Saturday, May 13, 2017

Saturday Film Club: The Gorton Garratt




From the Macdermott files, a the largest loco ever to run in the UK -the LNER Garratt. 

Building a model of this has always been high on my wish list. I've seen both 4 and 7mm versions and they are massive. The square bunker always looks better than the rotating version fitted to the LMS machines though, the same reason I prefer these in their unrebuilt form. 

Anyway, if you have loads of time and a fair amount of cash to spare, here are some links to kits:

7mm scale - Gladiator Models
4mm scale - DJH Models


4 comments:

matt scrutton said...

I have a set of frames and wheels for the U1 in 7 1/4" gauge. Far too big really, I will probably never build it but they were free from an engineer friend!

Huw Griffiths said...

Impressive beasts - models of which seem to have found their way onto a number of layouts, despite probably being somewhat too large to really "fit in". That's right - "Rule 1" applies - and there's nothing wrong with that.

As for real Garratts, I'd imagine that, these days, a lot of people are more likely to have seen the example of a different design in the Manchester Museum of Science and Industry, which was used in South Africa. This one's also something of a "beast" - and well worth checking out if anyone gets the chance.

Phil Parker said...

U1 in 7 1/4? That would be a beast of a loco!

matt scrutton said...

The trouble is Phil that much like your thinking about RTR models stealing the kitbuilt models thunder (I was gutted Hornby did Duke of Gloucester), someone has already built the U1 in 7 1/4 so already the incentive to do it (nobody else has one) is gone!