Can anyone help me please. I am trying to track down a series of articles that appeared in the Railway Modeler possibly in the late 60's or early 70's, not to sure, the layout was called Stronachlar (I think) and was about 10 articles long. I am after the year and months of the articles please.
Many thanks
John.
Quote from: Ironcladman on May 10, 2010, 08:29
Can anyone help me please. I am trying to track down a series of articles that appeared in the Railway Modeler possibly in the late 60's or early 70's, not to sure, the layout was called Stronachlar (I think) and was about 10 articles long. I am after the year and months of the articles please.
Many thanks
John.
The layout is usually called "Stronalachar" ( other spellings have been used in print ) built by the late David Mander. The principal references are a series of 5 ( not 10 ) articles in RM compiled by Paul Towers from taped interviews with David Mander, the editions are July, September, & November 1970, January & April 1971. In addition the partwork issued about 1975-76 History of Model & Miniature Railways no.35 carried a full colour feature also by Paul Towers, but here the railway is called "Stronachlachar". All appear on eBay quite regularly. In addition David Mander wrote articles himself for Model Railway News, April 1966, on building a WD 4-6-0 Baldwin, September 1966 on Transporter Wagons, May 1967 on constructing a Highland Hotel, and June 1967 on building a Darjeeling Class B 0-4-0t. There is an associated article in RM June 1973, also by Paul Towers describing the construction of a Dinorwic Quarry open cab quarry Hunslet 0-4-0t that David Mander built for Paul Towers. Nearly all the Stronalachar locomotives are now in the 009 Society's Heritage Collection, the quarry Hunslet is now owned by Andrew Burnham.
Garry Whiting, 009 Society Archivist
Many thanks Garry, I have been searching for these for a while now, it was one of the layouts that have always stuck in my mind since I was a kid.
Cheers
John Lowen
Thanks for that comprehensive list of references, Garry - big sense of relief as all that remain of my early MRN's are a folder of cuttings and I was never sure whether I had all the Stronalacher & related articles or not - yes I have!
My turn then, The Archivist has provided the information, now the Roving Reporter can provide some snaps! I was very fortunate to have the Heritage Collection pass my way a year ago in order to make a photographic record of the collection so as they still haven't started to appear in 009 News, which was part of the reason why I was asked to take the photos, this thread has made it quite appropriate to supplement the subject with snaps of some of David Mander's stock here. The Collection also includes a reasonable accumulation of the rolling stock from the layout, but I have not included them here, as they have not "travelled" so well over the half century (plus in some cases) since most were made and do look dated and rather primitive compared to modern 009 expectations. Most of David's passenger coaches were also pure proprietary HOm German coaches made by Zeuke and regauged to 9mm. The Heritage Collection had some 8 or 9 of these which I identified as being ex-Stronalacher whilst they were in my possession, I do hope that this identification has protected them and that they have been retained and not disposed of as mere proprietory items of no significant interest or value.
I have located a dozen photos of Stronalacher locos, so I will attach them here and in the following 2 transmissions for general interest. I believe the attachment option here allows 4 photos per posting.
Here goes then: starting with the quarry Hunslet that Garry mentioned above, and now owned by Andrew Burnham
Unfortunately, it is not possible to see photos that are attached in this way to postings until after they have been posted, so the rest are "as they surfaced" and in no particular order. I have however managed to find a photo of every one of the Mander locomotives that are in the collection
Mick
Here's the next batch of 4. Stronalacher students may have already spotted that in addition to the Quarry Hunslet, I don't believe the little Barclay 0-4-0T number 12 was covered in the Railway Modeller articles, but it was definitely part of the stocklist. I can't remember how I know that now, as I do not have the documentation that came with the Heritage Collection when it came to me for photographing, but it is definitely accredited in the inventory as being a David Mander model from Stronalacher.
Updated entry: I have just noticed that a photo of number 12 with a caption explaining that it is the only locomotive in the roster that is made from a kit - a Gem in this case, appears in the History of Model & Miniature Railways part 35 article that Garry quoted above in his references
Mick
And the final 4. One of these is a little open cab diesel bashed up from a Minitrains Plymouth and again not present as far as I can recall in the magazine articles. Provenance proven however from the Heritage Collection inventory remarks. Interestingly, when I received the collection, diesel loco number 8 pictured below, along with some of the clearly marked and identifiable Stronalacher rolling stock, was not identified as such and so it was fortunate in this instance that I did have the opportunity to check the collection contents out! Fortunately the record was put straight and I trust that all the items are now safe and sound in Society Heritage Officer David Burleigh's, custody.
I hope these photos have sparked some memories and renewed some interest in one of the true pioneers but possibly less well-known founders of 4mm scale narrow gauge modelling.
For those that have not read the articles mentioned, I will leave it to others who may wish to expand, but they make absolutely fascinating reading about the challenges that David Mander had to overcome back in the early 1950's when he first started to build his stock. Scratchbuilding 009 locos in those days was a little more than cutting up a Dapol pug and mounting it onto a Minitrix chassis - scratchbuilding 60 years ago meant wheels, motors, everything
Mick
Stronalacher Locos - Postscript
Well it is no wonder I never seem to have time to get anything done! After half an hour of locating and exhuming the July 1970 Railway Modeller, I can now see that the Society Heritage Collection contains all of the Stronalacher locos except number 1, which was a freelance 0-6-0T that David Mander built onto a Minitrix 0-6-0 chassis and based it upon an anglicised and scaled up (from 3.5 to 4mm) version of the Egger no.2 steam loco
For completeness I have taken the liberty of scanning the photo of it from the RM article mentioned, which is attached below.
Also to close further loops, the same article refers to the Egger diesel (Stronalacher no.10 photographed in an earlier posting on this thread). David Mander converted it to run on a Minitrains chassis as the Egger (original pattern) was only 2 wheel drive and gave an unsatisfactory performance on the layout. This then opens assumptions about the yellow open cab Minitrains diesel-bash photographed earlier - was this the body from the Minitrains chassis used under number 10? If so, what chassis is under the Minitrains loco? I've attached another Heritage Collection photo which shows the underside of the Minitrains loco and I must say that if you study this and also the side view posted earlier, it does raise a doubt as to if this is actually an original Minitrains chassis?
Interesting! Can anyone factually confirm or otherwise?
Mick
Stronalacher Locos - PPS
I do apologise for self-indulgence, but I just could not resist the temptation to blow my own trumpet as I have just found in my archives a photo of a Stronalacher loco in service with one of my own taken at a Wessex NGM meeting in 2004
Ian Turner had Stronalacher Baldwin no.6 in his workshop from the Society Heritage Collection for repair and refurb and as it held such historic interest, he brought it along to show at a Wessex NG Modellers meeting that was held at Howard Coulson's home. The loco was promptly posed on Howard's East African Eitomo layout at the head of a train of Ian's scratchbuilt South African mineral hoppers and I was summoned to report with camera in hand. So, I took the opportunity to place my Baldwin NaF class 2-4-4T as a pilot engine and further snaps were taken.
For the curious, the NaF class was a little known development of the more familiar Australian Victorian Railways "Puffing Billy" Na class 2-6-2T. "NaF" = "Na Four-wheel" or simply a Naff story? Who can tell as I believe my model is unique and no photos of the prototype have yet been found................
Very interesting, Mick! Thanks for that.
I have seen photos of those locos before in the News, in the handbook and on the net but never realised David Mander's layout was set in Scotland. I've never seen a photo of the layout before, I'll have to check ebay for a magazine or two ;)
Quote from: invercloy on May 10, 2010, 18:22
I have seen photos of those locos before in the News, in the handbook and on the net but never realised David Mander's layout was set in Scotland.
Some would say more "traditionally Scottish" than its contemporary pioneering 009 layout Craig & Mertonford as Stronalacher was set very much in the Highlands whilst PDH's better known classic was south east Scotland, "Craigshire" being an imaginary freelance county extension to the coast between Edinburgh and Berwick
Check out Stronachlacher on Google Maps, a settlement in Stirlingshire on the west coast of Loch Katrine. A possible prototype location for David Mander's layout.
I'll see if I can sort something out for you regarding getting a sight of what this layout was like, there are actually quite a few similarities between Stronalacher and the Craigcorrie and Dunalistair, although I believe Ted had already nailed his colours to the mast regarding his railway's location and setting long before he knew that the Stronalacher Railway existed.
Mick
HI Mick
The Egger diesel No10 has a very cut down Minitrains Plymouth chassis with the outer part of the chassis block thinned down and re-shaped to look like a side frame. The buffer beams have also been replaced.
The power unit under the open cab Plymouth is also a cut down Minitrains Plymouth chassis.
It also should be noted that the cylinders and slider on No. 1 come from a pre 1965 Egger steam loco.
Brian Meldon