Raffle winner Peter Squire (right) is presented with his model of Western Ranger by John Borkowski of Masterpiece Models (centre) and WLA chairman Roger Smith (left).

In recognition of the assistance given by the Western Locomotive Association when we were carrying out research for our model of the Class 52 ‘Western’ diesel hydraulic, we were able to supply them with a model of D1013 Western Ranger on privileged terms. The WLA used the model as first prize in their autumn raffle and it raised more than £4,000 towards the WLA’a work.

 On Saturday 5 November John Borkowski and Adrian Knowles attended the Western Locomotive Association AGM where the model was presented to the lucky winner, Peter Squire.

 The Western Locomotive Association owns two ‘Westerns’ – D1062 Western Courier which is currently active on the Severn Valley Railway, and D1013 Western Ranger which is undergoing overhaul at Kidderminster with a return planned in maroon livery once extensive bogie work is completed. 

 The WLA has achieved an enormous amount against the odds. You can find out more and apply for membership at westernlocomotives.com.

STEAM Museum Swindon
This is a brief thank you for all of you who came to the Swindon Show at STEAM Museum on 10 and 11 September. Steam Museum is a great venue to combine model making with real locomotives and railway equipment. We hope to be there again in September 2023

Scaleseven Event at Mark Village Hall
Vole Rd, Mark, Highbridge TA9 4NY Saturday 8 October 2022
Just to let you know that we will also be attending the SCALE7 EVENT at Mark tomorrow Saturday 8 October from 10.00. If you can please come along and have a day out. You will have the opportunity of seeing a fuller range of our available models on display.

ROLLING ROADS Gauge 1, S7, O gauge, P4, EM, OO/HO
Masterpiece Models has been appointed as UK Distributor for Rolling Roads made by the German manufacturer WELOE. These are very high-quality rolling roads made of square section stainless steel. (See picture below). We plan to stock a full range of 1/32, 1/43.5, 1/76 and 1/87 scale model trains Rolling Roads in the following Gauges.

Provisional prices are:

OO/HO  16.5mm  £150
EM  18.2mm  £150
P4/S4  18.83mm  £150

O Gauge  32mm  £175
Scale 7  33mm  £175

Gauge 1  £185

All rolling roads are fitted with 10 sets of Rollers as standard, sufficient for an LNER Pacific with an 8 wheel tender.

We will have some stock available on display at the Mark show.

We hope that you have all had a good Northern Hemisphere summer break, although it has been difficult coping with the heatwaves and droughts in July and August. It is nice to have return to cooler days with a bit more breeze now in September. 

This is to thank all of you who came to our stand at GUILDEX at Stafford on Saturday and Sunday. It has been a long time since we exhibited at GUILDEX as we were unable to go either during the COVID years or when the show was held on a Bank Holiday. It was very good to be back to see those of you who were able to visit our stand. It was also the first opportunity to display our flagship Western Diesel models at GUILDEX, and they attracted a good deal of attention and passing photography. 

Also, on display were our Collett Halls, 28XX/38XX and Modified Halls. Very few of these steam locomotives are now left in stock available for sale, so if you would like a model, please do make an enquiry and reservation soon otherwise you may be disappointed. As with the Westerns the detail and finish of these model is exquisite and wonderful to see. We have held all our prices down to 2017 levels and absorbed huge cost increases which makes all our models of exceptional value in these times of currency devaluation and high inflation.

Just to let you know that we will also be attending the two-day show at STEAM Museum in Swindon on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 September and you will have the opportunity of seeing a fuller range of our available models on display. We look forward to seeing many of you there at STEAM.

John Borkowski
6 September 2022

28XX and Halls
It has been some time since our last update and much has happened. The 28XX and Halls (Collett and Hawksworth Modified) have arrived and have been subject to checks and final boxing up with the appropriate labelling. The quality of the castings, the detail, the general workmanship and the painting is self-evident in the photographs on the website and even more so when viewing the models in real life.

We have also tested the locomotives and we are pleased to report that all their operation at slow speeds and fast running has been very good. A 28XX delivered to a customer was successfully run on a 50-wagon train including operation on relatively tight curves. It seems that given more realistic (shallower) radius curves that our 28XX model could faithfully emulate the real engines in haulage characteristics and performance. We are very pleased with the higher ratio gearbox together with our standard Maxon aerospace grade motor fitted to the 28XX locomotives. This drive train combination reduces the speed while increasing the torque at the wheels is wonderful to see in action on the 28XX models.

The Halls also run very well with a good turn of speed and more than adequate hauling power on trains of realistic length. The Halls are fitted with our standard helical gearbox and our Maxon 25-watt aerospace grade motors similar to the arrangement in the 70XX Castles, the 47XX 2-8-0 tender engines and the 68XX Granges.

We are in the process of making deliveries of 28XX and Halls, together with Westerns, but there is a long way to go. We plan to deliver as many engines as possible by hand, as if the models are damaged by couriers, it is very expensive and difficult to repair them. This is especially true of the Westerns. Sending a damaged engine back to South Korea for repairs now costs over £500 just in courier fees and insurance.

Delivery to customers in recent weeks has been held up by limitations in my ability to undertake long car journeys as a result of persistent post-COVID issues and the emergence of railway strikes. I hope that this industrial unrest recedes as it does nothing for our economy except unnecessary damage. Perhaps the Government could be a little more helpful when we have a new prime minister. I am trying to organise a series of drop-offs most likely at key railway stations. If you would like to take advantage of this arrangement it would mean you are able to have your model sooner. I will be in touch with you individually to make appropriate arrangements.

Class 52 Westerns
We have now carried out enhancement of the drive trains on more than 80 Western locomotives. Unfortunately, due the reasons described in the section above, we have been running behind with the deliveries and we now have a substantial number of engines now ready and awaiting delivery. We will be getting in touch with you individually to see whether it would be possible to arrange more efficient delivery via meeting up at selected central railway stations on the national rail network.

Availability of models
New availability lists providing an up-to-date stock situation have now been posted on this website for the Castles, Granges, Halls, Modified Halls, 28XX and 2884 classes – see the relevant 'Models for Sale' pages. We are now aiming to update these in real time as models are sold. Current listings for the Western diesel, 47XX 2-8-0s and 57XX/8750 Pannier Tanks will follow shortly. By necessity, the amount of detail that can be shown in these listings is limited, so if you would like to discuss the exact specification of any model listed, please do call us.

Exhibitions
The next exhibition we will be attending is GUILDEX 2022 at the Stafford County Showground on 3 and 4 September, followed by the Swindon Railway Festival at STEAM Museum on 10 and 11 September.

John Borkowski
25 July 2020