Modeller' an on-line newsletter which traces the beginnings and subsequent history of garden railways. I became interested in Rod's image and wondered whether he was aware of its context.
The next thing is to research Ray Trudgett of Exeter and his connection with Tom Cooper.!

Perhaps that's one for Rod to follow up?

I think I may have read up on that guy Ray Trudgett this morning at about 3.30am
Finding out information on this railcar has been a real eye opener Peter, I suspect if anyone else has been trying to find out information on whatever subject they are interested in would be finding out so much more than they imagined.

Probably not at the same time as I was looking

Rod.
I see you have found images of No 18 . Notice it has side rods (coupling rods) akin to my railbus build using a Tri-ang big big Ruston chassis block. I have read that when the CDR closed ,the later diesel variants were absorbed by the IOM railway . These railmotors were and are to be found all over including down under in Oz. looking forward to seeing your next build

Chris

Preseli Chris wrote: Tue Sep 09, 2025 3:27 pm the later diesel variants were absorbed by the IOM railway

Indeed I saw one in a shed in Douglas in 2016 (no 19 or 20?)

SimonWood wrote: Wed Sep 10, 2025 9:48 am

Preseli Chris wrote: Tue Sep 09, 2025 3:27 pm the later diesel variants were absorbed by the IOM railway

Indeed I saw one in a shed in Douglas in 2016 (no 19 or 20?)

Hi Simon,


The railcar is the No20 cab paired with the No19 coach body.



Apparently the design incorporates the cab to turn off the same bogie, how that is done I don’t know. I can’t find anything on it yet, so I it’s something to put to one side for some further investigation. Unless a member has any idea if it’s correct or not.

How on earth did you figure that out, Rik?

Old Man Aaron wrote: Fri Sep 12, 2025 8:34 am How on earth did you figure that out, Rik?

Mostly by luck. I tried a reverse image search initially, but with no joy. But when I looked more closely at the whole image I'd grabbed off the forum, I could see what appeared to be the 16mm logo. I then looked through my incomplete collection of back issues of SMT and was lucky it was among them.

Rik